INTRODUCTION
Scope of the study
The beautiful romantic novel Beloved Oxford consists of sixteen chapters
On the ground of limited time, conditions, this thesis focuses on the first three chapters, namely The Surprising School Admission, The Challenger, The Lonely Winter respectively These chapters are selected because they help the readers imagine the setting of the novel, the main characters‟ background and personalities; and especially contain the typical strengths and weaknesses of the translation.
Aims of the study
The study is carried out to investigate the quality of the English version of the novel Beloved Oxford based on Newmark‟s theory of translation criticism.
Research methodology
In order to serve the aim of the study, two research questions are raised:
1 What are the strengths of the English version of Beloved Oxford in terms of linguistic aspect and translational aspect?
2 What are the weaknesses of the English version of Beloved Oxford in terms of linguistic aspect and translational aspect?
To achieve the goal of the study, contrastive analysis is employed The researcher conducts the study in the following steps:
Building up a theoretical background for the study
Choosing an approach for TQA, that is Newmark‟s
Analyzing and comparing source text and target text to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the translation in term of linguistic aspect and translational aspect
Organization of the study
Part I is the Introduction which provides readers an overview of the thesis including the rationale for the study, the aims, the scope, the methodology and the organization of the study
Part II is the Development, which includes two chapters
Chapter 1 introduces the theoretical background knowledge related to literary translation and TQA
Chapter 2 is the main part of the study It provides comparison and analysis between original texts and translation texts, and discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the translation
Part III is the Conclusion which summarizes the main ideas and findings of the study, draws some implications for Vietnamese - English literary translations, points out limitations of the study and makes suggestions for further research
PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Literary translation
Translation plays an important role in increasing awareness and understanding among diverse cultures and nations Literary translations in particular help these different cultures reach a compromise According to Toury (1995, cited in Elkjổr, 2010), a literary translation is a translation of a text deemed literary in the source culture, which conforms - translates - to the requirements of a literary text in the target culture Therefore, in order for a translation to be a literary translation the result of the translation must be acknowledged as literature in the target situation and culture, thus bearing the target literature requirements upon it
Having the same viewpoint, Schulte (2010) claims that “Literary translation bridges the delicate emotional connections between cultures and languages and furthers the understanding of human beings across national borders In the act of literary translation the soul of another culture becomes transparent, and the translator recreates the refined sensibilities of foreign countries and their people through the linguistic, musical, rhythmic, and visual possibilities of the new language.”
According to Reiss (1976/ 1989, cited in Huang, 2011) literary text - as an
“expressive” text type - has a set of typical features It is in a written form, fictional, and canonical, and has an aesthetic function, focusing on the expression of emotions, with poetic language, implicit meanings, and deviations
In literary translation, the translators need to take the typical features of the source literary text as well as the influential elements from the target perspective into account, for example, the linguistic and cultural differences and the target readers In his studies, Huang (2011) discusses five points regarding the uniqueness of literary translations Firstly, literary texts are characterized by rhetorical and aesthetic value, which is the essence expected to be captured and maintained in a literary translation Secondly, in literary translation the form interlinks with the content whereas in non-literary translation the content may be considered detachable from the form or structure The third point is that literary translator‟s choices of wording are highly dependent on the TL and culture In addition, a consideration of the target audiences is another important issue in literary translation Lastly, literary translation is a complicated act, and to this effect, there is no definite correct translation yet there is a proper or an appropriate translation according to certain criteria or from a certain perspective
Similarly, Belhaag (1997, cited in Hassan, 2011) summarizes the characteristics of literary translations:
- focusing on both form and content
- using special devices to “heighten” communicative effect
- tendency to deviate from the language norms
1.1.3 Methods used in literary translation
According to Nida (1964) there are two distinguished types of translation: a formal equivalence translation in which the form and content of the original message is to be preserved, and a dynamic equivalence translation which focuses on creating an equivalent effect in the TL text
Another opinion is expressed by Larson (1984) who classifies translation methods based on the form and meaning of the text Accordingly, there are two translation trends: one is form-based and the other is meaning-based Form-based translations attempt to follow the form of the SL and are known as literal translation Meaning-based translations or idiomatic translations make every effort to communicate the meaning of the SL text in the natural forms of the receptor language Translation falls on a continuum from very literal, to literal, to modified literal, to near idiomatic, to idiomatic, and may even move on to be unduly free
Having the same idea, Newmark (1988) proposes eight translation methods which are divided into two main categories: semantic translation and communicative translation He puts the translation methods in the form of a flattened V diagram:
It seems that Nida‟s formal equivalence translation, Larson‟s literal translation, and Newmark‟s semantic translation focus on the form of the text
However, they ignore context Similarly, Nida‟s dynamic equivalence translation, Larson‟s idiomatic translation and Newmark‟s communicative translation seek one goal, that is, conveying the message of the original text to the receptor audience and are equivalent to the original text in a dynamic way Therefore, it is advisable that translators bear these methods in mind when translating literary text
The first problem is that of equivalence Jakobson (1966, cited in Boushaba,
1988) considers that equivalence cannot be defined in terms of sameness and synonymy in translation theory No translation can be a complete version of the original, for translation is no more than “a creative transposition” Languages are very complex systems determined by various factors, some of which are related to the structure of these languages and others are extralinguistic such as the social and cultural contexts Since no two languages share similar structure or have identical social and cultural association, equivalence, in the sense of sameness, is thus an impossible achievement in translation Therefore, equivalence in translation should be viewed as being an approximate rendering of a text from a SL to a TL In other words, it is the relationship between a ST and a TT that allows the TT to be considered as a translation of the ST A translator should search for equivalents that produce the same effects in the translated text as those that the author was seeking for readers of the original text This forces the translator to consider the text, always from the perspective of literary translation, as the base of an ongoing “negotiation” with the author so that the language of the new text presents equivalent values to those of the original language, without forgetting its strength, dynamic elements, or aesthetic quality It is generally accepted that meanings are not translated, but messages, which is the reason that the text must be considered in is totality
The problems of literary translation also include differences between cultures Equal importance should be stressed on both linguistic and cultural differences between the SL and the TL According to Nida (1964), “differences between cultures may cause more severe complications for the translator than do differences in language structure” Therefore, when translating, it is important to consider not only the lexical impact on the target reader, but also the manner in which cultural aspects may be perceived and make translating decisions accordingly Language and culture are closely related and one is indispensable to the other There are generally problems in the translation of cultural words in a literary text unless there is a cultural overlap between the SL and the TL It is not enough for a translator to know what words are used in the TL; he must also make the reader understand the sense as it is understood by the reader of the original For instance, in a text where there is a cultural focus, there can be translation problems due to the cultural gap between the SL and the TL
When working with literature, a translator might have problems related to the analysis of the ST, which is made in order to establish the purpose and before a translation Literary texts can be full of contradictory meanings and ambiguity, thereby not having a single unequivocal meaning Works of literature can be understood in many ways, depending on the reader‟s own situation at the time of reading them and their own thought It is difficult, though, to know exactly what meaning or purpose the author intended the reader to conclude from the work Thus, it is impossible as a reader or translator to know what the author really meant when writing the text; what his real intentions were When a text can contain many different meanings, it must be difficult for translator to fully understand the layers of the text, and to be able to translate all of the layers as they were intended by the author Therefore, the translator must first read the entire book of a novelist or the complete poem he wants to translate Once he has attained a profound knowledge and understanding of the author's original text he may start translating But this task requires much time, dedication and revision After the translated text has been finished, it must be read several or even many times, and each reading will mean new revision, new editing of the whole work to polish the language and to get the expression closer to the author's thoughts This makes machine translation virtually impossible to be applied to literary translations These must be made by an experienced translator with feeling and penetration into the work he has approached
1.2 Translation quality assessment 1.2.1 Definition of translation quality assessment
There is no exact definition of TQA In his book A Textbook of Translation
(1988), Newmark defines it as translation criticism According to him, “translation criticism is an essential link between translation theory and its practice” TQA includes evaluating sources (their usefulness and authenticity), evaluating authors and their translators (their aesthetic, their influences and how this informs their work), evaluating STs and evaluating TTs
TQA can be quantitative or qualitative: it can be based on mathematical/statistical measurement (as in the case of most academic instruments) or on readers‟ responses, interviews and questionnaires TQA can be diagnostic
(determining areas for improvement at the beginning of a course of study), formative (measuring progress and giving feedback during a course of study) or summative (measuring the results of learning)
1.2.2 Role of translation quality assessment
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literary translation
Translation plays an important role in increasing awareness and understanding among diverse cultures and nations Literary translations in particular help these different cultures reach a compromise According to Toury (1995, cited in Elkjổr, 2010), a literary translation is a translation of a text deemed literary in the source culture, which conforms - translates - to the requirements of a literary text in the target culture Therefore, in order for a translation to be a literary translation the result of the translation must be acknowledged as literature in the target situation and culture, thus bearing the target literature requirements upon it
Having the same viewpoint, Schulte (2010) claims that “Literary translation bridges the delicate emotional connections between cultures and languages and furthers the understanding of human beings across national borders In the act of literary translation the soul of another culture becomes transparent, and the translator recreates the refined sensibilities of foreign countries and their people through the linguistic, musical, rhythmic, and visual possibilities of the new language.”
According to Reiss (1976/ 1989, cited in Huang, 2011) literary text - as an
“expressive” text type - has a set of typical features It is in a written form, fictional, and canonical, and has an aesthetic function, focusing on the expression of emotions, with poetic language, implicit meanings, and deviations
In literary translation, the translators need to take the typical features of the source literary text as well as the influential elements from the target perspective into account, for example, the linguistic and cultural differences and the target readers In his studies, Huang (2011) discusses five points regarding the uniqueness of literary translations Firstly, literary texts are characterized by rhetorical and aesthetic value, which is the essence expected to be captured and maintained in a literary translation Secondly, in literary translation the form interlinks with the content whereas in non-literary translation the content may be considered detachable from the form or structure The third point is that literary translator‟s choices of wording are highly dependent on the TL and culture In addition, a consideration of the target audiences is another important issue in literary translation Lastly, literary translation is a complicated act, and to this effect, there is no definite correct translation yet there is a proper or an appropriate translation according to certain criteria or from a certain perspective
Similarly, Belhaag (1997, cited in Hassan, 2011) summarizes the characteristics of literary translations:
- focusing on both form and content
- using special devices to “heighten” communicative effect
- tendency to deviate from the language norms
1.1.3 Methods used in literary translation
According to Nida (1964) there are two distinguished types of translation: a formal equivalence translation in which the form and content of the original message is to be preserved, and a dynamic equivalence translation which focuses on creating an equivalent effect in the TL text
Another opinion is expressed by Larson (1984) who classifies translation methods based on the form and meaning of the text Accordingly, there are two translation trends: one is form-based and the other is meaning-based Form-based translations attempt to follow the form of the SL and are known as literal translation Meaning-based translations or idiomatic translations make every effort to communicate the meaning of the SL text in the natural forms of the receptor language Translation falls on a continuum from very literal, to literal, to modified literal, to near idiomatic, to idiomatic, and may even move on to be unduly free
Having the same idea, Newmark (1988) proposes eight translation methods which are divided into two main categories: semantic translation and communicative translation He puts the translation methods in the form of a flattened V diagram:
It seems that Nida‟s formal equivalence translation, Larson‟s literal translation, and Newmark‟s semantic translation focus on the form of the text
However, they ignore context Similarly, Nida‟s dynamic equivalence translation, Larson‟s idiomatic translation and Newmark‟s communicative translation seek one goal, that is, conveying the message of the original text to the receptor audience and are equivalent to the original text in a dynamic way Therefore, it is advisable that translators bear these methods in mind when translating literary text
The first problem is that of equivalence Jakobson (1966, cited in Boushaba,
1988) considers that equivalence cannot be defined in terms of sameness and synonymy in translation theory No translation can be a complete version of the original, for translation is no more than “a creative transposition” Languages are very complex systems determined by various factors, some of which are related to the structure of these languages and others are extralinguistic such as the social and cultural contexts Since no two languages share similar structure or have identical social and cultural association, equivalence, in the sense of sameness, is thus an impossible achievement in translation Therefore, equivalence in translation should be viewed as being an approximate rendering of a text from a SL to a TL In other words, it is the relationship between a ST and a TT that allows the TT to be considered as a translation of the ST A translator should search for equivalents that produce the same effects in the translated text as those that the author was seeking for readers of the original text This forces the translator to consider the text, always from the perspective of literary translation, as the base of an ongoing “negotiation” with the author so that the language of the new text presents equivalent values to those of the original language, without forgetting its strength, dynamic elements, or aesthetic quality It is generally accepted that meanings are not translated, but messages, which is the reason that the text must be considered in is totality
The problems of literary translation also include differences between cultures Equal importance should be stressed on both linguistic and cultural differences between the SL and the TL According to Nida (1964), “differences between cultures may cause more severe complications for the translator than do differences in language structure” Therefore, when translating, it is important to consider not only the lexical impact on the target reader, but also the manner in which cultural aspects may be perceived and make translating decisions accordingly Language and culture are closely related and one is indispensable to the other There are generally problems in the translation of cultural words in a literary text unless there is a cultural overlap between the SL and the TL It is not enough for a translator to know what words are used in the TL; he must also make the reader understand the sense as it is understood by the reader of the original For instance, in a text where there is a cultural focus, there can be translation problems due to the cultural gap between the SL and the TL
When working with literature, a translator might have problems related to the analysis of the ST, which is made in order to establish the purpose and before a translation Literary texts can be full of contradictory meanings and ambiguity, thereby not having a single unequivocal meaning Works of literature can be understood in many ways, depending on the reader‟s own situation at the time of reading them and their own thought It is difficult, though, to know exactly what meaning or purpose the author intended the reader to conclude from the work Thus, it is impossible as a reader or translator to know what the author really meant when writing the text; what his real intentions were When a text can contain many different meanings, it must be difficult for translator to fully understand the layers of the text, and to be able to translate all of the layers as they were intended by the author Therefore, the translator must first read the entire book of a novelist or the complete poem he wants to translate Once he has attained a profound knowledge and understanding of the author's original text he may start translating But this task requires much time, dedication and revision After the translated text has been finished, it must be read several or even many times, and each reading will mean new revision, new editing of the whole work to polish the language and to get the expression closer to the author's thoughts This makes machine translation virtually impossible to be applied to literary translations These must be made by an experienced translator with feeling and penetration into the work he has approached.
Translation quality assessment
There is no exact definition of TQA In his book A Textbook of Translation
(1988), Newmark defines it as translation criticism According to him, “translation criticism is an essential link between translation theory and its practice” TQA includes evaluating sources (their usefulness and authenticity), evaluating authors and their translators (their aesthetic, their influences and how this informs their work), evaluating STs and evaluating TTs
TQA can be quantitative or qualitative: it can be based on mathematical/statistical measurement (as in the case of most academic instruments) or on readers‟ responses, interviews and questionnaires TQA can be diagnostic
(determining areas for improvement at the beginning of a course of study), formative (measuring progress and giving feedback during a course of study) or summative (measuring the results of learning)
1.2.2 Role of translation quality assessment
Newmark (1988) regards translation criticism or TQA as “the keystone of any course in comparative literature, or literature in translation, and a component of any professional translation course with the appropriate text-types as an exercise for criticism and discussion” He explains the essential role of TQA due to three reasons Firstly, translators can improve their translating competence and gain more experiences Secondly, translators can expand their knowledge and understanding of their mother tongues, the foreign language, and the topics mentioned in the translation Lastly, TQA creates a good chance for translators to revise and check their comprehension of translation theories
1.2.3 Models for translation quality assessment
The answer to the question whether one translation is considered “good” or
“bad” still remains controversial The criteria are different depending on the purpose of the assessment and on the theoretical framework which is applied to assess translation quality In her book A Model for Translation Quality Assessment , House (1986) classifies the studies on TQA into four main categories: pre-linguistic studies, response-based psycholinguistic studies, source text-based studies, and studies based on pragmatic theories of language use
The first group which consists of professional translators, poets, writers, philologists, philosophers emphasizes the faithfulness to the ST and the preservation of the spirit of the SL This approach seems impractical and vague because it represents a narrow and selective view of translation: the process of comprehension and interpretation on the part of the translator When the translators concentrate on their individual process of comprehension, the original text, the translation process, the relation between original and translation, the expectations of the target readers are not given the attention they deserve
Supporters of the second group consider a good translation which accomplishes the purpose of the ST but in TL One of the most outstanding representatives of this approach is Nida (1964 in House, 1986), who propounded the principle of Dynamic Equivalence of a Translation, that is, the response of TT receptors should be similar to that of ST audience Yet, the question is whether this criterion can be tested or else, “it seems fruitless to postulate the requirement”
(House, 1986), and the appeal to equivalence of response is really of no more value than the criterion of “capturing the spirit of the original” (House, 1986) Moreover, this approach is criticized for not realizing the raison d‟être of any translation which undeniably lies in the existence of an original text, and the need to present that text in other words Like the first group, this second group seems to ignore the relationship between original and translated text, and does not care whether a translation is in fact a translation and not a version, an adaptation or another secondary textual product derived from an original text
Researchers of the third group use the ST as the basis to evaluate any translation text The ST, its linguistic and textual structure and its meaning potential at various levels (including the level of context of situation in a systematic framework), is seen as the most important constitutive factor in translation (House,
1986) Reiss (1971 in House, 1986) suggests that “the most important invariant in translation is the text type to which the source text belongs, as it determines all subsequent choices a translator has to make” A consistent model including criteria for the comprehensive description and explanation of the ST and for the evaluation of the TT should be built to overcome shortcomings of previous studies on TQA
The suggested models are potentially useful, however, lack of concrete ideas to be effective applied
The last group of studies represented by House (1986) proposes a model of TQA based pragmatic theories of language use The model is built to overcome the inadequacies of previous models It is a functional- pragmatic model which is related to semantic aspect, pragmatic aspect and textual aspect Evaluating the translation quality includes three states: (1) Analyzing the ST to establish a textual profile based on three dimensions of language users, namely, Geographical origin, Social class, Time, and five dimensions of language use such as Medium, Participation, Social role relationship, Social attitude, Province; (2) The translation text is then analyzed using the same dimensions, and its textual profile is determined; (3) The comparison of the two textual profiles reveals the degree to which the translation text matches the ST being therefore adequate in quality
However, this model requires translation critics to reach a certain level of both linguistic knowledge and professional skills to apply, which makes it hardly be widely used
In his book, Newmark (1988) also suggests another translation assessment method called a comprehensive criticism of a translation This method consists of five steps: (1) a brief analysis of the SL text stressing its intention and its functional aspects; (2) the translator‟s interpretation of the SL text‟s purpose, his translation method and the translation‟s likely readership; (3) a selective but representative detailed comparison of the translation with the original; (4) an evaluation of the translation in the translator‟s terms and in the critic‟s terms; (5) an assessment of the likely place of the translation in the TL culture or discipline Although Newmark‟s method has some weaknesses regarding theoretical grounds in comparison with House‟s model, it might be applied more widely
In short, the first two approaches contain certain limitations The third one sounds plausible, yet lacks concrete criteria to be applied Regarding House‟s model, although it presents specific and adequate criteria with eight situational dimensions, it requires a reviewer or a critic to have a good command of linguistic knowledge and translation theories Newmark‟s method is a combination of different models, from Nida‟s, Wilss‟s, Reiss‟s to House‟s Despite some weaknesses in theoretical grounds, it has some advantages concerning its applicability First, this 5-step model is easy to be implemented Second, it regards translating as a communicative process, not just focuses on text form
From the researcher‟s point of view, Newmark‟s method is employed in this study because of two reasons The first reason is that it can be applied without any difficulty Newmark‟s method includes 5 steps, and in each step he describes what to do in detail Besides this method comes from the translator‟s real experiences, so it discusses issues raised in translating process The second reason is that it is appropriate for the goal of the study which investigates the quality of the translated version, the strengths and weaknesses of the translation in terms of linguistic and translational aspect in particular The researcher assesses the translation from the perspective of a practitioner, not of a critic, so she takes much interest in translation practice rather than translation theory
However, the researcher does not apply Newmark‟s method completely, only the first three out of five steps The researcher does not aim to give any comments on the quality or the translation‟s future She just wants to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the translation by contrastive analysis
CHAPTER 2: TRANSLATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE
Source text and the author
Beloved Oxford is a best-seller romance novel written by author Duong
Thuy It was originally published by Youth Publishing House in 2007 It has been enjoyed by both the young Vietnamese readers for whom it was intended, and their parents The novel is far more than a simple love story It is a motivational work which demonstrates to the Vietnamese youth that they can achieve their dreams as they strive for a better life in their rapidly growing economic society The story is about the trials, successes and romances of a young Vietnamese girl, Thien Kim, who travels to English to study at Oxford University Here she fulfils her dreams and falls in love with a Portuguese teaching assistant, Fernando
In the first three chapters namely The Surprising School Admission, The Challenger, The Lonely Winter respectively, the author describes the new life of
Thien Kim in Oxford She faces a lot of trouble as she has to adapt herself to a new environment including eating diet, harsh weather, and reserved native people
Fernando always helps her to overcome these difficulties by giving her useful advice and supporting her With the enormous help of Fernando, Kim soon gets used to the living style and study style in England When it is near Christmas time, the school has a break Fernando comes back to his family in Portugal while Kim visits her aunt‟s family in France Although Kim‟s aunt wants her to stay for Christmas, she insists on returning to England Kim unfortunately catches a cold, but she does not dare go to the doctor‟s because of the expensive cost Kim then feels the lonely winter and wishes Fernando would be by her side When Fernando finally returns from Portugal, he takes Kim to the doctor‟s and they enjoy the happy time together
The author Duong Thuy is currently one of the popular young writers in Vietnam She started writing short stories when she was 16 years old Since then, writing has been her hobby and also her need to express herself She has never been a full time writer, but she always tries to write professionally Thanks to her abroad trips and her occasion to discover other cultures and people, Duong Thuy has gained lots of personal and professional experience Through her stories, she would like to share with readers that Vietnamese people are very intelligent and competent, but they just lack opportunities and have a national inferiority complex, which will restrain them from improving She also wants to promote the traditional culture of Vietnam that western people appreciate while Vietnamese sometimes forget it along their striving way to a more modern life.
Translation and the translator
The novel was translated into English by Elbert Bloom and was published by Youth Publishing House in the late 2011 The books have completely sold out and have been reprinted twice with the total copies of 2,500 so far (up to March, 2012) 2
Beloved Oxford receives good comments from not only Vietnamese readers but foreign ones as well
The non-professional translator, Elbert Bloom, finds this novel so charming that it deserves to be made available for English speaking people all around the world Thus, he decided to translate this novel into English He translated each chapter with the aid of a dictionary, sent the translated versions to Duong Thuy for review, and edited his work according to her comments It was edited over and over by himself before coming out.
Translation quality assessment of the English version of Beloved Oxford
The considerable strength of the translation is the translator‟s appropriate word choices in comparison with the original This helps the translation become clearer and more explicit in meaning than the ST The examples are put into two groups
1 Gió thổi những cơn gió rét quất vào mặt Kim thật thô bạo (p.14)
Some cold wind blew really brazenly, whipping across Kim‟s face (p.15)
Sau buổi học đầu tiên với người thầy dễ mến dù không có khả năng tự đi trên đôi chân của mình, Kim thất vọng nhận thấy
After her first class with this easily likable teacher, even though he didn‟t have the ability to walk on his legs,
Kim was disappointed to notice that [ ] (p.16)
Cả đám bệnh hoạn phải thay phiên nấu súp rồi cùng động viên nhau ăn (p.47)
The entire sick crowd had to take their turns cooking soup, then joining together to eat (p.53)
Ai cũng “thủ”, tự tôn, tự ti rộn cả lên (p.19)
There were all types such as princes and peasants (p.22)
Table 1: Examples of the strengths of the translation
Group 1 consists of examples that are unnatural in the SL In any language, repeatedly using the same words or phrase is considered unnatural In this case, the author overuses the word “gió” in one sentence, which makes the sentence prolix The translator overcomes this drawback when he translates the sentence into
“Some cold wind blew really brazenly, whipping across Kim‟s face”
Group 2 includes examples that are ambiguous in the ST
In the first two examples, the sentence in the SL has two meaning One is literal, while the other carries negative connotation In the example “không có khả năng tự đi trên đôi chân của mình”, it can be understood in two ways The first meaning is literal, that is, Professor Baddley does not have the ability to go on his foot The second meaning has figurative sense, that is, he cannot live by himself and has to depend on others The author wants to mention the literal meaning only
Thus, the translation is better with “he didn‟t have the ability to walk on his legs”
The same situation happens in the example “Cả đám bệnh hoạn phải thay phiên nấu súp rồi cùng động viên nhau ăn.” The word “bệnh hoạn” originally means “sick”, but nowadays it is usually understood as “eccentric” or “odd” by Vietnamese people What the author means is that everyone in the dormitory gets sick because of the chilly weather, so the translated version “The entire sick crowd” is clearer and unambiguous compared to the original
The third example contains words that have many meanings, making it hard for readers to grasp the idea
In Tu dien Tieng Viet (Vietnamese Dictionary, 2011), “thủ” as a verb has four meanings Only the fourth meaning is appropriate with the context
1 đảm nhiệm một vai trò cụ thể nào đó trong một công việc có nhiều người tham gia Thủ vai chính trong vở chèo
2 giấu sẵn trong mình hoặc chuẩn bị sẵn để phòng khi phải đối phó thì dùng đến
Thủ tài liệu vào phòng thi
3 Lấy cắp Bị thủ mất cái đồng hồ
4 chống đỡ để tự bảo vệ mình trước sự tiến công của đối phương Một võ sĩ có khả năng công, thủ toàn diện
The word “rộn” is a verb which has two meanings, the first of which suits the context
1 nổi lên liên tiếp, sôi nổi Trong nhà rộn lên tiếng nói cười
2 ở trạng thái có những cảm xúc tốt đẹp dâng lên mạnh mẽ Rộn lên bao cảm xúc
Putting these words together in one sentence “Ai cũng “thủ”, tự tôn, tự ti rộn cả lên.” makes it rather difficult to be understood However, based on the context, we can infer that the guys in the dormitory are all defensive although they have a superiority complex or an inferiority complex In the translation, the translator uses the word metaphorically, “princes” for those who have superiority complex,
“peasants” for those who have an inferiority complex, which makes the sentence simple, relevant to what has been mentioned before and easy for readers to grasp its meaning
Weaknesses of the translation can be found in both linguistic and translational aspect
Linguistic aspect involves plural noun forms
ST (p.28): Anh “kè” Kim chạy vòng vòng tập thể dục
Translation (p.31): He made Kim run around in circles practicing physical exercises
Suggestion: He made Kim run around in circles practicing physical exercise
In the example, the translator misuses the plural form of the noun “exercise”
According to OALD, the word “exercise” which means physical or mental activity that you do to stay healthy or become stronger is uncountable Therefore, it should be “exercise” instead of “exercises”
Translational aspect includes omission, addition, equivalence, accuracy and naturalness a Omission
Omission in translation is understood as no translation of a certain piece of information in the ST and the information does not include in the TT In these following examples, the translator omits crucial information that helps readers to fully comprehend the text
1 Môn này cô học ở một cơ sở hiện đại nằm gần ga, không nằm trong trung tâm thành phố cổ kính (p.11)
She learnt this subject on a modern campus near the station, outside the ancient city centre
2 Thì ra ông tự lái xe đi dạy (p.14)
It turned out that he drove to school by himself (p.16)
3 Em không thấy tụi sinh viên nữ bám theo tôi sao? Em đâu tới lượt!
Don‟t you see that I‟m chased by many girls? You don‟t
Table 2: Examples of word omission
The sentence in the first example describes one of the campuses where Kim learns one subject, so the translator should not have omitted it The second example lets readers know more about Professor Baddley He has been confined to a wheelchair, he drives to school by himself every day, though In the third example, Fernando wants to emphasize his attractiveness Many girls chase after him whereas Kim always shows her annoyance whenever meeting him
ST: Tụi nhỏ dễ bị bắt cóc, bạo hành, làm nhục (p.46) Translation: The young ones are easily kidnapped (p.51) Suggestion: The young ones are easily kidnapped, bullied and harassed
To Kim‟s knowledge, the environment in Western countries in general and in France in particular is the ideal one for children to live and study, but it is not true
In fact, children are not only kidnapped, but also bullied and harassed b Addition
Addition in translation is understood as an extra piece of information added to the TT that is not in the ST Addition makes what is implicit in the ST explicit in the TT However, if the additional information in the TT is redundant and not useful to readers to understand the text, it then becomes unnecessary For example:
1 Vì cớ gì Fernando lại muốn hết For what reason did Fernando come lòng vì cô đến thế? (p.41) with all his heart, because she was alone? (p.45)
2 Tôi mà “khôn” thì anh chết với tôi lâu rồi! (p.50)
Yes, I am unwise If I was wise, you would have certainly died from me a long time ago (p.56)
In the first example, the translator adds a clause to the translated version
Kim wonders why Fernando treats her so well, she cannot figure out the reasons for his behavior By adding “because she was alone?” the translator shows his own opinion, which may influence readers‟ thoughts
In the second example, a sentence is added by the translator We use second conditional to talk about situations or actions in the present or future which are not likely to happen or are imaginary, hypothetical or impossible Thus, the sentence
“Yes, I am unwise” is unnecessary because readers can infer from the sentence “If I was wise, you would have certainly died from me a long time ago” that Kim is unwise c Equivalence
It is common knowledge that equivalence is a key issue in translation theory
There are many ways of classifying according to different views of equivalence, for instance, Nida‟s formal and dynamic equivalence (1964), Widdowson‟s structural, semantic, and pragmatic equivalence (1979), Newmark‟s semantic and communicative equivalence (1988) Another classification of equivalence is Baker‟s
(1992) which is viewed from different perspectives, syntactically and pragmatically
In this thesis, Baker‟s classification is chosen to form the foundation for analyzing weaknesses in equivalence c.1 Equivalence at word level
The equivalents are divided into three groups based on their part of speech in the sentence The translator makes mistakes because he translated the text word for word
(a) lịch học (p.5) study calendar (p.8) schedule
(b) tiền photo (p.6) the book of photographs (p.8) photocopies cost
(c) dầu gió (p.49) wind oil (p.55) medicated oil
(d) Ở phòng khám, Fernando khai mình là
“người đỡ đầu” của Kim (p.52)
At the infirmary, Fernando declared that he was Kim‟s tutor
“ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt” cho cho Fernando “lên lớp”
(p.36) allow Fernando to raise his level of teaching (p.36) allow Fernando to preach
(b) Do tối thường trằn trọc nhớ nhà [ ] cô không ngủ thẳng giấc
At night she often tossed about sleeplessly, remembering her home (p.36) suffering from homesick
(c) Thúy Hà đã chính thức cặp bồ với Jean
Thuy Ha primarily stayed up together with had an affair with
(a) Tụi Ý ăn mặc diêm dúa (p.12)
There were smartly dressed Italians (p.14)
There were fussily dressed Italians
(b) ngáo ộp như một chàng Ivan nông dân (p.19) stupid ones like farmer
Ivan (p.22) ugly ones like farmer
(c) Có người vô tư hô khẩu hiệu (p.20)
There were unbiased people that cried out the slogan (p.22)
There were people ignorantly crying out the slogan
(d) Fernando là một thanh niên “được” lắm đó (p.22)
Fernando is a very young man (p.25)
Fernando is a very good man
Table 4: Inappropriate equivalence at word level Group 1 consists of noun equivalents
“Lịch học” in the ST is a compound word which means “timetable”; however, the translator splits it into two single words “lịch” (“calendar”) and “học”
(“study”) This changes the meaning of the original word In this case, “schedule” is a right choice
(b) tiền photo – book of photographs
In this example, the translator confuses the word “photo” in the original with the short form of the word “photograph” which means a picture taken by a camera
In fact, the word “photo” in the ST is a loanword from the English word
“photocopy” which means a copy of a document Therefore, “tiền photo” indicates
Like the case of the word “lịch học”, the translator divides the compound word “dầu gió” into two single words “dầu” (“oil”) and “gió” (“wind”) “Dầu gió” is a type of medicines used on the skin to provide fast and effective relief for external injuries such as muscle pain, joint ache, backache, bruises, so “medicated oil” is a appropriate equivalent
(d) người đỡ đầu – tutor According to OALD, “tutor” has five meanings:
1 a private teacher, especially one who teaches an individual student or a very small group
2 a teacher whose job is to pay special attention to the studies or health, etc of a student or a group of students
3 a teacher, especially one who teaches adults or who has a special role in a school or college
4 an assistant lecturer in a college
5 a book of instruction in a particular subject, especially music
CONCLUSION
Recapitulation
Among many translation fields, literary translation is supposed to be the most challenging but interesting Thanks to translation, many foreign works of literature have been introduced to Vietnamese readers, and vice versa However, little attention is paid to the quality of literary translation This thesis attempts to investigate the quality of Vietnamese-English literary translation, strengths and weakness of the translated version in detail
The study starts with an overview of key concepts in literary translation and TQA Then, in the main part, the analysis and comparison between the ST and TT is presented to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the translated version Based on the results, the researcher can explore some implications about the challenges of Vietnamese-English literary translation.
Implications
Based on the findings of the study, it can be inferred some implications relating to the challenges of Vietnamese – English literary translation The first challenge comes from the ambiguity of the ST, which makes the translator difficult to grasp the meaning and the author‟s messages In the case of this novel, the author writes diffuse and obscure sentences such as “Gió thổi những cơn gió rét quất vào mặt Kim thật thô bạo.” or “Ai cũng “thủ”, tự tôn, tự ti rộn cả lên.”
Besides, the author uses too many quotation marks, some of which cause confusion for the translator, for example, “bệnh hoạn”, “nâng cao đùi”, “chết người” The translator encounters many difficulties in figuring out if the words or phrases put in the quotation marks are used in a normal way or an unusual way Another challenge lies in the translator‟s SL competence He does not have a good command of Vietnamese in terms of linguistics and culture, so he cannot understand fully what the author‟s intentional message behind the texts Moreover, the translator translates the novel mainly with the help of a dictionary and he uses word-for-word translation method The words are translated singly by their most common meanings and out of context Therefore, the TL text‟s meanings mismatch those of the original.
Limitations and suggestion for further research
Due to the limited time and the researcher‟s limited knowledge about linguistics and translation studies, certain limitations are unavoidable The researcher cannot help making mistakes in the course of analysis In addition, there are many issues not yet discussed in this thesis, for example, the solutions for Vietnamese-English literary translation Moreover, the study is conducted on three out of sixteen chapters, which may constrain generalizations of the results with regard to other chapters
Other researchers can carry out studies on the following issues:
- The quality assessment of Vietnamese-English literary translations in general
- The challenges and solutions for Vietnamese-English literary translations
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APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: Inappropriateness in equivalence at word level
No Source text Translation Suggestion
1 lịch học (p.5) study calendar (p.8) schedule
2 tiền photo (p.6) the book of photographs (p.8) photocopies cost
3 Tụi Ý ăn mặc diêm dúa (p.12)
There were smartly dressed Italians (p.14)
There were fussily dressed Italians
4 cô chột dạ nhớ lại
(p.16) she suddenly remembered (p.18) she was startled to remember
5 ngáo ộp như một chàng
Ivan nông dân (p.19) stupid ones like farmer
Ivan (p.22) ugly ones like farmer
6 Có người vô tư hô khẩu hiệu (p.20)
There were unbiased people that cried out the slogan (p.22)
There were people ignorantly crying out the slogan
7 Fernando là một thanh niên “được” lắm đó
Fernando is a very young man (p.25)
Fernando is a very good/ cool man
8 Kim còn nghe rõ ràng cái giọng cao vút điêu ngoa của Thúy Hà
Kim could clearly hear Thuy Ha‟s loud voice swishing falsely (p.29) slanderous
9 Những lúc phải “ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt” cho cho Fernando “lên allow Fernando to raise his level of teaching
(p.36) allow Fernando to preach lớp” (p.36)
10 giọng “đĩ thõa” (p.37) virtuous voice (p.41) promiscuous
11 Do tối thường trằn trọc nhớ nhà [ ] cô không ngủ thẳng giấc (p.38)
At night she often tossed about sleeplessly, remembering her home (p.36) missing
12 ông già tuyết (p.44) the old man in the snow (p.49) a snowman
13 Thúy Hà đã chính thức cặp bồ với Jean Louis
Thuy Ha primarily stayed up together with a friend, Jean Louis had an affair with Jean
14 dầu gió (p.49) wind oil (p.55) medicated oil
“người đỡ đầu” của Kim (p.52)
At the infirmary, Fernando declared that he was Kim‟s tutor
APPENDIX 2: Inappropriateness in equivalence above word
No Source text Translation Suggestion
1 cuốn giáo trình đã được photo sẵn (p.5) the thick textbook of photographs (p.8) the thick photocopied textbook
2 ông ta phán cho một câu xanh rờn (p.7) he said something terrible that frightened her a lot (p.9) he simply said something shocking to Kim
3 Kim ngơ ngẩn không buồn trả lời (p.7)
Kim did not reply with some silly morose answer (p.10)
Kim was so lost in her thought that she did not reply
4 nơi được biết bao người trẻ ao ước (p.12) an area where there were many eager young people (p.13) an area which many young people dreamt of
5 vài đứa sinh viên Anh [ ] đang ngáp to như trực thăng kêu (p.12) a few English students [ ] with gaping yawns as though they were going to take off vertically (p.14) yawning noisily as a helicopter roars
6 có vài người đứng chờ, miệng nhai nhóp nhép chút gì đó (p.13) there were only a few people waiting, chewing their mouths making a bit of a munching noise (p.15) chewing something
7 Cô cười, làm bộ trêu nhưng thực lòng thấy she smiled, teasing him, but frankly she
She smiled, pretended to tease him but she tự hào được anh chia sẻ (p.15) saw his pride and shared (p.17) actually felt proud to be shared by him
8 Học ở Oxford dù có cố gắng “lấy cần cù bù thông minh” [ ], Kim cũng chỉ là người đến từ một nước có nền giáo dục không được phát triển (p.15)
Studying in Oxford we must try to obtain hard earned compensation intelligently [ ] Kim
[ ] was also the only student that came from a country that had an undeveloped educational system
Hard work can make up a lack of intelligence
9 Giờ đây sang Oxford, thấy khoảng cách giữa
“người ta” và “mình” xa vời vợi, như thể người Sài Gòn tự nhận văn minh nhìn vào một cô nàng nào đó từ núi rừng mọi rợ bước ra đòi hội nhập (p.16)
Now at Oxford she realized that the distance between the others and herself was extremely great as in Saigon The civilized ones saw her as a mountain barbarian stepping out and demanding to join their team (p.18)
Now at Oxford she realized that the distance between the others and herself was extremely great just as the civilized
Saigonese saw her as a mountain barbarian stepping out and demanding to join their team
10 Thời gian đầu có vẻ hút nhau (p.17)
They were attracted to each other the first time (p.19)
They were attracted to each other at first
11 Kim đã thử khuyên Lệc Chi nhưng cô bé khó
Kim tried to council Le Chi, but the young lady
Every one for himself chịu ra mặt nên Kim quyết định “mạnh ai nấy sống” (p.17) raised her face so unpleasantly that she decided to let her live her own way (p.19)
12 Chị nói tiếng Anh chưa rành nhưng hay ra vẻ ta đây (p.18)
She didn‟t speak English well, but she pretended she did (p.20)
She didn‟t speak English well, but she showed off as if she did
13 Kim thường nhìn cái cách “dốt mà làm như hay chữ” của Thúy Hà
Kim often looked at Thuy Ha as ignorant yet acting as though educated (p.20) acting as a snob
14 (c) Cái vẻ lẳng lơ lộ liễu như Thị Mầu của Thúy Hà (p.19)
This flirtatious manner of Thuy Ha ignoring the willow road like Thi Mau (p.21)
This shamelessly flirtatious manner like Thi Mau of Thuy Ha
Another person was like a frog sitting at the bottom of a well (p.22) a frog in a well
16 hay thương tâm nhất là tự hủy hoại mình (p.20) they have to enter a mental institution or] are so heart-broken that they destroy themselves (p.22) it is pitiful that they destroy themselves
17 Hay là càng tự ti nên mới càng tự tôn (p.20)
Was it an inferiority complex or a superiority complex?
Is it the lower self- esteem people suffer, the more over-
18 (c) Nắng vàng trong vắt nhẹ nhàng đậu trên vai Kim (p.21)
It was a golden clear sunny day, so Kim threw something light over her shoulders
The brilliant sunshine pleasantly stayed on her shoulders
19 [Fernando là một thanh niên] “được” lắm đó
[Fernando is a very] young man
[Fernando is a very] good man
20 Sao giáo sư lại nói một câu không ăn nhập gì hết (p.23) the professor could again say one relevant sentence at all (27)
How could the professor say such an irrelevant word?
21 rút khăn tay lau cho cô một cách chăm chú (p.24) pull out a handkerchief in a studious manner for her to wipe herself (p.27) pull out a handkerchief to wipe her up attentively
22 (d) Kim quê nhất là ánh mắt thoạt ngạc nhiên rồi nhanh chóng giễu cợt “Vậy mà cũng bày đặt làm như chính chuyên lắm!” của Thúy
Kim was unwittingly surprised when Thuy
Ha and Le Chi rapidly commented, “You pretend to be virtuous, but actually you are not.‟ (p.27)
What embarrassed Kim was a surprising- to-mocking look of Thuy Ha and Le Chi saying that “You are not virtuous at all!”
23 Fernando tỉnh rụi trước sự “vùng lên” của Kim (p.27)
Fernando said, recovering before Kim arose (p.30)
24 Fernando nhắc, mặt Fernando reminded Fernando reminded đểu hết chỗ nói (p.27) her, his caddish face finished saying (p.30) her with his caddish face
25 Kim [ ] biết mình có đấm anh cũng như lấy trứng chọi đá (p.27)
She knew that if she hit him, it would be just like throwing an egg into a rock (p.30) banging your head against the brick wall
“áp giải” kiều này mới vời được cô nàng ra khỏi giường lúc đang ngủ ngon nhất (p.28)
Fernando continued to teach in this new
„prisoner‟ mode, always making Kim get out of bed after she had first slept sufficiently (p.31)
Only by using this escorting method did Fernando make her get out of bed when she was sleeping the most soundly
27 Nước lạnh làm cô tỉnh rụi, thấy tội nghiệp
“người dưng” khi không phải cực khổ vì mình (p.29)
The water was very cold, which made her wake up She felt what a pity that the other persons who used it were not at all miserable because of her (p.32)
The cold water made her fully awake, feeling sorry for the
“stranger” who became miserable because of her
28 Còn lâu em mới có được vóc dáng “chết người” này (p.29)
„dead person‟ (p.33) this attractive figure
Fernando la lối, xỉ vả, đem nhan sắc cô ra đay
Not wanting to be yelled at and scolded by Fernando, she took
Not wanting to be yelled at, scolded and gumbled over her nghiến hoài (p.34) her complexion and went out gnashing continuously (p.37) beauty again and again by Fernando
30 tiếc đứt ruột (p.34) regrettably felt deeply hurt (p.38) felt deeply regrettable
31 Thật là khắc kỷ! (p.34) I certainly have to exert self-control! (p.38)
What a stoical person!/ Such a stoic!
32 Đã biết trí nhớ không tốt thì phải ghi lại chứ!
Tôi ở không đi theo em nhắc tò tò cho em hoài sao! (p.35)
I know your memory is not good, but you must take notes! I don‟t live just for you to constantly follow on my heels to be reminded! (p.39)
Knowing your memory is not good, you have to take notes! I don‟t live just to remind you all the time!
33 Những lúc phải “ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt” cho
Several times she had to endure her friends making sweet talk in order to allow Fernando to raise his level of teaching
(p.39) to grin and bear it
34 Kim muốn trêu [ ] nhưng không muốn
“chọc vào ổ kiến lửa” nên nhịn cười (p.36)
Kim wanted to tease [ ] but she didn‟t want to „irritate him about this nest of fire ants‟, so she held back from laughing (p.40) open a can of worms
Biết rằng Fernando luôn vì mình, thế mà khá nhiều lần Kim không cưỡng lại được sự lười biếng cố hữu
Fernando, like himself, often forced her not to be chronically lazy rather many times
Fernando always did everything for her, she couldn‟t resist her chronic laziness, though
35 Anh không thèm theo dõi cô làm gì cũng biết cô có học hành đàng hoàng trong thư viện hay nằm nhà đánh một giấc đến trưa (p.38)
He did not desire to pursue what she had done, whether knowing that she had dignifiedly studied in the library or lay at home sleeping until noon (p.43)
He did not need to watch her out, but still knew whether she had studied seriously in the library or stayed home sleeping until noon
36 Cuối tuần Fernando đến, chỉ cần anh kiểm tra tiến độ bài tập, hỏi vài câu trong giáo trình là phát hiện dễ dàng Kim có “vấn đề”
At the end of the week Fernando arrived He only needed to examine her rate of progress with her exercises, asking several apparently sentences from the textbook, but Kim had problems
At the end of the week Fernando arrived
Only by checking her exercises, asking several questions in the textbook could he easily recognize that Kim had cheated or not
37 Kim cũng từng được nhiều đối tượng đeo đuổi nhưng chưa có nhân vật nào quái chiêu như vậy (p.41)
Kim also greatly disliked being with someone with such a monstrous personality
Kim had been pursued by a lot of guys, but had never met such a weird man like him cặp mắt mang hình viên đạn (p.41) a pair of eyes looking like bullets (p.46) angry-looking eyes
38 Hai người này cho xem tấu hài hoài vậy không biết! (p.42)
I don‟t know those two persons always address each other like that when they meet! (p.47)
39 Yêu nhau lắm giết nhau thôi! (p.42)
They love each other so much that they kill each other, that‟s all!
40 Tưởng rằng đến nước này thì chẳng mặt mũi nào nhìn nhau (p.42)
Kim didn‟t think that everybody would be watching each other in such a bad situation (p.47)
Kim thought that they wouldn‟t see each other any more
41 Fernando còn đòi hộ tống Kim trực tiếp đến thư viện thay vì để cô tự đi như thường lệ
Fernando offered to escort Kim immediately to the library because that‟s where he himself usually went (p.47) instead of letting her go by herself as usual
42 mời lên chiếc xe hơi đang mở rộng cửa (p.43) inviting her to get into his car as he opened the door (p.47) inviting her to get into his car whose door was widely open
43 A wise person […] hơn người dại ở chỗ biết tận dụng những cơ hội đến
A wise person […] better than the stupid person at this spot,
A wise person […] better than the stupid one knows to make với mình hơn là chỉ lo chìu lòng những cơn tự ái hão vô bổ! (p.43) knows that making the most of several opportunities to go with me is better than only having several anxious bouts of useless vain self- esteem! (p.48) the most of opportunities coming to him rather than only to satisfy his useless vain self-esteem!
44 cô nàng hận mình ngút trời mây (p.44) she hated him higher than the clouds in the sky (p.48) she hated his guts
45 Một con vật nhỏ nào đó chạy ngang hiên nhà để lại vết chân ngộ nghĩnh bị lún sâu hun hút
One small animal was running past the porch of the house leaving pretty deep footprints caved in until the trail was lost (p.49)
One small animal was running past the porch of the house leaving pretty deep footprints
46 Lũ trẻ con thấy tuyết rơi dày đến gần hai mươi centimét (p.44)
The little ones watched the snow fall until it was almost twenty centimeters deep (p.49)
The little ones realized that the snowfall was almost twenty centimeters deep
47 Lũ trẻ con [ ] rủ Kim cùng làm ông già tuyết
The little ones [ ] invited Kim to become the old man in the snow
(p.49) asked Kim to make a snowman with them
48 Mọi người hồ hởi nhìn thành quả cao gần hai
Everybody helped to build a snowman that
Everybody was eager to see the two-meter mét (p.44) grew to a height of two meters (p.49) snowman
49 Kim dù đã cố cẩn thận cũng trượt té vài lần làm lũ trẻ bật cười ra khói (p.45)
Kim, though she tried to be careful, nevertheless slipped and fell several times, which made the young ones burst out laughing and letting out steam
(p.50) burst out laughing and breath out smoke
50 Kim ngỡ ngàng nhận ra tàu đang đi qua những ngôi làng nằm dưới thung lũng (p.46)
Kim thought she could identify several villages lying down in the valley that the train was going by (p.51)
Kim surprisingly recognized that the train was passing by villages lying down in the valley
51 Sự trở về gấp gáp của Kim
The urgent return for Kim
52 cả hai nói tiếng anh ẹ như nhau nên có lẽ vì thế hút nhau ở chỗ khác (p.47) they both spoke English scarily alike as though perhaps they were attracted to each other from another place (p.53) they both spoke English badly, so probably were attracted to each other because of another reason
53 Fernando chẳng “xơ múi” được gì (p.48)
Fernando hadn‟t gained any advantage at all (p.54)
Fernando hadn‟t done it at all
54 Phải biết thân biết phận You must know your You must know chứ (p.49) weakness determines your destiny (p.55) yourself
55 Em đừng có nói thiếu tiền nghe, tiền em đầy nhóc trong tài khoản, tại em keo thì có (p.49) you don‟t talk about lacking money Your account is filled to the brim with money
Because you are stingy you have it! (p.55)
Don‟t say that you lack money! Your account is full to the brim of money It‟s because you‟re stingy!
56 Ai biết anh ở đâu mà gọi (p.49)
Who knows how to call you where you live?
Who knows where you are to call?
57 Điện thoại di động của tôi nhận được ở khắp châu Âu (p.50)
I can receive my mobile telephone number any place in Europe (p.56)
My mobile phone works all over Europe
58 Đồ tàn ác! (p.50) You are more cruel and heartless than anybody!
59 Không biết ai ác hơn ai (p.50)
I don‟t know anybody more cruel than anybody (p.56)
Who is rueler than who
60 nằm ngoẹo đầu lên ghế xe (p.51) laid her head flat on the car seat (p.57) bent her head on the car seat
61 Fernando phải vươn người qua cài dây an toàn cho Kim, miệng lảm nhảm “Sao số tôi
Fernando had to reach across to fasten Kim‟s seat belt, with her mouth driveling, and
Fernando had to reach across to fasten Kim‟s seat belt, saying something nonsense, xui quá không biết!” làm cô muốn bật dậy đập cho anh một phát
(p.51) said, “I don‟t know why I have such an unlucky fate!” making her want to rise up from her seat and give him a slap (p.57)
“How unlucky I am!” making her want to get up and give him a slap
62 Keo kiệt như em nên mới chịu đựng bệnh hoạn cả mười ngày nay, giờ em phải trả tiền khám chắc tiếc đứt ruột còn bệnh nặng thêm! (p.52)
As stingy as you are to have just endured being sick for ten days now, if you had to pay for the infirmary it would cause you to surely feel deep regrettable pain, which would make you even sicker! (p.58)
So stingy are you that you had to endure being sick for ten days now If you had to pay for the hospital fees, you would surely feel deeply regrettable, which would make you even sicker!
63 Chính anh quàng vào người tôi mấy cái thứ bốc mùi này! (p.53)
You yourself put them on me with all of those different terrible smells rising! (p.59)
You yourself put these smelly things on me!
64 Em đừng mời tụi bạn trong khu học xá nghe (p.54)
You don‟t invite your friends in the dormitory, do you hear me? (p.60)
Don‟t invite your friends in the dormitory, do you?
65 Rồi kỳ nghỉ Giáng sinh năm sau tôi hứa sẽ ở bên em! (p.54)
Then next year during the Christmas holidays
I will tell my mother to make another one for you! (p.61)
I promise to stay with you
