Semantic equivalence and cultural adaptation in the translation of metaphysical concepts in Emil Cioran's works

The translation of Emil Cioran's fragmentary work is not merely a transfer of words but entails rendering a complex ideational and affective universe. His fragments function as dense units of reflection, where form and content are inseparably linked. The translator must convey not only the literal meaning but also the existential tension of the text. Internal cohesion relies on pronouns, adverbs, and modal structures, while recurrent lexemes create affectively charged semantic fields, complicating faithful equivalence. Translation thus becomes a hermeneutic, not mechanical, act. The fragmentary language activates networks of contradictory meanings, undermining the notion of a single correct interpretation. Paradoxical or analytically false statements provoke reflection and reveal the inner fragmentation of the self. The translator must preserve the ambiguity and tension of the discourse. Rhetorical questions, irony, and paradox destabilize certainties. Translating Cioran involves stylistic re-creation, making the translator a co-creator of meaning, not a mere linguistic intermediary.