This paper focuses on the problems of selecting texts to be translated at the initial stage of translators' training. As a rule, translator training institutions do not practice literary text translation with beginner students. Literary texts, due to their intrinsic qualities, such as author's style combined with an unlimited potential for the interpretation of the message and the functions of a communicative tool called 'text', are considered to be most challenging if not most difficult subjects for translation students. Besides that, a majority of would-be translators are most likely to be engaged in translating LSP or general information texts rather than literary ones.