Across Languages and Cultures
Volume/Issue:
Volume 9: Issue 1
Translating idiomatically into French in Quebec: Caught in the crossfire
Author:
Jean-Guy Mboudjeke University of Windsor Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Ontario Canada

Search for other papers by Jean-Guy Mboudjeke in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Pages:
109–122
Online Publication Date:
27 May 2008
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2008
Article Category:
Journal Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/Acr.9.2008.1.6
Keywords:
ideology; Quebec; bilingualism; interference; idiomatic; identity
Restricted access

In translation theory, a translation is said to be “idiomatic” when it reads fluently, when it does not bear any linguistic or cultural features that are reminiscent of the source language and culture. “Idiomatic” translation thus stands in sharp contrast to the notion of interference, which is generally viewed as one of the worst linguistic mistakes in translation. However, the tendency to resort to interference, knowingly or unknowingly, is usually high among speakers who are bilingual or live in bilingual settings (for example speakers of French in North America). For some of these speakers, interference is not always a mistake, but an integral part of communication strategies as well as a marker of a distinct and distinctive linguistic identity. For others, interference is nothing less than a plague that threatens the integrity of the language, of the culture, and therefore of the group identity. In such a sociolinguistic environment, translating idiomatically or counteridiomatically becomes quickly coloured by ideology. What are these ideologies? How do they impact translation as a product? To tackle these questions, the paper will examine the impact of two types of ideological discourse relating to French spoken in Quebec and their impact on translation. It will argue that French Quebecker translators are, as it were, torn between the requirement to protect the quality of the French language in Quebec and the imperative to adapt their translations to their target audience whose workaday idiom bear the features of English (anglicisms).

  • Collapse
  • Expand
Cover Across Languages and Cultures
Across Languages and Cultures
Print ISSN:
1585-1923
Online ISSN:
1588-2519

Editor-in-Chief: Krisztina KÁROLY (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

Consulting Editor: Dániel MÁNY  (Semmelweis University, Hungary)

Managing Editor: Réka ESZENYI (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

Founding Editor-in-Chief: Kinga KLAUDY (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

EDITORIAL BOARD

  • Andrew CHESTERMAN (University of Helsinki, Finland)
  • Kirsten MALMKJÆR (University of Leicester, UK)
  • Christiane NORD (University of Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)
  • Anthony PYM (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain, University of Melbourne, Australia)
  • Mary SNELL-HORNBY (University of Vienna, Austria)
  • Sonja TIRKKONEN-CONDIT (University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland)

ADVISORY BOARD

  • Mona BAKER (Shanghai International Studies University, China, University of Oslo, Norway)
  • Łucja BIEL (University of Warsaw, Poland)
  • Gloria CORPAS PASTOR (University of Malaga, Spain; University of Wolverhampton, UK)
  • Rodica DIMITRIU (Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iasi, Romania)
  • Birgitta Englund DIMITROVA (Stockholm University, Sweden)
  • Sylvia KALINA (Cologne Technical University, Germany)
  • Haidee KOTZE (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
  • Sara LAVIOSA (Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy)
  • Brian MOSSOP (York University, Toronto, Canada)
  • Orero PILAR (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain)
  • Gábor PRÓSZÉKY (Hungarian Research Institute for Linguistics, Hungary)
  • Alessandra RICCARDI (University of Trieste, Italy)
  • Edina ROBIN (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)
  • Myriam SALAMA-CARR (University of Manchester, UK)
  • Mohammad Saleh SANATIFAR (independent researcher, Iran)
  • Sanjun SUN (Beijing Foreign Studies University, China)
  • Anikó SOHÁR (Pázmány Péter Catholic University,  Hungary)
  • Sonia VANDEPITTE (University of Gent, Belgium)
  • Albert VERMES (Eszterházy Károly University, Hungary)
  • Yifan ZHU (Shanghai Jiao Tong Univeristy, China)

Prof. Dr. Krisztina KÁROLY 
School of English and American Studies, Eötvös Loránd University
H-1088 Budapest, Rákóczi út 5., Hungary 
E-mail: 

  • WoS Arts & Humanities Citation Index
  • Wos Social Sciences Citation Index
  • WoS Essential Science Indicators
  • Scopus
  • Linguistics Abstracts
  • Linguistics and Language Behaviour Abstracts
  • Translation Studies Abstractst
  • CABELLS Journalytics

2023  
Web of Science  
Journal Impact Factor 1.0
Rank by Impact Factor Q2 (Linguistics)
Journal Citation Indicator 0.76
Scopus  
CiteScore 1.7
CiteScore rank Q1 (Language and Linguistics)
SNIP 1.223
Scimago  
SJR index 0.671
SJR Q rank Q1

Across Languages and Cultures
Publication Model Hybrid
Submission Fee

none
Article Processing Charge 900 EUR/article
Printed Color Illustrations 40 EUR (or 10 000 HUF) + VAT / piece
Regional discounts on country of the funding agency World Bank Lower-middle-income economies: 50%
World Bank Low-income economies: 100%
Further Discounts Editorial Board / Advisory Board members: 50%
Corresponding authors, affiliated to an EISZ member institution subscribing to the journal package of Akadémiai Kiadó: 100%
Subscription fee 2025 Online subsscription: 362 EUR / 398 USD
Print + online subscription: 420 EUR / 462 USD
Subscription Information Online subscribers are entitled access to all back issues published by Akadémiai Kiadó for each title for the duration of the subscription, as well as Online First content for the subscribed content.
Purchase per Title Individual articles are sold on the displayed price.

Across Languages and Cultures
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1999
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 2
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 1585-1923 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2519 (Online)

Monthly Content Usage

Abstract Views Full Text Views PDF Downloads
Jul 2024 4 0 0
Aug 2024 26 0 0
Sep 2024 19 0 0
Oct 2024 42 0 0
Nov 2024 23 0 0
Dec 2024 11 0 0
Jan 2025 10 0 0