Graduation Paper vii 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 a.
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.
As an avid learner, I am deeply interested in exploring human knowledge across various domains, particularly in the realms of religion, politics, and society around the globe The Arab region of the Middle East captivates me with its unique complexities Consequently, I have selected Bernard Lewis's book, "Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East," as the focus of my graduation thesis translation.
The book offers a comprehensive overview of Middle Eastern history, spanning from ancient times to the present, and addresses key themes such as wars, religion, politics, and societal dynamics I am particularly fascinated by the relationships between Arab nations and Europe, America, and the Soviet Union My focus is on translating chapter 5, titled "Free at Last? The Arab World in the Twenty-First Century," with the aim of sharing valuable insights that enhance understanding of the Middle East Initially influenced by negative portrayals of Islam and Arab countries in Western media, my perspective has shifted after engaging with this book, revealing a more nuanced view of the region that challenges preconceived notions.
Aims and Objectives
- 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.
In order to get these above-stated aims, the following objectives are set:
- Understanding the cultures of two countries
- Getting tons of specialized vocabulary related to religious, political, and social topics
- Applying the translation theory to the graduation paper
- Analyzing complicated words, grammar points, phrases, structures,contexts, and so on
Scope of the Study
I selected Bernard Lewis's book "Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East" for translation, focusing specifically on the fifth chapter, "Free at Last?: The Arab World in the Twenty-first Century." This chapter addresses critical themes of history, religion, politics, and society in Arab countries Due to time constraints, my graduation paper emphasizes the translation of this chapter into Vietnamese, along with an analysis of key vocabulary, grammar, and syntactic structures.
"Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East" by Bernard Lewis is a renowned exploration of the interplay between religion and governance in the region The revised edition comprises 13 chapters, with the fifth chapter specifically addressing key themes related to The Arab World in the Twenty-first Century This chapter delves into the significant dynamics shaping contemporary Arab societies and their political landscapes.
Due to the time limitation, I just translated the fifth chapter from the page 75 to page 88 and it has about 4.500 words and 30 paragraphs
The text belongs to chapter 5 named “Free at last?: The Arab World in the Twenty-first Century” The chapter is divided into three main parts as follows:
- The rise of the radicals
- The struggle for the future
In the fifth chapter of Bernard Lewis's book "Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East," the intricate relationship between religion and politics in the region is explored The text delves into how religious beliefs shape political dynamics and influence governance For those interested in a deeper understanding of these themes, the chapter can be accessed online at the following link: https://www.pdfdrive.com/faith-and-power-religion-and-politics-in-the-middle-east-e185634415.html.
- Using skimming and scanning skills to get an overview of the content
- Identifying the difficult terminologies, vocabulary, multi-meaning words, and structures
- Discussing with supervisors and referring to those terminologies, expressions, and structures on the Internet
- Using reliable dictionary sources such as Oxford, Cambridge
- Applying translation skills in subjects such as the theory of translation and translation
- Reviewing the entire translation, checking for mistakes and correcting them
Definitions
In fact, depending on one's perspective on languages and translation,translation can be defined in a variety of ways These are some definitions of translation as follows:
Translation, as defined by J.C Catford in "A Linguistic Theory of Translation" (1965), is the process of substituting text from one language, known as the source language (SL), with corresponding text in another language, referred to as the target language (TL).
In addition, “A Textbook of Translation” of Peter Newmark (1988) said: “Translation is a process of transferring a message from this language into another language in the way the author intended the text”.
Type of Categories
J.C Catford categorizes translation into six forms based on three main factors: extent, level, and ranks.
Based on the extent of SL text, translation is divided into two types: Full Translation and Partial Translation
- Full translation is the type of translation in which every part of the SL text is replaced by the TL materials
Example: There was a steep drop in exports in 2005
Đã có một sự tụt dốc mạnh trong xuất khẩu vào năm 2005.
- Partial translation can be understood as some parts of the source text that will not be translated, only moved to and incorporated in the target text.
Example: Năm 2005 chứng kiến một sự rớt giá vàng nghiêm trọng.
Gold price dropped seriously in 2005.
Based on the level of SL text, translation is divided into two types: Total Translation and Restricted Translation
- Total translation is defined that all levels of the SL text are replaced by TL material However, actually, there is a misunderstanding here because
TL, though total replacement is involved.
Example: Poverty is no sin.
Đói nghèo không phải là tội lỗi.
Restricted translation involves substituting source language (SL) text with equivalent target language (TL) content, but this is limited to a single level of translation This process may occur solely at the phonological or graphological level, or it may focus exclusively on one of the grammatical or lexical levels.
Example: In America, they eat what they can, and they can what they can’t.
Ở Mỹ, họ ăn những gì ăn được và đóng hộp những gì họ không ăn được.
In this translation process, the phonology of the source language (SL) is substituted with the corresponding phonology of the target language (TL), while maintaining the original meaning Other than the phonological adjustments, any grammatical or lexical alterations occur only as incidental outcomes of this phonological translation.
Methods and Principles of Translation
A direct translation involves converting every word from the source language (SL) while maintaining the original word order This method uses the most common dictionary meanings of the words, often neglecting the context of the text Although the translation closely resembles the SL, it can become unfamiliar to the target language (TL) audience, leading to difficulties in comprehension.
Example : She is deaf to all his advice.
Cô ấy điếc với tất cả những lời khuyên của anh ta.
In the process of translation, SL grammatical constructions are transformed into their closest TL equivalents, while individual lexical words are translated separately, outside of the context This pre-translation approach highlights the challenges that need to be addressed.
Example: She is deaf to all his advice.
Cô ấy lờ đi tất cả những lời khuyên của anh ta.
A faithful translation aims to accurately convey the original context while adhering to the grammatical structures of the target language It effectively transfers cultural terms and maintains the unique grammatical and lexical characteristics of the source text The goal is to remain true to the intentions and stylistic choices of the original writer.
Example: He is as fast as a kangaroo.
Anh ấy nhanh như sóc
Semantic translation prioritizes the aesthetic qualities of the source language (SL) text, focusing on its beauty and natural sound, while allowing for some compromises on meaning This approach aims to avoid jarring elements like assonance, word-play, or repetition in the final translation Additionally, it may use culturally neutral terms for less significant cultural words instead of direct cultural equivalents, and it can make minor concessions to better suit the target readership.
Example : Ride along into the sunset with me.
Free translation is the most flexible form of translation, primarily utilized for plays, particularly comedies, and poetry In this approach, the themes, characters, and plots are maintained while adapting the source language culture to the target language culture, resulting in a rewritten text that resonates with the new audience.
Ex ample : As strong as a horse.
Free translation focuses on conveying the content of the original text without preserving its style or structure This often results in a paraphrase that is significantly longer than the original, known as "intralingual translation." Such translations can become overly verbose and may lack the authenticity of true translation.
Example : Blood is thicker than water
Một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã
This translation method aims to convey the original message but often distorts subtle meanings by favoring colloquialisms and idioms that are not present in the source text.
Example : Laughing is the best medicine.
Một nụ cười bằng mười thang thuốc bổ
Communicative Translation attempts to render the axact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership.
Example: She was denied the door.
Cô ấy đến nhưng không được chào đón.
The meaning of TL should reflect exactly the SL; furthermore, even though translators can convert part of the meaning, there is nothing that should be arbitrarily added or removed
Example: He was limp with fatigue.
Anh ta mệt đến độ không đứng lên nổi.
In translation, it is essential to maintain the original order of words and ideas as closely as possible, particularly regarding their form and sequence In English, achieving emphasis or primary stress can be effectively accomplished by inverting word order and employing varied structures.
Example: No sooner had I left the library than it started raining.
Ngay khi tôi bước ra ngoài thư viện, thì trời đổ mưa.
Languages often differ greatly in their levels of formality in a given context To resolve these differences, the translator must distinguish between formal and fixed expression
All of them have the same meaning: “Xin lỗi”.
A translator should maintain the original style of the text; however, if the writing is poorly constructed or overly repetitive, it is acceptable for the translator to make corrections to enhance readability for the audience.
Anh ấy vừa ăn uống luôn miệng nói, hỏi suốt cả bữa ăn
Idiomatic expressions are notoriously untranslatable These include similes, metaphors, proverbs, sayings, jargon, slangs, colloquialisms and phrasal verbs If the expressions cannot be directly translated, try any of the following:
+ Retaining the original word, in invested commas
+ Retaining the original expression, with a literal explanation in brackets
Example: Rừng vàng biển bạc
Example: Like father like son.
+ Using a non-idiomatic or plain prose translation
The Arab World in the twenty-first century
P1: As the twentieth century drew to an end, it became clear that a major change was taking place in the countries of the Arab world 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.
After the departure of the last imperial rulers, the Arab world became a political battleground between the
United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War That, too, ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in
In 1991, Arab governments and dynasties, whether royal or presidential, started to assume control, marking a significant shift in governance This period saw both Arab leaders and, increasingly, the Arab populace confronting their own challenges and embracing the responsibility of addressing them.
Thế giới Ả Rập trong thế kỷ XXI
Cuối thế kỷ 20, các quốc gia Ả Rập trải qua sự chuyển mình mạnh mẽ sau gần 200 năm bị cai trị bởi các cường quốc châu Âu và chế độ Hồi giáo không phải Ả Rập, chủ yếu là Đế chế Ottoman Sự kết thúc của Chiến tranh Lạnh và sự sụp đổ của Liên Xô vào năm 1991 đã tạo điều kiện cho các chính phủ và triều đại Ả Rập, bao gồm cả hoàng gia và tổng thống, tiếp quản quyền lực Kể từ đó, các chính phủ Ả Rập ngày càng có khả năng đối mặt với các vấn đề nội bộ và nhận trách nhiệm giải quyết chúng.
Europe, once the dominant force in the Arab world, has diminished its influence in the region's affairs The substantial oil wealth possessed by certain Arab leaders, along with the expanding Arab population, has shifted the balance of power and reduced European interference.
The growing Muslim population in Europe raises important questions about the influence of Arabs in European affairs Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's significance in the Arab world diminished; however, its geographical proximity, abundant resources, and substantial Muslim demographic make it essential for Russia to engage with the Middle East.
Middle East afford to disregard Russia.
The United States has maintained a significant influence in the Arab world, contrasting with Europe's role Throughout the Cold War, American interests in the region primarily focused on countering the increasing influence of rival powers.
Soviet influence, such as in Egypt and
Syria Since the end of the Cold War,
U.S troops have appeared occasionally chúng.
Châu Âu đã từ lâu không còn giữ vai trò quan trọng trong các vấn đề của thế giới Ả Rập, trong khi một số nhà cầm quyền Ả Rập sở hữu khối tài sản dầu mỏ khổng lồ Sự gia tăng dân số Ả Rập và Hồi giáo ở châu Âu đặt ra câu hỏi về vai trò của người Ả Rập trong các vấn đề châu Âu hiện nay Sau sự tan rã của Liên Xô, Nga không còn là nhân tố chính trong thế giới Ả Rập, nhưng với vị trí địa lý gần gũi, nguồn tài nguyên phong phú và cộng đồng dân số Hồi giáo lớn, Nga vẫn cần chú ý đến Trung Đông, và ngược lại, Trung Đông cũng không thể xem nhẹ vai trò của Nga.