Translating a text into another language involves not only expressing the referential values of the original text but also the way in which meaning is apprehended. When one observes an extensive corpus of translated texts, it becomes clear, however, that translators are conditioned by constraints in discourse patterns which are specific to each language, or to groups of languages. These constraints can only be transgressed providing they do not constitute a violation of their own language. The objective of this paper is to bring to light the recurring patterns that differ from language to language and to determine the conditions under which they are binding in translation. The study is based on the specific problem of verbless predications. All the occurrences of this structure that appear in the corpus of texts and translations listed in the bibliography have been examined: thematic structures, imperatives, questions, exclamations, etc. The essential differences between the original texts and the rendered versions are highlighted and an attempt is made to provide an explanation for the criteria that determine the recurrent choices of translators in their versions of the original texts.