This research work entitled: "LINGUISTIQUE ET ACTIVITÉ TRADUISANTE: ÉTUDE

DE LA VERSION FRANÇAISE DE THE WICKED STEP-MOTHER D'IFEOMA

ONYEMELUKWE", takes a thorough and critical look at the translation of the linguistic

elements in the French version of The Wicked Step-Mother. Any literary text, worthy of this

classification, should be equipped with some considerable linguistic elements such as proverbs,

songs, idiomatic expressions, linguistic hybridization, code-switching and code-mixing. These

linguistic elements are found in the original text of the study. Translated by late Dr. Danbaba as

La méchante belle-mère, the analysis of the way in which he renders these linguistic elements

shows that linguistics facilitate translation activity. The codes mixed and switched in the

original text are Igbo and English. This is because the author, Prof. Ifeoma Oynemelukwe is

Igbophone. While hybridization, code-switching and code-mixing are recent growing

phenomena in African literature, translating them requires concentration in order not to

adulterate or even obliterate the message of the author. The aim of this study is to determine to

what extent the translator of The Wicked Step-Mother remains loyal to the original text taking

into cognizance that the translator is not of the same linguistic background as the author. The

research concludes that translating linguistic elements does not require a translator to be from

the same linguistic family or background with the author, rather he or she only needs linguistic

skills to avoid losing the original significance of the text. One of the findings of this research is

that, translate a literary text with an Igbo local language and cultural setting into French

language, the translator is helping to promote African culture and values with Nigerian roots to

French in both Anglophone and Francophone environments.