@Jon-Mitchell Not how I see it.
Translations open up an extra sector for the market that barely competes with their main market, and since all the original publisher has to do to make money on that sector (even if it is potentially as low as 10%, maybe even 5%) is sign a contract, Isn't that essentially just free money for them?
The only sad thing is that after going through three companies (bookstore, translation publisher, and Japanese publisher) the author's cut is probably measured in pennies...