AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUGGESTED TRANSLATION OF CHAPTER 5 FROM THE BOOK “FAITH AND POWER RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST” BY BERNARD LEWIS, 2010

Graduation Paper i Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D DUY TAN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH GRADUATION PAPER AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUGGESTED TRANSLATION OF CHAPTER FROM THE BOOK “FAITH AND POWER: RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST” BY BERNARD LEWIS, 2010 Major: English for Translation - Interpretation Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper ii Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D SUPERVISOR : TRAN THI MINH GIANG, Ph.D STUDENT : NGUYEN LE KIM KHANH CLASS : K24NAB STUDENT CODE: 24203204234 Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper iii Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This graduation paper could not be finished without the invaluable assistance, advice, and encouragement from those who have assisted and totally supported me in the process of accomplishing this graduation paper First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all lecturers in general, especially to the teachers of the Faculty of English at Duy Tan University, who dedicatedly taught me during four academic years guiding me all the specialized knowledge and life experience as well Secondly, the most special person I would like to thank sincerely is Dr Tran Thi Minh Giang, my instructor, who devotedly provided numerous helpful guidance and assisted me in completing my graduation thesis Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say the deepest thanks to both my family and my buddiess who are always by my side, love and encourage me all the time I am deeply grateful to all of you I wish you all good health and success Yours sincerely, Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper iv Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in the whole or in part from a thesis by which have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the thesis This thesis has not been submitted for award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution Danang, May, 2022 NGUYEN LE KIM KHANH Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper v Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D ABSTRACT The book “Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East” by Bernard Lewis is about every aspect of Middle Easr including history, religion, politics, society I choose chapter “FREE AT LAST? The Arab World in the twenty-first century” to translate from English into Vietnamese I also analysed certain necessary parts such as phrasal verbs and multi-meaning words, as well as difficult structures including passive, compound and so on Finally, basing on the translated version and analysis this paper, I also find out some difficulties that students have in translating this book Furthermore, there are some effective suggestions to help students translate better at the end of the graduation thesis Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper vi Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D ABBREVIATIONS SL: Source Language TL: Target Language P: Paragraph Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper vii Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ii ABSTRACT iii ABBREVIATIONS .iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims and Objectives .1 1.2.1 Aims 1.2.2 Objectives 1.3 Scope of the Study 1.3.1 Text Features 1.3.2 Text Length .2 1.3.3 Text Organization 1.3.4 Text Source 1.4 Method of the Study .3 CHAPTER THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .4 2.1 Definitions .4 2.2 Type of Categories 2.2.1 Full and Partial Translation .4 2.2.2 Total and Restricted Translation 2.2.3 Phonological Translation 2.3 Methods and Principles of Translation 2.3.1 Methods of Translation 2.3.1.1 Word-for-word Translation .5 2.3.1.2 Literal Translation .6 2.3.1.3 Faithful Translation 2.3.1.4 Semantic Translation 2.3.1.5 Adaptation Translation 2.3.1.6 Free Translation 2.3.1.7 Idiomatic Translation 2.3.1.8 Communicative Translation Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper viii Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D 2.3.2 Principles of Translation 2.3.2.1 Meaning 2.3.2.2 Form 2.3.2.3 Register .8 2.3.2.4 Style and Clarity 2.3.2.5 Idioms .9 CHAPTER SUGGESTED TRANSLATION 10 ORIGINAL VERSION .10 SUGGESTED VERSION 10 CHAPTER ANALYSIS 41 4.1 Difficult Words and Phrases 41 4.1.1 Words with Multi-meanings 41 4.1.2 Phrasal Verbs 42 4.1.3 Idioms 44 4.2 Structures 45 4.2.1 Simple Sentences 45 4.2.2 Compound Sentences 46 4.2.3 Complex Sentences .47 4.2.3.1 Complex Sentences with Noun Clause 48 4.2.3.2 Complex Sentences with Adverbial Clause 49 4.2.3.3 Complex Sentences with Adjective Clause .50 4.2.4 Compound-Complex Sentences 52 4.2.5 Passive Voice Sentences 54 4.2.6 Sentences with Dummy Subject 56 4.2.7 Inverted sentences 56 CHAPTER DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS 57 5.1 Difficulties .57 5.2 Solutions 57 CHAPTER CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 59 6.1 Conclusion .59 Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper ix Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D 6.2 Suggestions 59 6.2.1 Suggestions for Learning 59 6.2.2 Suggestions for Teaching 60 REFERENCES 61 SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTS 62 Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale As a student majoring in English, I have many opportunities to be exposed to a huge source of knowledge from English books and information I am a big fan of learning and discovering human knowledge about religion, politics and society in different regions of the world For me, the vast Arab region in the Middle East, in particular, is really appealing and unusual Therefore, I have chosen the book “Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East” of Bernard Lewis for the translation of my graduation thesis The book covers the history of the Middle East from antiquity to the current day, encompassing wars, religion, politics, and society I'm really interested in the Arab nations' connections with Europe, America, and the Soviet Union In particular, I opted to translate chapter 5: Free at last? The Arab World in the Twenty- first century Thus, I hope I can provide useful new knowledge and assist everyone better understand the Middle East I used to have a negative view of Islam and Arab countries because of the western media However, after reading this book, I understand that the Middle East is not as horrible as I could imagine if I not directly explore this huge region 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.2.1 Aims The study aims at: - Enhancing my skills in translating books from English into Vietnamese - Understanding what the author wants to convey - Understanding and overcoming language barriers between the two countries 1.2.2 Objectives In order to get these above-stated aims, the following objectives are set: - Understanding the cultures of two countries Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 48 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D “Second, although the rift between the Sunnis and the Shi‘ites is significant, Iran’s involvement has rendered it less important than the divide between both of them and their non-Arab, non-Muslim enemies.” (P24) In this sentence: - Independent clause: “Iran’s involvement has rendered it less important than the divide between both of them and their non-Arab, nonMuslim enemies” - Dependent clause: “although the rift between the Sunnis and the Shi‘ites is significant” - Subordinator: “although” (concession) My suggested version: “Thứ hai, mối bất hòa lớn giữa người Sunni người Shia, can dự Iran khiến quan trọng chia rẽ giữa họ với những kẻ thù người Ả Rập không theo đạo Hồi họ.” Example 2: “Because the opposition of these neighbors is so strong, the creation of an independent Kurdish state in the future seems unlikely.” (P7) In this sentence: - Independent clause: “the creation of an independent Kurdish state in the future seems unlikely” - Dependent clause: “Because the opposition of these neighbors is so strong” - Subordinator: “because” (reason) My suggested version: “Do vấp phải phản đối mạnh mẽ nước láng giềng này, việc thành lập nhà nước người Kurd độc lập tương lai dường khó xảy ra.” Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 49 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D 4.2.3.3 Complex Sentences with Adjective Clause (or Relative Clause) An Adjective Clause (a Relative Clause) is a dependent clause that functions as an adjective; that is, it modifies a noun or pronoun These clauses generally begin with relative pronouns such as who, whom, whose, which and that or with relative adverbs such as when, and where Example 1: “China and India, which will share or compete for primacy in Asia and elsewhere in the twenty-first century, are also taking an interest in the region.” (P5) In this sentence: - Relative clause: “which will share or compete for primacy in Asia and elsewhere in the twenty-first century” works as an adjective modifying the previous noun phrase “China and India” Besides, this clause is a nonrestrictive (non-defining) adjective clause because it begins with a relative pronoun and is set off by commas - Relative pronoun: “which” My suggested version: “Trung Quốc Ấn Độ những quốc gia chia sẻ cạnh tranh để giành ưu châu Á nơi khác kỷ XXI, quan tâm đến khu vực này.” Example 2: “Another social problem is immigrant communities in the Arab world, which have received far less attention than Arab immigrant communities in Europe.” (P18) In this sentence: Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 50 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D - Relative clause: “which have received far less attention than Arab immigrant communities in Europe” works as an adjective modifying the previous noun phrase “immigrant communities in the Arab world” Besides, this clause is a non-restrictive (non-defining) adjective clause because it begins with a relative pronoun and is set off by a comma - Relative pronoun: “which” My suggested version: “Một vấn đề xã hội khác cộng đồng nhập cư giới Ả Rập, vốn được ý nhiều so với cộng đồng nhập cư Ả Rập châu Âu.” Example 3: “In some parts of the Islamic world, the collapse of the Soviet Union represented the devastating loss of a patron that was difficult or impossible to replace.” (P20) In this sentence: - Relative clause: “that was difficult or impossible to replace” works as an adjective modifying the previous noun “patron” Besides, this clause is a restrictive (defining) adjective clause because it begins with a relative pronoun It is an essential clause that is not set off by commas - Relative pronoun: “which” My suggested version: “Ở số khu vực giới Hồi giáo, sụp đổ Liên bang Xô viết thể mát tàn khốc nước bảo trợ khó thay được.” Example 4: “The Iranian Revolution, followed by the regime change in Iraq in 2003, gave them new hope.” (P23) In this sentence: Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 51 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D - Participial phrase from adjective clause (reduced adjective clause): “followed by the regime change in Iraq in 2003” works as an adjective modifying the previous noun phrase “The Iranian Revolution” This clause can be reduced to a past participle “followed” Besides, this clause is a nonrestrictive (non-defining) adjective clause because it is set off by commas My suggested version: “Cách mạng Iran, sau thay đổi chế độ Iraq năm 2003, mang lại cho họ hy vọng mới.” 4.2.4 Compound-Complex Sentences Compound-complex sentences are the most complicated sentences like the name implied A compound-complex sentence is a combination of two or more independent clauses and one (or more) dependent clauses In simple terms, an independent clause can be a sentence on its own while a dependent clause cannot be a complete sentence Example 1: “These responses were seen by many as an expression of fear and weakness rather than moderation, and they encouraged hope among Islamist militants that they would eventually triumph.” (P4) This sentence has two independent (main) clauses and one dependent (noun) clause: - Main clause 1: “These responses were seen by many as an expression of fear and weakness rather than moderation” - Main clause 2: “they encouraged hope among Islamist militants that they would eventually triumph” - Coordinator: “and” - Noun clause: “that they would eventually triumph” My suggested version: Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 52 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D “Những phản ứng ông được nhiều người coi biểu sợ hãi yếu đuối ơn hịa, điều khuyến khích chiến binh Hồi giáo hy vọng cuối họ chiến thắng.” Example 2: “Saddam was left in power, but his control did not extend to a significant part of northern Iraq, where a local Kurdish regime in effect became an autonomous government.” (P7) There are two main clauses and one relative clause in this compoundcomplex sentence: - Main clause 1: “Saddam was left in power” - Main clause 2: “his control did not extend to a significant part of northern Iraq, where a local Kurdish regime in effect became an autonomous government” - Coordinating conjunction: “but” - Relative clause: “where a local Kurdish regime in effect became an autonomous government” My suggested version: “Saddam được để lại quyền lực, quyền kiểm sốt ơng khơng mở rộng đến phần đáng kể miền bắc Iraq nơi chế độ người Kurd địa phương thực tế trở thành phủ tự trị.” Example 3: “A succession of offers for a Palestinian state in Palestine were made by the British mandate government in 1937, and by the United Nations in 1947, but each time Palestinian leaders and Arab regimes refused the offer because it would have meant recognizing the existence of a Jewish state next door.” (P8) There are two main clauses and one adverbial clause in this compoundcomplex sentence: Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 53 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D - Main clause 1: “A succession of offers for a Palestinian state in Palestine were made by the British mandate government in 1937, and by the United Nations in 1947” - Main clause 2: “each time Palestinian leaders and Arab regimes refused the offer because it would have meant recognizing the existence of a Jewish state next door” - Coordinating conjunction: “but” - Adverbial clause: “because it would have meant recognizing the existence of a Jewish state next door” My suggested version: “Một loạt đề nghị cho nhà nước Pa-le-xtin Pa-le-xtin được đưa phủ ủy nhiệm Anh vào năm 1937, Liên Hợp Quốc vào năm 1947 Tuy nhiên, những lần đề nghị bị từ chối nhà lãnh đạo Pa-le-xtin chế độ Ả Rập, vì điều có nghĩa phải cơng nhận tồn nhà nước Do Thái bên cạnh.” 4.2.5 Passive Voice Sentences A passive voice is the relationship between a subject and a verb in which the subject receives the action of the verb or the verb forms which shows this relationship Furthermore, the passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action (the verb) and the object of a sentence rather than the subject Passive voice is a common grammatical structure in English But, in Vietnamese, people rarely use this structure to express the sentences Example 1: “For almost 200 years, those lands had been ruled and dominated by European powers and before that by non-Arab Muslim regimes—chiefly the Ottoman Empire.” (P1) Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 54 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D In this sentence, the verb “rule” and “dominate” are used in passive structure: HAD + BEEN + PAST PARTICIPLE (past perfect passive voice) My suggested version: “Trong gần 200 năm, những vùng đất cai trị thống trị cường quốc châu Âu, trước chế độ Hồi giáo Ả Rập – chủ yếu Đế chế Ottoman.” Example 2: “In Tunisia, equal rights for women were guaranteed in the 1959 constitution.” (P17) - The structure of this passive voice sentence is: S + WERE + PAST PARTICIPLE (past simple passive voice sentence) In this situation, I changed this passive voice to an active voice when translation to Vietnamese My suggested version: “Tại Tunisia, hiến pháp 1959 bảo đảm quyền bình đẳng dành cho phụ nữ.” 4.2.6 Sentences with Dummy Subject In English, a complete sentence must have a subject (except for imperative sentences) and at least a verb So, if we don't have any other subject, we can use ‘it’ or “there” This is sometimes called a “dummy subject” to attach the verb and where the real subject is somewhere else in the clause Example 1: “More recently, there have been some hopeful signs that the outside exploitation and manipulation of Lebanon might at last be diminishing.” (P29) Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 55 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D In this sentence, “there” works as an empty subject to express the existence of the real subject “some hopeful signs” My suggested version: “Gần đây, có số dấu hiệu hy vọng cho thấy việc khai thác thao túng bên ngồi Li-băng cuối giảm bớt.” 4.2.7 Inverted sentences Inversion means putting the verb before the subject It is used to emphasize or create special effects in order to make the sentence sound striking, unusual, or more dramatic Inversion is commonly used in literary and formal contexts Example 1: “Nor can the Middle East afford to disregard Russia.” (P2) This sentence begins with “Nor”, so it is an inversion sentence with the structure: NOR + AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB My suggested version: “Trung Đông coi thường Nga.” CHAPTER DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS 5.1 Difficulties In four years of studying, I have learned a lot of useful knowledge, especially English translation skills I believe I did very well in completing my graduation paper, yet I still have some challenges One of the main issues is lack of vocabulary It was sometimes difficult for me to find out appropriate Vietnamese meanings for words with several meanings Despite having read and watched many books, news and videos related this book, it was still insufficient to understand totally; so, it took me a Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 56 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D long time to translate this version from English into Vietnamese, for I had to waste time looking up dictionaries and translating the content Another disadvantage is that the grammar of the book has a lot of complicated grammatical structures that are difficult to analyze Even, the author also wrote some exceptional and strange structures that are outside of what I have learnt at university To summarize, translating is a challenging task; therefore, a translator should continue to learn and enhance by practicing and overcoming all issues 5.2 Solutions Despite the fact that I encountered various problems while doing my graduation paper, I still completed the most important graduation task with a positive attitude and a passionate mind I would like to provide some solutions that helped me succeed in the process of doing my graduation paper Firstly, I read my text numerous times since I want to comprehend what it is about, and this way would assist me in translating accurate and smooth Moreover, I also studied more about the book's subject which is the politics, Islam religion in the Middle East as well as the relationship between this region and Europe and America Moreover, to comprehend and determine the specific meaning of a multi-meaning word, I had to consult several reliable dictionaries, including Cambridge, Oxford, and others Before starting my graduation thesis, I carefully reviewed and synthesized my knowledge of English as well as translation skills to make sure I did not make any misktakes Finally, you must be able to manage your time well by creating an appropriate schedule plan in order to finish the thesis effectively and precisely This will allow you to complete the graduation paper with a calm mind and no time constraints Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh 57 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 58 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D CHAPTER CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 6.1 Conclusion This graduation paper is a valuable experience in my life; despite the fact that I have had many challenges in problem solving, I believe it is vital to complement life skills Besides, it marks an important stage in my time as a student at Duy Tan University In addition, this project has helped me realize I lacked vocabulary in both English and Vietnamese during the translation process There were lots of terms for which I had no idea what they meant, making it difficult to interpret Furthermore, my lack of Vietnamese vocabulary caused me to express an idea in Vietnamese clumsily or even not at all, despite understanding the author As a result, it is significant and necessary to improve vocabulary in both English and Vietnamese The process of completing this project has helped me review a lot I'm aware that I now have many shortcomings Therefore, in order to become a skilled translator, I need to keep learning, practicing and improving my knowledge and English skills 6.2 Suggestions 6.2.1 Suggestions for Learning Self-study is one of the most important skills at university Besides studying at university, you should spend time focusing on self-study and learning any subjects or skills that you find necessary, especially English You can learn on your own from a variety of sources from library materials and books, online courses, and learn from others If there is any knowledge that you not comprehend well, conduct research and study to improve such deficiencies If you make it, move out of your comfort zone and practice more in real life 6.2.2 Suggestions for Teaching Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 59 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D After academic years of studying at Duy Tan, in my opinion, the English Faculty has a good quality education with dedicated and enthusiastic teachers and professors, but I still would like to contribute the following constructive comments to improve better teaching quality as follow: First of all, some of the important subjects, such as Translation Theory, Translation and 2, and Syntax, should be given greater attention because they are extremely useful to students while working on their graduation thesis In addition, I believe that the faculty should organize a variety of extracurricular activities, such as English clubs or extracurricular sessions to teach certain subjects, in order to provide students with professional and social knowledge and allow them to share their experiences Especially, the fact that students have only studied online for the last years because of covid-19 has adversely affected their ability to communicate and interact with teachers and other students As a result, it is recommended that more clubs and contests be organized to encourage students to take part in and improve their own skills as well as English ability REFERENCES Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 60 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D [1] Catford, J.C (1965) A linguistic theory of translation London: Oxford University Press [2] Newmark P (1988) A textbook of translation Prentice Hall Inter [3] Nguyễn Mạnh Quang (2009) Translation theory Duy Tan University, Department of Foreign Languages ONLINE MATERIALS [4] Cambridge dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/ [5] Oxford learner’s Dictionaries: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ [6] Collins Online Dictionary: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ [7] Longman Dictionary: https://www.ldoceonline.com/ Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 Graduation Paper 61 Supervisor: Tran Thi Minh Giang, Ph.D SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTS Student: Nguyen Le Kim Khanh Code: 24203204234 ... region in the Middle East, in particular, is really appealing and unusual Therefore, I have chosen the book “Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East” of Bernard Lewis for the translation. .. - The rise of the radicals - The struggle for the future 1.3.4 Text Source The text is in the fifth chapter of the book “Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East” written by Bernard. .. book that I chose to translate is “Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East” of Bernard Lewis The book revolves around the topics of history, religion, politics, society in the