ABSTRACT
In this chapter we look at the way in which visual and verbal signals in a text provide the fi rst step to decoding and recoding and how these trigger the broad understanding required in translation. Most translators would recognise that words and sentences are indispensable, but we also need to consider the all-important signals provided by headings, punctuation and paragraphing. They are not trivial details, for, like spelling and grammar, they carry meaning, and their misinterpretation will have an impact on translation. As translators we must be thoroughly conversant with the punctuation and layout of texts in all our working languages.
