Content area
Abstract
If the English translation of Canicule, a short story by contemporary French author Lucette Desvignes, constitutes the substance of this thesis, the commentary that accompanies it is of no less importance. This commentary describes and justifies the translation, describing the thought processes, the relevance of cultural elements and intertextual references, the research of unknown terms undertaken and the quest for the elusive mot juste; justifying the assumption of a certain tone or approach, and the use of certain techniques and solutions. The translation itself consists of three parts: firstly, the entire French text, followed by the commentary, analyzed sentence by sentence, and concluding with the complete uninterrupted English translation. As an introduction to the translation, an opening chapter proposes a personal vision of translation theory. A second section introduces Lucette Desvignes, her writings, and Canicule in particular, while a third chapter discusses general and specific problems encountered during the translation of the short story.
