Introduction
Translating and managing different language versions of Typo3 pages is comparatively easy because the handling of layout and contents can be separate tasks. That means that once your layout is done, you do not have to do all the work again for another language. Instead, you just provide the translated text elements.
However, as the word can has implied, it is also possible to manage the different language versions of your website as completely different, independent websites. Whether this is reasonable or necessary depends on what you want to achieve.
Two Translation Methods
Translating
Translating content will create a direct connection between the original language and the language you translate to.
This means that moving an element or setting meta information like start- or endtime will be taken from the original content and you will not be able to set these values on a translated content element.
Use this when your workflow demands a strict translation workflow.
Copying
Copying content will take the content elements from the source language and create copies in a different language.
This means that you will be able to move content elements around freely, but you will not have the benefit of being able to compare changes made in the source language later on.
Use this when you want to have freedom in designing your translated website.