A note on gauge covariant translations in the gauge approach to gravity

We point out that in the gauge approach to gravity it is not always possible to reduce translation invariance to diffeomorphism invariance. It is argued that a proper generator of translations on the spacetime manifold is given by a gauge covariant Lie derivative. A reduction to diffeomorphism invariance is obtained if the gauging of the translation group does not involve homogeneous frame transformations. Possible consequences are shortly discussed. (author)