TRANSLATION

1. Many people believe that strategies to deal with non-equivalence at word level and fixed
expression have been widely used in the translation of many literary works.
Use examples from at least one work of literature that has been translated from English into
Vietnamese or vice versa (1000 words)

Non-equivalence at the word level, according to Baker (1992), indicates that a term that appears in the
source text does not have a direct counterpart in the target language (p. 20). At the word level, there are
many distinct types of non-equivalence, each with a different amount of difficulty that calls for a
different approach. Furthermore, when thinking about potential techniques, it is important to keep the
context and goals of the translation in mind.
The English translation of the Vietnamese satirical novel "Số Đỏ" (Dumb Luck), written by Vu Trong
Phung, and translated into English by Nguyen Nguyet Cam and Peter Zinoman, will serve as a specific
example of literary work to demonstrate how to deal with non-equivalence at the word level and fixed
expression.
Translation by a more general word
In order to get around the target language's lack of specificity, this tactic includes deploying a superior.
Finding a more generic word with the same propositional meaning as the word in the source language
is difficult for translators.
SL: [...] một bà trạc ngoại tứ tuần mà y phục còn trai lơ hơn của các thiếu nữ [...] (p.9)
TL: [...] made up like a fashionable young seductress [...] (p.37)
In this context, the term "trai lơ" refers to females who are flirtatious and laid-back in their interactions
with men. This term frequently carries a bad meaning. The term is perfectly appropriate to introduce
Mrs. Deputy Customs Officer in this specific scenario. The Oxford Dictionary of English defines
"fashionable" as "(of a person) dressing or behaving according to the current trend" when this term is
translated as "fashionable." The translators lost a whole shade of meaning by using the term
"fashionable" when describing the Customs Officer, who is more than simply a "stylish" woman.
Translation by a more neutral/less expressive word
This technique substitutes a term with a less emotional meaning for the one in the original text. When a
term could be understood differently in the target language despite appearing to be equal in the source
language, this might be viewed as a compromise.
SL: Xuân Tóc Đỏ cứ sấn sổ đưa tay toan cướp giật ái tình (p.6)
TL: Extending his hand rudely, Red-Haired Xuân requested a little love... (p.34)
“Cướp giật” is to take something from someone forcibly and against their will. This, with its emotive
qualities, properly captures Red-Haired Xuân's character as an obnoxious, uncouth man. The term
"requested" is used in the English translation, which is far less evocative than the original word.
Translation by cultural substitution
By substituting a TL term with a distinct prepositional meaning for the SL word, this method is utilized
to cope with words that are culturally peculiar. However, it's probable that this TL term will affect TL
readers in the same way as it impacts SL readers.
The novel's examples of this tactic all include ideas unique to Vietnamese society. For instance, "tử vi"
is a prediction of someone's future based on the stars' respective positions. It is comparable to a
Western horoscope. As a result, "tử vi" is frequently interpreted as "horoscope". Although the essence
of the two ideas differs, choosing the word "horoscope" would guarantee Western readers, who are the
intended audience for the English translation of the novel, would comprehend it right away.
Translation using a loan word or loan word plus an explanation
This method is designed primarily to manage things and keywords that are culturally distinctive. All of
the examples employ phrases that are unique to Vietnamese culture and the early 20th-century French
occupation. Because all words are non-equivalent, the translators used the original words in the
translated text and included a footnote at the bottom of the page to give more clarification.
SL, SL: Quan Phù và Thái Tuế
TL, TL: Unlucky Stars: Quan Phù and Thái Tuế
The explanation is given immediately in the translated text to let the readers know that these are the
techniques used for "Quan Phù" and " Thái Tuế” are the names of two unlucky stars.
Translation by paraphrase
The highest frequency of translation through paraphrase is utilized in this work to discuss very difficult
ideas. In this section, the two methods of paraphrasing—using a similar term and utilizing unrelated
words—are examined jointly. Even though they are all words in the original, the English translation
paraphrases the words into long sentences. For instance, the translation of the term "mửa mật" is
"practicing their asses off." The slang for "to work very hard" describes both the words in the original
and the phrase in the translated text.
Translation by omission
Since it is the last option when none of the other techniques can be utilized to properly deal with a
lexical item, it is frequently stated last in the list. It goes without saying that in translation loss of
meaning should be minimized to the best of the translator’s capacity, however, there are times when
this loss can be justified, particularly when the meaning conveyed by a particular item or expression is
not essential to the development of the text to the point when lengthy, distracting explanations are
justified, or when omission is needed to avoid redundancy and awkwardness.
SL: Ông Victor Ban kinh hãi cúi đầu rất thấp, bắt tay Xuân Tóc Ðỏ xong thì đứng ngây mặt ra như
người bằng gỗ.
TL: Victor Ban bowed his head low and shook hands with Xuân, who stood frozen in place like a
wooden statue. (p.99)
In conclusion, in the Vietnamese-English translation of “Số Đỏ”, translators are successful in applying
six strategies which are translation by a more general word, translation by a more neutral/less
expressive word, translation by cultural substitution, translation by a loan word or loan word plus
explanation, translation by paraphrase and translation by omission, to deal with non-equivalent at word
level and fixed expression. It is obvious that in order to effectively handle non-equivalence at the word
level, the translators cannot rely on one strategy only or use the strategies in isolation regardless of
other factors. In order to produce a smooth, readable translated text, there needs to be a combination of
all strategies.
(1024 words)
INTERPRETING

2. The language interpreting process involves 6 major skills (active listening, memorizing, note
taking, analyzing discourse, paraphrasing, and public speaking). Which 3 of them are your
weakest skills? How can you improve? (500 words)

Interpreter skills are capabilities and character traits that help an individual succeed in a career
interpreting between languages. Six fundamental skills are necessary for language interpretation: active
listening, memorizing, note taking, analyzing discourse, paraphrasing, and public speaking. For me,
memorizing, note taking and public speaking are my weakest skills which need improving.
First of all, memorizing plays a major role in interpreting. To improve memory skills, I can practice
translating two newspaper pieces of 75–100 words continuously for 12 weeks to strengthen my
memory abilities. I will translate aloud and speak continuously without stutters, after studying the
material for a few minutes until I can repeat it as accurately as possible, I will translate aloud and speak
evenly without any pauses, interruption and stutter. Furthermore, I can ask a friend or family member
to read to them slowly a passage of about 300-400 words and then make some notes to reproduce the
passage as accurately and completely as possible in English. This method is also considered as doing
some dictations. Additionally, I can improve memory skills by trying to interpret speech in
Vietnamese from the local radio stations into English as much as possible or news and science reports
in English from VOA or BBC or ABC channels into Vietnamese as accurately as I can. Indeed, I can
use a tape, voice or video recorder to record, check and improve my performance and I can also
observe high-level interpreters such as Executives’ interpreters appearing on TV news or some national
and international political conferences to learn their techniques.
Secondly, note-taking is critical to interpreting, especially consecutive one. When taking notes, I will
think about what I intend to write. Write down only the most important words: date, time, name, key
words I hear. If it is quicker to draw a picture, arrow, or diagram, I will do it instead of writing words. I
will use headings and subtitles to organize information, as it will make it easier to find when reviewing
the text. Another helpful strategy is using underlines and symbols to highlight important issues. To
improve my note-taking skill, I will create myself a system of symbols and abbreviation practice more
and so that my note-taking speed can increase. Moreover, the note should be simple, easy to understand
and not too much.
Thirdly, one of the useful ways to improve public speaking skill is practicing in front of a mirror.
Practicing a speech in front of a mirror can help me improve my body language. I can see how I look
while speaking, including my posture, facial expressions, and gestures. This can help me identify
aspects that I need to improve as well as adjust my body language accordingly. Practicing in front of a
mirror can help me improve my eye contact by allowing me to see where I am looking while speaking.
I can practice maintaining eye contact with myself, which can translate into better eye contact with the
audience. I also have a clear plan for myself for a long time. I often translate videos taken from
YouTube in front of friends and relatives to practice public speaking skills and increase my self-
confidence.
 (527 words)
3. In your opinion, how much the background knowledge, the context and culture affect your
interpreting assignment. Justify it with some examples (500 words)

Background information is any information that would be necessary for the linguist to understand the
topic of the speech. If the interpreters do not have the solid foundation information, they will not
recognize when a statement is illogical or nonsensical and will be likely to say something wrong or get
confused. For instance, if interpreters obtain background knowledge about “Greenhouse effect”, they
are possible to convey clearly aspects of that topic, such as cause and effect, solution and prevention,
even when they cannot listen to the whole speech. In contrast, if the background information is
overwhelming to interpreters, they also have difficulty illustrating authors’ points of view.
The context of the speech greatly affects the quality of the translation. Interpreters need to know how to
analyze the content they receive from the author based on answering questions such as: What does the
author want to say, what does he want to convey to the listener. To answer this question, the interpreter
must clearly understand who the author is, who the author's intended audience is, and must place the
statement in its context. The same saying can have different meanings depending on the relationship
between the author and the recipient as well as the context. An often cited example is the statement
between a wife and her husband who has a smoking habit: "Honey, Nam has quit smoking." This
statement is not necessarily intended to convey information about Mr. Nam quitting smoking, but
rather to convey to the husband a message that "You also have to quit smoking like Mr. Nam".
Cultural understanding is essential for producing translations that are culturally appropriate and easily
understood by the target audience. Interpreters need cultural knowledge because language and culture
are closely related and influence each other. Cultural knowledge helps interpreters accurately convey
meaning and tone in a way that is appropriate for the cultural context. Without this knowledge,
messages can easily be misinterpreted or misunderstood. For example, in China, a host usually tells the
guests to bear with the poorly prepared dishes. This is a local expression indicating that the host is
welcoming the guests and showing an act of modesty. Another problem relating to culture aspect that
interpreters have to deal with is humors, sarcasm, and jokes. Translating a joke into the target language
is quite challenging since it is possible to lose the original meaning and lead to misunderstanding,
eventually proving offensive. Also, in some situations, jokes are funny in the original culture but
considered silly in the target culture. For instance, Cui (2010) mentions an incident that happened on
“The Late Show with David Letterman” when the Chinese Comedian Joe Wong came to the show and
said “hi, everyone … so I’m Irish” the American audience cracked up laughing, but the Chinese
audience did not understand the humor in what Wong said. This is an example regarding cultural jokes
(the ethnic jokes). The funny part was that most Americans are originally Irish and as Wong is
originally from China, but became an American citizen, so he wanted to relate to the Irish part of those
Americans.
(516 words)