ABSTRACT
As in Chapters 16 and 17, it is possible to distinguish between three basic approaches to the study of dictionaries for translation: (a) as object of study per se; (b) as expressions of relationship between them and their usefulness for users; and (c) as to their planning and construction. The focus of this chapter is on a critical discussion of the very concept of a dictionary for translation (in the following: DfT), as well as of the specific needs of translators as an unexpectedly heterogeneous user group. The complexity of the translation process and the related variables (e.g. translation direction and native language) raise a challenging question: Does a DfT exist as an autonomous, multifunctional lexicographic tool, or are translators better served by a combination of resources, the choice of which can be tailored to the needs of each translation situation? For reasons of space, I will not discuss topics and issues that have already been discussed in Chapters 16 and 17, that is, topics and issues concerned with communicative situations and functions.
