Cells respond to stress stimuli through coordinated changes in gene expression. The regulation of translation is often used under these circumstances because it allows immediate and selective changes in protein levels. There are many examples of translational control in response to stress. Here we examine two representative models, the regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2α by phosphorylation and internal ribosome initiation through the internal ribosome-entry site, which illustrate the importance of translational control in the cellular stress response and apoptosis.