INTRODUCTION

It is often the case that no direct equivalents can be found in

Vietnamese for English words or idioms. It may be that the concept
or idea is new to Vietnam.

Or, it may be that the concept or idiom is known or readily

understood but there is no specific word or idiom in Vietnamese to
express it. Another difficulty is that, in addition to their concrete
meaning, some words or idioms have special connotations that are
not conveyed by the Vietnamese word for the same thing.

The translation strategies can be used to handle cases of non-

equivalence.

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 STRATEGIES OF TRANSLATION

NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

 STRATEGY 1:
NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

1.1 Translation by a more specific word

In some cases, it may be appropriate or necessary to use a more
specific word to translate an English word into Vietnamese. This
usually involves choosing among several different words, as there
may be many Vietnamese words that correspond to the general
category or meaning expressed by the English term.

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Example: Translate the following sentence into Vietnamese

Ex: Robson injured his leg in the second half of the

match and had to be carried off.

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For example, Vietnamese has many words that, mean "to carry"
with distinctions being made depending on the size and shape of
the object; its animacy (e.g. a child as opposed to a box); and
how it is carried (e.g. in the hand, in both arms, etc.).

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Similarly, the English word for "rice" can be translated by many

different Vietnamese words, depending on whether one is planting
it, harvesting it, cooking it, or eating it. In these cases, the English
word alone is not enough to determine the appropriate Vietnamese
translation, and it is necessary to examine the English context in
deciding which Vietnamese word is to be used.

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 STRATEGY 1:
NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

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 STRATEGY 1:
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1.2. Translation by a more general word

 to use a more general word to translate an English word with no
specific Vietnamese equivalent.
For instance, English makes distinctions among mopeds, scooters, and
motorcycles, the latter having larger wheels and engines than both mopeds
and scooters; Vietnamese, on the other hand, refers to all two-wheel,
motorized vehicles as "xe máy".

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NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

Similarly, the English "paw", "foot", and "leg" may all be translated
by the Vietnamese “chân", which does not present problems of
comprehension in Vietnamese, as it should be clear from the
context which of these words is meant.

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1.3. Translation by cultural substitution

This strategy involves replacing a culture-specific item or expression
with one of different meanings but similar impact in the translated
text. Because of their self-described "respect" for the original text,
most Vietnamese translators object to this strategy and tend to
translate directly, even when it may be highly inappropriate.

To cost an arm and a leg

 Giá cắt cổ.

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Dr. Nguyen Duy Binh 14

 STRATEGY 1:
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Translators should be encouraged to question the appropriateness

of the documents they are translating and suggest changes to make
them more culturally appropriate.

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NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

1.4. Using a loan word plus explanation

There is some resistance to this strategy in Vietnam, as many
translators prefer to create new Vietnamese words rather than
borrow English words. However, this strategy can be useful when
dealing with concepts or ideas that are new to Vietnam, culture-
specific items. and proper names of diseases or medicines that are
widely known by their English names.

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 STRATEGY 1:
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For example, HIV and AIDS are two loan words that are frequently
used in Vietnamese, as they are referred to by their English names
in most of the world. Because these words have been in common
use in Vietnam for some time now, they are often used without any
accompanying explanation, which is not advisable.

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Whenever a loan word is used, it is best to offer an explanation

either in parentheses or a footnote. Another example is the acronym
for oral dehydration salts, or ORS, which is printed on every
package and hence easily recognized; this is usually written in its
English form with an explanation, in parentheses as follows: ORS
(muối bù mất nước).

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1.5. Translation by paraphrase

This strategy can be used when translating an English word or
concept that does not exist in Vietnamese, or when the Vietnamese
term for it does not include all the meanings conveyed by the
English term for the same concept. For example, in the sentence:

Pregnant women should avoid alcohol.

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 STRATEGY 1:
NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

The English word includes all alcoholic beverages in its meaning,

the Vietnamese word for alcohol, "rượu” does not include beer in its
definition, so the Vietnamese translation should add the word beer
to reflect the full meaning of the English.

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To cite another example, the English terms "abuse"

and "neglect" signify a whole range of behaviors,
some of which are not conveyed by the Vietnamese
terms alone. Therefore, the sentence:
Children shall be protected from abuse and
neglect.
cannot be translated simply as "trẻ em phải được
bảo vệ khỏi sự lạm dụng và lơ là", as was suggested
by one translator. This does not account for their full
meaning, which must be unpacked for better
understanding.

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This can be one by paraphrasing, as another translator has

attempted in the folk wing translation: "trẻ em cần được bảo vệ
chống lại mọi hình thức bạo lực, gây tổn thương hay xúc phạm, bỏ
mặc hoặc sao lãng trong việc chăm sóc". Back translated roughly
into English, this sentence reads, "Children must be protected
from all forms of violence causing harm or offense, and from
abandonment and negligence in their care."

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1.6. Translation by omission

Though some translators may reject this strategy as too drastic, it is
sometimes appropriate to omit words or phrases that are not
essential to the meaning or impact of the text. This is especially true
for words that would require lengthy explanations, awkward
paraphrases, or literal and unnatural translations, which would
interrupt the flow of the text and could distract the reader from the
overall meaning.

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For example, the sentence:

Much can be done even without being physically present in the

meeting.

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 STRATEGY 1:
NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

This sentence is best translated into Vietnamese by, "nhưng có

nhiều việc có thể làm ngay cả khi không có mặt tại cuộc
họp..."which omits the word "physically" in the translation.

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 STRATEGY 1:
NON-EQUIVALENCE AT WORD LEVEL

 The difference in meaning between "being physically present"

and "being present" is so minimal that it does not justify translation
into Vietnamese, which cannot easily express the slight emphasis
implied here by the author, and would not do so by emphasizing the
physicality of a person's presence.

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 STRATEGY 2

How to deal with idioms

and fixed expressions

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 WARM UP

Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese

1. When you decide to give her a ring, give us a ring.
2. Have you thought about buying our new bed? Sleep on it.
3. Your views are reflected in The Mirror.
4. Christmas is a time to think of family ties. Buy ours.
5. Money matters / Money talks

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 HOW TO DEAL WITH IDIOMS
AND FIXED EXPRESSIONS

Introduction
Idioms and fixed expressions can be dealt with in ways
similar to those discussed above. With idioms, however,
there is the added difficulty that the translator may not
realize that s/he is dealing with an idiomatic expression,
since more idioms may make sense when translated
literally.

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 HOW TO DEAL WITH IDIOMS
AND FIXED EXPRESSIONS

Because each language has its own way of expressing things,

idioms are always language- and culture-specific. An idiom in one
language may not exist in some other language, or that language
may have a very different idiom to convey the same meaning. This
is the reason why the translation of idioms at times proves to be
rather strenuous and problematic.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

First of all, the translator needs to identify idioms in a given

text. This is of principal importance, because meanings of
idioms should never be understood literally. Then the
translator must also be able to “use idioms fluently and
competently in the TL” (Larson, 1984: 116).

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 STRATEGY 2.
How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

The final difficulty is finding a TL expression with the same

meaning in spite of the fact that, very often, an idiomatic
expression in one language does not always have
equivalence in another language.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

Newmark highlights that idioms should “never be translated

word-for-word” (1988: 125) and Ingo states that “translating
an idiom literally is rarely successful, and should therefore
be avoided at all costs” (1990: 246).

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

The translator should, therefore, make every attempt to find

an equivalent TL idiom for a SL idiom; otherwise, the idiom
should be translated with a “normal”, non-idiomatic
expression which carries the similar meaning.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

2.1. Using an idiom or fixed expression of similar

meaning and form
It is sometimes possible to find a Vietnamese idiom or
expression with a similar meaning to an English idiom or
expression, and which is expressed in the same way. One
example is the idiom "to fight like cats and dogs", which is
expressed using the same words in Vietnamese: Cãi nhau
như chó với mèo.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

Another is "better late than never", which translates as “Muộn

còn hơn không". It is ideal if such a match can be found, but this
kind of correspondence is not common, and it is usually
necessary to use other strategies in dealing with idioms and fixed
expressions.

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Swallow: chim nhạn
summer: mùa hè

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EXAMPLE

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

2.2. Using an idiom or fixed expression of similar meaning but dissimilar form
 to find a Vietnamese idiom with a similar meaning to an English idiom,
but which is expressed differently.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

A good example is the translation for "to carry coals to

Newcastle": Chở củi về rừng”, which is translated as "to carry
firewood to the forest". The meaning here is clearly the same for
both idioms - to bring something to a place that already has an
abundance of that thing - but the way in which each language
expresses it is bound to the culture of that language.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

It would be far more cumbersome to translate this idiom

word-for-word into Vietnamese with an explanation that
Newcastle is a well-known coal-producing city in England
(as was suggested by some Vietnamese translators), which
would unduly interrupt the flow of the text and greatly
diminish the idiom's impact. By substituting a similar
Vietnamese idiom, then, the flow and the impact of the
original text are retained in the translation.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

2.3. Translation by paraphrase

When Vietnamese equivalents cannot be found,
paraphrasing may be the best way to deal with an idiom or
fixed expression. A good example can be found in an article
on maternal mortality, which includes the sentence, "But
before the new estimates replace the old as a way of
packaging up the problem, it should be said that a mistake
has been made in allowing statistics such as these to slip
into easy language."

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

The expression "packaging up the problem" presented problems in

translation, as it was misinterpreted to mean "assembling" or
"gathering together". However, even if this phrase were clearly
understood, it would be difficult to find a concise equivalent in
Vietnamese; in fact, it would be difficult to re-state concisely in
English.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

This phrase is best dealt with by paraphrasing, which in

English should read something like, "summing up the
problem by referring to it simply as a number, which does
not reflect its true magnitude or impact." The expression "to
slip into easy usage" is problematic for the same reasons,
and is also best dealt with by paraphrasing, as a direct
translation into Vietnamese would be nonsensical.

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How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

2.4. Translation by omission

As with single words, whole phrases may be omitted if they are not
essential to the meaning or impact of the text. This may be done
with phrases that would require lengthy explanations, awkward
paraphrases, or literal and unnatural translations. This may also be
done when a phrase has two meanings, and one of the meanings
must be sacrificed for the other.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

For instance, a book entitled, "Being Positive - Living with

HIV/AIDS" presents problems in translation because of the
double meaning of "being positive". Here, the meaning is
both that a person is HIV positive and, more idiomatically,
that s/he should have an optimistic outlook on life. This may
be clear to a translator, who may interpret the phrase to
mean simply that this book is for and about people who are
HIV positive.

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How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

However, the double meaning should be made clear

through collaboration with the commissioner, after which a
choice must be made between the two meanings, for it
would not be possible to translate both meanings by one
Vietnamese phrase.

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 How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

As the emphasis is on a positive outlook towards life

and not on the fact of being HIV positive, one translator
has suggested the following translation: “Sống một cách
tích cực". This expresses the notion of being positive
about life without mentioning anything about HIV status,
which will be made clear in the rest of the title and in the
content of the book.

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How to deal with idioms
and fixed expressions

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 Translation theory

That’s the end of this module

Thank you