Linguistic and Cultural Issues in Translating Negation in Literary Texts: A Case Study, Mourning Becomes Electra, by Eugene O’Neill

Translating literature is problematic simply because it involves translating the metaphorical or figurative meanings of texts. There is always a context in which the translation occurs, always a history behind a text and into which a text is transported, always an individual (the translator) belonging to a particular culture and a social background and always a readership whom the translator has in mind.Our present paper aims at analyzing the techniques employed by Petru Comărnescu and Margareta Sterian in their Romanian translation of «Mourning Becomes Electra», by Eugene O’Neill. The analysis clearly portrays the pitfalls of translation and emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness when attempting to communicate.