The article analyses the many English translations of Verdi's La Traviata. They are evaluated taking into account their function and time of translation, since opera translations - as literary translations - also get dated. Through the many translations of one libretto it is also possible to analyse the main character traits of the heroine beyond those portrayed by both Domas and Verdi. The article concludes that other languages such as music and mise en scène which are universal may be the two possible agents to really translate the opera.