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I learned French as a child, in one of those "écoutez-répétez" programs. (Heck, we got to watch TV in school, as our lessons were televised on the local educational station!!!) At the time, and during subsequent language classes later on in junior high, high school and college, we were told again and again - do NOT attempt to translate. You should try and understand in the language you're dealing with.
Now that I live in France and have to deal with French everyday, I'm immensely grateful for that advice. (Just try mentally translating if you're talking on the phone or dealing with an irate French driver you just flipped off... but I digress.)
As far as looking up the words is concerned, when I was a German major at university, I got a real good piece of advice.
The first time you encounter a word you don't know, read through it and try and figure out what it means from the context.
The second time you encounter the word, do the same, but make a mental note that you've seen this word before if you're still not sure what it means.
The third time you see the word, if the meaning isn't obvious to you by now, go look it up.
It's more or less how most folks seem to deal with new words they encounter in their own language.
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