A study on methods to translate medical terms in the textbook “English in medicine” for the third-year students at Hai Phong Medical University

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ----q§flœa---- ĐỖ PHƯƠNG LINH CHI A STUDY ON METHODS TO TRANSLATE M

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

q§flœa

ĐỖ PHƯƠNG LINH CHI

A STUDY ON METHODS TO TRANSLATE MEDICAL

TERMS IN THE TEXTBOOK “ENGLISH IN MEDICINE” FOR THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS AT

HAIPHONG MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Nghiên cứu phương pháp dịch thuật ngữ ngành v khoa trong giao trinh

“English in Medicine” cho sinh vién nam thứ 3, trường

Dai hoc Y Hai Phong

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

HANOI, 2014

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

q§flœa

ĐỖ PHƯƠNG LINH CHI

A STUDY ON METHODS TO TRANSLATE MEDICAL

TERMS IN THE TEXTBOOK “ENGLISH IN MEDICINE” FOR THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS AT

HAIPHONG MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Nghiên cứu phương pháp dịch thuật ngữ ngành v khoa trong giao trinh

“English in Medicine” cho sinh vién nam thứ 3, trường

Dai hoc Y Hai Phong

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Lé Hing Tiến

HANOI, 2014

DECLARATION

I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “4d study on methods to translate medical terms in the textbook “English in Medicine” for third-year students at Haiphong Medical University” is the result of my research for the Degree of Master of Art at University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and the thesis has not been submitted for any degrees at any other university or tertiary institution

Hanoi, July 2014

Student

Đỗ Phương Linh Chi

as his constant encouragement from the beginning stage of working out the research proposal to the final stage of writing up the thesis Without his critical comments and valuable suggestions, this study could not be completed

My special thanks go to all my lecturers in Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their useful lectures during my M.A

course

I also take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues at Faculty of English, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their various kinds of help and supports Last but not least, I would like to express my thankfulness to my family and friends for their endless love, significant help and encouragement

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ABSTRACT

The thesis focuses on translation methods and procedures of English medical terms It is aimed at investigating the characteristics of medical terms in order to help the translators and learners have a clear understanding of the terms Attempts are also made to identify methods

as well as procedures used in translating medical terms in the textbook

“English in Medicine’ Hopefully, the result of the study will be helpful

to ESP teachers and learners who are interested in medical terms

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ABBREVIATIONS

1V

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2 Objectives of the S(Udy cọ ng ng ngờ 2

3 Research co ha na 2 h0 0 2

5 Significance Of the S(UY c1 2 H1 1S 1 n1 1v ng vn 2

6 Methods of the S(udy ng ng ng ngờ 2

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1.1 Definitions of TransÌÏatIOTI -Ă S1 ngu 4 1.2 Methods of TransÌÏatIOn c1 111 1n ng re 5

ðđ8ẽ 2 5 Y2 TT 6 1.3 Translation ProcedUT€S - + HH HH vn 7

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2 Terminology and Medical terminolòy . - -+<<<<<<<<<s 1] “Đo 909521557 1]

2.2 Medical terms and Characteristics .ccccccceesesesnsnennneceeceeeeeeeeeeeees 12 1 Translation of medical {€rTmS _ -«« «55c s33 +sseeeeeeeeses 16 1.1 Using TransfÍ€r€TC€ (cv re, 16 1.1.1 Eponyms that derIve Írom De€rSON s55 5s ss2 16 1.1.2 Eponyms that derive from obJec(s_ - - 17

1.1.3 Medical acronyms .cccccccccccccccccccccceceeceeeeeeeeeesessennncneeeeeeeees 17 1.1.4 Terms referring to modern concepts that are not technically lexicalized In Vietnamese cv 18 1.1.5 Terms referring to modern concepts that are technically lexicalized In Vietnamese cv 19 1.2 Using NaturaÌlZafIOn ch reg 20 1.3 Using TTanSDOSI(IOT - cv reg 20 1.4 Using Through- TTransÌÏatIOT «<< «+ S** vsvseeeeees 22 1.5 Using the omission of the preposition “OÍ” -.« «<5 23 1.6 Using Sino- Vietnamese elemen(fS «s55 s5 ss* s2 24 2 Problems in the translation of medical ter1mms - - - - + <«+ 25 3 Suggested solutions for the Translation of medIcal terms 26

PART C: CONCLUSION 2424 28

1 COMCIUSION 0.0 28

2 Suggestions for teaching and translation of medical terms 29

3 LAMICAtIONS 0.0 30

4 Suggestions for further Studies cc cccccccceceeceeeeeeeseesessesnsneaeeeeeeeees 30 1395.400 00 31 APPENDIXES Go G Go 0 Họ Họ dị 09 000000 0000000060066 000 I

VỊ

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale of the study

From the early 1960’s, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown

to become one of the most prominent areas of EFL teaching today ESP

is now taught in every university and colleges with different purposes such as English for medical professionals, English for waiters, English for tourism, or English for Business, etc Among them, English for Medical Purposes (EMP) is also one of important parts of ESP

As an English teacher at Haiphong Medical University, where EMP is taught, I have recognized the enormous necessity of EMP English for Medical Purposes (EMP) is an interesting subject for medical students

or specialists As you know, English is considered as a bridge for cooperation and development, especially in Medical area To advance careers, doctors must write articles in English for international journals and take part in conferences held in English everywhere in the world However, it is also a challenge to them Translating medical terms in English medical textbooks or documents is one of the biggest problems Sometimes, there are many ways of translating for one word or learners

do not know how to translate these medical terms exactly This prevents them from studying or reading English medical documents To

do this, they need to have translation skills as well as knowledge of English medical terms

In the hope of finding a proper solution to the problem of medical terms translation in the textbook “English in Medicine” for the students

of Haiphong Medical University, I have decided to carry out “A study

on methods to translate medical terms in the textbook “English in Medicine” for third-year students at Haiphong Medical

University” In this study, some main characteristics of medical terms are given with methods as well as procedures applied to translate these terms in the textbook From that, the study will support translators and readers a lot of interesting materials for translation in EMP

2 Objectives of the study

The study consists of the following objectives:

- Investigating medical terms with their characteristics

- Identifying methods and procedures used in translating medical terms

- Drawing out some problems and solutions for English medical terms translation as well as giving some suggestions for teaching and studying EMP

3 Research questions

The above objectives will be achieved through the following questions:

- What are the characteristics of medical terms?

- What are the methods and procedures applied for medical terms translation?

- What causes difficulties for translators in translating medical terms?

4 Scopes of the study

The study is conducted on Medical terms in the textbook “English in Medicine” for third-year students at Haiphong Medical University

5 Significance of the study

This study will give readers general views about methods of translation

In addition, it will also support EMP teachers and learners knowledge

of medical terms with solutions for translating medical terms

6 Methods of the study

First of all, Descriptive method is used for describing characteristics of medical terms as well as methods and procedures applied in translating

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these terms In this thesis, Comparative analysis is also used for data collection and analysis Besides, making conclusion is based on Conductive approach During doing this thesis I also collect the relevant information, documents from the books, articles or Internet

7 Design of the study

This study is divided into two main parts:

Part A is the Introduction which includes rationale, objectives, scope, significance, methods and the design of the study

Part B is the Development with two main chapters:

- Chapter | is the Literature review which gives general information of Translation theory, Terminology and Medical terms

- Chapter 2 is the Translation methods and procedures of medical terms with the solutions for the problems This is the main part of the study Part C is the Conclusion with a summary of the groups of terms with translation methods and procedures used to translate them Besides, there are some limitations and suggestions for teaching and translation

of medical terms There are also some suggestions for further studies The last one is the Reference and Appendixes of the study

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1 Translation theory

Definitions of Translation

Translation has been approached from a scientific point of view by linguists through times, so it has been defined variously The following are some typical definitions:

e The term translation itself has several meanings: it can refer to the general subject field, the product (the text that has been translated) or the process (the act of producing the translation, otherwise known a translating) The process of translation between two different written languages involves the translator changing an original written text (the source language or SL) into a written text (the target text or TT) in a different verbal language (the target language or TL) (Jakobson 1959/2000:114)

e Translating is rendering the meaning of a text into one language in the way the author intended the text (Newmark)

e Translating is the replacement of textual material in one language (SL)

by equivalent textual material in another language (TL) (Catford)

e Translating is an art that involves the re-creation of a work in another language for readers with a different background (Cowley)

In summary, translation is a challenging task that requires a strong knowledge of language, good writing skills and knowledge of a specific subject The texts are changed into another language, but translators do not change the content, tone or style of the massage in those texts

1.2 Methods of Translation

1.2.1 Larson

According to Larson (1984:15) translation is divided into two categories They are from-based or literal translation and meaning based or idiomatic translation The methods spread in the continuum from very literal, to literal, to modified literal, to near idiomatic, idiomatic, and unduly free The continuum is drawn as follow:

e Very literal is an interlinear translation For some purposes, it is desirable to reproduce the linguistic features of the source text, as for example, in a linguistic study of that language;

e Literal translation is a translation which its sounds like nonsense and has little communicative value It may be very useful for the purposes related to the study of the source language, they are of little help to speakers of the receptor language who are interested in the meaning of the source language text;

e Modified literal methods are a way to modify order and grammar of the source language in an acceptable sentence structure in the receptor language However, the lexical items are translated literally

e Inconsistent mixture mixes literal and idiomatic translation in the final draft of translation

e Near idiomatic reproduces the meaning of the source language (that is the meaning intended by the original communicator) in receptor language without losing the natural form of the source language

e Idiomatic translation reproduces the meaning of the source language (that is the meaning intended by the original communicator) in the natural form of receptor language

1.2.2

The unduly free translation adds extraneous information, which is not stated in the source text It changes the meaning of SL; it distorts the fact of the historical and cultural setting of the source text (Larson 1984: 16-18)

Newmark

Newmark (1988: 45-47) uses eight terms in his classification They are word-for-word, literal, faithful, semantic, communicative, idiomatic, free, and adaptation that divided into two scopes — the methods closest

to the source language or literal translation and the methods closest to the target language or communicative translation

(1) The methods closest to the source language - Literal translation:

Word-for-word Translation: The Source Language is translated word

by word

Literal Translation: The SL grammatical forms are converted to their nearest target language equivalent However, the lexical words are translated out of context

Faithful Translation: This method tries to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraint of the TL grammatical structures It transfers cultural words and _ faithfully follows the SL grammatical forms

Semantic Translation: This method concerns the aesthetic value-that is the beautiful and natural sound-of the SL text In addition, the method compromises on an appropriate meaning So, that no assonance, or repetition jars in the translation

(2) The methods closest to the target language - Communicative

translation

e Free Translation: Free translation is the translation, which is not, bonded structure and manner

e Adaptation: This method is the freest form of translation It is frequently used for plays (comedies) and poetry

e Idiomatic Translation: Idiomatic translation reproduces the message of the source text but tend to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms

e Communicative translation: This method attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership

1.3 Translation Procedures

1.3.1 Vinay & Darbelnet

There are two main translation strategies, direct and oblique translation, covering all together seven concrete procedures

e Literal translation: A word-for-word translation It is a translation strategy used ‘most common between languages of the same family and culture’ (Vinay &Darbelnet, 2004, p.130)

Oblique translation

e Transposition: The method involves ‘replacing one word class with another without changing the meaning of the message’ (Vinay

&Darbelnet 2004, p.132)

e Modulation: It refers to ‘a variation of the form of the message, obtained by a change in the point of view’ (Vinay & Darbelnet 2004, p.133)

e Equivalence: It refers to a strategy to describe the same situation by

‘using completely different stylistic or structural methods’ for producing ‘equivalent texts’ (Vinay & Darbelnet 2004, p.134)

e Adaptation: It refers to a method ‘used in those cases where the type of situation being referred to by the SL message is unkown in the TL culture’ (Vinay & Darbelnet 2004, p.134)

1.3.2 Newmark

The following are the different translation procedures that Newmark (1988) proposes:

¢ Transference: it is the process of transferring an SL word to a TL text

It includes transliteration and is the same as what Harvey (2000:5) named "transcription."

¢ Naturalization: it adapts the SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then to the normal morphology of the TL (Newmark, 1988:82)

¢ Cultural equivalent: it means replacing a cultural word in the SL with a

TL one however, "they are not accurate" (Newmark, 1988:83)

¢ Functional equivalent: it requires the use of a culture-neutral word (Newmark, 1988:83)

¢ Descriptive equivalent: in this procedure the meaning of the CBT is explained in several words (Newmark, 1988:83)

Componential analysis: it means "comparing an SL word with a TL word which has a similar meaning but is not an obvious one-to-one equivalent, by demonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components.” (Newmark, 1988:114)

Synonymy: it is a "near TL equivalent." Here economy trumps accuracy (Newmark, 1988:84)

Through-translation: it is the literal translation of common collocations, names of organizations and components of compounds It can also be called: calque or loan translation (Newmark, 1988:84) Shifts or transpositions: it involves a change in the grammar from SL to

TL, for instance, (1) change from singular to plural, (41) the change required when a specific SL structure does not exist in the TL, (ii) change of an SL verb to a TL word, change of an SL noun group to a

TL noun and so forth (Newmark, 1988:86)

Modulation: it occurs when the translator reproduces the message of the original text in the TL text in conformity with the current norms of the TL, since the SL and the TL may appear dissimilar in terms of perspective (Newmark, 1988:88)

Recognized translation: it occurs when the translator "normally uses the official or the generally accepted translation of any institutional term.” (Newmark, 1988:89)

Compensation: it occurs when loss of meaning in one part of a sentence

is compensated in another part (Newmark, 1988:90)

Paraphrase: in this procedure the meaning of the CBT is explained Here the explanation is much more detailed than that of descriptive equivalent (Newmark, 1988:91)

¢ Couplets: it occurs when the translator combines two different procedures (Newmark, 1988:91)

¢« Notes: notes are additional information in a translation (Newmark, 1988:91)

1.4 Translation Equivalence

1.4.1 Jakobson

Jakobson (1959) makes a contribution to the theoretical analysis of translation He introduces the concept of equivalence in difference He suggests three kinds of equivalence known as:

- Intralingual (within one language, i.e rewording or paraphrase)

- Interlingual (between two languages)

- Intersemiotic (between sign systems)

1.4.2 Baker

Baker (1992) defines four kinds of equivalents as follows:

- Equivalence that can appear at word level and above word level, when translating from one language into another

- Grammatical equivalence, when referring to the diversity of grammatical categories across languages

- Textual equivalence when referring to the equivalence between a SL text and a TL text in terms of information and cohesion

- Pragmatic equivalence, when referring to imprimaturs and strategies of avoidance during the translation process

1.4.3 Nida

Nida's theory of translation is characterized by the distinction between two types of equivalence: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence For

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formal equivalence, the translator focuses on the message itself, that is, its form and content, and there should be a close similarity between the

ST and the TT message (Nida, 1964)

Concerning dynamic equivalence, Nida mentions that this type is based

on ''the principle of equivalent effect", in which ''the relationship between receptor and message should be substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptor and _ the message.'' (Nida, 1964: 159)

In summary, we have finished reviewing the theoretical background of translation with translation methods, procedures, as well as equivalence

of translation These important theories will be applied in the next parts

According to Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, term is "a word or phrase used as the name of something especially one connected with a particular type of language." Also this dictionary defines terminology

as "a set of technical words or expressions used in a particular subject."

As such, terminology is broader in meaning compared with term While terms separately refer to discrete conceptual entities, properties that constitute the knowledge of a particular field, terminology refers to the system of all concepts and definitions concerning a specific technical area In brief, unlike ordinary words, terminology or a set of terms are

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regarded as scientific words and each term denotes a concept in a particular field such as economics, biology, chemistry, and so on Terminology is the language used to describe a specific thing, or the language used within a specific field

2.2 Medical terminology

Medical terminology is one of the main parts of terminology “Medical terminology is the professional language of those who are directly or indirectly engaged in the art of healing (Frenay and Mahoney, 1998).” Most medical terms have Greek or Latin origins, though some are derived from modern languages, particularly German, French, and English In general, terms dealing with diagnosis and surgery have Greek origins, whereas anatomical terms have Latin origins

As other terminologies, medical terminology also has general characteristics of terminology such as Accurateness, Internationalism, Systematic and Popularity and Nationality (Do Huu Chau, 1981) I will give more specific explanation as follows:

Internationalism

Medical terminology is used all over the world In other words, these terms are used internationally They are special words expressing common scientific concepts to people of different languages It gives the concepts understood by speakers of different cultures This feature

is an important property that helps distinguish terminology from other layers of vocabulary such as slang, dialect, etc The internationality is also seen in the form of terms Sometimes it is very interesting to know that many terms used by different countries have similar phonetic form For example:

or expressions used in a particular subject." This means terminology of

a specific profession should include terms that are closely related to each other and reflect a system of concepts of the profession and

medical terminology is, too It consists

nervous thudc than kinh hôi hộp lo lắng

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Structural characteristics

Medical terminology also has some specific characteristics in structure and word forms As above, most medical terms have Greek or Latin origin They are formed from word root, prefixes and suffixes This is a common feature of medical terms We can find out many examples for this in medical texts Here I will show some typical examples in the textbook ‘English in Medicine’

For example:

(viém bao tim) (heart) (around) (inflammation)

(khang thé) (body) (against)

Table 4: Characteristic of structure of medical terms

In summary, an understanding of the structure of medical terms, and an ability to break down a medical term into its parts helps you get the most out of using a medical dictionary, and makes dealing with medical terminology less challenging than it first appears

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