Methods applied in translating the second chapter of kenneth grahame’s the wind in the willows

Particularly, as emerged from the findings, the difference between literal translation approach indicated with the dominant use of literal translation method and non-literal one reflecte

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI University of Languages and International Studies FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

Graduation paper

METHODS APPLIED IN TRANSLATING

THE SECOND CHAPTER OF KENNETH GRAHAME’S THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Supervisor: Nguyen Viet Ky, MA Student: Nguyen Ngoc Huyen

Year of enrollment: QH2009

HANOI, May 2013

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH

KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

CÁC PHƯƠNG PHÁP DỊCH ĐƯỢC ÁP DỤNG TRONG VIỆC

DỊCH CHƯƠNG HAI CỦA TÁC PHẨM

“THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS » CỦA KENNETH GRAHAME

Giáo viên hướng dẫn: ThS.Nguyễn Việt Kỳ Sinh viên: Nguyễn Ngọc Huyền

Khoá: QH2009

HÀ NỘI – NĂM 2013

ACCEPTANCE PAGE

I hereby state that I: Nguyễn Ngọc Huyền, class QH2009.F.1.E25, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

Signature

Date: 24/4/2013

This thesis paper could not be completed without the wholehearted assistance and encouragement from many people I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr Nguyen Viet Ky, M.A for his stimulating suggestions and critical comments from the beginning to the end of the study

I would also like to thank other lecturers of mine in ULIS, VNU for their lessons during 4 years, which form the basis of my study and for their sincere advice and encouragement during this time

Also, I owe profound indebtedness to my parents and my friends for their endless support, without which I would not be able to finish this study

In an attempt to contribute to gain more insights into translation methods in literary translation, this research aims to investigate the use of translation methods

by different professional translators in translating Kenneth Grahame‟s The Wind in

the Willows Specifically, the study focuses on naming exactly every translation

methods used and identifying the frequency of each as well as their effectiveness Particularly, as emerged from the findings, the difference between literal translation approach (indicated with the dominant use of literal translation method) and non-literal one (reflected by the use of other non-literal methods, namely semantic, communicative, faithful and free translation methods) has been meticulously analyzed and discussed The methodological approach of the study is both quantitative and qualitative

TABLE OF CONTENT

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND ABBREVIATIONS vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Statement of research problem and rationale for the study 1

1.2 Aims and research questions 2

1.3 Scope of the study 2

1.4 Methodology 3

1.5 Organization of the study 3

1.6 Expected outcome 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Translation 5

2.1.1 Definitions of translation 5

2.1.2 Fields of translation 6

2.1.3 Literature translation 7

2.2 Translation equivalence 9

2.3 Methods of translation 9

2.4 Translation quality assessment 17

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 18

3.1 Sampling 18

3.2 Data collection procedure 19

3.3 Data analysis procedure 19

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION 21

4.1 Major findings 21

4.1.1 Translation methods applied by Nguyen Tam 21

4.1.2 Translation methods applied by Cam Linh 25

4.2 Discussion 28

4.2.1 Literal and communicative translation method 28

4.2.2 Literal and free translation method 30

4.2.3 Literal and semantic translation method 33

4.2.4 Sumary of discussion 35

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 37

5.1 Recapitulation 37

5.2 Summary of findings 38

5.3 Limitations of the study 39

5.4 Suggestions for further study 39

REFERENCE LIST 40

APPENDIX 1

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND ABBREVIATIONS

List of figures:

Figure 4.1.1: Translation methods applied by Nguyen Tam

Figure 4.1.2: Translation methods applied by Cam Linh

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the problem and the rationale, the aims and objectives, the scope, and the significance of the paper Most importantly, the research questions are identified to work as a framework for the whole research

1.1 Statement of research problem and rationale for the study

There are hundreds of languages, similarly hundreds of cultures existing in the world Breaking language barriers, translation has become an effective tool to bring people of different cultures together It has even been claimed by many that translation activity has been and will always be worthwhile in uniting the whole universe And in this great cause, literary translation plays a distinctive role

Among various means of shaping culture, literature is said to be a mirror that most closely reflects life as it contains the cultural features of the place where it comes from Understanding this prominent role of being the bridge connecting cultures, a number of researches in literary translation have been carried out Methods applied in literary translation; however, have not received enough attention With that in mind, as a student majoring in translation and interpreting, I wish to apply what I have been taught to conduct this research examining how Vietnamese professional translators translate literary works from English to Vietnamese Specifically, this would be an intensive study on the use of translation methods applied in the translation of Kenneth Grahame‟s “The Wind in the Willows”

The study aims at supporting translators-to-be of the Division of Translation and Interpreting, University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University as well as novice translators in particular and anyone who has

1.2 Aims and research questions

The paper aims at identifying the translation methods which professional translators apply in translating Kenneth Grahame‟s The Wind in the Willows and specifically the one mostly applied Also, the researcher hopes to be able to suggest the most successful translation methods which can be applied for the translation of other literary works

In order to achieve those goals, the research aims to answer the following research questions:

1 What are the translation methods applied by each translator in translating the second chapter of Kenneth Grahame„s The Wind in the Willows?

2 What are the most common translation methods used by each translator?

3 Of 2 translation versions by Nguyen Tam and Cam Linh, which one is more successful?

1.3 Scope of the study

As the title implies, this study focuses only on the translation methods applied

in the translated versions of Kenneth Grahame„s The Wind in the Willows Main dimensions of translation methods including semantic translation, communicative translation, literal translation, word-for-word translation, faithful translation, adaptive translation, free translation and idiomatic translation are mentioned and analyzed critically

All the quotations and examples, comparisons in the study would be extracted from the English and Vietnamese versions of Kenneth Grahame‟s The Wind in the Willows

1.4 Methodology

In this part, the methodology of the study will be briefly presented This includes the sampling, data collection method, procedure of data collection and analysis

Data collection procedures

First of all, the two versions of the translations and the source language story are printed to enable analytic comparison between the original and the translated text

as well as between the 2 translations Then all are to be read carefully and critically

in order to find out the translation methods applied

Data analysis procedures

Data analysis is implemented to answer the three research questions All dimensions of translation methods which are applied in translating after being listed out are categorized into groups Then, through the process of calculating and identifying, the most popular method used by each translator is figured out Next, differences in ways of applying translation methods by two translators are also analyzed in order to determine which one is more effective and successful

1.5 Organization of the study

Chapter 1 - Introduction: Provides an overview of the study with rationale, aims

and objectives, significance and organization of the study

Chapter 2 - Literature review: Provides key concepts in translation and linguistics

in order to deeply understand the concept of translation and translation methods

Chapter 3 - Methodology: States methods of the study including selection of

subjects, research instrument, procedures of data collecting and procedure of data analysis

Chapter 4 - Findings and discussion: Discusses the results of the study and explain

how these results are discovered, then explain how they answer the research questions

Chapter 5 - Conclusion: Summarizes discussed points, limitations of the study as

well as suggestions for further researches

1.6 Expected outcome

This research would benefit those who work in translation, those who are being trained to be future translators, especially those who work on literary translation, and researchers working on related studies

Specifically, the study is expected to provide readers with a better view on academic translation methods More specifically, the study provides concepts and ways of using translation methods as applied in translating Kenneth Grahame„s The Wind in the Willows To some extent, it can help to develop the understanding of readers about translation methods, which will be useful for literary translation Thanks to all of the gains listed above, it is expected that readers can find this study useful in their process of mastering translation theory and practice

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter sheds light on the literature review of the study, specifically the definitions of translation in general, translation of literature in particular and the background notions of translation methods

2.1 Translation

2.1.1 Definitions of translation

Linguists and translation theorists have so far given a variety of answers to the question “What is translation?” Almost all of them; however, have come up with agreement regarding translation as both a process and a product with the nature of equivalence frequently mentioned

Newmark (1995, p.5) introduces a very clear and comprehensive concept of translation, which is “rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text.”

Roger Bell (1991, p.5) defines translation as “the expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another source language, preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences”

Mildred L Larson (1984, p.10) otherwise claims that translation is an act of transferring the meaning of the source language into the receptor one Thus, translation includes studying the lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source language text as well as analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and then reconstructing this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure which is appropriate in the receptor language and its cultural context

Meanwhile Nida and Taber (1974, p.12) believe that “translation consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style”

In conclusion, translation in general and as applied in this study is the transference of a text from one language (source language) to another one (target language) based on the equivalence It is; however, not merely an interlinguistic process but including also the cultural and educational nuances that shape the options and attitudes of recipients (Bernacka 2012) In a translation process, what

a translator does is to transfer the meaning of the source language in the form of the target one So translation here requires the study of language, grammar, culture and spiritual features of the receptor language

2.1.2 Fields of translation

General translation is perhaps the most common and simple type in the field.,

as it merely involves ordinary, everyday language, which is not subject-specific and does not require the understanding of any specialized terminologies Examples may include letters, e-mails, and newspaper articles More complex professional translation types include translations of legal, administrative, commercial, financial discourse, etc For instance, since law is in most cases administered differently in different countries, a deep understanding of both source and target politic-legal and socio-cultural contexts is required in legal translation, which is really difficult, if not impossible, for an outsider as law itself is already a vast field

of knowledge that one could hardly master

In general, those types of translation require not only translation skills but the background knowledge being deep to a certain degree There is; however, no room for creativity or experimentation in terms of format and terminology within those types of translation as access to re-occurring words and expressions is in most cases available To conclude, the approach to these demanding types of translation

could be considered to be quite prescriptive and formulaic The same; however, cannot be said for literary translation, which allows the translator to share in the creative process

2.1.3 Literature translation

Literary translation is a notion of not only translation but literature as well Not only does it bring valuable literary works of one culture to others, thus broadens people‟s minds, it is also, in many cases the force to help other literature

to develop At the beginning of French literature, for instance, French writers‟ works were greatly influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman literature; thus literary works in this period of time can be either considered adaptations or translated versions of the ancient works Similarly, in the 18th century, translated literary works by Russian writers thrived and considered the examples for literary creation of the country In Germany, the German translated version of the Bible by clergyman Luytte did have a great impact on the new development of German literature Likewise, when Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, he created the form and shape of modern fiction worldwide Being translated almost immediately into English then, Cervantes novel changed the course of English literature Serving as another example, García Márquez novels, after being translated into English, exerted a major influence on such English-language authors as Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Don DeLillo and Michael Chabon The entire history of literature has been built up with a process of transmission in this ways (Damrosch 2003)

Concerning Vietnamese literature, according to Thuy Toan (1999), translated literature plays a significant, sometimes dominant role at the dawn of the country‟s literature For instance, the new Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century was dominated by translated works of French and Chinese literature Almost all writers worked as translators; almost all literary genres including memoir, poetry, fiction,

autobiography, drama, etc., were translated at the time Distinguished translators of Chinese literature are Phan Ke Binh, Nguyen Do Muc, Nguyen Huu Tien, Nguyen

Chanh Sac whose translated works include The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Luo Guanzhong, Journey to the West by Wu Cheng‟en, Water Margin by Shi

Nai‟an, etc Outstanding translators of French literature are Nguyen Van Vinh and

Pham Quynh with translations of the Fables of La Fontaine, Les Misérables (Les

Contemplations) by Victor Hugo, the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, etc

Literary translation; however, is not at all an easy task The translation of literary works is considered by many to be one of the highest level of translation as

it involves so much more than simply translating words from one language to another but involving the sophisticated task of expressing the words of the writer

in a way that it maintains the original intention With the emphasis firmly weighing on the mode of expression, and with the ultimate aim being that of publication, the translator must demonstrate “an appreciation of and feeling for different styles, tones and nuances in both the source and target languages, thus recreating the mood of the original” (Finlay 1971, p.45) In addition to dealing with the difficulties inherent to translations of all fields, translators of literature must always consider the aesthetic aspects of the text, its beauty and style, as well

as its marks (lexical, grammatical, or phonological), bearing in mind that one language‟s stylistic marks can be distinctly different from another‟s In other words, not only is the lexical meaning to be conveyed but also other important factors such as the author‟s implication or literary style must be respected In short, besides language skills, it requires artistic skills as well to become a literary translator

2.2 Translation equivalence

Equivalence is one of the most frequently mentioned theoretical issues in translation studies In general, equivalence can be considered as the link between a source text and a target text, indicating one text is the translation of another Without equivalence, the process of translation cannot be successful

In order to achieve translation equivalence, different theories have been proposed While Nida (1969) focuses on function-based equivalence (dynamic and formal equivalence), Baker (1992) emphasizes form-based equivalence i.e equivalence at different grammatical levels, and Koller (cited in Newmark, 2006, pp.46-48) highlights the importance of meaning-based equivalence

The significance of equivalence becomes the most obvious when it comes to translation revision and quality assessment because a good translation not only concerns the accuracy in meaning but also other requirements like styles, communicative values or aesthetic effects, etc It is the translator‟s duty to decide toward which end priority should be given, form or meaning of the text to translate, hence referring to the most appropriate type of equivalence

2.3 Methods of translation

Since Peter Newmark has never given out an explicit definition of what a translation method is, we can generally perceive it as the way chosen by the translator to deal with the source text as a whole, distinguishing it from a translation procedure, which is used for sentences and smaller units of languages

Translation methods equip translators with a theoretical background regarding how to translate in the most appropriate way Applying different translation methods in translating the same source language text will result in

According to Newmark (1995, p.47), two major methods of translation namely communication translation and semantic translation can fulfill the two main aims of translation, which are first, accuracy, and second, economy Semantic translation is used for “expressive” texts while communicative translation method is for “informative” and “vocative” texts

In “A textbook for translation” (1995), he provides a V diagram, pointing out various translation methods:

SL emphasis TL emphasis

Word- for- word translation Adaptation

Literal translation Free translation

Faithful translation Idiomatic translation

Semantic translation Communicative translation

Word-for- word translation

This is often demonstrated as interlinear translation, with the target language immediately below the source language words The source language word order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context Cultural words are translated literally The main use of word-for-word translation is either to understand the mechanics of the source language or construe a difficult text as a pre- translation process

For example:

Source text Word-for-word translation method

She has a sweet tooth C ấy c một ngọt r ng

Literal translation

The factor that distinguishes literal translation from the former method is that the source language grammatical constructions are converted to the nearest target language equivalents but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context As a pre-translation process, this helps to indicate the problems to be solved

For example:

Source text Literal translation method applied by

Nguyen Tam

The Rat turned from him in despair

„You see what it is?‟ he said to the

Mole, addressing him across Toad‟s

head: „He‟s quite hopeless I give it

up- when we get to the town we‟ll go

to the railway station, and with luck

we may pick up a train there that‟ll

get us back to riverbank tonight And

if ever you catch me going

apleasuring with this provoking

animal again!‟- He snorted, and

during the rest of that weary trudge

addressed his remarks exclusively to

ta sẽ ra ga xe lửa, và nếu may mắn, sẽ có thể đáp một chuyến tàu ở đ và về tới Bờ

S ng trong đêm nay Và đố cậu còn bao giờ bắt gặp tớ rong chơi cùng với con vật khó chịu này nữa!” N khịt khịt mũi, và suốt phần còn lại của cuộc bộ hành mệt mỏi ấy

nó cứ nói riêng với Chuột Chũi những ý kiến nhận xét của mình

(Gió qua rặng liễu, translated by Nguyên Tâm)

Faithful translation

Moving a step further than the previous one, faithful translation is an attempt

to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints

of the target language grammatical structures It transfers cultural words and preserves the degree of grammatical and lexical “ abnormality” (deviation from source language norms) in the translation It aims at being completely faithful to the intentions and the text- realisation of the source language writer

For example:

Source text

Faithful translation method applied by

Cam Linh

Come with me, dear Ratty, and your

amiable friend also, if he will be so

very good, just as far as the

stable-yard, and you shall see what you

shall see!‟ He led the way to the

stable-yard accordingly, the Rat

following with a most mistrustful

expression; and there, drawn out of

the coach-house into the open, they

saw a gipsy caravan, shining with

newness, painted a canary-yellow

picked out with green, and red

S ng đi theo lộ rõ vẻ ngờ vực Chúng thấy ngay cái nhà xe lưu động kiểu du mục đã được kéo sẵn từ nhà để xe ra ngoài trời, trông mới toanh với nước sơn màu vàng chim hoàng yến, lại càng nổi bật hơn với những mảng xanh lá cây và những bánh xe màu đỏ

(Gió đùa rặng liễu, translated by Cẩm Linh)

Semantic translation

Semantic translation differs from “faithful translation” only as it must take more account of the aesthetic value (that is, the beautiful and natural sound) of the source language text Further, it may translate less important cultural words by culturally neutral ones or functional terms but not by cultural equivalents and it may make other small concessions to the readership

The distinction between “faithful” and “semantic” translation is that the first

is uncompromising and dogmatic, while the second is more flexible, admits the creative exception to 100% fidelity and enables the translator‟s intuitive empathy with the original

For example:

Source text Semantic translation method applied by

Cam Linh

„We can‟t leave him here, sitting in the

middle of the road by himself, in the

distracted state he‟s in! It‟s not safe

Supposing another thing were to come

along?‟ „O,bother Toad,‟ said the Rat

savagely; „I‟ve done with him!‟ They

had not proceeded very far on their way,

however, when there was a pattering of

feet behind them, and Toad caught them

up and thrust a paw inside the elbow of

each of them; still breathing short and

staring into vacancy

(The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth

“Ta kh ng thể để cậu ấy tâm thần bấn loạn ngồi một mình giữa đường thế này được Thế không an toàn đâu! Nhỡ có chuyện gì thì sao?”

“Ôi dào, cứ kệ cậu ta!” Chuột S ng nh n mặt “Tớ biết phải làm gì.”

Ấy thế mà chúng mới đi một đã nghe thấy tiếng bước chân gấp gáp đằng sau C c đuổi kịp, chen vào giữa ngoắc hai tay vào khuỷu tay hai bạn, vẫn thở hổn hển và nhìn trân trân vào khoảng v định phía trước

(Gió đùa rặng liễu, translated by Cẩm Linh)

For example:

Source text Adaptation translation method applied by

Cam Linh

All along the backwater,

Through the rushes tall,

Ducks are a-dabbling,

Up tails all!

Ducks‟ tails, drakes‟ tails,

Yellow feet a-quiver,

Yellow bills all out of sight

Busy in the river!

(The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth

Grahamme)

Theo dòng nước mát Nghe đám c i hát Đàn vịt xinh xinh Cùng chổng đu i bơi!

original, a so-called “ intralingual translation”, often prolix and pretentious, and not translation at all

For example:

Source text

Free translation method applied by

Cam Linh

Their way lay, as before, across

country by narrow lanes, and it was

not till the afternoon that they came

out on the road, their first

high-road; and there disaster, fleet and

unforeseen, sprang out on them

disaster momentous indeed to their

expedition, but simply overwhelming

in its effect on the after-career of

(Gió đùa rặng liễu, translated by Cẩm Linh)

Communicative translation

The last method proposed by Newmark is communicative translation which tries 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

In other words, communicative translation is written basing on the readership and

normally is most suitable for informative and vocative text

For example:

Source text Communicative translation method applied

by Cam Linh

His home-sickness had quite slipped

away from him, and for the moment

he was the skipper of the

canary-coloured vessel driven on a shoal by

the reckless jockeying of rival

mariners, and he was trying to

recollect all the fine and biting things

he used to say to masters of

steam-launches when their wash, as they

drove too near the bank, used to

flood his parlour-carpet at home

(The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth

Grahamme)

Nỗi nhớ nhà của n đã tr i tuột đi đâu mất

Nó nhớ lại những ngày trước n đã là thuyền trưởng một con tàu cũng màu vàng hoàng yến Và con tàu đã bị mắc cạn vào một bãi cát do lỗi các thủy thủ bất cẩn Và

nó nhớ lại cả những lời mát mẻ cay độc nó từng thốt ra với những kẻ lái thuyền quá gần bờ, làm nước s ng lên ướt tấm thảm chùi chân nhà nó

(Gió đùa rặng liễu, translated by Cẩm Linh)

2.4 Translation quality assessment

Translation quality assessment is named as translation criticism by Newmark who states clearly "Translation criticism is an essential link between translation theory and its practice" in his book, A Textbook of Translation (1988, p184)

In 1988, he gave the most detailed steps to implement translation quality assessment He states that any comprehensive criticism of a translation has to cover five topics: (1) a brief analysis of the SL text stress on its intention and its functional aspects; (2) the translator's interpretation of the SL text's purpose, his translation method and the translation's likely readership; (3) a selective but representative detailed comparison of the translation with the original; (4) an evaluation of the translation; (5) where appropriate, an assessment of likely place

of the translation in the target language culture or discipline (1988: 164)

In more detailed description of translation quality assessment, Newmark (1988) states that the purpose of comparing the translation with its original is to find out its reference and pragmatic accuracy And in order to make the equivalent comparison, it is important that the translation is compared to the criteria found in the source text In other words, the reference and pragmatic aspects must first be analyzed in the source text

In short, as suggested by Newmark (1991, p.188), a translation should be evaluated basing on its own standards of referential and pragmatic accuracy The purpose of the translation must be considered first in order to give it assessment Also, the translation should be evaluated “as a piece of writing, independently of its original” (Newmark 1995, p.188)

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the methodology of the study will be presented This includes the research approach, the sampling, the methods of data collection, as well as the procedures of data collection and analysis

3.1 Sampling

This study is methodologically conducted by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data on cases of translation methods applied in translating the second chapter of the story “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame To enable

in depth study on the use of translation methods applied in this text, data is collected from 2 different translations rendered by 2 professional translators Specifically, one is “Gio Qua Rang Lieu” by Nguyen Tam (Nha Nam Publisher) and the other is “Gio Đua Rang Lieu” by Nguyen Thi Cam Linh (Phu Nu Publisher)

The story “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame and its translations are chosen in this case study on translation methods for the following reasons

Being published in 1908, the Wind in the Willows is a children's story that lives in the hearts and minds of its readers well into adulthood With its subtle blend of anthropomorphism and very-British humor, the book is a classic tale of river life and friendship Besides getting swept along the thrilling adventures of friends in the story, readers would also appreciate the themes of loyalty, manners, self-restraint, and comradeship which are apparent throughout the book

Up to now, this 105-year-old artwork has been republished many times and translated into many different foreign languages Millions of copies have been sold all over the world This story was first translated into Vietnamese by Nguyen Tam

in 2006, and in 2011, Nguyen Thi Cam Linh translated it again Both translators have gained certain success and reputation among Vietnamese translators The translations, thanks to the translator‟s talent and knowledge, both have reached a certain league, fulfilling its mission of entertaining and nourishing the souls of the little Vietnamese readers as it does with kids all over the world

The reasons above make studying the methods applied in translating the story

“The Wind in the Willows” by no means a boring task of reading, analyzing and comparing but actually both a fruitful experience as well as a great pleasure However, due to time limitation only the second chapter of the story is studied

3.2 Data collection procedure

The study is implemented applying observation instrument First of all, the two versions of the translations as well as the original source text are read carefully and critically All dimensions of translation methods which are applied in translating from English into Vietnamese are found after a process of comprehending The most noticeable sentences and expressions are chosen and highlighted Then, the result collected becomes the subject for further research of the study

3.3 Data analysis procedure

The collected data were analyzed through the following phases:

Phase 1: Coding

In this phase, the researcher applies the qualitative data analysis method All dimensions of translation methods applied in each translation are listed after the process of meticulous reading and comprehending The results of this step answers

research question 1: What are the methods applied in translating Kenneth Grahame‟s “The Wind in the Willows” by each translator?

Phase 2: Grouping

To continue, the coded data are grouped into different categories in terms of methods used Then, the quantitative analysis method is utilized as the researcher counts the identified methods to figure out their frequency, in order to transfer the data into format of numerical statistics Afterwards, the results are described via tables and charts with remarks given The results of this step answers research question 2: What are the most common translation methods used by each translator?

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION

The second chapter concentrates on the presentation, interpretation and discussion of the data collected

4.1.1 Translation methods applied by Nguyen Tam

Below is the chart describing the result of the analysis and coding phrase with respect to the frequency of each translation method:

Figure 4.1.1: Translation methods applied by Nguyen Tam

As can be seen from the chart, literal is the most frequently used translation method by Nguyen Tam; this method alone accounts for more than 80% of the total translation The other 4 methods applied are semantic, faithful, free and adaptation translation methods which make up 9%, 3%, 2% and 2% of the total units respectively The other 3 translation methods defined by New Mark, namely word-by-word, idiomatic and communicative translation methods are not applied

For the translator aiming at the most faithful translation which is able to convey most closely the messages created by the author to the readers of the target language, literal translation method becomes the dominant method employed

Example 1:

Source text Literal translation method applied by

Nguyen Tam

„There‟s Toad Hall,‟ said the Rat;

„and that creek on the left, where the

notice board says, “Private No

landing allowed,” leads to his

boat-house, where we‟ll leave the boat

The stables are over there to the

right That‟s the banqueting-hall

you‟re looking at now- very old, that

is Toad is rather rich, you know, and

this is really one of the nicest houses

in these parts, though we never admit

as much to Toad.‟

(The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth

Grahame)

“Kia là Lâu đài C c,” Chuột Nước nói,

“còn cái nhánh s ng mé tay trái, nơi c bảng th ng cáo „Tư gia Cấm đậu thuyền,‟ dẫn tới nhà để thuyền của nó Chúng mình sẽ để thuyền tại đ Các chuồng gia súc thì ở đằng kia, bên mé tay phải Kia là phòng tiệc, cái chỗ cậu đang nhìn ấy, đã cũ rồi Thằng Cóc khá là giàu, cậu biết đấy, và tòa nhà này thật sự là một trong những tòa nhà đẹp nhất ở vùng này, tuy rằng bọn tớ không bao giờ thừa nhận như thế với thằng Cóc cả.”

(Gió qua rặng liễu, translated by Nguyên Tâm)

The use of literal translation method in the above example is apparent; details are translated literally, structures are kept almost the same with the origin even when some of them are not commonly used in the target language For example,

in Vietnamese spoken language, it sounds a little bit unnatural to add “cậu biết đấy” between 2 clauses in a complex sentence

Besides the equivalent effect, Nguyen Tam also pays certain attention to the cultural of the target readers as well as the aesthetic values of a literary, reflected by the fact that non-literal translation methods still account for about 15% of all the listed cases

One among the non-literal translation methods applied by Nguyen Tam is semantic translation, which is faithful but concerns more with the aesthetic value of both the source and the target text In this translation, this method is presented with rhetorical devices and flowery expressive images

Example 2:

Source text Literal translation method applied by

Nguyen Tam

„He must be a very nice animal,‟

observed the Mole, as he got into the

boat and took the sculls, while the

Rat settled himself comfortably in

(Gió qua rặng liễu, translated by Nguyên Tâm)

In English, “stern” refers to the front part of the ship which means “mũi thuyền” in Vietnamese However, instead of literally translating it this way, Nguyen Tam uses a much more imagery ones that is “chiếc ghế bành phía đu i thuyền”, helping to make the characters more human-like and liven up the story Since appeared, Mole, Rat and Toad have always been adored by their little readers not only because of their interesting adventures but also thanks to them being depicted like real close friends of kids

Example 3:

Source text Semantic translation method applied by

Nguyen Tam

„Now, you dear good old Ratty,‟ said

Toad, imploringly, „don‟t begin

talking in that stiff and sniffy sort of

way, because you know you‟ve got

(Gió qua rặng liễu, translated by Nguyên Tâm)

As semantic method is employed, the use of the rhetorical device alliteration

in the source text “stiff and sniffy” is nicely translated as “đay nghiến và khinh khỉnh” which is still faithful to the original version in the source text, but much more aesthetic than “cứng nhắc và khinh người” or “gay gắt và khinh miệt”

Another non-literal translation method employed was faithful translation, with which the contextual meaning is guaranteed to be conveyed fully from the author to the readers by replacing the cultural specific items of the source language with the nearest equivalence in terms of denotative meaning in the target language

Example 4:

Source text Faithful translation method applied by

Nguyen Tam

At last the horse was caught and

harnessed, and they set off, all

talking at once, each animal either

trudging by the side of the cart or

sitting on the shaft, as the humor

took him It was a golden

(Gió qua rặng liễu, translated by Nguyên Tâm)

The “golden” here is the “golden” in “a golden age” which refers to such a period of time when everyone is happy The expression makes sense and would

be accepted by all English speakers in the world; however, to literally translate it

as “1 buổi chiều vàng” or even “1 buổi chiều hoàng kim” would just confuse Vietnamese readers Besides, putting in the context of the beginning of the adventure when everything is carried out smoothly and in controlled, it is also reasonable for the characters to feel happy Hence, applying faithful translation method with this case is very appropriate

In short, though literal translation method is most favored by Nguyen Tam, when needed and possible, he also tried to apply some other suitable non-literal methods

4.1.2 Translation methods applied by Cam Linh

Below is the chart describing the result of the analysis and coding phrase with

Figure 4.1.2: Translation methods applied by Cam Linh

As can be seen from the chart, semantic is the most frequently translation method used by Cam Linh; this method alone accounts for more than 50% of the total translation Following is free translation with 15% The other 3 methods applied are literal, faithful, communicative and adaptation translation methods which make up 9%, 11% and 2% of the total units respectively Word-by-word and idiomatic translation methods are not used by Cam Linh

For semantic translation being the most frequently used method, it indicates that Cam Linh‟s translation pays most attention to the artistic values This also shows agreement to Newmark theory that semantic translation method is most suitable for expressive text

Literal translation method

Semantic translation method

Faithful translation method

Adaptation translation method

Free translation method

Communicative translation method

Example 5:

Source text

Semantic translation method applied by

Cam Linh

At last the horse was caught and

harnessed, and they set off, all talking

at once, each animal either trudging by

the side of the cart or sitting on the

shaft, as the humor took him It was a

golden afternoon The smell of the

dust they kicked up was rich and

satisfying; out of thick orchards on

either side the road, birds called and

whistled to them cheerily

(The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth

Grahame)

Cuối cùng con ngựa cũng bị bắt giữ lại và được đ ng yên Ba người bạn lên đường, cùng rôm rả chuyện trò, đứa lững thững đi bên, đứa ngồi vắt vẻo trên càng xe H m đ

là một buổi chiều ráng vàng rực rỡ Bụi đường tung lên theo bước chân chúng, xộc vào mũi hương vị hài lòng khó tả Từ vườn cây ăn quả hai bên đường vọng ra tiếng chim lảnh lót

(Gió đùa trong liễu, translated by Nguyen Thi Cam Linh)

In Vietnamese, the uses of alliteration with “r m rả” “lững thững” “vắt vẻo” and “lảnh l t” make the descriptions both more visible and audible to capture This not only enhances the beauty of the language, guarantees the artistic values of the literature but also makes the story more lively The active expression of “bụi đường tung lên” “xộc vào mũi” is a strong and impressive rendering of the rich and satisfying smell of dust in the source text And with the expression “a golden afternoon”, while Nguyen Tam‟s translation pays more attention to the message, Cam Linh chooses the aesthetic value of “1 buổi chiều ráng vàng rực rỡ”

4.2 Discussion

So far, it could be seen that the 2 approaches of the 2 translators studied in this research are totally different While Nguyen Tam tends to favor literal translation method the most in his translation, Cam Linh prefers the opposite Therefore, this part is dedicated to examine cases within which exist different ways of applying translation methods by the 2 translators, to see which translation method is more effective to translate The Wind in the Willows, the literal or non-literal translation method

4.2.1 Literal and communicative translation method

Example 5:

Source text Literal translation method

applied by Nguyen Tam

Communicative translation method applied by Cam Linh

“I don‟t know that I

think so very much

of that little song,

Rat,‟ observed the

Mole cautiously He

was no poet himself

and didn‟t care who

knew it; and he had a

về ca khúc ngắn ấy,”

Chuột Chũi cẩn trọng phát biểu Bản thân n đâu phải

là nhà thơ cũng chẳng cần giấu điều đ , mà bản tính

nó vốn bộc trực

(Gió qua rặng liễu)

Chuột Chũi ch m chú lắng nghe Nó vốn chẳng có máu thi sĩ, cũng chẳng e ngại nếu mọi người biết điều đ , lại sẵn tính thật thà bộc trực, nó

n i: “Chuột S ng ơi, tớ nghĩ mãi mà vẫn không hiểu bài hát ấy.”

(Gió đùa trong liễu)

Normally, different translation methods (exclude adaptation translation method) only differ in nuances and styles but are consistent in the content delivered In this case; however, the 2 translation methods literal and communicative not only bring about different effects toward readers but even different ways of understanding While Nguyen Tam paraphrases Mole comment

as “I know that I don‟t have many comments about this little song”; Cam Linh understands it as “I think a lot but still fail to understand this little song” Putting

in the context, both are acceptable; as Mole himself is not a poet and doesn‟t care whether people know it or not, he could neither understand nor even bother commenting about the poem made by Rat However, in terms of the friendliness toward the readers of the target text, the translation with communicative method

is much better; it is not only more concise but also more natural and understandable

Example 6:

Source text

Literal translation method applied by Nguyen Tam

Communicative translation method applied by Cam Linh

„Nor don‟t the ducks

neither,‟ replied the Rat

cheerfully „They say,

“Why can‟t fellows be

allowed to do what

they like when they

like and as they like,

instead of other fellows

sitting on banks and

watching them all the

Chuột Sông hí hửng đáp:

“Họ nhà vịt cũng chẳng hiểu đâu, lại còn bảo tớ: “Đương nhiên là bọn này thích làm

gì thì làm vào bất cứ lúc nào

mà bọn này thích và chỉ bởi

vì bọn này thích, vì người ta được ngồi trên bờ nhìn bọn này rồi bày đặt bình luận thơ thẩn về bọn này mà Thật

time and making

remarks and poetry and

things about them?

What nonsense it all

is!” That‟s what the

(Gió qua rặng liễu)

đúng là nhảm nhí quá đi mất.” Đấy, mấy cậu vịt đã bảo tớ thế đấy.”

(Gió đùa trong liễu)

Expressions and structures used in the ducks‟ comments are complicated The preposition phrase “instead of” here plays a rather different from usual role – that

is of a “while” which connects the 2 parts of the question “why can‟t” – “why can‟t fellows do something while others can do something else?” In Nguyen Tam‟s translation, as literal translation method is applied, to a certain degree, the structure is maintained faithfully to the source text, making the translation not only difficult to understand and unnatural but even quite differs in meaning In this case, the translation applied communicative method by Cam Linh is both easier to be acquired by readers and closer in terms of the contextual meaning delivered

4.2.2 Literal and free translation method

Example 7:

Source text Literal translation method

applied by Nguyen Tam

Free translation method applied by Cam Linh You surely don‟t mean Chắc chắn cậu không có ý Chắc chắn là cậu không

to stick to your dull

fusty old river all your

life, and just live in a

hole in a bank, and

boat? I want to show

you the world! I‟m

Tớ sẽ khiến cậu trở thành một động vật, anh bạn thân mến ạ!”

(Gió qua rặng liễu)

định cả đời ở lì cái xó bờ sông tù túng buồn chán

ấy, quanh quẩn chỉ có trong hang với chèo thuyền thôi, phải không nào? Tớ muốn cậu được chiêm ngưỡng thế gian!

Tớ sẽ đánh thức phần con thú ưa hoạt động trong cậu!”

(Gió đùa trong liễu)

Those sentences are words uttered by Toad in order to persuade Mole to join the adventure In short, Toad mentions the pity to waste one lifetime sticking to the old river, the bigger world outside and his wish to waken up this desire, which he assumes to be inherited in any typical animal, in Mole However, to literally translate “make an animal of you” as “khiến cậu trở thành 1 động vật” is not a good choice, regarding of both assumptions whether the characters consider themselves animal or not If Mole already reckons himself animal, the saying turns senseless On the contrary, if Mole considers himself human, it becomes awkward

as “động vật” in Vietnamese has the negative connotative meaning With free translation, as “animal” here is explained as the “active side” of one, the message become much more meaningful and reasonable

Example 8:

Source text Free translation method

applied by Nguyen Tam

Free translation method applied by Cam Linh

Their way lay, as before,

across country by narrow

lanes, and it was not till

the afternoon that they

came out on the

high-road, their first high-road;

and there disaster, fleet

and unforeseen, sprang

out on them disaster

momentous indeed to their

expedition, but simply

overwhelming in its effect

(Gió qua rặng liễu)

Chuyến đi tiếp tục theo những con đường nhỏ qua các miền quê Chưa đến chiều chúng đã ra tới đường cái, con đường cái đầu tiên mà chúng từng đặt chân tới Ở đ tai họa

ch ng vánh kh n lường đang rình rập – cái tai họa làm chấn động chuyến viễn du, nhưng đơn giản lại làm bừng tỉnh những theo đuổi sau này của Cóc

(Gió đùa trong liễu)

This example is quite special because within it there is no conflict in the use

of translation method but actually both translators choose free translation It is used to clarify the advantage of this method over literal one

There are 2 differences between the 2 translations, the linking verb “but” and the phrase “simply overwhelming in its effect” Firstly, the use of “but” in the source text is difficult to understand “But” is normally employed to connect 2 parts with opposite meanings; however, in this case, it is clear that both the momentous effect on the expedition and the overwhelming effect in Toad after-