Catégorie : Traducteurs
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Translating idiomatic expressions: machine versus human translators
Among the many challenges facing translators is the extraordinary idiomaticity of all languages. Generally speaking, “idiomaticity exists when the inherent meaning of the words expressed does not match the meaning of the expression as understood by the speaker(s) and the hearer(s)” (Wikipedia). This can take many different forms and pose considerable problems for both human…
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Information structure and translation: part two
In a previous article, “Information Structure in French and English: How to lose your mind in translation”, I went through the translation of a short magazine article in French which was particularly difficult to translate due to the complexity of the sentence structures. In this article, I propose to take a step backwards and look…
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Théâtre et enseignement des langues : l’importance du gestuel dans l’apprentissage
Une dimension importante de l’apprentissage d’une langue étrangère, que l’on soit enfant ou adulte, à l’école ou dans un cours de français langue étrangère (FLE), est la « théâtralisation » ou la mise en scène du contenu. Il peut s’agir de mettre en scène un sketch écrit en langue étrangère par les élèves, faire du « jeu dramatique »…
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Translating Authorial Voice in Scientific and Technical Prose
Last November, I posted an article[1] on the difficulty of translating administrative prose from French to English. The examples given were “Guidelines on Completing IRS form 940” in (American) English, and “Lettre du Ministère de l’Intérieur, sous-direction de la circulation et de la sécurité routière » in French. The striking differences in style between these two…
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Handling Information Structure in French and English. Or how to lose your mind in translation
Have you ever come across a text that looks simple enough but ends up having you tear your hair out in frustration? Take a look at the following little text from a popular French TV magazine. It discusses a piece of pastry. Fauchon: Coup de Cœur d’un jour ou de toujours, l’entremets “Pensée sur le…
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When translating is (nearly) impossible: the case of administrative documents in French and English
Any translator who has tried to tackle administrative documents in French or English knows that the stylistic problems they pose may be nearly impossible to overcome. Take a look, for instance, at the following texts, the first, instructions from the IRS for completing a tax form in the United States, the second, a letter from…
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Reflections on Equivalency in Translation: the Case of Legal Documents in French and English
The traditions and practices of English and French law are different in so many ways that the search for equivalency can be mind-bogglingly difficult. In this sense, the translation of legal texts raises very interesting questions about what a “coherent” translation should be. Hervey and I. Higgins (2000)[1] put forward the notion of “best practice”…
La Boîte à Langues 