Which of the following describes a translation?

A translation is defined as a transformation that moves every point of a figure the same distance in the same direction. The key aspect of a translation is that the shape and size of the figure remain unchanged; it simply shifts its position on the coordinate plane without altering any of its properties.

This understanding highlights that the correct description involves the sliding of a figure from one position to another, which matches the definition of a translation perfectly. Other choices represent different transformations: enlarging a shape refers to dilation, flipping a figure describes reflection, and determining area is unrelated to transformations at all. Each of these options addresses different aspects of geometric transformations, but only the choice that involves sliding accurately captures what a translation entails.