Variations sur les expressions figées : quelle(s) traduction(s) chez les apprenants?

Abstract This paper analyses the translations that French undergraduate students come up with when they are to deal with fixed expressions (FEs) in English that have been modified morphologically, syntactically, lexically or semantically. FEs in English are not always used in their canonical form and are often modified in the media for contextualization purposes or stylistic reasons. They can be modified by lexical substitution, lexical insertion and by lexical and semantic inversion resulting in distinct expressions with a different sense. The paper reveals the sources of mistranslation and the pedagogic means to deal with them based upon this specific type of translation exercise. Two types of FEs are taken into account: FEs in the target language sharing all or parts of the lexical constituents with those in the source language and FEs with no direct equivalent in French. The study can also have a more general impact on translation methodology as a whole: mistranslation analysis of FEs demonstrates the difficulties students have in recognizing and/or in adapting the translation of FEs according to their modification and their context. Translating FEs could therefore be used as a first methodological step in initiating students to the specific problems of translation as a whole.