DÉFIS ET STRATÉGIES DE TRADUCTION DES ÉLÉMENTS CULTURELS DANS SWALLOW DE SEFI ATTA

Abstract

This study examines the challenges involved in translating cultural elements in Swallow by Sefi Atta in its French version Avale. The original text is marked by strong linguistic hybridity, that combines English, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin, which reveals a sociocultural environment deeply rooted in the urban life of Lagos. Translating these nuances present a major challenge, as it requires the translation of cultural elements that are often difficult to render in the target language. Drawing on Venuti’s theories of foreignization and domestication, complemented by Vermeer’s Skopos theory, this article analyses how the translator employs strategies of preservation, adaptation, and equivalence to maintain the cultural identity of the source text while ensuring accessibility and communicative effectiveness in the target text. The analysis focuses on three categories - Yoruba borrowings, proverbs, and Nigerian Pidgin which are identified as key cultural components. The findings show that the translator adopts an intermediate, intercultural mediation approach that preserves the authenticity of the original text while offering a fluent reading experience for French-speaking readers. The study highlights the need for translators to negotiate between cultural fidelity, target-reader accessibility, and editorial constraints.