THEME 2: COLLOCATIONS

PART 1: INTRODUCTORY NOTES

1. Collocation is the way words combine in a language to produce a natural-sounding speech and

writing. For example, in English you say strong wind but heavy rain. It would not be normal to say
heavy wind and strong rain. To a native-speaker these combinations are highly predictable; to a learner
they are anything but.
Combinations of words in a language can be ranged on a cline from the totally free - see a
man/car/book - to the totally fixed and idiomatic - not see the wood for the trees. Between these two
extremes there is a whole range of nouns that take the verb see in a way that is neither totally
predictable nor totally opaque as to meaning. These run from the fairly weak collocation see a film
through the medium strength see a doctor to the stronger collocations of see danger/reason/the point.
All these combinations, apart from those at the very extremes of the cline, can be called collocation.
And it is combinations such as these - particularly in the medium strength area - that are vital to
communicative competence in English. (Source: Adapted from Oxford Collocations - dictionary for
students of English') •■
2. Collocation is a fundamental feature in any language. In Vietnamese, for example, while

words like ‘quà, củ, trái, bắp’ are similar in meaning, they cannot be used interchangeably when
collocated with such nouns as ‘chuối, cam, ngô, khoai, cà rốt, trứng, nhãn, etc.’
And collocations differ across languages, in the sense that combinations that sound perfectly normal
in one may not be acceptable in another. For example, in Vietnamese the word “thực hiện” (“carry
out”, “perform”, and “undertake”) can go with “chuyến viếng thăm”, “cam kết”, “nhiệm vụ", or
“giấc mơ”. However, in English each of the nouns above must be preceded by a different verb, such
as “pay a visit”, “undertake a commitment”, “carry out a task?’, or “realize a dream”, etc.
The dictionary meanings of certain words may change depending on the words they are collocated
with. For example, the word “dry” in “dry clothes,, dry river, dry weather” has a Vietnamese
equivalent “khô”. However, in combinations like “dry cow, dry wine, dry wall”, the element “khô”
is no longer appropriate. Consider the word “tough” in the following table for similar examples:

Dictionary meaning English combinations

Corresponding Vietnamese
combinations
Tough tough guy
tough meat
= không nhượng bộ tough soldier
 tough question
BIÊN DỊCH NÂNG CAO - Nguyễn nành Vân . Khoa Sư phạm Tiêng Anh, tìại học Ngoợi ngữ, hại học Quác gia Hà NỘI

tough journey
tough enemy
tough measure

The Vietnamese people will not say “miếng thịt không chịu nhượng bộ”', instead, they say “thịt dai”.
Likewise, they do not describe their enemies as “kiên cường” but “ngoan cố”.
Take another word as an example. The Vietnamese verb “ăn” is an equivalent of “eat” in English,
but this does not mean that all verbal collocations that consist of the word “ăn” can be translated into
English, using the verb “eat”. Such collocations as “ăn hối lộ, ăn bữa tối, không ăn lương, ăn Tết”
must be translated into English with different verbs, for example :
_________________________________________________________
For these cases, there can be at least two following ways of translation: paraphrasing and explanation
or target language (TL) equivalent collocation. For example, “dry wall” can be translated as
“____________________________” - explanation instead of “tường khô” which is an incorrect
rendition of the original term. (Source: Đỗ Minh Hoàng)
PART 2: PRACTICE

Task 1; Translate the following sentences into English, paying greater attention to the words and

phrases in italics. Use the adverbs given below to collocate with the words in brackets: badly,
sincerely, categorically, strongly, deeply, firmly, totally, thoroughly, seriously, freely
1. Đàng Cộng sản Việt Nam luôn hết sức tin tường vào thắng lợi cùa chủ nghĩa xã hội. (believe in)

2. Anh ta ra sức phù nhận những lời buộc tội chống lại mình, (deny)

3. Ông ta công khai thừa nhận đã mắc một số sai lầm trong nhiệm kỳ của mình, (admit)

4. Tôi hết sức lấy làm tiếc về những gì đã xảy ra. (regret)

5. Tai nạn xảy ra là do anh ta hoàn toàn bỏ qua những qui tắc an toàn tối thiểu, (ignore)

6. Tôi hết sức ngưỡng mộ lòng dũng cảm và sức chịu đựng của dân tộc Việt Nam. (admire)

7. Tôi chân thành khuyên anh nên đến dự cuộc họp đó. (advise)

8. Đồng bào ở vùng lũ lụt đang hết sức cần sự giúp đờ cùa chúng ta. (need)

2
9. Tôi thực sự không cho rằng mình có thế làm được tốt hơn nếu ở vào địa vị cùa anh ta. (doubt)

10. Chúng tôi hết sức tán thành với kế hoạch này. (approve)

Task 2: Match the adverbs in the following box with the bolded adjectives in the sentences 1-5 below. The
adverbs, in most cases, can be translated as "hết sức, vô cùng, rất”. Then translate the completed
sentences into Vietnamese.

most bitterly seriously perfectly greatly

1. The sergeant was ... ’ ...................... wounded in the battle and had to be flown home to hospital.

2. I can't understand why you're having such trouble with the video - it's really .................. simple
to operate.
3. I am just warning you that you would be .......................... mistaken to think I’m going to give in
without a fight.
4. It is ...............................cold in North Canada in the winter - the temperature is never above zero.
5. It was ......... kind of you to lend me the car, and I’m just writing to say how much I appreciated it.

Task 3:

Complete each sentence with one of the words given in the following table. Then translate it into
Vietnamese, paying greater attention to the collocations between adjectives and nouns, and nouns linked
byof.
standing calculated sound matter term
evasion sole heavy lapse slip

1. She was the............................... survivor of the air crash in the Brazilian jungle.
2. Terry’s old car is a .............................joke among the people at her office.
3. The management bears a . . .......................responsibility for this strike.
4. Janet has a ............................ grasp of nuclear physics.
5. Buying the shares was a ......................... risk, but luckily it came off.
6. The opposition accused the government of a/an ........................ of responsibility.
7. I feel that we should treat this as a/an ........................... of importance.
8. I’m sorry I said that, it was just a/an .. .... ................... of the tongue.
 9. As people get older they often suffer from this kind of ......................... of memory.
10. She said the use of the word “Baldy” was a/an ........................ . of endearment.
Task 4; Translate the following paragraphs into Vietnamese, paying greater attention to the italicised

collocations:
1. Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the economic capital and the
cultural trendsetter of Vietnam. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, is a myriad of shops,
stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. The city churns, ferments,
bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient
culture. Central Ho Chi Minh City is the place to be on Sunday and holiday nights. The streets are jam-
packed with young locals cruising the town on bicycles and motorbikes, out to see and be seen. Pham Ngu
Lao and De Tham St form the axis of Saigon's haven of budget eateries.

2. Magnificent Halong Bay, with its 3000 limestone islets rising from the clear, emerald waters of the
Gulf of Tonkin, is one of Vietnam's natural marvels. The tiny islands are dotted with innumerable beaches
and captivating grottoes created by the wind and waves. The name Ha Long means “landing dragon”.
According to legend, the islands were formed by the swish of a dragon’s tail. A short journey through the
misty sea quickly spurs romantic imaginations redolent of this tale. The excursion to Halong from Hanoi
is hardly as alluring. As in most of Vietnam, cars must share the road with innumerable trucks, motorcycles,
bikes, pedestrians, oxcarts, and large patches of rice or orange peels drying in the hot sun. But the trip is
enlightening as it passes through Vietnam’s “rice bowl,” where the brilliant green rice fields are dotted
with colorful cemetery vaults. Once there, a boat tour of this incredible bay can be arranged at dockside.
Cold beverages can be arranged before leaving to complement one of the most enjoyable excursions of a
lifetime.

3. After more than 900 years of existence, repairs and renovations, Quốc Tử Giám is still an example
of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. Also preserved within these confines are valued
relics representing the millenary civilization, such as stelae with inscriptions of the names of distinguished
scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thiên Quang Tỉnh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation
of Literature (Khuê Văn Các). Particularly impressive is the collection of 82 stone stelae which rest upon
large stone tortoises. They were created between 1484 and 1780 and are engraved with the names, places
of birth and achievements of the 1,306 doctor laureates that received their degrees during this time span.
These stelae were erected to encourage learning and bestow honor on the talented men who assisted the
Kings in defending the country. An important historical and cultural vestige of Vietnam, Văn Miếu and
Quốc Tử Giám are currently under repair to restore their original appearance.
Task 5: Translate the following passages into English. Pay attention to the italicised words/phrases
1. Thành phố Đà Lạt nằm ngay ờ trung tâm vùng cao nguyên phía Nam. Đà Lạt nổi tiếng là một thành
phố mái mẻ, xanh tưoà với môi trường như một công viên. Bạn có thể tàn bộ qua khu Pháp cổ với những
ngôi biệt thự lộng lẫy, tới thăm Dinh Bảo Đại - nơi nghỉ hè của vị Hoàng đế cuối cùng - nằm uy nghiêm
trên một quả đồi hay đi khám phá Thung lũng Tình yêu đầy thơ mộng nằm cách trung tâm thành phố 5 km
về phía Bắc. Đà Lạt nổi tiếng với những quán cà phê độc đáo và là địa điểm đặc biệt ưa thích đối với với
du khách trong nước và những cặp vợ chồng đi hưởng tuần trăng mật.

2. Hạ Long là một vịnh kín trong một vùng biển rộng, có diện tích khoảng 1.500km2, có đường bờ
biển khúc khuỷu với bãi tắm đẹp - Bãi Cháy - ở ngay trung tâm, và cả một thế giới với hàng nghìn đảo nhỏ,
chủ yếu là các đảo đá vôi quần tụ rất tự nhiên. Thế giới trong vịnh Hạ Long thật muôn hình muôn vẻ, nhiều
đảo được gọi tên theo hình dáng tự nhiên của nổ và nhiều hang động đẹp có tên gọi gắn liền với các truyền
thuyết.

3. Mặt nước Hạ Long ít khi có sóng lớn. Nưởc biền Hạ Long trong xanh màu ngọc bích. Khí hậu ấm
áp, mát mẻ, trong lành. Hạ Long có sức hấp dẫn đặc biệt các du khách bằng vẻ đẹp vừa hùng vĩ, vừa duyên
dáng thơ mộng. Cảnh sắc Hạ Long không bao giờ đơn điệu, luôn mới ở các góc độ quan sát khác nhau và
thay đổi theo thời gian. Khách du lịch đến Hạ Long vào bất kỳ mùa nào trong năm cũng tìm thấy vẻ đẹp
riêng đầy quyến rũ đến mê hoặc của nó.