THE WORLD OF IDIOMS

The headache of translators while working with idioms is to find the right  counterparts in the target language . In this line false friends are numerous .

An illustration is  the French idiom “ se répandre comme une traînée de poudre “. From the first look translating this expression into English  may yield an awkward phrase, that is :«  spreading out like gunpowder” . Sure an English reader is likely to puzzle about the meaning of such statement .

Whereas when the translator  reminds himself that the adjacent idea of the French idiom refers to how fast something can reach out both people  and places , then he would recall an English idiom that can match up  with the source phrase though the image that is referred to  may be quite different . We think of the idiom  “ to spread out like wildfire”.

Noteworthy is the fact that the noun “ wildfire “ is not a synonymous to “traînée de poudre” yet the idioms are equal to each other . They convey the same message of fastness and danger

Another example is the English phrase  :” circumstances beyond our control” . its French counterpart is “ circonstances indépendantes de notre volonté”. It can be noted that etymologically the word “ beyond “is an English adverb and does not match with the adjective “ indépendantes” . Plus “ control “ does  not have the same meaning with the French “ volonté” .Nonetheless the above phrases are equivalent to each other . Should a translator have used the French “contrôle” ,in a word-by-word translation , the phrase would turn to be baffling indeed .

Here under are listed some other  double-crossing  phrases and idioms

English	False French friend	Right French friend
The ins and outs of To be a matter of dispute To chase rainbows To be the chef in the kitchen	Les intérieurs et les extérieurs de être l’objet de dispute Poursuivre les arcs-en-ciel être le chef -cuisinier	Les rouages de.. Etre un sujet à caution Chercher les poux sur les bouteille être le seul maitre à bord

Still , not all the idioms and phrases in a language have a counterpart in the others for languages vary in their historical background and their lexicons.

In such a situation the skillful translator is bound to explain the meaning of the source idiom . The point is to help foreign readers understand what the speaker has in his or her mind .Example : given the French idiom “ on n’ y va pas la fleur au fusil” . It means a work should not be taken as a play . It can be noticed that the phase” on n’y va pas “ is the negative form of a phrase that basically alludes to a movement like the action of  leaving a place to another one . But since it related to an idiom it takes up a figurative resonance and then refers to an initiative that is going to be undertaken  or a project or a work that are going to be carried out with eagerness .

The world of idioms is breath-taking.