A STUDY OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES IN THE NOVEL “JANE EYRE” BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE AND THEIR VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS

TABLE OF CONTENT INTRODUCTION 3 1 1 Rationale 3 1 2 Aims of Study 3 1 3 Scope of the Study 3 1 4 Research Methods 4 DEVELOPMENT 5 2 1 Literature Review 5 2 1 1 Mood 5 a) Indicative Mood 5 b) Imperative Mood 5 c) Subjunctive Mood 6 2 1 2 Tense 8 2 1 2 1 Concept of tense 8 2 1 2 2 Types of tense 8 2 1 3 The English Conditional sentences 10 2 2 Findings and Discussions 12 2 2 1 The basic types of conditional sentences employed in the novel Jane Eyre and their Vietnamese equivalents 12 2 2 1 1 The.

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 Rationale 3

1.2 Aims of Study 3

1.3 Scope of the Study 3

1.4 Research Methods 4

DEVELOPMENT 5

2.1 Literature Review 5

2.1.1 Mood 5

a) Indicative Mood 5

b) Imperative Mood 5

c) Subjunctive Mood 6

2.1.2 Tense 8

2.1.2.1 Concept of tense 8

2.1.2.2 Types of tense 8

2.1.3 The English Conditional sentences 10

2.2 Findings and Discussions 12

2.2.1 The basic types of conditional sentences employed in the novel "Jane Eyre" and their Vietnamese equivalents 12

2.2.1.1 The zero conditional sentences 12

2.2.1.2 The first conditional sentences 14

2.2.1.3 The second conditional sentences 17

2.2.1.4 The third conditional sentences 21

2.2.1.5 The mixed conditional sentences 23

2.2.2 The pragmatic functions of conditional sentences in the novel and its Vietnamese equivalent 25

2.2.3 Implications for translating conditional sentences in the novel 31

2.2.3.1 Some mistakes that learners often have in using English conditional

sentences in the novel 31 2.2.3 2 The ways to help learners overcome difficulties in translating English conditional sentences in the novel 32 REFERENCES 38 APPENDICES 40

1.1 Rationale

Over the past decades, English has become the most dominating language

of the world and a great ladder for the process of integrating into regional andinternational economic and diplomatic development

However, for many Vietnamese learners, grammar is considered as one ofthe biggest arduous issues in English, and one of the most difficult sentenceconstruction to comprehend is conditional sentences Because Englishconditionals require producing grammatically correct conditional sentenceswhile coordinating verb forms in both the “ if” and the result clauses.Additionally, the fact that verb forms often do not retain their normal temporalmeaning makes it even more complex

Therefore, in this study, I would like to set an examination for thestructures and the usage of conditional sentences in English and Vietnamese inthe novel “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte and its Vietnamese equivalents andthen discuss as well as suggest some implications related to translating Englishconditional sentences to Vietnamese learners

1.2 Aims of Study

In this research, results are expected to help Vietnamese learners to have:

- The deeper insight of English conditionals;

- Some methods to avoid possible deplorable mistakes in translating theconditional sentences

1.3 Scope of the Study

Due to the limited amount of time, reference source and capability, Iwould like to focus only on “If” conditional sentences in the novel “Jane Eyre”

by Charlotte Bronte and their Vietnamese equivalents

1.4 Research Methods

The methods are used the most in this Study are consulting, collecting,classifying and synthetizing materials

DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Literature Review

Concepts that are mentioned in the theoretical background of interpretinginclude an overview of mood, tense and English conditional sentences

2.1.1 Mood

2.1.1.1 Concept of Mood

According to E.M.Gordon and I.P.Krylova: “Mood is the form of the

which shows the relation between the action expressed by the predicate verb and reality”

V Vinogradov also expressed the same idea in another way: “Mood

expresses the relation of the action to reality as stated by the speaker”.

2.1.1.2 Types of Mood

a) Indicative Mood

According to llyish (1971), the use of the Indicative Mood shows that thespeakers (or writers) present the action or real We can use indicative mood to

give information (she likes going for walks every evening), to express opinions (I

like the drinks of that coffee shop) to make promises (I will always be by your side).

b) Imperative Mood

The Imperative Mood is a verb form that gives a command includingorders, requests, advice, instructions, and warnings

We have the following different kinds of the imperative mood.:

- In the second person without personal pronouns: Go to your room!

- With reflexive pronouns: Give yourself a break.

- With a direct object: Hit the ball.

- Referring to third-person objects of the main verb: Let them eat cake.

- As an affirmative imperative (also called positive imperative form): Go

for it!

- As a negative imperative (also called a negative command): Do not

touch the cookies!

- Expressing wishes: Let's go Tigers!

- In future tense: You will behave yourself, young lady.

The imperative mood takes the second person form of a verb (both person singular and second-person plural) and appears in the present tense

second-c) Subjunctive Mood

In contrast to the Indicative Mood, the Subjunctive usually refers tononfactual or hypothetical situations There are two types of subjective - thepresent Subjunctive and the past Subjunctive

- The present Subjunctive:

Examples:

It is vital that they be stopped at once

In the sentence above, the dependent clause (that…) expresses a desire; therefore, the mood should be Subjunctive Therefore, the verb should be be

stopped rather than are stopped

- The past Subjunctive:

Examples: If your father were alive he would help you

Summary

6

Indicative Mood

Chart 2.1: Classification of Mood 2.1.2 Tense

Finally, Comrie (1986: 26) gives a wider scope to the definition of tense,regarding it as the grammaticalization of location in time Considering thecomprehensive quality of Comrie's definition, the researcher believes that it isthe most appropriate among all the other definitions

b) Types of tense

- Present tenses

Comrie (1988:37) states that the present moment is a location fixed in thetime line Thus, the present tense is the location of the situation at that point Yet,this seems somehow a controversial argument since situations that coincide withthe present moment are rare However, such rare situations do occur Comrie

gives an example with a performative verb: I promise to pay you ten pounds

Comrie (Ibid.: 38) adds that one of the most interesting characteristics ofthe present tense is that it can be used to refer to situations that occupy a muchlonger period of time than the present moment, including the present moment

Example: The Earth goes around the Sun.

The present Subjunctive

Subjunctive

Mood

The past Subjunctive

- Past tenses

The past tense is used when the happening state, action or event is related

to a definite time in the past, a point that may be called ' then '.The past tense isthe marked member of the opposition past/ present, as Fowler (1974:42) suggeststhat tense in English has only two values from a formal point of view, i.e., [ ±past ] avoiding the use of ' present ' in tense opposition A sentence is eithermarked ( + past ) or unmarked ( - past )

- Futurity

Stone (1976:36) states that simple futurity denotes an action withreference to future time or future intention It is distinguished by means of twomain markers, viz shall and will whose function is either to give the meaning ofpure futurity or to express determination or promise The problem arises,according to Hornby (1977:45) in indicating future activities aside from othernotions like likelihood , willingness, and so on

Daoud (1988:1) who considers tense as a semantic category whose mainfunction is to express the concept of time in its three dimensions, i.e., past,present and future Taking this definition into consideration, Daoud (Ibid.)argues that “future tense” should be treated as an integral part of the Englishtense-system though most linguists reject the use of “future tense” since theinflectional morphology of the English verb does not include any affix that could

be regarded as an explicit marker of future tense

2.1.3 The English Conditional sentences

2.1.3.1 Definition of conditional sentences

Randolph Quirk in “university grammar of English” (1972) suggested anidea: “Conditional clauses state the dependence of one circumstance or set ofcircumstances on another”.

Collin Cobuilt (1990) in “English grammar” also pointed out: “Sentencescontaining conditional clauses are sometimes called conditional sentences” and

as for him conditional clauses begin with “if” or with conjunctions havingsimilar meaning like “unless”

2.1.3.2 Different classifications of conditional clauses

In short, types of Conditional Sentences can be summed up as in the tablesbelow:

Types of English Conditional Sentences and their basic syntactic features:

0 conditional - Real, possible

Example If I won a lottery, I would buy a big house.

3 rd conditional –

Unreal in past

Past Perfect

Example If you had tole me about the meeting, I would not have missed it

Types of Mixed English Conditional Sentences

2-3

contrasting an imagined or real

event in the past with the

present result of that

Was, were//V2/ed wouldn't + past participle

Example If I were the God, human being would not have been created.

Example If we had not met each other, there would be no sorrow.

2.2 Findings and Discussions

2.2.1 The basic types of conditional sentences employed in the novel

"Jane Eyre" and their Vietnamese equivalents.

2.2.1.1 The zero conditional sentences

They division includes statements, facts, habits, rules, general truths

a) Factual conditional

A conditional sentence expressing an implication:

“If I go to India, I go to premature death”.[p.358] (Nếu ta đi Ấn Độ, thì là

ta đi đến một cái chết non yếu) ->Jane doesn’t love St John, in such case, she isnot happy to be with him

b) Statements

This kind of zero conditional is used to express an imperative tune or anaction which happens naturally

“If such is your spirit, I promise to aid you, in my own time and

way”[p.308] (Nếu cô định như vậy thì tôi hứa sẽ giúp cô, vào lúc nào và giúp

cách nào sẽ tùy ở tôi) -> St Paul is promised an aid though he doesn’t knowmuch about Jane

c) Declarative zero conditional

“That if you reject it, it is not me you deny, but God”[p.362] (Nếu cô từ

chối đề nghị ấy thì không phải là cô cự tuyệt tôi, mà là cự tuyệt Chúa)

-> This is declared her responsibility for the treatment she serves, in order not toput the blame on somebody else.)

- Vietnamese equivalents

The translation of zero conditional sentences in these examples is quiteusual in English-Vietnamese In most cases, the semantic translation is used with

“if” that is often translated as “nếu”, “có lẽ”, “dù”, “mỗi khi” respectively.

2.2.1.2 The first conditional sentences

“You’ll catch the fever if you stop out when the drew is falling” [p 68]

(Em sẽ bị cảm nếu còn đứng mãi ngoài trời sương thế này.) → “no” comma isused in this sentence

- Main clause or ” if clause” might be negative

“If you won't talk, you may be still”.[p.334] (Nếu ông không muốn nói

chuyện thì cứ việc ngồi yên.) -> This case is one of the exception, as long as the

future item “will or shall” can not occur in the “if clause”, according to thegrammatical provisions it is a grave mistake, but literature is a different worldthat guides after another principals, so here the author want to emphasize theidea of not talking and the condition that follows in case of it – being still.)

- Type of conditional sentences

Conditional sentence may occur as an interrogative one

“But where shall I go if you drive me away?.”[p 296]( Nhưng bà đuổi tôi

thì tôi biết đi đâu.) -> It is well known that something is going to happen in thenearest future if she is driven away ,but the details of this fact are unknown)

“Will it annoy you if she is left behind?” [p.234] (Nếu để nó ở lại thì em

không thích ư?) -> In this case the character denotes the feeling incase he leavesthe girl behind.)

- Exceptions

In the first conditional (where the condition clause expresses a possible

future condition), after “ if” there can not follow a future pattern as “will or

shall”, even though the novel “Jane Eyre “ reveals a wide variety of conditional

sentences that score after “if “ the future auxiliary will, shall This fact is due tothe author’s tendency to emphasize some statement and acts, to make it moreexpressive and original This phenomenon is widely used by many other authors

of novels, essays and poems As example can serve the following sentence:

“If you won't let me live with you, I can build a house of my own close up

to your door.” [p.385] (Nếu ông không muốn cho em sống chung, thì em có thể

xây riêng một tòa nhà sát ngay cửa nhà ông.) -> The author underlines Jane’sdetermination, the fact of building a new house is also stressed inserting themodal “can” to express an very probable action, so this kind of sentence can beaccepted as exception or stylistic solution as the verb “will” unusually occurs inthe “condition clause”.)

Among other variations, the structure (if + present + present) is also possible It

is used when the results are habitual or automatic In these sentences, the time is

the present or future and the situation is real They refer to a possible

condition and its probable result They are based on facts, and they are used to

make statements about the real world, and about particular situations The authoruses such sentences to express warnings:

Example: “Tell her she shall be put in the stocks if she does not take herself

off.”[p.168] (Bảo cho mụ ấy biết rằng nếu không xéo đi thì người ta bỏ tù mụ

đấy.)

Vietnamese equivalents The semantic translation is also quite popular In this

case, conditional clauses can be translated as “nếu, nếu có thể, liệu” and “as long

as” means “miễn là”, and main clauses are translated as “sẽ”, “thì” and so on.

2.2.1.3 The second conditional sentences

“Which I feared would wither if I left them till the morning.” [p 67]

( Vì sợ để đến sáng hôm sau nó sẽ héo đi mất.) → She probably won’t leavethem

→This one expresses the things in the future that are probably not going to betrue

“If I had anywhere to go, I should be glad to leave it, but I can never get

away from Gateshead till I am a woman” [p.18]

(Nếu cháu có một chỗ nào khác thì cháu rất vui được từ bỏ nơi đây, nhưng cháukhông bao giờ ra khỏi Gatohet nếu chưa khôn lớn.)

→ The kind of the second conditional denotes something in the present which isimpossible, because it’s not true This is also an example that express a contrast

or antagonist acts- first Jane was sure that she was glad to leave; second theauthor underlines that Jane can never get away until she is a woman

“If she could only get out of the way for a month or two, till all was over”.

[p.207] (Thật tuyệt, nếu mình có thể đi khỏi chốn này độ một hoặc hai tháng, chođến khi mọi chuyện xong xuôi) -> In this case the “if clause” which actuallyexpress an impossible action referring to the future, the adverb “ a month or two”being a mark of future tense, comes first though the “result clause” and requires

a comma

- Vietnamese equivalents

Like the first type conditional sentences, the semantic translation is also

quite popular In this case, conditional clauses can be translated as “nếu, nếu

như, giả sử, ví thử, giá thử, giá”, and main clauses are translated as “sẽ”, “thì”,

“liệu”.

2.2.1.4 The third conditional sentences

“And Eliza would have sold the hair off her head if she could have made a

handsome profit thereby” [p.23] (Có lẽ Eliza có thể bán cả tóc trên đầu đi nếu

thấy có lợi.) -> In these sentence there is no comma as the main clause is placedfirstly but there is a conjunction which relates this clause with the previous oneand shows the difference between two facts

“If she had held it open a little longer, I believe I should have begged a

piece of bread; for I was now brought low.” [p.289] (Giá bà ta để ngỏ cửa lâu

hơn chút nữa, chắc rằng tôi đã hỏi xin một mẩu bánh, vì bây giờ nhân cách củatôi đã xuống lắm rồi) -> She was so hungry and tired and no time to search for it,

so she regretted about this fact

“If she had been in great pain one would have excused it, but she only

wanted to bring us all here” [p.12] (Nếu nó đau yếu mà kêu thì đi một nhẽ, đằng

này nó chỉ cốt làm thế để bắt chúng mình phải lại đây) -> This sentence suggests

a criticism of Jane, who was shouting because the housekeeper thinks she waspretending

- Vietnamese equivalents

In English, the third type conditional sentences can be used with

“must/should/might… + have + past participle” and in Vietnamese, they can be translated as “chắc hẳn là, có lẽ, có lẽ nếu, giá, giả sử…”