Graduation Paper

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION THESIS
B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES
SOME TECHNIQUES TO HELP FOURTH- YEAR
STUDENTS AT THE FACULTY OF ENGLISH,
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY TO IMPROVE THEIR
ENGHLISH - VIETNAMESE TRASLATION SKILL
Name of student: Nguyen Dieu Linh
Date of birth: 20/08/1993
Class: K18SP
Supervisor: Dr. Nguyen Dang Suu

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Graduation Paper

Hanoi - 2015
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr.
Nguyen Dang Suu, for his academic guidance and support throughout this study.
Without his valuable assistance, my thesis would not have been completed.
I would like to sincerely thank the lecturers of Faculty of English, Hanoi
Open University who have provided me with not only knowledge but also the
study condition during my student life, as well as their useful advice in this
graduation paper.
I would also like to extend my thanks to 100 fourth-year students of

1.2.2. Communicative translation........................................................... 15
1.2.3. Word-for-word translation............................................................ 17
1.2.4. Literal translation ......................................................................... 17
1.2.5. Faithful translation ...................................................................... 18
1.2.6. Transliteration ............................................................................... 19
1.2.7. Calque ............................................................................................ 19
1.2.8. Adaptation ..................................................................................... 20
1.2.9. Descriptive translation .................................................................. 20
1.2.10. Free translation ........................................................................... 20
1.2.11. Idiomatic translation ................................................................... 21

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CHAPTER II: SOME COMMOM MISTAKES MADE BY FOURTHYEAR STUDENTS IN ENGLISH - VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION 22
2.1. Subjects of the study ........................................................................... 22
2.2. Data collection method ........................................................................ 22
2.2.1. Questionnaires............................................................................... 22
2.2.2. Interview ........................................................................................ 23
2.2.3. Translation test .............................................................................. 23
2.3. Findings ................................................................................................. 24
CHAPTER III: SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING FOURTHYEAR STUDENTS’ ENGLISH - VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION SKILL
AT FACULTY OF ENGLISH, HOU ........................................................ 32
3.1. Background knowledge ......................................................................... 32
3.2. Grammar................................................................................................ 37
3.3. Vocabulary ............................................................................................. 46
PART C: CONCLUSION........................................................................... 50
REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 52


PART A: INTRODUCTON
1. Rationale
The 21st century has experienced the boom of globalization as people all
around the world have connected successfully to each other without the
boundary of any country. Being the tool to communicate of most people, English
now plays an essential role in the development progress of human beings as an
international language of the whole world. Therefore, mastering English is the
desire of many students to have better opportunities to get a better job in future.
In Vietnam as well as other countries, English has been taught for many years
and become a compulsory subject at any level of education. Pupils are required
to expert in simple and basic skills of English such as listening, writing, reading,
speaking after graduating high school.
However, at academic study level, especially at Faculty of English, Hanoi
Open University, students are demanded not only to be good at basic skills but
also to understand English deeply and use them efficiently to become a
professional translator. Hence, good English - Vietnamese translation skill is one
of the most major achievements of all students studying academic English.
In this study, I would like to carry out a study on how fourth-year students at
the Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University are learning English- Vietnamese
translation in order to find out their difficulties, to work out the causes, and then to
suggest some solutions to deal with these problems. Therefore, I decided to
choose the topic "Some Techniques to help fourth- year students improve their
English- Vietnamese translation skill at Faculty of English, Hanoi Open
University ".

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of English, HOU in the process of learning English - Vietnamese translation?

•

What are some suggestions for fourth-year students to improve their

English - Vietnamese translation skill?
5. Methods of the study
In this study, I use such methods as descriptive method, questionnaires,
quantitative and qualitative, translation test and interviews. The combination
helps to provide the most exact result for the research about learning English Vietnamese translation at Faculty of English, HOU.
6. Design of the paper

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Some Techniques to Help Fourth-year Students at the
Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University to Improve
Their English - Vietnamese Translation Skills
PART A: INTRODUCTON
1. Rationale
2. Aims and Purposes of the study
3. Scope of the study
4. Research questions

2.2.1. Questionnaires
2.2.2. Interview
2.2.3. Translation test
2.3. Findings
CHAPTER III: SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING FOURTHYEAR STUDENTS’ ENGLISH - VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION SKILL
AT FACULTY OF ENGLISH, HOU
3.1. Background knowledge
3.2. Grammar
3.3. Vocabulary

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PART C: CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
APPENDIX

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW

he put the sheets, blanket and pillow in neat order on the bed or he as a carpenter
made the new bed.
The translator should ask himself:
- if the meaning of the original text is clear, if not where the uncertainty lies.
- if any words are loaded, that is, if there are any underlying implications.
(“Correct me if I am wrong…” suggests “I know I am right”!)
- If the dictionary meaning of a particular word is the most suitable one.
- If anything in the translation sounds unnatural or forced.
As we have seen that one form may express a variety of meanings and on the
other hand, one meaning can be expressed in a great number of forms. For
example, “Is this seat taken?”; “Is there anyone sitting here?”; “May I sit here?”
All have the same meaning: the speaker is indicating a desire to sit in a certain
seat.
Each language has its own distinctive forms for representing the meaning.
Therefore, in translation the same meaning may have to be expressed in another
language by a very different form. To translate the form of one language literally
according to the corresponding form in another language would often change the
meaning or at least result in a form which is unnatural in the second language.
Meaning must, therefore, have priority over the form in translation. It is meaning
which is to be carried over from the source language to the target language, not
the linguistic forms. In addition, a literal translation (word-for-word translation)
does not communicate the meaning of the source text. It is generally no more
than a string of words intended to help someone read a text in its original
language. It is unnatural and hard to understand, and may even quite

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same meaning using lexicon and grammatical structure which are proper in the
target language and its cultural context.
Let us look at one example that we are translating a Vietnamese sentence
into English:
“Mấy năm qua công cuộc đổi mới trên mặt trận kinh tế của đất nước ta đã
mở ra mạnh mẽ.”
Over the past few years, the economic innovation of our
Qua

mấy năm

kinh tế

đổi mới

country

của ch/ta đất nước

has ushered drastically.
đã

mở ra

mạnh mẽ

which ussually comes to mind when the word is said in isolation and the
secondary meanings- the additional meanings which a word has in context with
other words. We take the verb „run‟ in English as an example. We can say the
boy runs. Runs here is in its primary meaning. We can also say the car runs, the
river runs and her nose runs. Runs in the given sentences are in its secondary
meanings. It should be borne in mind that the same grammatical pattern may
express several different meanings. We just take the English phrase „my house‟
for example, it may mean “the house I live in”, “the house I built”, “the house I
own”, “the house I rent,”or “the house for which I drew up the plans”. Only the
larger context can determine the particular meaning.
+ The whole sentence may also have several functions. A question form
may be used for a nonquestion. For example, the question “John, why don‟t you
go to the concert?” takes the form of a question, and may be asking for
information in some context, but it is often used with the meaning of a command
(or suggestion) rather than a real question. It is then a real question. A simple
sentence in English like “He made the bed,” may mean either “He (the

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carpenter) made the bed,” or “He put the sheets, blanket, and pillow in neat
order on the bed.”
Just for words have primary and secondary meanings, grammatical
markers have their primary function and often have other secondary functions.
Let us take preposition ON for illustration.
- Jane found a book on the table.  quyển sách ở trên bàn


Graduation Paper

The slight figure of Maria appeared in the doorway, her eyes flashing,
„You are late, you are late, you are 23 minutes late.‟ Or
„Don‟t you tell me to calm down. You‟d like me to be a drudge, wouldn‟t you, to
be a slave, to keep silent while you go out drinking and chasing girls all the
nights?‟…
-Expressing formal style,
Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?
Would you open the door for me, please?
For example:
- That girl teacher is looking very charming
Cô giáo ấy thì trông rất duyên/ đang trông rất duyên
- Quả táo này ăn rất ngon
- This apple eats very tasty literal / word-for-word translation
Hôm qua đã khai mạc hội chợ thương mại quốc tế tại Hà Nội
Yesterday opened the world trade Fair in Hanoi.  Literal translation
- Would you mind my smoking in here?  Formal asking for permission
- The translator must find out what the intention of the speaker or writer is. (to
persuade/dissuade, apologize / criticize. If this comes true in translation. For
example:
- Why don‟t we go to the movie tonight?  Suggestion
- Would you, please, have another cup of cofee?  Invitation
1.1.2.4. Source language influence
One of the most frequent criticisms of translation is that „it doesn‟t sound
natural‟. This is because the translator‟s thoughts and choice of words are too
strongly moulded by the original text. A good way of shaking off the source

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tăng trưởng trong nước là một phần mang tính tiêu chuẩn của chiến lược phát

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triển của nhiều quốc gia, kể cả ở giai đoạn đầu mà nhiều nước Đông Á phát triển
kinh tế.
It is a standard part of namy nations‟strategy for development to deal with
commercial deficits and assistance to domestic economic growth by import
replacement,including many South East Asian countries‟ the initial stage of
economic development.
The SL text must be analysed and clarified before rendering into the SL text.
c-…I took a decisive step when I married Antonia. I was then thirty, and
she was only thirty five. She looks now, for all her beauty, a little older than her
years, and has, more than once, been taken for my mother.
…….Tôi đã đi đến một bước quyết định khi cưới Antonia. Hồi ấy tôi 30 tuổi, còn
nàng mới chỉ 35.Cho dù nàng rất xinh đẹp, nhưng bây giờ sắc đẹp của nàng
phần nào đã bị phôi pha và đã hơn một lần,người ta cứ lầm tưởng nàng là mẹ
tôi.
 Style of the SL must not be changed.
1.1.2.6. Idioms
Idiomatic expressions are notoriously untranslatable. These include similes,
metaphors, proverbs and sayings, jargons, slang, and colloquialisms, and phrasal
verbs. For example:
a- The black sheep of the family. (Idiom)
b- Khỏe như Phù Đổng Thiên Vương .(simile).

11- Idiomatic translation
1.2.1. Semantic translation
Semantic translation is to reconstruct the exact meaning of the original. It
must take more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text, compromising on
meaning where appropriate. There will be little change if necessary. For
example:

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... “Sự suy nhược về xác thịt ấy cũng chưa thấm vào đâu với sự suy nhược về
tinh thần, luôn luôn bác lo lắng, sợ sệt bất cứ một thứ gì. Một tiếng động nhỏ
cũng làm cho bác giật mình, một lời nói to cũng làm cho bác thấp thỏm, trống
ngực đánh thình thình.”...
... “ But this state of physical exhaustion was nothing as compared with his
mental debility. Fear and anguish seized him at any moment about anything, the
least noise made him jump, an outburst of voices made him tremble, his heart
beat violently.”
... “There are the things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I scolded
you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab
with a towel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily
when you threw some of your things on the floor.”
... “Con yêu, đây là những điều cha đang suy nghĩ: Cha đã nghiêm khắc với
con. Sáng nay, khi con mặc quần áo đi học, cha đã rầy con vì con chỉ quệt chiếc
khăn ướt lên mũi con thôi. Cha đã mắng con vì giầy con không đánh bóng, cha
đã la khi con liệng đồ chơi của con xuống đất.”

các bên tham gia xây dựng có cơ hội tiếp cận với thực tiễn và lý luận và quản lý
dự án theo thông lệ quốc tế.”
... “với điều kiện Việt Nam. Đã có....”; ... “ lý luận về quản lý”
...” The management process should also be studied so as to acquire a rational
model suitable to conditions in Vietnam. Many refresher courses on project
management have been held that enabled parties participating in construction to
have access to theory and practice of project management in line with
international practice.”

d) Clarify ambiguous sentences in the SL, for example:

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... “Hải Phòng: cuộc bán đấu giá doanh nghiệp nhà nước đầu tiên tại Việt Nam.”
If translated into „auction of a first state-owned enterprise‟, it is wrong, but as
... “Hải Phòng: first auction of a state-owned enterprise in Vietnam.”
e) Avoid reiteration in the SL text, for example:
... “Trong đợt xét tặng danh hiệu Nhà giáo ưu tú lần thứ 8, Thái Bình đã có thêm
10 Nhà giáo ưu tú, nâng tổng số lên 59 Nhà giáo ưu tú trong toàn tỉnh.”
“Nhà giáo ưu tú” is twice reiterated in the source sentence.
...”In the 8th drive to consider eligibility to and award the title “Outstanding
Teacher”, Thai Binh province had additional 10 such teachers, raising the total
of those acquiring the title to 59.”

1.2.3. Word-for-word translation

b- Mỹ muốn thay ông Arafat .
The US wanted to replace Yasser Arafat --> wrongly- translated
The US wants Yasser Arafat to be replaced. Final translation

1.2.5. Faithful translation
Faithful translation attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning
of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures. It
transfers cultural words and preserves the degree of grammatical and lexical
abnormality of the SL in the translation. For example:
a-... “Nằm ở phía bắc dãy núi Trường Sơn thuộc tỉnh Quảng Bình, vườn quốc gia
Phong Nha- Kẻ Bàng được đánh giá là một trong hai vùng núi đá vôi rộng nhất
thế giới và đang được UNESCO công nhận là di sản thiên nhiên thế giới.”
Faithful translation:
Located to the North of Truong Son mountain range in Quang Binh province,
Phong Nha- Kẻ Bàng national park is evaluated as one of the world‟s two

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largest limestone regions and is being recognized by UNESCO as a world‟s
natural heritage.
Final translation:
... “Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, located to the north of the Truong Son
mountain-range in Quang Binh province is one of the world‟s two largest
limestone regions. It is waiting for UNESCO‟s approval as a world‟s natural
heritage.”