BÀI GIẢNG DẠNG VĂN BẢN (SCRIPT)

Môn học: Luyện dịch căn bản – Basic Translation Practice

Bài 3: V – E Translation and E-V Translation: Key considerations

Chủ đề 3.2: Crucial Factors in Translating Between Vietnamese and English

Slide Nội dung

1 Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s session on “Crucial Factors in

Translating Between Vietnamese and English.” In this lesson, we will explore
key linguistic and cultural considerations that impact translation as well as
practice translating common expressions between the two languages. Let’s
begin.

2 First, we’re going to take a look at some key considerations for translating
Vietnamese into English.

3 When translating from Vietnamese to English, it’s important to consider

cultural differences, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical structures.
English and Vietnamese express ideas differently, and direct translation often
doesn’t work. We’ll look at specific examples to understand how meaning
changes when moving between the two languages.

4 Language is deeply rooted in culture, and as translators, our job is not just to
convert words from one language to another but to interpret meaning within a
cultural context.

For example, let’s look at this English sentence:

“We staged strikes not on political but on bread-and-butter issues.”

At first glance, “bread and butter” might be translated literally as “bánh mì và

bơ,” but that would not capture the true meaning. In English culture, ‘bread
and butter’ symbolizes essential needs or basic necessities, much like how rice
represents sustenance in Vietnamese culture. Therefore, a more accurate
translation would be:

➡ “Chúng tôi đình công không phải vì các vấn đề chính trị mà vì vấn đề cơm
áo gạo tiền.”
 The phrase ‘cơm áo gạo tiền’ in Vietnamese conveys the same idea—everyday
survival and livelihood. And now let’s examine several tricky Vietnamese
idiomatic expressions.

5 The first idiomatic expression is “ai” in Vietnamese. In Vietnamese, ‘Ai’ can

refer to a group of people or used as a question word. That’s why, translators
need to identify its true meaning depending on each context. For example, ‘Ai
chưa làm bài tập thì giơ tay’ should be translated as ‘Those who haven’t
finished the homework raise your hands,’ not ‘Who haven’t finished the
homework raise your hands.’ Recognizing these differences ensures accurate
translations. The second expression is “nếu không thì” translated as “If not”.
For example, “Tôi sẽ đi nếu anh cùng đi, nếu không thì tôi ở nhà còn hơn.”

-> I will go if you’re going, if not, I’d rather stay at home.

6 Number 3 is “Chỉ khi nào -> Only if”. In Vietnamese, 'Chỉ khi nào' is used to
express conditions that must be met before something happens. In English, the
equivalent phrase is 'Only if', which introduces a strict condition at the
beginning of a sentence.

Ex: Chỉ khi nào mẹ cho phép con mới được xem ti vi.

Only if I have given permission are you allowed to watch TV.

Number 4: xem/ coi -> if/ whether (used in reported speech). In Vietnamese,
'xem' or 'coi' can indicate checking or inquiring about something. When
translated into English, it corresponds to 'if' or 'whether', particularly in
reported speech.

Ex: Con hỏi ba xem còn muốn ăn thêm gì không?

-> Can you ask Dad if he still wants to eat anything else?

7 Number 5: “vừa muốn … vừa muốn”. In Vietnamese, 'vừa muốn … vừa muốn'
expresses conflicting desires or preferences. In English, the closest equivalent
is 'would just as soon … as …', which shows that both options are equally
acceptable. For example, “Tối nay tôi vừa muốn ở nhà vừa muốn ra ngoài.”

➔ I'd just as soon stay at home as go out tonight.

 Number 6: . đến mức đó -> that …

In Vietnamese, 'đến mức đó' emphasizes an extreme degree of something. In

English, it can be translated as 'that …' when expressing intensity.

Ex: Trời không lạnh đến mức đó.

-> It isn’t that cold.

8 Number 7: vừa mới …thì

The Vietnamese phrase 'vừa mới … thì' is used to describe an action that
happens immediately after another. In English, the closest equivalent is 'No
sooner … than …', which is a more formal way to express rapid succession.

Ex: Cô ta vừa mới nói xong thì đã òa khóc.

No sooner had she said it than she burst into tears.

Number 8: thi thoảng. The Vietnamese phrase 'thi thoảng' means something
happens occasionally. The natural English equivalent is 'once in a while',
which sounds more conversational and commonly used.

Ex: Ai cũng có lúc thi thoảng mắc lỗi lầm.

-> Everybody makes a mistake once in a while.

9 Number 9. Ai ngờ đâu -> Who would have thought/ Unexpectedly

In Vietnamese, 'Ai ngờ đâu' is used when something happens against our
expectations. The best English equivalents are: Who would have thought…'
(for rhetorical questions) or “Unexpectedly” (for a neutral tone).

Ex: Tôi cứ nghĩ trời sẽ nắng, ai ngờ đâu lại mưa to!

I thought it would be sunny, but who would have thought it would rain
heavily!

Number 10: “miễn là” -> As long as

In Vietnamese, 'Miễn là' expresses a condition—something must be met for

another action to happen.
 The best English equivalent is 'As long as'.

Ex: Con có thể đi chơi, miễn là con làm xong bài tập.

➔ You can go out as long as you finish your homework.

10 Number 11: In Vietnamese, 'Chẳng những... mà còn...' is used to emphasize

two qualities or actions, both of which are true. The best English equivalent is
'Not only... but also...'

Ex: Anh ấy chẳng những thông minh mà còn chăm chỉ nữa.

He is not only smart but also hardworking

Number 12: Lỡ như -> What if/ In case

In Vietnamese, “Lỡ như” is used when talking about hypothetical situations or

precautionary advice. We can translate it into English as:

✅ What if' (for hypothetical situations)

✅ In case' (for precautionary advice)

Ex: Lỡ như con bị lạc đường thì gọi mẹ ngay nhé!

-> What if you get lost? Call me immediately!

11 Number 13: Thà …còn hơn-> would rather …than

In Vietnamese, 'Thà…còn hơn' is used to express a preference between two

undesirable choices. We can translate it into English as “Would rather…than”

Ex: Tôi thà bị sếp mắng vì hoàn thành công việc trễ còn hơn là làm việc nhóm
với cô ta.

➔ I'd rather be scolded by my boss for finishing work late than work in a
team with her.

Number 14: Hóa ra → It turns out that

Ex: Hóa ra anh ấy đã biết từ trước rồi!

It turns out that he already knew!

12 Now pause the video and practice translating the following sentences. Then,
you can discuss with your instructor and classmates in the Video Conference.

13 OK. We’re moving on to the next part: Key considerations for translating
English into Vietnamese.

14 In English, some nouns are uncountable (e.g., information, equipment, advice,

research). In Vietnamese, these same nouns are often treated as countable and
used in plural form. This can cause translation mistakes!

Ex: Bài báo đó cung cấp cho chúng ta những thông tin cần thiết.

-> The article provides us with necessary information.

15 The next structure in English that can cause difficulty when being translated
into Vietnamese is the passive voice of reported verbs.

It’s + Past Participle that …

Subject + be + reported verbs (PP) + infinitive/ perfect infinitive

In this case, modulation is necessary. The appropriate translation could be:

Người ta đồn rằng/ nói rằng/ nghĩ rằng/ tin rằng …

Ex: The leader is rumoured to be in critical condition.

= It is rumoured that the leader is in critical condition.

=> Người ta đồn rằng vị lãnh đạo đó đang trong tình trạng nguy kịch.

16 Modal verbs like “would” means differently in different situations.

1. “would” for past habits

Ex: When we were kids, we would play outside until it got dark.

Khi chúng tôi còn nhỏ, chúng tôi thường chơi bên ngoài cho đến khi trời tối.

2. “would” for polite and formal requests

Ex: I would appreciate it if you could help me with that.

Tôi sẽ rất trân trọng nếu bạn có thể giúp tôi.

 3. “would” is used for future in the past meaning

Ex: He said he would come

=> Anh ấy đã nói là anh ấy sẽ đến.

17 English tenses such as present perfect continuous, future perfect or future

continuous also cause confusion and understanding tense differences helps us
avoid common mistakes when switching between the two languages.

Let’s consider the following examples.

1. I’ve been learning English for over 10 years.

Tôi đã học tiếng Anh hơn 10 năm rồi.

2. By the time you arrive, we will have finished dinner.

Khi bạn đến, chúng tôi sẽ đã ăn tối xong.

3. At 8 PM tonight, she will be studying for her exam.

-> Vào 8 giờ tối nay, cô ấy sẽ đang học bài cho kỳ thi.

18 Now practice translating the following sentences into Vietnamese. Pay

attention to how you could translate the modal verbs in a natural way.

19 + Thank you for viewing this lesson. I’ll see you again soon!
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