UNIT 3 SOCIETY

TEXT ANALYSIS
Read the text and find out what problem is mentioned and what solutions are proposed.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO BE FELT RELIABLE

, and the greater risk of accidents. Clearly, something must be done, but it is often difficult to persuade people to chang
yone who breaks the law. In addition, drivers could be required to pay for using particular routes at different times of t
ust be felt to be reliable, convenient and comfortable, with fares kept at an acceptable level.

Notes:
charge – the amount of money that sb asks for goods and services
fine – a sum of money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a law or rule
fare – the money that you pay to travel by bus, plane, taxi, etc.
 TRANSLATION NOTES
ENGLISH PASSIVE SENTENCES
English Passive sentences can be rendered into Vietnamese in different ways according to their
meanings. In many cases, they will become active sentences, especially when they express
requests, notices or hearsay. Let us look at the following examples.
a. Actions, rather than the action doer, are emphasized
e.g. More measures should be taken to improve traffic jams in big cities.
o Cần phải tiến hành nhiều biện pháp hơn nữa để có thể cải thiện tình trạng giao thông
tắc nghẽn trong các thành phố lớn.
b. Requests or notices
e.g. Passengers are advised to keep their seatbelts fastened whenever they are seated.
o Quý khách nên cài dây an toàn trong suốt chuyến bay.

c. Things done by other people or through services

e.g. She will have an air-conditioner installed in the living-room.
o Cô ấy sẽ cho lắp điều hòa trong phòng khách.
d. Bad luck or misfortune
e.g. The man got stung by a bee when he was working in the garden.
o Người đàn ông bị ong chích khi đang làm vườn.

e. Hearsay/ Reporting evidentials

e.g. Dự báo trong năm 2007 sẽ có hơn một triệu khách Việt Nam đi du lịch nước ngoài
bằng máy bay.
o It is expected that there will be over one million Vietnamese travelling abroad via
aviation in 2007.
If you understand better the action, the actor and the reason behind each action, you can make
several different translations. Read the text again to find out what they mean by

- something must be done (what is something? must be done about what? who must do that?
and who says that?)
- drivers could be required to pay (who requires the drivers to do so? why?)
- This system is already being introduced (what is the system? who introduce it? what do they do
exactly to introduce it?)
- transport must be felt to be reliable, convenient, and comfortable (who need to feel that way?
why is this feeling a "must"?)
- fare (must be) kept (who is going to keep the fare at that level? why?)
 TRANSLATION OF LEXIS
The biggest difficulties in translating are with words. It might be hard to pick up the right one out
of all different meanings of a word and it is the translator’s job to consider what the word
actually refers to and decide among all alternatives to find out the best Vietnamese equivalent
in the context. In the following example, the word charge may have more than a dozen of
Vietnamese equivalents. However, there is only one Vietnamese equivalent of charge from the
text.

Charge Colloquial/ slang

Physical Figurative Technical
(noun)
- tiền, tiền công, - trách nhiệm - sự nạp điện - thuốc lá, ma túy
cước phí - gánh nặng - lượng thuốc nổ
- lời buộc tội - sức mạnh, ấn - cuộc công kích
- con chiên, tín đồ, tượng, sự mãnh
học trò liệt, lôi cuốn

Work in pairs to give equivalents for the words underlined in the following phrases and
collocations.
- volume of traffic (n)
- lengthy delays (noun, count)
- charges for parking (noun)
- tougher fines (adj)
- road pricing (noun)
- provide good public transport (adj)
- give up on the comfort of their cars
- public transport must be felt to be reliable, convenient and comfortable
- acceptable level

TEXT TRANSLATION
Work in pair and translate the text into Vietnamese.
VOCABULARY EXPANDING
Work in groups to build up lists of words and phrases relating to common social issues in
Vietnam and put them in the aspects given below. If there are some issues that do not belong to
these aspects, build up a box of your own groups with its own name. Vote among groups the
seven most common issues.

gender education, physical abuse, ………………………………………….

Children and Education
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Population and poverty elimination, traffic congestion, ……………………………………

Development …………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

worker’s strikes, safety, …………………………………………………………..

Labour
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………..

medical rising costs, swine flu, ………………………………………………..

Health
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Other
………………………………………………………………………………………………..