The assessment of a translation script

Professional training courses for translators, starting in Geneva in 1935, have now been running at various universities throughout the world for over thirty years, though they are still sadly missing in dome countries (Romania? Mexico?). They normally conclude with examinations where, amongst other tests, texts are set, translated, marked and assessed (...) Usually, there are no published evaluation criteria for such translations and in fact, Dr. Paul Meara, the director of the Language Centre at Swansea University in Wales, UK, has recently called for research to be produced on how examination scripts are being assesed. In UK, most examinations are 'moderated' by external examiners to ensure some kind of objectivity, and there is perhaps a majority view that texts should be 'accurately', even 'faithfully' translated, wich is hotly contested by a vociferous sophisticated and cynical monirity that pours scorn on accuracy as well as fidelity; on the whole the examination assesment is clouded in mystery.