This book can be considered as a contribution to the formulation of a common framework for the theories of linguistic contrast and translation. Reflections on the contrast and contact of languages clearly approach each other when we adopt the point of view of the ordinary speaker-hearer involved in an interlinguistic and intercultural praxis. Translation is treated as a very significant manifestation of both natural contrast and contact between languages. To make this evident, a perspective on the translational facts is adopted in which the devlopmental aspects of this kind of activity and the personal (social and cognitive) involvement of translators in their task are presented in the light of recent contributions to this topic.