An investigation into english – vietnamese translation of euphemisms in public speeches

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ THANH AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE TRANS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

TRẦN THỊ THANH

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF EUPHEMISMS IN PUBLIC SPEECHES (Phân tích cách dịch uyển ngữ trong các bài diễn văn tiếng Anh sang tiếng Việt )

M.A MINOR THESIS

Hanoi, 2020

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

TRẦN THỊ THANH

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE

TRANSLATION OF EUPHEMISMS IN PUBLIC SPEECHES (Phân tích cách dịch uyển ngữ trong các bài diễn văn tiếng Anh sang tiếng Việt )

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Linguistics

C odeODE : 8220201 01 Supervisor: Phạm Thị Thủy, Ph.D

Hanoi, 2020

DECLARATION

I certify that all the material in this study which is not my own work has been identified and acknowledged, and that this thesis is the result of my own research and the substance of the thesis has not, wholly or in part, has submitted for any degree to any other universities and institutions

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

guidance of my teachers, my friends, and my relatives

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for my

supervisor, Doctor of PhilosophyAssoc Prof Phạm Thị Thủy for her

valuable suggestions, academic guidance, critical comments and practical advices, without which, the thesisstudy could not come into being

I am also grateful to all my teachers at University of Languages and International Studies for their useful lectures, much help and encouragement

In addition, my thanks also to my friends for their ideas, material and enthusiasm during my whole course of studying

Last but not least, I wish to acknowledge the support and invaluable help of

my parents while the work was in progress

ABSTRACT

Translation from one language to another, particularly translation of euphemisms, is no easy task Euphemisms are a figurative device which are used in life and at work by almost everyone, from ordinary people to politicians, including presidents, in order to avoid directness of speech and embarrassing or unpleasant expressions

The present thesis focuses on the methods of English- Vietnamese translation

of euphemisms, more specifically, in public speeches The aim of this thesis is

to find out the main methods that the translators use to translate euphemisms for death in English public speeches into Vietnamese

To achieve that aim, we have taken the data from 63 English public speeches and their translations in Vietnamese Altogether, 37 euphemisms for death (see appendix 4) have been collected The data then has been analyzed to discover the methods that the translators have employed

The analytical framework for translating euphemisms for death from English into Vietnamese is taken from translation methods provided by Larson (1998) and Barnwell (1980)

The finding shows that 82% the euphemisms for death in the English public speeches have been translated by equivalent euphemisms in Vietnamese, 12% euphemisms have been translated indirectly or by non-equivalent euphemisms, and 6% euphemisms – by direct forms in Vietnamese texts

Euphemism is a figurative device which is almost used by everyone in many aspects of life, especially by president in public speeches so that they can avoid the directness of speech or the ugly expressions This thesis is a case study which investigates methods translators have used when they translate euphemism for death from English into Vietnamese in linguistic and culture difference between two languages The study examines some sentences which contain death euphemism in public speeches and analyzed

For its framework for analysis, the present case study will assess the translation of English euphemisms into Vietnamese in public speeches by focusing on three ways of translating euphemisms

The study concludes that the most of the euphemisms in the SL texts are transferred by equivalent euphemism in the TL texts, some in the SL texts are transferred indirectly or by non-equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts, a small number are transferred by a direct form in the TL texts

The principal aim of this study is to explore how many euphemisms for death are used in public speeches Moreover, it also aims to come to main methods taken by translators in translating euphemisms for death from English public speeches into Vietnamese

In doing so, this thesis attempts to study the figure of speech on the aspect of translation to give some considerations and propose methods in translating euphemisms for death in public speeches

TABLE OF CONTENT S

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS viv

ABBREVIATION xiivii

LIST OF TABLES xiiiviii

LIST OF FIGURES xviix

CHAPTER I: INTRODUTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the thesis 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the thesis 1

1.2.1 Aims 1

1.2.2 Objectives 2

1.3 Research method of the thesis 2

1.3.1 Research method 2

1.3.2 Research questions 2

1.4 Scope of the thesis 2

1.5 Significance of the thesis 2

1.6 Organization of the thesis 3

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 54

2.1 Translation 4

2.1.1 Definitions of translation 54

2.1.2 Translation equivalence 75

2.1.3 Translation process and translation methods in general 98

2.1.4 Methods for translating euphemisms 1312

2.2 Language and culture 1413

2.3 Euphemisms 1615

2.3.1 Definition of public speech 1615

2.3.2 Definitions of euphemism 1715

2.3.3 Classification of euphemism 1816

2.3.4 Euphemisms for death 2019

2.4 Chapter summary 2620

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHOD 2821

3.1 Research method 2821

3.1.1 Research method 2821

3.1.2 Research questions 2821

3.2 Research design 2821

3.3 Data collection and analysis 2922

3.3.1 Data collection 2922

3.3.2 Data analysis 3023

3.4 Chapter summary 3124

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 3225

4.1 Euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 3325

4.2 Euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 3729

4.3 Euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non-equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 4234

4.4 Frequency of methods for translating death euphemisms 4637

4.5 Chapter summary 4739

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 5040

5.1 Conclusion 5040

5.2 Implications for translation studies and language teaching 5242

5.3 Some limitations of the thesis 5242

5.4 Some suggestions for further research 5343

REFERENCES 5444

APPENDIXES I APPENDIX 1: A dictionary Euphemisms & Other doubletalk I APPENDIX 2: How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms IVIII APPENDIX 3: Data collected XIX APPENDIX 4: Euphemisms for death XLVXXXVII APPENDIX 5: Non- euphemisms for death XLVIIXXXIX DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

ABBREVIATION vi

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF FIGURES viii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the thesis 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the thesis 1

1.2.1 Aims 1

1.2.2 Objectives 2

1.3 Research method of the thesis 2

1.4 Scope of the thesis 2

1.5 Significance of the thesis 2

1.6 Organization of the thesis 2

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Definitions of translation 4

2.2 Translation equivalence 5

2.3 Language and culture 8

2.4 Euphemisms 9

2.4.1 Definition of public speech 9

2.4.2 Definitions of euphemism 10

2.4.3 Classification of euphemism 11

2.5 Translation methods 14

2.5.1 Translation process and translation method in general 14

2.5.2 Methods for translating euphemisms 17

2.6 Chapter summary 19

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHOD 20

3.1 Research method 20

3.1.1 Research method 20

3.1.2 Research questions 20

3.2 Research design 20

3.3 Data collection and analysis 21

3.3.1 Data collection 21

3.3.2 Data analysis 22

3.4 Chapter summary 23

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 24

4.1 Euphemisms for death 24

4.2 Findings and discussion 24

4.2.1 Euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 25

4.2.2 Euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 29

4.2.3 Euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non-equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 34

4.2.4 Frequency of methods for translating death euphemisms 37

4.3 Chapter summary 39

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 40

5.1 Conclusion 40

5.2 Implications for translation studies and language teaching 42

5.3 Some limitations of the thesis 42

5.4 Some suggestions for further research 43

REFERENCES 44

APPENDIXES I APPENDIX 1: A dictionary Euphemisms & Other doubletalk I APPENDIX 2: How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of EuphemismsIII APPENDIX 3: Data collected IX APPENDIX 4: Euphemisms for death XXXVII APPENDIX 5: Non- euphemisms for death XXXIX

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

ABBREVIATION vi

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF FIGURES viii

CHAPTER IPART A: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the thesis 1

1.2 Aims and Objectives of the thesis 1

1.3 Research methods of the thesis 2

1.4 Scope of the thesis 2

1.5 Signification of the thesis 2

1.6 Organization of the thesis 2

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 4

21.1 Definitions of translation 4

21.2 Translation equivalence 5

21 3 Language and culture 8

21.4 Euphemisms 9

21.4.1 Definition of public speech es 9 21.4.2 Definitions of euphemisms 10

21.4.3 Classification of euphemism 11

21.5 Translation methods 13

21.5.1 Translation process and translation method in general 14

21.5.2 Methods for translating euphemisms 17

21.6 Chapter summary Conclusion 18

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODS 20

32.1 Research methods 20

32.1.1 Research methods 20

32.1.2 Research questions 20

32.2 Research design 20

32.3 Data collection and analysis 21

32.3.1 Data collection 21

32.3.2 Data analysis 22

32.4 Chapter summary Conclusion 23

CHAPTER IVII: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 24

43.1 Euphemisms for death 24

43.2 Findings and discussions 24

4.2.1.Euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 29

43.2.2.Euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the

TL texts 29

34.2.3 Euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non-equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 34

34.2.4 Frequency of methods for translating death euphemisms 37

34.3 Chapter summary Conclusion 39

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 40

5.1 Conclusion 40

5.2 Implications for translation studies and language teaching 42

5.3 Some limitations of the thesis 42

5.4 Some suggestions for further research 43

REFERENCES 44

APPENDIXCES I APPENDIX 1 A dictionary Euphemisms & Other doubletalk I APPENDIX 2 How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms III APPENDIX 3 Data collected IX APPENDIX 4 Euphemisms for death XXXVII APPENDIX 5 Non- euphemisms about death XXXIX

ABBREVIATION

LIST OF TABLE S

Table 1 Death euphemisms in English translated by direct forms in

Vietnamese 3729 Table 2 Death euphemisms in English translated by equivalent euphemism

in Vietnamese 4233 Table 3 Euphemisms in English translated by non - equivalent euphemisms

in Vietnamese 4537 Table 4 Frequency of translation methods euphemisms for death 4638 Table 5 Non- euphemisms about death XLVIIXXXIX

Table 1.Death euphemisms in English translated by direct forms in Vietnamese 37292929 Table 2 Death euphemisms in English translated by equivalent euphemism

in Vietnamese 42333333 Table 3 Euphemisms in English translated by non - equivalent euphemisms

in Vietnamese 45373737 Table 4 Frequency of translation methods euphemisms for death 46383838Table 5 Non- euphemisms about death XXXVII

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the

TL texts 26 Figure 2 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the

TL texts 27 Figure 3 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the

TL texts 28 Figure 4 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 30 Figure 5 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 31 Figure 6 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 31 Figure 7 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 32 Figure 8 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 34 Figure 9 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 35

Figure 10 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 36Figure 11: Proportion of Vietnamese euphemisms translated from English by three translation methods 46383838

LIST OF FIGURES

Diagram 1 Translation process by Barnwell 8

Diagram 2 Translation process by Larson 9

Diagram 3 Translation process by Nida and Taber 10

Diagram 4 Translation methods by Newmark 11

Figure 1 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 3426

Figure 2 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 3527

Figure 3 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by direct form in the TL texts 3628

Figure 4 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 3830

Figure 5 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 3931

Figure 6 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 3931

Figure 7 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated by equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 4032

Figure 8 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 4334

Figure 9 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 4435

Figure 10 Example of euphemisms in the SL translated indirectly or by non- equivalent euphemisms in the TL texts 4436

Figure 11: Proportion of Vietnamese euphemisms translated from English by

three translation methods 4738

CHAPTER IPART A : INTRODUTION

1 1 Rationale of the thesisstudy

Communication is the backbone of our society It is an effective tool for us to form connections, influence decisions, and motivate change Public speeches are one of the most important and most dreaded forms of communication From language perspective, euphemism is a key to communicate in public speeches effectively and appropriately, and also use to protect speakers from undesired emotional arousal, so euphemism translation is not easy task It is not only translated including the texts, the rules of grammar of two languages but also from one culture to another Therefore, the translation of euphemisms has become more and more important in intercultural communication for translators, in general, and English learners in particular

Among the Master Theses at University of Languages and International Studies, VNU, there has been a study “Euphemism in English and Vietnamese - A contrastive analysis from Cultural perspective” (Nguy n Th

Qu nh Chi, 2005) However, translation ofng euphemisms for death from

public speeches

Therefore, this thesis attempts to study the figure of speech on the aspect of translation to give some considerations and propose methods in translating euphemisms for death in public speeches

1 2 Aims and objectives of the thesisstudy

1 2.1 Aims

The principal aim of this thesis study is to explore how many euphemisms for death are used in public speeches Moreover, it also aims to come to main methods taken by translators in translating euphemisms for death from English public speeches into Vietnamese

1 2.2 Objectives

To achieve the above-stated aims, the following objectives are identified:

- To examine how many methods of translating are used by translators in public speeches from English into Vietnamese

- And to suggest some considerations and recommendations for euphemism translation and for language teaching

1 3 Research method s of the thesis

1.3.1 Research methodthe study

The present case studystudy will assess the translation of English euphemisms into Vietnamese in public speeches by focusing on three ways of translating euphemisms

1 4 Scope of the thesisthe study

This thesisstudy investigates the ways used in translating euphemisms for death from English into Vietnamese The investigation will focus on works of English public speeches and their Vietnamese versions

1 5 Significa ncetion of the thesisstudy

We hope this thesisstudy will make useful contribution for translators in terms

of euphemism for death translation from English into Vietnamese In addition, Vietnamese speakers can learn the ways euphemisms are used in public speeches

1 6 Organization of the thesisthe study

This thesisstudy consists of five chaptersthree main parts, references, and 54

appendixcxes

Chapter IPart A : Introduction

the organization of the thesisstudy

Chapter II: Literature review

Part B: Development

The development comprises three chapters

background for the thesisstudy Some theoretical preliminaries on translation, the definitions, and classifications of euphemism are introduced in this chapter

Chapter III: Research methods

Chapter 32 is methodology and procedure of the thesisstudy Research questions, data collection, and research method are presented in this chapter

Chapter IV: Findings and discussion

Chapter 3 4 is findings and discussion of methodways used in translating euphemisms from English into Vietnamese

Chapter VPart C : Conclusion

This part gives the conclusion of the whole thesisstudy, the implications for the translation studies and languagetranslation teaching, limitations of the

References include all the books, articles that have been referred in the thesis

F iveour appendi xx es list euphemisms about death in order of euphemisms

dictionary books, data collected, euphemisms for death and non- euphemisms for death

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I I LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter deals with the concepts related to translating euphemisms

It discusses definitions of translation and translation equivalence from linguistic perspectives, different definitions and classification of euphemisms,

Moreover, methods for translating euphemisms will be presented

2.1 Translation

12 1 1 Definitions of translation

In modern world, translation plays a crucial role not only in linguistics but also in other fields, such as business, foreign affairs, etc because professional translation provides companies with a competitive edge over their market rivals when they are able to communicate effectively with foreign clients in the language of the customers Also, translation has become

an important profession because it consists of staff translators, freelancers, contract translators, terminologists, and pre- and post- editors in machine translation

Translation is the process of changing something that is written or spoken into another language (Oxford Advanced Learners‟ dictionary, Turnbull et al, 2010, p.1646)

Translation is the transfer process of a text from a language (source language) into another language (target language) Specifically, it is a connecting bridge between source language and target language More

original author of a message formulated it, and the point of departure for translation (Nida, 1982, p 206) or it is expressed message in specific

language (Barnwell, 1990, p.6) Target language (TL) or receptor language (RL) is re-expressed message in another language when translation is being made

Other scholars have given the following definitions of translation focusing on linguistically - oriented Catford (1965) and Hartmann and Stock (1972), and Nida and Taber (1982) demonstrate that translation is replacement of a representation of a text in one language by a presentation of another equivalent text in a second language and then in terms of style Moreover, it requires the syntactic, semantic, and stylistic and text pragmatic comprehension by the translator of the original text (Wilss, 1982) Also, Newmark (1988) mentions taking care mainly of the functional relevant in the act of translating

Apart from the above definitions, some other researchers have their own translation‟s definition Hatim & Mason (1990, p.3) defines that translation is a process, involving the negotiation of meaning between

translated text is to be seen as the evidence of a transaction, a means of retracting the pathways of the translator‟s decision- makings

Translation, then, consists of studying the lexicon and grammatical structure, communication situation, and culture context of the source language text, analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and the restricting this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure which are appropriateeciate

in the receptor language and its culture context (Larson, 1990, p.3)

In short, the definitions of translation by Nida, Catford, Nida and Taber, Hatmann and Stock, Wilss, Newmark, Hatim and Mason, and Larson have been presented in this part Although there are some slight differences in expressions, they all share common features In this thesisstudy, Larson‟s

theory of translation is adopted because she mentions culture context in

12 1 2 Translation equivalence

It is important to establish equivalence between the source text and the target text on different linguistic levels Equivalence in translation shows the relationship between a source text (ST) and target text (TT) that allows the TT

to be considered as a translation of the ST

Jakobson‟s “On Linguistic Aspects of Translation” gives the concept of equivalence from a linguistic point of view and asserts that equivalence in meaning is problematic because of the differences in each or every language

In his words, “Equivalence in difference is the cardinal problem of language and pivotal concern of linguistics” (Jakobson, 1959, p.233)

Toury changes the concept of equivalence from prescriptive definitions

to descriptive ones He states that equivalence is a feature of all translations, simply because they are thought to be translations, no matter what their linguistic and aesthetic quality is He also says that “It is norms that determine the (type and extent of) equivalence manifested by actual translations” (Toury, 1995, p 75)

Apart from two above authors, many different theories of the concept of equivalence in translation have been elaborated within this field in the past years There are three types of translation equivalence as follows:

First school of scholars, equivalence is a necessary condition to be made translation and it is target of translation, which can be achieved (Catford, Nida, Toury, Koller)

Equivalence can be said to be the central issue in translation although its definition, relevance, and applicability within the field of translation theory have caused heated controversy Focusing on this issue, Catford (1965, p.27)

demonstrate that “Translation equivalence as an empirical phenomenon, discovered by comparing SL and TL texts” He divides translation equivalence into textual equivalence and formal correspondence

Nida and Taber (1982) believe that equivalence is not possible between different languages Not only focusing on creating word or sentence equivalence, but they also focuses on equivalent effect on the target side

ThHey distinguishes two types of equivalence in translation, namely formal

equivalence and dynamic equivalence

Also focusing on formal and dynamic equivalence in translation equivalence, Koller (1979) proposes 5 types of equivalence: denotative, connotative, text – normative, pragmatic/ communicativedynamic

equivalence, formal/expressive equivalence

1 Ddenotative equivalence is one in which the SL and TL words refer

to the same thing in the real world

2 Connotative equivalence, or “Stylistic equivalence” is one in which the SL and TL words should produce the same communicative values in the

mind of native speakers of the two languages

3 Text-normative equivalence is one in which the SL and TL words are used in the same or similar context in their respective languages

4 Pragmatic equivalence, or „communicative equivalence‟, is one in which the SL and TL words have the same effect on the reader

5 Formal equivalence, or “expressive equivalence” focuses on the form

of the text: Rhythm, verse form, special stylistic forms of expression in syntax and lexis, word play, metaphor, etc

Secondly, translation equivalence is not possible and impediment in translation studies (Snell – Hornby, Gentzler, 1988)

Thirdly, equivalence is useful classifications to describe and study translation

(Baker, 1992); and it is a notion used to study and practice translation but not because of unit of this concept in translation theory

Tien (2010, p.142)

In conclusion, scholars such as Nida, Koller, etc work on oriented theories of translation so that they define translation equivalence based on word- level, sentences level, text- level or the effect it creates As it can be seen, the definition and applicability of this concept within the field of translation theory have caused heated controversy The concept of equivalence has been evaluated and discussed in line with the approaches from different perspectives This thesis study is based on Koller‟s definition

linguistically-of translation equivalence

2.1.3 Translation process and translation methods in general

This thesis focuses on the translation methods of euphemisms Therefore, in this part we will discuss the translation methods, in general, and methods for translating euphemisms, in particular

Translation process in general is given by Barnwell and Larson as follows These are very similar by transferring meaning in two stages

Firstly, according to Barnwell (1980, p 7), the translation process can be diagrammed as follows:

Diagram 1 Translation process by Barnwell

Translation process includes two stages In the first stage, the starting point of translation is a message This message is expressed in a specific language,

which is called the source language (SL) The meaning of the source

message is analyzed; this is referred to as exegesis (in the Biblical context)

In the second stage, we are aiming to re-express that message in another language in translating The language into which the translation is being made

is called the receptor language (RL) We have already seen that the form of

each language is unique Therefore, translation will involve some change of

form This does not matter provided that the meaning of the message is

retained unchanged In the stages, the meaning is re-expressed as exactly as possible in the natural form in the receptor language This step is sometimes

referred to as restructuring

Secondly, Larson (1998, pp.3-4) gives translation process as shown below

Diagram 2 Translation process by Larson

Translation consists of transferring the meaning of the source language into the receptor language This is done by going from the form of the first language

to the form of second language by way of semantic structure It is meaning which is being transferred and must be held constant, only the form changes Receptor language is the same as target language

Moreover, in “The theory and practice of translation”, Nida and Taber (1982, p 33) provide the model of the translation process consisting of the following stages:

Diagram 3 Translation process by Nida and Taber

The system of translation process consists of three stages First, source language or language A is analyzed in terms of grammatical relationships, the meaning and combinations of words Then, the analysed material is transferred in the mind of translator from language A to language B Finally, the transferred material is restructured in order to make the final message

fully acceptable in the receptor language

Translation methods have been discussed by different scholars However, in this thesis, we will present the methods given by Newmark with 8 specific methods

Newmark (1988, p.81) indicates that “while translation methods relate to whole texts, translations are used for sentences and the smaller units of language” He also states that “the central problem of translating has always been whether to translate literally or freely” (Newmark, p.45) Therefore, he shows the methods of translation in form of a flattened V diagram

Diagram 4 Translation methods by Newmark

In his article, Tien (2007, p.3) gives explanation of Newmark‟s V diagram This diagram shows the relationship between the SL and TL in translation, the nearest of SL is word-for-word translation, the further down the left branch (semantic translation) is the farthest away from the original language and the distance to the translated language is so close Likewise, the closest to the translated language is the adaption translation method, and the further down the methodology of the communicative translation group is the further away from the translated language and closer to the source language

The two methods at the bottom of the V diagram, also representing the two main approaches, are semantic translation and communicative translation, the position of each translation method on the V diagram indicates their distance from the original language and the translated language, and reflects the characteristics of the translation product generated by the corresponding translation method

To sum up, it is believed that when SL and TL words share similar meaning senses, translation can be achieved Larson, Barnwell, Nida and Taber have provided the process of translation Generally, Newmark‟s translation methods are very effective and useful for translating cultural factors, like euphemisms However, to be more specific, this thesis follows the Barnwell and Larson‟ translation methods

2.1.4 Methods for translating euphemisms

Euphemisms belong to a class of words or stretch of words whose literal meaning is not the real or intended meaning Therefore, it is difficult to translate euphemisms There are some methods to translate euphemisms as follows:

Larson (1998, pp 126-127) focuses on two methods of translating euphemisms: (i) a euphemism is translated by a comparable euphemism in the receptor language; and (ii) a euphemism is translated directly (or word-for-word) in the receptor language

For example, to express death,

(i) He is sleeping with his fathers (In Greek expression)

He went to his village (In Twi expression)

(ii) Or he died

In the example (i), the death words would be inoffensive

Additionally, Barnwell (1980, p.37) proposes her own methods to translate

euphemisms: (i) indirect translation, and (ii) word-for-word translation

For instance,

(i) David… fell asleep and was laid with his fathers

(ii) He died

In the examples (i), “fell asleep” is an indirect way of saying “died”

From two above authors, three methods of translating euphemisms are given

as follows:

(i) a euphemism in the SL is translated by a direct form in the TL,

(ii) a euphemism in the SL is translated by an equivalent euphemism in the

“No, Meggie, Hal’s not better in the way you mean, but he’s at peace He’s gone

to God, he’s out of his pain.” (McCullough, The Thorn Birds, 1992, p.87)

- “Kh ng, Meggie Hal kh ng ch t n o nh con mong, em y n ngh

r i Hal tr v v i h a, h l kh ng c n au kh n a.” (Phạm Mạnh

H ng, Ti ng chim h t trong b i m n gai, 2009, p 92)

(i) He‟s gone to God for Anh y tr v v i h a

(ii) He‟s out of his pain for Th l kh ng c n au kh

(iii) He‟s at the peace for Em y n ngh r i

In this thesis, we will analyze the translation methods of euphemisms for death in public speeches from English into Vietnamese The three methods of translating euphemisms as presented above will be taken as the analytical framework

12 23 Language and culture

This thesisstudy is concerned with the translation of euphemisms, which are parts of culture In addition, language is a link among different cultures and people use it as a way of expressing their feelings and ideas Therefore, the relationship between language and culture and their importance is discussed

by other scholars

First of all, many linguists explore the relationship between language and culture Nida (1998, p 29) holds the view that “Language and culture are two symbolic systems Everything we say in language has meanings, designative

or sociative, denotative or connotative Every language form we use has meanings, carries meanings that are not in the same sense because it is associated with culture and culture is more extensive than language”

Sapir (1956, in Bassnet, 2002, p.22) declares “No language can exist unless it

is steeped in the context of culture; and no culture can exist which does not have its center, the structure of natural language” Then, language is considered as the center part within the whole body of culture, there is the interaction between them as a result of the life- energy continuation In other words, they influence each other

Moreover, Larson (1998, p 103) states that “different languages have different concentrations of vocabulary depending on the culture, geographical location, and the worldwide of the people.” The diversity of cultural standpoints related to different languages can be seen in the variety of cultural connotations assigned to these linguistic codes

Secondly, given the importance of the linguistic and cultural factors in translation, Komissarov (1991, p.5 33) mentions “language and culture are obviously the two dominant factors which make translation an indispensable and most complicated kind of intellectual activity” Therefore, the translated message is transferred not only to another language but also to another culture This fact cannot but influence the translating process In addition to

overcoming the linguistics barrier the translator has to surmount the culture barrier, to make sure that the receptors of the target text are provided with the presuppositions required for their access to the message contents

In Tien and Thuy‟s article (2018, p 6), they state that having wide knowledge

of culture factors plays an important role in a successful translation because words only have meaning when they are set in a specific cultural situation Therefore, language and culture are both crucial factors in translation

To conclude, the relationship between language and culture is inseparable, especially in translation From a philosophical view, language and culture makes a living organism while language is flesh and culture is blood Hence,

it can be pointed out that culture would be transferred through language in translation

12 43 Euphemisms

Euphemisms are having been increasingly used not only in literature but also

in daily life More interestingly, euphemisms have long become the subject of study for many areas and scholars worldwide In this thesisstudy, euphemisms for death in public speeches will be discussed To get that point, the concept

of public speech is given as follow

A public speech is discourse or which speaker uses to speak in front of many people in a community or country, in which “public” is “connected with ordinary people in society in general” and speech – “a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience” (The Oxford Advanced Learner‟ Dictionary, 2010) That is to say, public speaking (redirected from public speech) is the act, art, or process of making effective speeches before audiences or listeners Indeed, “public speaking serves a very important function in that it creates a public, a group of people with some common

interests” (Griffin, 200815, p 1)

A euphemism is a word that originates from Greek, with the prefix “Eu” – good, well and the stem “pheme” means “speech”, the suffix “-ism” means “action or result”, which literally means “speaking well of…” or to speak in a good way (Enright, 2004) Definitions of euphemisms are provided as follows

A euphemism is indirect word or phrase that people often use to refer to something or embarrassing or unpleasant sometimes to make it seem more acceptable than it really is (Oxford Advanced learners‟ dictionary, 2010, ibid: 529)

Galperin, Enright Allan and Burridge, and Larson have attempted to define the concept of euphemism and all of the definition are similar General speaking, euphemism is an indirect expression or a figurative expression by using a word or phrase used to replace an unpleasant word or a conventionally acceptable one in order to avoid being offensive or possible loss of face It is usually used when taking about sex, death, politics, the media, the law, etc In addition, Barnwell (1990, p.37) in “Introduction to Semantics and Translation” maintains that “A euphemism is the use of an expression which has a meaning quite different from its apparent surface meaning It is an indirect way of saying something, usually used in order to avoid being offensive”

In Vietnamese language, euphemism has been discussed by Đinh Trọng Lạc, Trương Viên, and Nguy n Đăng Sửu They both show that euphemism, a rhetorical image, expresses a valuable content to present in an appropriate, subtle and aesthetic way Therefore, euphemisms are used to avoid unpleasant

or embarrassing words and expressions to create polite behavior for listeners, and to achieve communicative aim and intention of the speakers in particular

situations

In summary, we may conclude that the term “euphemism” is generally understood as a mild or indirect word or expression replaced for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant The above definitions of euphemisms are quite similar in spite of using different words to express In this thesisstudy, the definition of euphemisms

by Barnwell is used

Euphemisms are used in different spheres of life without considering which euphemism to use and when, however, it is not so easy to classify them as there is no uniform standard Euphemisms can be classified according to different criteria, rules, or principles The following is a presentation of two possible classifications of euphemisms

According to Rawson (1981, p.312), euphemisms can be divided into 6 semantic categories:

(1) Professional euphemisms: People use cleaning operative for road sweeper

or dustman, sanitation engineer for garbage man, meat technologist for

butcher, and hairdresser has turned into beautician, etc

(2) The euphemisms related to heath issues: People always use long illness replaces for cancer, social disease replaces for syphilis and AIDS, also they use lung trouble substitutes for tuberculosis and so on And if someone with a

mental illness, we cannot say psychosis directly, we should say he or she is a little confused, meanwhile, we should use hard of hearing in stand of deaf

(3) Euphemisms referring to death and dying: In many societies, because death is feared, so people tend to avoid mentioning death directly and talk about it in a euphemisticm way They try to employ pleasant terms to express the ideas So death has hundreds of soft, decent, and better-sounding names,

such as breathe one’s last, fall asleep, go west, join the majority, lay down

one’s life, pass away, pay the debt of nature, reach a better word, to be at peace, to return to the dust, or he worked until he breathed his last, etc. See Appendix 1 for more examples

(4) Euphemisms with sexual connotation: The great divide, willing woman,

gay boy, lost girl can be used to replace divorce, loose woman, male homosexual, etc

(5) The euphemisms indicating crime: Five –fingers, gentleman of the road,

hero of the underground, the candy man are often used to substitute for pickpocket, robber, heroin, and drug pusher

(6) Political Euphemisms: Student unrest can be used to replace student

strike; police action, search and clear, war games are used to substitute for aggression, massacre and war exercise

Very much similar to this definition is that by Holder (2008) who presents a more detailed classification of euphemism into 7 categories as follows:

(1) Euphemisms connected with death: He declares that words that are used

denote leaving for unknown places or sleeping: to pass away, pass on the

other side, pass over, pass into the next world, leave the land of the living, go

to heaven, go to our rest, go to a better place, etc For more examples of

euphemisms for death, please see Appendix 2

(2) Euphemisms connected with Religion: Euphemisms used in religion are motivated by human prejudices, respect for God, fear of devil and evil forces

Gosh, Gee, George, Gum, etc for God or Jesus, bloody for God‟s mother, black gentleman, black prince for Devil, etc

(3) Euphemisms connected with Politics: He gives examples of the word

special, which refers to illegal or inhuman activities Special treatment for

torturing or killing political opponents, special weapons for nuclear weapons, armed struggle, conflict, incident, etc for war, and more

(4) Euphemisms connected with Business Business euphemisms deal with many areas like employment, advertisement, financing, banking and

bankruptcy Exterminating engineer for a rat catcher, handy package,

negative cash situation or cash flow problem, etc

(5) Euphemisms connected with Diseases and Medicine Euphemisms in this

field deal with the most serious diseases French ache, or French disease for syphilis, cardiac incident, cardiac arrest, heart problem for a bad heart

condition or heart attack, etc

(6) Euphemisms connected with Human Body and Sex Mistress, mate,

boy/friend, miss, good friend for a sexual partner, get busy with, get into bed with, get your share, get your green for sexual act, to be in the family way, joining the club, to have a full belly for pregnancy, etc

(7) Euphemisms connected with Addictions Addictions could be called

weaknesses Weakness for the drink for alcoholism, weakness for the horses for gambling addiction, fruit machines for gambling machines, and so on

Both Rawson and Holder have given classifications of euphemisms, where euphemisms are used frequently These classification deal with socially unaccepted or feared issues, which people are ashamed to talk about directly From above classifications, the present thesisstudy uses the combination of the two classifications of euphemisms by Rawson and Holder and list the euphemisms referring to death and dying In the public speeches, euphenisms are identified by looking at context in which they are used

2.3.4 Euphemisms for death

There exist many euphemisms for death in English

In his dictionary, Rawson (1981) states euphemisms for death: account for,

bite, bury to dust, buy the farm, casualty, end of the ball game, fall, go west, pass away, pass on, decreased, departed, etc For more details, please see

Appendix 1