What does this passage center on?

Translators can be required to perform highly creative work, as when they translate poems or other literary texts. At times, their work involves the acquisition and some deep processing of specialized information, in particular — but not exclusively — in scientific and technical translation. In other circumstances, it involves rewriting into a target language business letters, road signs, directions for hotel guests, information for tourists, etc. Translators may have to accept much responsibility, for instance when translating or interpreting important political speeches and legal texts. In other cases, they have a modest role, for instance when translating the menu for a cafeteria in a small town. Their educational level varies from top academic qualifications to a modest primary school level. Some enjoy high social prestige as "creators" in their own right or highly skilled language mediators, while others are viewed as minor clerical staff. Their work may be intended to serve a single person, for instance a foreign guest at a specialized conference, or be subject to much exposure, for instance when they interpret for television or translate a best-selling book. Some earn a great deal of money, and others have very low salaries. In other words, although their activity is given the same name — "interpreting" or "translating" intellectually, technically, socially, economically, it is far from homogeneous and perhaps these two words could be seen as hypernyms covering a rather wide range of distinct occupations.