Translation is double editing

I was lucky enough to get a book to translate from English to Swahili about three weeks ago. My contact wanted it done in two weeks flat. I was enthusiastic in my response promising to do it in less than two weeks. How wrong I was.
It was my first time to do such a job and, boy, was it long!
Anyway I learnt a few lessons:
One: Translating, though sharing certain skills with editing is not editing, it's more demanding, more laborious; iti is energy sapping;
Two: Demand to see the job beforehand and set your own deadline; or at least, agree on a period that works for you;
Three: Agree on what is expected from you and in what form - whether in a CD, emailed etc. Also, agree on when you expect your payment;
Four: Arm yourself with the relevant reference books: Dictionaries (one language, two languages), Thesaurus and Grammar guides. Remember to have a notebook too;
Five: In translating, start from the first page onwards, never at the middle or at the end; that way, should you have to translate an institution's name or other such outfit, you will have it easy. It also comes in handy when you have to cross-refer;
Six: After you are done with translating, read through your work carefully and make changes where necessary (proof reading skills come in here);
Seven: Eat well;
Eight: However hard you may work, remember to take a break, no less than 3 hours;
Nine: Write a thank you note to whoever gave you the job;
Ten: After you are done, sleep, and sleep some more.