STRATEGIES APPLIED IN THE ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF POEMS IN THE POETRY COLLECTION “LOVE & MISADVENTURE” BY LANG LEAV

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER STRATEGIES APPLIED IN THE ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF POEMS IN THE POETRY COLLECTION “LOVE & MISADVENTURE” BY LANG LEAV Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Diệu Thuý, M.A Student: Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Phương Course: QH2013.F1.E16 HÀ NỘI – 2017 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP CÁC CHIẾN LƯỢC ÁP DỤNG TRONG DỊCH ANH-VIỆT CÁC BÀI THƠ TRONG TUYỂN TẬP THƠ "YÊU LÀ THƯƠNG HAY VẬN RỦI" CỦA TÁC GIẢ LANG LEAV Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Th.S Nguyễn Thị Diệu Thuý Sinh viên: Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Phương Khóa: QH2013.F1.E16 HÀ NỘI – 2017 I hereby state that I: Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Phương, QH2013.E16, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (English Language) accept the requirements of the College 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 paper Signature Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I want to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms Nguyễn Thị Diệu Thuý, M.A – Lecturer of Faculty of English Language Teacher Education Had it not been for her helpful guidance and active encouragement over the last months, this graduation paper could not have been successfully completed Her insights and expertise in translation studies and research methodology have greatly assisted me upon carrying out the study I am also deeply indebted to my family and friends for their solid support during the process of my research Without their mental and financial assistance, I would not have mustered enough motivation to finalise this study I am heartily thankful to my classmates for their enthusiastic support and valuable suggestions on my thesis A special thank goes to Ms Phạm Hồng Anh for providing me with a source of inspiration, so that I could decide on the topic of this research I am also truly grateful to Ms Nguyễn Thu Nhàn who has wholeheartedly accompanied and motivated me along the process of research conduct Finally, I would like to offer my warm regards to all the readers of this thesis paper I appreciate your constructive feedback and hope that this study will be of use to anyone who takes an interest in its topic i ABSTRACT Poetry translation has always been regarded as a more perplexing task than the translation of any other literary texts due to its intrinsic literary and aesthetic complexity Hence, concerted efforts have been made to identify translation methods or strategies that can be adopted to preserve the poet’s message and stylistic uniqueness, thus generating equivalent effects in target language The aims of this study were to find out the translation strategies applied to translate the poems in the poetry collection Love & Misadventure written by Lang Leav, concerning André Lefevere’s seven strategies (1975), and subsequently draw some lessons about poetry translation from English into Vietnamese The data were obtained from 65 Englishwritten poems and their Vietnamese translated versions in the bilingual book Love & Misadventure – Yêu là thương hay vận rủi by means of document observation The theoretical model used was seven strategies for translating poetry devised by André Lefevere (1975) The researcher opted for a qualitative approach, and the data were analysed descriptively The findings showed that the translator applied three out of seven strategies proposed by Lefevere which were metrical translation, rhymed translation, and blank verse translation Blank verse translation was the most frequently used strategy, followed by metrical translation and rhymed translation These results implied the translator’s tendencies to transfer poetic form and meaning in her translation, as well as revealing certain gaps in Lefevere’s methodology in the case of translating poetry from English into Vietnamese ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement i Abstract ii Table of contents iii List of tables, figures, and abbreviations v Chapter – Introduction 1.1 Statement of problem and rationale 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.3 Significance of the study 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Organisation of the paper Chapter – Literature review 2.1 Poetry translation 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Characteristics 2.1.2.1 Loss of poetic elements 2.1.2.2 Particular difficulties in poetry translation 2.1.2.3 Translator expertise 2.2 Approaches to translating poetry 10 2.2.1 Dryden’s triadic model (1680) 10 2.2.2 Raffel’s four audience-based types of poetry translation (1988) 11 2.2.3 Holmes’ four traditional approaches (1988) 12 2.2.4 Lefevere’s seven strategies for poetry translation (1975) 13 Chapter – Methodology 18 3.1 Selection of subjects 18 3.2 Sampling 19 3.3 Data collection procedure 19 iii 3.4 Data analysis procedure 19 Chapter – Findings & Discussion 21 4.1 Lefevere’s translation strategies applied in Love & Misadventure 21 4.2 Most dominantly used strategies in Love & Misadventure 22 4.2.1 Blank verse translation 22 4.2.2 Metrical translation 26 4.2.3 Rhymed translation 29 4.3 Some lessons about poetry translation from English into Vietnamese 32 Chapter – Conclusion 38 5.1 Summary of major findings 38 5.2 Limitations of the study 39 5.3 Suggestions for further studies 40 5.4 Contributions of the study 40 References 42 Appendix 45 iv LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations ST Source Text TT Target Text SL Source Language TL Target Language Tables Table 4.1 The translation strategies applied in translating Lang Leav’s poems v CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter specifies the research problem and rationale, objectives of the study and research questions, the scope and the significance of the thesis, as well as the organisation of the whole paper 1.1 Statement of problem and rationale Literary translation holds an influential position among other types of translation given the complex nature of literary texts One of the most prominent translation scholars, Peter Newmark, states that the greater the quantity of a language's resources (e.g polysemy, word-play, sound-effect, metre, rhyme) a text is charged with, the more challenging it is to be translated, and the more worthwhile (1988) In this sense, a large number of researchers have set out to build a solid foundation for literary translation with regard to both theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches Within the field of literary translation, poetry rendering seems a more challenging task than translation of other literary modes Poetry is characterised by its distinctive literary and aesthetic features The former consist of rhymth, rhyme, metre, and the latter involve figurative language and rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole Since form and content of poetry are highly interconnected and inseparable, the translator has to take into consideration both these two aspects in the translation process In consequence of such seemingly insurmountable difficulties, the issue of poetry translatability has given rise to considerable theoretical and practical debates among scholars Jacobson (1959) believes that poetry is by definition untranslatable; similarly, Frost (cited in Bassnet & Lefevere, 1998) describes poetry as “what gets lost in translation” On the other hand, despite acknowledging the varying degrees of loss of meaning in poetry translation, Newmark (1988) asserts that poetry is by no means unsuitable for translation In fact, poetry has been “superbly and closely translated at various times”, reflecting a linguistic harmony between the poet and the poet-translator Besides, poetry renderings prove to be a demonstration of the translator’s “suggestive and tactful compensatory sound techniques” Considering these polarised views on the translatability of poetry, more time and efforts have been dedicated to investigating the problems of translating poetry than any other literary genres Boase-Beier (2009) claims that “far more has been written about the translation of poetry than either prose or drama” Methodological studies of poetry and translation from a non-empirical position are regarded as “most valuable and most needed” by Bassnett (1980) In this regard, translation theorists have proposed various strategies to translate poetry, such as Holmes’ four traditional approaches to verse form translation (1988), or Lefevere’s seven descriptive strategies (1975) Nevertheless, in the context of English-to-Vietnamese translation, it could be noticed that few studies have been conducted in the matter of poetry translation from English into Vietnamese Meanwhile, taking the serious challenges of translating poems into account, there is a clear need for in-depth researches to be conducted into this branch of literary translation, particularly specific strategies to overcome those difficulties Therefore, this thesis paper is dedicated to contribute to the limited existing research body in the field of translated poetry from English into Vietnamese By testing the application of theories on strategies into real practice of translation, the study expects to offer new insights and corroborate earlier findings in the field of poetry translation in Vietnam As one of the few translated poetry books in Vietnam, Love & Misadventure – Yêu là thương hay vận rủi has been warmly welcomed by Vietnamese readers since its publication The reputation of its author (Lang Leav) as a best-selling contemporary writer and the translator’s credibility (Zelda) as a wellknown writer and poet herself have justified the researcher’s decision to undertake the study into this translated work a love affair mối tình A carousel of memories, spinning round into a blur Vòng quay kí ức say sưa quay vòng thành vệt mờ Her mind is now a fairground ride— she wonders if you think of her The Things We Hide And so, I have put away the photographs, every trace of you 31 I know Tâm trí hội chợ cô nghĩ không biết anh nghĩ tới cô Điều giấu Và thế, em cất ảnh dấu vết anh em biết The things that seem to matter less, are the ones we put on show Love Lost There is one who you belong to, whose love—there is no song 32 for And though you know it's wrongful, there is someone else you long for Những điều vẻ khơng cần thiết điều phơ diễn Tình u lạc lối Em thuộc người tình người – không hát em biết là điều sai lạc em nhớ người khác x 57 x Your heart was once a vessel, it was filled up to the brim; until the day he left you, now everything sings of him Tim em thuỷ bình tình tràn đầy tới rìa quanh miệng cho tới ngày riêng anh lìa bỏ thứ hát anh Of the two who came to love you, to one, your heart you gave He lives in stars above you— in the love who came and stayed Time Travelers In all our wrongs, I want to write him, in a time where I can find him Hai người đến dành em người tim này đem gửi gắm anh đầu thăm thẳm tình thăm và trú lâu dài Người du hành thời gian Giữa tất tội lỗi em muốn viết cho anh thời cảnh em thấy anh Before the tears that tore us Ngay trước nước mắt chia tan tành When our history was before us A Small Consolation Everything that we once were, is now a sad and lonely verse Trước ta thành khứ Niềm an ủi nhỏ Mọi thứ là câu thơ buồn cô liêu When once I had so much to say, I am now bereft of words Em muốn nói nhiều từ ngữ bị tước 33 34 x Đơi theo trật tự 58 x Sometimes it is the order of things, that make them seem much worse 35 nhiều thứ vẻ tệ điên Không lẽ anh lại, nếu em không bỏ đầu tiên? It's not as if you would have stayed, if I hadn't left you first An Impossible Task To try or untry to forget you not, may be related somewhat— Nhiệm vụ bất khả thi Cố hay không cố không quên anh có lẽ liên quan To tying, then trying to untie, a complicated knot The Keeper You were like a dream, I wish I hadn't slept through tới thắt cố gỡ thắt, nút chặt trời đánh Người lưu trữ Anh giấc mơ em ước chưa bị đánh thức 36 Within it I fell deeper, than your heart would care to let you I thought you were a keeper, I wish I could x Em lún sâu trái tim anh anh x Em nghĩ anh là người lưu trữ 59 have kept you Jealousy It was the way you spoke about her 37 38 With animosity, regret, disdain and underneath it all— just a hint of pride Waking without You Every song that sings of him, from every heart heard breaking I sing along in dreams of him, I cling to— when I start waking That Day I remember our highs in hues, like the color of his eyes as the sun was setting; the pale of his hands in mine, and the blue of his smile 39 I remember our sorrows in shades, like the gray of the shadows, which loomed that day, and the white in his lie when he promised to stay em ước giữ anh Ghen tng Đó là cách anh nói x Với thù ghét, ân hận, coi thường ẩn dưới tất chút tự hào ánh dương Tỉnh dậy không anh Mỗi hát cất lời anh trái tim vỡ tan x Em hát theo mơ anh em cố neo— bắt đầu tỉnh giấc Ngày Em nhớ ngày trẻ màu tươi màu mắt anh mặt trời rơi xuống tay anh nhợt nhạt em nỗi buồn nụ cười Em nhớ nỗi đau sắc tối màu xám bóng hình nở tràn ngày màu trắng lời nói dối anh anh hứa lại 60 x The Girl He Loves There was a man who I once knew, for me there was no other The closer to loving me he grew, the more he would grow 40 further I tried to love him as his friend, then to love him as his lover; but he never loved me in the end— his heart was for another A Lover's Past The turbulent turns and the tides that twist them 41 Cô gái anh yêu Một người biết thiết đời người gần yêu trở nên xa rời Tôi yêu bạn yêu người tình khơng phải tơi tim người ơm hình bóng x Q khứ người tình Cơn lốc xốy thuỷ triều xoắn vặn lại When what they once were, was how she had wished them Khi họ thời cô mong ước And all the joys he brought her, how she could list them Mọi niềm vui sướng anh mang liệt kê In time she will learn, not to x Rồi cô học để nhung nhớ chúng 61 miss them Beauty's Curse Her bow is drawn to worlds of dark; where arrows spring 42 and miss their mark She'll turn their heads— but not their hearts Wishful Thinking You say that you are over me, my heart— it skips, it sinks I see you now with someone new, 43 I stare, I stare, I blink Someday I'll be over you, I know, I know— I think A Heavy Heart All you have done, 44 I had hoped to pardon When the death of love Lời nguyền người đẹp Cánh cung cô giương hướng thế giới tối nơi mũi tên rung lên và trượt đích ngắm đến x Cơ khiến họ ngối nhìn khơng phải tim Mơ tưởng Anh nói anh quên em tim emtrượt nhịp lún chìm Em thấy anh với người mới nhìn theo nhìn theo chớp mắt Ngày nào em quên anh biết thế biết thếnghĩ thế Trái tim nặng trĩu Những anh vừa làm em mong tha thứ Khi chết tình yêu 62 x x 45 46 was slow for me— for you was sudden đến với em từ từ với anh là đột tử Now the years go by, and my heart has hardened Saving You The darkness takes him over, the sickness pulls him in; his eyes—a blown-out candle; I wish to go with him Giờ năm tháng qua tim em chai sạn Cứu anh Bóng tối xâm chiếm anh bệnh tật kéo anh vào mắt anh - nến tắt em ước theo anh Sometimes I see a flicker— a light that shone from them; I hold him to me tightly, before he's gone again An Answer To choose from there were many; among them, there were some Đôi thấy tia lửa ánh sáng loé chừng em ôm anh chặt trước anh lại Câu trả lời Để chọn từ sa số vài thiểu số And of those I loved you, more than any— but not as much as one Swan Song Her heart is played 47 like well-worn strings; in her eyes, the sadness sings— x x Và em yêu anh vô số không Bài ca thiên nga Trái tim cô chơi vĩ mòn đơi mắt bng lời buồn hát héo hon x 63 of one who was destined for better things PART 3: Love First Love Before I fell in love with words, 48 with setting skies and singing birds— it was you I fell in love with first He and I When words run dry, he does not try, nor I người định điều tốt 49 Đôi lứa xứng đôi We are on par He just is, I just am, and we just are Sundays with Michael I hold my breath and count to ten, I stand and sit, then stand again 50 I cross and then uncross my legs, the planes are flying overhead The dial turns with every twist, Tình đầu Trước em phải lòng từ ngữ với bầu trời bng chim hótlà anh em trót phải lòng Anh Khi ngôn từ cạn khô anh không cần cố và không x x Như anh là thế thế Những Chủ nhật Michael Tơi nín thở và đếm đến mười đứng lên, ngồi, lại đến đứng vắt chéo chân lại buông người thả chiếc phi bay qua đầu Mặt chuyển theo nhịp xoay đồng hồ đeo quanh cổ tay 64 x around the watch, around his wrist Resting there with pen in hand, who could ever understand? The way he writes of all I dream, things kind yet cruel and inbetween, where underneath those twisted trees, a pretty girl fallen to her knees 51 Who could know the world we've spun? I shrug my shoulders and hold my tongue I hold my breath and count to ten, I stand and sit, then stand again Mornings with You I slowly wake as day is dawning, to fingertips and lips imploring The sheets against my skin, he says, like wrapping paper on Christmas morning nằm yên say với chiếc bút hiểu anh chút? Cách anh viết khúc mơ tốt bụng, nhẫn tâm, mập mờ nơi dưới tàn vặn vẹo cô gái xinh gục ngã gối Nào biết thế giới ta xoay hình tơi nhún vai lời quay im lặng tơi nín thở và đếm tăng mười đứng ngồi, lại đứng lên Buổi sáng với anh Tôi từ từ tỉnh ngày thức mình, tới ngón tay mơi van xin x Chăn quấn da mình, anh bảo gói quà sáng Giáng sinh 65 A Fairy Tale Start of spring; heart in bloom; our whisperings in sunlit rooms Summer was felt 52 a little more; in autumn I began to fall 53 When winter came with all its white, you were mine to kiss good night Always You were you, and I was I; we were two before our time I was yours before I knew, and you have always been mine too Before There Was You When I used to look above, 54 all I saw was sky; and every song that I would sing, Truyện cổ tích Bắt đầu xuân trái tim nở rộ chúng tơi thầm phòng nắng ấm Mùa hè cảm thấm thêm chút mùa thu bắt đầu rơi xuống x Khi mùa đông tới trắng xố khắp nơi anh tơi để ngủ Luôn Anh anh em em ta hai trước thời tại x Em anh trước em biết anh ln em thế Trước có anh Em ngước nhìn vốn trời cao hát chẳng hiểu x 66 I sung not knowing why em hát All I thought and all I felt, was only just because, never was it ever you— until it was all there was Beautiful Your hand reaches for mine We kiss tentatively, passionately and then, tenderly Tất điều suy nghĩ cảm xúc chưa anh cho tới trọn dành Xinh đẹp Tay anh vươn tới em Mình dè dặt, hôn đam mê nhẹ nhàng say đắm 55 You brush my hair away from my face “You're beautiful.” I wrinkle my nose in protest “You are.” All or Nothing If you love me for what you see, only your eyes would be in love with me 56 Anh chải tóc cho em “thật là xinh đẹp.” em nhăn mũi phản kháng “là anh.” x Tất hoặc khơng Nếu anh yêu em điều nhìn thấy đôi mắt là yêu em If you love me for what you've heard, then you would love me for my words Nếu anh yêu em điều nghe thấy là u từ ngữ thơi If you love my heart and mind, then you would love me, Nếu anh u tơi em anh yêu tất x 67 57 for all that I'm người em But if you don't love my every flaw, then you mustn't love me— not at all Some Time Out The time may not be prime for us, though you are a special person Nhưng nếu anh khơng u khút điểm rõ khơng chẳng yêu tẹo Chút giải lao Thời gian quãng thăng dù anh là người đặc biệt tim We may be just two different clocks, that not tock, in unison Solo Show He pulls the thick woolen sweater up, over my head Có thể hai chiếc đồng hồ không nhịp độ không chung nhịp Độc diễn Anh kéo chiếc áo len dày lên, qua đầu Little sparks of static dance across my skin 58 Does it hurt? He says, running his hands gently over my warm body It is your own little fireworks show, I whisper x Tia sáng nhỏ tĩnh điện nhảy múa da tơi Có đau không? Anh hỏi, bàn tay chạy nhẹ nhàng qua thân ấm Đây diễn pháo hoa nhỏ riêng anh, tơi thầm 68 x The Fear of Losing You Without meaning to, he's disarmed me, with kisses that soothe 59 and alarm me Nỗi sợ anh Không cần cố ý anh làm tơi bình lại nụ dịu trí cảnh thức tơi In arms that terrify and calm me Ebb and Flow She yearns to learn how his tide is turned, to understand 60 each grain of sand, he knows Trong vòng tay anh sợ và yên tĩnh Triều lên triều xuống Cô khao khát học cách biến lưu thuỷ triều thấu hiểu hạt cát anh To move in rhythm, with his ebb and flow Written in Traffic A quiet gladness, in the busy sadness; inside the final tussle, 61 of love and its madness Dâng rút theo điệu triều anh lên xuống Viết dòng người Mừng rỡ lặng yên nỗi buồn liên miên trận chiến cuối tình và điên Its goodness and badness, its hustle and bustle Golden Cage A bird who hurt her wing, 62 now forgotten how to fly Tình xấu xa tốt hiền bon chen náo nhiệt Lồng vàng Con chim tự thương cánh quên cách để bay A song she used to sing, x x x Bài hát cô hát hay 69 x 63 but can't remember why nhớ nguồn A breath she caught and kept— that left her in a sigh Hơi thở giữ trì thành tiếng thở dài tan tác It hurts her so to love you, but she won't say good-bye Love Letters Every letter that she types, every keystroke that she strikes— Yêu anh tổn thương lớn cô không thác lời từ Thư tình Mỗi ký tự gõ phím cô đánh To spell your name again and again— is all she ever wants to write Codependency There is nothing more nice, 64 there is nothing much worser; than me as your vice and you as my versa A Time Capsule This is where, I began to care, where I was befriended 65 This is where, my soul was bared, Để thành âm tên anh đánh vần lần nữa tất cô muốn viết Cùng phụ thuộc Sẽ chẳng tốt chẳng tệ thế em là đối phản anh anh nghịch ứng em Kén thời gian Đây là nơi bắt đầu để ý nơi bạn bè yêu quý Đây là nơi hồn trí tơi trụi trần nơi luật lệ bất cần uốn bẻ 70 x x x where all my rules were bended This is where, a moment we shared, was stolen and expended Now this is where, this is where, this is where we've ended— Đây là nơi khoảnh khắc ta chia sẻ bị đánh cắp tiêu kiệt Giờ là nơi là nơi là nơi ta vừa hết biệt 71