Towards better understanding and using english proverbs

10010016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ BÍCH TRANG TOWARDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND USING ENGLISH PROVERBS HƯỚNG TỚI VIỆC HIỂU VÀ SỬ DỤNG TỤC NGỮ TIẾNG ANH TỐT HƠN M.A thesis – program I Field: english linguistics Code: 602215 Hanoi, 2008 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ BÍCH TRANG TOWARDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND USING ENGLISH PROVERBS HƯỚNG TỚI VIỆC HIỂU VÀ SỬ DỤNG TỤC NGỮ TIẾNG ANH TỐT HƠN M.A thesis – program I Field: english linguistics Code: 602215 Supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr Phan Văn Quế Hanoi, 2008 THE TABLE OF CONTENTS PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale Objectives of the study Scope of the study Methods of the study 4.1 Strategic method 4.2 Tackling methods 4.3 Supporting methods PART B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter I: Literature Review I.1 Origin of proverbs I.2 Definitions of proverbs I.2.1 Introduction I.2.2 The definition of proverbs in the literature I.2.2.1 An open or implied denial of the possibility of defining proverbs I.2.2.2 A proverb is identical with its text I.2.2.3 More complex definitions I.2.3 A proposed definition I.2.3.1 The necessary and sufficient conditions of a proverb definition I.2.3.2 The proposed definition I.2.4 The main types of proverbs I.2.5 A note on the content of proverbs I.3 Differences between proverbs and other related terms I.3.1 Differences between proverbs and idioms I.3.1.1 Content I.3.1.2 Function I.3.2 Differences between “proverbs” and “ca dao” I.4 Characteristics of proverbs I.4.1 Forms I.4.2 Content I.4.3 Function Chapter II: Factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs II.1 Difference in culture II.1.1 Definitions of culture II.1.2 Differences between English culture and Vietnamese culture II.2 Differences in using metaphor in English and Vietnamese proverbs II.2.1 English and Vietnamese animal system in proverbs in comparison II.2.1.1 Animal components in English II.2.1.2 Animal components in Vietnamese II.2.1.3 Animal components in Vietnamese and English in common II.2.1.4 Animal components existing only in English II.2.1.5 Animal components existing only in Vietnamese II.3 Difference in rhythm and rhyme II.3.1 Rhythm A Rhythm of English proverbs Factors creating rhythm Types of rhythm Function of rhythm B Rhythm of Vietnamese proverbs Factors creating rhythm 1.1 “âm vực” 1.2 “âm điệu” (or tune) Types of rhythm Function of rhythm 3.1 Grammatical function 3.2 Meaning-expressing function 3.3 Poetic function II.3.2 Rhyme of proverbs II.3.2.1 Factors creating rhyme II.3.2.1.1 The repetition phenomena II.3.2.1.1.1 English proverbs II.3.2.1.1.2 Vietnamese proverbs II.4 Difficulties in translating English proverbs into Vietnamese ones Chapter III: Implications towards better proverb translation III.1 How to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones successfully III.2 Vietnamese equivalent can be found III.3 Vietnamese equivalent cannot be found III.3.1 We can add or omit words to create rhyme ( rhyme in succession, rhyme in separation, relative rhyme or perfect rhyme) III.3.2 Creating rhyme by repeating words III.3.3 The proverb can be translated into a Vietnamese six-eight meter III.3.4 Creating two equal, parallel clause III.3.5 Making tone symmetrical PART C: CONCLUSION PART D: BIBLIOGRAPHY PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale English has become an international language That is the truth that cannot be denied As people all over the world wish to get closer and closer, English has shown its great function as a great bridge of communication Mastering English means not only the ability to speak English fluently but also the necessity of having a full and perfect knowledge of English culture, history, lifestyle…the shortest way to access and gain these knowledge, surely, is to get to know English proverbs As clearly known, proverb is one of the most ancient kinds of Folklore which contain many distinguishing features of each nation in the world In Vietnamese, „„proverbs are the sayings of people, a treasure of various and „„live‟‟ expressing forms that the labor class as well as many other different classes in society use to express their attract ideas, their deep thoughts of life (Chu Xuan Dien- Vietnamese proverbs) In English, “Proverbs are so much the common property of all English men that in conversation, it is often enough to repeat just the beginning of a proverb, the rest is easily supplied by the other calculators‟‟ (W.J BallConversational English) Understanding English proverbs, therefore, helps us understand more clearly about a nation, about its culture, history…Furthermore, exploring, comparing and contrasting proverbs in native as well as in target language will surely bring about a treasure of valuable knowledge and a more convenient condition for foreign language learning process However, understanding and using English proverbs effectively is very difficult for many reasons: differences in culture and history, poor background knowledge of learners, techniques and strategies in studying proverbs… These ideas give me a tremendous impetus to implement the study „Towards better understanding and using English proverbs’’ This study is an investigation into factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs As an investigation, it brings insights into some of the most common factors which, to some extents, hinder learners from mastering English proverbs Hopefully, this study will bring considerable effective contributions to better understanding and using English proverbs In my view, the sooner learners can start to enjoy English proverbs in their new language, the better Objectives of the study The objective of this study is to find out some common factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs Scope of the study As there so many factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs, the study by no means investigates all factors concerned Some of factors are not included in this study They are omitted simply because of limitations of time, necessary, qualified and reliable resources, and of course the knowledge of mine Furthermore, exploring and mastering English proverbs is quite a large field, I, therefore, limit my study in a smaller one “Towards better understanding and using English proverbs’’ My study only looks for some very main and common factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs In addition, the study is confined to the context of understanding and using English proverbs in Vietnam The problems discussed in the study may be irrelevant or inappropriate in other contexts Methods of the study During the implementation of the study “Towards better understanding and using English proverbs‟‟, three main following kinds of methods were employed: strategic methods, tackling methods and supporting methods Let‟s have a look at these methods respectively 4.1 Strategic method The strategic method contains inductive methods As for inductive method, facts and figures which were relevant and essential for better understanding and using English proverbs were collected carefully and analyzed thoroughly in order to draw common factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs 4.2 Tackling methods On the way to realize and decide the objectives of the study, I also employed a number of tackling methods namely description, classification, statistics, analysis and syntheses of data Facts, figures and also examples illustrated for English proverbs were fully described and classified and then I put them directly into the analyzing and synthesizing process The results of the data analysis, synthesis and findings have helped me draw some factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs 4.3 Supporting methods Supporting methods consist of references to publication, personal observations and consultant to my supervisor, teachers and friends Reading materials relating to English proverbs and observing the facts have provided me with insights into the common factors Most important of all, I kept regular contact with my supervisor-Dr Phan Van Que-His invaluable assistance and guidance helped me much to understand more clearly about the study and my task I also consulted my friends in my university and in some other universities Discussion with them helped me improve the feasibility and practicality of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW The theoretical background and review of related literature will be discussed under three subheadings: (I.1) Origin of proverbs, (I.2) Definitions of proverbs, (I.3) Characteristics of proverbs I.1 Origin of proverbs “Where proverbs come from?” is a question which is certainly still in the forefront of debate today, yet, it remains controversial and no one can answer for sure Thus, it is no easy task to clearly point out the origin of proverbs I, therefore, propose accepting what many researchers in some most wellresearched books agree According to Vietnamese authors, there are two theories about the occurrence of proverbs  The first theory: Proverbs were composed by poets  The second theory: Proverbs were created by unknown folk authors We can see clearly that the number of proverbs created by folk authors outweighs the number of proverbs composed by poets if these two theories are true According to English authors, there are three theories about the occurrence of proverbs  The first theory: an excellent man spoke and spread the words to the general people  The second theory: Old people who decided morals and virtues created proverbs  The third theory generally: Proverbs began that we stipulate the act of daily life from our experience and proverbs are useful to each of culture and social education The truth is still not known, but the third theory seems the most appropriate I.2 Definitions of proverbs I.2.1 Introduction: The collection of proverbs dates back to millennia, to Sumerian cuneiform tablets, and the theory of proverbs has also a long history Many papers have been published e.g on the origin, definition, use, classification, structure, language, logic, meaning of proverbs etc In this paper some aspects of the definition of proverbs will be dealt with and some notes on the main types and content of proverbs will be presented I.2.2 The definition of proverbs in the literature In the corresponding papers many definitions can be found Professor Mieder in one of his papers with admitted overstatement- puts that “We can almost state that there are more definition attempts than there are proverbs” (Mieder 1989, p.13.) In the 12th century, Mathieu de Vend«me (quoted by Bautier 1984) wrote “A proverb is a popular phrase, accredited by custom accepted by the general opinion, expressing a truth that has been proved genuine” In 1932, Bertlett Jere Whiting gave the following description: “A proverb is an expression which, owing its birth to people, testifies its origin in form and phrase It expresses what is apparently a fundamental truth, - that is a truism- in homely language, often adorned, however, with alliteration and rhyme It is usually short, but need not to be; it is usually true but need not to be Some proverbs have both literal and figurative meaning, either of which makes perfect sense; but more often they have but one of the two A proverb must be venerable; it must bear the sign of antiquity, and, since such signs may be counterfeited by a clever literary man, it should be attested in different places and different times.” (Whiting 1932 p 302) Many previous definitions are listed in Whiting‟s mentioned paper, in the book of Lutz Rohrich and Wolfgang Mieder (Rohrich-Mieder 1972) 55 “popular” definitions have been collected by Wolfgang Mieder in 1985 and the recent paper of Peter Barta should also be mentioned in this context (Barta 1995) If a classification of the proverb definitions is attempted, the following main categories can be distinguished I.2.2.1 An open or implied denial of the possibility of defining proverbs Archer Taylor states that “The definition of a proverb is too difficult to repay the undertaking… an incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial and that other is not” (Taylor 1931) Needless to say, such an incommunicable quality does not exist In 1996, during a discussion of the Tokyo International Proverb Forum, professor Mieder mentioned that Archer Taylor has probably considered it a joke Unfortunately, it has been taken seriously and is quoted over and over again, as it was done in Tokyo too It might be enough to mention that not a mysterious “incommunicable quality”, but – among other- the currency decides that a sentence is a proverb or not If we change only one word, e.g the word “gold” in the English proverb “All that glitters is not gold” to diamond, then it is not an English proverb any more, although all the so-called “makers” would indicate it as such Its currency is zero, it is not told so in this form Matti Kuusi‟s well-known statement that the proverbs are “documenta humana” belongs to the same category: Thus the proverbs are defined by an undefined term, implying the possibility of defining proverbs Malcolm Jones openly proposes a tautology involving an implied possibility of definition: “I shall take refuge in the tautology that a proverb is an expression we recognize as a proverbial” I.2.2.2 A proverb is identical with its text Some examples:  “A proverb is a short sentence of wisdom” (quoted by Mieder 1989 p.15)  “A proverb is a standard statement of moral and colloquial imperatives in fixed metaphorical paradigmatic form, it deals with fundamental logical relationships” (Barley 1972 p.741)  “A proverb is a general statement or judgement, explaining, classifying or assessing a situation” (Harald Burger, quoted by W Mieder 1877 p.2)  “A traditional propositional statement consisting of at least one descriptive element consisting of a topic and a comment” (Dundes 1975)  “Proverbs are popular fixed sentences expressing a rule of conduct or a wisdom in a vivid, short form” (Rohrich-Mieder 1977 p.2) It has, however, been pointed out repeatedly that e.g “two major ingredients… traditionality and currency should be part of any definition” (Mieder 1996 p.597) The importance of the implied general meaning (general idea) was stressed by Matti Kuusi (Kuusi 1996) and Vilmos Voigt (Voigt 1970) The implied scope and limitation of application has been mentioned before (Paczolay 1996 p.282) I.2.2.3 More complex definitions In addition to the definition of Whiting given previously, as examples some definitions are mentioned that include several, sometimes frequent, but not absolutely necessary characteristics, like poetic form, while important ones, like currency or the absence of a known author are missing Some examples: “A short pithy saying in common and recognized use, a concise sentence often metaphorical or alliterative in form, which is held to express some truth ascertained by experience or observation familiar to all, an adage, a wise saw” (Whiting 1932)  “A proverb is a popular set phrase having no author, known mostly in different languages, expressing in one sentence a principle, advice, a genuine or assumed truth in a general, concise form, its basic idea being of general validity, or at least its user considers it as such” (O Nagy 1979 p.645) 50 stupidity, brutality, shame There are also differences in the belief and religion of the two cultures, which leads to animal conceptualism In Vietnamese, dragon, lion, tortoise and phoenix (long, ly, qui, ph-ỵng) respectively are the four most miraculous and precious animals of all Vietnamese ancient legend has it, the dragon – King Lac Long Quan – whose eldest son is King Hung – is the father of the Vietnamese Dragon is, therefore, considered to be the symbol of the King On the contrary, English people suppose that dragon is just “a terrific imaginary animal like a large lizard with wings and claws and able to breathe out fire” (Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary) “Dragon” is also the image of the fastidious and shrewish woman In addition to this, old habits and everyday activities between the two cultures make animal features different For example, in England, cats are often fed with milk and cream That‟s why these two things become their favourite food But in Vietnam, cats like to eat fat Thus, instead of saying “It is like the cat that saw the fat” (Nh- mÌo thÊy mì) as a Vietnamese proverb, English men have this proverb: “It is the cat that stole the milk/cream” Moreover, some animals are familiar to English people but strange to the Vietnamese like “camel, calf, lamb, turkey and sheep…” As a result, we may be confused and find it difficult to translate proverbs with such animals metaphor if they not have enough knowledge of these differences As a matter of fact, it would be hard to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones if we cannot handle both English and Vietnamese cultural factors including similarities and differences Briefly, “proverb” is a special kind of literature It is neither prose nor poetry Form, rhyme and rhythm characterize it If these beauties are lost, all the values of a proverb are not perceptible Translation is a job to re-create the meaning of the proverb but represent it under the cover of a new form Therefore, we cannot translate literally every word but we should find a Vietnamese proverb whose content is similar or almost similar to the English proverb Generally, when we translate an English proverb into a Vietnamese proverb, there appear two cases * Vietnamese equivalent can be found Language is a part of culture It reflects cultural and social facts of a people The similar living setting can lead to the similar thoughts and awareness 51 Although U.K and Vietnam are situated in two different continents, the geographic conditions are also different and in fact, there hasn‟t been any cultural exchange in history, many proverbs which have similar or nearly similar meanings are found everywhere In this case, the difficulty is that with an English proverb, there are many Vietnamese equivalents we, in our translation process, have to choose the most appropriate proverb which expresses right the idea and the spirit of the English proverb Let‟s take an example English proverb: In a calm sea, every man is a pilot Literally translated: Khi sóng yên biển lặng, chẳng hoa tiêu This proverb means in a convenient condition, everyone can prove to be talent With this English proverb, there are many Vietnamese equivalents  Cã giã rung míi biÕt tïng b¸ch cøng Cã ngän lưa hõng míi biÕt thøc vµng cao  Vàng thật chẳng sợ chi lửa Qua gió biết cứng mềm Lửa thử vàng gian nan thö søc We, in our translation process, often get confused whether to choose this proverb or that proverb * Vietnamese equivalent cannot be found The different natural and social condition has created different features of a people and of its culture English proverbs concentrate on reflecting the social relationships They rarely mention the relation of people and nature and their experience in production On the contrary, in the treasure of Vietnamese proverbs, there are many proverbs which mention Vietnamese experience in production, the weather and the nature Additionally, English proverbs mention all the relations in a different setting from the Vietnamese‟s Hence, there are many English proverbs, which are different greatly from Vietnamese proverbs and students, cannot find their Vietnamese equivalents In this case, the difficulty of students in their translation process is that if the Vietnamese version is only a prose sentence, the features of that English proverb such as rhythm and rhyme are not revealed Students have no other ways but try to translate it into a Vietnamese proverb by using all their knowledge and techniques 52 Here are some examples of English proverbs having no Vietnamese equivalents:  Many a good father has a bad son Literally translated: Mét ng-êi cha tèt cã mét ®øa h-  It is easier to get money than to keep it Literally translated: Cã tiỊn th× dƠ giữ tiền A friends frown is better than a foes smile Literally translated: Cái cau mày bạn nụ c-ời kẻ thù Basshus has drowned more men than Neptune Literally translated: Thần Bắc Cực làm chìm đắm nhiều thuyền thần Biển Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow Literally translated: H«m đ-ợc trứng mai đ-ợc gà Better envied than pitied Literally translated: Thà chịu thèm thuồng bị th-ơng hại Choose a wife by your ear rather than your eye Literally translated: Chän vợ tai mắt There are many, many proverbs that have no Vietnamese equivalents and the examples mentioned above are only few of them To summarize, it is very difficult to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones whether we can find Vietnamese equivalents or not Perhaps, it is because we have poor background knowledge of English proverbs and Vietnamese ones, of English and Vietnamese culture, of characteristics of proverbs… 53 CHAPTER III: IMPLICATIONS TOWARDS BETTER PROVERB TRANSLATION III.1 How to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones successfully If learners want to understand English proverbs clearly and use them fluently, they, necessarily, have to know how to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones From long long ago until now, many translators have tried this difficult task and each ones has, surely, had this own effective method In my opinion, there are three steps to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones  Step 1: Translate an English proverb into Vietnamese in a sentence and make sure that its meaning does not change  Step 2: Analyze it to find out the hidden meaning (almost all the proverbs have hidden meanings This is one of the features of proverbs)  Step 3: Find out a Vietnamese proverb which has the same lexical meaning as well as the hidden meaning with the English proverb Step is the compulsory one that translators need to because step and step can only be finished when step has been done However, if translators stop at step 1, the task is considered unfinished “Proverbs” is a special kind of literature It is neither poem nor prose Rhyme, rhythm and form are its specific features If these features are lost, proverbs meanings can not be sensed fully When English proverbs are translated into Vietnamese ones, there exist two cases as followings: III.2 Vietnamese equivalent can be found 54 As mentioned earlier, language is an essential part of culture which reflects the cultural and social fact of a people Thus, although Vietnam and England are in two different continents, many Vietnamese proverbs with the similar meanings to English proverbs can be found easily For example:  In a calm sea, everyman is a pilot Literally translated: Khi sóng yên biển lặng, chẳng hoa tiªu Hidden meaning: In a convenient circumstance, everyone can prove to be talented and qualified In Vietnamese, there are many proverbs which have same meaning with this one: “Cã giã rung míi biÕt tïng b¸ch cøng Cã ngän lưa hừng biết thức vàng cao Vàng thật chẳng sợ chi lửa Qua gió biết cứng mỊm” “Lưa thư vµng, gian nan thư søc” In this case, learners have to choose the most suitable proverb which shows exactly the meaning and all the beautiful features of the original one In my opinion, the Vietnamese proverb “Löa thư vµng, gian nan thư søc” seems to be of this kind Another example can be found: “A bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit” Literally translated: Mét sù thoả thuận kiện tụng giỏi Hidden meaning: If there is harmony, there will be peace Here are a number of its Vietnamese equivalents: Một điều nhịn, chín điều lành Chồng giận vợ bớt lời Cơm sôi nhỏ lửa có đời khê 55 Dĩ hoà vi quý Chín bỏ làm mời The Vietnamese proverb Một điều nhịn, chín điều lành can be seen clearly to be the most suitable equivalent “A burnt child dreads the fire” Literally translated: Một đứa bé bị bỏng luôn sợ löa Hidden meaning: People will be afraid of things that caused them misfortune Let‟s look at its Vietnamese equivalent: “Con chim phải đạn sợ cong Trợt vỏ da thấy vỏ dừa sợ Phải cái, vái đến giµ” III.3 Vietnamese equivalent cannot be found In this case, the difficulty is that: If learners translate the English proverb into a Vietnamese sentence, they can only understand its meaning As a result, rhythm and rhyme (known as the specific features of proverbs) are not found in that sentence Here are some suggestions for this case III.3.1 We can add or omit words to create rhyme ( rhyme in succession, rhyme in separation, relative rhyme or perfect rhyme) This is a special feature of Vietnamese that is very easy to notice That is: reduplicative word and united words are used frequently Vietnamese people rarely say: nhà bừa Instead, they often say Nhà cửa bừa bộn Nhà goes with “cöa” creating a united word, “bõa” goes with “bén” creating a reduplicative word Using words like that makes Vietnamese symmetrical and rhythmic This is the feature we should take advantage of when we translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones For example:  Many a good father has a bad son Literally translated: Mét ng-êi cha tèt vÉn cã thÓ cã mét ®øa h- 56 This proverb means: Sometimes in a respectable family, there is a spoilt child This proverb can be translated: Cha hiền lành, đanh độc Here, the word “®anh” is added to create a reduplicative word: “®anh ®éc” and at the same time create rhyme for the proverb Another example:  A soft answer turns away wrath Literally translated: Câu trả lời dịu dàng làm giảm bớt giận This proverb can be translated: Câu trả lời dịu dàng xua tan thịnh né Here, the word “tan” is added to create the united word “xua tan” as well as create rhyme for the proverb More examples can be found:  A shy cat makes a proud mouse Literally translated: MÌo bÏn lÏn khiÕn chuét kiªu h·nh This proverb can be translated: ThÊy hiền đâm xiên lỗ mũi Every bird likes its own nest Literally translated: Mọi chim yêu quí tổ This proverb can be translated: đâu ©u ®Êy III.3.2 Creating rhyme by repeating words For example:  It is easy to get money than to keep it Literally translated: Có tiền dễ giữ tiền This proverb can be translated: Có không khó, giữ khó Soon learnt, soon forgotten Literally translated: điều biết nhanh lại quên nhanh This proverb can be translated: Chãng biÕt, chãng quªn  Bad new has wings Literally translated: Tin có cánh This proverb can be translated: Lành đồn xa, đồn xa One fire drives out another 57 Literally translated: Mét ngän löa dƠ ch¸y lan réng This proverb can be translated: LÊy ®éc trÞ ®éc  Scratch my back and I‟ll scratch yours Literally translated: G·i l-ng cho t«i råi t«i sÏ g·i cho anh This proverb can be translated: Cã ®i có lại toại lòng Cry with one eye and laugh with the other Literally translated: Khãc b»ng mắt c-ời mắt This proverb can be translated: Vừa ăn c-ớp vừa la làng III.3.3 The proverb can be translated into a Vietnamese six-eight meter A number of Vietnamese proverbs have the six-eight meter forms This feature can be taken advantage of in the translating process After students have finished step and step and understood all the lexical as well as the hidden meaning of the proverb, they can change it into the six-eight meter form For example:  East or West, Home is best Literally translated: Dù rẽ Đông hay sang Tây, nhà hay This proverb means: There is nowhere better than the place where we were born and grew up This proverb can be translated: Cho dï khắp bốn ph-ơng Về nhà biết quê h-ơng ®©u b»ng  Every bird love to hear himself sing Literally translated: Con chim nµo cịng thÝch nghe giäng hãt cđa m×nh This proverb means: People often consider them and theirs are the best This proverb can be translated: X-a thái nhân tình Vợ ng-ời đẹp văn m×nh th× hay  A life without a friend is a life without sun 58 Literally translated: Mét cuéc sống bạn sống ánh mặt trời This proverb can be translated: Đời thiếu mặt trời Ng-ời thiếu ng-ời tri ©m  Fish and company stink in three days Literally translated: Cá thuỷ thủ thối ba ngày This proverb can be translated: R-ợu nhạt uống say Ng-ời khôn nói hay nhàm  One can‟t translate please all the world and his wife Litrally translated: Không làm hài lòng giới vợ This proverb can be translated: ë cho võa lßng ng-êi ë réng ng-êi c-êi ë hĐp ng-êi chª  early to bed and early to rise make a man healthy, weathly and wise Literally translated: Ngđ sím vµ dËy sím khiÕn ng-êi ta khoẻ mạnh, giàu có sáng suốt This proverb can be translated: Giàu đâu đến kẻ ngủ tr-a Sang đâu đến kẻ say s-a tối ngày III.3.4 Creating two equal, parallel clause One more feature of Vietnamese proverbs is that one proverb often has many clauses, especially two symmetical, parallel clauses However, in English, even the contradictory proverbs sometimes not have the parallel forms Students can translate an English proverb by creating a Vietnamese proverb with two or more clauses, together with creating rhyme so that the translated proverb, more or less, has the feature of a Vietnamese proverb For example:  A light purse is a heavy curse Literally translated: ví nhẹ tay đồng nghĩa với lời trách móc nặng nề 59 This proverb means: When the family faces the economic problem, its members often quarrel This proverb can be translated: VÝ nhÑ tay, hay c·i cä  An empty vessel gives a greater sound than a full barrel Literally translated: Mét c¸i thùng rỗng th-ờng kêu to thùng đầy This proverb means: The talented are often modest and the ignorant are often boastful This proverb can be translated: Thïng đầy kêu nhỏ, thùng rỗng kêu to Every country has its customs Literally translated: n-ớc có phong tục tập quán riêng This proverb can be translated: Đất có lỊ, quª cã thãi  Hasty love is soon hot and soon cold Literally translated: Tình yêu vội vàng chóng thành, chóng tan This proverb can be translated: Cả thÌm, chãng ch¸n  Once a thief, always a thief Literally translated: Một lần ăn c-ớp đời ¨n cíp This proverb can be translated: ¡n c¾p quen tay, ngủ ngày quen mắt Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother Literally translated: Hµng xãm gần tốt anh em xa This proverb can be translated: Bán giềng gần anh em xa, mua l¸ng  Company in distress makes trouble less Literally translated: Bạn bè làm giảm phiền muộn lúc đau khổ This proverb can be translated: Niềm vui nhân đôi, nỗi buồn sỴ nưa III.3.5 Making tone symmetrical 60 In some cases, proverbs have no rhyme To make the proverb rhythmic, students can make tone symmetrical  Friends are plenty when the purse is full Literally translated: Khi ví tiền đầy ắp có bạn bè This proverb can be translated: TiỊn lÊm, b¹n nhiỊu  Great talkers are little doers Literally translated: Những kẻ nói nhiều chẳng làm đ-ợc This proverb can be translated: Nói nhiều, làm  The more you make your choice, the more you get into troubles Literally translated: Bạn lựa chọn kỹ bạn gặp nhiều rắc rối Walls have ears Literally translated: C¸c bøc t-êng cịng cã tai This proverb can be translated: Tai vách, mạch dừng These are some suggestions in order to help students translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones successfully In some cases, students can combine all of those suggestions to the translation *** 61 PART C CONCLUSION English proverb, as discussed above, is a fundamental aspect of English study Getting to know English proverbs, therefore, plays a significant role in the studying process As a matter of fact, there are many factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs The study has brought some insights into some of the most common factors which, to some extents, hinder learners from mastering English proverbs Besides, some implications on how to translate English proverbs into Vietnamese ones sucessfully are also employed as proverbs translation is a hard task to fulfil Actually, doing research on English proverbs is a hard nut to crack as the knowledge of English proverbs is so vast and detailed Due to limited time, resources and knowledge, the study could leave much room for consideration Therefore, comments, if any, on the study will be highly appreciated However, it is hoped that the study, to some extent, will be of some significant in the improvement of understanding and using English proverbs in Vietnam 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY  Dictionaries Addition Westley Longman Longman Dictionary of English language and culture1988 A.S Hornby Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary Oxfords University Press-1995 Chiris Baldick The concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms Oxford University Press-1991 Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionarry Collins London and Glasgow-1988 E.D Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F Kett, and James Trefil The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy Houghton Mifflin Company-2002 63 Harper Collins BBC English Dictionary Harper Collins Publisher-1992 Hugh Trappes- Lomax Learners‟ wordfinder Dictionary Oxford University Press-1997 RL Trask A student‟s Dictionary of language and linguistics Oxfords University Press Inc-1997 William George Smith The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs Clarendon Press- 1935  English Bock, P.K (Ed) Culture Shock New York-1970 Brown, W.R Language- Thought and Culture University of Michigan press-1959 Deeve I.M English proverbs and how to use them Prosveshchenie-1970 Deignan Alice English Guide Metaphor Collins Cobuild-1989 Gvarzhaladze I.S English proverbs and saying-1971 Joseph de Roche A health introduction to poetry D.C Health & Company-1988 Knornieka, A.M Metaphor, Personification et comparisons-1966 Nguyen Hoa An introduction to Semantics VNU Publishing House-2001 64 Vietnamese Đinh Gia Khánh & Chu Xuân Diên Văn học dân gian Nxb Đại học & trung học chuyên nghiệp-1991 Lê Đức Trọng Từ điển giải thích thuật ngữ ngôn ngữ học Nxb Tp Hå ChÝ Minh-1993 Ngun L©n Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam Nxb Khoa học xà hội-1989 Nguyễn Tấn lực Châm ngôn tục ngữ Anh-Việt Nxb trẻ- 2004 Nguyễn Trần Trụ Thành ngữ, tục ngữ l-ợc giải Nxb Văn hóa thông tin-2004 Phạm Văn Vĩnh (Cb) Tục ngữ so sánh Nxb Hà Nội-2003 Ph-ơng Thu Ca dao, tục ngữ Việt Nam Nxb Thanh niên- 2004 Trần Hoàng Trân Tục ngữ- Thành ngữ Việt- Anh & Anh Việt thờng dùng Nxb Văn hoá thông tin Hà Nội 2001 Trần Ngọc Thêm Cơ sở văn hoá Việt Nam Nxb Giáo dục-1997 10 Vũ Ngọc Phan Tục ngữ- Ca dao- Dân ca Việt Nam Nxb Khoa häc x· héi – Hµ Néi-2001 ... one ? ?Towards better understanding and using English proverbs? ??’ My study only looks for some very main and common factors leading to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs In... to difficulties in understanding and using English proverbs II.2 Differences in using metaphor in English and Vietnamese proverbs Most proverbs (both Vietnamese and English proverbs) use metaphor... Differences between proverbs and other related terms For ? ?better understanding and using English proverbs? ??, differences between proverbs, idioms and “ca dao” are also mentioned because in proverbs “there