In recent years translation has come to be investigated increasingly from critical perspectives, with various studies high-lighting the translator’s mediating involvement in the construction of particular discourses. This article describes an exploratory think-aloud protocol study which attempts to observe this mediating involvement in the translation process, using degree-level language students as subjects. The study suggests that the students may not be conscious of the fact that certain lexical choices in their translations conform to common stereotypes of Britain. The relatively low level of critical discourse awareness among the students may in some ways be related to translation practice in their educational contexts, which focuses on norm compliance and may do little in most cases to encourage reflection on the effects of translational choices on readers’ perceptions of what is communicated.