a study of translation of stylistic devices in “thời xa vắng” by lê lựu into english i

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANGUNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ KIỀU PHƯƠNG A STUDY OF TRANSLATION OF STYLISTIC DEVICES IN “THỜI XA VẮNG” BY LÊ LỰU INTO ENGLISH IN “A TIME FAR PA

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

TRẦN THỊ KIỀU PHƯƠNG

A STUDY OF TRANSLATION OF STYLISTIC DEVICES

IN “THỜI XA VẮNG” BY LÊ LỰU INTO ENGLISH IN

“A TIME FAR PAST”

Code: 822.02.01

MASTER THESIS IN LINGUISTICS AND CULTURAL STUDIES OF FOREIGN

COUNTRIES

Da Nang, 2020

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

TRẦN THỊ KIỀU PHƯƠNG

A STUDY OF TRANSLATION OF STYLISTIC DEVICES

IN “THỜI XA VẮNG” BY LÊ LỰU INTO ENGLISH IN

“A TIME FAR PAST”

Major: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS Code: 822 02 01

MASTER THESIS IN LINGUISTICS AND CULTURAL STUDIES OF FOREIGN

COUNTRIES

SUPERVISOR: LÊ TẤN THI, Ph.D

Da Nang, 2020

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains nomaterial published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which Ihave qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgements in thethesis

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma inany other tertiary institution

Da Nang, January 2020

Trần Thị Kiều Phưong

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Authorship i

Abstract ii

Table of Contents iii

List of Abbreviations and Symbols vi

List of Tables

vii List of Charts

viii Chapter One INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 RATIONALE 1

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 2

1.2.1 Aims 2

1.2.2 Objectives 2

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 3

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 3

1.6 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY 4

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 5

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 7

2.2.1 Stylistic devices 7

2.2.1.1 Definition of stylistic devices 7

2.2.1.2 Function of stylistic devices 8

2.2.1.3 Classification of stylistic devices 9

2.2.1.4 Stylistic devices 9

2.2.2 Theory of translation 18

2.2.2.1 Definitions of translation 18

2.2.2.3 Literary translation 19

2.2.2.4 Translation methods 20

2.2.2.5 Translation procedures 22

2.2.3 Overview of “Thời xa vắng” 26

2.2.3.1 Lê Lựu - The author 26

2.2.3.2 “Thời xa vắng ” - The original version 26

2.2.3.3 “A Time Far Past” - The English version 26

2.2.3.4 The Content of “Thời xa vắng” 27

Chapter Three RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 28

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN 28

3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 28

3.2.1 Sampling 28

Chapter Four FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 31

4.1 ANTITHESIS IN “THỜI XA VẮNG ” 31

4.1.1 Antithesis 31

4.1.2 Translation procedures of antithesis 34

4.1.3 Frequency of procedures for translating antithesis 48

4.1.4 Summary 49

4.2 SIMILE IN “THỜI XA VẮNG ” 51

4.2.1 Simile 51

4.2.2 Translation procedures of simile 54

4.2.3 Frequency of procedures for translating simile 66

4.2.4 Summary 67

4.3 METAPHOR IN “THỜI XA VẮNG” 68

4.3.1 Metaphor 68

4.3.2 Translation procedures of metaphor 70

4.3.3 Frequency of procedures for translating metaphor 76

4.3.4 Summary 78

Chapter Five CONCLUSION 79

5.1 CONCLUSION 79

5.2 IMPLICATION OF THE STUDY 81

5.2.1 Implications for language teaching and learning 81

5.2.2 Implications for translating 82

5.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 83

5.4 SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 83

REFERENCES 84

QUYẾT ĐỊNH GIAO ĐỀ TÀI 87

APPENDIX 88

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

LIST OF CHARTS

Number of

4.1 The occurrence percentage of the antithesis' s translation

Chapter one INTRODUCTION

1.1 RATIONALE

It is true that the modern life makes all people busier and busier Hence, we oftenlook for different forms of entertainment after a hard working day in order to have therelaxation Reading something is also one of the most popular leisure activities in thecommunity Among them, we can relax by reading the works of literature of the famouswriters both in Vietnam and all over the world, which is very useful Literature,undoubtedly, plays an important role in societies since it is a mirror of things happening orhaving happened within a society Actually, literature can be not only a way for us tobroaden our knowledge but also a way for us to reduce certain amount of stress in ourown lives Obviously, no one can deny great values of literature as well as benefits ofreading interesting stories Besides, literature is an integral part of language and it is theuseful device to clearly show the beauty of a language Through language, people canexchange their feelings, their emotion, and their opinion With writers, to reach perfection

in a work, they have to use a variety of linguistic means One of the most powerful anduseful literature means is stylistic device (SD) Specifically, the stylistic devices (SDs) arethe use of language that is intended to have an effect on its audience It refers to thetypical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her message in a simplemanner to his or her readers This is the important reason why I choose to study the SDs,especially the translation of SDs from one language to another one

Rather, the novel “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu is an extremely famous writing in the

period after Vietnam's liberation Thanks to the stylistic devices in his story, the author

expressed successfully his style and the beauty of the work as well As a result, “Thời xa vắng” is the best known novel of Lê Lựu's writing career This story was filmed by director Hồ Quang Minh and awarded “Cánh diều bạc” prize in 2004 After that, it was

translated into English by the co-translators Ngô Vinh Hải, Nguyễn Bá Chung, KevinBowen, and David Hunt and was published by University of Massachusetts Press in 1997

Furthermore, with the role of an English teacher and a postgraduate of theUniversity of Foreign Language Studies - the University of Da Nang, in major ofLinguistics, it is very necessary for me to study the translation procedures of stylisticdevices in the stories from Vietnamese into English in order to have a betterunderstanding about this aspect So far, many authors have devoted their time to study onSDs used in English and Vietnamese literary works; however, an investigation into

translation of SDs used in “Thời xa vắng” and in its English translational equivalent has

not been discussed in terms of translation procedures yet Thus, I choose my topic with

the title “A Study of Translation of Stylistic Devices in “Thời Xa Vắng” by Lê Lựu into

English in “A Time Far Past”” The researcher hopes to help learners of English to have

an insight into this interesting aspect of both languages along with contributing a smallpart to teaching and learning languages

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1.2.1 Aims

The aim of the study is (a) to investigate the occurrence frequencies of three

Vietnamese SDs antithesis, simile and metaphor used in “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu, and (b) to analyze the translation of these SDs into English in its translational version “A Time Far Past” in order to find out reduction and expansion of translation procedures Finally,

this investigation is carried out with the wish of (c) giving a useful reference source forthose who want to further seek the data in their interest combined with helping theVietnamese learners of English to be more aware of SDs from Vietnamese into English interms of translation procedures

1.2.2 Objectives

To reach the above-mentioned aims, this research is intended:

- To investigate, analyze and find out the occurrence frequencies of antithesis,

simile and metaphor as SDs employed the most commonly in “Thời xa vắng” and their

English translational equivalents

- To examine the translation theory and procedures used for translating SDs in

English version.

- To give some implications for translating SDs from Vietnamese to English

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The researcher found out many SDs applied in “Thời xa vắng” and procedures of translating employed to render these SDs into English in “A Time Far Past” However,

this study only investigates and analyzes three commonly used SDs i.e antithesis, simile

and metaphor I use the novel “Thời xa vắng” written by Lê Lựu and its English version

“A Time Far Past” translated by Ngô Vinh Hải, Nguyễn Bá Chung, Kevin Bowen, and

David Hunt to become my research data

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The investigation tries to find out the answers to the following questions:

1 What are translation procedures employed to render Vietnamese antithesis in

“Thời xa vắng” into English in “A Time Far Past”?

2 What are translation procedures used to translate Vietnamese simile in “Thời

xa vắng” into English in “A Time Far Past”?

3 What are translation procedures applied to render Vietnamese metaphor in

“Thời xa vắng” into English in “A Time Far Past”?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to investigate three Vietnamese SDs namely as

antithesis, simile and metaphor found out in “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu and to analyze the translation of these SDs into English in its translational version “A Time Far Past”.

Therefore, thanks to this research, it is expected to make some positive contributions tothe studies of translation of SDs, especially translation procedures for rendering SDs fromVietnamese into English Furthermore, the researcher hopes this study will be useful forlearners and translators in reading and translating the Vietnamese stories into Englisheffectively

1.6 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This thesis consists of 5 main chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 Introduction

The first chapter presents the rationale, the aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study and the organization of the study

Chapter 2 Literature review and theoretical background

This second chapter states a review of previous studies closely related to the thesis and some theoretical framework selected to make a linguistic foundation for this study

Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology

The third chapter exposes the research method, research design, description of samples, data collection, and data analysis and research procedure of the thesis

Chapter 4 Findings and Discussion

The fourth chapter identifies the stylistic devices: antithesis, simile and metaphor

in “Thời xa vắng” and gives the analysis as well as the comparison of translation

procedures of the SDs from the Vietnamese original version into the English translationalversion collected and investigated in this study Through this investigation, the occurrencefrequencies of procedures for translating these SDs were presented in order to providespecific data for the findings

Chapter 5 Conclusion

The fifth chapter summarizes the major findings and gives the conclusions of thewhole study, the implication of the study, represents the limitations of the study and putsforward some suggestions for further studies as well

Chapter two LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

A stylistic device is a technique an author or speaker using to convey to therecipients a meaning in order to persuade them towards considering a topic from adifferent perspective, which is using sentences designed to encourage or provoke anemotional display of a given perspective or action Thanks to stylistic devices (SDs), thespeeches, essays, etc will become more interesting and lively In addition, SDs help

writers/speakers connect to readers/listeners in order to make them understand better whenthey read or listen to a novel or a story of the author As a result, they are reasons whySDs were often appeared in the literary works of the writers Also, the translationprocedures of the SDs were researched by well- known English and Vietnamese linguists.There are a lot of language researchers studying on this topic such as Galperin (1977),Catford (1965), Nida (1969), Newmark (1995), Đinh Trọng Lạc (1996), Wales (2001),Verdonk (2003), Đinh Trọng Lạc & Nguyễn Thái Hòa (2006) and so on.

In terms of SDs, in English, at the beginning of the 20th century, stylistics used to

be only considered as a secondary component of rhetorical and grammatical analyses or ingeneral studies of literature and literary language However, it was likely a discipline

which was the study shown in the work “On Style” of Demetrius In the same time, the

Anglo-American linguistics stated the same research In detail, a link between literarystylistics and structural linguistic analysis can also be shown Then there were two

contributions of this field appearing, which were the journals named Style (1967) and Language and Style (1968) Thanks to these researches, stylistics were seen as an

academic discipline in Britain and America Later, other linguists like Galperin (1977),Widdowson, Thorne, Crystal, etc also studied a series of related works

Galperin (1977) discussed the concept as well as classification of SDs in his book

'“Stylistics” Furthermore, in “Stylistics”, Verdonk (2003) researched the study of style in

language, how their styles and features can be recognized In Vietnam, Đinh Trọng Lạc

(1996) classified 99 SDs and gave their own definition and examples in “99 phương tiện

và biện pháp tu từ tiếng Việt” Besides, Đinh Trọng Lạc and Nguyễn Thái Hòa (2006) studied SDs in another book entitled “Phong cách học tiếng Việt”.

In relation to translation, in English, Newmark (1982 &1988b) stated theory of

translation, translation methods, and procedures in the book “Approach to Translation”.

At the same time, Nida and Taber (1969) diccussed the translation in their writing “The Theory and Practice of Translation” Previously, this problem was mentioned in the book

“A Linguistic Theory of Translation” by Catford (1965) After that Bell (1991) and Duff (1996) stated the translation in two books “Translation and Translating: Theory and

Practice” and “Translation” respectively In Vietnamese, Hoàng Vân Vân (2005) gave some comments about translation with vivid illustrations in his study “Nghiên cứu dịch thuật”.

Furthermore, up to now, there have been many previous studies into the translation

of SDs Specifically, there is a thesis on these SDs about translation of metaphor and

simile by Lê Văn Thành (2011) with the title “An Investigation into Translation of Metaphor and Simile in The Tale of Kieu from Vietnamese into English” Besides, the thesis with the name “An investigation into stylistic devices using in “The Life We Were Given” by Dana Sachs and their Vietnamese translational equivalents” was carried out

by Nguyễn Thị Thy Thơ (2014) Nearly, Võ Thị Vân Vân (2016) also researched SDs and

the translation of simile, hyperbole and antithesis in her master thesis “An investigation into translating SDs in Cho Tôi Xin Một Vé Đi Tuổi Thơ by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh into English in Ticket To Childhood by William Naythons.” according to the translation theory

of Peter Newmark At the same time, Đỗ Thị Bích Trâm (2016) studied about the

translation procedures of stylistic devices with the title “An Investigation into Stylistic Devices in the English Script of Oscar Winning Films and Their Vietnamese Equivalents”.

So far, there have been a large number of studies on translation and translation ofSDs in English as well as in Vietnamese However, to my best knowledge, an

investigation into SDs used in “Thời xa vắng” and translation of these SDs in their

English translational equivalents has not been found yet Thus, I choose my topic entitled

“A Study of Translation of SDs in “Thời Xa Vắng” by Lê Lựu into English in “A Time Far Past”” Through this study, the researcher wishes to partly help English learners as

well as translators widen their awareness of SDs along with translation procedures forrendering SDs in the writings from Vietnamese into English and vice versa

2.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.2.1 Stylistic devices

2.2.1.1 Definition of stylistic devices

Stylistics is a branch of general linguistics which is the study and interpretation of texts regarding to their linguistic and tonal style.

Galperin (1977) stated in the book “Stylistics” that “Stylistic device is a branch of general linguistic which is regarded as a language science It deals with the result of the act of communication It means that rhetoric takes into consideration the output of the act

of communication.”

In the linguistic field, SDs are also called rhetorical devices or figures of speech

Lunsford (2009) claimed that “Rhetoric is the art, practice and the study of human communication.”

Or Plato exposed that “Rhetoric is the art of winning the soul by discourse.”

What is more, Quintillian showed that“Rhetoric is the art of speaking well.”

According to Đinh Trọng Lạc (1996, p.11), “phương tiện tu từ là những phương tiện ngôn ngữ mà ngoài ý nghĩa cơ bản (ý nghĩa sự vật - logic) chúng còn có ý nghĩa bổ sung, còn có màu sắc tu từ” (Rhetorical devices are means of language that additionally

carry some supplementary senses and rhetorical figures, besides the basic sense)

SD is stated as using words in a certain way to convey meaning or to persuade Itcan also be a technique used to evoke emotions within the reader or audience

Or, a figure of speech or rhetorical figure is figurative language in the form of asingle word or phrase It can be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of wordswith literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literalmeaning of the words

To sum up, SDs are figures of speech which the author employed in his/her work

so as to present and convey his/her intention to readers effectively

In this study, the writer mainly applied SDs theory suggested by Galperin, (1977)and Đinh Trọng Lạc (1999) for describing SDs in terms of semantic features

2.2.1.2 Function of stylistic devices

Burker (1969) exposed the basic function of SDs (rhetoric) in his writing “A rhetoric of motive” that it is the use of words by human agents to form attitudes to induce

actions in other human agents

Meanwhile, Wales (1989) claimed in “A Dictionary of Stylistics” that “The function of most SDs is not simply to describe the formal features of texts for their own sake, but in order to show their functional significance for the interpretation of the text;

or in order to relate literary effects to linguistic ‘causes' where these are felt to be relevant.”

General speaking, SDs help to make the text more interesting and lively as well as attract the reader's / listener's intention

2.2.1.3 Classification of stylistic devices

As defined in "Stylistics” by Galperin (1997), SDs are divided into three groups:

phonetic, lexical and syntactic

- Phonetic SDs: This is a SD which uses phonemes and their graphical

representation The kind of this SD consists of rhythm, rhythmical structure, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia i.e correlation of the sound form and meaning, deviation in normative pronunciation and so on

- Lexical SDs: This SD is employed to express both functions of direct and

figurative meanings and help realize the contextual meaning of a word in the text Lexical SDs include metaphor, metonymy, irony, pun, hyperbole, simile, personification, allegory,allusion

- Syntactical SDs: This type refers to variants of the general syntactical models of the language It aims to study syntactic, expressive means, word order and word

combinations, different types of sentences, the length and the structure of a sentence and types of syntactic connections

2.2.1.4 Stylistic devices

a Antithesis

♦ Definition of antithesis

The oxford dictionary releases the definition of antithesis that “It is a rhetorical

or literary device in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed ”

Galperin (1997) stated that, “Antithesis is based on relative opposition which arises out of the context through the expansion of objectively contrasting pairs with the purpose of characterizing the nature of things or phenomena.”

Đinh Trọng Lạc (1996) presented the same idea with Galperin in his book “99 Phương tiện và Biện Pháp Tu Từ Tiếng Việt” that antithesis is “SDs in which the

contrastive imaginary notions expressed by different word units is placed in the same syntax with the aim of highlighting the object's nature under the pressure of contrastive position.”

Both Galperin and Đinh Trọng Lạc claimed antithesis is set up based on the

context

Specifically, antithesis, which literally means “opposite”, is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect Antithesis aims to emphasize the contrast idea by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses The structures of phrases and clauses are similar with the purpose to draw the attention of the listeners or readers

In conclusion, it is believed that antithesis is a stylistic device employed to reveal

an opposition or contrast of ideas

Some following examples are presented as an illustration

The opening lines of Charles Dickens' novel “A Tale of Two Cities” provide an

unforgettable antithesis example

E.g “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.”

The contrasting ideas, set in parallel structures, markedly highlight the conflict that

existed in the time discussed in the novel

Also, we can find antithesis in John Donne's poem “Community”:

“Good we must love, and must hate ill,

For ill is ill, and good good still;

But there are things indifferent,

Which we may neither hate, nor love,

But one, and then another prove,

As we shall find our fancy bent.”

The combination of two contrasting words “love” and “hate” in the above lines

aims to emphasize that we love good because it is always good, and we hate bad because

it is always bad Clearly, it is a matter of choice to love or hate things which are neithergood nor bad

Or Martin Luther King, Jr said that "We must learn to live together as brothers or

perish together as fools." In fact, life always needs the choice You choose to become my

friend, whereas you are my opponent This sentence successfully expresses the oppositechoice in Martin Luther King's statement

♦ Stylistic Function of antithesis

Galperin (1997) pointed out that antithesis has four basic functions as bellows:

In terms of the function of antithesis, Đinh Trọng Lạc (1996) stated that antithesis

is widely used in artistic, scientific and style of publicity Also, he emphasizes the power created by the association between antithesis and some other SDs in style of publicity.The function of antithesis as a SD confirmed:

- To convey ideas in different ways from the common words and expressions of

daily life Therefore, it conveys meaning more vividly than ordinary speech When contrasting ideas are brought together, the idea is expressed more

E.g “Có những đứa không phải là nắng mà cứ thích chói chang

s Contex-bound antithesis: two expressions are not antonymous (both direct and indirect) However, under the pressure of the co-existence in certain context, they become context-bound antithesis

E.g “20 years, still work well”

(The slogan of Electrolux)

b Simile

♦ Definition of simile

According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (2006), “Simile is the use of

a word or phrase that compares something to something else, using the words like or as.”

Galperin (1997, p.167) defined that “Simile is a figure of speech in which an explicit comparison between two things, two different entities on the basis of a common feature, using words such as like, as, as if, than, similar to, resemble or seem.

Meanwhile, Đinh Trọng Lạc (1996) insisted, “Simile is also called figurative comparison, it is a kind of semantic trope in which two different entirely heterogeneous classes of thing in the objective reality were compared to express figuratively a new way

of perception about compared thing.”

In other words, a simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showingsimilarities between two different things Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblancewith the help of the words “like” or “as.” Therefore, it is a direct comparison

Obviously, similes are easily recognized by comparison markers used in the

discource In English, the available markers include seem, look like, act like, sound like, resemble, similar to, the same as; like, as, as if/though, as when, compare, than.

Similarly, in Vietnamese, Bùi Trọng Ngoãn (2010) listed comparative words

appears in simile in the journal "“Tạp Chỉ Khoa Học Và Công Nghệ, Ớ5(40) ” with the article “Further Discussion on Rhetorical Comparison” such as: ‘như', ‘như là’, như thể,

‘giống như’, ‘tày’, ‘ngang’, ‘bằng', ‘hơn’, ‘kém’, ‘khác chi’, khác gì, and ‘na ná ’.

The examples of simile are used commonly in any sayings of people, as well as in any literary works Then, I would like to show the two following examples for an

illustration

The first example is “Bright as the sun”.

This is a popular simile applied frequently to concretize the level of the light The

simile in this case is realized by the comparison marker “as” This kind of the SD makes a

comparison with a familiar thing “the sun” to the recipient in order to clear the meaning

Obviously, thanks to simile, the reader/ listener can imagine the thing compared easily

Or another example: ““At exam time, the high school student was as busy as a

bee ” This sentence uses the comparison marker “as as” like the simile, which is very

useful to express the busyness of students in the exam period They are similar to bees which always work hard all time

Moreover, take a look the instance in the poem “A Birthday” (By Christina

“My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;

My heart is like an apple-tree

Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;

My heart is like a rainbow shell

That paddles in a halcyon sea;

My heart is gladder than all these

Because my love is come to me.”

It can be seen that Rossetti uses simile three times in above poetic sentences.Her heart is compared as “a singing bird,” “an apple-tree,” and “a rainbow shell.” Rossetticompares the heart to a joyful bird in a full nest, an apple tree full of fruit, and a beautiful shell in a peaceful sea so that she can poetically describe its joy, fullness, and

peacefulness

♦ Stylistic Function of simile

Fromilhague (1995) showed various functions of simile in his writing “Les

Figures de Style" as follows:

- At first, they serve to communicate concisely and efficiently They are one of aset of linguistic devices that extend the linguistic resources available

- Secondly, they can function as cognitive tools for thought in that they enable us

to think of the world in novel, alternative ways

Generally, a writer uses similes with the aim to enable the reader to imagine in his mind what the writer is saying This is the reason why a writer compares one thing to another with which the reader is familiar Clearly, the main purpose of using simile is to clear the meaning of the text In other words, simile is an excellent way for an author in order to make not only an unusual thing more familiar but also a familiar thing become more unique In this way, similes can help the reader imagine the fictive world of a piece

of literature Good similes can also make readers think about things in a new way, and cansometimes create a lasting effect

♦ Classification of simile

The classification of simile is based on the subjects of the similes not the objects Tininis (1971) stated that there are four types of similes as follows:

s Human beings as subject in similes

E.g '“The student moved as fast as lightning after getting permission from

the teacher for an early release.”

In above mentioned example, “The student” is the subject in simile.

s Abstract concepts as subject in similes

The following example uses the abstract concept like “temper” as subject in

simile

E.g “Her temper was as explosive as an volcano.”

s Specific things as subject in similes

E.g “The sun is like a yellow marble in the sky.”

The instance employs the specific thing “The sun” as subject in simile.

s Animals as subject in similes

According to Newmark (1982, p.85), “metaphor is an indirect comparison

between two or more apparently unrelated things or subjects The point of similarity ‘may

be physical but often it is chosen for its connotations.”

In detail, metaphor is a comparison between two things, which are quite different

without using like or as A metaphor makes comparison by stating that one thing is

something else, otherwise a simile states that one thing is like something else If simile is

an explicit comparison, metaphor will be an implicit comparison

E.g “He broke my heart.”

This expression does not mean literally that your heart is broken In fact, you're just feeling hurt and sad

E.g “Ngày ngày mặt trời đi qua trên lăng

Thấy một mặt trời trên lăng rất đỏ”

(Viếng lăng Bác, Viễn Phương, 1976)

In two above lines of poetry, the image of the sun in the first line is real, whereas the second one in the next line symbolizes the great president of Vietnam, Uncle Ho Thanks to the metaphor, the poet Viễn Phương stood out the image of Uncle Uncle Ho symbolizes the light of ideal, enlightening the guideline for Vietnamese People

♦ Stylistic Function of metaphor

Newmark (1988) discussed a number of functions of metaphor in “A textbook of translation” as follows:

- To define something more closely; a decoration to show resemblances;

- To create emotive effect; as an object of interest for media;

- And to be a basic element of language where it later becomes dead or literal language'

In short, the serious purpose of the metaphor is to describe an entity, event or quality more comprehensively and concisely and in a more complex way by using literal language

♦ Classification of metaphor

Based on the classification of Newmark (1988), there are six different types of metaphors Let's take a look at some of the most popular forms:

s Dead Metaphors: consist of words related to universal terms of space and time,

the main parts of the body, general ecological features and the main human activities

E.g Foot of a mountain

s Cliché: lie between dead and stock metaphors These metaphors are used as a substitute for clear thought, often emotively, but without corresponding to thefacts of the matter

E.g in the nick of time

s Stock Metaphors: is an established metaphor, which in an informal context is

an efficient and concise method of covering a physical and/or mental

situation both referentially and pragmatically

E.g He sees fear in my heart.

s Adapted Metaphors: are actually stock metaphors but are adapted by the writer

or speaker into a new context

E.g The ball is a little in their court.

s Recent Metaphors: as a metaphorical neologism, often 'anonymously' coined, which has rapidly spread in the SL They are often categorized as slang

E.g Greenback (a slang of the USA dollar)

s Original Metaphors: These metaphors are created or quoted by the SL writer They contain the core of an important writer's message, his personality, and his comment on life These metaphors are not only complex but have double meanings They might also contain personal or dialectal irrational element peculiar to the imagination

E.g A forest of fingers

2.2.2 Theory of translation

2.2.2.1 Definitions of translation

It is understood that translation is the transfer of meaning from the SL to the TL.However, there are many different definitions of translation exposed by not only many linguists but also translators worldwide

According to the oxford dictionary, translation is defined as the process of

translating words or text from one language into another However, this definition is not fully related to the linguistic

In terms of the definition of translation, Catford (1965, p.20) stated in “A

Linguistic Theory of Translation” that it is the replacement of textual material in one

language (source language) by equivalent textual material in another language (target language)

Meanwhile, Dubois et al (1973) defined in the book "Diclionnaires de linguistique" that '“Translation is the expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another, source language, preserving semantic and stylistic

In conclusion, translation is a mental activity in which a meaning of givenlinguistic discourse is rendered from one language to another The language to betranslated is called the source language (SL), whereas the language to be translated intocalled the target language (TL) To have a good translation, the translator needs to havegood knowledge of both the source and the target language Besides, the translatedversion should keep the writer's intention, original thoughts and opinions as precisely andfaithfully as possible

2.2.2.2. Translation equivalence

Newmark (1988) gave his point of view in “Textbook of Translation”:

“Translation equivalence is an unwritten rule about translation which people know and which influences the form of translating exchange.” Translation equivalence will not be

achieved word for word, collocation for collocation, clause for clause, sentence forsentence, but possibly only paragraph for paragraph, or, rarely, text for text For thisreason, translation equivalence, like the term ‘unit of translation', is sometimes a usefullyoperational concept, but it can be only roughly and approximately indicated for a stretch

of language

In fact, translation equivalence occurs when a SL and a TL text or item are

relatable to at least some of the same features of substance The greater the number ofsituational features common to the contextual meanings of both SL and TL texts, thebetter the translation is

Catford (1965) also divided translation equivalence into four different types:

- Linguistic equivalence: is homogeneity on the linguistic level of both source

language and target language texts, i.e word-for-word translation

- Paradigmatic equivalence: refers to implicate and strategies of avoidance

during the translation process, i.e elements of grammar, which he sees as being

a higher category than lexical equivalent

- Stylistic (translational) equivalence: is functional equivalence of elements in

both original and translation aiming at an expressive identifying with aninvariant of identical meaning

- Textual (syntagmatic) equivalence: refers to the equivalence between a SL text

and a TL text in terms of thematic and information structure She also adds thediscussion in this section about cohesion, i.e equivalence of form and shape

2.2.2.3 Literary translation

Literary translation consists of the translation of poetry, plays, literary books,literary texts, as well as songs, rhymes, literary articles, fiction novels, novels, shortstories, poems, etc

General speaking, translation of literature is fundamentally different from othercategories because the main principle of literary translation is the dominance of poeticcommunicative function It means that along with rendering information to the reader,literary translation also has aesthetic functions The artistic image created in the particularliterary work (be it the image of a character or nature) will certainly affect the reader

Therefore, the literary translator should take into account specific features of thetext It is the poetic focus of the text that makes this type of translation different from texts

of an informative type When reading any literary work translated from a SL to a TL, weperceive the text itself with its meaning, emotions and characters It is quite a challengingtask to achieve the main goal of the translation; that is the creation of a particular image

for the reader As a result, literary translation might involve some deviations from thestandard rules A literal translation cannot reflect the depth and meaning of the literarywork A literary translator reproduces a nonliteral rendition of the original text It is allabout how the translator perceives it He/she rewrites the text from the beginning to thevery end This applies, for example, when an obvious expression is replaced by synonyms

or the structure of sentences is changed

2.2.2.4 Translation methods

So far, a variety of translation methods were mentioned by both linguists andtranslation scholars in the world However, the author considers the point of view of PeterNewmark (1982) as a guideline He released eight methods that a translator can apply tohandle the problem in translating from the SL to the TL

- Word- for- word translation: This is the method of translating in which the

word order of the SL is retained Besides, the words are translated singly bytheir most common meanings, out of context In addition, cultural words aretranslated literally

E.g She learns English very well // Cô ấy học tiếng Anh rất giỏi.

- Literal translation: This method renders from the SL grammatical

constructions to the nearest TL equivalents Nevertheless, the lexical words areagain translated singly, out of context

E.g She is deaf to all his advice // Cô ta lờ đi tất cả những lời khuyên của anh ta.

- Faithful translation: This kind is employed to reproduce the precise

contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammaticalstructures Moreover, it transfers cultural words and preserves the degree ofgrammatical and lexical “abnormality” (deviation from SL norms) in thetranslation

E.g He was as fast as a kangaroo // Anh ấy nhanh như một con kangaroo.

- Semantic translation: Unlike “faithful translation”, this method must take more

account of the aesthetic value (that is, the beautiful and natural sound) of the

SL text What is more, “faithful” differs from “semantic” is that the first isuncompromising and dogmatic, meanwhile the second is more flexible, andenable the translator's intuitive empathy with the original

E.g Coral reefs fringing the Okinawan islands just like a necklace can be seen only in warm and very clear water // Những rặng san hô bao quanh các đảo vùng Okinawa giống như một chiếc vòng cổ nổi bật trên nền nước biển trong xanh.

- Adaptation: It is believed that this category is the “freest” form of translation.

This method is used mainly for plays (comdies) and poetry While the themes,characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture is converted to the TLculture

E.g The Scarlet Letter // Nét Chữ Ô Nhục (the name of the novel)

- Free translation: This purpose of this type is to reproduce the matter without the

manner, or the content without the form of the original Usually it is a paraphrase muchlonger than the original, a so-called “intralingual translation”, often prolix and pretentious,and not translation at all

E.g The film is beyond any words // Bộ phim này không thể chê vào đâu được.

- Idiomatic translation: This method is used to reproduce the “message” of the

original However, it tends to change nuances of meaning by preferringcolloquialisms and idioms not existing in the original

E.g He was as quiet as a mouse // Anh ta im như thóc.

- Communicative translation: the aim of this translation method is to convert the

exact contextual meaning of the original (both content and language) which are

readily acceptable and comprehensible to the reader E.g Right in the Hanoi, Hoan Kiem is an enchanting body of water, a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city // Hồ Hoàn Kiếm là một hồ nước đẹp, yên tĩnh nằm ở trung tâm ồn ào.

2.2.2.5 Translation procedures

Translation procedures are used for sentences and smaller units of language within

that text Translation procedures are methods applied by translators when they formulateequivalence for transferring elements of meaning from the Source Text (ST) to the TargetText (TT) More than one procedure can be seen in one translation, and some translationsmay result from a cluster of procedures that is difficult to discern.

Newmark (1988b) mentions the difference between translation methods and

translation procedures He states that, "While translation methods relate to whole texts, translation procedures are used for sentences and the smaller units of language.”

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

- Literal translation: This is the basic translation procedure, both in

communicative and semantic translation It ranges from one word to one word,through group to group, collocation to collocation, clause to clause, andsentence to sentence The smaller the unit is, the commoner the approach is,following the basic translation procedures (Newmark, 1988b, p 69)

E.g The sentence “Themes connects the concept of biology.” is translated into

“ Các chủ đề kết nối các khái niệm sinh học.”

- 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, p.5) named

"transcription."

E.g The words express this kind such as pijamas, sushi, Internet, etc

- Naturalization: It adapts the SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then

to the normal morphology of the TL (Newmark, 1988b, p.82)

E.g “Meeting” can be translated into “mít tin” in Vietnamese, or “bus” into

“xe buýt”.

- Cultural equivalent: It means replacing a cultural word in the SL with a TL

one However, "they are not accurate" (Newmark, 1988b, p.83)

E.g The compound word “tea-break” in English can be rendered to “nghỉ giải

lao” in Vietnamese.

- Functional equivalent: It requires the use of a culture-neutral word

(Newmark, 1988b, p.83)

E.g The abbreviation “GCSE” in English is rendered to “kì thi tốt nghiệp

THPT” in Vietnamese.

- Descriptive equivalent: In this procedure, the meaning of the CBT is

explained in several words (Newmark, 1988b, p.83)

E.g Samurai is described as “the Japanese aristocracy from the eleventh to

the nineteenth century”.

- 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, bydemonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components." (Newmark,1988b, p.114)

E.g “Brother, sister” are translated into “anh, chị, em”.

- Synonymy: It is a "near TL equivalent." Here economy trumps accuracy

(Newmark, 1988b, p.84)

E.g “Từ đêm ấy anh ta lại suy nghĩ ra bao nhiêu chuyện thật và giả.”// “That night, he started thinking again of things real and imaginary.”

- Reduction: Reduction implies “omission of a word from an expression”,

which “is not essential for understanding” (Newmark, 1988b, p.90)

E.g “Human ambitions are like Japanese carp; they grow proportional to the

size of their environment ”// “Tham vọng con người cũng giống như những

chú cá chép Nhật, chúng phát triển ệ tùy theo môi Hường." The noun phrase

“the size” is omitted in the translational equivalent.

- Expansion: “Expansion is a rather descriptive way of translating an expression

and involves the use of a greater number of words in TL than in SL”.(Newmark, 1988b, p 90)

E.g “Over time, he thankfully saw me less as a stalker and more as a pupil

and friend.”// “Theo thời gian, ông không còn cho tôi là kẻ lẽo dẽo với ý đồ

xấu mà đã dần xem tôi là một người học trò và một người bạn ”

- 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, 1988b, p.84)

E.g The name of organizations: WHO, UNESCO

- Shifts or transpositions: It involves a change in the grammar from SL to

TL, for instance, (i) change from singular to plural, (ii) the change required when a specific SL structure does not exist in the TL, (iii) change of an SL verb

to a TL word, change of an SL noun group to a TL noun and so forth

(Newmark, 1988b, p.86)

E.g The multiple word “high-handedly” can be translated into the single word

“kiêu”.

- 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 SLand the TL may appear dissimilar in terms of perspective (Newmark, 1988b,p.88)

E.g “It was true, there were other dogs.” is translated into “Dĩ nhiên cũng

còn có những con chó khác.”

- Recognized translation: It occurs when the translator "normally uses the

official or the generally accepted translation of any institutional term."

(Newmark, 1988b, p.89)

E.g “Cục sở hữu trí tuệ Việt Nam” is translated into “National Office of

Intellectual Property”.

- Compensation: It occurs when loss of meaning in one part of a sentence is

compensated in another part (Newmark, 1988b, p.90)

E.g “Good night!” is rendering into “Chúc bạn ngủ ngon nhé!” in Vietnamese The word “bạn” is added to express the fully meaning in the context.

- Paraphrase: In this procedure, the meaning of the CBT is explained Here the

explanation is much more detailed than that of descriptive equivalent.

(Newmark, 1988b:91)

E.g “Đến quá nửa đêm đê quai vỡ ở chỗ cây đa còng cách đầu làng đến dăm

cây số mà nghe tiếng nước ầm ầm rung chuyển như bom ” // “Past midnight,

the branch dike broke at a place several kilometers up from the far end of the

village There, water roared and shook as if there had been bombs dropping.” The phrase “như bom” is paraphrased into “shook as if there had been bombs

dropping” in order to make the TL readers understand better.

- Couplets: It occurs when the translator combines two or more different

procedures (Newmark, 1988b, p.91)

E.g shipper (shipper) = transference and naturalization.

- Notes: notes are additional information in a translation (Newmark, 1988b, p.91)

E.g “Where it has become a national dish, national dish is a culinary dish

that is strongly associated with a particular country.”

2.2.3 Overview of “Thời xa vắng”

2.2.3.1 Lê Lựu - The author

Lê Lựu was born on 12 December 1942 in Khoai Chau District, Hung Yen City

He is a Vietnamese writer specializing in novels and short stories He has been a member

of the Vietnam Writers Association since 1974 He is currently director of the Culture andEntrepreneurs Centre in Hanoi

He wrote many literary works, which were very famous at that time such as Thời

xa vắng (1986), Sóng ở đáy sông (1994), Chuyện làng Cuội (1991), Người cầm sung

(1970), Mở rừng (1976) and Truyện ngắn Lê Lựu (2003) His best known novel is “Thời

xa vắng” This story was filmed by director Hồ Quang Minh and released to the public in

2004 In this year, it was awarded “Cánh diều bạc” prize.

2.2.3.2 “Thời xa vắng” - The original version

“Thời xa vắng” is the best novel of Lê Lựu in his writing career This novel was awarded “Cánh diều bạc” prize in 2004 Moreover, it was very famous in the period

when he wrote it Now it still is an interesting writing for those who want to read such a story

2.2.3.3 “A Time Far Past” - The English version

“A Time Far Past” - the Vietnamese version translated into English by Ngô Vinh

Hải, Nguyễn Bá Chung, Kevin Bowen, and David Hunt was published by University of

Massachusetts Press in 1997.

2.2.3.4 The Content of “Thời xa vắng”

“Thời xa vắng” is an epic novel presenting a sweeping picture of war and peace in

Northern Vietnam from the defeat of the French to the mid-1980s The story follows theodyssey of the son of a Confucian scholar from his early childhood, through service in thewar, to attempts to adapt to post-war urban Hanoi The hero is a peasant boy from a NorthVietnamese village - Giang Minh Sai - who is married at the age of 10, but who has to go

to war against the Americans and the separation destroys the marriage After the war he

tries to make it in the city It is a look at the life of ordinary people “Thời xa vắng” is a

soldier's book rather than a war novel Through the story, Lê Lựu showed extremerepression when the hatred of human is violently determined There was pain andhappiness mixed together to make a human condition The life of those was broken for awhile to "love what others love", "to live for the intention of others" They cannot bethemselves when living in such a society Therefore, the whole story is the internalstruggle of the characters; especially Sai- the main character of the novel

Chapter three RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

Both qualitative method and quantitative method are combined to collect andclassify the data in the investigation On the one hand, qualitative method was used toexamine and point out SDs as well as the translation procedures for rendering these SDsinto English On the other hand, I use quantitative method to analyze the data, providestatistics of frequencies of occurrence in percentage of three SDs I studied and their

translation procedures found in “A Time Far Past” in this study.

3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.2.1 Sampling

In this study, I conducted selecting and collecting the samples of three most found

types of SDs such as antithesis, simile and metaphor in the novel “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu and their English translational equivalent in “A Time Far Past” The criteria for

choosing the samples are that they must appear three types of above SDs in the samples in

Vietnamese original version “Thời xa vắng”.

3.2.2 Data collection

218 samples of three above-mentioned SDs were collected from the book “Thời

xa vắng” by Lê Lựu and their English translational equivalents in “A Time Far Past”.

Among them, there are 95 samples of antithesis, 83 similes and 40 metaphorsrespectively The data are collected at random; therefore, this study is very objective

3.2.3 Data analysis

Firstly, I collected samples of various types of three SDs like antithesis, simile and

metaphor used in the novel “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu and their English translational equivalent in “A Time Far Past”.

Next, I examined, classified and analyzed the data carefully in regard to theoretical background relied on

described in the thesis.

At last, I examined and found out the answers for the investigation

3.3 RESEARCH PROCEDURES

First of all, I read the Vietnamese book “Thời xa vắng” by the author Lê Lựu and found out the SDs used in this novel At the same time, I ordered its English book “A Time Far Past” on the website Amazon.com.

Secondly, the author classified SDs in the story “Thời xa vắng” and selected three

SDs with the highest frequency They are antithesis, simile and metaphor respectively

Thirdly, the researcher collected the English translational equivalents of three commonly used SDs i.e antithesis, simile and metaphor in the Vietnamese version

Fourthly, I investigated, analyzed and listed categories of the translation procedureapplied to translate each group of SD mentioned in this thesis from Vietnamese into English

Fifthly, the writer chose and analyzed the typical samples of each translation procedure discovered of each group of SD in the thesis

Finally, through the study, I put forward the conclusion and gave some implications

as well as suggestions for teaching and learning translation in SDs

3.4 RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

It can be undeniable that reliability and validity were two most important criteria to guarantee the quality of the data collection in the study

Regarding to reliability, the data sources were taken from the Vietnamese original

version “Thời xa vắng” by the author Lê Lựu and its English translational version “A Time Far Past” Besides, the theories as foundation of this study were cited from reliable

sources such as books and trustworthy websites on the Internet Therefore, the data

sources are highly reliable

In terms of validity, the researcher investigated and analyzed the data based on a

dependable theoretical background Also, the study strictly followed the research method and procedure proposed Moreover, the results and findings in this investigation were purely withdrawn from the data analysis.

In short, as mentioned above, this study was carried out reliably and validly by the writer

In this chapter, the researcher showed, analyzed and illustrated commonly- used

SDs in “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu in detail, which are based on the theoretical view of

Galperin and Đinh Trọng Lạc Besides, the investigator looked for English translational

equivalents of these SDs in “A Time Far Past” in the study Particularly, three most typical SDs in “Thời xa vắng” i.e antithesis, simile, and metaphor were investigated and

searched

What is more, according to translation theory suggested by Newmark, I carried out

to examine what the translation procedures were employed to translate 218 Vietnamesesamples of antithesis, simile and metaphor into English version Also, I used the tables toillustrate the frequency of those translation procedures as the summary for each part ofantithesis, simile, and metaphor

Noticeably, the Vietnamese original examples in this chapter were taken from the

book “Thời xa vắng” by Lê Lựu; whereas their English translational equivalents were used in its English version “A Time Far Past”.

4.1 ANTITHESIS IN “THỜI XA VẮNG”

4.1.1 Antithesis

The researcher discovered antithesis as the most typical SD in the novel “Thời xa vắng” of the author Lê Lựu This kind of the SD contributed a very large part in his story

in order to express his writing style successfully

Before showing and analyzing the antithesis, let's look at the example bellowed:

(la) Cả ba năm học cùng lớp, Sài ngồi bàn đầu tiên bên trái, còn cô ta ngồi bàn cuối cùng bên phải.

(2a) Nỗi lo lắng của người con gái lại là niềm hạnh phúc vô giá của người

con trai.

[Lê Lựu, p.89] (2b)

Her worry, in this case, turned out to be the cause of his joy.

[Ngô Vinh Hải et al, p.124]

In two above-mentioned examples, it is seen clearly that contrasted pairs appear inthe same sentence or two consecutive sentences to express the opposite position andattitude as well In detail, the sample (1a) employed the antithesis to expose the contrast in

every action of Sai and Huong by two word pairs “đầu tiên” with “cuối cùng” and “trái”

with “phải” Literally, they were translated into “first” with “last” and “left” with

“right” in (1b) Similarly, there are two contrasted pairs applied in (2a) by Lê Lựu to

represent the antithesis “Worry” contrasting to “joy” in (2a) was rendered from “nỗi lo

lắng” and “niềm hạnh phúc” in (2b) by the translator respectively Besides, a pair of

words “con trai” and “con gái” were transferred to “her” and “his” in this example.

Antithesis is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in one

or two sentences to achieve a contrasting effect Antithesis emphasizes the idea of contrast

by paralleling structures of the contrasted words, phrases or clauses with the purpose ofdrawing the attention of the listeners or readers directly to the contrast

In “Thời xa vắng” Lê Lựu employed the antithesis basing on relative opposition

between actions, situations and attitudes of the characters in the novel, which arises out ofthe context through adding objectively contrasting pairs

My research collected and investigated 95 samples of the Vietnamese originalversion corresponding with the same ones in their translational version

Through a studying process, it was discovered that the antithesis can appear notonly in a sentence but also in two sentences

Firstly, the following examples illustrate the antithesis in a sentence Let's take alook:

(4a) Những lần "đi với nhau" Sài thường

chạy đi trước hoặc tụt lại thật xa.

[Lê Lựu, p.15]

(4b) During the time when all wassupposedly well and they made regularvisits to Tuyet's parents, Sai was, in

fact, always walking ahead of her or

lagging far behind.

[Ngô Vinh Hải et al, p.18]

(5a) Người tôi yêu không bao giờ được

tới, kẻ tôi ghét không được phép tránh

xa.

[Lê Lựu, p 31]

(5b) I am not allowed to approach the ones I love; I am not allowed to avoid the ones I hate.

[Ngô Vinh Hải et al, p.40]

The writer exploited three above-mentioned instances to present the antithesiswith the level of words, phrases and clauses in a sentence By a pair of opposite words

“mong” and “sợ”, Lê Lựu showed the contrast in Huong's thought when she both

wanted and feared Sai to marry The translator retained the level of words in translating

in (3b) with “wanted” and “feared” If the example (3a) used the word pairs to represent the antithesis, the sample (4a) applied the contrasted phrases “đi trước” contrasting to “tụt lại thật xa” was translated into “walking ahead” and “lagging far

behind” in the English version.

The author used a pair of verb phrase so that he could mean the contrast in the action ofSai and his former wife, Tuyet In this novel, Lê Lựu usually uses the oppositionbetween Sai and Tuyet in order to refer to the dislike of Sai with Tuyet, a wife arranged

by his parents In (5a) and (5b), the antithesis was found in the writings of both the writer