De la traduction des noms des circonscriptions administratives polonaises?

Entre l’emprunt et la naturalisation

Abstract

How to translate the Polish administrative terms in French

This paper explores the difficulties of translating Polish administrative terms such as województwo, powiat and gmina. On the one hand, the difficulties stem from the present Polish administrative structure and Polish history, as the terms used have their roots both in the old system and the new one introduced after the administrative reform in 1989. On the other hand, the difficulties are also a result of terminological confusion proposed by the traditional sources used by translators such as printed dictionaries, by modern tools, such as the Internet, and finally, by administrative decisions, where translators can find contradictory and unnatural equivalents. An analysis of the commonly used translation equivalents and solutions offered by translation tools, both printed and online, shows a great level of difficulty faced by anyone willing to translate such administrative terms. It is therefore difficult to explain the general reluctance to use natural French equivalents in favour of more ‘international’ terms given that voïvodie, département and commune meet all or nearly all the necessary criteria posed by equivalence tests.