Background: A friend of mine is trying to translate a manuscript in Chinese. The goal is to publish the manuscript in an English language journal.
1) Get a paper published in a good English language journal on the same or similar topic, preferably by a senior scientist from an English-speaking country (unless it's by me; just kidding). Read it at least once to learn the terminology.
2) Check the journal style, which is usually available online. If not, get a published paper from the journal this translated manuscript will be submitted to; this published paper should tell you a lot about the journal's style. It may also tell you whether or not this journal provides copy-editing.
3) Read the Chinese paper from the beginning to the end once at least (if it's not written by you), to get a feeling about what it is about.
4) Start stair-climbing…
5) Let the original author read the translated version and give you feedback: he may not write English well, but he should be able to tell... At least I hope so.
Please let me know if this list is totally my imagination, or it actually helps.
ps. I read this Blog today (April 14, 2011), and feel it is still valid. By now, I have actually translated a paper for Chinese Sci. Bulletin (中国科学D辑). I wrote a Blog about my own experience, which you can find blow:
Found in Translation http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=306792&do=blog&id=372353