The importance of the brief for a translator within the framework of the skopos theory1. IntroductionThere has been heated discussion in the field of translation studies regarding where to place the emphasis. Should it be about the source text and the sender, the target text and the recipient, or the process itself? This comes down to how you define translation. This essay offers a critical view of Skopos theory, which focuses on the translation process. A discussion is included to illustrate the importance of the translation brief in both pedagogical and professional contexts. Other related theories are also presented. Finally, the essay concludes with some observations and suggestions.2. Equivalence and skopos theory: a critical view One of the most important concepts in translation studies is equivalence advanced by Eugene Nida (1964). According to him, there are two types of equivalent relationship between the source text and the target text, formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. Formal equivalence focuses on reproducing the surface structure, i.e. the form and content of the source message. On the other hand, dynamic equivalence emphasizes the equivalent effect, which implies that translators should aim to produce a similar response in the target audience to that of the source audience. However, scholars have criticized the concept of equivalent effect as being too vague. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to create an equivalent effect for readers of a different culture. ()In the late 1970s, the focus of translation studies shifted to the translation process as well as the recipients. Hans Vermeer is the founder of the Skopos theory. As the Greek word skopos indicates, this theory emphasizes that when translating...... middle of paper... translators will not ask for a brief even if they know it's better to have one when they don't receive one. There are two main reasons for this phenomenon. First, considering the tight deadlines and salary, translators cannot afford the time to ask about the target audience or communication purposes and then wait a couple of days to receive responses from clients. Secondly, translators will not ask for a brief because clients do not know the importance of the translation brief and will sometimes even be annoyed if asked too many questions. To get more jobs in the future, translators would like to maintain a good relationship with clients. (Jensen, 2009) As we can see, although the Skopos theory underlines the importance of the translation brief, the reality in the translation sector does not live up to what is expected in the academic field.