Difficulties encountered by dav’s third year international communication majored students in translating united nations related newspapers in translation ii and suggested solutions

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIETNAMENGLISH FACULTY

RESEARCH METHOD IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY DAV’S THIRD-YEARINTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION-MAJORED STUDENTS IN

TRANSLATING UNITED NATIONS-RELATED NEWSPAPERS INTRANSLATION II AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Course Instructor: Assoc Prof Dr Kieu Thi Thu Huong Student: Nguyen Bao Huy

Student ID: TTQT48C11371

Ha Noi, Decemeber 2023

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Assoc Prof Dr KIEU THI THU HUONGDate: December 6 , 2023th

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ACCEPTANCE PAGE

I hereby state that I, Nguyen Bao Huy from Research Applied Linguistics Course, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts accept the requirements of the Academy relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the

I hereby declare that this graduation paper is my own original work and has not been submitted before to any institution for assessment purposes Further, I have acknowledged all sources used and have cited them in the reference section.

Nguyen Bao Huy Date: December 6 , 2023th

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The tapestry of this thesis is woven with threads of support, guidance, and inspiration from many remarkable individuals Without their invaluable contributions, this journey would have been a solitary and likely unfinished endeavor Therefore, it is with the deepest gratitude that I acknowledge those who played a pivotal role in shaping this project and my own growth as a researcher.

First and foremost, I express my profound appreciation to my esteemed advisor, Assoc Prof Dr Kieu Thi Thu Huong Although I only had the opportunity to meet and work with her for a short time, I really appreciate the words she conveyed in class in the two subjects English Pronunciation in Use and Research Methods in Applied Linguistics These are two subjects that have made me more mature and more confident in the process of using English and studying languages, and are a solid foundation for this graduation thesis to be completed.

I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of my mother, M.Ed Cao Thi Thu Hang Your willingness to share your experiences, insights, and perspectives was the cornerstone of this research I am deeply grateful for your trust and generosity in allowing me to delve into your lives and learn from your stories Your voices resonated through this thesis, adding depth and authenticity to my analysis.

Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my sister, my unwavering anchors in this storm of emotions and deadlines Your unconditional love, unwavering support, and endless patience were the wind beneath my wings You believed in me even when I faltered, celebrated my triumphs with gusto, and provided a safe harbor when I needed to breathe Thank you for being my source of strength, my sounding board, and my biggest cheerleaders throughout this incredible journey.

As I stand on the precipice of this new chapter, I carry with me the immense gratitude for all who have touched this project This thesis is a testament not only to my own efforts but also to the collective spirit of support and collaboration that nurtured its growth Thank you all for being an indelible part of this transformative experience.

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This study was conducted on 30 third-year students majoring in International Communications at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, who are studying Translation II (translating from Vietnamese to English) The study explores the difficulties this group of students encounters when translating news related to the United Nations, within the framework of the definition of translation outlined by mostly by Newmark (1988) and historical and political knowledge relating to the United Nations.

The research was conducted quantitatively through a questionnaire in the form of a Google Form to determine (a) the majority of students who passed the survey scored a B; (b) students' general opinion that Translation II is difficult and translation skills are important; (c) students often or occasionally encounter errors when translating news related to the United Nations, mainly related to wrong translation /mistranslation of political terms and (d) misunderstanding of the context scene is the main cause of the above error.

Despite the inevitable limitations, this study hopes to make a small contribution to the research branch of teaching and learning translation and interpretation, thereby improving students' translation skills and creating suitable adjustments for teaching methods of Translation for lecturers at universities and colleges.

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1.1 Rationale of topic selection 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 2

1.3 Research question 2

1.4 Significance of the Study 3

1.5 Scope of the study 3

1.6 Methodology and data collection 3

1.7 Organization of the study 3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Concept of translation 5

2.2 United Nations 12

2.3 Difficulties in translating newspapers 18

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION 20

Chart 1: Third-year International Communication majored student’s grade in Translation I 21 Chart 2: Third-year International Communication majored student’s evaluation on the importance Translation II 22 Chart 3: Third-year International Communication majored student’s evaluation on the difficulty of Translation II 23 Chart 4: Third-year International Communication majored student’s evaluation on the difficulty of newspaper related to United Nations 23 Chart 5: Errors encountered by Third-year International Communication majored students when translating newspaper related to United Nations 24 Chart 6: Frequency of errors encountered by Third-year International Communication majored students when translating newspaper related to United Nations 24 Chart 7: Causes of errors encountered by Third-year International Communication majored students when translating newspaper related to United Nations 25 Chart 8: Third-year International Communication majored students’ choices on methods to improve during newspaper related to United Nations translation 26

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DAVDiplomatic Academy of Vietnam

NPTTreaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

SLSource language

TLTarget Language

UNUnited Nations

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of topic selection

In a world where globalization develops strongly, countries follow the trend of cooperating in peace for sustainable development This has opened multiple opportunities for people in identified countries to join and find out about politics, economics, culture and society of other countries Therefore, it is undeniable to say that language becomes the key factor in the world exploration of humans Necessarily so; for language makes it possible for men to build up the social heritage of accumulated skill, knowledge and wisdom, thanks to which it is possible for us to profit by the experiences of past generations, as though they were our own (Black, 1969).

Learning a new language, therefore, becomes so important that we can understand and create different points of view In many languages, English, becomes the most popular one because many speakers use it as a form of communication Of course, English is a global language, they would say (Crystal, 2003) But there are varieties of English around the world, so learning one of those varieties and using it globally is not enough In addition, learners in order to master the English language must discover many aspects, including pronunciation, grammar, phonemics, pragmatics and how it works in various contexts.

English and Vietnamese share some common characteristics For Vietnamese learners, getting to know the meaning of a word, a paragraph or the whole text, relying on a part of translation Thus, translation can be understood as the process of the product of transforming a written text or texts from one human language to another which generally requires a significant degree of resemblance or correspondent with respect to the source text (Colina, 2015) This process is essential because it helps learners to overcome the features differences of the source language (SL) and the target language (TL) It is crucial that it becomes a course in colleges and universities in Viet Nam, including the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, the leading one in training international relations majors and

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languages, especially English

At the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, the Faculty of International Communication and Culture had the most students in the official enrollment in 2021, 2022 and 2023 Most students choose English as the main language to study However, English for Specific Purpose and Translation at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam is just not about learning English It is all about understanding international politics and Vietnamese diplomacy, as well as international events and global issues The lessons were used in the textbooks taken from domestic and international news, things referred to journalism-related coursework in the international communications major.

The process of translating from Vietnamese to English can cause difficulties for students, especially when translating newspapers related to the United Nations, an organization established to maintain international peace and security The issues discussed and the speeches of leaders in the sessions are often diverse and complex, requiring students majoring in International Communications to have good background knowledge and the ability to handle language sensitively On that basis, the study is implemented to accurately determine the difficulties that students majoring in International Communications have when translating newspapers related to the United Nations and propose solutions to overcome those difficulties.

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

This research paper aims at the difficulties encountered by DAV’s third-year International Communication majors students when translating newspapers related to the United Nations More specifically, it will focus on the difficulties in the United Nations newspapers that students might find challenging in studying Translation II To achieve this aim, two keys objectives are set as below:

Firstly, directly examining the difficulties encountered by students when they render the United Nations-related newspapers.

Secondly, recommending solutions that are possible for them to overcome challenges 2

regarding those difficulties

1.3 Research question

This research proposes two questions to accomplish the two objectives mentioned above:

i What difficulties do DAV’s third-year International Communication-majored students have in translating the United Nations-related newspapers?

ii What are some possible solutions taken to help students overcome those difficulties?

1.4 Significance of the Study

Firstly, the research hopes to contribute to the field of translation in general and English translation at DAV in particular DAV's third-year International Communications students are provided with basic knowledge of journalism and communications, while also mastering basic English knowledge However, challenges can still be encountered in the process of translating international English news, especially newspapers related to the United Nations.

Secondly, the research is expected to point out solutions to help DAV students overcome difficulties in the Translation II From there, it is a source that educators and lecturers at universities can use as a reference to adjust teaching methods and improve students' translation skills.

1.5 Scope of the study

There have been many documented investigations into the difficulties of translating English news Due to the size of the paper, time constraints and author's capacity, the essay will only include third-year students majoring in International Communications at DAV and news related to the United Nations It is hoped that the results of the article will be suggestions to make the process of studying and teaching translation at the Diplomatic Academy better.

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The research uses survey research, specifically research through questionnaires Questionnaire research method with eight questions was investigated on 30 third-year students who chose English as their first language in the 48th batch of the Faculty of International Communication and Culture of DAV

1.7 Organization of the study

The research is divided into four chapters

Chapter 1 (Introduction) introduces the rationale of the study, its aims and objectives;

the research questions, significance, scope, and methodology of the study.

Chapter 2 (Literature Review) provides the theoretical

frameworks, with a brief introduction of translation, the United Nations, and translation of the United Nations-related newspapers The chapter also presents some previous studies of different research on the difficulties of the Vietnamese - English translations in several aspects

Chapter 3 (Methodology, Findings, and Discussion) examines the

data collection analysis on the questionnaires Some main findings based on the analysis will be shown, and some possible suggestions will be given out to discuss the difficulties when translating United Nations-related newspapers.

Chapter 4 (Recapitulations, Limitations, Implications, andRecommendations) illustrates major findings of the research, suggests

some implications, and offers recommendations for further study of the subject.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Concept of translation

The aim of this part is to give a short literature review on translation In specific, translation concepts are considered in the aspects of definitions, methods, procedures of translation.

2.1.1 Definition of translation

Translation has been approached in different ways by scholars and researchers, based on the way they perceive language and translation There are many results when it comes to the definition of translation Several definitions of translation will be presented in this part by familiar linguists.

Wilss (1882) illustrated: “Translation leads from a source-language text to a target-language text which is as close an equivalent as possible and presupposes an understanding of the content and style of the original.” Catford (1965, p.20) coined the term translation as “the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent material in another language (TL)”

In terms of translation along with translating, it has been pointed out that translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message (Nida and Taber, 1969).

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In the field of interlingual translation, Oettinger (1960, p.110) defined it as “the replacement of elements of one language, the domain of translation, by equivalent elements of another language, the range.” The definition can be understood that translation is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text (Newmark, 1988)

Bell (1991) defined translation is the expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another source language preserving semantic and static equivalencies He also mentioned another definition that “translation is the replacement of a representation of a text in one language representation of an equivalent text in a second language” (Bell, 1991, p.6)

Despite the different approaches, the definitions of translation given by the scholars share some similarities They both refer to the source language and the target language and focus on the equivalence of meaning when converting (translating) between these two

“This is often demonstrated as an interlinear translation, with the TL immediately below the SL words.” (Newmark, 1988, p.45) In other words, the SL word-order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context (Newmark, 1988) “Here, the source language (SL) word is translated into another language by their most common meanings, which can also be out of context at times, especially in idioms and proverbs.” (Nguyen & Bui, 2013, p.11)

In terms of literal translation, the SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL equivalents but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context As a pre-translation process, this indicates the problems to be solved (Newmark, 1988) “A literal translation sounds like nonsense and has little communicative values.” ((Nguyen & Bui & Bui,

Newmark (1988) has pointed out that a faithful translation attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures He also noted that “It 'transfers' cultural words and preserves the degree of grammatical and lexical 'abnormality' (deviation from SL norms) in the translation It attempts to be completely faithful to the intentions and the text-realization of the SL writer.” (Newmark, 1988, p.46) Here the translation interprets the exact contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the grammatical structures of the TL (Nguyen & Bui & Bui, 2013)

SL: His house is as big as my house TL: Nhà của anh ấy to bằng nhà của tôi Semantic translation

Newmark (1988) illustrated that semantic translation differs from 'faithful translation' only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value (that is, the beautiful and natural sound) of the SL text, compromising on 'meaning' where appropriate so that no assonance, word-play or repetition jars in the finished version “The distinction between 'faithful' and 'semantic' translation is that the first is uncompromising and dogmatic, while the second is more flexible, admits the creative exception to 100% fidelity and allows for the translator's intuitive empathy with the original.” (Newmark, 1988, p.46) “Semantic translation refers to that type of translation, which takes into account the aesthetic value of the SL text,” (Nguyen & Bui, 2013)

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SL: When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do TL: Nhập gia tùy tục

Newmark (1988) supposed that adaptation is the 'freest' form of translation “It is used mainly for plays (comedies) and poetry; the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture converted to the TL culture and the text rewritten.” (Newmark, 1988, p.46) He emphasized the deplorable practice of having a play or poem literally translated and then rewritten by an established dramatist or poet has produced many poor adaptations, but other adaptations have 'rescued' period plays (Newmark, 1988) “The text is rewritten considering the SL culture which is converted to the TL.” (Nguyen & Bui, 2013, p.14).

SL: Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell, 1936)

TL: Cuốn Theo Chiều Gió (tiểu thuyết của Margaret Mitchell, 1936) Free translation

“Free translation reproduces the matter without the manner, or the content without the form of the original.” (Newmark, 1988, p.46) “Usually it is a paraphrase much longer than the original, a so-called 'intralingual translation', often prolix and pretentious, and not translation at all “(Newmark, 1988, p.46, 47) Free translation focuses on the content of the target text rather than the form, which means that the same content is expressed in the target text but with very different grammatical structures if need be (Nguyen & Bui, 2013).

SL: When there's a will, there's a way

TL: Có chí thì nên; Có công mài sắt, có ngày nên kim Idiomatic translation

“Idiomatic translation reproduces the 'message' of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the

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original.” (Newmark, 1988, p.47) Nguyen & Bui (2013) concluded idiomatic translation utilizes idioms and colloquialisms that are not present in the source text She added “It is asserted that the original meaning of a fixed combination is not equal to the sum of the meaning of separate words.” (Nguyen & Bui, 2013, p.16).

SL: Diamond cuts diamond TL: Vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn Communicative translation

Communicative translation is illustrated by Newmark (1988) when he coined the term as efforts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership.”This method displays the exact contextual meaning of the original text in a manner where both content and language are easily acceptable and comprehensible to the readers.” (Nguyen & Bui, 2013, p.16).

SL: The resolution was passed with 12 votes in favor, and is the first UN resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict since 2016 (Wintour, 2023, The Guardian)

TL: Nghị quyết được thông qua với 12 phiếu thuận và là nghị quyết đầu tiên của Liên hợp quốc về xung đột Israel-Palestine kể từ năm 2016.

2.1.3 Translation procedures

The following translation procedures are considered to be useful for the study: Transferences

Transferences was defined as the process of transferring a SL word to a TL text as a translation procedure (Newmark, 1988) This procedure includes transliteration and is also known as “adoption,” “transfer,” “loan words,” or “transcription” according to other scholars (Nguyen, 2023) An example for this translation procedure is that many Vietnamese words are borrowed from the French word, such as savon (xà phòng) or cabine (cabin).

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This procedure succeeds transference and adapts the SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then to the normal morphology (word-forms) of the TL (Newmark, 1988, p.82) Nguyen (2023) also stated that the SL term is adapted to fit the TL’s pronunciation and morphology during this translation procedure For example, mít tinh (meeting) or xe công ten nơ (container) (Tran, 2014, p.13).

Cultural equivalent

Newmark (1988) cultural equivalent as an approximate translation where a SL cultural word is translated by a TL cultural word “The SL term is adapted to fit the TL’s pronunciation and morphology during this translation procedure The translator looks for a word in the TL that is similar to the original term from the SL.” (Nguyen, 2023, p.5) We can translate the word mukbang (in Korea) as having good goodies at once (in English), although this is not quite accurate

Functional equivalent

Newmark (1988) coined the term functional equivalent as a common procedure, applied to cultural words, requires the use of a culture free word, sometimes with a new specific term; it therefore neutralizes or generalizes the SL word For instance, 10 Downing Street will be translated as Phủ Thủ tướng Anh (Nguyen, 2023, p.5).

Descriptive equivalent

In this procedure, the meaning of cultural-based translation is explained in several words (Hoang, 2018, p.11) Nguyen (2023) also noted that in order to describe the meaning of the term and provide additional clarification, the translator may use different words in the TL “This can help ensure that the original term's intended meaning is accurately conveyed in the translation.” (Nguyen, 2023, p.5) An example for this is Đổi Mới (1886) in Viet Nam, which is described as the comprehensive reform program, especially in the fields of economics, politics and many other aspects of social life, implemented by the Communist Party of Viet Nam headed by General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh.

Shift/ Transportations

Newmark (1988) stated that a shift or transposition is a translation procedure involving a change in the grammar from SL to TL He mentioned the first type is the change from singular to plural For instance, the word ngỗng can be translated to“goose/geese” “A second

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type of shift is required when an SL grammatical structure does not exist in the TL.” (Newmark, 1988, p.85) A typical example for this type of transportation is the inversion of English (which does not exist in Vietnamese) We can translate the English sentence Only twice did we see the movie together to Chúng tôi mới xem phim với nhau hai lần in Vietnamese Newmark (1988) pointed out the third type of shift is the one where literal translation is grammatically possible but may not accord with natural usage in the TL “The fourth type of transposition is the replacement of a virtual lexical gap by a grammatical structure.” (Newmark, 1988, p.87).

“Transposition is the only translation procedure concerned with grammar, and most translators make transpositions intuitively However, it is likely that comparative linguistics research, and analysis of text corpuses and their translations, will uncover a further number of serviceable transpositions for us.” (Newmar, 1988, p.88).

Newark (1988) used the word synonymy in the sense of a near TL equivalent to an SL word in a context, where a precise equivalent may or may not exist (Nguyen 2023, p.6) added: “When there is no precise equivalent word in the TL, the translator must choose a near-equivalent word instead.” The word nước ngọt (using in parties or birthday in Viet Nam) can be translated as soft drinks.

Nguyen (2023) has pointed out that this procedure allows for the addition of detailed information to clarify the significance of a text passage Newmark (1988) saw paraphrase as an amplification or explanation of the meaning of a segment of the text For instance, we can translate the term Acting President at Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam as Quyền Giám đốc Học viện Ngoại giao.

Hoang (2018) noted that omission can be applied in translation if the meaning conveyed by a particular item or expression is not vital enough to the development of the text to justify distracting the reader with lengthy explanations For instance, translator can omit the word physically in the term physically present, and the equivalent term sự hiện diện still have the same meaning

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In the translation process, translators were not doing translation without difficulties (Lucito, 2018) Translation difficulties can be understood as the problems facing by English learners or translators Newmark (1988) showed four problems in translation that can interrupt the translation process.

Newmark (1988) noted that geographical features can be normally distinguished from other cultural terms in that they are usually value-free, politically and commercially “Nevertheless, their diffusion depends on the importance of their country of origin as well as their degree of specificity “ (Newmark, 1988, p.96)

Social Culture

Lucitio (2018) has pointed out that different cultural backgrounds will be reflected in the use of language in an ever-present society, and it can cause problems to occur when the translator must translate words that exist only in the source language but there is no equivalence in the target language In addition, Newmark (1988, p.88) noted: “In considering social culture one has to distinguish between denotative and connotative problems of translation.”

Material Culture

Material culture can be seen as human products through the development of societies Newmark (1988) mentioned food, clothing, house, city, transportation, flora and fauna as several material culture categories.

Social Organisation - Political And Administrative

Newmark (1988; p.99) emphasized: “The political and social life of a country is reflected in its institutional terms.” In specific state administrative documents in particular and political and diplomatic English, the use of specialized terms is very important in the translation process It demonstrates the level and skills of the translator, and even reflects the ideology and background knowledge of world politics and national history and institutions.

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In the aftermath of the Second World War, a world scarred by conflict and devastation, a vision emerged of an international organization dedicated to maintaining peace, promoting human rights, and fostering international cooperation This vision materialized in the form of the United Nations (UN), an organization that has played a pivotal role in shaping the global landscape for over seven decades.

Origins and Structure

Hanhimaki (2015, p.14) stated: “In August 1944 delegates from China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States met at Dumbarton Oaks, a private estate in Washington, D.C., to draw up the basic blueprint for the new international organization By October the outline for the UN Charter was ready After the surrender of Germany in April of the following year (and the death of Roosevelt in the same month), the charter was signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945 On October 24, 1945, with the Pacific war also concluded, the United Nations officially came into existence.”

Six main organs of the United Nations included: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Trusteeship Council (Mingst et al., 2018) However, the Trusteeship Council was dissolved in 1994.

The General Assembly consists of all member states, numbering 193 in 2023 This organ may consider any issue “within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs,” except for issues on the agenda of the Security Council (Alger, 2006)

The Security Council, composed of 15 members, has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security “The UN charter also contained in it the seeds of the Security Council’s immobilization: by granting the veto right to five countries (China, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States), the charter allowed this select group to prevent action that they viewed as being antithetical to their national interests.” (Hanhimaki, 2015, p.3)

Alger (2006) noted that The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consists of fifty four representatives of member states that are elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms He also added: “Under the UN Charter, ECOSOC is responsible for: (1) promoting

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