Abstract: The term “translation alternation” refers to a phenomenon where two or more constructions can be used interchangeably to convey similar meanings or functions in the target language, affecting the decision-making process of translators. This article utilizes two comparable corpora and annotated corpus data within a construction-topology translation framework to examine the distribution, usage patterns, and cognitive foundations of the “pied-piping construction” and the “stranded preposition construction” in translational English. The findings indicate that in translational English, compared to non-translational English: 1) The pied-piping construction exhibits a significant increase, while the stranded preposition construction shows a considerable decrease. There are observable register effects influencing the distribution of these two schematic constructions. 2) The increased usage of the pied-piping construction can be attributed to the frequent occurrence of the relative pronoun “which” and the lower cognitive complexity associated with this construction. This trend appears to be driven by the established translation universals of “explicitation” and “simplification”. 3) The translation alternation between these constructions suggests a cognitive integration process in which translators select and integrate elements from both constructions. This process is also influenced by the “prototype inhibition” effect, where translators tend to favour the prototypical construction (pied-piping) while inhibiting the non-prototypical construction (stranded preposition). Notably, this inhibitory effect is more pronounced in the typical usage of prototypical constructions. This study provides new evidence for translation universals and offers fresh insights into the integration of construction topology in translation.