Translating connectives from French into English: Challenges and strategies
Abstract
Connectives, while important in establishing textual cohesion, present certain challenges when
translating from French to English. While French is replete with connectives, English is very
restrictive and uses them less often. However, what strategies can be used in translation to
overcome the challenges presented by this difference is not apparent in the literature. By utilising
three texts in two different genres, two of these translated by the researcher for this study, and
one already translated, this study fills the gap left in the literature by examining strategies that
can be used in translating French connectives into English. It also identifies which connectives
would be more amenable to which strategy and in which linguistic context.
Connectives were grouped into the grammatical categories to which they belong (adverbs and
adverbials, prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns), their functional categories (opposition,
emphasis, causation, explanation etc.) and the linguistic contexts in which they are found (initial
and medial). The data suggest that connectives in the medial position are more likely to be
omitted than those in the initial position. In addition, due to the difference in use connectives will
be translated directly, change grammatical and functional categories, change their position, will
use circumlocution minimally, or will be omitted altogether by elimination or by punctuation
which can be used in their stead.
Citation
Degree of Master of Arts in Translation,Publisher
University of Nairobi,
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [6020]