Le rôle de l’implicite dans la langue et le discours

In this presentation, I shall try and explain why translating texts or speeches (henceforth ‘discourse’) is not dealing only with the explicit part of language and discourse but must also take into consideration what is left unsaid. The synecdochic nature of language has been noted by linguists; the synecdochic nature of discourse, which has been much less studied, will be shown.

Since languages are not isomorphic, translation is deeply affected by this synecdochic phenomenon: the first thing to note is that the phenomenon upsets the general view that language systems, as such or in discourse, are the object of translation ; the second is that in order to convey into another language the whole of the explicit/implicit combination of an utterance, a different combination is to be used that is relevant to the target language and natural as a way of expression.