CONTENT 1: SOME PRELIMINARY KNOWLEDGE

EXERCISES

Part 1: Multiple choices

1. The translation of “ the penny drops” as he finally understand

what he had not understood before” is term…
a. Transmutation
b. Interlingual translation
c. Rewording
d. Intersemiotic translation
2. “A normal total translation where equipvalents shift up and down
the rank scale” is the definition of…
a. rank – bound translation
b. total translation
c. full translation
d. unbounded translation
3. Which of the following refers to the legibility of a text?
a. Line spacing
b. Length of clauses and sentences within the text
c. Paragraphing
d. How complex a text is
4. Which is not an example of intersemiotic translation?
a. a ≥ x/y is translated as “x/y ≤ a”
b. ∆ABC is translated as “ tam giác ABC”
c. ∀x: P(x) is translated as “P(x) is true for all x”
d. 𝑓: XY is translated as “ the function f maps the set X into
the set Y”
 5. When translation is classified in terms of the level of language,
which of the following types is correct?
a. Total translation
b. Unbounded translation
c. Partial translation
d. Word – for – word translation
6. Which of the following is an example of transmutation?
a. “Inspection”, one of the clinical examination techniques, is
interpreted as “observation”
b. “x is more than y” is interpreted as “x>y”
c. “Action research” is interpreted as “nghiên cứu hành động”
d. “Underdog” is interpreted as “ a person who is not
expected to win”

Part 2: Answer the questions

Exercise 7: How do you understand the process of decoding and

encoding in a translation act? Provide an example to illustrate your
answer.

Decoding or decontextualizing means breaking the text from the

source language down to several smaller parts with the aim of
understanding its meaning.

Encoding or recontextualizing means putting all the ideas, author’s

thoughts in the target language to form the target text.

Exercise 9: What is pure translation and applied translation?

- PURE translation: portraying the phenomenon of translation and

its relevant facets.
 - APPLIED translation: focusing on the application of translation
theories (e.g. translation practice, teaching and learning of
translation).

Exercise 11: Distinguish WORD – FOR – WORD/ LITERAL/ FREE

translation.

- WORD – FOR – WORD translation: essentially rank – bound at

the word – rank.
- LITTERAL translation:
+ lying between these two extremes
+ tending to remain lexically word – for – word
+ may start from a word – for – word translation, yet makes
changes in comfirmity with the target language grammar (gr- oup
– group/ clause – clause translation).
- FREE translation:
+ always unbounded
+ equivalences up and down the rank scale, usually at the higher
ranks
+ characterized by lexical adaptation to target language
collocational/ idiomatic requirements (target language
normalization)
Ex: Hôm qua trời mưa to.
(1) Yesterday sky rain big.
(2) Yesterday it rained heavily.
(3) It rained cats and dogs yesterday.

Exercise 8: Decode the following text; then encode it in Vietnamese

as target language.
 ADVICE TO LITTLE GIRL - by Mark Twain(1835 – 1910)

You should ever bear in mind that it is to your kind parents that you are
indebted for your food, and your nice bed, and for your beautiful
clothes, and for the privilege of staying home from school when you let
on that you are sick. Therefore you ought to respect their little
prejudices, and humor their little whims, and put up with their little
foibles until they get to crowding you too much.

Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged. You
ought never to “sash” old people unless they “sass” you first.

 Decode: The meaning of the text: The author are giving some
advices to little girls: remember what your kind parents give you,
respect their opinions and show your deference for the aged.

 Encode:

Lời khuyên cho các cô gái nhỏ

Bạn nên nhớ rằng chính nhờ sự tử tế của cha mẹ, bạn mang ơn họ vì
đã cho bạn thức ăn, giường đẹp, quần áo đẹp và đặc ân được nghỉ
học ở nhà khi bạn bị ốm. Vì vậy, bạn nên tôn trọng những định kiến
nhỏ nhoi của họ, chiều theo những ý tưởng bất chợt của họ, đồng thời
chịu đựng những khuyết điểm nhỏ của họ cho đến khi họ lấn át bạn
quá nhiều.

Những cô bé ngoan luôn thể hiện sự tôn trọng rõ rệt đối với người lớn
tuổi. Bạn không bao giờ nên “xấc xược” với người lớn trừ khi họ “chọc
ghẹo” bạn trước.
Exercise 10: According to Zaixi (1997), translation often involves
using language in a creative manner so that it is also an art. Provide
one example to justify this idea.

1. SL: Hôm qua trời mưa to

TL: a. Yesterday it rained heavily.

b. It rained cats and dogs yesterday.

 In sentence b, I use idiom “ rain cats and dogs” to make the

sentence more expressive with novel and original expression.

2. SL:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given Harry his letter.

Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.

Weather’s horrible.

Hope you’re well.

Hagrid.

a. Kính thưa giáo sư Dumbledore,

Đã đưa thư cho Harry Potter

Ngày mai sẽ đưa nó đi mua đồ

Thời tiết tệ quá.

Mong là ông vẫn khoẻ.

Hagrid.
 b. Kính thưa giáo sư Dumbledore,

Đã đưa thư cho Harry Potter

Mai dắt nó đi may đo

Thời tiết buồn xo

Mong cụ khỏi lo.

Hagrid.

Exercise 12: Translate the following sentences in the literal and free
manner:

a. Do I make sense?

L: Tôi làm có lý không?

F: Tôi nói có dễ hiểu/ hợp lý không?

b. He’s just not into you!

L: Anh ta chỉ là không vào bạn!

F: Anh ta không thích bạn đâu!

c. I hope my presentation won’t let you down.

L: Tôi hy vọng bài thuyết trình của tôi sẽ không đặt bạn xuống.

F: Tôi hy vọng bài thuyết trình của tôi sẽ không làm bạn thất vọng.

d. Tớ sẽ không tin cậu nữa!

L: I won’t believe you more!

F: You are not trustworthy!

I won’t put my trust on you!

 e. Tôi thấy dịch thuật không dễ chút nào!

L: I see translation is not easy at all!

F: I find it is not a piece of cake to translate!

f. Cô ấy đã tự nhủ rằng đó chỉ là say nắng mà thôi.

L: She told herself that it’s just a sunstroke.

F: She told herself that she just had a crush on him.

Part 3: Fill in the blank

13. Readability refers to the clarity of the content of the text.

14. Literal translation remains word – for – word yet still conforms to
the target language grammar.

15. In terms of the extent, translation can be either full or partial.

16. The cognitive process of translation involves a series of several

(simultaneous) activities, including visual sensory perception,
comprehension, analysis, processing, monitoring and production.

17. Applied translation deals with the teaching and learning of

translation as well as translational practices.

18. Legibility of a text is associated with various typographical

features.

19. When a person translates “Mike is my friend” as “Mike là bạn của

tôi”, his/her translation is partial because there is still a part left
untranslated.
20. When a person translates “Ở ngoài đang mưa to” as “It is pouring
outside”, he/she translates in a free manner.

CONTENT 2: TRANSLATION THEORIES – A REVIEW OF

LITERATURE
 EXERCISES

Part 1: Answer the questions:

1. Were early translation theories source text - oriented or

target text - oriented?

 Early translation theories were source text – oriented. Because in

the onset, translators paid more attention to the source text and
translated into the target text equivalently. Moreover, they had to
retain the meaning of the source text as much as possible. As a
result, some target text elements, including important cultural
aspects, were overlooked.

2. According to Toury (1980), is DTS source text – oriented or

target text – oriented? Elaborate on your answer.

According to Toury (1980), DTS (Descriptive translation studies) is

target text – oriented. Because DTS judges the translation from
the target text’s viewpoint. Beside, prospective position of a
translation within the recipient culture is an important factor that
governs the make – up of the product. The most important thing is
that the target system always influences translation decisions.

3. Design a table to distinguish PRESCRIPTIVE, DESCRIPTIVE

AND FUNCTIONALIST approaches to translation.
 PRESCRIPTIVE DESCRIPTIVE FUNCTIONALIST
Author/ Sprott, 2002 Toury, 1980 Nord, 1997
researcher
Time in the onset during the 1970s during the 1990s
Focus source text target text the function of texts and
translations
Rendering of source text – target text – sometimes word – for –
translation oriented oriented word fidelity, sometimes
target text – oriented
Target cultural were undermined are an important translation is influenced
aspects or overlooked factor by both SL and TL
cultures
Purpose retain the meaning working on the different situations
of the source text translations from require different
as much as the point of view of renderings of translation
possible the target text

4. State the Skopos rule. What are the possible kinds of

skopos?
- The skopos rule: Translate/ Interpret in a way that enables your
translation to function precisely in a situation where it is used and
with the people who want to use it
- Three possible kinds of skopos:
+ General purpose of the translator.
+ Communicative purpose of the target text in the target
situation.
+ Purpose aimed at by a particular strategy itself.
  A translational act is principally determined by its purpose.

5. Choose one of the following situations and answer the

question.
a. Suppose you were invited to translate a 10 – page research paper for a
Vietnamese researcher in the field of psychology for publication in an
international journal.
b. Suppose you were invited to translate an advertising text about a new
drink made by a Vietnamese beverage company wishing to post
relevant information about that product on the English version of their
website.
What is the skopos of the translational action in this case?

I choose situation b. To illustrate the operation of Skopos, we could

think of a fictitious scenario where I am paid by Company A - a
Vietnamese beverage company to translate an advertising text about a
new drink which is wishing to post on the English version of their
website.

- Client: Company A is my client. Based on the situation, the

translated version should carry relevant information about that
product (a new drink) on the English version of the website of
Company A. Moreover, the piece of translated version can also
appear in English version of a local newspaper/ magazine, a
foreign newspaper/ magazine or even a specialized newspaper/
magazine about beverage industry.
- Target readership: The translation would be read by:
 + Average readers who want to try new drink from Vietnam,
especially young people or parents who care about their
children’s health when choosing drinks.
+ Foreign business or foreign company from the same area of
working/job.
+ Managers of other domestic.
- Purposes: I am expected to be conscious of the reading
expectations from both the lay audience and Public Relations/
Brand Director in the Company A. The advertisement is to
promote a high – profile image of Company A and their products.
The translated text would be featured in their website, archived
in its PR file, and used for Company A’s marketing and
promotion in overseas market. Therefore, they can draw
attention of potential consumers from foreign countries.
Moreover, foreign business can consider collaborating with
Company A and managers of other domestic can refer to that
new drink and offer to run ads for the product if they satisfy.
Thus the style and appeal of my translation is to be compatible
with Company A’s brand image, which is characterized by
heathy, energetic, delicious and to suit every consumer’s taste. I
need to show the appealing image as well as the quality of the
drink of the original advertisement through the translation. The
translation will be written in attractive language.

Reference

Situation a.
 - Client: My client is a person who pay me for translating his/her
research paper – the Vietnamese researcher./ Vietnamese
researcher who has studied psychology.
- Target readership: Firstly, the researcher who hires us might be
the translation. Moreover, the translation will be read and
possibly be debated by experts in the field of psychology,
especially who are going to be reviewers of that paper. After
being published, professionals in the field of psychology,
undergraduate students, graduate students majoring in
psychology are also potential readers of this translation./
Researcher community
- Purpose: In the translator point of view, the translation is likely to
express its author’s approach, in both scientific language and
scientific spirit because it will be published in an international
journal and possibly a part of its details might be quoted in other
scientific publications. This paper probably will be a step
forwards in scientific career in the field of psychology for the
author. The translation will be written in formal and scientific
language.

Part 2: Fill in the blank:

6. According to Catford (1965), the theory of translationis by nature

a theory of applied linguistic.
7. In the onset, translators were expected to retain the meaning of
the source text as much as possible, which tells us that the
previous translation theories were prescriptive and source –
text oriented.
8. During the 1990s, translation theorists started to pay attention to
the functionality of translations in specific situations.
9. Descriptive translation studies explains empirical phenomena
related to translation and evaluates translations from the target –
text perspective.
10. In prescriptive theories, the cultural aspects of the TL
tends to be overlooked.
11. The functionalist approach were developed in
consideration of the influence that SL and TL cultures have on
translation.
12. According to the skopostheorie, the translational act is
mainly determined by its purpose.

CONTENT 3: GENERAL STRATEGIES AND METHODS

 EXERCISES

Part 1: Giving example

1. According to Newmark (1981, 1988)

a. WORD – FOR – WORD translation:

Ex: I’m sure the test next week will be a piece of cake for me.  Tôi
chắc chắn bài kiểm tra tiếp theo tuần sẽ là một miếng bánh cho tôi.

b. LITERAL translation:
Ex: She is deaf to all his advice.  Cô ấy lờ đi tất cả những lời khuyên
của anh ta.

c. FAITHFUL translation:

Ex: Tôi cho rằng bà ta sẽ không mua chiếc túi này.  I don’t think that
she will buy this bag.

She has an angelic voice.  Cô ấy có một giọng hát thiên thần.

d. SEMANTIC translation:

Ex: She has a sunny smile on her face.  Cô bé có gương mặt với nụ
cười toả nắng.

e. FREE translation:

Ex: Hôm qua trời mưa to.  It rained cats and dogs yesterday.

If you put yourself in my shoes, you would understand why I do so. 

Nếu bạn đặt mình vào hoàn cảnh của tôi, bạn sẽ hiểu vì sao tôi quyết
định như vậy.

f. IDIOMATIC translation:

Ex: Một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã.  Blood is thicker than water.

Vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn.  Diamond cut diamond.

Họ rất yêu nhau.  They are head over heels in love with each other.

g. COMMUNICATIVE translation:

Ex: Keep off the grass.  Không được giẫm lên cỏ.

h. ADAPTATION

Ex: The Scarlet Letter.  Nét chữ Ô Nhục (tên tiểu thuyết)
 2. According to Vinay and Darbelnet (1958, 1995, 2000):
 DIRECT PROCEDURES:
a. DIRECT BORROWING:

Ex: oxygen (dưỡng khí), PR (quan hệ công chúng)

Canteen  căn tin

Beefsteak  bít tết

Radio  ra đi ô

b. LOAN/CALQUE translation:

Ex: superhero  siêu anh hùng, blackmarket  chợ đen, Snow White
 Bạch Tuyết

Email  thư điện tử

Showroom  Phòng trưng bày

Headache  Đau đầu

She is a supermodel, she is good at catwalk.  Cô ấy là một siêu

mẫu, cô ấy rất giỏi đi catwalk.

c. LITERAL translation:

Ex: I left my glasses on the table.  Tôi đã để quên kính trên bàn.

It became a big disappointment.  Nó đã trở thành một sự thất vọng

lớn.

 OBLIQUE PROCEDURES:
a. TRANSPOSITION:

Ex: Khi cô ấy trở về…  When she returns/ On her return

Because the presentation was well prepare…/ Due to good
preparation for the presentation…

Anh ấy lái xe rất cẩn thận.  He is a careful driver.

b. MODULATION:

Ex: Concrete  Abstract: bottleneck  sự bế tắc, head office  trụ

sở chính

Abstract  Concrete: holding company  công ty mẹ, subsidiary 

công ty con

One metaphor to another: golden hello  tiền thưởng đầu quân, brain
drain  chảy máu chất xám

c. ADAPTATION (situational equivalence)

Part 2: Multiple choices

1. The translation of “The Grapes of Wrath”, the title of the novel by

John Steinberg, as “Chùm nho phẫn nộ” is an instance of…
a. Adaptation
b. Transposition
c. Modulation
d. Literal translation
2. Which of the following is an example of calque?
a. Panic selling = bán tống bán tháo
b. First face = người mở màn
c. Language acquisition = thụ đắc ngôn ngữ
d. Loan market = thị trường vốn vay
3. Which translation method are combined in the translation
“woman in love” as “người đàn bà đang yêu”?
a. Literal translation and calque
b. Literal translation and transposition
c. Literal translation and modulation
d. Literal translation and adaptation
4. “heart murmur”  “âm thổi tim” is an instance of…
a. Loan translation
b. Literal translation
c. Modulation (one metaphor to another)
d. Transposition
5. Which type of modulation is it? “bogus company”  “công ty ma”
a. Non - metaphor  metaphor
b. Metaphor  non – metaphor
c. Cause  effect
d. Effect  Cause
6. Which type of modulation is it? “thiếu máu”  “anaemia”
a. Part  whole
b. Popular style  professional style
c. Abstract  concrete
d. Metaphor  non – metaphor
7. The translation method called calque …
a. Is a special kind of borrowing
b. Respects the syntactic semantic structures of TL
c. Replaces one word class with another without changing the
meaning (transposition)
d. Is also known as situational equivalence (adaptation)
8. Which is NOT true about U.T., according to Darwish (1998)?
a. Necessarily meaningful in terms of syntax and semantics
b. Can be well managed by the translator
c. Yielding meanin on the pragmatic level
 d. Long – term memory retainable

a. False
→ In literal translation, SL grammatical constructions are converted to
their closest equivalents in TL.
b. True
c. True
d. False
→ The translation of STD as “bệnh hoa liễu” is an example of
modulation. (professional style  popular style)/ (Non – metaphor 
metaphor)
e. True
f. True
g. True
h. False
→ People who translates idiomatically often prefer idiom and colloquial
expressions.
I choose text 2.
a. Identify the type of the text you choose.
 The type of text 2 is informative because it provides facts about the
book. The language dimension is logical and the text focuses more on
its content.
b. What translation units might a translator use when
translating this text?
 When translating this text, I use sentence as a unit of translation.
Because according to Newmark’s theory, sentence is a natural unit of
translation.
c. Translate
New Moon is a fantasy novel by author Stefanie Meyer, and is the
second novel in the Twilight series. The novel continues the story of
Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen’s relationship. When Edward
leaves Bella after his brother attacks her, she is left heartbroken and
depressed for months until Jacob Black becomes her best friend and
helps her fight her pain. However, her life twists once more when
Jacob’s nature reveals itself and Edward’s sister decides to visit.
 “Trăng non” là một cuốn tiểu thuyết giả tưởng của nhà văn
Stephenie Meyer, và đây cũng là cuốn thứ hai trong bộ tiểu thuyết
“Chạng vạng”. Tiểu thuyết này viết tiếp về mối quan hệ giữa Bella
Swan và ma cà rồng Edward Cullen. Sau khi người anh của mình tấn
công Bella, Edward đã rời đi, để lại Bella luôn đau lòng và tuyệt vọng
trong nhiều tháng cho đến khi Jacob Black trở thành bạn thân của cô
và giúp cô vượt qua nỗi đau ấy. Tuy nhiên, cuộc đời cô một lần nữa
xoay chuyển khi bản chất thật sự của Jacob được bộc lộ và khi chị
của Edward quyết định ghé thăm.
d. Is your translation more source text - based or more target
text - based?
 My translation is more source text – based because I remain the
order of the original text and the name of the author and the characters
in English version. Moreover, I use literal translation method to
translate the title “New Moon” and “Twilight”.
 Text 1
a. Identify the type of the text you choose.
 The type of text 1 is expressive because it expresses the author’s
feeling and attitude, the language dimension is aesthetic and the
author used lots of beautiful phrases.
b. What translation units might a translator use when
translating this text?
 When translating this text, I use phrase, clause, collocation,… as a
unit of translation. (Explain)

c. Translate:
Người Nhật yêu và tự hào về đất nước họ ở sức mạnh khoa học kỹ
thuật. Còn bao đời nay, người Việt ta luôn yêu và tự hào về quê
hương mình ở những điều bình dị.
Cách đây hơn 15 năm, trong lần đầu tôi đi công tác nước ngoài,
người lái xe taxi, sau một lúc nhận lầm tôi là người Trung Quốc, biết
 khách đi xe là người Việt, đã hỏi tôi đó có phải là xứ sở của những
tiếng súng, lòng tôi se lại. Song chỉ vài năm sau đó, đất Việt đã có một
hình ảnh khác nơi bè bạn.
 The Japanese love and take pride in the strength of science and
technology in their country. For generations, Vietnamese people have
always loved and been proud of their homeland in simple things.
More than 15 years ago, when I went on my first overseas business
trip, the taxi driver who saw me as a Chinese for a while, recognized
that the passenger was Vietnamese, asked me whether Vietnam was
the land of gunfire, my heart wrung with pain. But just only a few years
later, Vietnam had a different view in foreign friends.
d. Is your translation more source text - based or more target
text - based?
My translation is more source text – based. (explain)

CONTENT 4: THE ISSUE OF EQUIVALENCE IN TRANSLATION

 Equivalence – based theories generally define EQUVALENCE as the
relationship between ST and TT.
No.1: Using a general word (a superordinate)

This is one of the common ways to deal with many types of non-
equivalence

Use a more general word to translate instead of the given word.

Ex:
1) In the USA, the two words “moped” and “motorcycle” are
distinguished in a clear way.

 Moped: Two-wheeled vehicle equipped with bicycle-like pedals

that the rider uses to propel the vehicleMotorcycle: a vehicle with
two wheels and an engine.

 Motorcycle: Two-wheeled vehicle designed for higher speeds

and are equipped with better acceleration.
However, when they are translated into Vietnamese, they have only
one meaning: “xe máy”.
2) English makes distinctions among sedan, coupe, i.e. the former
have 4 seats, two or four doors, and a separate section at the
back for bags, boxes, and cases while the latter just has 2 seats.
Besides, there are some other items such as “auto, limousine,
limo, banger, jalopy, automobile”. Vietnamese, on the one hand,
refers to all four – wheel, motorized vehicles as “ô tô”.
3) Há cảo, hoành thánh, bánh bao = dumplings
4) Bún, miến, mì, hủ tiếu, etc = noodles

No.2: Using a more neutral/less expressive word

Another strategy related to the semantic aspect.

Sometimes, the source text contains some words that have a strong
expression which is not suitable if it’s translated equivalently, so the
translator has to use another word that has a more neutral or less
expressive meaning.

Ex:

1) SL: Xuân Tóc Đỏ cứ sấn sổ đưa tay toan cướp giật ái tình.
TL: Extending his hand rudely, Red – Haired Xuân requested a little
love…

“Cướp giật” is to take sth from sb by force, against their will. This verb
with its expressive quality accurately reflects the nature of Red –
Haired Xuân as a rude, uncouth man. When translated into English,
the word “requested” is used, which is a lot less expressive than the
word in the original.

2) SL: Hai người bắt tay nhau, tiếng Tây ngậu xị cả phố.

TL: They shook hands and greeted each other noisily in French.

The word “ngậu xị” in Vietnamese is usually used to refer to a person

who is being noisy and causing a fuss. The word “noisy” that the
translator choose for the translation can be a good equivalence,
although the expressive quality of the Vietnamese word has to be lost.
3) Ngôi nhà cổ dường như có sức hút kỳ lạ.  The old house
seems to have an extraordinary charm.

“sức hút” should be translated as “charm”. It is better than

“attraction” cause the word “charm” means an object that is thought
to have magical powers, and it will give the reader a sense of being
captivated by the mystery.

No. 3: Using cultural substitution

Making the translated text more natural, understandable, and

familiar to the target reader.

Replace a specific cultural word/expression with a cultural

word/expression that has a different meaning to help the readers
understand more easily the equivalent idioms/phrases in their culture.

Ex: Early bird catches the worm → Trâu chậm uống nước đục
Diamond cuts diamond → Vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn

Xa mặt cách lòng → Out of sight, out of mind

The baby weighs 6 pounds.  Đứa bé cân nặng hơn 2 ký 7.

To the Vietnamese people, Lunar New Year is very sacred.  Tết
Nguyên Đán rất thiêng liêng đối với người dân Việt Nam.

No. 4: Using a loan word or a loan word plus explanation

When dealing with culture – specific items, modern concepts, or

buzzwords.
You can include an explanation right behind the word if it’s necessary
and you don’t need to explain again for later occurrences of the word.

Ex:

1) SL: Hoa hậu Đỗ Thị Hà đã có màn trình diễn ấn tượng với đàn
T’rưng trong vòng thi tài năng của cuộc thi Hoa Hậu Thế Giới
2021.
TL: Miss Do Thi Ha had an impresssive performance with a T’rưng
musical instrument (a traditional bamboo xylophone used by the Jarai
people and Bahnar people in Vietnam’s Central Highlands) at the
Talent Show of Miss World 2021 Pageant.

2) SL: More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s

disease.

TL: Hơn 5 triệu người Mỹ đang chung sống với bệnh Alzheimer’s (một
bệnh lý về não tác động đến trí nhớ, suy nghĩ và hành vi).

No.5: Paraphrashing, using related words

When the idea of the source language item is lexicalized in target

language yet in a different form.

Ex:
1) “interdisciplinary” in the phrase “interdisciplinary research
project” is defined as relating to more than one branch of
knowledge, and translated into “bao gồm hai hoặc nhiều chủ đề
hoặc lĩnh vực kiến thức khác nhau” in Vietnamese. However,
there isn't exactly a Vietnamese term fully covering this meaning,
so instead, we choose a related and appropriate term "Trên
nhiều lĩnh vực"
2) Pregnant woman should avoid alcohol.  Phụ nữ mang thai
phải tránh uống bia, rượu.
No.6: Paraphrashing, using unrelated words

When the concept of the source language item is not lexicalized

in target language

When the meaning of the source language item is complex in

target language
Ex:

1) The adjective "available" in the widely used clause “To make

education available to everyone” is translated to “sẵn có” in
Vietnamese, but the translation does not apply well to this
specific context as it would be something like "Tạo điều kiện làm
giáo dục sẵn có với mọi người". And there is no Vietnamese
word that can convey its meaning comprehensively. We can use
an unrelated word such as " có thể tiếp cận với" to make the
translation more natural. "Tạo điều kiện để mọi người có thể tiếp
cận với giáo dục"
2) Liệu cơm gắp mắm.  One has to match his spending to his
income.

No.7: Translating by omission

Avoiding lenghthy translations in some certain contexts

In some contexts, omitting a word or expression is very helpful and

does no harm.In some certain contexts, if the meaning conveyed by a
specific word or expression doesn't need mentioning to understand the
translation, the translator may omit its translation to avoid lengthy
explanations. This strategy is especially useful if the source language
item is redundant.
Ex:
1) “Much can be done even without being physically present in the
meeting.”  Nhiều việc có thể làm ngay cả khi không có mặt tại
cuộc họp.
2) “One day, a dog entered an inn, stole a piece of meat and ran
away with it.  Hôm nọ, một con chó chạy vào quán trọ ngoạm
trộm miếng thịt rồi bỏ chạy.
3) “Chúng ta phải nghiên cứu bài trước khi đến lớp.”  We must
study lessons before class.
No.8: Translating by illustration

When the TL equivalent:

 does not cover some aspects of the SL item

 refer to a physical entity that can be illustrated (in order to
be concise and to the point)
Ex: In the case of a physical entity such as
"tò he" which are sculpture statues made
from colored rice flour. It is molded in the
shape of an animal, a superhero, or a
mythical figure. However, It is difficult for
readers to visualize exactly what "tò he" is, in
what shape and size. Thus, the best way to
translate is by illustrating the object to give
the readers a clear picture.
 EXERCISES

Multiple choices

1. “Polymorphism” = “đa hình”. This is an example of…

a. Complete equivalence
b. Stylistic equivalence
c. Text – normative equivalence
d. Nil equivalence
2. “Cash on delivery” = “thanh toán khi giao hàng”. This is an
example of… (cash = tiền mặt)
a. Inclusion equivalence
b. Grammatical equivalence
c. Connotation equivalence
d. Partial equivalence
3. “Dear Sir/Madam” = “Kính gửi quý Ông/Bà”. This is an example
of…

a. Nil equivalence

b. Connotation equivalence
c. Text – normative equivalence
d. Complete equivalence
4. “nuôi” = feed/raise/nurture/support. This is an example of…

a. Pragmatic equivalence

b. Inclusion equivalence

c. Denotative equivalence
d. Complete equivalence

5. Which term refers to the operation in which values established

in the SL text are implanted into the translated product?
a. Formal correspondence
 b. Equivalence

c. Situation substance

d. Transference

6. Which of the following statements is TRUE about equivalence?

a. It has become a new buzzword (traditional and critical) in
recent translation theories.

b. Translation can (not) be produced from the level of grammar

to the level of phonology or graphology. (Limits of translatability)

c. The concept of equivalence on the text (systems) level is

neutral in value.

d. “Gloss translation” is another way to call “formal equivalence”.

Translate the following items into TL and try identifying their type
of equivalence

a. đĩa (danh từ) = disc/plate; hard (adj) = khó/cứng

 Inclusion equivalence

b. acid = a xít , beefsteak = bít tết, Moscow = Mát – xcơ – va

 Nil equivalence Phonological equivalence

c. áo dài = ao dai , phở = pho , pizza = pizza

 Nil equivalence

d. I got sick of seeing that wretched man! = Tôi phát ngán khi nhìn
thấy thằng khốn đó!

 Connotation equivalence Stylistic equivalence (expressive identity)

e. Kỹ năng quản lý thời gian = time management skill

 Complete conceptual equivalence

 f. I gave you all my heart = Tôi đã trao cho bạn cả trái tim mình,
Một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã = Blood is thicker than water

 Connotation equivalence

g. Chú ý: Ghế mới sơn! = Caution: Wet paint!

 Pragmatic equivalence (Language in use)
h. Best regards (at the end of a letter/ an email) = Trân trọng!/Kính
thư!

 Text – normative equivalence

13. Traditional
14. Complete
15. Neutral
16. Transference
17. Written
18. Situation
19. Connotation
20. Phonological
CONTENT 5: THE ISSUE OF CULTURE IN TRANSLATION
(Self – study)
 CONTENT 6: IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
1. Author’s intentions:
By mistake: vô tình (without intention)
“By mistake”: cố tình (with intention but pretend to be unintentional)
2. Translator’s intentions:

 Trâu chậm uống nước đục  The early bird catches the worm  TL
oriented
 “We stayed there for three days and I was offered more kindness than I was
willing to accept.”  Chúng tôi đã ở đây 3 ngày và tôi nhận được nhiều sự
tử tế hơn mong đợi.  TL oriented
 “pub” (more negative in Vietnamese)
3. Target audience:
4. Quality of ST

Passage 1:
 Intralingual: When I translate, I begin by recording/reading aloud a rapid,
rough translation of foreign language text directly onto a cassette, skipping/ignore
any issues, to give a translation structure and flow which will be edited and
refined later.
 Interlingual: Đầu tiên, tôi ghi âm bản dịch nhanh và thô bằng cách bỏ qua các
các điểm khó. Việc này giúp định hình cấu trúc và hình thức bài dịch, sau đó
chúng ta sẽ chỉnh sửa và hoàn thiện nó.
Passage 2:
  Intraligual: Trong ba học kì đầu ở trường điện ảnh, Linh học rất tốt. Nhưng
sau đó cô bị đuổi học vì không chú tâm học hành, bướng bỉnh và gây ảnh hưởng
xấu đến các bạn khác.
 Interlingual: In the first three semesters of studying at Movie University, Linh
studied very well/ had a good performance. Then she was expelled for ignoring
her studies, being stubborn and having a bad influence on / set a bad example
for other students.
5. Notes for Translators:
 Proper names
 Cultural – specific elements
 Reference and Ambiguity
 1. Venice-Simplon Orient-Express là một trong những dịch vụ xe lửa
lớn nhất thế giới. Không chỉ vậy, dịch vụ này còn đầu tư rất nhiều
vào hình thức bên ngoài để thu hút khách.
2. Người ta nói rằng nếu xã hội coi thường bạn, đầu tiên họ sẽ phớt lờ
bạn; nếu sự bỏ mặc này không thành, xã hội sẽ cười vào mặt bạn;
và cuối cùng nếu hai cách trên không hạ gục được bạn, họ bắt đầu
tấn công bạn.
 Figure of speech: Hoán dụ
3. Thông thường, những đứa trẻ bị trừng phạt nhiều nhất là những đứa
không nghe lời nhất. Có lẽ chúng bị phạt vì chúng không nghe lời,
nhưng những nghiên cứu chuyên sâu dường như không xác minh
cho lập luận này.
 Lexical twins and triplets

 Empty words
 Abbreviations

FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization (Tổ chức Lương thực và Nông
nghiệp Liên Hợp Quốc)
ILO: International Labour Organization (Tổ chức Lao động Quốc tế)
WB: World Bank (Ngân hàng thế giới)
CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Khung
tham chiếu trình độ ngôn ngữ chung của Châu Âu)
GDP: Gross domestic product (Tổng sản phẩm nội địa)
MBA: Master of Business Administration (Thạc sĩ quản trị kinh doanh)
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
UFO: Unidentified flying object (Vật thể bay không xác định)

 Affirmations and Negations (self – study)

 Borrowing

 Using dictionaries
 Literary translation

 Dealing with poetry

 Metaphrase – Paraphrase – Imitation
CONTENT 7: INTERPRETATION
CONTENT 8: TRANSLATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT
There are 2 types of translation as the result of different
strategies of recontextualization(House, 2006)
 EXERCISES
Fill in the blank
True or False