Can A Translation Be Evaluated By Only Reading It?

Simply reading a translation might not be a sufficient to evaluate its quality. How is this?

In order to understand the meaning of translated text there are multiple factors at work. Among them are: 1) the clarity of the original source text, 2) the comprehension ability of the reader, and 3) the translation itself. As a translator we have direct control only over the third item. We’re most concerned with ensuring that the source and target texts track with each other.

So the quality of a translation can’t fully be evaluated by reading only the translation itself. The source and target text must both be considered. When the meaning of translated text is in question it can be for reasons other than the translation itself.