CHAPTER 4: EQUIVALENTS IN TRANSLATION AND STRATEGIES TO DEAL
4.3 Equivalents and non-equivalents at words level in the selected short story “The
4.3.1. At-word-level equivalence in the selected short story “The last leaf” by O’Henry and the Vietnamese translated version
by O’Henry and the Vietnamese translated version
Referring to types of translation equivalence, it is stated by Nida and Taber (1968) that there are two popular types of equivalence, including formal and dynamic equivalence. Translation equivalence was also investigated by Catford (1965) who focused on a more linguistic-based approach to translation which was based on the linguistic work of Firth and Halliday. According to Catford (1965), there are three criteria for categorization of translation equivalence, including:
1) The extent of translation (full translation vs. partial translation);
2) The grammatical rank at which the translation equivalence is established
(rank-bound translation vs. unbounded translation);
3) The levels of language involved in translation (total translation vs. restricted translation).
Thus, as Catford claims a formal correspondence could be said to exist between English and Vietnamese if relations between ranks have approximately the same configuration in both languages.
Translation equivalence was also the center of focus in the study by Baker (1992) which addressed equivalence at different levels:
1) When texts are translated from one language to another, equivalences may appear at different levels, at word or above word level.
2) Types of equivalents in translation includes:
i) Grammatical equivalence, referring to the equivalence of grammatical structures between SL and TL
ii) Textual equivalence, referring to the equivalence between SL and TL regarding information and cohesion.
iii) Pragmatic equivalence referring to implicatures and strategies of avoidance during the translation process.
In this current study which explores at-word level equivalence and non- equivalence in the selected short story “The last leaf” and its Vietnamese translated version, the researcher examined at-word-level equivalents depending on Baker’s perspective.
Grammatical equivalence is the most popular equivalence appearing in the short story “The last leaf” and its Vietnamese translated version. For example:
(4.1) One Street crosses itself a time or two.
(Một con đường cắt ngang chính nó một hai lần.) (4.2) That was in May.
(Đó là hồi tháng Năm.)
(4.3) One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a shaggy, gray eyebrow.
(Một bữa sáng nọ, ông bác sĩ mời Sue ra ngoài hành lang, nhướng đôi mày
rậm)
In the example (4.1)-(4.3) grammatical structures are kept in the same patterns.
Sentence (4.1) written in the structure “S (One street) + V (Crosses) + Reflexive pronoun (itself) + adverb (a time or two)” was translated into Vietnamese with the same structure “S (Một con đường ) + V (cắt ngang) + Reflexive pronoun (chính nó) + adverb (một hai lần)”. Grammatical patterns in the examples (4.2) and (4.3) are also translated without changes into Vietnamese.
Textual equivalences are also identified in the selected short story “The last leaf” and Vietnamese version, for example:
(4.4) After the doctor had gone Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp. Then she swaggered into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime
(Sau khi ông bác sĩ bỏ đi, Sue trở vào phòng làm việc và khóc đến nhão chiếc khăn giấy Nhật Bản. Sau đó cô vác cái giá vẽ vào phòng Johnsy, miệng ba hoa những câu bông đùa chọc vui.)
(4.5) She arranged her board and began a pen-and-ink drawing to illustrate a magazine story.
(Cô ta sắp xếp giá vẽ và bắt đầu minh họa cho một truyện đăng báo.)
(4.6) Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting - counting backward.
(Johnsy đang mở tròn mắt, nhìn ra ngoài cửa sổ và đếm. Đếm ngược.)
In the examples from (4.4) to (4.6), the translator made some changes in word orders or grammatical structure to ensure the conveyed information and cohesion which generates textual equivalence.
Lastly, pragmatic equivalence is another translation equivalence found in this current study. Some examples illustrate this type of equivalence as follows:
(4.7) In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the colony, touching one here and there with his icy fingers.
Vào tháng mười một thì trời phái một ông khách lạnh lùng mà các ngài bác sĩ thường gọi là Bệnh Viêm Phổi đến khủng bố khu "thuộc địa", thò cái bàn tay lạnh
ngắt, sờ chỗ này một chút, vỗ chỗ kia một phát.
In the example (4.7) the name “Pneumonia” was directly translated into “Bệnh Viêm Phổi” to keep the implicature of the writer.
(4.8) "Six," said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. "They’re falling faster now.
Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them.
But now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."
("Sáu." Johnsy nói, gần như thì thầm. "Nó bắt đầu rụng nhanh rồi. Ba ngày trước còn cả trăm, làm mình đếm đến nhức đầu. Nhưng bây giờ thì dễ rồi. Lại một chiếc nữa rụng kìa. Chỉ còn có năm chiếc.")
(4.9) "Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I"ve known that for three days. Didn"t the doctor tell you?"
("Lá! Lá trên giây nho. Khi chiếc lá nho cuối cùng rơi xuống thì mình cũng sẽ đi luôn. Mình nghiệm ra điều đó ba hôm rồi. Bác sĩ không nói cho bạn biết như vậy sao?")
Similarly, the implicatures of “the last leaf” and “falling leaves” are also kept in the same in the examples (4.8) and (4.9).
To sum up, in the investigation into the selected short story “The last leaf” and its Vietnamese translated version, there are many translation equivalences in which the grammar, textual, and pragmatic equivalences are the most prevalent ones.