Strategies in translating culture specific items in dumb luck

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER STRATEGIES IN TRANSLATING CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS IN DUMB LUCK Supervisor: Ngô Hà Thu, MCS Student name: Dương Mỵ Trinh Grade: QH13.F1.E16 HÀ NỘI – 2017 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP CÁC PHƯƠNG PHÁP DỊCH THUẬT NGỮ VĂN HÓA TRONG TÁC PHẨM SỐ ĐỎ Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Th.S Ngơ Hà Thu Sinh viên: Dương Mỵ Trinh Khố: QH2013.E16 HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2017 DECLARARTION I hereby state that I: (Duong My Trinh, group QH2013.F1.E16 ), being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) 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 Duong My Trinh Hanoi, 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms Ngo Ha Thu, MCS for her precious guidance, valuable advice as well as her patience which guided me at every stage of the paper and kept me on the right track I am also grateful to my classmates who read and critiqued various drafts of this paper and instantly gave me unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout the process of this paper I also would like to delicate my special thanks to all the lecturers in the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education at the University of Languages and International Studies for their devotion to enrich and broaden my knowledge over the past years Finally, I am especially wish to acknowledge the support and caring from my family and friends from the beginning to the end of this research i ABSTRACT Translation of culture-specific items (hereafter referred to as CSIs) has long posed great challenges towards translators as these items are composed of specific meanings, implications that belong exclusively to the source language and culture Among the studies carried out on CSIs translation in Vietnamese-English, inadequate attention was directed towards CSIs in 1930-1945 literary works This situation brought this paper into existence Regarding CSIs’ uniqueness and textual dependence nature, the paper investigated strategies used by Peter Zinoman in rendering CSIs belonging to different culture categories in So Do - an outstanding work in 1930-1945 The novel So Do and its English version translated by Peter Zinoman and Nguyen Nguyet Cam were chosen as subjects of this study CSIs classification was adapted from Newmark’s theory of culture categories while translation strategies were based on Baker’s translation taxonomy The 266 CSIs identified in the novel and their translation revealed that only out of strategies were applied and there were substantial gap in their proportions Translation by paraphrase using related words (36%) and translation by a more neutral/ less expressive word (17%) were the most favorable strategies employed by Peter Zinoman ii CONTENT ABBREVIATIONS .v List of figures and tables vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Hypotheses 1.3 Objectives and research questions 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Organization of the thesis .4 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Culture-specific items 2.1.1 Definition of Culture-specific items .6 2.1.2 Characteristics of Culture-specific items 2.1.3 Classification .7 2.2 Culture-specific items translation 10 2.2.1 Translation 10 2.2.2 Strategies for Culture-specific Items translation .11 2.2.3 Strategies for Culture-specific Items translation in this study 15 2.2.4 Difficulties in translating culture-specific items 15 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 17 3.1 Selection of subjects .17 3.2 Data collection procedures 17 3.3 Data analysis procedures 19 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 20 iii 4.1 Research question 20 4.2 Research question 22 4.2.1.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Ecology .22 4.2.2.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Material culture 23 4.2.3.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Social Culture 28 4.2.4.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Organization, customs, ideas 29 4.2.5.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Slang/ Idioms 30 4.2.6.Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Proper names 32 4.2.7 The most common strategies used for translation of CSIs in So Do 33 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS 36 5.1 Summary results 36 5.2 Limitations of the study 37 5.3.Recommendations for further study 38 REFERENCES 39 Appendix 41 Appendix 44 Appendix 49 Appendix 58 Appendix 59 iv ABBREVIATIONS CSIs: Culture-Specific Items SL: Source Language TL: Target Language v List of figures and tables Names of figures Figure 1: Example of an entry in the collected data Figure 2: Ratio of Culture-specific items in each sub-culture Figure 3: Ratio of translation strategies List of tables Table 1: CSIs categories applied in the present study Table 2: Ratio of Culture-specific items in each sub-culture Table 3: Translation of some CSIs in Ecology Table 4: Translation of some CSIs in Food and Medicine Table 5: Translation of some CSIs in Clothes Table 6: Translation of some CSIs in Houses, buildings, transportation Table 7: Translation of some CSIs in Measuring system Table 8: Translation of some CSIs in Social Culture Table 9: Translation of some CSIs in Organization, customs, ideas Table 10: Translation of some CSIs in Slang/ Idioms Table 11: Translation of some CSIs in Proper names Table 12: Frequency and ratio of translation strategies vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION The very first chapter serves as a concise map for the study, which covers its rationale, objectives and research questions, significance and scope 1.1 Rationale Literature has long been known to serve as a medium for enhancing the cultural awareness between countries, including Vietnam and English-speaking nations As a result, literary translation plays an integral part of bridging the gaps between cultures CSIs translation, one of the most challenging tasks in this realm of translation, therefore, has drawn much attention from theorists as well as researchers Newmark (1988), for instance, proposed a detailed classification of CSIs while Baker (1992) paid more attention to the non-equivalence aspect of CSIs and presented common cases of non-equivalence at word level Vietnamese-English translation of CSIs has also been a topic of interest to a number of translation graduate theses, namely A Study on the Translation of Culture-Specific Items related to Vietnamese Folk Games (Tran, 2015); Procedures and Strategies in the Vietnamese-English Translation of Culture-Specific Items (Ngo, 2012) The attention directed towards Vietnamese-English translation of CSIs, however, is unevenly distributed It is true that these CSIs studies have varied in different aspects such as folk games, customs, foods, or CSIs appeared in specific books: Hanoi’s Ancient Features by Tran Manh Thuong, Wandering through Vietnamese Culture by Huu Ngoc Yet they are all restricted to the contemporary Vietnam’s culture and neglect the periods before that Such eras include the 19301945 period when Vietnamese literature was stirred by the Realistic Style (Nguyen, 2004) Vietnam society in the transition from feudalism to a French colony furnished literature at that time with ample CSIs Therefore, further study in this aspect should be taken into consideration 17 tay-ơ tay-ơ (tailor) 18 toa Toa (Note: Toi and Mai (you and I)) 19 moa Moa 20 via Via (Note: Vieux (old man)) 21 đinh dâu a small pimple on his chin 22 ông vua thuốc lậu King of Venereal Disease Treatment 23 thằng xe rickshaw coolie/ rickshaw puller 24 chân ngựa người Hooves 25 bồi tiêm thuốc phiện prepare and serve opium 26 cụ lang Herbalist 27 an cư lạc nghiệp Live 28 lang băm charlatan/ quack 29 đọa thai Miscarriages 30 đánh mộng massage the eyeball sẩy thai the time in a woman's 31 bệnh trần kinh start her menopause life at which she can no longer reproduce 32 danh sư famous herbalists 33 Me Sừ Me Sừ (Monsieur) 46 Note below: Lancer 34 lăng-xê lăng-xê 35 bỉ nhân Your humble student 36 lúy Lúy 37 Ami Ami 38 đào mỏ prospecting skills 39 cường hào Tyrants 40 quốc sỉ national disgrace 41 bổ cau chopping areca nuts 42 choi choi a water bug 43 tổ tôm tổ tôm, a card game 44 mật thám undercover security agents 45 ngự giá Imperial Journeys 46 nhà thâm nho traditional Confucian scholar (to launch) Lui (he) Note below: Amie (girlfriend) a special quality or 47 phong lưu glamorous aura feeling that seems to come from a person 48 hát cô đầu entertaining singing girls 49 bần tăng a poor monk 50 ống nhổ Spittoon 47 51 trường kỷ Sofa 52 ôten ô-ten 53 bình phong Curtain Note below: hotel terra: soil-material 54 đôn sứ cotta: Shape terra-cotta pillars pillar: function 55 chiếu straw mat The western feather 56 chổi lông gà dusters are different feather duster from Vietnam’s in material and shape 57 sập gụ khảm an ornate ebony bed encrusted with mother-of pearl 48 Appendix Culture-specific items: Organizations, customs and ideas No Vietnamese words/phrases English equivalents Sở Liêm Phóng Quan Phù Thái Tuế Security Office/ French Security Police Quan Phu and Thai Tue Đông Dương đại hội Kinh the Financial and Economic tế Tài Congress of Indochina quan tồn quyền Governor tuần phủ province chiefs tổng đốc Governors chánh tổng cục thể thao quan thống sứ the resident superior ông huyện district chief director of the General Athletic Department 10 bà Bé Tý Madame Be Ty 11 bóp Hàng Ðậu Hàng Đậu police station 12 số tử vi horoscope chart 13 minh tinh mourning flag 14 nhà táng a paper and bamboo house for the ritual offering 49 Note 15 kèn tầu A Chinese bugle 16 kiệu bát cống Sedan coffin 17 câu đối Banners with parallel verse 18 lọng Umbrella 19 cáo phó Obituary 20 tường thuật a funeral notice 21 báo bảo hoàng royalist newspaper Sedan: the seat, coffin for funeral account for the person's life, for important pp only Hai đRc biệt quan trọng Tử Vi Tuần báo hiệu trắc 22 Tuần triệt Bad stars trở, khó khăn cRn Triệt báo hiệu bế tắc, chướng ngại lớn, lụn bại nRng nề 23 Nhân trung 24 thuốc Thánh đền Bia flute of an upper lip Note below: Quelques balles (some balls) sacred medicine from the Bia Pagoda 25 cải giá Remarriage for woman 26 tục huyền Remarriage for man 27 số đào hoa Luck in Love 50 28 cải lương Nam Kỳ southern opera 29 ông thầy số fortune-teller 30 xem quẻ Read my fortune 31 ngày rằm the fifteenth day of 32 gà lên chuồng the hour when the chickens start to sleep 33 Chính chuyên marital fidelity 34 Cung quan lộc fame and fortune quadrant 35 Con giời, Phật 36 Quỷ Cốc Tử Son of Heaven, Son of Buddha Famous Soothsayer Quỷ Cốc Tử the boy had been born only 37 cầu tự after his mother had prayed in dozens of pagodas/ a gift from heaven red insignias that were 38 dấu ấn son đỏ supposed to ward off evil spirits 39 xem số Horoscope 40 xem tướng physiognomy 41 lưỡng độ multiple husbands 51 42 Kim Anh lệ sử The Tearful History of Kim Anh Note below: Character from Nguyễn Du's 43 Hoạn Thư Hoạn Thư celebrated verse narrative Kim Vân Kiều, renowned for her jealousy 44 Nội tướng Commanders of Internal the wife, who is in charge Affairs of the family 45 Kiên trinh Resolute Faithfulness 46 chợ phiên Festivals life's four essential pleasures 47 tứ khoái (eating, sleeping, making love, and going to the toilet) 48 Hồng lô tự thiếu khanh Hồng lô tự thiếu khanh medal Note below: Medal of Work and Social Merit Note below: Phạm Qùynh (1898-1945) and Nguyễn 49 Phạm Quỳnh hay Nguyễn Phạm Quỳnh and Nguyễn Văn Văn Vĩnh Vĩnh Văn Vĩnh (1882-1936) were prominent francophone intellectuals and journalists during the interwar era 52 Note below: Croix de Feua right-wing party in 50 Thập tự lửa Thập tự lửa interwar France founded initially as a veterans' organization in 1920 51 chưởng lý văn khế Lawyer 52 xin âm dương consult the yin-yang coins 53 Thánh bạn lộc 54 đêm tân hôn 55 cắt tai lợn 56 tRng nhị chung 57 tam tRng tứ đức 58 trinh tiết đức hạnh 59 chúc từ 60 Kim cổ kỳ ngôn 61 môn đăng hậu đối the saint suggested this treatment wedding night cutting off the ears of the roast add words: roast to clarify pig not "alive pig" follow and remain faithful to her husband three obligations and the four virtues chastity, morality, and decorum formal speech The Peculiar Language of the Old and the New come from families of the same social rank 53 avoided all taboo food and 62 kiêng khem activities thought to bring bad luck refrained from offering praise 63 quở quang for her son that might draw the attention of evil spirits 64 bán khoán 65 đội bát nhang 66 cúng 67 sở tấu 68 khâm liệm made offerings and pledged to dedicate her son to Heaven carried an incense bowl on her head Pray chanted verse written in Chinese characters deceased party was wrapped in a shroud and left idle 69 phúng viếng make ritual offerings 70 chia buồn express their condolences 71 hối hôn break up the marriage 72 cưới chạy tang move the wedding date up before the funeral 73 phường kèn Clarinetists 74 cất đám The funeral began 75 Bắc Đẩu bội linh the Legion of Honor 54 76 Long bội tinh the Imperial Medal 77 Cao Mên bội tinh the Cambodian Medal 78 Vạn Tượng bội tinh 79 kèn Xuân nữ 80 kiệu bát cống 81 lốc bốc xoảng 82 ép duyên the Ten Thousand Elephants Medal mournful tones emanating from the clarinets large house made from paper and bamboo Trumpet forcing others to marry against their will 83 vRng hoa mourning wreaths 84 Hội Phật giáo Buddhist Association 85 xin sớ 86 rồng cháu tiên request a written good luck prayer the children of dragons and the grandchildren of fairies 87 thiên tử Son of Heaven 88 hương án Altar 89 90 Tiết hạnh khả phong Xiêm La Cờ tam tài Medal of Siamese Virtue three-colored flag 55 91 tô tượng restoring old Buddhist statues 92 đúc chuông cast bronze temple bells 93 Bắc Kỳ Tonkin 94 Trung Kỳ Annam 95 Thành chung a diploma from a good secondary school 96 nhà săm Brothel 97 gái giang hồ Prostitute 98 sách Thánh hiền 99 đồng bóng 100 tứ thư ngũ kinh đức Khổng 101 gửi quan tài 102 bán khoán tới cửa Phật sacred book of saints and sages old fuddy-duddies Confucian Book of Music coffin donations children consecrated by their parents 103 khuê (girl) from good family 104 đất đế đô văn vật the old impe rialcapital The pseudonym for a well- 105 Tú Mỡ Tú Mỡ known satirical poet of the era 106 tang gia bối rối someone mourning the death 56 of a family member 107 thủ tiết remain a widow 108 ăn khao bảy mươi ko dịch 109 người đàn bà (nạ dRng) middle-aged 110 Chí bình sinh only ambition in life 111 giai tân gái góa unmarried men or widows 112 nhân tình thái The Way of the World 113 uyên ương a perfect couple 114 bán sử nữ partial purity 115 bách niên giai lão a hundred years of happiness 116 nghiên mực ink jar 117 miếng son a tube of lipstick 118 ống bút pencil holder 119 bút lông feathered pen 120 giấy a small piece of tissue paper 57 woman who have had many children Appendix Culture-specific items: Slang/Idioms No Vietnamese words/phrases English equivalents Nhiều thầy thối ma too many cooks may spoil the soup nuôi ong tay áo let the bee live up your sleeve! boi gio trát trấu sullied the family's honor há miệng mắc quai cử lưỡng tiện nam viết hữu, thập nữ viết vô dared not disclose it for fear that it might reflect badly on them kill two birds with one stone One son counts, ten girls don't tai vách mạch rừng the walls had ears and the forest veins! dĩ hoà vi quý live and let live lão giả an chí old people who should be content and enjoy life 10 uốn lưỡi bảy lần Delete 58 Note Appendix Culture-specific items: Proper names No Vietnamese words/phrases English equivalents Xuân Tóc Đỏ Red-haired Xuân Cụ cố tổ Great-Grand Pa Cụ cố Hồng Grandpa Hồng Bà Phó Đoan Cậu Phước Little master Blessing Ông bà Văn Minh (Mr and Mrs.) Civilization Cơ Hồng Hơn Mrs Sunset Ơng Phán mọc sừng Horned senior clerk Cô Tuyết Miss Snow 10 Ông TYPN (Mr.) ILL 11 (Cô) Nga Ms Moon 12 (Cụ lang) Phế Dr Lung 13 Cụ lang Tì Dr Spleen 14 Cụ Tuần Vi Provincial Governor Vi 15 Ông Hai Mr Two 16 Ông Joseph Thiết (Mr.) Joseph Thiết (Mrs.) Deputy Customs Officer 59 Note 17 Ông Phán dây thép a senior clerk 18 Ông Victor Ban (Mr.) Vitor Ban 19 Bác sĩ Trực Ngôn Dr Straight Talk 20 Cậu Tú Tân Young Mr Tân 21 Ông Cẩm Tây The French captain 22 Sư Tăng Phú monk Brother Tang Phu 23 Thầy Min Officer Min 24 Thầy Min toa Officer Min toa 25 cậu ký Đại Đại the clerk 60 ... translation strategies employed by Peter Zinoman in translating each of these culture- specific items in Dumb Luck? 4.2.1 Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Ecology Only 15 CSIs found in So... 4.2.1 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Ecology .22 4.2.2 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Material culture 23 4.2.3 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Social Culture. .. 4.2.4 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Organization, customs, ideas 29 4.2.5 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in Slang/ Idioms 30 4.2.6 .Strategies applied for translating CSIs in