The field of eco-translation covers several areas of study, from the more pragmatic (the environmental impact of translation) to the more theoretical (“the translation of nature”, “translation and the ecosystem of languages”). The paper introduces the idea of “sustainable translation”, as a way of correlating the lifespan of a translation with its “sustainability” according to the ecological meaning of the word. Drawing on three books that make rivers “talk”, it also reflects on the issue of translating natural entities.