French in Springfield: a variationist analysis of the translation of first-person singular future actions in the Quebec and French dubbings of The Simpsons

Abstract

This article examines how Quebec and French translators rendered 104 first-person singular future actions in the Quebec and French dubbings of 10 episodes of The Simpsons. Results show that out of the different options available in the French language, periphrastic future (aller + infinitve) is the prevailing solution in both versions. An in-depth analysis of this solution in particular reveals that while the French translators only used the norm-abiding Je vais+Infinitive (almost 50% of the time), their Quebec counterparts turned more frequently to the norm-opposing Je vas+Infinitive (65% of the time) and rarely to Je vais+Infinitive (10% of the time). A variationist analysis of the different solutions along such variables as sex, age, social class, and level of education reveals some emerging but unstable patterns. Overall, the study contends that the variability observed can be perceived both as a style-shifting phenomenon and as an ideological posture taken by translators. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.