Address pronouns as a problem in French–Swedish translation and translation revision

Abstract

The choice of the appropriate address pronoun is notoriously difficult in spoken and written communication. In French, there are two parallel address systems, with either unmarked T (tu) or V (vous). In Swedish, on the other hand, the T form du has been the general, usual form since the 1960s. In recent years, V (ni) has started to reappear, at least in service and business situations. The choice of the appropriate address pronoun may thus constitute a problem in French–Swedish translation. Process and product data were collected with 20 trainee translators and professional translators who were asked to translate a text or revise a draft translation respectively, while thinking aloud. The analysis of the Swedish target texts reveals both interindividual variation in the choice of the address pronoun, and intraindividual variation, with several participants showing inconsistent address use. Process data from the think-aloud protocols highlight the effort even experienced translators invest in finding the appropriate address pronoun.