Translation is a means of cultural invasion whose power is often underestimated. It nonetheless allows the penetration of elements of a foreign culture into a national culture. This, however, is a potential power. For cultural invasion to actually take place through translation, the entities from the invading country (the institutions which promote national literature abroad) as well as those from the invaded country (publishers, translators and readers) must contribute to it. The Portuguese translation of Je m’en vais by Jean Echenoz and the French translation of História do cerco de Lisboa by José Saramago will work as the starting point to a reflection on the role of translation in the relationship between Portugal and France in contemporary times.