What is a translation?

The DLBT brings together works that are subsequently labelled as translations or adaptations and originate from a variety of sources. These sources cover an open period — regardless of the focus on the 20th century, translations from throughout human history are eligible for inclusion and encompass all languages and cultures. Translations and adaptations are not intended to fulfil a prescriptive definition, nor does the DLBT formulate one single understanding of translations or adaptations that are valid for parts of the database. A broad understanding of 'translation' is applied, which includes adaptations and is no longer limited to close correspondence in terms of content and form between two standard-language texts. It encompasses all forms of transfer, including phenomena such as cultural adaptations, borrowings, plagiarism, rewritings and reinterpretations.
A translation is included in the DLBT if one or more of the following requirements is met (including all different kinds of adaptation, which we understand to be a form of translation):

- there is a reference to it on the title page or elsewhere in a work (e.g. translation, translated from, from language [xy], etc.)

- there is a reference to it in the title record of a library (e.g. translation, translated from, from language [xy], etc.)

- the work is already part of a printed specialised bibliography, particualrly translation bibliographies and bibliographies of individual authors

- the work is already part of a translation database, including international initiatives and subject-specific research projects that result of which  in a corresponding database

- it is clear from an individual analysis of the work that it is one of the aforementioned forms of translation

Translations are defined by a source and target language. These are the languages in which the original text and the translated text are written. Due to the sources analysed when creating the DLBT, however, translations are only assigned to one language. This means that the source and target texts are considered to be monolingual. However, this should not obscure the fact that texts are often multilingual. This can involve inserting individual words or entire passages in different languages or varieties, or using them alternately.