diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index e46a0912..de78a495 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
         });
 
         devShell = forAllSystems (system: nixpkgsFor."${system}".mkShell {
+          buildInputs = with nixpkgsFor."${system}"; [
+            nixUnstable
+          ];
           shellHook = ''
             export NIX_PATH=nixpkgs=${nixpkgs}
           '';
diff --git a/src/apps/cli.py b/src/apps/cli.py
index 2cb95ce0..1a30eba2 100644
--- a/src/apps/cli.py
+++ b/src/apps/cli.py
@@ -21,10 +21,23 @@ def list_translators(args):
   for subsystem, trans_types in translators.items():
     displayed = []
     for trans_type, translators_ in trans_types.items():
-      for translator in translators_:
-        displayed.append(f"{trans_type}.{translator}")
+      for trans_name, translator in translators_.items():
+        lines = tuple(
+          f"{trans_type}.{trans_name}",
+        )
+        if translator:
+          lines += (
+            f"\n      special args:",
+          )
+          for argName, argData in translator.items():
+            lines += (
+              f"\n        --arg_{argName} {{value}}",
+              f"\n            default: {argData['default']}",
+              f"\n            examples: {', '.join(argData['examples'])}",
+            )
+        displayed.append(''.join(lines))
     nl = '\n'
-    out += f"\n  - {subsystem}.{f'{nl}  - {subsystem}.'.join(displayed)}"
+    out += f"\n\n  - {subsystem}.{f'{nl}  - {subsystem}.'.join(displayed)}"
   print(out)
 
 
@@ -34,6 +47,12 @@ def translate(args):
 
   inputPaths = args.input
 
+  # collect special args
+  specialArgs = {}
+  for argName, argVal in vars(args).items():
+    if argName.startswith("arg_"):
+      specialArgs[argName[4:]] = argVal
+
   # check if all inputs exist
   for path in inputPaths:
     if not os.path.exists(path):
@@ -56,6 +75,7 @@ def translate(args):
     outputFile=output,
     selector=args.translator or "",
   )
+  translatorInput.update(specialArgs)
 
   # remove output file if exists
   if os.path.exists(output):
@@ -69,19 +89,45 @@ def translate(args):
     env.update(dict(
       FUNC_ARGS=inputJsonFile.name
     ))
-    procBuild = sp.run(
+    procEval = sp.run(
       [
-        "nix", "build", "--impure", "--expr",
-        f"(import {dream2nix_src} {{}}).translators.selectTranslatorBin {{}}", "-o", "translator"
+        "nix", "eval", "--impure", "--raw", "--expr",
+        f"((import {dream2nix_src} {{}}).translators.selectTranslatorJSON {{}})",
       ],
       capture_output=True,
       env=env
     )
+    if procEval.returncode:
+      print("Selecting translator failed", file=sys.stdout)
+      print(procEval.stderr.decode(), file=sys.stderr)
+      exit(1)
+
+    # parse data for auto selected translator
+    resultEval = json.loads(procEval.stdout)
+    subsystem = resultEval['subsystem']
+    trans_type = resultEval['type']
+    trans_name = resultEval['name']
+
+    # include default values into input data
+    translatorInputWithDefaults = resultEval['SpecialArgsDefaults']
+    translatorInputWithDefaults.update(translatorInput)
+    json.dump(translatorInputWithDefaults, inputJsonFile, indent=2)
+    inputJsonFile.seek(0)
+
+    # build the translator bin
+    procBuild = sp.run(
+      [
+        "nix", "build", "--impure", "-o", "translator", "--expr",
+        f"(import {dream2nix_src} {{}}).translators.translators.{subsystem}.{trans_type}.{trans_name}.translateBin",
+      ],
+      capture_output=True,
+    )
     if procBuild.returncode:
       print("Building translator failed", file=sys.stdout)
       print(procBuild.stderr.decode(), file=sys.stderr)
       exit(1)
 
+    # execute translator
     translatorPath = os.path.realpath("translator")
     os.remove("translator")
     sp.run(
@@ -154,6 +200,9 @@ def parse_args():
 
   list_parser.set_defaults(func=list_translators)
 
+
+  # PARSER FOR TRNASLATOR
+
   translate_parser = sub.add_parser(
     "translate",
     prog="translate",
@@ -186,6 +235,13 @@ def parse_args():
     nargs="+"
   )
 
+  # parse special args
+  # (custom parameters required by individual translators)
+  parsed, unknown = translate_parser.parse_known_args()
+  for arg in unknown:
+    if arg.startswith("--arg_"):
+      translate_parser.add_argument(arg.split('=')[0])
+
   args = parser.parse_args()
 
   if not hasattr(args, "func"):
diff --git a/src/fetchers/default.nix b/src/fetchers/default.nix
index 8a0d3434..28982e72 100644
--- a/src/fetchers/default.nix
+++ b/src/fetchers/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   callPackage,
+  ...
 }:
 rec {
   defaultFetcher = callPackage ./default-fetcher.nix {};
diff --git a/src/translators/default.nix b/src/translators/default.nix
index 3bbe3651..6ca8df16 100644
--- a/src/translators/default.nix
+++ b/src/translators/default.nix
@@ -11,19 +11,23 @@
 let
 
   lib = pkgs.lib;
+
   callTranslator = subsystem: type: name: file: args: 
     let
       translator = callPackage file (args // {
         inherit externals;
         translatorName = name;
       });
+      translatorWithBin =
+        # if the translator is a pure nix translator,
+        # generate a translatorBin for CLI compatibility
+        if translator ? translateBin then translator
+        else translator // {
+          translateBin = wrapPureTranslator [ subsystem type name ];
+        };
     in
-      # if the translator is a pure nix translator,
-      # generate a translatorBin for CLI compatibility
-      if translator ? translateBin then translator
-      else translator // {
-        translateBin = wrapPureTranslator [ subsystem type name ];
-      };
+      translatorWithBin // { inherit subsystem type name; };
+      
 
   buildSystems = dirNames ./.;
 
@@ -74,15 +78,17 @@ let
     )
   );
 
-  # json file exposing all existing translators to CLI
+  # json file exposing all existing translators to CLI including their special args
   translatorsJsonFile =
-    pkgs.writeText
-      "translators.json"
-      (builtins.toJSON
-        (mkTranslatorsSet (subsystem: type:
-          dirNames (./. + "/${subsystem}/${type}")
+    let
+      data = lib.mapAttrsRecursiveCond
+        (as: !(as ? "translateBin"))
+        (k: v:
+          v.specialArgs or {}
         )
-      ));
+        translators;
+    in
+    pkgs.writeText "translators.json" (builtins.toJSON data);
 
   # filter translators by compatibility for the given input paths
   compatibleTranslators =
@@ -134,7 +140,7 @@ let
 
 
   # return the correct translator bin for the given input paths
-  selectTranslatorBin = utils.makeCallableViaEnv (
+  selectTranslator = utils.makeCallableViaEnv (
     {
       selector,  # like 'python.impure' or 'python.impure.pip'
       inputDirectories,  # input paths to translate
@@ -156,10 +162,23 @@ let
             - ${builtins.concatStringsSep "\n  - " (inputDirectories ++ inputFiles)}
         ''
       else
-        (lib.head (lib.attrValues (lib.head (lib.attrValues (lib.head (lib.attrValues compatTranslators)))))).translateBin
+        lib.head (lib.attrValues (lib.head (lib.attrValues (lib.head (lib.attrValues compatTranslators)))))
   );
 
+  selectTranslatorJSON = args:
+    let
+      translator = (selectTranslator args);
+      data = {
+        SpecialArgsDefaults =
+          lib.mapAttrs
+            (name: def: def.default)
+            translator.specialArgs or {};
+        inherit (translator) subsystem type name;
+      };
+    in
+      builtins.toJSON data;
+
 in
 {
-  inherit translators translatorsJsonFile selectTranslatorBin;
+  inherit translators translatorsJsonFile selectTranslatorJSON;
 }
diff --git a/src/translators/python/impure/pip/default.nix b/src/translators/python/impure/pip/default.nix
index ce0e2765..d6399d88 100644
--- a/src/translators/python/impure/pip/default.nix
+++ b/src/translators/python/impure/pip/default.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 {
 
   # the input format is specified in /specifications/translator-call-example.json
+  # this script receives a json file including the input paths and specialArgs
   translateBin = writeScriptBin "translate" ''
     #!${bash}/bin/bash
 
@@ -23,29 +24,31 @@
 
     # read the json input
     outputFile=$(${jq}/bin/jq '.outputFile' -c -r $jsonInput)
+    pythonAttr=$(${jq}/bin/jq '.pythonAttr' -c -r $jsonInput)
     inputDirectories=$(${jq}/bin/jq '.inputDirectories | .[]' -c -r $jsonInput)
     inputFiles=$(${jq}/bin/jq '.inputFiles | .[]' -c -r $jsonInput)
 
-
-    # pip executable
-    pip=${python3.pkgs.pip}/bin/pip
+    # build python and pip executables
+    tmpBuild=$(mktemp -d)
+    cd $tmpBuild
+    nix build --impure --expr "(import <nixpkgs> {}).$pythonAttr" -o python
+    nix build --impure --expr "(import <nixpkgs> {}).$pythonAttr.pkgs.pip" -o pip
+    cd -
 
     # prepare temporary directory
-    tmp=translateTmp
-    rm -rf $tmp
-    mkdir $tmp
+    tmp=$(mktemp -d)
 
     # download files according to requirements
-    $pip download \
+    $tmpBuild/pip/bin/pip download \
       --no-cache \
       --dest $tmp \
       --progress-bar off \
       -r ''${inputFiles/$'\n'/$' -r '}
 
     # generate the generic lock from the downloaded list of files
-    ${python3}/bin/python ${./generate-generic-lock.py} $tmp $outputFile
+    $tmpBuild/python/bin/python ${./generate-generic-lock.py} $tmp $outputFile
 
-    rm -rf $tmp
+    rm -rf $tmp $tmpBuild
   '';
 
 
@@ -59,4 +62,19 @@
       inputDirectories = [];
       inputFiles = lib.filter (f: builtins.match ".*(requirements).*\\.txt" f != null) args.inputFiles;
     };
+
+  # define special args and provide defaults
+  specialArgs = {
+    
+    # the python attribute
+    pythonAttr = {
+      default = "python3${lib.elemAt (lib.splitString "." python3.version) 1}";
+      description = "python version to translate for";
+      examples = [
+        "python27"
+        "python39"
+        "python310"
+      ];
+    };
+  };
 }