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A good translation from Dutch into a foreign language subsumes a variety of linguistic adjustments at the level of text and syntax. The nature of these linguistic adjustments depends on the linguistic characteristics of the text type to be translated. The linguistic characteristics of a text type can vary enormously from the source language to the target language.An analysis of three German translations of one and the same Dutch text reveals that it is very difficult to describe and formalize the nature of the linguistic adjustments and that, in consequence, they can scarcely be taught in a systematic way.This calls for an eclectic and pragmatic approach to the teaching of translation with ample consideration to be given to the reading of literary texts. Only in this way, can the apprentice translator become sufficiently well acquainted with the FL to be able to make text type decisions quickly and easily.