A translation quality assessment of the translation harry potter and the philosopher's stone by ly lan

THESIS A TRANSLATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE TRANSLATION “HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE” BY LY LAN Đánh giá chất lượng tác phẩm dịch”Harry Potter và Hòn Đá Phù Thủy” của

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Individuals around the world are becoming more united as a result of a variety of factors, including the publication of works of literature Individuals are able to appreciate a wider range of cultures and participate in the exploration of those cultures without having to leave the convenience of their own homes It is to be expected that not everyone will be able to read the text in its original form Readers have a favorable reaction to works that have been translated The ever-increasing volume of works that have been translated makes it necessary to evaluate the quality of these translations in order to ensure that readers will be satisfied In light of the situation at hand, methodologies for evaluating translation quality have been concentrating on ways to evaluate the quality of a particular translation On the other hand, there has been a significant amount of discussion regarding the theoretical frameworks that are best suited for determining the quality of translation Several academics believe that translation should adhere to three primary principles: “fidelity,” which refers to the level of accuracy and faithfulness of the translation to the “source text;” “normative,” which refers to the acceptable standards of the translation; and “best writing style,” which refers to the “aesthetic values” of the writing On the other hand, some researchers evaluate the effectiveness of a translation by using theoretical frameworks that were developed by researchers in other countries (Vu, 2020)

As a result, it is essential to have a conversation about relevant theoretical models in order to evaluate the quality of a particular piece of literary translation work According to Newmark (1988), the “Translation Quality Assessment” (TQA), which is also referred to as “translation criticism,” is an essential component in courses that are related to “comparative literature and literature in translation.” In addition, the utilization of appropriate text genres for evaluation and discourse activities is an essential component of any formal training program designed for professionals in the field of translation According to Newmark's argument, any educational program that wants to investigate the connection between translation theory and its application in the real world needs to incorporate translation quality assessment (TQA) as an essential component

The theoretical model of TAQ that Newmark developed seems to have two advantages: the first is that it is feasible, with clear procedural steps; the second is that it includes core elements in the assessment (Newmark, 1995) Despite the fact that this framework cannot be too closely related to the socio-pragmatic and linguistic aspects, when compared to the “response-based approach” developed by Nida and Taber (1969), the “text-based approach” developed by Reiss (1970) and Koller (1974), and the model developed by House (1997), it is still able to demonstrate a number of advantages that are particularly noteworthy in the context of its practical application According to Tran

(2016), making use of this theoretical framework can contribute both theoretical and practical value to the ongoing investigation

A number of previous studies, including Thaicharoen (2007), Wang (2015), Tran

(2015), Trieu (2015), Hoang (2019), Kamalizad (2018), Dorri (2020), and Ma and Wang

(2020), have aimed to utilize various frameworks in order to assess the quality of a particular literary translation This is not a very new research topic Nevertheless, the search for the most feasible model of TQA has continued in the academic world, as noted by Vu (2020)

All of this provides the current researcher with the inspiration necessary to select the theoretical framework proposed by Newmark (1988) in order to carry out a TQA on a particular piece of literature.

Aim and objectives

This thesis evaluates the quality of a translation from English to Vietnamese of a single chapter of a well-known volume from the successful novel series “Harry Potter”, which is a popular novel series

The specific objective of the current thesis is to analyze the quality of the seventh chapter of a Vietnamese translation “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by Ly Lan, published by “Tre Publishing House” in 2000 Thanks to this TAQ, the researcher could determine to what extent the translation is effective.

Scope of the study

This assessment evaluates an English-to-Vietnamese translation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," specifically Chapter 7 Using Newmark's TQA framework, the study assesses the translation's overall quality, considering cultural, linguistic, stylistic, and text-specific issues The focus on a single chapter allows for in-depth analysis and aligns with the researcher's interest, reducing workload and enabling efficient data analysis.

Significance of the study

The results of this evaluation would shed light on the translator's comprehension of the ST as well as their capacity to convey the meaning of the text in an accurate and efficient manner in the target language In addition, it would test the translator's knowledge of the culture to which they are translating, as well as their capability to translate cultural references in an appropriate manner It helps to provide a comprehensive assessment of the translation quality of a chapter from Harry Potter, as well as to contribute to the field of translation studies by offering insights into the challenges and complexities of translating popular culture, as well as by providing a case study that illustrates the application of translation quality assessment methods and criteria Additionally, it contributes to the field of translation studies by offering insights into the challenges and complexities of translating popular culture

The fields of translation studies and cultural studies can learn a lot from this study thanks to the significant implications it has It brings to light the difficulties and complexities associated with translating popular culture, particularly in a context in which cultural and linguistic differences are present In addition, the research intends to make a contribution to the development of translation quality assessment methods and criteria, which are essential for ensuring that translated texts are accurate and effective The purpose of this thesis is to make a contribution to the understanding of translation quality assessment and the difficulties associated with translating popular culture In addition to this, it intends to offer insightful information that can be useful to translators, language professionals, and researchers working in the fields of cultural studies and translation studies.

Research questions

Based on the objective noted above, the study poses the following research question:

To what degree does the translation of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in its “Chapter 7” align with the dimensions outlined in Newmark’s model for

Method of the study

Contrastive analysis is used in the assessment process to compare the translated text to the original The original language is considered the standard, and the translated language is assessed against it Newmark's Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) model is used to evaluate the translation's quality based on its accuracy, fluency, and cultural appropriateness.

Structure of thesis

The present thesis is structured into four distinct chapters

The first chapter of this study (“Introduction”) provides an overview of the research, including the justification for the study, its goals and objectives, the research questions, the scope, and the study's structure

The second chapter (“Literature Review”) provides a comprehensive review of literature related to the field of translation, including studies that examine terminologies and previous studies

The third chapter (“Research Methodology”) presents the proposed methodology for analysis The methods utilized in this study are drawn from previous research studies

The fourth chapter (“Results and Discussion”) reports the results and subsequent discussion of the study's key findings

The final chapter serves as the conclusion, providing a comprehensive summary of the entire content Furthermore, this section provides an overview of the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research

LITERATURE REVIEW

Key terms

This sub-section presents key terms used in the current research, including

“translation”, “literary translation”, “translation strategies”, “equivalence”, and

“contrastive analysis” Because the current study aims to evaluate the translation of a chapter from a famous novel, its related domain should be “literary translation” Besides this, to conduct the translation quality assessment (TQA), it is necessary to mention translation strategies the translator used to select best equivalence in Vietnamese By showing both English and Vietnamese texts simultaneously, the contrastive analysis is considered the main technique to present the findings of the current research

Translation involves converting written text from one language into a different language The translator's task is to create a written text in the target language that accurately conveys the meaning and intent of the original text in the source language (Newmark, 1988).

Translation is obviously perceived as an intrinsic part of the foreign language teaching process It involves the rendering of a source language so as to ensure that the surface meaning of the two would be approximately similar and the structures of the SL would be preserved as closely as possible but not so closely that the TL structures would be seriously distorted (Baker, 1992) Moreover, it is an instrument of education as well as of truth precisely because it has to reach readers whose cultural and educational level is different from, and often lower of earlier than that of the readers of the original (Munday, 2001)

According to Bush (1998, p.127), literary translation means the work of all literary translators who engage in the practice of translating literary works from one language to another The statement serves as a fundamental premise for the exposition of literary translation, an idiosyncratic and personal undertaking situated at the core of a convoluted web of social and cultural customs It is imperative that the translator's creative, cognitive, and perceptive writing abilities are not forfeited to the detached and theoretical concept commonly referred to as “translation”

Lamberts (1998, p.130) added that “the work of a literary translator” and posits that a published literary translation is the result of a significant creative endeavor undertaken by the translator, who serves as the primary agent in the subjective activity and social practice of translation Accordingly, the responsibility of determining the translation approach and ultimately establishing the literary translation's existence lies with the “literary translator”, irrespective of the limitations imposed by the social and cultural framework According to Landers (2009, p.9), the difficulties of literary translation are highlighted by the fact that it involves a continuous series of decisions to be made However, Toury (1993, as cited in Sanchez, 2009) places greater emphasis on achieving equivalence between the “ST” and “TT” in literary translation and distinguishes the two as separate concepts

Literary translation forms an intrinsic connection with cultural nuances and idioms (Bush, 1998) Its core purpose lies in accurately capturing the network of meanings within the source text, thereby preserving its unique cultural identity Translators must strive to produce a translation that is both culturally acceptable and aligns with the expectations of the intended readership The process entails interpreting the source text as a literary work anchored in its original cultural setting and mirroring that interpretation in the translated version.

Kazakova (2015) added that literary translation is broad in its scope because it is the translation applied to many kinds of literary texts, namely “poems, fictions, popular science essays, newspaper articles, diaries, memoirs, and so on.” Moreover, there exist two large groups of literary translation: one is “objective translation” and the other is

“subjective translation” The readers’ influence on the effectiveness of the translation in the former is greater than the latter In the “subjective translation” the translators may use many personal words or much modification to impress the readers, but in the

“objective translation”, the translators are trying to follow certain standards of translation process and quality

Newmark (1988) mentioned that there are eight useful methods of translation, namely (1) “word for word translation”, (2) “literal translation”, (3) “faithful translation”, (4) “semantic translation”, (5) “adaptation”, (6) “free translation”, (7)

“idiomatic translation”, and (8) “communicative translation”

The first type refers to the process of translating the “SL” into another language This translation strategy is typically based on the most frequently used meanings, which may occasionally lack contextual relevance For example, “Một nền kinh tế ổn định và phát triển trong những năm qua đã giúp chúng ta không còn lỗi hẹn với các kiểu thời trang hiện đại và thành phố Hồ Chí Minh được đánh giá là trung tâm sáng tạo thời trang của cả nước” is translated word-for-word as “A stable and developed economy in recent years has helped us to keep pace with modern modes Ho Chi Minh city is estimated as the center of fashion for the whole country.” (Phan, Nguyen, & Nguyen, 2021, p.121)

The second translation method involves translating a grammatical pattern from the source language to the nearest equivalent in the target language Translators relying on this strategy solely consider individual word meanings, disregarding context For example, the Vietnamese sentence "Mời bạn về nhà tôi chơi" is directly translated into "Invite friends about my house play" when individual word meanings alone are taken into account.

The third strategy refers to the translation based on the contexts but is limited in terms of the “grammatical structures” of the TL For example, the sentence “He is as fast as a kangaroo” can be translated into Vietnamese with “faithful translation” as “Anh ấy nhanh như một con kangaroo” (Phan et al., 2022, p 122)

The fourth strategy refers to a more flexible translation which is based on the context to produce a smoother text in the TL For instance, “She has a sunny smile on her face” is translated into Vietnamese as “Cô ấy có gương mặt với nụ cười tỏa nắng”

The fifth strategy refers to the translation which is basically a rewritten text in the

TL but important “themes”, “characters”, and “plots” are retained For example,

“Thà một phút huy hoàng rồi chợt tắt

Còn hơn buồn le lói suốt trăm năm” is translated into

“It would rather the victorious brightness

In an only moment the centenary twinkle” (Phan et al., 2022, p.122)

The sixth strategy refers to the translation which is based on the content of the SL only but is not restricted by the structure of the SL For instance, “Thời gian sẽ trả lời tất cả” is translated into English as “Wait and see” (Phan et al., 2022, p.123)

The seventh category involves verbatim translation, where the target language (TL) text is an exact replication of the source language (SL) This approach preserves the original text's structure and wording For example, the Vietnamese proverb "Cha nào con nấy" directly translates to "Like father, like son" in English, maintaining the proverb's essence and message.

The eighth type refers to the translation which is targeted to the audience by diverting all the SL into a more comprehensible TL For instance, the slogan of Apple incorporation “Think different” could be understood as “Hãy khác biệt” instead of “Nghĩ khác đi” in Vietnamese (Phan et al., 2022, p.123)

In the context of literary translation, Tran (2016) noted that “communicative and semantic translation” are two ubiquitous strategies

The notion of equivalence bears considerable significance within the domain of translation theory Pym (1992) stated that the notion of equivalence functions as the

Common problems existing in literary translation

It is widely known that literary translation is an important field of translation To anticipate the quality of a literary translation work, it is worth considering possible problems translators can encounter while translating These problems could help the translators seek optimal solutions to deal with and the translation evaluators explain possible drawbacks of a specific translation The most cited problems with translation in general and literary translation in particular are comprised of “cultural problems”,

“linguistic problems”, “stylistic problems”, and “text specific problems”

Understanding the role that one's culture plays in gaining an appreciation for a piece of literature is a difficult task, particularly in the TL and even more so in the SL For a translator to effectively render the content of the “target language” (SL) for individuals who have different “belief systems, attitudes, values, and norms”, it is imperative that they have an understanding of the beliefs, attitudes, values, and regulations of the “target language” (TL) audience The closer together the two cultures are that need to be translated, the more challenging it can be for the translator to effectively communicate between them Larson (1984) made the observation that

“variations in the technicality of different societies” are present in the world Therefore, the task of translating texts between different cultures can be challenging for the person doing the translating A lack of comprehension of the cultural intricacies of the source language (SL) can have a detrimental effect on the quality of a translation

When translating, it is essential for the translator to recognize and take into account the cultural differences between the two languages However, coming up with viable solutions to these problems is a difficult task that needs to be accomplished

According to Nida and Taber (1982, p.199), there needs to be a specific set of solutions in order to conquer the cultural problems that arise when translating texts They referred to this process as “cultural translation,” which is defined as “a translation in which the content of the message is changed to conform to the receptor culture in some way, and/or in which information is introduced that is not linguistically implicit in the original.” This process was used by them

According to Baker (1992), problems with linguistic translation arise as a result of the structural differences that exist between the source language and the target language The concept of linguistic relativity, also known as the Whorfian theory, proposes that every language possesses its own unique settings, which in turn shape the symbols and social norms of the nation that speaks that language This disproves the widely held belief that people from all different nations have a similar logical structure when processing language in isolation from conversation This is a belief that has gained widespread acceptance Instead, it places an emphasis on how patterns of language can influence how an individual perceives the world around them Because of this, communities that use different language systems will have fundamentally different perspectives on the world as a result of the myriad ways in which they think and perceive the world around them As a consequence of this, translators need to develop a flexible approach to the use of language in order to successfully transfer the exact meaning from the ST to the TT This is due to the fact that words or images may be interpreted very differently from one group to the next

Style is yet another factor that can make literary translation more challenging (Baker, 1992) The manner in which something is expressed or written, as opposed to the subject matter that is being communicated, is an example of style When faced with a problem of this nature, literary translators are forced to make judgments that appear to be comparable to one another Of course, each language has its own distinct style Because the content that pertains to the facts, such as the body of a technical document, is retained in TT, concerns regarding its presentation are moot The analogy of a freight train is utilized here in order to set the point that when one is translating literary works, it is of the utmost importance to take into account the author's chosen writing style

Literary texts present unique challenges in comprehension and translation (Bush, 1998) To effectively translate literary works, translators must adapt their strategies based on the specific text's characteristics The connection between the components and the primary source text is essential for preserving the text's meaning during translation.

Therefore, a literary translation should be different from the translation of a legal text It is because each text has various “registers” (language style), “mode” (manner), and “tenor” (intent) While translating a literary work, possible problems could be related to the use of suitable style and tone For example, a legal text has its formal expressions and many declaratives, while a literary translation needs to be more communicative and aesthetic

In short, the text specific problems are related to the structure and function of the text Translators who could not be able to adapt their translation strategies to a specific text type could encounter difficulties in the translation quality

Translation quality assessment (TQA) is the primary technique of the current research It is also a field of translation study However, as noted by Vu (2020), TQA’s theoretical framework has not been uniform despite some similar considerations into the quality of a specific translation, namely “fidelity”, “normative”, and “best writing style” Therefore, it is important to discuss all its major relevant theories in the thesis, and one plausible explanation for the employed theoretical framework is provided Section 2.3 and 2.4 serve this purpose The former gives a key definition and functions of TQA, and the latter reviews important theoretical models of TQA

According to Newmark (1988), the evaluation of translation quality or translation criticism is an essential connection between the theoretical and practical aspects of translation It is considered a fundamental element in courses related to comparative literature, literature in translation, and professional translation, where appropriate text types are utilized as a means for criticism and discussion Furthermore, Hewson's (2011) definition of TQA is notable for its comprehensiveness, surpassing previous definitions put forth on the subject Hewson's methodology posits that translation criticism is not limited to the mere assertion of the suitability of a translation, which inherently involves a subjective assessment, albeit one that need not be measured or overtly articulated (Hewson, p 169) As per the individual's statement, the assessment of a translation's quality endeavors to explicate the interpretive capacity of a translation, viewed through the lens of a recognized interpretive structure of the ST (p 6)

According to Newmark (1988), translation quality assessment, which is more commonly known as translation criticism, is an essential component of “comparative literature and literature in translation courses.” In addition to this, it is an essential component of any “professional translation course” that incorporates appropriate “text types for criticism” and discussion exercises In addition, Newmark emphasized the significance of TQA as an indispensable part of any educational program that investigates the relationship between translation theory and its practical application.

Theoretical models of TQA

According to Vu (2020), there has been a lot of discussion regarding the theoretical models that are the most suitable to use when evaluating the quality of translation Some academics believe that the translation should strictly adhere to the following three fundamental principles: “fidelity,” which refers to the faithfulness or truth of the translation in comparison to the “original text”; “normative,” which refers to the acceptable standards of the translation; and “best writing style,” which refers to the

“aesthetic values” of the writing; however, other academics use theoretical frameworks developed by researchers from other countries to determine whether or not a translation was successful In this section, four major theoretical models of TQA are presented, after

11 which a decision will be made regarding which model is the most appropriate for the current research (1) “response-based approach,” (2) “text-based approach,” (3)

“functional-pragmatic approach,” and (4) “comprehensive criticism approach” are the four models that make up these models

Translation evaluation methods often rely on the translator's expertise and experiences, potentially introducing bias and limiting their scope These methodologies focus heavily on the translator's role in comprehension and interpretation, neglecting broader factors that influence translation As a result, they may provide a narrow and skewed perspective on the translation process, raising concerns about their adequacy and comprehensiveness.

A response-based approach is one possible alternative viewpoint that can be utilized in the process of evaluating the quality of translation Nida is commonly regarded as a prototypical example of this particular methodology In order to evaluate the quality of a translation, Nida has developed three programmatic and general standards

The investigation focuses on three primary aspects, namely: (1) the effectiveness of the communication process; (2) the level of comprehension of the intended message; and (3) the degree to which the response resembles the initial message The third criterion, which is of the utmost significance, is intimately connected with Nida's fundamental principle of “Dynamic Equivalence” or “Functional Equivalence” in the realm of translation Both of these terms refer to the same thing: the translation of one concept into another This pertains to the possibility of contrasting the responses of those who read the original text with those who read the translated version of the text

Nida and Taber (1969) proposed three criteria for evaluating translations that are comparable to one another in terms of their nature and were included in their work These standards include the degree to which the readers are engaged as a result of the suitability of the translated form, the precision with which the readers apprehend the intended meaning of the original text, and the level of comprehensibility of the translated text Regarding the behavioral criteria that were outlined earlier, additional clarification as well as empirical verification is necessary The feasibility of performing such measurements on the aforementioned reactions is the primary focus of this inquiry Nida and Taber have proposed several different pragmatic evaluations in their work Nevertheless, it is of the utmost importance to recognize that each individual test has its own unique set of limitations The most important limitation of the “response-based suggestions” method of evaluating translation, which was introduced in the House model in 1997, is the same as that of all behavior-centered approaches One of the limitations is that the “black box,” also known as the human mind, is not taken into account This suggests that evaluations involving expert judges inevitably require the assumption of criteria that need to be explicitly clarified and initially developed

The approach that was just described places the “original text,” its “linguistic and textual composition,” and its ability to convey meaning on various levels as the primary and foundational component in the process of translation This approach places emphasis on the “original text.” Koller (1974) was the first person to present a framework for determining how well translations are done The first step of the process is to determine whether or not the original text can be transferred successfully to the new format In the event that the ST can be moved, we will have achieved the most accurate representation possible In the event that the ST cannot be translated, it will not be possible to produce either an equivalent or a translation of the text The subsequent step is the process of re- translating the intended text back into the language from which it was originally derived

If a retranslation of the target text results in a meaning that is comparable to that of the source text, then the translation in question can be regarded as acceptable The final stage of the translation process involves enlisting the assistance of people who are fluent in the target language in order to thoroughly review the content that has been translated and make any necessary revisions to ensure that it is accurate and consistent It is imperative that in order for a translation to be considered successful, it adequately addresses the linguistic preferences of readers who are fluent in the target language as their native tongue This is the only way that this can be accomplished

Despite Koller's insightful and thought-provoking ideas, their lack of specificity and practical implementation hinders their effectiveness Reiss's (1970) theoretical framework emphasizes textual equivalence as the foundation for effective communication, prioritizing the broader textual context over individual elements Reiss's functional approach aims to establish standardized evaluation criteria for translations, ensuring consistency and precision in the assessment process.

According to the hypothesis put forward by Reiss, the evaluation of a target text is predominately dependent upon the successful conveyance of the dominant function of the source text According to Reiss, in order to achieve this goal, it is recommended to utilize translation techniques that are tailored to the specific type of text that is being translated In other words, it is best to translate using techniques that are specific to the type of text that is being translated According to the author's proposition, there are three distinct functions of language that can be applied to texts These functions are referred to as “content-oriented texts,” “form-oriented texts,” and “conative texts.” Examples of

Content-oriented texts encompass diverse genres such as news articles and scientific-technical texts, demanding careful analysis of primary sources for accurate classification However, existing guidelines lack specificity in distinguishing between scientific-technical text genres and language functions, hindering effective discrimination.

In addition, the required degree of accuracy for this activity has not been defined anywhere in the instructions As a result, the establishment of a functional framework for rating the quality of translation calls for further development in the areas of refinement and concretization

House's (1997) theory emphasizes achieving semantic and pragmatic equivalence in translation, advocating for functional equivalence between languages The author establishes a pragmatic-based evaluation framework for assessing translation quality, prioritizing pragmatic considerations to ensure effective communication and message preservation across linguistic boundaries.

The various theoretical frameworks that have been developed in relation to language are the focus of the current discussion, which relates to the subject matter that is being looked at Avoiding reliance on subjective personal experiences, reductionist explanations, dogmatic claims, and unconvincing biased evaluations that solely concentrate on the source and target texts is the primary goal of this endeavor A comparison of the working mechanisms of two different languages is at the heart of her theoretical framework, which can be thought of as its organizing principle Due to the fact that her model departs from the conventional function of language, it is essential to have a solid understanding of the concept of “function” in the context of a specific text in order to have a complete comprehension of it According to her contention, the purpose for which a particular piece of writing was penned can be deduced from the degree to which it is applicable to or helpful in the context of the specifics of a given scenario The term “primary function” refers to the operational aspect of the business, which incorporates both the ideational and interpersonal components An initial analysis would be performed on the text, and it would be based on situational dimensions that have been shown to have established linguistic correlates After this, a comparative examination would be carried out to evaluate the textual benefits and capabilities of both the original material and its translated rendition This would be followed by the conclusion of the analysis During the course of this comparative investigation, it is quite possible that a few discrepancies will become apparent Dimensional inconsistencies can be broken down into two different categories of errors: covert and overt Errors of a covert nature manifest themselves as a result of a disparity in a particular aspect of the situation The term “overtly erroneous errors” refers to discrepancies that occur as a result of a lack of dimensional congruity in a given situation The errors that were mentioned earlier can be grouped together under the umbrella term of “violations of the linguistic system of the language that is being considered.”

The evaluation process in House's model assesses the level of correspondence between the overt and covert errors identified in the source and target texts This involves not only recognizing these errors but also categorizing them appropriately By evaluating this correspondence, the model aims to ensure an accurate understanding of the source text, preventing inaccuracies resulting from literal interpretations of both texts.

Previous studies

In order to evaluate how well one volume of “Harry Potter” was translated into Thai, Thaicharoen (2007) conducted a study in which the original English text was contrasted with the Thai version The researcher came to the conclusion that there is a violation of the “translational equivalence” by using the “standards of textuality” as his or her basis The translator purposefully changed the meaning of the original text so that it would read more naturally in the translated version (TT) Nevertheless, this action did not lead to any confusion or misunderstandings on the part of the readers, which led to the translation maintaining its quality throughout

Wang (2015) planned to investigate the qualities of “verbal clauses” in

“detectives” and carry out a “CA” on two Chinese translations: one from the early 20th century and the other from the late 20th century Both of these translations were to be from China In order to accomplish this objective, nine short stories written by “Conan Doyle” and the Chinese translations of those stories were analyzed and compared to one another The findings showed that older translations were given more creative leeway in terms of their content because the readers who were corresponding to those translations at this stage were less likely to be interested in the precise content of the translation when compared to its original source However, modern readers appear to be more demanding because they expect the translators to reveal almost everything that is mentioned in the source text in the translated version All of this may require the translators to modify their standard translation techniques so that they are appropriate for the various types of readers

When evaluating the quality of the Vietnamese translation of “You Must Live,” Tran (2015) relied on “Newmark's theoretical framework.” Following the analysis, the researcher came to the conclusion that the translation is adequate in terms of both the content and the structure of the text, which results in the text being understandable when spoken in Vietnamese In particular, the translation could make extensive use of reduplicative words in Vietnamese to achieve a more Vietnamese-sounding effect in the text On the other hand, a few limitations could be identified as a result of the restricted grammatical structures and lexical items that were available to express the complete meaning of the original text

Trieu (2015) evaluated the quality of the famous literary work “The Great Gasby” using the “House' model in 1997.” This model was developed in 1997 The researcher came to the conclusion through the “CA” that there were a few “similarities and differences” between the original text and the Vietnamese text It is possible that the Vietnamese text will include more “communicative and semantic translation” in order to make the text sound comprehensible and more natural in Vietnamese This is done in an effort to reach the “equivalence” between the two languages, which is made more difficult by the differences in culture and the language system

Hoang (2019) performed an analysis on the level of accuracy achieved in the translation of “Chapter XX” from the well-known work “The Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn.” The TQA also made use of the framework that House developed According to the findings, despite the fact that the translated text achieved a certain level of success and was able to effectively convey the vast majority of the author's intended message, the translated text exhibits a number of discrepancies when compared to the source text

A significant amount of meaning is lost in the translation as a direct consequence of the fact that “African-American spoken language” cannot be translated accurately This is one of the more notable limitations In addition, the errors in the translated text that are explicitly incorrect have an effect on the ideational component of the text

Kamalizad's (2018) analysis of a Persian "Harry Potter" translation using the "House' framework" revealed the prevalence of "covert translation," where extensive rewriting occurred to enhance clarity in the target text (TT) This phenomenon aligns with Thaicharoen (2007) and Trieu (2015), who view "covert translation" as a common practice when translators make adjustments to original texts to facilitate comprehension in the TL.

In a different setting, Dorri (2020) conducted the TQA between two sources of

“English argumentative texts” and their respective “Persian translations” using “theme- rheme analysis” from the field of “systemic functional linguistics.” Only the “1000 first sentences” of each text were included in the respective corpora According to the findings of the study, translators had a more difficult time working with constructions that featured “adjunct fronting” than they did with “passive sentences” or “cleft or pseudo-cleft sentences.” As a result, the findings of this study demonstrated that differences in the grammatical structures of two languages may pose a significant challenge when translating, as these differences can have an impact on the accuracy of the translation

“Systemic functional linguistics,” which deals with “socio semiotic system,”

“theme-rheme analysis,” and “symbolic articulation,” and “verbalization,” (“semantics,”

By employing "lexicogrammar" and "phonology" along with "systemic functional linguistics," Ma and Wang (2020) successfully translated the renowned poetry collection "Stray Birds" into Chinese Their research underscores the crucial role of in-depth knowledge of linguistic and sociocultural systems in literary translation, particularly in poetry To ensure high-quality translations, it is essential for translators to possess a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic nuances and cultural contexts of both the original and target languages Additionally, the study identifies "aesthetic values" as an important area for further exploration and analysis in literary translation research.

“top priorities” for anyone who translates literary works

Research gap

Despite the fact that TQA has been carried out in a number of different contexts with a variety of literary works, it would appear that the majority of them were based on

House's theoretical model emphasizes the socio-pragmatic aspects of translation For practical applications, it is necessary to adopt a more applicable approach Therefore, Newmark's theoretical explanations are utilized in this research as suggested by Tran (2015) to provide a more pragmatic and universally applicable model.

Summary

This chapter reviews many theories related to translation, literary translation, and translation quality assessment It starts with the definition of key terms Then it continues to present common problems with literary translation The most important view is that the valid theoretical framework of TQA is still debated despite its long-term existence The chapter states that the Newmark’s model is being used in the research because of its convenience and practicality Previous studies on this research topic focused on different works and employed different theoretical frameworks to conduct the TQA House’s model in 1997 is prioritized in those studies; however, this model requires much expertise in linguistics, including discourse analysis, pragmatics, and so on Choosing the Newmark’s model helps the current research explore the translation quality through simpler steps, but meaningful

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research method

This comparative descriptive case study examines and evaluates an original text and its translation This design aligns with the research objectives and inquiries, as a case study focuses on a unified system relevant to the research problem (Stake, 1995) It depicts the dynamics of a defined system (Yin, 1994), especially when the phenomenon and its context are intertwined The methodology addresses complex technical situations with numerous variables and limited data, relying on multiple evidence sources and data triangulation It utilizes preexisting theoretical hypotheses as a framework for data collection and analysis, shaping the research process.

It is common practice for “scholars” to conduct an investigation of a single case using the case study method This is done with the intention of achieving a deeper comprehension of the case's unique characteristics, inherent complexities, and inherent limitations In addition, it is abundantly clear that the method of case study is used in order to elucidate the case within the context of the framework in which it is embedded and to provide comprehensive insights concerning an individual This is all done through the utilization of the case study method The current investigation needs to conduct both a thorough investigation and an in-depth data analysis in order to answer the research questions in an appropriate manner This is necessary in order for the study to fulfill its purpose This will provide the researchers with the ability to comprehend the complexities and nuances of individual cases, which will then be followed by an in-depth comparison of the cases Additionally, according to Bell (2005), the research design of the case study is well-suited for individual researchers due to its flexibility, which enables an in-depth examination of a particular aspect of a problem within a defined timeframe This makes the case study research design well-suited for individual

21 researchers This is something that can be accomplished using the framework of the case study research design

Taking into consideration the benefits that have been discussed, there is a high level of anticipation that the application of the case study design would successfully respond to the research questions that are currently being investigated and provide evidence of the robustness and credibility of the case study approach This is due to the fact that the benefits of the case study approach have been discussed

As the research's case study, it was decided that “Chapter 7” from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was used The researcher intended to focus their attention on just one chapter in particular as a result of these three different considerations To begin, this may help save time and effort in data analysis while the researcher worked solely on the thesis by themselves In addition, this may also help Second, because the researcher planned to implement TQA for the very first time, the researcher decided to keep the amount of written discourse to a minimum Third, rather than concentrating primarily on the entire book, the researcher chose to concentrate on a specific chapter.

Research approach

In order to investigate research questions utilizing a mix of qualitative approaches, the researcher utilized the case study method Specifically, the case study method was used According to Creswell (2012), qualitative research makes use of research methods such as “participant observation or case studies,” which produce a narrative and descriptive portrayal of a specific setting or phenomenon Other examples of qualitative research methods include interviews, focus groups, and document analysis It is essential to make use of linguistic expressions, visual representations, and tangible artifacts when carrying out research that is founded on qualitative information The purpose of the qualitative research is to accomplish a number of aims, including but not limited to: providing real examples and comprehensive descriptions; delving deeply into the complexities of the phenomenon that is being investigated; discovering new insights; and encouraging shared interpretations As a consequence of this, the researcher relied solely on qualitative methods in order to carry out an evaluation of the translation This was because qualitative methods enabled a more in-depth description of both texts through the utilization of examples that were representative of each text This strategy might be helpful for the TQA that is currently being used.

The study materials

The research used two study materials: the American edition, “Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone” and its Vietnamese translation by Ly Lan published by “Tre Publishing House” in 2000

Generally, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” is the American edition of the original “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in the UK The selection of this novel in this research is primarily due to its recognition as a prominent international literary work authored by “J.K Rowling”

The story begins with strange events when Harry was just eleven years old He was enrolled in the School of Witchcraft and Harry's Superpowers and learned more magical magic at Hogwarts Through strange adventure trials, he and his magic were progressively evolving The mistakes and shortcomings of achieving glorious achievements for his team However, the witch Voldemort, who killed Harry Potter's parents and tried to kill the boy, is back again and appear The dark forces rely slightly on the ashes and threaten the honest world Obviously, Harry Potter becomes a young and talented hero The novel is seen to be imaginative and fantasy We expand our imagination, fulfill the desire to create, fly and jump, affirm human values and protect the truth Harry Potter is a fan Not the British style of the modern industrial world Harry Potter is loved by children all over the world and is a symbol of honesty In the light of childhood, the dark power cannot destroy the bright power

Because of its widespread recognition, the literary work has many international translations, including Vietnamese Additionally, it is noteworthy that the author has been trying to keep all translations of the novel in any language confidential, according to Trac (n.d.) Therefore, even the “copyright” of the Vietnamese translation is currently owned by the real author of the work on her personal website named “Pottermore” All of this can make this novel become a fantasy, a subject worth studying in the current research

Regarding the contents of the novel, there are a total of seventeen chapters in the book The research focuses on the seventh chapter “The Sorting Hat” It is known that Hogwarts is one of the largest and most famous schools of witchcraft Students will be divided into four houses according to the individual characteristics of the four founders of the school: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor But classification would be easy when all four founders were alive, but when they were lost, who would replace them to select students to suit the characteristics of each home? To classify students according to the characteristics that the four founders desired, the classification hat was created This is a hat that is magical and has a human perception Classification hats are licensed so that it is possible to determine which home is most suitable for the student at the time of admission Therefore, this chapter in the book could tell imaginative stories relating to this hat

The textual analysis of the English text reveals that it has 4,491 in word counts,

645 sentences, 41 % lexical density and 27 % lexical diversity The result of the Vietnamese translation showed 8,735 in word counts, 485 sentences, 100 % lexical density, and 23 % lexical diversity These statistics are summarized into Table 3.1 below

Table 3.1 The textual analysis of both texts

Aspect English text Vietnamese text

Data analysis procedure

This study analyzes the intent and functionality of second-language written texts It explores the translator's understanding of the original author's purpose, translation techniques employed, and the intended audience for the translated text A comprehensive comparison between the translated version and the original source material is also conducted The evaluation can be approached from two perspectives: the translator's and the critic's.

When it is deemed necessary to do so, it is of the utmost importance to evaluate the suitable positioning of the text that has been translated within the cultural or disciplinary context of the language that is being targeted This evaluation ought to be carried out in the most exhaustive manner possible Determining the author's intention is the first step in performing a literary analysis This step entails determining the author's position on the issue at hand, depicting the audience for whom the work was written, and classifying the work according to its form and genre The evaluator is going to conduct an analysis of the quality of the language that was used in order to come to a conclusion regarding the level of agency that was demonstrated by the translator At this point, the critic ought to be able to provide a succinct overview of the subject matter or themes, but they shouldn't restate the storyline itself anymore It is not necessary for individuals to invest their time in elaborating on the personal life of the writer or other literary works, unless such discussions serve to enhance the comprehension of the written piece Additionally, it is not necessary for individuals to invest their time in elaborating on the personal life of the writer In this scenario, it is essential for individuals to commit some of their time to the aforementioned elaborations

The second step in providing feedback on translation is for the critic to make an effort to see things from the perspective of the translator This helps the translator better understand the feedback they are receiving This is a factor that many people fail to take into consideration The task of determining whether the translator has omitted any parts of the original material and whether or not these omissions have any bearing on the author's intended meaning falls on the critic This responsibility includes determining whether or not these omissions are significant

When conducting research on a specific text, it is essential to determine the level of excessive translation that has occurred and the extent to which the cultural significance of the target culture has been conveyed or altered Additionally, it is

24 important to determine the level of excessive translation that has occurred When analyzing the goals and processes of the translator, the critic makes an effort to refrain from offering criticism and instead focuses on gaining an understanding of the thought process that led to the translator selecting particular approaches This is done in order to examine the translator's goals and processes without offering criticism The critic demonstrates a sense of empathy toward the translator and makes a distinction between instances of inadequacy that stem from insufficient familiarity with the source material or subject matter, and a translation approach that might be excessively idiomatic or scholarly according to the critic's personal preferences, but which still manages to maintain coherence in the text

Within the framework of the problem-solving process, the third step plays a significant role One of the aspects that will be evaluated by the evaluator is the approach that the translator took in resolving the particular issues raised by the text in its original language This will be one of the aspects that will be evaluated In order to accomplish the current goal, it is necessary to divide the components that have been discussed into distinct categories These categories may include, but are not limited to, headings, organization (including paragraph structure and sentence connections), transitions, analogies, culturally specific terminology, language that is typical of translations, and formal terminology At this point, it is absolutely necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation of the challenges that arise during the process of translation Rather than offering solutions that are overly simplistic in an effort to reach a conclusion that is more accurate, it is preferable to offer solutions that are overly simple

On top of that, the evaluator examined the reliability of the source material on three distinct levels, paying particular attention to the material's pragmatic aspects To get started, we are going to take into consideration the translator's very own standards Second, by ensuring that all of the criteria that the examiner had established are met at all times Last but not least, by judging the quality of the translation on its own, apart from the circumstances in which the original text was composed, regardless of the original text's context It is the responsibility of the critic to identify any potential semantic flaws and the underlying reasons for them, which can be found in the first two criteria In addition to evaluating the accomplishments of the translation, the critic must also evaluate the accomplishments of the critic The most important aspect of the evaluation is to establish whether or not the text that has been translated demonstrates a competent manner This can be determined by analyzing whether or not the translated text possesses qualities such as clarity, sophistication, and aesthetic appeal

In the final stage of the translation process, particularly when working with literary compositions like poems, narratives, or novels, it is essential to evaluate the potential literary import of the piece within the literature of the target language This is especially important when dealing with literary compositions like these When translating literary compositions such as these, this is something that is especially important to keep in mind In order to accomplish this, questions such as “Does the

25 translation demonstrate sufficient merit to warrant its pursuit?” need to be formulated

These types of questions will help determine whether or not the translation is worthy of further investigation In addition, it is of the utmost importance to take into consideration any potential repercussions, if any, for the literature and culture of the language that will be used as the target If there are any potential repercussions, it is important to take those into consideration

This process is depicted in the following diagram

Figure 3.1 The data analysis procedure

Summary

This is a comparative descriptive case study design whose aim is to evaluate the translation quality of Chapter 7 in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” Because of many possible frameworks of TQA proposed by different scholars, the researcher selected the most convenient, practical framework by Newmark (1988) Practical steps of this translation evaluation were conducted, namely “identifying the intention and functional aspects”, “identifying translation’s purpose, translation strategies, and readership”, “conducting contrastive analysis to show typical examples from the ST and the TT”, and “giving conclusion about the translation quality based on the findings”

"Identification of intention and functional aspects"

"Identification of the translation's purpose, strategies, and readership"

"Representative comparison of the ST to the TT"

"Final evaluation of the translation"

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The main results

“Rowling”, a British novelist, created the “Harry Potter series”, which consists of seven different fantasy books Both Bloomsbury and Scholastic Press, two of the most prominent publishing houses in their respective countries, were responsible for the series’ initial publication in the English language After that, a multitude of publishers from all over the world issued further editions of the works

The aforementioned literary work serves as the inaugural installment in the renowned Harry Potter literary franchise The narrative revolves around the character of Harry Potter as he embarks on his inaugural year of education, wherein he acquaints himself with his mystical heritage and encounters both intimate companions and a handful of adversaries Lord Voldemort, the malevolent sorcerer responsible for the demise of Harry's parents, yet unsuccessful in his attempt to eliminate Harry as an infant, is currently endeavoring to resurface Consequently, Harry, aided by his companions, is compelled to safeguard himself against this impending threat The book was released on June 26, 1997 by Bloomsbury, a London-based publishing house Rowling's inaugural literary work was published as her debut novel In the year 1998, Scholastic Corporation released a distinct edition of the literary work titled “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” with the explicit intention of targeting the consumer base within the United States

Rowling's work is now available in a multitude of tongues, which places her among the most translated authors in the annals of literary history There have been translations of the book into a number of different languages The novel was immediately translated by Ly Lan17 in Vietnam from the original edition that was published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom under the title “Harry Potter và Hòn Đá Phù Thủy” The original version was published in the United Kingdom Children, and more especially young adult readers of fantasy, were the novel's intended demographic when it was first published However, as time went on, the major characters evolved and the tone of the writing became more serious The primary factor contributing to this phenomenon is the increasing participation of adults in the audience The novel is intended for individuals of various age groups who possess a keen interest in the genre of fantasy The intended audience of the work is comprised of those readers The novel can be categorized as a piece of fantasy literature However, it encompasses elements from various other genres, including “romance, mystery, adventure, and thriller” With

27 only a limited number of noteworthy deviations, the narrative consistently employs a third-person perspective throughout its entirety

Therefore, the result of the first step would help the researcher identify the general intention of the author This novel could be a fantasy for many readers, including children Those readers are normally curious of magical world where there exist wars between “the good and the evil” Because of this intention, the theme of the novel and its translation is distinct The vocabulary inside both texts could be distinguished from other types of literary works like detective stories or romances

When comparing both texts, the comparison results demonstrated that the translator has made certain omissions and introduced additional details that are not present in the ST (only 6 occurrences, “4 omission” and “2 addition”) Furthermore, it can be argued that the exclusion of certain sections in the translated version is of minimal significance, as readers are still able to comprehend the overall message in its entirety even in their absence In addition, it is customary for the TT to include explanatory or supplementary comments enclosed in parentheses These additions are made by the translator in an effort to enhance the readers' comprehension However, in this particular instance, it is evident that the addition becomes entirely indiscernible at its source

Here are typical examples in both texts

[1] “While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points.” (Rowling, p.126)

(Vietnamese: “Trong thời gian các con học ở Hogwarts thì thành tích các con đạt được sẽ được cộng vào điểm chung cho nhà mình ở.” (Ly, p.127)

In this sentence, the ST has one dependent clause “…, while any […] lose house points.”, the translator deleted it in the translation because the meaning is still clear enough

Harry's first moments beneath the Sorting Hat were filled with anticipation and trepidation As the hat descended over his eyes, he witnessed the hushed anticipation of the Great Hall Immersed in the darkness within the hat, he patiently awaited its momentous judgment.

(Vietnamese: “Điểu cuối cùng mà Harry nhìn thấy trước khi chiếc nón sụp xuống che mất đôi mắt của nó, là cả sảnh đường đầy nhóc người đều đang hướng mắt nhìn về nó Harry chờ đợi.”) (Ly, p 134)

In this example, similar to Example [1], the translator (Ly Lan) deliberately omitted details from the source text (ST) due to their obvious meaning in the target text (TT) This omission technique is a common translation strategy employed to streamline the translation process.

Not only omission but also addition is seen in the translation Take these examples into consideration

[3] “Thomas Dean!” là một thằng bé da đen cao hơn cả Ron, được vô Gryffindor, đến ngồi bên cạnh Harry.” (Ly, p 135)

This Vietnamese sentence was added into the TT and it could be literally translated into English as “Thomas Dean! He was a black boy taller than Ron, in Gryffindor, who sat next to Harry.” However, this detail does not exist in the TT This addition could have added further details into the TT so that the meaning could be clarified to the readers

[4] “Tới lượt thằng nhợt nhạt Malfoy” (Ly, p 134)

This detail, whose literal meaning in English is “It is Malfoy’s turn” does not appear in the ST This translation strategy also clarifies that the translator would like to add more details into the TT to make it more comprehensible to the Vietnamese readers or anyone who is not used to the plot of this novel

Following the second step, at this stage both texts were carefully read and analyzed in terms of more specific translation strategies This comparison was classified into the following themes: (1) “title”, (2) “the use of lexical items”, and (3) “the use of unique grammatical structures”

With regard to the title translation, the book’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is translated into “Harry Potter và Hòn Đá Phù Thủy” The chapter’s title, “The Sorting Hat” is translated into “Chiếc Nón Phân Loại” Therefore, the title of the book in Vietnamese appears to have a different literal interpretation compared to its original

In the “Western alchemy”, the “philosophers' stone” is a renowned substance within that domain That stone was believed to possess “such magical a power” The concept under consideration involves endowing individuals with the capacity to employ alchemy in manners that defy conventional limitations, such as the transformation of elemental substances like “lead into gold or silver” The substance was occasionally regarded as a potential “elixir of life”, with perceived benefits including rejuvenation and the potential for attaining immortality Drawing upon this prevalent belief within Western culture, Rowling assigns great significance to the philosopher's stone in her work of fantasy literature

To ensure comprehension and recognition among diverse audiences, translators must consider cultural context in title selection In the case of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the American title was modified to "Sorcerer's Stone" due to concerns regarding the familiarity of the term "Philosopher's Stone" among American readers Similarly, the Vietnamese translation employs the term "hòn đá phù thủy" to convey the original meaning, reflecting the limited familiarity of the Vietnamese audience with the concept of a "Philosopher's Stone."

(English: “a witch”) signifies a person with magical capabilities to do mysterious things This literal meaning of the word “phù thủy” in Vietnamese is used into the title and helps render the meaning of a “philosopher’s stone”

The translator uses flexible translation strategies to apply certain lexical items (i.e., single words and idioms) into the TT

First, the “communicative translation” is apparent in these examples which show the excellence of the translator in addressing terms (6 typical occurrences)

[5] “Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking” (Rowling, p 127)

(Vietnamese: “Anh Fred nói đau lắm nhưng chắc là ảnh nói chơi.”)

[6] “Bit of a nasty shock for him.” (Rowling, p 137)

(Vietnamese: “Một cú sốc ghê gớm cho ổng.” (Ly, p 138)

It is the variety of addressing terms in Vietnamese, the translator could use

Discussion

According to the findings of the research, the translation of the research material could be considered a successful effort from both the “translator's terms” and the “critic's terms” perspectives The accomplishment of this task may be attributed to a great number of different variables A flexible use of “semantic and communicative translation

37 strategies” is shown by the translator's careful consideration of “grammatical structures, addressing terms, word choices, and idiomatic expressions” in terms of the translator's language usage and translation tactics The goal of these techniques is to not only accurately translate the original message into Vietnamese but also to naturalise the text of the translation in Vietnamese This will be accomplished via a combination of the aforementioned tactics The translator makes an effort to make the original material more attractive to Vietnamese readers so that they may better understand it As a consequence of this, the results of this study are consistent with those obtained by Thaicharoen (2007), Trieu (2015), Kamalizad (2018), and Ma and Wang (2020) The reason for this is because all of these works emphasised how difficult it can be to translate a literary work since the translator has to adjust socio-cultural components and language to changeable circumstances in order for the best translation to be understandable and natural in the target text (TT)

In addition, the findings of the present study are in line with the findings of those earlier studies with regard to the primary translation procedures that are used in “the literary translation.” In this particular field, the “semantic and communicative translation” approach is used often, and the aforementioned tactics may be able to assist in improving the overall quality of the translation.Despite this, there were a few potholes found in the translation of the material that was intended to be the goal The improper rendering of certain structures such as “would like you to” and lexical words such as “the door”, “swung forward”, and so on may perhaps illustrate certain difficulties or misconceptions the translator faced when translating the text In a similar vein, Wang

(2015), Tran (2015), Hoang (2019), and Dorry (2020) all concurred that a “literary translation” might be difficult owing to the constraints imposed by differences in

Translating literary works requires heightened sensitivity to sociocultural contexts and linguistic systems due to the significance of "grammatical and lexical pattern" across languages and the demands of literary readers By exercising caution in balancing these factors, translators elevate the translation process, enabling it to surpass mere linguistic conversion and potentially transform into an artistic masterpiece.

Summary

This chapter revealed that the translation of Chapter 7 of the novel, authored by

Ly Lan, can stand alone as a single piece of literary work Thanks to effective semantic and communicative translation strategies, the translator translated the work effectively The strategies help the translation achieve its suitable usage in terms of title, addressing terms, idiomatic expressions, single equivalent, broken complex structure, equivalent relative clause, active voice, and passive voice Despite minor errors found, the translation can communicate well in Vietnamese so that the readers can understand the plot of this chapter

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion

The researcher, in accordance with the guidelines presented by Newmark's model, conducted an investigation into the fantasy novel and its Vietnamese translation, the results of which led to the discovery of a number of noteworthy insights

To begin with, in response to the primary research question, it was found that the Vietnamese translation of the seventh chapter has an impressively high degree of quality This was considered as the first step in answering the question The translator

This translation effectively captures the essence of the ST, conveying the author's intended message and purpose The translator adeptly navigates the narrative structure and employs diverse vocabulary, resulting in a translation that is both intelligible and engaging The utilization of "semantic and communicative translation strategies" ensures a translation that is as impactful and captivating as the original work.

Despite this, the translation still has a few fundamental flaws with respect to the interpretation of the semantic meaning as well as the structure of the syntactic meaning

In addition, it is vital for the translator to be alert when comparing the original source to the text that has been translated in order to spot any potential omissions or additions that may have occurred in the text that has been translated This is due to the fact that there is a chance that this may provide yet another challenge.

Implications

5.2.1 For the literary translation of the novel

Regarding the information presented above, the current findings about the TQA of the Vietnamese translation of the fantasy novel, a few implications for this literary translation could be made

The first implication is that Newmark's model has significant values in terms of its applications in the real world The approach is distinguished by its simplicity, since it is comprised of five different stages that allow the critics to build a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the translation This is accomplished via the use of an analytical framework The framework in issue is distinguished by the

39 ease with which it may be put into practice The usage of this strategy results in a significant amount of effectiveness, especially when applied to literary translation Therefore, to both critically and practically assess the quality of this fantasy novel, this practical framework could be applied The assessor first needs to understand the purpose and key characteristics of the original text Then the objective and strategies applied into the translation should be identified before further textual analysis Representative examples about syntactic structures, vocabulary, and key merits of the translation should be carefully selected and presented logically Based on the findings, major strengths and weaknesses of the translation should be stated All of this leads to the overall conclusion about the translation In brief, this framework is feasible because it can be applied to any situation despite the shortage of expertise in “pragmatics” and some other fields of linguistics like “sociolinguistics” or “discourse analysis”, and so on

The second important implication to take into account is the fact that the translator has shown that she is skilled in the area of writing Other translators may get valuable insight from her ability to make efficient use of her mother tongue and to transfer structures from the target text to the source text without any noticeable break in continuity Such fluency in the translation reveals her great ability to apply “semantic and communicative translation” Therefore, other translators in this fantasy novel could learn some useful tips That is, the act of translation is not a mere translation; instead, it would be a perfect choice if the translator reproduces the language in such a way to communicate effectively with the readers in Vietnamese The use of “semantic and communicative translation strategies” should be utilized in the translation of other chapters in this novel so that the effects of a translation can be maintained

The third implication is about the careful translation When compared to the source text, the translation has several noteworthy errors, the most noticeable of which is the insertion of extra words as well as the removal of specific terms Consequently, one of the inferences that can be drawn is that the translator has to be very faithful to the source text in order to guarantee that the readers will have a complete comprehension of the whole piece of work

The fourth implication is the consideration into equivalents in Vietnamese In terms of semantics and syntactic structure, there are several basic words, phrases, and structures in the original text that do not have counterparts in the version that has been translated and is designed for another language This creates a substantial gap between the two versions In fact, it is glaringly obvious that there is no observable link or relationship between the two of them in any way The author is unable to determine what led to the occurrence of this problem in the first place On the other hand, it might be claimed that translators need to take the greatest caution in the translation, especially the use of lexical phrases like idioms and single words, to give more correct equivalents It is the responsibility of the translator to translate exactly from the ST to the TT so that there could be no serious errors Although “semantic and communicative translation strategies” help produce a comprehensible, natural translation in Vietnamese, the

40 overuse of these strategies in a literary text without much careful consideration could have a few side effects Unsuitable or faulty equivalents could cause possible misunderstandings and loss of original meanings

The final implication is about the socio-cultural considerations while translating a novel rooted in Western society It is critically important to understand the socio- cultural background of the original text to produce the best translation as expected For the work by “Rowling”, the connotative meaning of a “Philosopher’s Stone” should be identified and the best translation of this title could be made Additionally, in the fantasy novel, the translator could apply the understanding about the socio-cultural elements and the climate or settings of the novel so that the literary translation could maximize its quality

In conclusion, the study’s findings provide invaluable insights for the translator to enhance the quality of the translation of the novel In order to ensure a proficient selection of “lexical, syntactic, and textual elements”, it is imperative for the translator to possess a comprehensive mastery of the writing style and the intent of the key author of the literary works This assists the translator in conveying the suitable meanings in the translation and producing the comprehensible, natural translation in Vietnamese Last but not least, the literary translation should be based on socio-cultural knowledge and linguistic knowledge in both cultures (concerning the ST and the TT) By considering all those elements, a literary translation of the series of the fantasy novel “Harry Potter” or any other similar to this could reach its highest quality

5.2.2 For critics of the translation

When translating literature, it is essential to thoroughly examine critical evaluations of the original text Overlooked aspects may have profound implications for the author's intentions By neglecting these nuances, translators compromise the fidelity and effectiveness of their translations.

The results of this research, it is hoped, will not only be of assistance to professors of translation in their instruction, but will also be a means by which to convey the issues that face translators who have an interest in the novel as well as the need to update translations that are now accessible on the market This is because of the need to revise translations that are currently on the market.

Limitations

In terms of the research methodology and the overall scope, the study has certain shortcomings of its own To begin with, the findings of the TQA were only applicable to the evaluation of Chapter 7, as this was the only chapter that was taken into consideration Second, the researcher did not have access to any professionals who could have served as research informants and key assessors of the translation's overall quality The findings were heavily dependent on the theoretical model developed by Newmark as well as the researcher's level of reading comprehension In conclusion, only a select

41 few examples of texts from the translation were used because the theoretical model proposed by Newmark was utilized.

Recommendations for further studies

Further research could expand upon this study by incorporating additional chapters for a more comprehensive analysis Insights from translation experts could enhance the assessment of the translation's quality, and the TQA checklist could be distributed to experts for more reliable findings Additionally, considering alternative TQA models, such as House's 1997 model, could provide valuable insights into the quality assessment of the translation text.

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