I assume all of us here read multiple languages. Often the content we want will only be available in one of them. But often it will be available in more than one and we'll be faced with a choice: original version or translation and, if translation, which one?
It's not even as simple as always favouring your native language if possible, since I know a lot of people like to read novels translated into their target language as part of their language learning. Frequently, these are novels they have already read, but not always.
When it comes to the decision of whether or not to attempt the original version, the question arises of how much competence you need to make it worthwhile. This, in turn, will probably depend on your goals (is nuance important or are you mainly interested in practicing your language skills?) and the nature of the material (e.g. user manual vs poetry).
So what are some of the factors which influence your decisions? And how have these changed over time? What would you do differently if you could?