This paper starts off by offering a brief overview of various discourse approaches of possible relevance to translation. Then the author highlights four levels of analysis, i.e. language, intended meaning, purpose and intention, and locates them on a scale of acceptability from the point of view of translation theory. In his diagram of interlinguistic activity, only the two intermediate levels – meaning and purpose – fulfil the established criteria for the acceptability in translation. Although translation per se and adaptation constitute two different strategies, they are by no means incompatible. In contrast, while the levels of language and intention are necessary for the correct analysis of original material, the systematic application of these levels at the stage of re-expression leads to a product that cannot be considered translation.