CHAPTER 3: TRANSLATION UNITS, METHODS AND

TECHNIQUES
I. Translation Units
Translation units can be classified as follows:
1. At the level of morpheme: project+s → những dự án, fluent+ly → một cách lưu loát.
2. At the word level: cat → mèo, tree → cây
3. At the phrase level: by the way → tiện thể, foot-and-mouth disease → bệnh tay chân miệng
4. At the clause level: It is worth noting that ... → Đáng chú ý là …
5. At the sentence level:
E.g.: a) Proverbs: Diamond cut diamond. → Kẻ cắp gặp bà già/49 gặp 50/ Vỏ quít dày gặp móng
tay nhọn
b) Announcements: Authorized only! – Không phận sự miễn vào!
6. At text level: when a word translated depends on near/narrow context:
E.g.: Translation of poetry
Xin thầy thứ lỗi cho con trai tôi. Tôi sẽ răn dạy cháu cẩn thận hơn. → Please forgive my little
child. I will make him behave properly.
7. At intertextual level: Extralinguistic factors often require from the translators/interpreters either
general or specialized knowledge without which an adequate translation is impossible. In certain cases
this group of independencies determines the introduction into the text of loan translations.
E.g. The White House in Russia – Nhà trắng ở Nga (translator has to add more information such
as: nhà riêng dành cho gia đình Thủ tướng ở Nga, khác với Nhà Trắng ở Mỹ)

Task 1: Identify the meaning of the underlined morphemes in Vietnamese.

1 multicultural 6 oversupply

2 cybersafety 7 hypermarket

3 impossible 8 ultraviolet

4 nationalize 9 macroeconomics

5 pre-war 10 misunderstand

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 Task 2: Decide at which level the following translation units were utilized.
1. business cycle → chu kỳ kinh doanh ................................................
2. Yours faithfully → Trân trọng ................................................
3. cánh đồng bất tận → Floating lives ................................................
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon → Ngọa hổ tàng long ................................................
5. kinh tế thị trường → market economy ................................................
6. corner the market→ lũng đoạn thị trường ................................................
7. Man propses, God disposes → Mưu sự tại nhân, thành sự tại thiên. ...............................................
8. Oh, Sugar! → Chết tiệt! ................................................
9. As far as I am concerned → Theo ý tôi ................................................
10. You reap what you sow → Gieo gió gặt bão. ................................................
11. Thằng bé trông “thấy ghét” chưa! → How cutie the boy is! ................................................
12. The best friend a man has in a world may turn against him and become his enemy. → Người bạn
tốt nhất mà con người có thể có được trên thế giới này có thể một ngày nào đó hóa ra là kẻ thù chống
lại chúng ta. . ................................................

Task 3: Translate the following titles and decide at which level the following translation units
were utilized.
1. Lọ Lem: ………………………………………………………….
2. Chiếc lá cuối cùng: ………………………………………………………….
3. Tôi thấy hoa vàng trên cỏ xanh: ………………………………………………………….
4. Không phải dạng vừa đâu: ………………………………………………………….
5. Tây Du Ký: ………………………………………………………….
6. Ashes of Love: ………………………………………………………….
7. Hạt giống tâm hồn: ………………………………………………………….
8. Bí mật tư duy triệu phú: ………………………………………………………….
9. Đắc nhân tâm: ………………………………………………………….
10. Chiến tranh tiền tệ: ………………………………………………………….
11. The Journey of Flower: ………………………………………………………….
12. Three Kingdoms: ………………………………………………………….
13. The Tale of Kieu: ………………………………………………………….

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II. Translation methods by Newmark
1. Word-for-word translation (dịch từ đối từ): The source language word order is preserved and the
words are translated by their common meanings out of context (không quan tâm ngữ cảnh). This kind
of method is mainly used for difficult texts such as legal documents, contracts, or business agreements.
E.g.: golden lion → Kim sư, facebook → mặt sách
He is a boy. → Anh ấy là một cậu bé.
Task 4: Translate the following sentences word by word.
1. the rate of malnutrition in children. …………………………………………………
2. He was chosen to be the CEO of the company. …………………………………………………
3. Buy very cheap and sell very dear. …………………………………………………
4. About 80% of the vehicles built in the UK are exported.
……………………………………………...…………………………………………………………..
5. Mọi người đều khát khao hòa bình và hạnh phúc. ………………………………………………..
6. Gian khó không thể khiến anh ta bỏ cuộc. …………………………………………………
7. Kẻ giàu thường khinh khi người nghèo. …………………………………………………
8. Hút thuốc lá thì rất có hại cho sức khỏe. …………………………………………………

2. Literal translation (dịch nguyên văn): The source language grammatical constructions are
converted to their target language equivalent but the lexical words are translated out of context. Literal
translations follow very closely the grammatical and lexical forms of the source text language
E.g.: He is a big liar → Anh ta là một kẻ nói dối lớn.
He looked up at the Milky Way.  Anh ấy nhìn lên vào con đường màu sữa.
Task 5: Translate the following phrases/ sentences with the Literal translation.
1. floating exchange rate. ………………………………………………….
2. Business Registration Certificate. ………………………………………………….
3. Investment portfolio management .…………………………………………………
4. socialist-oriented market economy .…………………………………………………
5. Nhiều doanh nghiệp niêm yết biến mất đầu năm nay.
……………………………………………...…………………………………………………………...
6. Two nations cooperate on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial
integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs.
……………………………………………...…………………………………………………………...

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3. Faithful translation (dịch trung thành): A faithful translation requires a faithful precision in
meaning and grammar structure of the original. However, we can also transmit the source language
text into the target language more flexibly basing on its contextual meaning (có tính đến ngữ cảnh hay
tình huống của câu nói).
E.g.: They were as much alike as two balls of cotton. → Hai anh em giống nhau như 2 trái banh vải

Task 6: Translate the following sentences faithfully.

1. Yes, Your Majesty! I will do anything to please you! (a lady talks to the King).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Mom said to my father, “Darling! The baby’s coming!”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. “Anh đến Việt Nam để biến những ước mơ hoang dại nhất của anh thành sự thật”. (Để Mai tính)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. “Bitch! How dare you betray me?” Tong Giang said to his wife Diem Ba Tich. (The Water Margin).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Adaptation (dịch phóng tác): Adaptation has a property of lending the ideas of the original to
create a new text used by a new language more than to be faithful to the original. The creation in
adaptation is completely objective in content as well as form.
This method is used mainly for plays and poems in which the text is converted to the target
language culture while the characters, themes, and plots are preserved.
E.g.: “Ngọn cỏ gió đùa” by Ho Bieu Chanh and “The Miserables” by Victor Hugo.
“The Tale of Kieu” by Nguyen Du and “Kim Van Kieu” by Qingxin Cairen.
不怨天，不尤人，下學而上躂。→ Bất oán thiên, bất vưu nhân, hạ học nhi thượng đạt.
(Không oán trời, không trách đất, phàm làm người nên hiểu
số mệnh) → Come to terms with your written fate (hàm ý là
phải tự biết chấp nhận số phận đã dành sẵn cho mình).
Có khi nào trên đường đời tấp lập/ Ta vô tình đi vội bước qua nhau. → Someone you pass on
the street may already be the love of your life. (Từ Huy)
Quốc gia hưng vong, thất phu hữu trách. → Even the humble citizen must share responsibility
in the prosperity or decadence of his country.

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 Task 7: Find the original Vietnamese saying from these Adaptation translations.
1. Those who get up late never become rich
Those who are drunk day and night never stand in high social position.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. The father’s beneficences are as great as a giant mountain
And the mother’s are as infinite as water flowing from a source.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. As unsalted fish is soon rotten,
So the disobedient child will be spoiled
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Building a nine-story stupa
Bears no comparison to helping an unfortunate person.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. As immense as sky and ocean, are the cares given by parents to their children
But the latter count every care they give their parents.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. Wealth earned by work is safe at home
That earned by gambling stays in the yard
Ephemeral acquisitions lie outdoors.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. After a hundred years, the stone stele will be worn out,
After a thousand years, the verbal tradition will still be alive.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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5. Free translation (dịch tự do): Free translation focuses on the content of the target text rather than
the form, which means that the same content is expressed in the target text but with very different
grammatical structures. It is used in translating slogan, prose, lyrics, etc.
In free translation, the linguistic structure of the source language is ignored, and equivalence is
found based upon the meaning it conveys. The disadvantage of this type is that translating is too casual
to understand the original because of its freedom
E.g.: a. Business is business → Công việc là công việc, tình cảm là tình cảm, không thể lẫn lộn được
b. Yggdrasil → Cây càn khôn.
b. Slogan: Generation next → Sự lựa chọn của thế hệ trẻ (Pepsi)
Tide in, dirt out → Tide, thách thức mọi vết bẩn (Tide)
Good food, good life → Cho bé yêu ngày càng lớn giỏi (Nestle)

Task 8: Translate the following slogans, using the method of Free translation.
1. Duy nhất đậu nành. Riêng dành cho bạn – VinaSoy
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Không ngừng vươn xa - Vinaphone
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Mãi mãi tinh thần khởi nghiệp - VinGroup
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Vươn cao Việt Nam - Vinamilk
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Idiomatic translation (dịch thành ngữ): This method is concerned with communicating the
meaning of the source text by using the natural grammatical and lexical idioms of the target language.
The source text might or might not use the idioms, and the idioms in the target text might have the
same form or different form with those in the source text. Therefore, this method can somehow distort
the nuances of the source message.
E.g.: a. “Cũng là lỡ một lầm hai/ Đá vàng sao nỡ ép nài mây mưa”. (Nguyễn Du, Truyện Kiều) →
“Something has gone awry-how could I force/ your sterling virtue into games of love?”
b. No guide, no realization → Không thầy đố mày làm nên.
c. A sow is no match for a goose. → Đũa mốc mà chòi mâm son/ Đỉa đòi đeo chân hạc.

45
 Task 9: Translate the following phrases with the method of Idiomatic translation.
1. Đi bán muối/ ngoẻo/ đi chầu ông bà : …………………………………………………………
2. Dễ như ăn cháo : …………………………………………………………
3. Trắng như tuyết : …………………………………………………………
4. 24/7: …………………………………………………………
5. Bite the bullet: …………………………………………………………
6. With age comes wisdom: …………………………………………………………
7. Father scratches child’s back: …………………………………………………………
8. A honey tongue a heart of gall: …………………………………………………………

7. Semantic translation (dịch ngữ nghĩa): This method takes into account the aesthetic value of the
source texts. It, within the base syntactic and semantic constraints of the target language, attempts to
reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the author.
E.g.: Beauty is the first present Nature gives to women and the first take away. → Sắc đẹp là tặng
phẩm mà Tạo hóa ban cho người đàn bà, cũng là thứ đầu tiên mà Tạo hóa cướp đi.

Task 10: You are required to translate for a Chinese fantasy movie (phim tiên hiệp). Use the
Semantic translation to translate these terms into Vietnamese.
1. Endless Energy ………………………………………………….
2. Spiritual energy ………………………………………………….
3. Eternal Life ………………………………………………….
4. Medicinal drugs ………………………………………………….
5. Against the Gods ………………………………………………….
6. Sky Crasher ………………………………………………….
7. This is the land where the strong make the rules and the weak have to obey.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. Communicative translation (dịch giao tiếp): This method renders the exact contextual meaning
of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehension
to the readers.
E.g.: Her face is all her fortune → Con ấy chỉ được mỗi cái xinh.

46
 Task 11: Adopt the communicative approach and translate the following sentences.
1. Guests are reminded that no visitors are permitted in the room after 10 p.m.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. This is a place of worship. Silence is requested during services.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Xin hỏi Toa let ở đâu ạ?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Lấy chồng nghèo thì cạp đất mà ăn à?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Task 12: Match the translation methods and its corresponding examples.
1. Word-for-word translation
2. Literal translation
3. Faithful translation
4. Semantic translation
5. Adaptation
6. Free translation
7. Idiomatic translation
8. Communicative
translation
A. Tôi đã thử một lần cố nhìn nhận tình huống theo cách nhìn của cô ta →
I tried for a moment to see the situation through her eyes. (Deignan)
B. One man’s meat is another man’s poison → Đám cưới nhà ta, đám ma
nhà người.
C. Đứa nào muốn đụng tới cô ấy thì bước qua xác tao đã → Whoever wants
to hurt her shall first go over my corpse.
D. All worldly things may change with time, but the impression of the first
love will remain a vivid as ever. → Tất cả mọi vật trên thế gian có thể
thay đổi với thời gian, nhưng ấn tượng về mối tình đầu sẽ tồn tại mãi
mãi.
E. Thà một phút huy hoàng rồi chợt tối/ Còn hơn buồn le lói suốt trăm năm
→ It would rather the victorious brightness in an only moment than the
centenary twinkle.
F. Nó vừa ăn cướp vừa la làng → He carries fire in one hand and water in
the other.
G. Ngồi đầu cầu nước trong như lọc/Đường bên cầu cỏ mọc còn non →
Below the bridge runs the current pure and clear/And there the grass
grows soft, by the bridge.
H. Thôi thì hết hờn ghen và giận dỗi/ Được giận hờn sung sướng biết bao
nhiêu (Xuân Diệu) → Well, it’s all with jealousies and sulks/What fun
to be in the sulk. (Vương Trung Hiếu)

47
III. Translation techniques by Vinay and Darbelnet
1. Direct translation (dịch trực tiếp)
There are 3 subsets:
a) Direct borrowing (vay mượn trực tiếp)
The SL word is transferred directly to the TL.
There are 3 kinds of direct borrowing:
1) Pure loanwords: there is no change of meaning and form. E.g.: email, Internet.
2) Mix loans: there is a change in form but no change in meaning. E.g: cool → kul, canteen → căn tin.
3) Loan blends: there is a mixture of the SL and TL. E.g: internet provider → nhà cung cấp internet.

Task 13: Decide what type of direct borrowing technique is normally used in each following
situation when they are translated into Vietnamese modern language.
bill, marketing, cheque, dollar, MC, hotgirl, bulloong, spa, canteen, mannequin, Internet banking,
ozone layer, Wall Street, tennis, Dow Jones index, massage, garage, sushi, scandal, beefsteak,
zombie enterprise, Black Friday, domino effect, sushi bond, logistics, Bolero.
Pure loanwords Mix loans Loan blends
………………………………. ………………………………. ……………………………….
………………………………. ………………………………. ……………………………….
………………………………. ………………………………. ……………………………….
………………………………. ………………………………. ……………………………….
………………………………. ………………………………. ……………………………….

Task 14: Which language does each set of borrowing words come from?
Malay, Arabic. Japanese, Korean, German, Russian, French, Chinese, Italian, Hebrew.
1. karaoke, bonsai, haiku, sushi, karate:
2. pizza, latte, cappuccino, bravo, diva, solo:
3. biscuit, vaccine, baguette, taxi, sandal, ragout, ballet:
4. Alzheimer, diesel, hamster, waltz:
5. cotton, zero, artichoke, coffee, safari, sofa:
6. dim sum, taichi, kungfu, tofu, danmei, shuai ge:
7. Taekwondo, soju, Hanbok, kimchi:
8. mammoth, vodka, balalaika, taiga, Soviet:
9. sarong, kaya, gong:

48
b) Calque/Loan translation (sao phỏng)
It is a technique to ‘borrow’ the SL expression or structure and then transfer it in a literal
translation. There are two kinds of Calque:
1) Lexical calque: respects the syntactic structure of the TL while introducing a new mode of
expression. (đưa thêm từ mới vào kho từ vựng TL).
E.g.: panda → gấu trúc

Task 15: Translate the following words/ phrases into Vietnamese with the technique of Calque.
1. Adam's apple: ……………… 2. Braille: ………………
3. Caesararian birth: ……………… 4. Faustian bargain: ………………
5. Murphy's law: ……………… 6. Force Majeure: ………………
7. quota: ……………… 8. Forget-me-not: ………………
9. Pyrrhic victory: ……………… 10. economies of scale: ………………

2) Structural calque: introduces a new structure into the TL (đưa cấu trúc ngữ pháp mới vào TL).
E.g.: science-fiction → khoa học viễn tưởng, white-collar worker → công nhân cổ cồn trắng
user-friendly → thân thiện với người dùng (dễ sử dụng)
Common collocations, names of organizations, components of chemical compounds are
usually translated based on this technique.

Task 16: Provide the original words of each following acronyms in economics and translate them
into Vietnamese.
English versions Vietnamese translated versions
1 NAV Net asset value
2 GDP
3 FDI
5 IMF
6 CPU
7 MLM
8 EU

9 EBIT

10 EPS

11 FIFO

49
c) Literal translation
It is a translation strategy used ‘most common between languages of the same family and
culture’ and is used for phrases or more. It is a translation that is as close as possible to the original
while still ensuring TL grammaticality (but not naturalness).
E.g: Asiatic mode of production → phương thức sản xuất châu Á
Task 17: Translate the following phrases into Vietnamese, using the literal translation.
1. private land ownership:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. to improve social welfare for the disadvantaged:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. a bill to normalize the trade relation with VN:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. those who laid down for the country’s independence:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. planning in a phased manner:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. on the basis of mutual belief and respect:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Oblique Translation (dịch xiên)
a) Transposition (chuyển đổi từ loại)
It involves replacing one word class with another without changing the meaning of the
message or change simple words to phrases. There are 2 kinds of transposition:
a. Obligatory transposition: E.g.: the prepositional phrase “Upon his arriving home” is translated
into Vietnamese clause “Khi anh ấy về đến nhà” since Vietnamese language does not use
prepositional phrase.
b. Optional transposition: E.g: the Vietnamese clause “Khi anh ấy về đến nhà” can be translated into
English “When he arrived home” (keep the same word class, the same structure) or “On his
arriving home” (change into a prepositional phrase)
Types of transposition:
a. Simple word → Complex word/ phrase or vice versa:
E.g.: tomorrow (từ đơn) → ngày mai (từ ghép)
high-handedly (từ ghép) → kiêu (từ đơn)

50
b. Adverb→ Verb: Tôi chỉ tự vệ mà thôi. → I only defended myself. → I did nothing but defend
myself.
c. Adverb→ Noun: Tôi đã viết thư cho bạn đầu năm nay. → I wrote to you early this year. → I
wrote to you at the beginning of the year.
d. Adjective→ Noun: Tôi gặp khó khăn trong việc sắp xếp cho chuyến du lịch. → I had difficulty
making the arrangements for the trip.
e. Verb → Noun: Tôi đã định kể cho bạn toàn bộ sự thật. → My intention was to tell you the whole
truth.
f. Noun → Clause: Our belief is that Vietnam’s economy will be at the top-ten of the world. →
Chúng tôi tin rằng nền kinh tế Việt Nam sẽ được xếp vào 10 nước đứng đầu thế giới.
g. Phrase → Clause or vice versa: Upon his arriving home …. → Khi anh ấy về đến nhà ….
h. Changing the position of some elements in the sentence:
E.g.: to wipe the area around your mouth every few minutes. → Chốc chốc bạn hãy dùng khăn ăn lau
quanh miệng.

Task 18: Identify the sub-types of Transposition technique in the following statements.
1. self-financed → tài chính độc lập …………………………………………………………
2. ledger → sổ cái …………………………………………………………
3. It is estimated that → Ước tính rằng… …………………………………………………………
4. Loan shark → người cho vay nặng lãi …………………………………………………………
5. Due to his failure to come, … → Vì anh ấy không thể đến, …
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Kathy không tin vào người môi giới chứng khoán đó. → Kathy had no faith in that stockbroker.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Kiếm việc làm mới ở tuổi 40 rất khó. → It’s so difficult to find a new job at the age of 40.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. Nếu nó cứ lười biếng như thế mãi, thì về sau chắc sẽ phải khổ suốt đời. → His life will be miserable
if he continues to be lazy like this.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

51
b) Modulation (Biến thái)
Modulation means translating something from a different perspective. It is used when the other
techniques would generate a text that is grammatically correct but unsuitable or awkward.

Types of modulation
1. Abstract → Concrete: narrow-eyedly (hẹp mắt) → thiển cận, thị trường xuống giá → bear market,
available assets → tài sản tiền mặt.
2. Concrete → Abstract: sexually transmitted disease (STD) → bệnh hoa liễu (disease + flower +
willow, which probably comes from the Japanese word karyukai “the flower and willow world”
implying the elegant, high culture world of geisha); wholeheartedly (toàn quả tim) → toàn tâm
toàn ý, infant industry → ngành công nghiệp non trẻ.
3. A part → The whole: eye-catching → thu hút sự chú ý; heavy-heartedly (nặng tim) → lòng nặng
trĩu.
4. The whole → A part: sleepwalking → mộng du (walking in the dream, dream is a part of sleep),
hydrothorax (thorax → ngực) → tràn dịch màng phổi (màng phổi: part of the thorax)
5. A part → Another part: I know the city like the back of my hand. → Tôi rành thành phố như lòng
bàn tay, head tax → thuế thân, axe head → lưỡi rìu.
6. A → Negation of not A: fainting → bất tỉnh (un + conscious → not + not faitning), lao động giản
đơn / phổ thông → unskilled labour, hàng dễ hỏng → non-durable (goods).
7. Negation of not A → A: insanity → loạn tâm thần (in + sanity → in + not mental illness);
incorruptibly (không tham nhũng) → thanh liêm, không hại môi trường → environment-friendly.
8. One metaphor → Another metaphor: tapeworm (tape-shaped worm) → sán xơ mít (a worm
resembling the edible bulbs of ripe
jackfruits)
goosebump → nổi da gà
pigheadedly (đầu heo) → đầu lừa
9. Metaphor → Non-metaphor: pigheadedly (đầu heo) → cứng đầu, highhandedly (cao bàn tay) →
hống hách
10. Non-metaphor → Metaphor: epidemic parotitis → bệnh quai bị (bag-shaped swoolen jaw disease),
hair-raising → nổi/sởn gai óc, bogus company → công ty ma, tanned skin → da bánh mật.
11. One color → Another color: pinkeye → đau mắt đỏ, grey hair → tóc bạc, the Red Army →
Hồng quân (Liên Xô)

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 Task 19: Put the words into the correct columns with appropriate Modulation technique.
bear cheque → séc vô danh, head office → trụ sở chính, pie chart → biểu đồ tròn, graveyard market
→ thị trường xuống giá, golden hello → tiền thưởng đầu quân, clicks-and-mortar company → công
ty kinh doanh qua Internet, brain drain → chảy máu chất xám, sunrise industry → ngành công nghiệp
đang lên, industrial relations → mối quan hệ giữa chủ và thợ, unwritten contract → hợp đồng miệng,
entertainment cost → chi phí tiếp khách, non-manual worker → lao động trí thức, widow-and-orphan
stock → cổ phiếu giá trị cao, bare contract → hợp đồng không đền bù.

1. Concrete → Abstract:
2. Abtract → Concrete:
3. One part → Another part:
4. Negation of not A → A:
5. A → Negation of not A:
6. One Metaphor → Non- Metaphor
……………………………………………………………
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c) Equivalence (từ tương đương)
Equivalence refers to suitable and appropriate counterparts in the target language for
expressions in the source language.
E.g.: The first saying when someone picks up the telephone is “Hello” in English, but should be
translated into “Wei” in Chinese or “A lô” in Vietnamese.
Task 20: Find a Vietnamese equivalence for the word “followers” in each context:

1. Religion in general: ……………… 2. Buddhism: ………………

3. Christianity: ……………… 4. Islam: ………………
5. Politics: ……………… 6. Police: ………………
7. Love (slang): ……………… 8. Facebooker: ………………

d) Adaptation (dịch thoát)

It refers to a method ‘used in those cases where the type of situation being referred to by the
SL message is unknown in the TL culture’. It is also used when the limit to translation is been reached,
i.e. when a simple translation would not work or it would produce a result that is shocking in the target
language and culture.
E.g.: Madame Bovary → Phan Kim Liên, A plain Jane → Chung Vô Diệm, Thị Nở
Hạ Long cách Thủ đô Hà Nội 160 km. → Halong city is 160km from Hanoi (about 3.5 hours
driving).
Nền kinh tế nước ta đã có những bước tiến vượt bậc trong những năm qua. →Vietnamese
economy has had great achievements in recent years.

Task 21: Translate the following sentences with Adaptation technique.

1. Despite his looks, he’s said to be something of a Don Juan.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. I don’t want our love will be like Romeo and Juliet.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Người Sài Gòn cũng lắm kẻ mơ làm Lục Vân Tiên giữa đời thường.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Giá vàng hiện nay khoảng 35 triệu đồng/lượng. (tael).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Xin lỗi tao đi không được chồng tao có máu Hoạn Thư ghê lắm.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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6. The two houses are 110 yards apart.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. After a tunnel of 6.5 miles long, you will get to the other side of the mountain.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. She announced she is 20-weeks pregnant.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
IV. Further practice
Task 22: Choose the best anwer for each question.
1. Which of the following is an example of Calque?
A. “panic selling” is translated as “bán tháo”.
B. “gig job” is translated as “công việc thời vụ”.
C. “painted skin” is translated as “họa bì”
D. “flea market” is translated as “chợ trời”
2. The translation of “bogus company” as “công ty ma” is an example of ______.
A. Adaptation B. Modultation C. Transposition D. Literal translation
3. Which techniques are used in the translation of “Shakepeare in love” as “Shakespeare đang yêu”?
A. Calque and Literal translation C. Literal translation and Transposition
B. Literal translation and Modulation D. Borrowing and Calque
4. Which type of modulation is used in the translation of “sleepwalking” as “mộng du”?
A. Concrete → Abstract C. Abstract → Concrete
B. Whole → part D. Part → Whole
5. Which translation technique is used in the translation of “in the black” as “làm ăn có lời”?
A. Adaptation C. Equivalence
B. Modultation D. Transposition
6. Which technique is used in the translation of “quality assurance” as “kiểm định chất lượng”?
A. Calque C. Literal translation
B. Modulation D. Transposition
7. “Nó lấy tôi vì tiền → He married me to get my money” is an example of ______.
A. Calque B. Modultation C. Transposition D. Equivalence
8. “Monkey King” translated as “Tôn Ngộ Không” is an example of ______.
A. Calque B. Adaptation C. Modulation D. Equivalence
9. “Teenage rebellion” translated as Tuổi nổi loạn” is an example of ______.
A. Calque B. Transposition C. Modulation D. Literal

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10. “Gió đông translated as spring wind” is an example of ______.
A. Calque B. Transposition C. Modulation D. Equivalence
11. “No guide, no realization translated as Không thầy đố mày làm nên” is an example of ______.
A. Faithful translation C. Communicative translation
B. Adaptation D. Idiomatic translation
12. Which type of modultation is used in the translation of “bogus company” as “công ty ma”?
A. Metaphor → Non-metaphor C. Non-metaphor → Metaphor
B. Cause → Effect D. Effect →Cause
13. What type of modulation is used in the translation of “goosebump” as “nổi da gà”?
A. Abstract → Concrete C. Cause → Effect
B. A part → the whole D. Metaphor → Metaphor
14. The term “xài bạc lớn” translated as “swear/ use foul language” is analyzed in terms of ______.
A. Textual level B. Intertextual level C. phrase level D. word level
Task 23: Correct the mistakes in the following statements.
1. “What on earth is it?” should be analyzed at phrase level.
2. The term “Đạo tam cang” should be translated in terms of phrase level.
3. The translation of “As far as I am concerned” should be analysed at the phrase level.
4. The translation of “Sailor Moon” as “Thủy thủ mặt trăng” should be analysed at the phrase level.
5. The translation of “Mạnh phi giá đáo” as “Mengfi comes across” is analysed at the sentence level.
6. The translation of “nipplegate scandal” as “xì căng đan lộ hàng” includes the technique of Calque and
Modulation.
7. “Loan market” translated as “thị trường vốn vay” is an example of Calque.
8. “Painted skin” translated as “Họa bì” is an example of Modulation.
9. The technique of Equivalence is used in the translation of “head tax” as “thuế thân”.
10. The relationship between “The Tale of Kieu” by Nguyen Du and “Kim Van Kieu” by Qingxin Cairen
could be seen as an example of Modulation.
11. The translation of “Generation next” (Pepsi’ slogan) as “Sự lựa chọn của thế hệ trẻ” adopted the
Communicative translation method.
12. The translation of “Wall Street” should be adopted by the technique of Mix loan.
13. “Mannequin” is normally rendered into Vietnamese with the technique of Loan blend.
14. The translation of “COD” (Cash on Delivery) as “Thanh toán khi giao hàng” is an example of Literal
translation.

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15. The translation of “Upon his arriving home” as “Khi anh ấy về đến nhà” adopted the technique of
Optional Transposition.
16. The translation of “pinkeye” as “bệnh đau mắt đỏ” adopted the Modulation technique from One color
to Metaphor.
17. The translation of “brain drain” as “chảy máu chất xám” adopted the Modulation technique from A
part → The whole.
18. The translation of “fainting” as “bất tỉnh” adopted the Modulation technique from Metaphor →
Negation of not A.
19. The translation technique called Calque involves changing one word class with another without
changing the meaning of the message.
20. Borrowing is a special kind of translation technique whereby a language borrows an expression form
from another, then the translator translates literally each of its elements.
21. The translation of “dimsum bond” as “trái phiếu dimsum” includes the technique of Calque and
Literal Translation.

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