Luận Văn An investigation into english - vietnamese translation of euphemism

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
DECLARATION i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF FIGURES vi
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Rationale 1
1.2. Signification of the Study . 2
1.3. Scope of the Study . 2
1.4. Research Questions 2
1.5. Definition of Terms 2
1.6. Organisation of the Study . 3
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND . 4
2.1. A Review of Previous Studies 4
2.2. Theoretical Background . 5
2.2.1. Theory of Translation 5
2.2.1.1. Definitions of Translation 5
2.2.1.2. Language and Culture 7
2.2.1.3. Translation Equivalence 9
2.2.1.4. Translation Methods . 11
2.2.1.5. Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation 14
2.2.2. Euphemisms 16
2.2.2.1. Concepts and Definitions of Euphemisms . 16
2.2.2.2. Characteristic Features of Euphemisms . 19
2.2.2.3. Euphemisms and Other Linguistic Units . 21
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2.2.3. Semantic Characteristics of English Words 25
2.2.3.1. Word Meaning . 25
2.2.3.2. Sense Relations 27
2.2.3.3. Componential Analysis in Translation . 28
2.2.4. Classification of Euphemisms and Theorists’ Ways for
Translation of Euphemisms 29
2.2.4.1. Classification of Euphemisms 29
2.2.4.2. Theorists’ Ways for Translations of Euphemisms . 31
CHAPTER 3 - METHOD AND PROCEDURE . 34
3.1. Aims and Objectives . 34
3.1.1. Aims 34
3.1.2. Objectives 34
3.2. Research Design . 34
3.3. Method of Research 35
3.4. Data Collection and Description 35
3.5. Research Procedures . 36
CHAPTER 4 - DISCUSSIONS OF FINDINGS . 37
4.1. The Ways of English-Vietnamese Translation of Euphemisms as
Manifested in Translated Works . 37
4.1.1. Translation of Euphemisms expressing Death 37
4.1.2. Translation of Euphemisms expressing Sex 49
4.1.3. Translation of Euphemisms expressing Pregnancy 63
4.1.4. Translation of Euphemisms expressing Childbirth . 71
4.2. Three main Approaches to Translation of Euphemism 79
4.2.1. Translation of Euphemism into an Equivalent Euphemism by
Finding the Exact Counterpart in the TL text . 79
v
4.2.2. Translation of Euphemism into a Non-equivalent Euphemism by
Translating the Euphemistic Meaning of the SL text or by
Adding Footnotes and Explanatory Words in the TL text 81
4.2.3. Translation of Euphemism into a direct form in the TL text 82
CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUSIONS . 83
5.1. Summary of the Findings 83
5.2. Implications for Translation 85
5.3. Implications for Language Teaching and Learning 85
5.4. Some Limitations of the Study 86
5.5. Some Suggestions for Further Research . 87
REFERENCES 88
QUYÊT Đ
NH GIAO ĐÊ TÀI
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Title Page
Figure 4.1. Proportion of Distribution of Euphemism expressing
Death in the SL Text Transferred into the TL Text
Figure 4.2. Proportion of Distribution of Euphemism expressing
Sex in the SL Text Transferred into the TL Text
Figure 4.3. Proportion of Distribution of Euphemism expressing
Pregnancy in the SL Text Transferred into the TL Text
Figure 4.4. Proportion of Distribution of Euphemism expressing
Childbirth in the SL Text Transferred into the TL Text
49
62
70
78
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. RATIONALE
It is well known that human culture, social behavior and thinking
cannot exist without languages. Being a social and national identity and a
means of human communication, languages cannot help bearing imprints of
ethnic and cultural values as well as the norms of behavior of a given
language community. Obviously, ideas, notions and feelings are actually
universal but the way we describe them in different languages is very unique.
Therefore, translation plays a crucial role in enhancing better understanding
each other, transmitting information, exchanging experiences and getting
knowledge. However, translating from one language into another is no easy
task. Translation must take into account a number of constraints, including the
context, the rules of grammar of the two languages, their writing conventions,
and their idioms. The most important idea is that translators have to be honest
in relaying the meaning, especially from one culture to another. It can be said
that one of the greatest difficulties that challenges translators are translating
figures of speech in general and euphemism in particular. Euphemism, a very
important culture-loaded figure of speech, is often employed in
communication and reflects the historical, political, economic and ideological
situations of a nation with its own characteristics. The translation of
euphemism has become more and more important with the development of
the inter-cultural communication.
This thesis attempts to study the figures of speech on the aspect of
translation to give some considerations and propose methods in translating
these figures of speech in general and euphemism in particular.
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1.2. SIGNIFICATION OF THE STUDY
We hope this study will offer some help to the translators when doing
the translation of euphemism and assist them to overcome the
misunderstandings and barriers during the cross-cultural communication.
1.3. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study investigates the ways used in translating euphemism from
English into Vietnamese. The investigation will focus on works of English
literature and their Vietnamese versions.
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research has attempted to answer the following questions:
1. How euphemism is translated from English into Vietnamese as seen
in examples taken from works of literature?
2. What are the main approaches taken by translators in translating
euphemism from English into Vietnamese?
1.5. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
- “Source language” is the language in which a text was originally
written.
- “Target language” is the language in which a text is translated.
- “Euphemism” is a figure of speech. It is used as an alternative to an
expression, in order to avoid possible loss of face: either one’s own face or
through giving offense, that of the audience, or of some third party.
- “Semantic approach” is an approach to translation which has these
features:

SL bias

Keeping semantic and syntactic structures as closely as possible

Author- centered
- “Communicative approach” is an approach which has these features:

TL bias
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