INTRODUCTION
Statement of problem and rationale
The world is undergoing rapid changes driven by technological advancements, fostering greater global connectivity Open and cooperative policies have led to increased interdependence, facilitating the movement of people, economic resources, and cultural trends across borders However, language barriers remain a significant challenge for successful intercultural integration This scenario highlights the crucial role of translation in bridging these gaps and showcasing its importance in a globalized society.
The economy is a widely discussed topic globally, encompassing domestic, foreign, and global aspects Key questions arise regarding the current and future changes in domestic prices, the unemployment rate, and the potential impacts of a global financial market crash on the domestic economy Additionally, concerns about the sustainability of gross domestic product growth and the government's appropriate policy responses in various economic situations highlight the importance of economic knowledge Understanding these factors is essential for individuals navigating our ever-changing world.
2 people would not be left behind when economic knowledge is becoming a common sense
Microeconomics and macroeconomics are foundational courses in business schools and economics programs, serving as prerequisites for advanced studies Microeconomics examines the behaviors of firms and individuals, focusing on how supply and demand affect prices at a small scale In contrast, macroeconomics analyzes the economy as a whole, considering key indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rates, and unemployment In Vietnam, educational materials for these subjects are predominantly available in Vietnamese, with economic terminology frequently appearing in media, highlighting the prevalence of macroeconomic terms over microeconomic ones This increased visibility presents more opportunities for translation and understanding of economic concepts in both academic and everyday contexts.
Translation is a multifaceted process that demands expertise across various fields Translators must grasp the nuances of conveying meaning between languages, particularly when dealing with specialized terminology When faced with unfamiliar terms, they often need to pause and research to ensure the highest level of accuracy in their translations.
Economics has been a part of Vietnam's landscape for an extended period, with macroeconomic terminology being familiar to professionals and translators in the field This shared understanding of economic language is crucial for effective communication and translation within Vietnam's economic sectors.
Vietnam's economic landscape has often been shaped by imported knowledge, lacking a foundation in its own recognized economic theories The translation of economic terms has been largely accepted without critical examination, leading to a superficial understanding of key concepts While numerous studies have investigated specific terminologies in fields like taxation, finance, and international banking, they frequently overlook essential foundational aspects A thorough review and exploration of macroeconomic term translations is necessary to enhance comprehension of their true nature and implications.
The study titled “The English – Vietnamese Translation of Macroeconomic Terminologies” was selected as the researcher’s graduation thesis to address the overlooked aspects of translating critical economic terms This paper aims to provide valuable insights for translators, readers interested in macroeconomic terminology, and students in economics and linguistics.
Aims and Objectives
This study aims to investigate the translation procedures used for macroeconomic terminology from English to Vietnamese It will analyze the most and least prevalent translation methods applied in this context Additionally, the research seeks to provide recommendations for effectively translating macroeconomic terms between these two languages.
Scope of the study
Due to time limitation resources shortage and the length of this study, the researcher only focuses on the typical terms mentioned in the book “Macroeconomics”
In N Gregory Mankiw's (5th and 7th Editions) macroeconomic textbooks, a selection of frequently occurring terms is made for analysis This approach focuses on identifying and categorizing key macroeconomic concepts, allowing for a more in-depth understanding of their significance within the field.
Significance of the study
Translators often struggle with technical terms due to their unfamiliarity, making vocabulary one of the primary challenges in translation This study aims to address the translation of macroeconomic terminology, assisting novice translators and students in expanding their knowledge It serves as a foundational resource for those new to translating these terms or for students seeking Vietnamese equivalents while studying macroeconomic literature in English By providing a reference for macroeconomic vocabulary, this research can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on finding translations in news articles, economic magazines, and journals Additionally, it will aid in evaluating the accuracy and appropriateness of existing translations, exploring the nuances of these terms, and offering insights for those looking to improve or update translations of government policies and macroeconomic reports from international organizations.
5 information for domestic policy makers, economists and the government to review their performances if necessary.
Research questions
The study is formulated to explore the answers for the following questions:
1 What are translation procedures applied in English- Vietnamese translation of macroeconomic terminologies?
2 What are the most and least dominating procedures when translating macroeconomic terms from English to Vietnamese?
The findings from this research will significantly benefit translators working with macroeconomic terms by establishing a clear framework for their translations The first research question will outline a comprehensive range of appropriate translation procedures, guiding translators in their work Meanwhile, the second question will help pinpoint the focus within that range, offering targeted support Overall, this paper equips translators with valuable resources to enhance their translation of macroeconomic terminology.
In today's globalized world, understanding economics is crucial due to the abundance of economic information available It is important to dedicate time and effort to analyze macroeconomic terms to enhance economic knowledge and create a reliable reference source This paper aims to thoroughly analyze the procedures for translating macroeconomic terms to identify the most prevalent ones, while also offering suggestions for translators by addressing two key research questions: the procedures involved and the frequency of these terms.
This section will detail the theoretical framework for analyzing translation procedures used in translating macroeconomic terms It will also outline the scientific methods employed during the analysis, followed by a presentation of the results and subsequent discussions.
In this chapter, some academic theories in translation will be reviewed followed by the literature on terminology to function as the basis for the study
Translation can be understood as both a product and a process The product view defines translation as the final translated text, while the process perspective focuses on the activity of translating itself This article will delve deeper into the process of translation, which can occur in both spoken and written forms Spoken translation is referred to as interpretation, while written translation is simply known as translation Additionally, there are hybrid forms such as spoken-to-written and written-to-spoken translations For this study, the emphasis will be on the written-to-written form of translation.
According to Newmark (1988, p.5) in "A Textbook of Translation," translation involves conveying the meaning of a text from one language to another while preserving the author's original intent This process requires accurately expressing the intended meaning of the source language in the target language.
Translating a text can be a complex task, as it requires the translator to embody the author's intent and voice while conveying the original meaning in a different language.
According to Dubois, translation is defined as the expression of content from a source language into a target language while maintaining both semantic and stylistic equivalence This definition closely aligns with Newmark's, but it provides more detail by emphasizing the importance of the author's intention through the preservation of style and meaning.
Hartman and Stork define translation as the substitution of a text in one language with an equivalent text in another language, a broad definition that aligns with the translation process However, the term "equivalent text" remains vague, making this definition less precise than Dubois's second definition.
Larson defines translation as a detailed process divided into three sub-processes The first step involves researching the source text, focusing on linguistic co-text elements and context, including lexicon, grammar structure, communication situation, and cultural context The second step requires analyzing these elements to fully grasp their meaning Finally, the translator reconstructs the understood meaning in the target language using suitable words and grammatical structures (Larson, cited in Le & Nguyen 2008).
The authors demonstrate a minor difference in the level of detail within their definitions of translation Nonetheless, they largely agree that translation involves the process of re-expressing an original text in a second language, ensuring that the meaning is conveyed equivalently and authentically.
8 retained or preserved The purpose of translation is to produce another text in another language so that the text can be readable to a wider rage of readers
Before each translation procedure is presented and discussed in details, it is necessary to understand and distinguish key concepts such as translation methods, translation strategies that often confuse people
Various definitions of translation strategy are available from scholars in translation study Krings (cited in Ordudari 2007) considers translation strategy
Translation strategies are essential for addressing specific translation challenges within a given task, as highlighted by Venuti (1998, p.240) He emphasizes that these strategies encompass selecting the foreign text for translation and determining the appropriate method for its translation Venuti identifies two primary approaches—domestication and foreignization—that translators utilize to navigate the complexities of translation tasks.
According to Banjar (2011), translation strategies consist of a global strategy, which refers to the overall approach a translator uses for the entire text, and a local strategy, which focuses on specific elements such as words, grammatical structures, and idioms The global strategy is termed the translation method, while the local strategy is known as translation procedures This distinction highlights the difference between translation strategies, procedures, and methods, with the latter two being components of the former Newmark (1988) further clarifies that translation methods pertain to whole texts, whereas translation procedures are applied to sentences and smaller linguistic units.
Vinay and Darbelnet with the proposal of some translation procedures in their translation model are mentioned by Munday (2001, pp.56-9) in his book “Introducing
Translation Studies identify two main strategies in translation: direct (or literal) procedures and oblique procedures The direct strategy is used when the meaning of the source text can be accurately conveyed without altering its conceptual and structural elements This approach encompasses techniques such as borrowing, calque, and literal translation.
Oblique strategies are essential when the conceptual and structural elements of a source text cannot be directly translated without altering its meaning or disrupting the grammatical and stylistic integrity of the target language These strategies include transposition, modulation, equivalence, and adaptation, enabling translators to convey the intended message effectively.
Newmark's translation procedures, outlined in "A Textbook of Translation," are widely recognized for their practical application This research adopts Newmark’s methods as a theoretical framework to analyze the translation strategies used for macroeconomic terminology.
