Words, it is well-known, are semantic chameleons. While outline of their meaning is relatively constant, context shades the interpretation. This paper examines the role cognitive mechanisms underpinning these processes of lexical interpretation might play in the process of translation. After describing a particular model of these mechanisms, the paper discusses the part elements of this model would play if they were put to use in the course of a process of translation. In this discussion, the simplistic assumption is made that, psycholinguistically, translation is a process involving two serially-ordered stages where these stages respectively comprehend the source-language string and generate a corresponding target-language string. The author assumes, therefore, that the normal mechanisms are a component in the process of translation. On this assumption, the paper discusses the role of the mechanisms postulated by a theory of comprehension in translation and examines their implications for the projected model of translation.