Three Principles of Translation by Alexander Fraser Tytler In the late 18th century, the British scholar Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747-1814) introduced his famous three principles of translation in his work "Essay on the Principles of Translation." These principles are widely recognized and discussed in translation studies: 1. A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. 2. The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original. 3. A translation should have all the ease of the original composition.