HUE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
------***------

NGUYEN VAN TUAN

TRANSLATION 1&2

HUE - 2006
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INTRODUCTION
An increasing number of universities in Vietnam have added courses in translation to their
curricula; however, the textbooks available for such courses are few. This unit has been
written with these courses in mind. The unit is designed to provide the learners with some
basic principles of translation which will be generally useful to translation courses in
universities and colleges, to help the learners avoid some errors they may encounter when they
translate a text, to provide the learners with essential English sentence patterns that could be
very useful for the learners in learning and practicing translating and to provide the learners 20
assignments related to the theory they have learned.
The desire of the author is to make available the principles of translation which have learned
through personal experience in translation and teaching translation, and through interaction
with colleagues involved in translation projects in many universities in Central Vietnam.
Since it is assumed that the students will be speakers of Vietnamese language, many of these
exercises involve translating from or into their mother tongue. The material is presented in a
way that it can be used in a self-teaching situation or in a classroom. An attempt has been
made to keep technical terms to a minimum. When technical vocabulary is used, every effort
is made to clarify the meaning of such vocabulary or to provide its meaning in Vietnamese.
This has been done so that the unit can be used by any student translator, even though his
exposure to linguistic and translation theory has been minimal.
This is an introductory unit. The lessons give an overview presenting the fundamental
principles of translation and the rest of the unit illustrates these principles. The overriding
principle is that translation is meaning-based rather than form-based. Once the learner has
identified the meaning of the source text, his goal is to express that same meaning in the
receptor/target language. Many examples of cross-language equivalence are used to illustrate
this principle.
Since the coursebook has been written for the students to learn either by themselves in
their distant learning course or in class with a teacher, there will be a coursebook and 20
assignments.
By the end of the course, the students will be able to:
1. obtain general knowledge of the principles of translation .
2. get familiar with and effectively use the English sentence patterns in their translations.
On the completion of this coursebook, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Ton
Nu Nhu Huong for her encouragement. I would also like to be grateful to Dr. Tran Van Phuoc
and other colleagues of the College of Foreign Languages and the English Department for
their kind help.
Errors are unavoidable in this coursebook. Therefore, I appreciate and welcome any criticism
on the course book.
Hue, June 24th, 2001
Nguyen Van Tuan
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CHAPTER 1: THEORY OF TRANSLATION

LESSON 1: FORM AND MEANING

1.What is translation?
1.1. Translation is the expression in another language (target language) of what has been
expressed in one language (source language), preserving semantic and stylistic equivalencies.
(By Roger T. Bell).
1.2. Translation is the replacement of a representation of a text in one language by a
representation of an equivalent text in a second language. (By Roger T. Bell).
The author continues and makes the problems of equivalence very plain:
Texts in different languages can be equivalent in different degrees (fully or partially
different), in respect of different levels of presentation (in respect of context, of semantics, of
grammar, of lexis, etc.) and at different ranks (word-for-word, phrase-for-phrase, sentence-
for-sentence).
However, languages are different from each other; they are different in form having different
codes and rules regulating the construction of grammatical stretches of language and these
forms have different meanings.
To shift from one language to another is, by definition, to change the forms. Also, the
contrasting forms convey meanings which cannot but fail to coincide totally; there is no
absolute synonym between words in the same language, why should anyone be surprised to
discover a lack synonym between languages.
Something is always „lost‟ (or might one suggest „gain‟?) in the process and translators can
find themselves being accused of reproducing only part of the original and so „betraying‟ the
author‟s intentions. Hence the traitorous nature ascribed to the translator by the notorious
Italian proverb: “ Traduttore traditore”.
Faced by a text in a language, we are able to work out not only the meaning of each word and
sentence but also its communicative value, its place in time and space and information about
the participants involved in its production and reception. We might take, as a light-hearted
model of the questions we can ask of the text, the first verse of a short poem by Kipling.
I keep six honest serving men;
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names were What? And Why? And When?
And How? And Where? And Who?
What? is the message contained in the text; the content of the signal.
Why? orients us towards the intention of the sender, the purpose for which the text was is
used. (Informing, persuading, flattering, etc.)
When? is concerned with the time of communication realized in the text and setting in its
historical context; contemporary or set in the recent or remote past or future.
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Where? is concerned with the place of communication, the physical location of the speech
event realized in the text.
How? refers to whether the text is written in a formal or informal way.
Who? refers to the participants involved in the communication; the sender and receiver.

1.3. Translation is rendering a written text into another language in a way that the author
intended the text. (By Bui Tien Bao- Hanoi National University)
“ Translators are concerned with written texts. They render written texts from one language
into another language. Translators are required to translate texts which arrange from simple
items including birth certificates or driving licences to more complex written materials such as
articles in journals of various kinds, business contracts and legal documents.” (Bui Tien Bao-
Hanoi National University).

1.4. Translation, by dictionary definition, consists of changing from one state or form to
another, to turn into one‟s own or another‟s language. (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary,
1974). Translation is basically a change of form. When we speak of the form of a language,
we are referring to the actual words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. The forms are
referred to as the surface structure of a language. It is the structural part of language which is
actually seen in print or heard in speech. In translation the form of the source language is
replaced by the form of the receptor/target language. But how is this change accomplished?
What determines the choices of form in the translation?

The purpose of this lesson is to show that translation consists of transferring the meaning of
the source language into the receptor language. This is done by going from the form of the
first language to the form of the second language by a way of semantic structure. It is meaning
that is being transferred and must be held constant. Only the form changes. The form from
which the translation is made will be called the source language and the form into which it is
to be changed will be called the receptor language. Translation, then, consists of studying the
lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source
language text, analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and then reconstructing this
same meaning using the lexicon, grammatical structure which are appropriate in the receptor
language and its cultural context.

Let us look at an example. Assume that we are translating the Vietnamese sentence ‘‘ C¸m
¬n b¹n ®· gióp ®ì t«i tËn t×nh.’’ into English. This Vietnamese sentence
has the verb ‘gióp ®ì tËn t×nh’, but to convey the same meaning in English one
would use a noun phrase: „ your kind help‟. To do effective translation one must discover the
meaning of the source language and use the receptor language forms which express the
meaning in a natural way.
It is the purpose of this unit to familiarize the learners with the basic linguistic and
sociolinguistic factors involved in translating a text from a source language into a receptor
language, and to give them enough practice in the translation process for the development of
skills in cross-language transfer.
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2. Characteristics of language which affect translation

There are certain characteristics of languages which have a very direct bearing on principles
of translation. First, let us look at the characteristics of meaning components. Meaning
components are packaged into lexical items, but they are packaged differently in one
language than in another. In most languages there is a meaning of plurality, for example the
English -s. This often occurs in the grammar as a suffix on the nouns or verbs or both. In
Vietnamese, however, plurality is expressed in an isolated word ‘ nh‚ng/c¸c’. Many
times a single word in the source language will need to be translated by several words. For
example, a projector was called the thing that shows pictures on the wall by the Chipara
Bolivia.

Second, it is characteristic of languages that the same meaning component will occur in
several surface structure lexical items. In English, the word „sheep‟ occurs. However, the
words „lamb‟,‟ ram‟ and „ewe‟ also include the meaning „sheep‟. They include the addition
meaning components of young (in „lamb‟, adult and male in „ ram‟ and adult and female in
„ewe‟. In Peru, „lamb‟ would need to be translated by „sheep its child‟, „ram‟ by „ sheep big‟
and „ewe‟ by „sheep its woman‟.

Third, it is further characteristic of language that one form will be used to represent several
alternative meanings. This again is obvious from looking in any good dictionary. For example,
the Reader‟s Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary gives 54 meanings for the English word
„run‟. Most words have more than one meaning. There will be a primary meaning-the one
which usually comes to mind when the word is said in isolation-and the secondary meaning-
the additional meanings, which a word has in context with other words. In English, we can say
„ the boy runs‟, using „run‟ in its primary meaning. We can also say „ the motor runs, the river
runs, and his nose runs‟, using runs in its secondary meanings.

This principle is not limited to lexical items for it is also true that the same grammatical
pattern may express several quite different meanings. For instance, the English possessive
phrase „my house‟ may mean „the house I built‟, „ the house I rent‟, „the house I live in‟, or the
house for which I drew up in my plans.‟ Only the larger context determines the meaning.
Notice the following possessive phrases and the variety of meanings:
my car ownership
my brother kinship
my foot part-whole
my singing action
my book ownership or authorship
( the book I own, or, the book I wrote)
my village residence
( the village where I live)
my train use
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(the train I ride on)

Whole sentences may also have several functions. A question form may be used for a non-
question. For example, the question: “ Mary, why don‟t you wash the dishes?” has a form of a
question, and may in some context be asking for information, but it is often used with the
meaning of command rather than a real question. A simple English sentence like “ He made
the bed.” May mean either “He made (as a carpenter would make) the bed”, or “ He put the
sheets, blanket, and pillows in neat order on the bed.”

Just as words have primary and secondary meanings, so grammatical markers have their
primary function and often have other secondary functions. The preposition „on‟ is used in
English to signal a variety of meanings. Compare the following uses of „on‟ with the
corresponding form used in Vietnamese.

John found the book on the floor. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch trªn sµn
nhµ.
John found the book on mathematics. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch viÕt vÒ
m«n to¸n.
John found the book on Tuesday. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch vµo
thø Ba.
John found the book on sale. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch
®ang bµy b¸n.
Compare also the following uses of ‘ by’
John was stopped by the policeman.
John was stopped by the bookstand.

In the first, by is used to signal the meaning that the policeman is the agent of the action. In
the second, by is used to signal that the bookstand is the location.

We have seen that one form may express many meanings. On the other hand, another
characteristic of languages is that a single meaning may be expressed in a variety of forms.
For example, the meaning “ the cat is black” may be expressed by the following: the cat is
black, the black cat, and, the cat, which is black, depending on how that meaning relates to
other meanings. In addition, the meanings of “ Is this place taken?” “Is there anyone sitting
here?” and “ May I sit here?” are essentially the same. Also, the meaning is essentially the
same in the following English sentences:

Others blamed John because of the difficulty.

Others blamed John for the difficulty.
Others blamed the difficulty on John.
Others said John was responsible for the difficulty.
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Others accused John of being responsible for the difficulty.

We have seen that even within a single language there are a great variety of ways in which
form expresses meaning. Only when a form being used in its primary meaning or function is
there a one-to-one correlation between form and meaning. The other meanings are secondary
meanings or figurative meanings. Words have these extended meanings and in the same way
grammatical forms have extended usages (secondary and figurative function).

This characteristic of “skewing”; that is, the diversity or the lack of one-to-one correlation
between form and meaning is the basic reason that translation is a complicated task. If there
were no skewing, then all lexical items and all grammatical forms would have only one
meaning and a literal word-for-word and grammatical structure-for- grammatical structure
translation would be possible. But the fact is that a language is a complex set of skewed
relationship between meaning (semantics) and form (lexicon and grammar). Each language
has its own distinctive forms for representing the meaning. Therefore, in translation the same
meaning may have to be expressed in another language by a very different form.

To translate the form of one language literally according to the corresponding form in another
language would often change the meaning or at least result in a form which is unnatural in the
second language. Meaning must, therefore, have priority over form in translation. It is
meaning that is to be carried over from the source language to the receptor language, not the
linguistic forms. For example, to translate the English sentence “ he is cold hearted” i.e. His
heart is cold (meaning „he is unfeeling, has no emotional sympathy.‟) literally into Mambila in
Nigeria would be understood to mean, “ he is peaceful, not quick-tempered.” And if translated
literally into Cinyanja in Zambia, it would mean, “ he is frightened.”

The nature of language is that each language uses different forms and these forms have
secondary and figurative meanings which add further complications. A word-for-word
translation which follows closely the form of the source language is called a literal translation.
A literal translation does not communicate the meaning of the source text. It is generally no
more than a string of words intended to help someone read a text in its original language. It is
unnatural and hard to understand, and may even be quite meaningless, or give a wrong
meaning in the receptor language. It can hardly be called a translation. The goal of a translator
should be to produce a receptor language text (a translation) which is idiomatic; that is one
which has the same meaning as the source language but is expressed in the natural form of the
receptor language. The meaning, not form is retained.
The following is a literal translation of a story first told in the Quiche language of Guatemala:

“It is said that being one man not from here, not known where the his or the he comes where.
One day the things he walks in a plantation or in them the coastlands, he saw his appearance
one little necklace, or he thought that a little necklace the very pretty thrown on the ground in
the road. He took the necklace this he threw in his mouth for its cause that coming the one
person another to his behind ness, for his that not he encounters the one the following this
way in his behindness not he knows and that the necklace the he threw in his mouth this one
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snake and the man this one died right now because not he knows his appearance the snake or
that the he ate this not this a necklace only probably this snake.”

Now compare the above with the following less literal translation of the same story:
“ It is said that there once was a man not from here, and I do not know his town or where he
came from, who one day was walking in a plantation (or in the coastlands). He saw a little
necklace, or rather, what he thought was a very pretty little necklace, lying on the road. He
grabbed this necklace and threw this into his mouth because there was someone coming along
behind him, and he did not want the other person to see it. He did not know that the necklace
he threw into his mouth was really a snake. The man died in short order because he did not
recognize from its appearance that it was a snake. He did not know that what he had put in
his mouth was not a necklace, but rather a snake.”
In the first, each quiche word was replaced by the nearest English equivalent. The result was
nonsense. In the second translation, the natural forms of English lexicon and grammar were
used to express the meaning of the Quiche story. Below the story is again rewritten in a more
idiomatic English style.

“I am told that there once was a stranger from some other town who was walking in a
plantation along the coast. As he walked along he suddenly saw a very pretty little necklace
lying on the road. He snatched up this necklace and threw this into his mouth because there
was another person walking behind him and he did not want him to see the necklace. The
stranger did not know that the necklace was really a snake. The man died immediately. He
died because he did not realize that it was a snake. He did not know he put a snake into his
mouth rather than a necklace.”

Anything which can be said in one language can be said in another. It is possible to translate.
The goal of the translator is to keep the meaning constant. Wherever necessary, the receptor
language form should be changed in order that the source language meaning should not be
distorted. Since a meaning expressed by a particular form in one language may be expressed
by quite a different form in another language, it is often necessary to change the form when
translating.
3. Notes
Form-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo h×nh thøc hay cÊu tróc
Meaning-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo nghÜa, dùa vµo néi dung cÇn
chuyÓn t¶i
Source language: ng«n ng÷ gèc
Receptor language: ng«n ng÷ dÞch
Context: v¨n c¶nh/ ng÷ c¶nh
Principle of translation: nguyªn t¾c dÞch/kü thuËt dÞch
Meaning component: thµnh tè nghÜa
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Lexical: (thuéc vÒ) tõ vùng

Surface structure: cÊu tróc bÒ mÆt
Deep structure: cÊu tróc s©u/cÊu tróc ng÷ nghÜa
Meaning/ sense: nghÜa
Primary meaning: nghÜa chÝnh/nghÜa gèc
Secondary meaning: nghÜa ph¸i sinh
Literal translation: dÞch tõng tõ mét
One-to-one correlation: quan hÖ mét ®èi mét
Figurative meaning: nghÜa bãng
Function: chøc n¨ng
Idiomatic translation: dÞch ®óng, dÞch s¸t nghi·
4. Self-study
4.1 Questions for discussion
1. What is translation? What definition do you think is the most appropriate? Can you give
your own definition of translation?
2. What is a literal translation? Can you give some examples of literal translations?
3. What is an idiomatic translation? Give some examples of idiomatic translations.
4. What characteristics of language affect translation?
5. What are the secondary meanings? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used
in a secondary sense.
6. What is the primary meaning? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used in a
primary sense.
4.2 Exercises
A. Identify change of meaning versus change of form. Some of the following pairs of
sentences differ in their form. Some differ in meaning. Indicate if the primary change is in the
form or in the meaning.
Example: They robbed the old man.
The old man was dropped by them.
Answer: Change of form
1. The students like to study translation.
The students like studying translation.
2. I bought a pair of horseshoes.
I bought a pair of leather shoes.
3. He saw the bird.
He heard the cat.
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4. Phillip went walking.

Phillip took a walk.
5. Go to bed.
I want you to go to bed.
6. I came; I saw; I conquered.
I came, saw, and conquered.
7. Two weeks later he came.
After two weeks he came.
8. There is a table in the book.
There is a book on the table.
9. The young man had an English grammar book stolen.
An English grammar book was stolen from the young man.
10. He was awaken by a thunderclap.
A thunderclap awakened him.
B. List as many grammatical forms as you can which realize the same meaning as the one
given below. Then put the same meaning into a language other than English in as many forms
as you can.
Example: the cat is black
the black cat
the cat, which is black
1. the jug water
2. John bought a car
3. a hot day
4. mother‟s long blue dress
5. Peter‟s house
C. All of the following have the same grammatical form. With the change of lexical items,
there is a change of meaning which is signaled by that lexical item, apart from the referential
meaning of the word itself. What meaning is signaled in each of the following possessive
phrases? Answer by restating. How can that meaning best be expressed in another language
which you speak?
Example: The man‟s car - the man owns the car
The man‟s eye - the eye is part of the man
1. the doctor‟s office
2. the doctor‟s patient
3. the doctor‟s book
4. the doctor‟s brother
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5. the doctor‟s hand

6. the doctor‟s house
D. For each pair of sentences, state whether the two sentences are 1. the same in meaning or
2. different in meaning.
Example:
(a) It rained all night.
(b) Rain fell all night.
(a) There is a book on the table.
(b) There is a table on the book.
1. (a) John was very surprised when he heard the news.
(b) The news very much amazed John when he heard it.
2. (a) It was a hot day.
(b) The day was hot.
3. (a) Peter‟s house
(b) The house that belongs to Peter
4. (a) He remained silent.
(b) He did not say anything.
5. (a) I bought cloth to make Mary a new dress.
(b) I bought a new dress for Mary.
6. (a) I bought vegetables in the market.
(b) I bought tomatoes and onions in the market.
7. (a) My parents are well.
(b) My mother and father are well.
8. (a) John is ill: he has a bad case of malaria.
(b) John is very ill indeed.
9. (a) There are four rooms in the house.
(b) The house has four rooms and a kitchen at the back.
10. (a) In my opinion, the government is doing well and making many improvements in the
country. But there are many people who do not agree that this is so.
(b) Opinions are divided concerning the government. Some say they are doing well and
making many improvements in the country. Others do not agree.

LESSON 2: KINDS OF TRANSLATION

1. Literal versus idiomatic

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Because a given text has both form and meaning, as discussed in the previous lesson, there are
two main kinds of translation. One is form-based and the other is meaning-based. Form-based
translations attempt to follow the form of the source language and are known as literal
translation. Meaning-based translations make every effort to communicate the meaning of the
source language text in the natural forms of the receptor language. Such translations are called
idiomatic translations.

An interlinear translation is a completely literal translation. For some purposes, it is desirable

to reproduce the linguistic features of the source text, as for example, in a linguistic study of
that language. Although these literal translations may be very useful for purposes related to
the study of the source language, they are of little help to speakers of the receptor language
who are interested in the meaning of the source language text. A literal translation sounds like
nonsense and has little communication value. For example:

Vietnamese: Mêi b¹n vÒ nhµ t«i ch¬i

Literal translation: Invite friend about house me play.

This literal translation makes little sense in English. The appropriate translation would be:
Would you like to come to my home?

If the two languages are related, the literal translation can often be understood, since the
general grammatical form may be similar. However, the literal choice of lexical items may the
translation sounds foreign. The following bilingual announcement was overheard at an airport
( Barnwell 1980:18)
Literal English: Madame Odette passenger with destination Domda is demanded on the
telephone.
This English version is a literal translation of the French.
French: Madame Odette, passager µ destination de Domda, est demandeÐ au telefon.
An idiomatic translation into English would be: Miss Odette, passenger for Domda. You are
wanted on the phone.

Except for interlinear translation, a truly literal translation is uncommon. Most translators who
tend to translate literally actually make a partially modified literal translation. They modify the
order and grammar enough to use acceptable sentence structure in the receptor language.
However, the lexical items are translated literally. Occasionally, these are also changed to
avoid complete nonsense or to improve the communication. However, the result still does not
sound natural. Notice the following example from a language in Papua New Guinea:

Ro abombo ngusifu pamariboyandi.

I my heart fastened-her. (literal)
I fastened her in my heart. (modified literal)
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The modified literal translation changes the order into English structure. However, the
sentence still does not communicate in clear English. An idiomatic translation would have
used the form: “ I never forgot her.” Or “ I‟ve kept her memory in my heart.”
A person who translates in a modified literal manner will change the grammatical forms when
the constructions are obligatory. However, if he has a choice, he will follow the form of the
source text even though a different form might be more natural in the receptor language.
Literal and modified literal translations consistently err in that they choose literal
equivalents for the words, i.e. lexical items being translated. Literal translations of words,
idioms result in unclear, unnatural, and sometimes nonsensical translations. In a modified
literal translation, the translator usually adjusts the translation enough to avoid the nonsense
and wrong meanings, but the unnaturalness still remains.

Idiomatic translations use the natural forms of the receptor language, both in the grammatical
constructions and in the choice of lexical items. A truly idiomatic translation does not sound
like a translation. It sounds like it was written originally in the receptor language. Therefore, a
good translator will try to translate idiomatically. This is his goal. However, translations are
often a mixture of a literal transfer of the grammatical units along with some idiomatic
translation of the meaning of the text. It is not easy to consistently translate. A translator may
express some parts of his translation in very natural forms and then in other parts fall back
into a literal form.

In one translation, the source text said, ‘‘ NhiÒu du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi ®· giíi
thiÖu cho chóng t«i vÒ kh¸ch s¹n H-¬ng Giang.’’ It was translated, “
Many foreign tourists have introduced us about Huong Giang Hotel.” It would have been
translated idiomatically, “ Huong Giang Hotel has been recommended to us by a number of
foreign tourists.”

The translator‟s goal should be to reproduce in a receptor language a text which

communicates the same message as the source language but using the natural grammatical and
lexical choices of the receptor language. The basic overriding principle is that an idiomatic
translation reproduces the meaning of the source language in the natural form of the receptor
language.
2. Translating grammatical features
Parts of speech are language specific. Each language has its own division of the lexicon into
classes such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and so on. Different languages will have different
classes and subclasses. It will not always be possible to translate a source language noun with
a noun in the receptor language. For example, English has many nouns which really refer to
actions while Vietnamese prefers to express actions as verbs rather than nouns.

In one translation, the source text said, “ There is a general agreement that the government
has given top priority to education.” It was translated, ‘‘ Cã mét sù ®ång ý chung
r»ng chÝnh phñ ®· dµnh nhiÒu sù -u tiªn cho gi¸o dôc’’. This would
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have been translated idiomatically, ‘‘Ai còng ®ång ý r»ng chÝnh phñ ®· dµnh
nhiÒu -u tiªn cho gi¸o dôc.’’ Similarly, a translator in Papua New Guinea was
asked to translate the Eight Point Improvement Plan for Papua New Guinea. One point reads,
“Decentralization of economic activity, planning and government spending, with emphasis on
agricultural development, village industry, better internal trade, and more spending
channeled through local and area bodies.” Such sentences are very difficult for translators
who want to translate into the native language of the country. Words such as Decentralization,
activity, planning, government spending, emphasis development, trade would have to be
rendered by verbs in most languages. When verbs are used, then, the appropriate subject and
object of the verb may need to be made explicit also. The form in the receptor language is
very different from the source language form and yet this kind of adjustment, using verbs
rather than using nouns, must be made in order to communicate the message. An idiomatic
translation was made which used verbs as in the following.

“The government wants to decrease the work it does for businesses and what it plans and the
money it spends in the capital, and wants to increase what people and groups in local area do
to help farmers and small businesses whose owners live in the villages, and help people in this
country buy and sell things made in this country and to help local groups spend the
government‟s money.”

Most languages have a class of words which may be called pronouns. Pronominal systems
vary greatly from language to language and the translator is obliged to use the form of the
receptor language even though they may have very different meanings than the pronouns of
the source language. For example, if one is translating into Kiowa (USA), the pronouns will
have to indicate a different between singular, dual and plural person even though the source
language does not make this three-way distinction. Or if a translator is translating into
Balinese, he must distinguish degrees of honor even though nothing in the source language
indicates these distinctions. He will need to understand the culture of the Balinese and the
cultural context of the text he is translating in order to choose correctly.

In English, the first plural pronoun we is often used when the real meaning is second person
you. The reason for the use of we is to show empathy and understanding. The nurse say to the
sick child, “ It‟s time for us to take our medicine now.” Or the teacher says, “We‟re not going
to shout, quietly to our we‟ll walk places.” Clearly , the pronouns do not refer to the nurse or
the teacher but to the children whom she is addressing you. In translating these pronouns into
another language, a literal translation with first person plural would probably distort the
meaning. The translator would need to look for the natural way to communicate second
person and the feeling of empathy carried by the source language.

Grammatical constructions also vary between the source language and the receptor language.
The order , for example, may be completely reserved. The following simple sentences from
Vietnamese is given with a literal English translations:
ChÞ sèng ë ®©u?
You live where ?
 14

C« Êy th-êng mÆc ¸o s¬ mi v¶i silk mµu xanh cì nhá.

She often wears a shirt silk blue small.
It will readily be seen that understandable translations into English requires a complete
reversal of the order: She often wears a small blue silk shirt.

It is not uncommon that passive constructions will need to be translated with an active
construction or vice versa, depending on the natural form of the receptor language. For
example, Vietnamese people tend to use active constructions to express their ideas whereas
English people prefer to use passive constructions.

English: Nguyen Du is considered to be a great poet. ( passive)

Vietnamese: Ng-êi ta xem NguyÔn Du lµ mét nhµ th¬ vÜ ®¹i.
(active)
English:
A: What has happened to all your money after the will was settled and the business was
sold?
(passive)
B: The usual thing, false friends, fast-living style and bad investment.
Vietnamese:
A: ChuyÖn g× ®· x¶y ra víi toµn bé sè tiÒn mµ b¹n cã ®-îc sau
khi gi¶i quyÕt xong
chuyÖn chóc th- vµ b¸n ®i c¶ s¶n nghiÖp. (active)
B: Còng lÏ th-êng t×nh th«i, b¹n bÌ gi¶ dèi, ¨n ch¬i hoang ®µn
vµ ®Çu t- sai chç.
The above translated sentences are only examples to show some types of grammatical
adjustments which will result if a translator translates idiomatically in the source language.
Certainly, there will be times by coincidence they match, but a translator should translate the
meaning not concern himself with whether the forms turn out the same or not.
3. Translating lexical features
Each language has its own idiomatic way of expressing meaning lexical items. Languages
abound in idioms, secondary meanings, metaphors, and other figurative meanings. For
example, notice the following ways in which a fever is referred to ( literal translations are
given to show the source language form):
Greek: The fever left him.
Aguaruna: He cooled.

Vietnamese: He cooled.
Or: The fever was no more in him.
 15

Ilocano: The fever was no more in him.

The English translations of all six would be : His fever went down, or His temperature
returned to normal.

All languages have idioms, i.e. a string of words whose meaning is different than the meaning
conveyed by the individual words. In English to say that someone is bullheaded means that
the person is „stubborn‟. The meaning has little to do with bull or head . Similarly, in
Vietnamese to say that someone is cøng ®Çu cøng cæ means that the person is
„stubborn‟. The meaning has little to do with ®Çu or cæ. Languages abound in such
idioms. The following are a few English idioms using in and into: run into debt, rush into
print, step into a practice, jump into a fight, dive into a book, stumble into acquaintance, fall
in love, break into society. In spite of all these combinations, one cannot say the following
break into debt, fall into print, rush into a fight, dive into debt, etc. The combinations are
fixed as to form and their meaning comes from their combination. A literal word-for-word
translation of these idioms into another language will not make sense. The form cannot be
kept, but the receptor language word or phrase which has the equivalent meaning will be the
correct one to use in the translation. The following idioms occur in Vietnamese. In the first
column is a literal translation from Vietnamese. In the second is an idiomatic translation. The
literal English is misleading.

LITERAL IDIOMATIC
I don‟t have my eye on you. I don‟t remember you.
He is as strong as a buffalo. He is as strong as a horse.
I have buried my head into my business. I have been busy with my work.

Translators who wants to make a good idiomatic translation often find figures of speech
especially challenging. A literal translation of strong as a horse might sound really strange in a
language where the comparison between a strong person and a horse has never been use as a
figure of speech. In Vietnamese it would be more natural to say strong as a buffalo. Similarly,
a literal translation of blind as a bat might sound really strange in a language where the
comparison between a blind person and a bat has never been use as a figure of speech. In
Aguaruma it would be more natural to say blind as a fox. There is a legend in which the sun
borrowed the fox‟s eyes and then returned to heaven taking the fox‟s good eyes with him and
leaving the fox with the sun‟s inferior eyes. That is why they say, when the fox is trying to see,
he stretches back his head and looks with his throat. Figures of speech are often based on
stories or historical incidents.
Names of animals are used metaphorically in most languages. But the comparison is often
different and so the figure will be misunderstood unless some adjustment is made. For
example, when someone is called a pig in English, it usually means he is dirty or a greedy
eater. In Vietnamese, it has different meanings. It could means that the person is stupid or that
the person is a greedy. Care would need to be taken if pig were used metaphorically or a
wrong meaning might result in the receptor language.
 16

Some lexical combinations of the source language may be ambiguous. The meaning is not
clear. For example, “ It is too hot to eat,” could mean any of the following: The food is too hot
to eat; the weather is too hot for us to feel like eating; the horse is too hot after running a race
and does not want to eat. In the process of making an idiomatic translation, such ambiguities
must often be resolved and only the intended meaning communicated.
4. Conclusion
It is obvious that translation is a complicated process. However, a translator who is concerned
with transferring the meaning will find that the receptor language has a way in which the
desired meaning can be expressed even though it may be very different from the source
language form.

Considering the complexity of language structures, how can a translator ever hope to produce
an adequate translation? Literal translation can only be avoided by careful analysis of the
source language: by, first of all, understanding clearly the message to be communicated. A
translator who takes the time to study carefully the source language text, to write analysis of it,
and then to look for the equivalent way in which the same message is expressed naturally in
the receptor language, will be able to provide an adequate, and some times brilliant
translation. His goal must be to avoid literalisms and to strive for a truly idiomatic receptor
language text. He will know he is successful if the receptor language readers do not recognize
his work as a translation at all, but simply as a text written in the receptor language for their
information and enjoyment.
5. Notes
Form-based translation : dÞch dùa vµo h×nh thøc
Meaning-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo nghÜa
Literal translation: dÞch tõng tõ mét
Idiomatic translation: dÞch ®óng nghÜa
Interference : sù can thiÖp
Mother-tongue interference: sù can thiÖp cña tiÕng mÑ ®Î
To make adjustments: hiÖu ®Ýnh/ ®iÒu chØnh
Translating grammatical features: ®Æc tr-ng ng÷ ph¸p dÞch
Parts of speech: tõ lo¹i
Subclass: nhãm nhá
Indo-European language: ng«n ng÷ Ên-¢u
Pronominal system: hÖ thèng ®¹i tõ
6. Self-study
6.1 Questions for discussion
1. What are the differences between a literal translation and an idiomatic translation?
2. What should you do to translate a text idiomatically?
 17

3. What grammatical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some
examples to support your ideas.
4. What lexical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some examples
to support your ideas.
5. Why do you have to take the time to read the source language text carefully before
translating it?
6.2 Exercises
A. In each of the following pairs of sentences, which is more idiomatic English, a or b? How
would the meaning be expressed idiomatically in the language you speak?
1.(a) The storekeeper said that we will refund your money.
(b) The storekeeper promised to refund our money.

2.(a) A certain boy told me this little story at a party.

(b) He is one boy. He told the one little story. This is a game he said.
3.(a) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform as well. How
many children have shed hot tears about spelling?
(b) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform ,too. And how
many hot children‟s tears have not been shed on spelling?
4.(a) He then reported his misfortune to the police, who are searching diligently for the thief.
(b) He then his mishap reported to the police, who are the thief searching intensively
B. Look for literalisms in the following translations into English and underline the words or
phrases that do not sound natural in English. Suggest a more idiomatic way of saying it. All
of these examples are from published translated material.
1. The third-year students often visit the schools in the city for the attendance of the class.
2. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for their friends have introduced to them very
much about this hotel.
3. Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
4. After saying lies many times, he lost our belief in him.
5. Hue is famous about its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
6. The participants discussed about the causes of pollution environment.
7. Every time my mother goes to work , I feel my house absent anybody.
8. One thing makes me proud of my village is a large green field that provides one part of life
for people.
9. A robbery took place of a motorcycle rider at Kampung early yesterday morning.
10. I left my village for three years, a time not long but like a century.
C. Each of the following are sentences written by some Vietnamese who are not yet fluent
English speakers. The forms used shows examples of how their mother-tongue language
 18

structures have been carried over into English. The same information is then given in
parenthesis in idiomatic English. What changes were made in correcting the English? These
changes point out some of the differences between Vietnamese and English.
1. Sir, the problems of before don‟t forget.
( Sir, please don‟t forget the problems we discussed before.)
2. If there is any means, send me a letter to Saigon.
(If there is any way to do so, send a letter to me in Saigon.)
3. I will think you time to time day and day.
( I will be thinking about you often every day.)
4. I am very grateful to inform you with this letter.
( I am very happy to be able to send/write you this letter.)

5. I am a man who has been to Hanoi for 12 years.

( I have now lived in Hanoi for 12 years.)
D. Translate the following Vietnamese sentences as idiomatically as possible.
1. ChÞ may ¸o s¬ mi nµy ë ®©u vËy?
2. Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, s«ng §µ, s«ng Cöu Long
vµ ®· sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. Trong tiÕng ViÖt, th× ‘‘n-íc’’ (trong s«ng, trong hå,
trong biÓn....) l¹i ®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý
nghÜa tæ quèc quª h-¬ng.
- cha «ng: ancestors
- thèng nhÊt : uniformity
- ®ång nghÜa : synonym/ synonymous
- ®ång ©m : homonym
- trong ý nghÜa : to mean/ to signify
- tæ quèc quª h-¬ng: homeland/ fatherland/ motherland
- sèng chÕt: to try hard to protect them/ to spare no pain to protect them
3. §µ L¹t chiÕm cø mét vïng ®Êt réng trªn cao nguyªn L©m Viªn,
xung quanh toµn lµ nói ®åi hïng vÜ.
- chiÕm cø : take up/ to be situated/ to occupy
- cao nguyªn : plateau
- xung quanh: to be surrounded by/ with
4. Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ cña ViÖt Nam ph¶i ®-îc xÐt trong hoµn
c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi. Hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh Êy ®· g©y ra
 19

nhiÒu thiÖt h¹i vÒ sinh m¹ng vµ tµi s¶n còng nh- c¸c c«ng tr×nh
c«ng céng vµ tµi nguyªn.
- sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ : the economic development
- ®-îc xÐt : to be viewed/ to be considered/ to be taken into account
- hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi : in the context of the long period of war
- g©y ra thiÖt h¹i : to cause damage to
- tµi s¶n : property
- c«ng tr×nh c«ng céng : public facilities
- tµi nguyªn : resources
5. MÆc dï ®Þa vÞ cña phô n÷ ®· cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu,
nh-ng ng-êi ta ph¶i thùc hiÖn nhiÒu chuyÖn kh¸c ®Ó c¶i thiÖn
t×nh tr¹ng søc khoÎ, dinh d-ìng vµ gi¸o dôc cho phô n÷.
- ®Þa vÞ : status
- cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu: to be dramatically improved
- dinh d-ìng : nutrition

6. M¹ng l-íi truyÒn h×nh ®ang x©y dùng réng kh¾p c¶ n-íc.
Ngoµi nh÷ng ®µi truyÒn h×nh t-¬ng ®èi hiÖn ®¹i, cã tõ l©u ®êi
nh- ®µi truyÒn h×nh Hµ Néi vµ Thµnh Phè Hå ChÝ Minh, cßn cã 25
®µi thuéc c¸c tØnh ®-îc thµnh lËp vµo n¨m 1988. Nh÷ng ®µi
truyÒn h×nh nµy sÏ truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh quan träng cña ®µi
truyÒn h×nh trung -¬ng vµ ph¸t ch-¬ng tr×nh cña ®µi m×nh.
- m¹ng l-íi : network
- ®µi truyÒn h×nh : television station
- l©u ®êi: long-standing
- thµnh lËp : to establish/ set up
- truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh : to relay the transmissions
- ph¸t: to broadcast
7. Ngµy nay thÕ giíi ®ang ®-ong ®Çu víi nhiÒu vÊn ®Ò nghiªm
träng cho dï ®· cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ trong lÜnh vùc khoa
häc, c«ng nghÖ vµ tri thøc. Mét trong nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò ®ã lµ sù
bïng næ d©n sè, ®Æc biÖt ë c¸c n-íc ®ang ph¸t triÓn. D©n sè
®ang t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n trong lóc s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ l¹i t¨ng
theo cÊp sè céng.
- ®-¬ng ®Çu : to face
- vÊn ®Ò nghiªm träng : serious problem
- cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ : to take great strikes
 20

- sù bïng næ d©n sè : population explosion/ population boom

- t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n : to grow in geometric progression
- t¨ng theo cÊp sè céng : to grow in arithmetic progression
- s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ : the production of goods
8. Charles Dickens lµ mét trong nh÷ng nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt lín
nhÊt thÕ giíi, thuéc tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n thÕ kû 19.
§iÒu mµ chóng ta ®¸nh gi¸ cao vÒ nh÷ng t¸c phÈm cña Dickens lµ
sù phª ph¸n vÒ téi ¸c vµ sù t-¬ng ph¶n gi÷a giµu vµ nghÌo cña
x· héi t- s¶n Anh lóc bÊy giê. ThÕ giíi mµ «ng ta miªu t¶ lµ
thÕ giíi cña giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u ë Lu©n §«n.
- nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt : novelist
- tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n : the school of critical
realism
- ®¸nh gi¸ cao : to value/ highly appreciate
- sù phª ph¸n : criticism
- téi ¸c : evil
- sù t-¬ng ph¶n : contrast
- giµu vµ nghÌo : wealth and poverty
- x· héi t- s¶n Anh : the English boutgeois society
- giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u : the middle and lower classes
9. Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam ®-îc cö ®¹i diÖn ë Quèc Héi
vµ chñ tÞch héi ®-îc quyÒn tham dù c¸c cuéc häp th-êng kú cña
Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng ®Ó bµy tá quan ®iÓm cña Héi vµ ®Ò nghÞ nh÷ng
®iÒu lÖ liªn quan ®Õn phô n÷.
- Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam : The Vietnam‟s Women Union
- cö ®¹i diÖn : to be represented
- Quèc Héi : the National Assembly
- ®-îc quyÒn lµm g× : to have the right to do something
- cuéc häp th-êng kú : regular meeting
- Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng : the Council of Ministers
- bµy tá quan ®iÓm : express one‟s points of view
- ®iÒu lÖ : regulations
10. Gia ®×nh ViÖt Nam chÞu ¶nh h-áng râ rÖt cña nÒn v¨n minh
n«ng nghiÖp. Do chÝnh s¸ch më cöa, nÒn v¨n minh c«ng nghiÖp
®ang t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy, tõng giê vµo cuéc sèng gia ®×nh ViÖt
Nam.
- chÞu ¶nh h-áng : to be affected by
 21

- nÒn v¨n minh n«ng nghiÖp : agricultural civilization

- chÝnh s¸ch më cöa : the open-door policy
- t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy tõng giê : to have daily and hourly impact /influence on

LESSON 3: STEPS IN A TRANSLATION PROJECT

Before beginning an actual translation, it is important to have in mind the total translation
project and what is involved in producing a good translation. Each of these steps will be
elaborated on in more detail in the last section of the book.

1.Establishing the project

Before one considers beginning a translation project, there are a number of matters which
need to be clearly understood by all who will be involved. These can be summarized under
four T‟s- the text, the target, the team, and the tools.
The text refers to the source language document which is to be translated. The desirability of
translating a particular text must be determined. Texts are chosen to be translated for various
reasons. Most often it is to communicate certain information to people speaking another
language, or it may be to share the enjoyment of the source text. The translator should
examine his reasons for choosing the text and the potential for its use by the receptor language
audience.
The target refers to the audience. For whom is the translation prepared? The form of
translation will be affected by questions of dialect, educational level, age level, bilingualism,
and people‟s attitudes towards their languages. Will it be used in school, in business, or read
orally in a meeting or at home?
The team refers to the people who will be involved in the project. If a person is a competent
speaker of both the source language and the receptor language, it may be that the project can
be done completely by one person. But even so there should be other available for evaluation
and consultation. Most translation projects require a team, a number of people who are going
to contribute to the translation at some stage in the project. The working relationship between
these people needs to be established before the project gets underway. It may, however, also
change as the project moves along and new factors come into focus.
There are certain essentials to any translation project. Not all these need to be found in one
person. There are various kinds of programs which may be set up depending on the abilities
and backgrounds of those who will be involved. The team may consist of 1. co-translators,
where one is a specialist in the source language and the other a specialist in the receptor
language, or 2. a translator with capability to handle both source language and receptor
language matters and an advisor or consultant, or 3. a committee working together with
specific responsibilities delegated to each one. Which kind of program is developed will
depend on who is available and qualified to determine the meaning of the source language,
who is most skilled at drafting in the receptor language, and who has an understanding of
translation principles. The team may include the translators, a consultant, testers, and
reviewers.
 22

Tools refer to the written source materials which will be used by the translators as helps.
These include, in addition to the document to be translated, any dictionaries, lexicons,
grammars, cultural descriptions. etc.. .. of both the source language and receptor language
which are available. The team will want as much in formation available as possible while
translating. All of these tools should be brought to the translation site in preparation for the
project. For some projects, there will be a wealth of materials that can be used to help in
interpreting the source language text and in finding equivalents in the receptor language. For
other projects, there may be a scarcity of such material, but whatever is available should be
there to make the work easier.
2. Exegesis
Exegesis is used to refer to the process of discovering the meaning of the source language text
which is to be translated. It is the step which includes the preparation and analysis which must
be done before anything at all can be written in the receptor language. The text must be
understood completely. This is the process which takes place in moving from the source
language form to the meaning of the text.

The translator should begin by reading the text several times, then by reading other materials
that may help in understanding the culture or language of the source text. As he reads the text,
he will be looking for the author‟s purpose and the theme of the text. He will look for the
larger groupings or sections. He may want to outline the text. The purpose is to understand the
text as a whole. Once he has done this, he is ready to work on the material a section at a time.
The analysis of the source text will include resolving ambiguity, identifying implicit
information, studying key words, interpreting figurative senses, recognizing when words are
being used in a secondary sense, when grammatical structures are being used in a secondary
function, etc. It will involve doing the kind of analysis which this book is all about. The goal
of exegesis is to determine the meaning which is to be communicated in the receptor language
text. The translator carefully studies the source language text and using all the available tools,
determines the content of the source language message, the related communication situation
matters, and all other factors which will need to be understood in order to produce an
equivalent translation.
3. Transfer and initial draft
After a careful analysis of the source language text, as indicated above, the translator begins
drafting piece by piece, section by section. The transfer results in the initial draft. In preparing
this draft, the translator is transferring from the source language into the receptor language. As
he does so, he must always keep his target audience in mind.
Before any extensive drafting can be done, the key terms must be determined. Every text has a
set of words which re crucial to the content and correct communication of the theme. These
need to be decided upon and may need to be checked with other speakers of the receptor
language.
There are two ways of approaching the transfer and initial draft. Some translators prefer to do
a quick rough translation so that the material flows naturally. Then they go back and tighten
up the details to be sure that there is no wrong information, and no omissions or additions. In
this way, the receptor language text is more apt to be in the natural style of the receptor
language. Others prefer to prepare a proposition-like semantic draft, being sure that all the
information all the information is accounted for, and then reword it for naturalness; that is,
 23

reword it in the idiomatic form of the receptor language. Either method will lead to an
idiomatic translation if careful work is done.
It may be necessary to rework the initial draft several times before the team is satisfied that all
the adjustments needed have been made, that no information is wrong or omitted, that the text
communicates clearly in the receptor language, and that the form chosen will communicate to
the desired audience. While making and reworking this draft, the audience must always be
kept in mind. Once the translation team has sufficiently reworked the initial draft, they arrange
for copies to be made so that adequate evaluation.
4. Evaluation
The purpose of evaluation is threefold: accuracy, clearness, and naturalness. The questions to
be answer are: 1. Does the translation communicate the same meaning as the source language?
2. Does the audience for whom the translation is intended understand it clearly? 3. Is the form
of the translation easy to read and natural receptor language grammar and style? Those
helping with the evaluation should be mother-tongue speakers of the receptor language. There
are a number of kinds of evaluations which need to be done.
The translator will want to compare the translation with the source text at several points
during the translation process to be sure no additions, deletions or change of in formation have
crept in . Others may help with this work. It is especially advantageous to have a consultant
check over the material. The translator will want to have receptor language speakers read the
text and then tell back what the text communicated to them. As they read, there will be parts
that are hard to read or hard to understand. Any time there is an indication of a problem in
reading , this should be noted for further checking . Another way to check is by asking
questions of those who read the text , or to whom it is read. Questions need to be carefully
formed so that they bring out the theme, the author‟s purpose , and the relevant facts of the
text. Any wrong understanding should be noted and then checked with others as well. It is best
to have someone who has not worked on the translation, but know both the source language
and receptor language, translate back from the receptor language into the source language
without the reference to the original source language text. Does the back translation carry the
same information as the original source language text? Any difference will need to be checked
further.
It is very important that sufficient time and effort be given to evaluation. If many of the people
who will eventually be using the receptor language text can be involved in the evaluation
process, this will also create interest in the translated material when it is finally published.
5. Revised
After evaluation is done carefully, there will need to be a revised draft made on the basis of
the feedback received. Those with whom the translator has checked may have suggested many
rewordings, may have expressed misunderstanding, etc. The translation team now works
through this material , honestly accepting the evaluation , and rewording the material
accordingly. If any key words are changed, the text will need to be checked carefully for
consistency in the change made. If some parts were hard for people to read, they may need to
be made easier by more redundancy( or less redundancy in another language), by adding more
information to clarify participants or theme or whatever. How much re-drafting will be needed
will vary depending on the results of the evaluation.
6. Consultation
 24

In many translation projects, there are advisors or consultants who are willing to help the
translator. The translator(s) will expect that the consultant is interested in three
matters:1.accuracy of content 2. naturalness of style, and 3. effect on the receptor language
audience.
It is important that translators check their materials with a trained consultant after completing
a section or two of a long document. If they continue , and do large amounts of translation
work without this kind of a check, they will miss out on the training which a consultant can
give as they go over the material together. Asking a consultant to work through the material
with him will give the translator insights which will not only help his final draft of the
material being worked on, but will help him do better transfer drafts on the sections of the
document remaining to be done.
7. Final draft
The translator incorporates into the translated text the suggestions made by the consultant,
checks them again with mother-tongue speakers to be sure they are warranted, and makes any
other minor changes which have come to his attention. However, before he prepares the final
draft, decisions about format need to be discussed with the whole translation team, the
consultant, the potential publisher and those who will promote distribution.
Some matters may need special testing before the final draft is prepared. If the publication is
to include pictures, these will need evaluation. If a special size of print is being recommended,
it will need to be tested. A final editing for spelling and punctuation will need to be made.
When all matters are cared for, a number of copies should be prepared and distributed for
proofreading by various people before the actual printing takes place. Every translator wants
his final copy to be as accurate as possible. The time spent in careful checking and preparation
of the final draft will improve quality and will make the translation more acceptable to the
audience for whom it is being prepared.
8. Notes
Target: ®äc gi¶
Target language audience: ng-êi ®äc b¶n dÞch
Dialect: ph-¬ng ng÷
Educational level: tr×nh ®é häc vÊn
Bilingualism: song ng÷
To come into focus: chó ý/ tËp trung
Co-translator: ng-êi cïng dÞch
Specialist: chuyªn gia
Tools: tµi liÖu tham kh¶o khi dÞch
Lexicon: tù ®iÓn tõ vùng
Exegesis: hiÓu nghÜa v¨n b¶n tr-íc khi dÞch
Initial draft: b¶n th¶o ®Çu tiªn
Revised draft: b¶n th¶o ®· d-îc hiÖu ®Ýnh
 25

9. Self-study
9.1 Questions for discussion
1. Name and discuss the four T‟s of a translation project.
2. Explain what is meant by exegesis.
3. What are the goals of the translator as he prepares the initial draft?
4. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
5. What kinds of evaluation checks can be made?
6. What is the consultant concerned about when he checks a translation?
7. How will the final draft be different from the revision draft done earlier?
8. How is the revision draft different from the initial draft?
9.2 Exercises
A. Read the English text and answer the questions.
DEFORESTATION
Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assume that
the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. The majority
of deforestation in Latin America, South-east Asia and the Pacific is caused by clearing land
to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and not by „shifting‟
cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial logging eliminates 45000 square
kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the United States and Japan.

No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to grazing
land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt payments. These
heavy payments, which affect the poor the most, have arisen largely from external loans taken
out to finance the purchase of luxury items and arms by military and governing elite. The
establishment of large ranch-style cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the
elimination of 20000 square kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America.
The cleared land is mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North
America, Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the Vietnamese meaning of the English words :
subsistence agriculture, cash crops, commercial logging operations, shifting cultivators,
landless peasants, affluent society, external debt payment, military and governing elites,
ranch-style cattle grazing property, hamburger connection ?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent Vietnamese structures of the following
English sentences?
a. However, it is a myth to assume that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more
mouths is the main factor.
 26

b. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to
grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt
payments.
6. Translate the text into Vietnamese.
B. Read the Vietnamese text and answer the questions.
NON N¦íC
Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, S«ng §µ, S«ng Cöu Long vµ
tõng sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. ë ViÖt Nam th× ‘‘n-íc’’( trong s«ng, hå, biÓn.) l¹i
®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý nghÜa tæ quèc quª
h-¬ng. S«ng n-íc vµ con ng-êi ë ®©y kÕt hîp víi thiªn nhiªn vµ
lÞch sö nh- mét khèi bÊt tö bÊt diÖt bëi mét thø xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån. §ã lµ lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi cña d©n téc ViÖt Nam.
Trªn thÕ giíi, cã nhiÒu quèc gia tõ tØnh nä sang tØnh kia nãi
lµ kh«ng hiÓu nhau råi. Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u,
ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the English meaning of the Vietnamese words : cha
«ng, sèng chÕt, sù thèng nhÊt, kÕt hîp chÆt chÏ, xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån, lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi, hiÓu nhau?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent English structures of the following
Vietnamese sentences?
a. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã
sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña chóng ta.
b.Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u, ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp
nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
6. Translate the text into English.
 27

LESSON 4: STRATEGIES FOR TRANSLATORS

The following strategies have been suggested by translators, commissioners of translations,

and others involved in translating as ways to approach difficulties in translations from English
into Vietnamese.

1. STRATEGY 1 : How to deal with non-equivalence at lexical level

It is often the case that no direct equivalents can be found in Vietnamese for English words. It
may be that the concept or idea is new to Vietnamese translators, as in the case of „gender‟,
which is, in fact, a relatively new concept in general, and a very difficult concept to
understand and explain in many languages. It may also be that the concept is known or
understood but there is no specific word in Vietnamese used to express it. Another difficulty
is that, in addition to their concrete meaning, some words have special connotations that are
not conveyed by the Vietnamese word for the same thing. The strategies listed below can be
used to handle cases of non-equivalence.
1.1 Translating by a more specific word
In some cases, it may be appropriate or necessary to use a more specific word to translate an
English word into Vietnamese. This usually involves choosing among several different words,
as there may be many Vietnamese words that correspond to the general category or meaning
expressed by English word. For instance, Vietnamese has many words that mean “ to carry”
with distinction being made depending on the size and shape of the object; its animate ( e.g. a
child as opposed to a box); and how it is carried (e.g. in the hand, or in the arms...). Similarly,
the English word for “rice” can be translated by many different Vietnamese words, depending
on whether one is planting it, harvesting it, cooking it, or eating it. In these cases, the English
word alone is not enough to determine the appropriate Vietnamese translation, and it is
necessary to examine the English context.
1.2 Translating by a more general word
In other cases, it may be appropriate to use a more general word to translate an English word
with no specific Vietnamese equivalent. For example, English makes distinctions among
mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles, the latter having larger wheels and engines than both
mopeds and scooters. Vietnamese, on the one hand, refers to all two-wheel, motorized
vehicles as ‘‘ xe m¸y’’. Similarly, the English words “paw”, “foot”, or “leg” may all be
translated by the Vietnamese word ‘‘ch©n’’, which does not suggest any problems of
comprehension in Vietnamese, as it should be clear from the context which of these words is
meant. Another example can be found in a manual on community development, which
translates the word “matrix” by the Vietnamese word ‘‘ma trËn’’. However, in
Vietnamese, ‘‘ma trËn’’ has a specific use in mathematics only, and does not have the
additional sense of a model or a plan according to which something is developed. In this
example, “matrix” is better translated ‘‘b¶n’’, which is a more general word used to
classify a written plan or formula.
1.3 Translating by cultural substitution
This strategy involves replacing a culture-specific item or expression with one of the different
meanings but similar impact in the translated text. Because of their self-described “respect”
 28

for the original text, most Vietnamese translators object to this strategy and tend to translate
directly, even though it is in appropriate. For example, a farmer‟s manual that has been
translated into Vietnamese suggests the planting of different types of fruit trees which are not
even grown in Vietnam. The original manual, which was developed in other parts in Asia, was
not modified at all for the Vietnamese context. Though some translators argue that it is not the
responsibility of the translator to chance the text in this way, the translator is in fact playing
an important role in this task. Translators should be encouraged to consider the
appropriateness of the documents they are translating and suggest changes to make them more
culturally appropriate. However, this is not only the burden of the translator, but also of the
commissioners of the translation and the editor.
1.4 Translating by using a loan word plus explanation
There is some objection to this strategy in Vietnam, as many translator prefer to coin new
words in Vietnamese rather than borrow English words. However, this strategy is very useful
when the translator deal with concepts or ideas that are new to Vietnamese audience, culture-
specific items, and proper names of diseases or medicines that are widely known in English
names. For instance, HIV and AIDS are two loan words that are frequently used in
Vietnamese, as they are referred to by their English names in almost every part of the world.
Because these words have been in common used in Vietnam for a long time, they are often
used without any accompanying explanation. Whenever a loan word is used , it is better to
give an explanation. Another example is the acronym for oral dehydration salts, or ORS,
which is printed on every package and hence easily recognized; this is normally written in
English with an explanation in Vietnamese : ORS (muèi bï mÊt n-íc)
1.5 Translating by using a paraphrase
This strategy can be used when we translate an English word or concept that does not exist in
Vietnamese, or when the Vietnamese term for it does not include all the meanings conveyed
by the English term for the same concept. For example, in the sentence: “ Pregnant women
should avoid alcohol.”, the English „alcohol‟ includes all alcoholic drinks in its meaning. The
Vietnamese word ‘r­îu’ does not include beer in its definition, so the Vietnamese
translation should add the word beer to reflect the full meaning of the source language
sentence. Another example is that the English words „abuse‟ and „neglect‟ signify a whole
range of behaviors, some of which are not conveyed by the Vietnamese words alone. As a
result, the English sentence: “Children should be protected from abuse and neglect.” cannot
be translated as simply as ‘‘trÎ em nªn ®-îc b¶o vÖ khái sù l¹m dông vµ
l¬ lµ.’’. This translation does not account for their full meaning , which must be
unpacked for better understanding. This can be done by paraphrasing as a translator has
attempted in the following translation: ‘‘trÎ em cÇn b¶o vÖ chèng l¹i mäi
h×nh thøc b¹o lùc, g©y tæn th-¬ng hay xóc ph¹m, bá mÆc hoÆc xao
nh·ng trong viÖc ch¨m sãc’’. Back translated roughly into English, this sentence
reads, : “Children must be protected from all forms of violence causing harm or offense, and
from abandonment and negligence in their care.”
1.6 Translating by omission
Though some translators may reject this strategy as too drastic, it is sometimes appropriate to
omit words or phrases that are not essential to the meaning or impact of the text. This is
especially true for words that would require lengthy explanations, awkward paraphrases, or
literal and unnatural translations, which would interrupt the flow of the text and could distract
 29

the reader from the overall meaning. For example, the sentence “ Much can be done even
without being physically present in the meeting.” is best translated into Vietnamese by, ‘‘
nhiÒu viÖc cã thÓ lµm ngµy c¶ khi kh«ng cã mÆt t¹i cuéc häp’’
which omit the word “physically” in the translation. The difference in meaning between “
being physically present” and being present” is so minimal that it does not justify translation
into Vietnamese, which cannot easily express the slight emphasis implied here by the author,
and would not do so by emphasizing the physicality of a person‟s presence.

STRATEGY 2 : How to deal with idioms and set expressions

Idioms and set expressions can be dealt with in the ways similar to those mentioned above.
With idioms, however, there is another difficulty that the translator may not realize that s/he is
dealing with an idiomatic expression, since more idioms may make sense when translated
literally.
2.1 Using an idiom or a set expression of similar meaning and form
It is sometimes possible to find a Vietnamese idiom or expression with a similar meaning to
an English idiom or expression, and which is expressed in the same way. One example is the
idiom “ to fight like cats and dogs”, which is expressed using the same words in Vietnamese:
‘‘ c·i nhau nh- chã víi mÌo.’’; another is “ Better than never.”, which is
translated : ‘‘Thµ muén cßn h¬n kh«ng ®Õn’’. It is ideal if such a match can be
found, but this kind of correspondence is not common, and it is usually necessary to use other
strategies in dealing with idioms and set expressions.
2.2 Using an idiom or a set expression of similar meaning but different form
It is possible and easy to find a Vietnamese idiom with a similar meaning for an English
idiom or set expression. A good example can be found is the translation for to carry coals to
Newcastle”: ‘‘Chë cñi vÒ rõng." ,which is translated as “ to carry firewood to the
forest.” The meaning here is clearly the same for both idioms- to bring something to a place
that has an abundance of that thing- but the way in which each language expresses is bound to
be the culture of that language. It is far more cumbersome to translate this idiom literally into
Vietnamese with an explanation that Newcastle is a well-known coal-producing city in
England (as was suggested by some Vietnamese translators), which would unduly interrupt
the flow of the text and greatly diminish the idiom‟s impact. By substituting a similar
Vietnamese idiom, then, the flow and the impact of the source text are retained in the
translation.
2.3 Translating by paraphrasing
When Vietnamese equivalents cannot be found, paraphrasing may be the best way to deal
with an idiom or set expression in English. A good example can be found in an article on
maternal mortality, which includes the sentence, “ But before the new estimates replace the
old as a way of packaging up the problem, it should be said that a mistake has been made in
allowing statistics such as these to slip into easy language. The expression “packaging up the
problem” caused the problems in translation, as it was misinterpreted to mean “assembling” or
“gathering”. However, even if this phrase were clearly understood, it would be difficult to find
a precise equivalent in Vietnamese. In fact, it would be difficult to restate concisely in
English. This phrase is best dealt with by paraphrasing, which in English could be understood
as something like “summing up the problem by referring to it simply as a number, which does
 30

not reflect its true magnitude or impact.” The expression “to slip into easy usage” is
problematic for the same reasons, and is also best dealt with by paraphrasing, as a literal
translation into Vietnamese would be meaningless.

2.4 Translating by omission

This strategy could be used when we translate words or phrases that would require lengthy
explanations, awkward paraphrases, or literal and unnatural translation. This strategy has also
be used when we translate phases which has two meanings one of the meanings may be
sacrificed for the other. For instance, a book entitled “ Being Positive-Living with HIV/AIDS”
causes problems in translate because of the double meaning of “ being positive”. The meaning
of the phrase could be that a person is suffering from positive HIV and that s/he should have
an optimistic outlook on life. This may be clear to the translator , who may interpret the
phrase to mean that this book is for and about people who are HIV positive. However, the
double meaning should be made clear through collaboration with the commissioner, after
which a choice must be made between the two meanings, for it would not be possible to
translate both meanings by one Vietnamese phrase. As the emphasis is on positive outlook on
life but not on the fact of being HIV positive, one translator has suggested the translation:
‘‘H·y Sèng Yªu §êi Dï NhiÔm HIV’’. This translation expresses the notion of
being positive about life without mentioning anything about being HIV positive status.
STRATEGY 3 : How to deal with voice, number and person
2.1 Voice
The passive voice is used very often in English and poses some problems in Vietnamese
translation. Passive voice can be translated from English into Vietnamese in the following
ways:

a. English : A is/was/has been done by B

Vietnamese: (i) A ®-îc+ ®éng tõ+(bëi B)

A ®-îc/do+(B)+®éng tõ

(ii) A bÞ +®éng tõ + bëi B

A bÞ +(B) + ®éng tõ
Example:
This house was built by Frank in 1930
Ng«I nhµ nµy do Frank x©y n¨m 1930

Tom is given a present by Mary

Tom ®-îc Mary tÆng mét mãn quµ
 31

Tom was attacked by a stranger last night

Tom bÞ mét kÎ l¹ mÆt tÊn c«ng tèi h«m qua

b.English : A is/was/has been done.

Vietnamese: (i) A ®-îc+ ®éng tõ
(ii) A bÞ+ ®éng tõ
(iii) Ng-êi ta/ai ®ã + ®éng tõ + A
Example:
Tom has been promoted recently.
Tom míi ®-îc ®Ì b¹t gÇn ®©y.
The CD has been broken.
ChiÕc ®Üa CD ®· bÞ vì/ Ai ®ã ®· lµm vì chiÕc ®Üa CD.
The positive and negative connotation is not often conveyed in English, so it is difficult to
know what way used to translate into Vietnamese.

Example: The children were given injections.

Vietnamese translation : ‘‘C¸c ch¸u ®-îc tiªm.’’, or ‘‘C¸c ch¸u bÞ
tiªm.’’
depending on whether the receiving injection is considered a positive or negative experience.
On the other hand, when the positive or negative connotation of the sentence is clear it is more
appropriate to retain the passive voice in Vietnamese.
Example: The H‟Mong people do not like to be called Meo. They prefer to
be called H‟Mong.

Vietnamese: Ng-êi d©n téc H¬ M«ng kh«ng thÝch bÞ gäi lµ d©n téc
MÌo. Hä
thÝch ®-îc gäi lµ d©n téc H¬ M«ng.

In Vietnamese, there are some cases where one can see the words ®-îc/bÞ but they are not
translated into English passive sentences at all.

Example: - Anh Êy bÞ ng·. : He fell.

- ChÞ Lan bÞ ho. : Lan has a cough.
- H«m nay chóng ta ®-îc ®¸nh chÐn no nª.
 32

We had and enormous meal today.

2.2 Number
Though both languages have similar notions of number and countability, each language has its
own way to express these notions. In English, number is expressed as a grammar category;
that is, there are different grammatical forms for singular and plural nouns. In Vietnamese,
however, no such distinction is grammatically made.
Example : Phô n÷: can mean either woman or women

In Vietnamese, some plural markers such as ‘‘c¸c’’, ‘‘nh÷ng’’, tÊt c¶’’,

‘‘mäi" ,’’mçi’’ can be used in addition to the noun. ‘‘c¸c’’ generally means all of
the given category of things, whereas ‘‘nh÷ng’’ refers only to some of the total number of
things being discussed. ‘‘Mçi’’ emphasizes the identity of the individual member of the
category without indicating anything of their totality; ‘‘mäi’’ expresses both the
individuality of the items and the totality of the category. If it is clear from the English context
which of these plural markers should be used in the Vietnamese, then the translator should
choose accordingly.
2.3 Person
Participants‟ roles and forms of address are expressed in Vietnamese through a very
complicated system of personal pronouns based largely on kinship terms. Unlike English
pronouns, Vietnamese pronouns bear a number of semantic components depending on the
relationship within a family, age, sex, familiarity, social status, and even one‟s particular
mood or attitude in a given situation. These distinctions are not always explicitly expressed in
English and can usually be determined by the context in which the language operates. If it is
not possible to determine the distinctions of the English pronouns, the attention should be
focused on the tone and the overall purpose of the text to be translated.
Example: A book on health-care contains many sections written especially for children and
adults. In the sections for children the pronoun “you” is translated as “em” or ‘‘c¸c em’’.
In the sections for adults, “you” should be translated as ‘‘chóng ta’’ .

4. STRATEGY 4 : How to deal with non-subject sentences

( Vietnamese- English translation)
The following techniques could be used to translate the non-subject sentences in Vietnamese
texts:
4.1. Passive voice
4.2. It + to be + Adj + to infinitive
4.3. There + to be...
4.4. Use the subject that is found in the previous sentence(s)
Example:
CÇn ®¶y m¹nh c«ng nghiÖp hãa, hiÖn ®¹i hãa.
 33

Industrialization and modernization should be

promoted.
Or: It is necessary to promote industrialization and
modernization
VÉn ch-a cã c¸ch ch÷a khái bÖnh AIDS.
There has been no cure for AIDS.

5. STRATEGY 5 : How to deal with newspaper headlines

Some main characteristics of newspaper headlines are as
follows.
5.1. Present tense = past events
5.2. Present participle = event in progress
5.3. To infinitive = future events
5.4. Past participle = passive voice
5.5. Nouns
5.6. Verb + noun
Example:
1. Chinese Professors Turn To Business
C¸c gi¸o s- Trung Quèc chuyÓn sang kinh doanh
2. US President Visiting Vietnam
Tæng thèng Hoa Kú ®ang th¨m ViÖt Nam
3. Oil Price To Rise?
Gi¸ dÇu sÏ t¨ng
4. Three More Investment Projects Licensed This Year
Thªm ba dù ¸n ®Çu t- n÷a ®-îc cÊp giÊy phÐp trong n¨m nay
5. Investment Boom
Bïng næ ®Çu t-
6. See You In Court
HÑn gÆp t¹i tßa

LESSON 5: PATTERNS AND SOURCES OF ERRORS MADE

BY VIETNAMESE TRANSLATORS
What is mother tongue interference in translation?
In the narrow definition, interference in translation takes place when apparently, any feature
of the source language – notably a syntactic structure, a lexical item, and idiom, a metaphor,
 34

word order or culture is carried over or literally translated as the case may be into the target
language(TL) text.
In a wider definition, interference includes cases when sentence length, punctuation, proper
names, culture words are evidently transferred in the translation in fact all cases where the
language of the translation is manifestly affected whether appropriately or not by the language
of the original.
When the mother tongue interference is an error, a “false friend”, a sign of the translator‟s
ignorance, a mark of the effect of the source language (SL) or the SL culture, it can be
categorized as follows.
1. LINGUISTIC ERRORS
The linguistic errors can be divided into the following groups:
 35

1.1 Lexical Errors

Lexical interference traps are common enough but more invidious are innocent looking
collocations which appear to make sense until one asks oneself what they mean in particular
context.
E.g. in English “ to cook an account” translated as ‘‘nÊu sæ s¸ch’’ is meanigless and it
must be translated as ‘‘gi¶ m¹o sæ s¸ch’’. Lexical interference is very dangerous
because it can distort the meaning of a sentence.
1.1.1 Context
The context itself determines the meaning of words. Therefore, their meaning should be
solved in the context. It is commonly known that a word may have equivalents and
accordingly the analysis of its meaning has to be made carefully in order to pick out the most
appropriate word. There are many ways of translating of some nouns related to professions,
classes, fields in society. For example, in a text written about Buddhism in which there are
two words “clergy” and “death”. Some translated transferred “clergy” as ‘‘gi¸o sÜ’’ and
“death” as ‘‘c¸i chÕt’’ for Buddha. It sounds strange and funny. In fact, “clergy”
translated as ‘‘gi¸o sÜ’’ for Catholicism but ‘‘giíi t¨ng ®å’’ for Buddhism. The
word “death” is normally translated as ‘‘c¸i chÕt’’ but ‘‘vua b¨ng hµ’’ in
“King‟s death” and as for Buddhism this word should be translated as ‘‘viªn tÞch’’.
When translators are asked to translate these sentences into English
a. Kha Lu©n Bè ®· t×m ra T©n thÕ giíi vµo n¨m 1842.
b. T«i ®ang t×m cuèn s¸ch.
c. Michael Faraday ®· t×m ra m¸y ph¸t ®iÖn.
Obviously, there are many equivalents in English for the word ‘‘t×m’’ such as “seek”,
“look for”, “search for”, “find”, “find out”. In addition, there are two more words related to
this meaning: “to invent” and “ to discover”. However, in sentence (1) the word ‘‘t×m’’ has
an equivalent in English as “discover”. In sentence (2) the word ‘‘t×m’’ is understood as
“look for”, search for” or “seek”. In sentence (3) the word ‘‘t×m’’ has an equivalent as
“invent”.
The three above-mentioned sentences can be translated as follows.
1. The New World was discovered by Christopher.
2. I am looking for my book.
3. Michael Faraday invented the generator.
It is characteristic of word that a single lexical item may have several meanings. For example,
the word “ head” in isolation means something like” the upper part of the body”. But the same
word used in the context of talking about a company or an organization has nothing to do
with the human body though the idea of the upper position of something still remains.
Example:
1. He is the former head of the Chemistry Section of the Australian Atomic Energy
Commission. ( leader)
2. Although he is the head of the company, he has no head. ( leader-intelligence)
 36

The following examples show that the translators do not treat words in context but rely on the
meaning in dictionary:
1. “In 1999, some major commodities were stockpiled because of poor quality.” It is not
accurate at all when “stockpiled” was translated ‘‘l-u tr÷’’. In fact, due to poor quality,
major commodities were not sold out leading to stockpile. Therefore, the sentence should be
translated as ‘‘ N¨m 1999 mét sè mÆt hµng chñ yÕu bÞ tån kho do chÊt
l-îng kÐm.’’
2. “The Prime Minister has also assigned relevant agencies to formulate a law on industrial
zones to provide a complete legal background/frame for the operation of Izs and EPZs in
Vietnam.” was translated ‘‘Thñ t-íng ®· bæ nhiÖm nh÷ng chÝnh s¸ch thÝch
hîp ®Ó ®-a ra luËt vÒ khu c«ng nghiÖp ®Ó cung cÊp mét bèi c¶nh
hoµn toµn hîp ph¸p cho c¸c ho¹t ®éng cña khu c«ng nghiÖp, khu
chÕ xuÊt ViÖt Nam. ’’. This translation is quite vague in Vietnamese. In fact, a word
in source language has many equivalents in target language. The word “ assign” is equivalent
with ‘‘ph©n c«ng/ bæ nhiÖm’’; “ relevant with ‘‘thÝch ®¸ng, thÝch hîp,
cã liªn quan’’; ‘‘ agency’’ with ‘‘ ®¹i lý, c¬ quan, chi
nh¸nh’’; “foundation’’ ‘‘nÒn mãng, nÒn t¶ng, c¬ së’’. For this reason, in
this context it should be chosen the most appropriate equivalents to create an idiomatic
translation: ‘‘ Thñ t-íng ®· giao cho c¸c c¬ quan cã liªn quan ban
hµnh bé luËt vÒ khu c«ng nghiÖp nh»m cung cÊp mét sè c¬ së ph¸p
lý hoµn chØnh cho viÖc ho¹t ®éng cña khu c«ng nghiÖp vµ khu chÕ
xuÊt ë ViÖt Nam.’’
In brief, the translators have a habit of translating literally and depending largely on the
meaning in dictionary due to the mother-tongue interference. In order to avoid committing
errors of context, words should be solved in context and the analysis of their meaning has to
be made carefully to pick out the most appropriate equivalent.
1.1.2 Word collocation
Word collocation consists of the associations a word acquires on account of the meanings of
words which tend to occur in its environment. Each of language has its own principle in word
collocation. For example, the word “ pretty” often goes with girls and women, while the word
“handsome” often goes with boys or men. Some translators do not realize this, which leads to
wrong and funny collocation. For instance, in Vietnamese the word ‘‘uèng’’ (drink) can go
with many different kinds of liquid including water, beer, alcohol, medicine and even poison.
However, in English these are clear distinction as follows:
Drink beer/ water/ wine/ coffee.
Take medicine/ poison.
Another example indicates that in Vietnamese the word ‘‘nãi’’ (say) can be collocated
with ‘‘lêi t¹m biÖt’’ “goodbye”, ‘‘lêi chµo hái’’ “hello”, ‘‘dèi’’ “a lie”,
‘‘sù thËt’’ “ the truth”, ‘‘tiÕng Ph¸p’’ “French”. However, in English it is quite
different.
Say hello/ goodbye/ yes/ no.
Tell a lie/ the truth/ a story.
 37

Speak English/ French/ Chinese.

In Vietnamese, the word ‘‘®µn’’ can be collocated with many different nouns such as
‘‘c¸’’(fish) “chim” ( bird), ‘‘s- tö’’ (lion), ‘‘gia sóc’’ (cattle). On the contrary, in
English there are many words meaning ‘‘®µn’’ as follows.
A flock of birds/ sheep: §µn chim/ cõu
A herd of cattle/ buffaloes: §µn gia sóc/ tr©u
A pack of dogs/ calves: §µn chã/ bª
A school of fish/ chickens: §µn c¸/ gµ
A pride of lions/ deer : §µn s- tö/ nai

Similarly, the word “decision” can be collocated with many word such as “to make/ to
reach/ to arrive at/ to come to... a decision”. The following examples show the wrong
collocations of some translators:
1. ChÝnh phñ ®· tiÕn thùc hiÖn nhiÒu biÖn ph¸p nh»m ng¨n chÆn
viÖc bu«n lËu ma tóy.
(The government has made many measures to stop the drug smuggling.)
2. Chóng t«i ph¶i hoµn thµnh nhiÖm vô tr-íc khi tæ kiÓm tra chÊt
l-îng s¶n phÈm.
( We have to complete our duty before the investigators control the product quality.)
3. Sau khi nghiªn cøu thÞ tr-êng, chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®-a ra
thÞ tr-êng mét s¶n phÈm g©y Ên t-îng cã søc c¹nh tranh víi hµng
ngo¹i nhËp.
(After making a market research, we decided to launch an impressive product which can
compete against the imported ones.)
4. Tõ khi Mü bá lÖnh cÊm vËn ViÑt Nam, nhiÒu n-íc trªn thÕ giíi
®x ®Çu t- vµo c¸c lÜnh vùc kh¸c nhau.
(Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam many foreign countries have been
investing in many different fields.)
It is the mother tongue interference that leads to the mechanic collocation which is
unacceptable in target language. In fact, each language has its own principles of word
collocation. Neither English nor Vietnamese is an exception. As a result, the above-mentioned
examples should be translated more accurately and idiomatically as follows.
1. “The government has made many measures to stop the drug smuggling.” should be
corrected as “The government has taken many measures to stop the drug smuggling.”
2. “We have to complete our duty before the investigators control the product quality.” should
be corrected “We have to fulfill our duty before the investigators control the product quality.”
 38

3. “After making a market research, we decided to launch an impressive product which can
compete against the imported ones.” should be corrected “After doing a market research, we
decided to launch an impressive product which can compete against the imported ones.”
4. “Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam many foreign countries have been
investing in many different fields.” should be corrected “Since the USA lifted the embargo
against Vietnam many foreign countries have been investing in many different fields.”
In a word, it is inevitable for the translators to obey the principles of English and Vietnamese
word collocations. In order to avoid this type of errors, the translator should read as many
English books and magazines to take notes of collocated words under the English standard.
1.1.3 Misuse of personal pronouns and prepositions
In Vietnamese, there are many ways to express the thoughts and feelings or attitude which
differ from those in English. The social status, age, sex, and the family order are distinguished
clearly and systematically. This is reflected in a distinguished clearly and systematically. This
is reflected in a number of words for addressing such as ‘‘cô, «ng, bµ, b¸c, c«,
chó, thÝm, d×, d-îng, cËu, anh, chÞ, ngµi, quÝ vÞ, mµy, em,
..’’ such words are generally expressed by English people in one word “you”.
The following examples show clearly that the translator sometimes do not master the
relationship between the speaker and the hearer leading to a funny translation. A mother was
taking care of her child in hospital. She said: “ I love you very much, dear.” Which was
translated as ‘‘ Em yªu anh l¾m , c-ng µ.’’ instead of ‘‘ MÑ yªu con
l¾m, c-ng µ.’’
In Vietnamese, each preposition has a fixed meaning which does not change regardless of the
noun, adjective or verb proceeding it. On the contrary, the meaning of a preposition in English
depends on its preceding word. This difference leads to errors in using prepositions of TL. For
example, the Vietnamese preposition ‘‘vÒ’’ can be expressed by different prepositions in
English:
a talk on history : mét cuéc nãi chuyÖn vÒ lÞch sö
be disappointed in : thÊt väng vÒ
be interested in : quan t©m vÒ
lay emphasis/ stress on : nhÊn m¹nh vÒ
be worried about : lo l¾ng vÒ
be proud of/ take pride in : tù hµo vÒ
be famous for : næi tiÕng vÒ
instead of “disappointed about”, “ proud about”, “famous about” as the translator may use.
These are the typical errors made by the translators:
1. “According to Mr Thien, his plant currently produces lubricants under the API (American
Petroleum Institute) standards”
(Theo «ng ThiÖn th× hiÖn nay nhµ m¸y cña «ng ®ang s¶n xuÊt
dÇu nhên d-íi tiªu chuÈn cña
 39

ViÖn x¨ng dÇu Mü.)

2. “It is so easy to be misunderstood when talking on the phone.”
( Nãi chuyÖn trªn diÖn tho¹i th× dÔ bÞ hiÓu nhÇm.)
3. ‘‘Tßa ¸n Nh©n D©n quyÕt ®Þnh kÕt ¸n chóng 15 n¨m vÒ téi bu«n
lËu ma tóy.’’
(The People‟s Court decided to condemn them to 15 years imprisonment about the drug
smuggling.)
4. ‘‘Lµ gi¸o viªn -u tó trong nhiÒu n¨m, «ng Nam cã nhiÒu kinh
nghiÖm vÒ viÖc gi¶ng d¹y häc
sinh.’’
(As a qualified teacher for many years, Mr.Nam is experienced about educating and
teaching the pupils.”
5. ‘‘Chóng t«i thµnh thËt chia buån vÒ viÖc ra ®i cña bè b¹n.’’
(We really condole with you about the loss of your father.”

As can be seen from the above-mentioned examples, the translators tended to choose the
English prepositions basing on Vietnamese meanings without paying attention to their
variations. These errors could be corrected as follows.

1. “According to Mr Thien, his plant currently produces lubricants under the API ( American
Petroleum Institute) standards” should be translated (Theo «ng ThiÖn th× hiÖn nay
nhµ m¸y cña «ng ®ang s¶n xuÊt dÇu nhên theo tiªu chuÈn cña ViÖn
x¨ng dÇu Mü.)
2. “It is so easy to be misunderstood when talking on the phone.” is equivalent with (Nãi
chuyÖn qua ®iÖn tho¹i th× dÔ bÞ hiÓu nhÇm.)
3. ‘‘Tßa ¸n Nh©n D©n quyÕt ®Þnh kÕt ¸n chóng 15 n¨m vÒ téi bu«n
lËu ma tóy.’’ should be translated (The People‟s Court decided to condemn them to
15 years imprisonment for the drug smuggling.)
4. ‘‘Lµ gi¸o viªn -u tó trong nhiÒu n¨m, «ng Nam cã nhiÒu kinh
nghiÖm vÒ viÖc gi¶ng d¹y häc sinh.’’ should be translated (As a qualified
teacher for many years, Mr Nam is experienced in educating and teaching the pupils.”
5. ‘‘Chóng t«i thµnh thËt chia buån vÒ viÖc ra ®i cña bè b¹n.’’
should be translated (We really condole with you for the loss of your father.”
Due to the mother tongue interference, the translators found themselves in a confusing
situation when they use prepositions n English. In order to avoid this type of errors the
translators should learn the prepositions going with nouns, adjectives or verbs by heart. If they
do not know how to use prepositions exactly, they tend to the Vietnamese ones into English or
vice versa. As a result, the translators should be provided with as many structures with
 40

prepositions systematically as possible to help them take notes and draw out the formation and
rules.
1.1.4 Misuse of synonyms
Some translators depend largely on the meaning in dictionary picking out the synonyms
without paying much to the context. In fact, the pairs of synonyms share at least one sense in
common but do not share all their senses. To some extent, they can hardly substitute for each
other. The misuse of synonyms makes the meaning of one of the following sentences
unacceptable.
“ You have my deep/ profound sympathy.( acceptable)
“ The river is deep.”( acceptable)
“ The river is very profound.” (unacceptable)
Another example shows that some translators do not realize the connotational meaning, which
leads to the distorting of the meaning of the sentence. Take “famous’’(næi tiÕng) and
“notorious” (khÐt tiÕng) as an example. While “famous” means “well-known/
celebrated”, and therefore contains some features of positive meaning, “notorious” means
“well-known” especially for unfavorable reason & negative meaning.
The following can be seen as the misuse of the synonyms by some of the inexperienced
translators.
1. “CËu bÐ nµy rÊt b-íng bØnh.’’
(This boy is very stubborn/unyielding.) ( right)
2. “Ng-êi ViÖt Nam cã tinh thÇn bÊt khuÊt.’’
(The Vietnamese people are really stubborn.) (wrong)
3. ChÝnh phñ cã kÕ ho¹ch x©y hµng ngµn ng«i nhµ cho ng-êi v« gia
c-.’’
(The government plans to build thousands of homes for homeless people.) ( wrong)
In Example 1 “stubborn” synonymous to “unyielding” means ‘‘cøng ®Çu/b-íng
bØnh’’ in Vietnamese.
In Example 2 “stubborn” fails to evoke the features of positive meaning which praises the
Vietnamese people on their heroism expressing the speaker‟s admiration. In contrast, it
expresses the speaker‟s anger and discontent.
In Example 3 “home” and “house” are places where one lives, meaning ‘‘nhµ’’ in
Vietnamese. However, in terms of the connotational meaning they are quite different. “House”
refers to the building or structure while “home” refers to the atmosphere or feeling found in
the house.
Example:
- There is no place like home.
(Ch¼ng cã n¬i ®©u nh- ë nhµ.)
- Home is where the heart is.
(Nhµ lµ n¬i con tim tró ngô.)
 41

Most of the synonyms have the same meaning in certain context. If a translator use synonyms
without referring to the context,(s)he can make wrong & funny for his readers. In order to
avoid the misuse, the translator should carefully take the synonyms into consideration before
using them. In addition, it would be better for the translator to consider the differences of the
pairs of synonyms when translating.
1.1.5 Idioms & terminologies
The meanings of idioms are not definitely related to grammatical rules or the lexical meaning
of each word because they feature the metaphor and figures of speech. For example, “ wet
blanket” should be translated ‘‘ng-êi rÇu rÜ’’ instead of “c¸i ch¨n -ít’’ or “to
read one‟s palm” translated as ‘‘xem chØ tay’’ instead of ‘‘®äc c¸i g× ë lßng
bµn tay’’.
In fact, idioms can be translated satisfactorily by considering the context, if not, it is difficult
to find the exact meaning. An English idiom must be translated into Vietnamese by an
equivalent one. It is very important to be aware that we must not choose the equivalents of
every word forming the idiom but we do find the equivalent ways of expression which exist in
both languages. If we stick to each word, the meaning becomes strange, unnatural and funny.
For instance, “to sell like a hot cake” is usually translated as ‘‘b¸n ®¾t nh- t«m
t-¬i.” Instead of ‘‘b¸n nh- b¸nh nãng”. “ There is no time like present.” is usually
translated as ‘‘viÖc h«m nay chí ®Ó ngµy mai’’ instead of ‘‘kh«ng cã thêi
gian nh- b©y giê’’. “Live and learn” is usually translated as ‘‘cßn sèng cßn
häc’’ instead of ‘‘sèng vµ häc’’.
The following errors were found in some of the translated texts and should be corrected.
1. “Every time, we have our children‟s birth certificates signed at the local People‟s
committee, we have to go though a lot of red tape.” was translated as ‘‘Mçi khi nhê hä
ký giÊy khai sinh t¹i ñy ban nh©n d©n ph-êng, chóng t«i ph¶i ®i
qua nhiÒu b¨ng ®á.’’

2. “At first we intended to stay at home. On the second thought, we decided to go out.” was
translated as ‘‘Tho¹t ®Çu chóng t«i cã ý ®Þnh ë nhµ. Trong lÇn suy
nghÜ thø hai chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®i ra ngoµi.’’
3. “ She rarely saves her time to do her homework. She often lets the grass grow under her
feet.” was translated as ‘‘C« Êy hiÕm khi tiÕt kiÖm thêi gian ®Ó lµm bµi
tËp ë nhµ. C« th-êng ®Ó cá mäc d-èi ch©n.’’
The above-mentioned translations could be improved as follows.
1. “Every time, we have our children‟s birth certificates signed at the local People‟s
committee, we have to go though a lot of red tape.” should be translated as ‘‘Mçi khi
nhê hä ký giÊy khai sinh t¹i ñy ban nh©n d©n ph-êng, chóng t«i
ph¶i lµm nhiÒu thñ tôc giÊy tê r-êm rµ.’’
2. “At first we intended to stay at home. On the second thought, we decided to go out.” should
be translated as ‘‘Tho¹t ®Çu chóng t«i cã ý ®Þnh ë nhµ. Sau khi suy
®i tÝnh l¹i, chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®i ra ngoµi.’’
 42

3. “She rarely saves her time to do her homework. She often lets the grass grow under her
feet.” should be translated as ‘‘C« Êy hiÕm khi tiÕt kiÖm thêi gian ®Ó
lµm bµi tËp ë nhµ. C« th-êng ®Ó n-íc ®Õn ch©n míi nh¶y.’’
In addition to this, due to the limited knowledge of social background and some special fields,
some translators mistranslated the terminologies causing vagueness, inaccuracy to readers. It
is not very easy for some translators to translate the following terminologies if they are not
familiar with business texts.
- cash flow: l-u l-îng tiÒn mÆt
- insurance policy: hîp ®ång b¶o hiÓm
- acknowledgement: giÊy b¸o cho biÕt ®· nhËn ®-îc
- credit terms: nh÷ng ®iÒu kho¶n tÝn dông
- hard currency: ®ång tiÒn m¹nh
- marginal: biªn tÕ chªnh lÖch gi÷a gi¸ mua vµ
gi¸ b¸n)
- total working capital: tæng sè vèn l-u ®éng
- sales promotion campaign: chiÕn dÞch khuyÕn m¹i
In conclusion, some inexperienced translators committed the lexical errors mentioned above
including those of context, word collocation, prepositions, synonyms and idioms &
terminologies. They are committed by those who have little knowledge of both source
language(SL) and target language (TG). At the same time, they thought that although English
is different from Vietnamese, both languages have a one-to-one correlation of lexical items. In
practice, in terms of translation, it can be chosen the only one appropriate equivalent from this
into that language. Even more, that equivalent hardly keeps the meaning of the word itself but
that of context.
In some dictionaries, the authors present series of synonyms of SL in comparison with TL.
However, the synonyms are those of the context in which the are operating . Another problem
is that some translators did not realize the linking meaning of word units. It is obvious that
these units link together to create a larger unit of meaning in a given text to be translated. The
linking meaning itself does not exist in separate word units but in the link of the units
constituting the whole text.
1.2. Structural Errors
Each language has its own division of lexicon into classes such as nouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, etc. It is not always possible to translate a SL noun with a noun in TL.
In English, there is a tendency of using more nominal structures while verbal structures are
used more in Vietnamese. Some translators keep the same structures when translating, leading
to vagueness in TL texts. For example, “Thank you for your pretty present.” was translated as
‘‘C¸m ¬n anh v× mãn quµ ®¸ng yªu.’’ instead of ‘‘C¸m ¬n anh ®· tÆng
em mãn quµ ®¸ng yªu.’’
In addition, there is also a tendency of using more passive constructions in English than in
Vietnamese. For instance, “The USA is said to be a powerful country.” was translated as:
 43

‘‘Mü ®-îc nãi lµ mét c-êng quèc.’’ instead of ‘‘Ng-êi ta nãi r»ng
Mü lµ mét c-êng quèc.’’
The following examples of structural errors were made by some of translators.
1. The Vietnamese Airlines has coped with difficulties due to the regional financial crisis.
( Hµng kh«ng ViÖt Nam gÆp ph¶i nh÷ng khã kh¨n do cuéc khñng
ho¶ng tµi chÝnh vïng trÇm träng.)
2. Schools teach mathematics because of its very important roles.
( Tr-êng häc d¹y to¸n v× tÇm quan träng cña nã.)
3. Thank you for your letter.
( C¸m ¬n l¸ th- cña em.’’
4. Hue was recognized as the world‟s cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1994.
( HuÕ ®-îc xem lµ di s¶n v¨n hãa thÕ giíi bëi UNESCO vµo n¨m
1994.)
5. I was rewarded with a trip to Nha Trang by my parents after a year of hard work.
(T«i ®· ®-îc th-ëng mét chuyÕn ®i ®Õn Nha Trang bëi bè mÑ cña
t«i sau mét n¨m lµm viÖc vÊt v¶.)
The above-mentioned translations do not sound Vietnamese, lacking the coherence and
smoothness, not conveying the desired meaning of the SL sentences. It would be more
idiomatic to translate as follows.
1. Do ¶nh h-ëng cña cuéc khñng ho¶ng tµi chÝnh trÇm träng
trong khu vùc, nªn H·ng Hµng Kh«ng VN ph¶i ®-¬ng ®Çu víi nh÷ng
khã kh¨n.
2. Tr-êng häc d¹y to¸n v× to¸n häc ®ãng vai trß rÊt quan
träng.
3. C¶m ¬n em ®· viÕt th- cho em.
4. UNESCO ®· c«ng nhËn HuÕ lµ di s¶n v¨n hãa thÕ giíi vµo n¨m
1994.
5. Sau mét n¨m häc hµnh ch¨m chØ, bè mÑ ®· th-ëng cho t«i mét
chuyÕn du lÞch ®Õn thµnh phè Nha Trang.

As can be seen from the examples mentioned above, some translators focused on the
structures of SL so much that they fail to convey all the implicit meaning of TL. In fact, it is
not necessary to keep the form at all. The most important thing is that the translations must be
done on the basis of the TL grammar that is familiar to the readers. This principle suggests
that the translator should not depend largely on the structures of the SL but break them ,
conveying the meaning as much as possible in an appropriate structures in the TL.
Another problem is that some translators was not aware of the relationship between form and
function of language. It is commonly known that in some languages, on function is expressed
by many forms and vice versa. For example, in English the way of giving an advice could be
expressed by a number of structures : “Why don‟t you..?”, “You should/ ought to..”, “If I were
 44

you, I‟d..”, “You‟d better” or “ I advise you to.”. In addition, some translators did not realize
the conversational implicature understood implicitly as follows.

1. What‟s the time? ( Why are you so late?)

2. Are you my teacher? ( You want to teach me.)
3, Why don‟t we go to the cinema? ( a suggestion)
4. Why did you say so? ( You should not have said so)
5. Unless he has done the work to my satisfaction, I will not pay him for this.(If
he has not done.)

Those sentences should be translated as follows.

1. Cã biÕt mÊy giê råi kh«ng?
2. Mµy ®ßi lµm thÇy cña tao µ?
3. Chóng ta ®i xem phim hÌ?
4. LÏ ra anh kh«ng nªn nãi nh- vËy!
5. NÕu h¾n kh«ng lµm viÖc võa ý t«i , th× ®õng hßng
t«i tr¶ l-¬ng cho h¾n.

As mentioned in the previous part, the structural difference between the SL and the TL is
likely to make it difficult for the translators. The translators were not aware of dividing or
combining the sentences within a text to be translated. If they try to keep the same punctuation
of the SL text, the correspondent TL text will have clumsy, run-together, long and complex
sentences. It is much better to divide long sentences into short ones aiming at creating
coherence, attraction for readers in the translations.
These are the translated sentences with their structural errors made by some of inexperienced
translators.

1. “The dividing gap between the rich and the poor as well as corruption and social unrest
caused by the relocation of people in industrialized areas, have made many people hesitate in
further changes.”
(Kho¶ng c¸ch lín gi÷a ng-êi giµu vµ ng-êi nghÌo còng nh- sù
tham nhòng vµ t×nh tr¹ng bÊt an cña x· héi g©y ra do sù ph©n bè
l¹i d©n c- ë c¸c khu c«ng nghiÖp ®· lµm cho nhiÒu ng-êi ph¶i do
dù khi chÊp nhËn nh÷ng thay ®æi lín.)

2. “ It is also necessary to invest in increasing capability of battery production establishments

to meet the demand for automobile and motorbike manufacturing and assembling in
accordance with the localization program.”
 45

( Nã còng rÊt cÇn thiÕt ®Ó ®Çu t- vµo viÖc t¨ng n¨ng suÊt cña
nh÷ng c¬ së s¶n xuÊt ¾c qui ®Ó ®¸p øng nhu cÇu d©y chuyÒn s¶n
xuÊt vµo viÖc chÕ t¹o « t« vµ xe m¸y phï hîp víi ch-¬ng tr×nh ë
trong n-íc.)

3. “It takes much time to deliver goods to remote areas by backward means of transport.”
(Nã lÊy nhiÒu thêi gian ®Ó ph©n phèi hµng hãa ®Õn c¸c vïng xa
x«i b»ng c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn giao th«ng l¹c hËu.)

All above translated sentences should be corrected as follows.

1. “The dividing gap between the rich and the poor as well as corruption and social unrest
caused by the relocation of people in industrialized areas, have made many people hesitate in
further changes.”
(Sù thay ®æi chç ë t¹i c¸c vïng c«ng nghiÖp hãa ®· lµm cho
kho¶ng c¸ch gi÷a ng-ßi giµu vµ ng-êi nghÌo còng nh- sù tham
nhòng vµ t×nh tr¹ng bÊt an cña x· héi ngµy cµng lín. ChÝnh ®iÒu
nµy ®· lµm cho nhiÒu ng-êi ph¶i miÔn c-ìng nh÷ng thay ®æi lín
h¬n n÷a.)

2. “ It is also necessary to invest in increasing capability of battery production establishments

to meet the demand for automobile and motorbike manufacturing and assembling in
accordance with the localization program.”
( §Çu t- vµo viÖc t¨ng n¨ng suÊt cña nh÷ng c¬ së s¶n xuÊt ¾c
qui ®Ó ®¸p øng nhu cÇu d©y chuyÒn s¶n xuÊt vµo viÖc chÕ t¹o «
t« vµ xe m¸y phï hîp víi ch-¬ng tr×nh ë trong n-íc lµ rÊt cÇn
thiÕt.)

3. “It takes much time to deliver goods to remote areas by backward means of transport.”
( Ph¶i mÊt nhiÒu thêi gian ®Ó ph©n phèi hµng hãa ®Õn c¸c vïng
xa x«i b»ng c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn giao th«ng l¹c hËu.)

In order to overcome this type of structural errors, the most effective way for translators is to
master the structures of bot languages. It is clear that a translator who is proficient in English
cannot help being good at Vietnamese and vice versa.
2. STYLE ERRORS
Styles play an important role informal translation and strongly affect the second language
meaning. Due to the context, text-type and audience, the levels of language in translation can
be different - the informal language used in informal situations ; colloquials used in spoken
language; familiar language used among friends, relatives, members in a family; formal
 46

language used in formal texts such as speeches in conference, legal documents, business letter
& documents, research papers.
The examples given below clearly indicate that the same massage could be expressed in
different styles.
 47

1. Drop me a line. ( informal language )

2. Remember to write me a letter. ( neutral)
3. I look forward to your letter. ( informal language )
4. They can escape from family suprvision. ( formal)
5. Their parents can‟t keep an eye on them. (colloquial)
6. They are completely armed. ( formal)
7. They are armed to teeth. ( colloquial)

Style error is an acute problem to the translators. There are translators did not master the
difference when using various styles such as conversational, academic, scientific, literary
styles. Many translators failed when coming across the unfamiliar styles due to being unaware
of degrees of formality (informal or formal style), usage of vocabulary ( informal, colloquial,
formal)

These are some style errors taken out from some Vietnamese- English translations.
1. NÕu chóng t«i ®Æt hµng víi sè l-îng lín, liÖu doanh nghiÖp
anh cã b¸n víi gi¸ rÎ kh«ng?
(If we place substantial orders, can your enterprise get us with soft price?)
It is impossible to use informal style in a business letter. Instead of using “soft price” , the
translator should use “cheaper price”.
2. Thêi tiÕt ë HuÕ kh«ng thÝch hîp cho ng-êi giµ. Mïa hÌ trêi
nãng nh- thiªu ®èt, trong khi mïa ®«ng l¹nh ®Õn x-¬ng tñy.
(The weather in Hue is favorable for the old. It is burning hot in summer while it chills to the
bones in winter.)
It is impossible to use informal style to tanslate a formal text. Instead of using “burning hot” ,
the translator should use “exceedingly hot”.
3. CULTURAL ERRORS
Culture could be understood as the total set of beliefs, attitude, customs, behaviour, social
habits etc. of the member of a particular society. In the broad sense, it includes mode of
production, production activities, community organization, spiritural life, knowledge of nature
and society, emotions, and moral conceptions. Language is regarded as both a component of a
culture and network through which other elements of culture operate. Language , therefore
uses almost all other cultural elements so as to perfect its universal and self-sufficient nature.
It could be said that we will not translate from this to that language perfectly unless we know
its relation to its culture.

It is common ly known that “ao dai” is a traditional costume of the Vietnamese women and
we never find an equivalent word in English to translate “ao dai”. However, some translators
translated mechanically “ ao dai” into “ a dress”. How funny it is! It would be preferredcto
 48

writing down “ao dai” to express the cultural feature to making foreign people misunderstand
“ao dai” as”a dress”.
* ‘‘ Trang phôc truyÒn thèng cña ng-êi phô n÷ ViÖt Nam lµ
chiÕc ¸o dµi t-îng tr-ng cho sù duyªn d¸ng.’’ should be translated as “
The traditional costume of the Vietnamese women is ‘‘ao dai’’ which symbolises the
grace.

Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two
cultural traditions." As this statement implies, translators are permanently faced with the
problem of how to treat the cultural aspects implicit in a source text (ST) and of finding the
most appropriate technique of successfully conveying these aspects in the target language
(TL). These problems may vary in scope depending on the cultural and linguistic gap between
the two (or more) languages concerned.
The cultural implications for translation may take several forms ranging from lexical content
and syntax to ideologies and ways of life in a given culture. The translator also has to decide
on the importance given to certain cultural aspects and to what extent it is necessary or
desirable to translate them into the TL. The aims of the ST will also have implications for
translation as well as the intended readership for both the ST and the target text (TT).

Considering the cultural implications for a translated text implies recognising all of these
problems and taking into account several possibilities before deciding on the solution which
appears the most appropriate in each specific case. Before applying these methods to the
chosen text, this essay will examine the importance of culture in translation through a
literature review. The different general procedures of treating the cultural implications for
translation will be examined as well as analysing the ST and the aims of the author. The
translation process will also be treated using specific examples found in the ST before
discussing the success of aforementioned theoretical methods applied to the TT.

Although corresponding to cultural categories examined, the title will be considered

separately in order to determine the pertinence of conserving, highlighting, or excluding
certain aspects. Due to these considerations, the title will be considered after the other aspects
as all other cultural implications need to be examined before reaching relevant conclusions.
 45

CHAPTER 2: ASSIGNMENTS

ASSIGNMENT 1:
I.THEORY:
1. What is translation? What definition do you think is the most appropriate? Can you give
your own definition of translation?
2. What is an idiomatic translation? Give some examples of idiomatic translations.
3. What are the secondary meanings? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used
in a secondary sense.
4. What is the primary meaning? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used in a
primary sense.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Identify change of meaning versus change of form. Some of the following pairs of
sentences differ in their form. Some differ in meaning. Indicate if the primary change is in the
form or in the meaning.

Example:
They robbed the old man.
The old man was dropped by them.
Answer: Change of form

1. The students like to study translation.

The students like studying translation.
2. He saw the bird.
He heard the cat.
3. Go to bed.
I want you to go to bed.
4. I came; I saw; I conquered.
I came, saw, and conquered.
5. The young man had an English grammar book stolen.
An English grammar book was stolen from the young man.
B. List as many grammatical forms as you can which realize the same meaning as the one
given below. Then put the same meaning into a language other than English in as many forms
as you can.
 46

Example:
The cat is black
The black cat
The cat, which is black
1. The water jug
2. John bought a car
3. A hot day
4. Mother‟s long blue dress
5. Peter‟s house

C. All of the following have the same grammatical form. With the change of lexical items,
there is a change of meaning which is signaled by that lexical item, apart from the referential
meaning of the word itself. What meaning is signaled in each of the following possessive
phrases? Answer by restating. How can that meaning best be expressed in another language
which you speak?
Example:
The man‟s car - the man owns the car
The man‟s eye - the eye is part of the man
1. The doctor‟s office
2. The doctor‟s patient
3. The doctor‟s book
4. The doctor‟s brother
5. The doctor‟s hand
6. The doctor‟s house
D. For each pair of sentences, state whether the two sentences are 1. the same in meaning or
2. different in meaning.
1. (a) It rained all night.
(b) Rain fell all night.
2. (a) There is a book on the table.
(b) There is a table on the book.
3. (a) John was very surprised when he heard the news.
(b) The news very much amazed John when he heard it.
4. (a) It was a hot day.
(b) The day was hot.
5. (a) Peter‟s house
(b) The house that belongs to Peter
 47

6. (a) He remained silent.

(b) He did not say anything.
7. (a) I bought cloth to make Mary a new dress.
(b) I bought a new dress for Mary.
8. (a) My parents are well.
(b) My mother and father are well.
9. (a) John is ill: he has a bad case of malaria.
(b) John is very ill indeed.
E. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. ChÞ may ¸o s¬ mi nµy ë ®©u vËy?
2. §µ L¹t chiÕm cø mét vïng ®Êt réng trªn cao nguyªn L©m Viªn,
xung quanh toµn lµ nói ®åi hïng vÜ.
3. MÆc dï ®Þa vÞ cña phô n÷ ®· cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu,
nh-ng ng-êi ta ph¶i thùc hiÖn nhiÒu chuyÖn kh¸c ®Ó c¶i thiÖn
t×nh tr¹ng søc khoÎ, dinh d-ìng vµ gi¸o dôc cho phô n÷.
4. Ngµy nay thÕ giíi ®ang ®-ong ®Çu víi nhiÒu vÊn ®Ò nghiªm
träng cho dï ®· cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ trong lÜnh vùc khoa
häc, c«ng nghÖ vµ tri thøc. Mét trong nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò ®ã lµ sù
bïng næ d©n sè, ®Æc biÖt ë c¸c n-íc ®ang ph¸t triÓn. D©n sè
®ang t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n trong lóc s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ l¹i t¨ng
theo cÊp sè céng.
5. Charles Dickens lµ mét trong nh÷ng nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt lín
nhÊt thÕ giíi, thuéc tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n thÕ kû 19.
§iÒu mµ chóng ta ®¸nh gi¸ cao vÒ nh÷ng t¸c phÈm cña Dickens lµ
sù phª ph¸n vÒ téi ¸c vµ sù t-¬ng ph¶n gi÷a giµu vµ nghÌo cña
x· héi t- s¶n Anh lóc bÊy giê. ThÕ giíi mµ «ng ta miªu t¶ lµ
thÕ giíi cña giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u ë Lu©n §«n.

ASSIGNMENT 2:
I.THEORY:
1. What are the differences between a literal translation and an idiomatic translation?
2. What grammatical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some
examples to support your ideas.
II. EXERCISES:
A. In each of the following pairs of sentences, which is more idiomatic English, a or b? How
would the meaning be expressed idiomatically in the language you speak?
1. (a) The storekeeper said that we will refund your money.
(b)The storekeeper promised to refund our money.
2. (a) A certain boy told me this little story at a party.
(b) He is one boy. He told the one little story. This is a game he said.
 48

3. (a) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform as well. How
many children have shed hot tears about spelling?
(b) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform,too. And how
many hot children‟s tears have not been shed on spelling?
4. (a) He then reported his misfortune to the police, who are searching diligently for the
thief.
(b) He then his mishap reported to the police, who are the thief searching intensively.
B. Look for literalisms in the following translations into English and underline the words or
phrases that do not sound natural in English. Suggest a more idiomatic way of saying it. All
of these examples are from published translated material.
1. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for their friends have introduced to them very
much about this hotel.
2. Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
3. Hue is famous about its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
4. The participants discussed about the causes of pollution environment.
5 . A robbery took place of a motorcycle rider at Kampung early yesterday morning.
C. Each of the following are sentences written by some Vietnamese who are not yet fluent
English speakers. The forms used shows examples of how their mother-tongue language
structures have been carried over into English. The same information is then given in
parenthesis in idiomatic English. What changes were made in correcting the English? These
changes point out some of the differences between Vietnamese and English.
1. Sir, the problems of before don‟t forget.
( Sir, please don‟t forget the problems we discussed before.)
2. If there is any means, send me a letter to Saigon.
(If there is any way to do so, send a letter to me in Saigon.)
3. I will think you time to time day and day.
( I will be thinking about you often every day.)
4. I am very grateful to inform you with this letter.
( I am very happy to be able to send/write you this letter.)
5. I am a man who has been to Hanoi for 12 years.
( I have now lived in Hanoi for 12 years.)
D. Translate the following sentences into Englisgh.
1. Th¸c M¬ lµ c«ng tr×nh thuû ®iÖn cã c«ng suÊt thiÕt kÕ
150.000 Kw, s¶n l-îng ®iÖn trung b×nh hµng n¨m 600 triÖu Kw
giê.
 49

2. §Ó x©y dùng c«ng tr×nh nµy cÇn ph¶i ®µo ®¾p gÇn 15 triÖu m3
®Êt ®¸, ®¾p h¬n 350.000 mÐt khèi tÇng läc, ®æ kho¶ng 220.000
mÐt khèi bª t«ng cèt thÐp vµ l¾p ®Æt gÇn 7.000 tÊn thiÕt bÞ vµ
kÕt cÊu kim lo¹i.
3. Víi khèi l-îng c«ng viÖc lín nh- vËy, nh-ng chÝnh phñ quyÕt
®Þnh ph¶i hoµn thµnh viÖc thi c«ng trong hai n¨m do nhu cÇu
cung cÊp ®iÖn cho c¸c ®Þa ph-¬ng phÝa Nam ®· trë nªn hÕt søc
cÊp b¸ch.
4. Tõ ngµy khëi c«ng ®Õn nay, c¸c ®¬n vÞ thi c«ng ®· thùc hiÖn
®-îc kho¶ng 90% khèi l-îng ®µo ®Êt, ®æ kho¶ng 40% khèi l-îng bª
c«ng cèt thÐp.
5. Theo «ng NguyÔn B¸ MÉn, Tr-ëng ban Qu¶n lý c«ng tr×nh, th×
hÇu hÕt c¸c h¹ng môc c¨n b¶n ®Òu ®¹t ®óng yªu cÇn vÒ tiÕn ®é
thi c«ng.
6. Trung tuÇn th¸ng 11/1993, Thñ t-íng Vâ V¨n KiÖt ®· ®Õn kiÓm
tra t×nh h×nh thi c«ng c«ng tr×nh thuû ®iÖn th¸c M¬.
7. Nh÷ng ng-êi l·nh ®¹o c«ng tr×nh kh¼ng ®Þnh víi Thñ t-íng
r»ng ®· cã ®Çy ®ñ c¬ së ®Ó ®¶m b¶o khëi ®éng tæ m¸y sè 1 vµo
th¸ng 6 n¨m 1994.
8. ViÖc chÆn dßng s«ng BÐ tiÕn hµnh vµo th¸ng 12 nµy.
9. Nh- vËy sÏ cã mét sù trïng hîp cã ý nghÜa lµ cïng mét thêi
®iÓm víi viÖc khëi ®éng tæ m¸y sè 1 thuû ®iÖn th¸c M¬, hÖ
thèng t¶i ®iÖn 500 Kw B¾c Nam còng ®-îc hoµn thµnh.
10. Víi c¸c c«ng tr×nh nµy, n¨m 1994, miÒn Nam ®· tho¸t khái
t×nh tr¹ng ®ãi ®iÖn.
E. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1. Although the state budget for teaching aids at schools of all levels has been icreased since
1990, it is still far below the demand to fully equip schools and improve training quality.
2. President Putin affirmed that Russia has always attacted importance to its relations with
Vietnam, its traditional friend and stragic partner in Southeast Asia.
3. It is projected to extend integration opportunities to 3000 disabled children in three
provinces, one in mountainous areas, one in the central coast and one in remote areas.
4. They discussed a series of measures intended to ensure comprehensive cooperation in
economy, trade, science and technology.
5. Efforts are being made to raise women‟s awareness of their rights to have labour safety or
hygiene conditions at work through an expanded communication network.
6. It is more likely that schools in the southern provinces have more computer labs used in
teaching foreign languages than schools in the northern provinces.
7. There have been four foreign invested projects in education, with investment capital from
the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
 50

8. Of 50 foreign language students surveyed recently by the Vietnam Courier, 38 said they are
not interested in working for foreign invested companies.
9. Vietnam and China agreed to set up negotiations for the signing of a land border agreement
delineating the sea boundary in the Bac Bo ( Tonkin ) Gulf no later than 2000.
10. Most recently the government has offered incentives like tax reduction or preferential
loans to employers who have employed a large number of women.
 51

ASSIGNMENT 3:
I. THEORY:
1. What lexical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give
some examples to support your ideas.
2. Why do you have to take the time to read the source language text carefully
before translating it?
II. EXERCISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Ngay tõ nh÷ng ngµy ®Çu th¸ng Ch¹p ( ¢m lÞch) TÕt ®· l¶ng
v¶ng ë vïng ngo¹i thµnh Hµ Néi.
2. Cã lÏ bµ con n«ng d©n ngo¹i thµnh lµ ng-êi c¶m nhËn thÊy
TÕt h¬n ai hÕt bëi tõ viÖc vun xíi rau qu¶, cá hoa cho viÖc vç
bÐo lîn, gµ ®Ìu nh»m phôc vô tÕt.
3. NÕu ®i tõ phÝa Kinh B¾c xuèng, ta sÏ nh×n thÊy b¹t ngµn hoa
xu©n, nhÊt lµ lay¬n khoe s¾c ®ñ mµu.
4. S¸t víi vïng Néi Thµnh lµ vïng hoa NhËt T©n , Nghi Tµm,
Qu¶ng B¸ víi nhiÒu lo¹i : ®µo hång th¾m, quÊt vµng méng, tim
tÝm vi«lÐt vµ ®á rùc hoa ®ång tiÒn.
5. Vµi ba n¨m trë vÒ tr-íc, n¬i ®©y lµ rõng hoa, ®ñ ®¸p øng
nhu cÇu cña ng-êi Hµ Néi vÒ hoa c¶nh.
6. Bµ con vïng nµy lµ nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n cã truyÒn thèng trång
hoa l©u ®êi.
7. TiÕc thay, ®Êt trång hoa hiÖn nay bÞ thu hÑp dÇn do sù
chuyÓn h-íng lµm ¨n cña kh«ng Ýt nghÖ nh©n.
8. Ng-êi th× b¸n ®¸t bá nghÒ, ng-êi th× tù bá vèn hoÆc lµ liªn
kÕt víi ng-êi bá vèn hïn h¹p x©y dùng c¸c biÖt thù sang träng
dïng lµm kh¸ch s¹n mi ni phôc vô kh¸ch n-íc.
9. Cöa hµng, cöa hiÖu mäc lªn nh- nÊm ®ñ lo¹i hµng ho¸ tõ b×nh
d©n ®Õn cao cÊp.
10. Ch¼ng cßn nghi ngê g× n÷a, Hµ Néi thêi më cöa ®ang ®æi
thay, ®ang ph¸t triÓn. Mong sao Hµ néi vµ ng-êi Hµ Néi m·i m·i
xøng danh víi m¶nh ®Êt ngµn n¨m v¨n hiÕn.
B. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.
1. The centerpiece of the festivities was a show entitled “ A Flock of Birds to Good Land”
staged simultaneously on the three different grand stages in the downtown area.
2. The whole area around the temple was virtually packed with people, leaving only a small
opening for the rituals to proceed.
3. To reduce the costs while increasing accessibility of education for disabled children, the
government has launched a program of community-based education and integration.
 52

4. In recent years, to restore public order, Hanoi removed a number of unofficial marketplaces
into designated areas. But out of the four marketplaces targeted, only Dong Tam market was
moved from the Dong Da residential quarter to the Dai La area.

5. Besides the investment from the State budget, all the schools had to look for other
financial sources to buy teaching equipment. However, these sources made up only 13% and
21% of the state budget for general education schools and universities respectively.
6. State budget revenues have approximately achieved the level originally set. Regular
expenditure has been ensured, while irregular spending in support of area hit by storms, floods
and droughts have been made. The budget deficit has been kept at a permissible level of 3.6%
of GDP in 1998, down from 4.2% in 1997.
7. The economic development of Vietnam has to be viewed in the context of long periods of
wars. It is the context of long periods of wars that has caused loss of people‟s lives and
damage to property, public facilities and resources.
8. The television network is being established throughout the country. Apart from the
relatively modern and long-standing television stations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 25
provincial stations were set up in 1988. These relay the important transmissions of the central
TV stations and broadcast their own program.
9. The Vietnam‟s Women Union is represented in the National Assembly and its president is
entitled to attend the regular meeting of The Council of Ministers where she can express the
Women Union‟s view-points and propose the regulations related to the Union.
10. The Vietnamese families have been affected by the agricultural civilization. Due to the
open-door policy, the industrial civilization has exerted a daily and hourly effect on the life of
Vietnamese families.

ASSIGNMENT 4:
I. THEORY:
1. Name and discuss the four T‟s of a translation project.
2. Explain what is meant by exegesis.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Read the English text and answer the questions.
Deforestation
Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assume that
the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. The majority
of deforestation in Latin America, South-east Asia and the Pacific is caused by clearing land
to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and not by „shifting‟
cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial logging eliminates 45000 square
kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the United States and Japan.

No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to grazing
 53

land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt payments. These
heavy payments, which affect the poor the most, have arisen largely from external loans taken
out to finance the purchase of luxury items and arms by military and governing elite. The
establishment of large ranch-style cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the
elimination of 20000 square kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America.
The cleared land is mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North
America, Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the Vietnamese meaning of the English words :
subsistence agriculture, cash crops, commercial logging operations, shifting cultivators,
landless peasants, affluent society, external debt payment, military and governing elites,
ranch-style cattle grazing property, hamburger connection ?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent Vietnamese structures of the following
English sentences?
a. However, it is a myth to assume that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more
mouths is the main factor.
b. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to
grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt
payments.
6. Translate the text into Vietnamese.
B. Read the Vietnamese text and answer the questions.
NON N¦íC
Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, S«ng §µ, S«ng Cöu Long vµ
tõng sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. ë ViÖt Nam th× ‘‘n-íc’’( trong s«ng, hå, biÓn.) l¹i
®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý nghÜa tæ quèc quª
h-¬ng. S«ng n-íc vµ con ng-êi ë ®©y kÕt hîp víi thiªn nhiªn vµ
lÞch sö nh- mét khèi bÊt tö bÊt diÖt bëi mét thø xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån. §ã lµ lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi cña d©n téc ViÖt Nam.
Trªn thÕ giíi, cã nhiÒu quèc gia tõ tØnh nä sang tØnh kia nãi
lµ kh«ng hiÓu nhau råi. Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u,
ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.

1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?

2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
 54

4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the English meaning of the Vietnamese words :
cha «ng, sèng chÕt, sù thèng nhÊt, kÕt hîp chÆt chÏ, xi m¨ng
tr-êng tån, lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi, hiÓu nhau?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent English structures of the following
Vietnamese sentences?
a. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã
sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña chóng ta.
b.Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u, ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp
nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
6. Translate the text into English.
ASSIGNMENT 5:
I. THEORY:
1. What are the goals of the translator as he prepares the initial draft?
2. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
3. What kinds of evaluation checks can be made?
II. EXERSISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.
1. In the human history, science has been seen as having a mission to liberate people from
ignorance and superstition, to lessen human misery, and to increase human understanding of
the world.
2. The News Atlantic hailed the scientists of the time as merchants of light who would
penetrate the darkness and open the way to man‟s control over nature. At that time, utopian
invetions such as aircrafts, submarines, and telephones were foreseen.
3. People involved in the computer industry believe we are experiencing a computer
revolution. Why is this revolution occuring? What will be its social consequences? To answer
these questions , it is necessary to consider briefly the history of computers.
4. The forerunner of modern computer goes back some 5000 years to the first calculating
machine invented by the Chinese- the abacus. Until the 17th century, Europe had nothing to
rival the abacus for speed and accuracy of calculation.
5. Computers were developed simultaneously in Germany, England and the USA to aid the
speedy and accurate calculations necessary to decode the enemy‟s messages during the Second
World War.
6. Many of the jobs now being performed by people in the manufacturing and service sectors
of our economy can be done faster and more cheaply by modern computers or electronic
devices controlled by computers.
7. Robot machines are replacing assembly line workers in manufacturing. They have already
done so in the Fiat car factory in Italy and the Nissan car plant in Japan. By 1980, 50 robots
were in use in Australia by companies such as General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Simpson
Pope.
 55

8. Firms that do not adopt the new computer technology are enable to compete with their
cheaper electronic rivals. Such has been the fate of the $200 million a year Swiss watch
industry, which was wiped out by electronic watches in a couple of years.
9. With the mechanization of some work processes, the new factories initially resulted in
large-scale structural unemployment. Previously, much sought-after, skilled, “cottage
industry” artisans suddenly found themselves redundant and de-skilled by the new technology.
10. The heroic image of science grew through the 18th and 19th centuries. The Industrial
Revolution, which started in England in the late 18th century, strongly reinforced faith in a
technological society, although the social costs and benefits were far from equal share.
B. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. VÞnh Dung QuÊt n»m ë phÝa ®«ng b¾c huyÖn B×nh S¬n, tØnh
Qu¶ng Ng·i. VÞnh cã chiÒu dµi 18 km vµ ®-îc che chë kÝn ®¸o bëi
c¸c d·y nói tù nhiªn.
2. Bê phÝa nam vÞnh lµ mét vïng ®¸t b»ng ph¼ng, cã kÕt cÊu ®Þa
lý æn ®Þnh víi diÖn tÝch hµng chôc c©y sè vu«ng.
3. N¬i ®©y sÏ h×nh thµnh c¸c khu c«ng nghiÖp nÆng vµ ho¸ chÊt,
nhµ m¸y läc dÇu, khu chÕ biÕn h¶i s¶n, khu chÕ biÕn n«ng s¶n,
khu c«ng nghiÖp nhÑ vµ mét khu d©n c- ®« thÞ hiÖn ®¹i víi
kho¶ng 60 v¹n d©n.
4. Mét diÒu kiÖn thuËn lîi n÷a lµ Dung QuÊt n»m c¸ch ®-êng bé,
®-êng s¾t, ®-êng t¶i ®iÖn vµ c¸p quang xuyªn ViÖt kho¶ng 12 km.
ViÖc cung cÊp n-íc ngät cho khu nµy lµ hÕt søc thuËn lîi víi
tr÷ l-îng lµ 3 tØ mÐt khèi /n¨m, víi nguån n-íc tõ s«ng Trµ
Bång.
5. Ngµy nay chóng ta ®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc biÕn ®æi x· héi
rÊt s©u s¾c nh- sù thay ®æi trong cuéc c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp
lÇn thø nhÊt. Do vËy, viÖc ®Þnh nghÜa l¹i kh¸i niªm viÖc lµm cã
lÏ lµ cÇn thiÕt.

ASSIGNMENT 6:
I.THEORY:
1. Name some kinds of errors that a translator could make when he/she translates a text.
2. Why does a translator often make structural and lexical errors when he/she translates a
text?
3. Give some examples of errors in word collocation that a translator could make when he/she
translate a text.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Do phï sa båi ®¾p cña dßng s«ng Cöu Long ®· lam phong phó
vùa lóa ®Çy ¾p nµy, t-îng tr-ng cho nguån l-¬ng thùc cña c¶
 56

n-íc còng nh- phong c¸ch sinh ho¹t kÒ cËn s«ng n-íc cña c- d©n
trong vïng.
2. Tõ nh÷ng dßng s«ng réng lín ®Õn nh÷ng m-¬ng r¹ch m¶nh mai
chØ tiÖn cho nh÷ng chiÕc thuyÒn nhá bÐ ra v«, S«ng Cöu Long cho
ta mét c¶nh quan hoµnh tr¸ng khi nã ch¶y vµo ViÖt Nam, tr¹m
cuèi cïng cña hµnh tr×nh 4500km n¬i cöa ngâ biÓn §«ng.
3. §iÒu ®¸ng quÝ lµ kiÒu bµo lu«n h-íng vÒ tæ quèc, g¾n bã víi
gia ®×nh quª h-¬ng, ®Êt n-íc, yªu quÝ vµ gi÷ g×n b¶n s¾c v¨n
ho¸ vµ hun ®óc nªn tÝnh c¸ch con ng-êi ViÖt Nam.
4. Ngoµi viÖc gióp ®ì ng-êi th©n ë n-íc nhµ, nhiÒu kiÒu bµo
cßn ®ãng gãp x©y dùng quª h-¬ng, h-ëng øng viÖc cøu trî nh÷ng
n¬i trong n-íc bÞ thiªn tai vµ tham gia c¸c viÖc nghÜa víi
truyÒn thèng ‘‘ nhiÔu ®iÒu phñ lÊy gi¸ g-¬ng.’’
5. Tr-íc n¨m 1988, ¶nh h-ëng cña hÖ thèng ng©n hµng ®èi víi sù
ph¸t triÓn vµ qu¶n lý kinh tÕ vÜ m« lµ kh«ng ®¸ng kÓ. §Ó khuyÕn
khÝch hÖ thèng ng©n hµng ho¹t ®éng cã môc ®Ých h¬n, chÝnh phñ
®· ®Ì ra c¸c biÖn ph¸p míi bao gåm tæ chøc l¹i hÖ thèng ng©n
hµng, ®-a vµo c¸c chÝnh s¸ch tÝn dông h¹n ®Þnh, chÝnh s¸ch míi
vÒ l·i suÊt vµ cho phÐp tù do bu«n b¸n vµng trªn thÞ tr-êng.
6. ChÝnh phñ ®¨ xóc tiÕn mét cuéc t¸i thiÕt toµn diÖn vÒ l-¬ng
bæng cña c«ng nh©n viªn nhµ n-íc b»ng c¸ch chØnh ®èn l¹i nh÷ng
kho¶n bao cÊp cho ng-êi tiªu dïng trªn danh nghÜa ho¹ch ®Þnh
l¹i chÕ ®é l-¬ng. MÆc dï møc l-¬ng tèi thiÓu hµng th¸ng t¨ng,
nh-ngl-¬ng thùc tÕ vÉn gi¶m xuèng ®¸ng kÓ do l¹m ph¸t.
7. Cuéc ®iÒu tra do héi phô n÷ ViÖt Nam tiÕn hµnh cho thÊy
r»ng nh÷ng ph-¬ng ph¸p tr¸nh thai truyÒn thèng ®ang ®-îc ¸p
dông réng r·i. Cuéc ®iÒu tra cho thÊy r»ng 39% phô n÷ cã gia
®×nh dïng ph-¬ng ph¸p hiÖn ®¹i, ph-¬ng ph¸p th-êng dïng nhÊt lµ
®Æt vßng tr¸nh thai
B. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1.The nuclear energy proponents also pressed the theme that it was inevitable that the world
would increasingly go nuclear. It is suggested that the opponents were standing against the
tide of history and were akin to the Luddites at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,
who broke machines.
2. Doctors have shown for the first time they can rebuild the immune systems of people
infected with the AIDS virus, dramatically increasing the blood cells that HIV destroys.
3. In the field of medicine training, what was done in the past years has been remarked by
distinguished fact that many specialists and medical colleges in different countries set forth
the necessity for reconsidering training subjects for health workers.
4. Today, the physicians should be considered as men of health. Hence, the responsibility of
the physicians is to know how to discover, cure, and rehabilitate the health of the individuals
and the community.
 57

5. It is obvious that a healthy body helps a sound mind because it is the sound minds that
direct the orientation of the values systems. A healthy man should be healthy not only
physically but also mentally.
6. Nowadays people are inclined to worry too much about their physical health. However, I
would like to lay stress on the importance of psychological health. Being mentally healthy is
very important, and a truly healthy man is one who can enjoy the proper equilibrium between
his body and mind.

ASSIGNMENT 7:
Translate the following texts into English
1.Nh÷ng thµnh tùu cña qu¸ tr×nh ®æi míi trong thËp niªn võa
qua ®· t¹o ra nh÷ng c¬ héi cho phô n÷ ®¹t ®-îc môc ®Ých cña
m×nh. Cuéc sèng cña phô n÷ ®· ®-îc c¶i thiÖn vµ phô n÷ bít nhäc
nh»n h¬n. C¸c dÞch vô x· héi ®· gióp phô n÷ bít nhäc nh»n trong
c«ng viÖc nhµ vµ t¹o ®IÒu kiÖn cho phô n÷ tham gia vµo c¸c ho¹t
®éng x· héi .
2. Héi phô n÷ ViÖt nam ®¹I diÖn cho phô n÷ ViÖt Nam trong c¶
n-íc ®· ®æi míi tæ chøc vµ c¸ch lµm viÖc v× vËy ®· thu hót ngµy
cµng nhiÒu phô n÷ tham gia vµo c«ng t¸c x· héi. H«Þ phô n÷ gióp
cho phô n÷ gi¶i quyÕt nh÷ng khã kh¨n trong cuéc sèng h»ng ngµy.
Héi còng ®Ö tr×nh lªn nhµ n-íc nh÷ng ®iÒu luËt vµ chÝnh s¸ch
nh»m ph¸t huy mäi tiÒm n¨ng cña phô n÷ trong tiÕn tr×nh ®æi
míi.
3.NhËn ra nh÷ng nh©n tè t¹o nªn viÖc häc ngo¹i ng÷ nhanh vµ
hiÖu qu¶ ngµy cµng trë nªn quan träng v× ®a sè ng-êi häc lµ
ng-êi lín rÊt lo l¾ng khi häc mét ngo¹i ng÷ chuyªn ngµnh sö
dông trong th-¬ng m¹i,nghiªn cøu vµ ngo¹I giao. Nhu cÇu ®Ó häc
mét ngäai ng÷ cã hiÖu qu¶ cÇn ®-îc xem xÐt theo khÝa c¹nh ng-êi
häc, ng-êi d¹y vµ ch-¬ng tr×nh gi¶ng d¹y.
4.Søc hÊp dÉn lín nhÊt ®èi víi du kh¸ch lµ b¶n s¾c v¨n hãa cña
d©n téc ViÖt Nam. Hµng ngh×n di tÝch lÞch sö, di tÝch c¸ch m¹ng
®· ®-îc nhµ n-íc xÕp h¹ng, trong ®ã hµng tr¨m di tÝch cã gi¸
trÞ lÞch sö vµ nghÖ thuËt cao. ViÖt Nam lµ mét céng ®ång cña 54
d©n téc víi nhiÒu phong tôc, tËp qu¸n, v¨n hãa nghÖ thuËt d©n
gian ®Æc s¾c. Sù hiÖn diÖn cña hµng tr¨m lµng nghÒ truyÒn thèng
®· s¶n xuÊt ra hµng ngh×n lo¹i s¶n phÈm thñ c«ng mü nghÖ næi
tiÕng.
5. NÕu du kh¸ch ®Õn víi c¸c vïng d©n téc thiÓu sè th× cßn cã
thÓ tham dù vµo nh÷ng sinh ho¹t v¨n hãa kú thó cña vïng nói
rõng nhiÖt ®íi. Mét lÔ héi ®©m tr©u ch¼ng h¹n. SÏ ph¶i cã mÆt
tr-íc lÔ héi hµng tuÇn cïng ng-êi d©n ®i t×m tre ®Ó söa nhµ
r«ng, ®Ó lµm c©y nªu xua ®uæi ma quû. Trong nh÷ng ngµy ®ã du
kh¸ch cßn ®-îc quan s¸t c¸ch chän c¸c vß r-îu cÇn vµ nhÊt lµ
viÖc chän tr©u ®Ó ®©m.
 58

6. Phóc lîi x· héi lµ chÝnh s¸ch x· héi lín cña ViÖt Nam dùa
trªn truyÒn thèng t-¬ng th©n t-¬ng ¸i gióp ®ì lÉn nhau cã tõ
ngµn x-a. Nguyªn t¾c c¬ b¶n cña chÝnh s¸ch nµy lµ kÕt hîp tr¸ch
nhiÖm cña nhµ n-íc, cña céng ®ång vµ mçi c¸ nh©n tù v-¬n lªn
hßa nhËp v¬I x· h«Þ. ChÝnh s¸ch nµy ®ang tõng b-íc më ra cho
mäi ®èi t-îng víi nhiÒu h×nh thøc kh¸c nhau.
7. Sù l¹c hËu vµ nguy c¬ tôt hËu h¬n vÒ kinh tÕ ®ang lµ nçi
tr¨n trë canh c¸nh trong lßng mçi ng-êi ViÖt Nam ë trong n-íc
còng nh- ®ang sinh sèng ë n-íc ngoµi. NÕu tôt hËu xa h¬n cã
nghÜa lµ r¬I vµo sè phËn cña mét n-íc cung cÊp nguyªn liÖu vµ
nh©n c«ng trong sù ph©n c«ng lao ®éng quèc tÕ, chÞu lÐp vÕ ,
thua thiÖt trong hîp t¸c c¹nh tranh. §ã thùc lµ mét th¸ch thøc
lín ®èi víi d©n téc ViÖt Nam trong bèi c¶nh quèc tÕ ngµy nay.
8. B¶n chÊt nh©n v¨n cña tr-êng ph¸i ngo¹i giao ViÖt Nam lµ
mét nÐt ®Æc thï. MÆc dï lµ n¹n nh©n cña biÕt bao nhiªu cuéc x©m
l-îc, nh-ng ng-êi ViÖt Nam kh«ng bao giê mÊt ®I lßng nh©n ¸i.
H¬n thÕ n÷a , chÝnh lßng nh©n ¸I lµ nh©n tè t¹o nªn søc m¹nhcña
d©n téc vµ nÒn ngo¹I giao ViÖt Nam. NguyÔn Tr·I , ng-êi anh
hïng d©n téc cña thÕ kû 15 ®· ®Ó l¹I ph-¬ng ch©m l-u truyÒn cho
m·I ®Õn h«m nay :
‘‘ LÊy ®¹I nghÜa th¾ng hung tµn,
LÊy chÝ nh©n thay c-êng b¹o.’’

ASSIGNMENT 8:
Translate the following text into English
Cã lÏ B¾c Kinh lµ n¬i tËp trung quyÒn lùc chÝnh trÞ nh-ng
Th-îng H¶i còng cã quyÒn tù hµo lµ mét thñ ®« th-¬ng m¹i. B¾c
Kinh cã lÏ lµ n¬i tËp trung quyÒn lùc chÝnh trÞ nh-ng danh hiÖu
mét thñ ®« th-¬ng m¹i l¹i thuéc vÒ Th-îng H¶i. Nh÷ng ®Þa ®iÓm
lÞch sö chØ míi cã tõ gÇn 80 n¨m tr-íc ë Th-îng H¶i, tuy thÕ
hÇu hÕt du kh¸ch ®Òu bÞ chinh phôc tr-íc vÎ quyÕn rò cña thµnh
phè ®Æc biÖt nµy, n¬i mµ m«i tr-êng lµ tÊt c¶. ChØ riªng c¸i
tªn Th-îng H¶i còng ®· dËy nªn mét lµn sãng nhá niÒm thÝch thó
v« tËn. Th-îng H¶i vÉn lµ mét thµnh phè nhá chuyªn nghÒ ®¸nh
c¸ vµ dÖt m·i cho ®Õn nöa thÕ kû 19 khi nã b¾t ®Çu ph¸t triÓn
nh- mét trung t©m c«ng nghiÖp vµ th-¬ng m¹i. Nh÷ng ng-êi chñ
h·ng bu«n vµ c¸c øng cö viªn chÝnh trÞ tõ kh¾p n¬i trªn thÕ
giíi ®æ vÒ ®©y vµ ph¸t triÓn nã thµnh mét trong nh÷ng thµnh phè
quèc tÕ sµnh ®iÖu nhÊt thÕ giíi. Tõ nh÷ng n¨m 1920 trë ®i, nã
trë nªn ngµy cµng tai tiÕng nh- lµ mét n¬i mµ bÊt cø viÖc g×
còng cã thÓ x¶y ra.
C¸c ng©n hµng vµ c¸c c«ng ty th-¬ng m¹i ®ñ lo¹i tù x©y dùng
cho hä nh÷ng trô së chÝnh sang träng tr«ng ra n¬i mµ sau ®ã lµ
nh÷ng c¸nh ®ång lóa mªnh m«ng tr¶i dµi hai bê s«ng Hoµng Phè.
 59

Toµn bé d¶i ®Êt nµy vÉn cßn tån t¹i sau nh÷ng thêi kú san b»ng
å ¹t vµ ngµy nay nã lµm nªn mét b¶o tµng më ®éc ®¸o vÒ kiÕn
tróc cña nh÷ng n¨m 1930. Mét cuéc t¶n bé däc bê ®ª lµ kh«ng thÓ
thiÕu ®èi víi nh÷ng ai ®Õn th¨m n¬i ®©y, / Du kh¸ch kh«ng thÓ
bá qua mét cuéc t¶n bé däc bê ®ª khi ®Õn th¨m n¬i ®©y, n¬i mµ
vÉn ®-îc nhiÒu ng-êi c«ng nhËn lµ thµnh phè träng ®iÓm cña
Trung Quèc.
Nh÷ng toµ nhµ chäc trêi, bao gåm mét vµi toµ nhµ cao nhÊt thÕ
giíi ®· mäc lªn ë chÝnh n¬i mµ x-a kia lóa ®· tõng mäc. §iÓm
næi bËt nhÊt lµ th¸p truyÒn h×nh Hßn Ngäc ViÔn §«ng - nÕu thêi
gian cho phÐp, mét c¸i nh×n toµn c¶nh tõ nh÷ng tÇng cao cña
th¸p sÏ lµ mét kû niÖm khã quªn.
D-íi sù nh-îng bé cña ng-êi Ph¸p tr-íc ®©y, tõng ®o¹n qu¸ khø
nh- vÉn cßn hiÖn h÷u ®©u ®ã trong nh÷ng biÖt thù tao nh· vµ
nh÷ng con ®-êng rîp bãng c©y. Vßng qua gãc ®ª, kh¸ch s¹n Hoµ
B×nh vµ ban nh¹c Jazz ®¸ng kÝnh cña nã lµ nh÷ng chøng tÝch
næi tiÕng cña mét thêi kú hµo hiÖp. Nh-ng Th-îng H¶i còng cßn
cã nhiÒu kh¸ch s¹n tuyÖt vêi kh¸c tõ nh÷ng n¨m 1930, phÇn lín
®ang ®-îc phôc håi nh÷ng nÐt ®¸ng yªu tõ thêi hoµng kim tr-íc
®©y cña chóng.

Th-îng H¶i së h÷u mét trong nh÷ng b¶o tµng thËt sù lín cña thÕ
giíi, ®-îc më cña vµo n¨m 1996. Trong mét thêi gian ng¾n kh«ng
thÓ tham quan hÕt toµ nhµ gi¸ trÞ nµy ®-îc, nh-ng thËm chÝ chØ
cÇn mét giê trong nh÷ng phßng tr-ng bµy ®å ®ång, ®iªu kh¾c ®¸
vµ ®å gèm còng ®· ®ñ ®em l¹i nh÷ng kû niÖm khã phai.

ASSIGNMENT 9:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
In a keynote speech at Hà Nội National University (HNU) yesterday, leader Jiang urged the
youth of Vietnam and China to work for strengthening the friendship between the two
countries and contribute to peace and development in Asia and the world.

“A bright future will be created by you, the young people, and the future belongs to you,” the
Chinese General Secretary and State President told the students.

Jiang stressed that a better future awaited China-Vietnam relations in the 21st century, and
joint efforts by the youth of both countries cannot be separated from this.

The younger generation in both our countries must stick to their ideals and work tirelessly for
socialism, he said.
 60

“The youth of China and Vietnam need to inherit and bring into full play the revolutionary
spirit of their elders, to be persistent in ideology, study hard, to strive for the cause of
developing socialism, and for the wealth and prosperity of their respective motherlands,” he
said.

He expressed his hope that the Chinese and Vietnamese young people will cherish, maintain
and promote China-Vietnam relations, have more exchanges and learn from each other to
enhance mutual understanding. He pledged that the Chinese party and Government would
fully back such exchanges.

“In history, both Vietnam and China have suffered invasion by the imperialists but we both
successfully fought off the imperialists, liberated our peoples and unified our countries,” said
Jiang.

He said that the friendship between Vietnam and China derives not only from history but also
the fact, as noted by Hồ Chí Minh, that the two peoples are “comrades and brothers”.

The foundation of China-Vietnam ties was mutual trust, long-term stability, the pre-condition,
and friendly neighborliness, the guarantee, he said.

“Comprehensive co-operation is the bridge and the target a prosperous future”, he added.

Jiang left Hanoi yesterday Central Vietnam where he toured the ancient imperial capital of
Huế, recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and met with leaders of the port
city of Đà Nẵng.

He is scheduled to visit the ancient port town of Hội An and the Hoà Thọ Textile Company
before concluding his three-day visit to Việt Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 10:
Translate the following text into English
Đối với một đất nước còn nhiều khó khăn như chúng ta, thì vấn đề “tiết kiệm chống lãng phí”
phải luôn được coi là quốc sách. Nhưng trong thực tế, những năm qua khắp nơi, vẫn còn tràn
lan những hiện tượng lãng phí. Nào là lãng phí trong quản lý, sử dụng ngân sách, lãng phí
trong đầu tư xây dựng cơ bản, lãng phí trong quản lý đất đai, trụ sở làm việc, lãng phí trong
lĩnh vực doanh nghiệp Nhà nước và rồi lãng phí còn len lỏi trong dân chúng với những thủ tục
cưới xin đầy tốn kém…

“Lãng phí” thực sự đã và đang là vấn đề bức xúc của xã hội, là một trong những nguyên nhân
gây ảnh hưởng lớn tới nền kinh tế của đất nước. Bởi vì trong năm đầu (1998) sau khi có pháp
 61

lệnh thực hành tiết kiệm, chống lãng phí được Uỷ Ban thường vụ Quốc Hội khóa X thông qua
ngày 26-02-1998 và có hiệu lực thi hành từ ngày 1-5-1998, qua số liệu báo cáo của 12 Bộ, cơ
quan ngang Bộ, số chi thực năm 1998 giảm so với quyết toán năm 1997, cụ thể như: Hội nghị
phí: 12,8 tỉ đồng; công tác phí: 12,43 tỉ đồng, chi phí điện thoại, fax: 9,57 tỉ đồng; chi phí sửa
chữa lớn TSCĐ: 80,94 tỉ đồng; chi mua sắm tài sản cố định phục vụ chuyên môn nghiệp vụ:
153,7 tỉ đồng. Dự toán NSNN năm 1999 tiếp tục thực hiện tiết kiệm 10% dự toán chi thường
xuyên. Một số khoản chi thường xuyên đã giảm mạnh từ 30% đến 70% như chi mua sắm thiết
bị làm việc, chi hội nghị lễ tân…

Những số liệu “giảm chi” trong khi thực hiện Pháp lệnh thực hành tiết kiệm chống lãng phí
thời gian qua, thực sự là những con số biết nói, cho thấy tín hiệu đáng mừng về sự chuyển
biến trong công tác này, song điều đó cũng chứng tỏ bấy lâu nay việc chi tiêu còn quá buông
lỏng, nên thắt chặt lại các khoản chi tiêu là việc cần làm.

Qua thanh tra tài chính, báo cáo quyết toán hàng năm đã phát hiện nhiều cơ quan đơn vị hành
chính sự nghiệp, doanh nghiệp vi phạm các nguyên tắc quản lý hành chính. Một trong những
vấn đề chi tiêu được coi là bức xúc và có thể nói là hết sức tốn kém hiện nay là: Chi tiêu đối
với các lễ đón nhận huân huy chương, ngày thành lập ngành, hội thảo… Mỗi cuộc “đình đám”
như vậy tốn không biết bao là tiền của, nào tiền thuê hội trường, tiền ăn uống, quà biếu… Vào
dịp cuối năm này, người ta còn thấy các nhà hàng chật kín bởi các “thượng đế” hầu hết là các
“cán bộ” chứ người dân thường thì lấy đâu ra “ngân quỹ” mà vui vẻ như vậy! Trong khi cuộc
sống của những người dân “tự do” còn đang vất vả bươn chải từng ngày với những chi tiêu
hạn hẹp thì việc tiết kiệm chống lãng phí trong “cơ chế chi bao cấp” là việc nhất thiết cần phải
làm.
ASSIGNMENT 11:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
GAZA CITY -Israel and palestinians negotiated through the night in what US envoy Dennis
Ross termed "a good evening of work" aimed at breaking an impasse over Israel's delayed
pullout from the West Bank town of Hebron.

Ross left Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office early yesterday - three hours after he arrived
- but negotiators stayed behind to corntinue talks.

"The meeting was positive (and) constructive," Arafat said. He added that he and Ross
"solved some of the obstacles which were between me and him," apparently referring to his
own suggestion last week that Ross was biased toward Israel.

Ross, who was to leave later yesterday, agreed that "We had a good set of discussions."
Referring to the negotiations, he said : "This has been a good evening of work, but there are
still issues to be overcome."
 62

Inside Arafat's headquarters, the Palestinian team led by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat
continued deliberations with Israel's delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Shaul Muhfaz and Yitzhak
Molcho, a top advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks began on Sunday
afternoon in Jerusalem and moved to Gaza.

Israeli media speculated that if the meeting was successful, Ross might delay his departure
and Netanyahu and Arafat might hold a summit either yesterday or today.

Israel was to have pulled out of Hebron - the last West Bank city under occupation in March,
but delayed it after a series of terrorist attacks in Israel. Netanyahu, a hardliner elected in May,
has delayed the pullout further, trying to tighten security for the 500 settlers who live in the
town of 130,000 Arabs.

The Palestiians have refused to reopen the existing agreement, and also seek to link the Israeli
redeployment to a further pullout elsewhere in the West Bank that was also promised in the
signed autonomy accords.

In Hebron on Sunday, the army rounded up about 100 Palestinians after two fire bombs were
thrown at a Jewish enclave without causing injuries. They were questioned and held at
gunpoint for about an hour, but most were released. The army spokesman said several
Palestinians were arrested.

A Palestinian walking past the Beit Hadassah enclave was hit and injured by a metal ladder
that fell or was thrown from the roof, and he was taken to the city hospital.
HCM CITY - The number of foreign tourists arriving in Viet Nam has been increasing year
after year. On average, it grows by 30 per cent a year, according to recent statisties released
from Viet Nam Tourism Administration.
Though the number of tourists is on the rise, occupancy rates of hotels have dropped
significantly as compared to previous years. Over the past six years, joint - venture hotels and
guest houses operated at an average capacity rate of 85 to 90 per cent. They are now operating
at a capacity rate of only 60 per cent. A rate which is much worse than that of state - owned
hotels and private guest - houses.
One of the main reasons for the decline in hotel capacity rates is the muchrooming of joint -
venture hotels which has caused severe competition among hotels for room - rates and hotel
services.
Several hotels have become burdens to their owners, with low gross earnings and high taxes,
many are about to be forced to close down.
Most foreign visitors have come here eager to experience something new and to travel to
places of wild and natural beauty during their stay. For this reason, Viet Nam's tourist industry
needs to reorganise its management and set goals in order to satisfy the current demands of
tourists.
 63

Though there has been growth in the number of tourists over the past several years, the
number of visitors that come for a second visit is low. It is evident that the attraction of Viet
Nam's tourist industry is still inadequate and tourist sites, transport and accommodation
facilities have not yet reached international standards.The country now has some 22 provinces
and cities which have completed detailed master plans for tourist resorts.

However, these projects are yet to be developed and are still under discussion. Even though
each year the government has spent tens of billion of dongs on upgrading national historical
relics and tourist resorts, due to a lack of management expertise and investment knowledge,
these sites have failed to help boost the development of the tourist industry. To improve
quality of tourist resorts and to boost hotel operations, Viet Nam's tourism industry now
requires more investment from the government.
Translate the following text into English
Cµng ngµy cµng cã nhiÒu ng-êi ViÖt nam t×m c¸ch ®i häc n-íc
ngoµi b»ng chi phÝ riªng cña m×nh. Tõ gi÷a n¨m 1992 dÕn th¸ng 5
n¨m nay, sè ng-êi tù bá tiÒn ra häc cßn Ýt, nh-ng hy väng sè
l-îng sÏ t¨ng trong vßng 5 n¨m tíi v× nÒn kinh tÕ ViÖt Nam tèt
h¬n vµ chÝnh phñ hîp lý hãa c¸c thñ tôc lµm cho viÖc häc tù tóc
dÔ dµng h¬n. Nh-ng cuéc qu¶ng c¸o lín nhÊt nh»m thóc ®Èy nh÷ng
ng-êi ViÖt Nam m¹nh d¹n ®Çu t- tiÒn b¹c cho b¶n th©n hoÆc con
c¸i cña m×nh ®Ó ®-îc häc trong mét nÒn gi¸o duc ®¹t chuÈn quèc
tÕ lµ nhê vµo viÖc më mét cuéc triÓn l·m ®Æc biÖt vÒ gi¸o dôc ë
n-íc ngoµi tæ chøc t¹i thµnh phè Hå ChÝ Minh vµ Hµ Néi trong
hai th¸ng võa qua. §-îc gäi lµ ‘‘ Educasia’’, cuéc triÓn l·m ®·
®Ò cao c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc, c¸c tr-êng h-íng nghiÖp vµ c¸c nhµ
cung cÊp thiÕt bÞ tr-êng häc cña c¸c n-íc Anh, Ph¸p, óc, Hoa Kú
vµ Thôy SÜ. Cuéc triÓn l·m ®Ò cËp ®Õn ch-¬ng tr×nh ®µo t¹o vµ
nÒn gi¸o dôc mµ c¸c sinh viªn tù tóc ViÖt Nam ®ang t×m kiÕm vµ
lêi gi¶i ®¸p cña nh÷ng c¬ së ®µo t¹o nµy ë n-íc ngoµi ®èi víi
nh÷ng th¾c m¾c cña sinh viªn. C¸c khãa häc vÒ viÔn th«ng,x©y
dùng b»ng c¬ giíi, ngµnh kh¸ch s¹n du lÞch vµ nÊu ¨n ®· ®-îc
®Æc biÖt ®Ò cao.
Cho ®Õn b©y giê hÇu hÕt nh÷ng sinh viªn ViÖt nam ®· ®i ra n-íc
ngoµi häc thªm theo häc bæng quèc tÕ hay cña mét chÝnh phñ n-íc
ngoµi cÊp. H»ng n¨m ViÖt Nam göi ®i kho¶ng 77 sinh viªn vµ 100
chuyªn viªn bËc cao ra n-íc ngoµi th«ng qua nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh
häc bæng ®-îc chÝnh thøc b¶o trî. PhÇn lín nh÷ng sinh viªn ®i
häc tù tóc ®· ®i häc ë Nga, mét sè ®i c¸c n-íc §«ng ¢u vµ mét
sè rÊt Ýt ®i häc ë Hµ Lan, BØ, Hoa Kú, §an M¹ch vµ Th¸i Lan.
Nh-ng vµo th¸ng t- n¨m nay, c¸c suÊt häc bæng riªng dµnh cho
c¸c sinh viªn n-íc ngoµi ë Nga vµ §«ng ¢u ®· t¹m ngõng. Hiªn
 64

nay ®· cã nh÷ng ®iÒu kiÖn dµnh cho sinh viªn ViÖt Nam muèn häc
ë n-íc ngoµi lµ ph¶i tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng vµ ph¶i theo häc c¸c
khãa häc ngo¹i ng÷ phï hîp vµ ph¶i cã kiÕn thøc vÒ vi tÝnh. Tuy
nhiªn vÉn cßn thiÕu nh÷ng th«ng tin vÒ c¸c r¾c rèi mµ sinh viªn
tù tóc ë n-íc ngoµi th-êng gÆp ph¶i, ®Æc biÖt lµ vÊn ®Ò vÒ thêi
gian vµ tr×nh ®é mµ c¸c khãa häc ®ßi hái. §· cã nh÷ng l·ng phÝ
vÒ thêi gian còng nh- tiÒn b¹c kh«ng thÓ tr¸nh khái.

ASSIGNMENT 12:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
The United States is a country of immigrants. These immigrants come from all over the
world. They speak many different languages. In the past, new immigrants had a hard time in
American schools. They could not understand their school work in English, so they often
became discouraged and dropped out of school. They were not able to get good jobs without a
good education.
Now, many schools in the United States have bilingual programs. ("Bi" means "two" and
"lingual" means "language".) For example, a school with many Spanish-speaking students
might have a bilingual program. The Spanish-speaking students study their subjects in both
English and Spanish. A school with a large Chinese population might have an English
Chinese bilingual program. Students in bilingual programs continue their general education
and learn English at the same time. After a period of time, they can take all of their classes in
English with English speaking students.
Bilingual education is "controversial." This means some people like it, and other people do
not like it. The people in favor of bilingual education say, "It helps students to understand
their school work in history, mathematics, science, etc., at the same time, they are learning
English." These people say bilingual education helps students succeed in school. They can get
better jobs and be better citizens after graduation.
The people against bilingual education say, "It's a waste of time and government money.
English is the national language of the United States." Everyone living in the United States,
they say, should learn to speak English as quickly as possible. They say, "Bilingual education
is too expensive." In other words, the government spends too much money on bilingual
education. They want to put the money for bilingual programs into English programs. In such
programs, everyone will learn English a lot faster. At least, those against bilingual education
think so.
Translate the following text into English
Ng-êi nghÌo th-êng cã nhiÒu con h¬n nh÷ng ng-êi thuéc giíi
trung l-u vµ th-îng l-u. Vµ d©n ë c¸c n-íc kÐm ph¸t triÓn th×
cã nhiÒu con h¬n d©n cña c¸c n-íc ph¸t triÓn. Ngµy cµng cã
nhiÒu chuyªn gia vÒ d©n sè thÊy ®-îc mèi quan hÖ kh¨ng khÝt
gi÷a sè con trong gia ®×nh vµ sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ.
 65

T¹i mét vµi vïng, dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh cña chÝnh phñ
cã lÏ kh«ng cã ®èi víi d©n nghÌo do ®iÒu kiÖn ®Þa lý. Ch¼ng h¹n
nh- ng-êi d©n ë n«ng th«n sèng qu¸ xa trung t©m kÕ ho¹ch hãa
gia ®×nh. Do vËy hä kh«ng nhËn ®-îc th«ng tin vÒ c¸ch thøc h¹n
chÕ sinh ®Î. Nh×n chung th× d©n thµnh thÞ cã nhiÒu th«ng tin
h¬n d©n n«ng th«n. D©n ë thµnh thÞ ®-îc hæ trî dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch
hãa gia ®×nh, vµ hä cã gia ®×nh Ýt con h¬n. V× thÕ chóng ta cã
thÓ nãi r»ng vÞ trÝ ®Þa lý n¬i mµ ng-êi d©n sèng ®ãng mét vai
trß qan träng trong viÖc quyÕt dÞnh mät gia ®×nh nªn sinh bao
nhiªu con: Gia ®×nh sèng ë thµnh thÞ th× cã Ýt con h¬n gia ®×nh
sèng ë n«ng th«n.
Nh÷ng lý do kh¸c lµ g×? Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ gia ®×nh, hay ë
mét ph¹m vi lín h¬n lµ cña mét n-íc, lµ mét nh©n tè quan träng
trong viÖc quyÕt ®Þnh sè con trong gia ®×nh. Ng-êi cã nhiÒu
tiÒn th× cã Ýt con. Ng-îc l¹i, ng-êi nghÌo ë n-íc kÐm ph¸t
triÓn muèn cã nhiÒu con. T¹i sao? Do hä ph¶i lÖ thuéc vµo sù
ch¨m sãc cña con c¸i khi vÒ giµ. Hä kh«ng cã b¶o hiÓm, tiÒn
h-u, hay sù gióp ®ì cña chÝnh phñ. Khi hä giµ c¶ th× ai sÏ gióp
hä. C©u tr¶ lêi rÊt ®¬n gi¶n. Hä cã thÓ vµ sÏ quay sang nhê con
c¸i gióp ®ì. Con c¸i cña hä b©y giê ®· trë thµnh ng-êi lín vµ
®ang ®i lµm viÖc. TÊt c¶ con c¸i cña hä ®Òu ph¶i chia sÏ vµ
g¸nh v¸c tr¸ch nhiÖm ch¨m sãc cha mÑ. §èi vãi nhiÒu ng-êi
nghÌo, mét gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ mét c¸ch thøc ®Ó ho¹ch ®Þnh cho
t-¬ng lai. Chóng ta cã thÓ nãi r»ng gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ nguån
b¶o hiÓm cho tuæi giµ.

ASSIGNMENT 13:
Translate the following text into English
C¸c nhµ xuÊt khÈu cã uy thÕ cña Trung Quèc ®ang chÜa tÇm ng¾m
cña m×nh vµo ViÖt Nam, nhËn ra n-íc l¸ng giÒng ë ph-¬ng nam nh-
®· chÝn muåi cho mét kÕ ho¹ch qu¶ng c¸o trong viÖc mua s¾m hµng
hãa tiªu dïng vµ m¸y mãc, c¸c nhµ qu¶n lý ®iÒu hµnh Trung Quèc
®· ph¸t biÕn nh- thÕ vµo h«m thø n¨m.
C¸c nhµ qu¶n lý Trung Quèc ®· nãi trong buæi lÔ khai m¹c héi
chî tæ chøc t¹i Hµ Néi : ‘‘ Nh-ng ViÖt Nam ®· cã mét kinh
nghiÖm l©u dµi tr-íc khi nhËn ra hµng xuÊt khÈu cña m×nh vµo
Trung Quèc t¨ng lªn khi mét vµi s¶n phÈm lµ cã thÓ x©m nhËp vµo
thÞ tr-êng Trung quèc ®· më réng h¬n.’’
Kho¶ng 60 c«ng ty ë B¾c Kinh ®· tr-ng bµy nh÷ng mÆt hµng cña
hä tõ ®å ch¬i b»ng nhùa rÎ tiÒn vµ c¸c ®å trang trÝ cho ®Õn
 66

c¸c lo¹i xe cé t¹i héi chî ë Hµ Néi, mét héi chî ®Çu tiªn triÓn
l·m c¸c mÆt hµng Trung Quèc kÓ tõ khi hai n-íc cã quan hÖ trë
l¹i víi nhau.
Jeep- B¾c Kinh, mét liªn doanh s¶n xuÊt « t« Trung-Mü, hi väng
sÏ chen ch©n vµo thÞ tr-êng xe h¬i ®ang lín m¹nh t¹i ViÖt Nam,
nh-ng ®ang ®èi mÆt víi mät sù c¹nh tranh kh¾c nghiÖt víi thÞ
tr-êng xe h¬i NhËt B¶n ®· ‘‘ x©y phßng tuyÕn xung quanh’’ ë
®©y, «ng Guo Fengli, phã chñ tÞch c«ng ty XuÊt NhËp KhÈu ¤ t«
B¾c Kinh ®· ph¸t biÓu nh- vËy.
Theo lêi cña «ng Guo th× ‘‘ thÞ tr-êng ë ®©y ®ang më ra kh¸
nhanh cho c¸c s¶n phÈm cña chóng t«i, ®Æc biÖt lµ khi gi¸ c¶
cña chóng t«i thùc sù c¹nh tranh ®-îc víi c¸c ®èi thñ cña chóng
t«i.’’
BAIEC ®ang mong muèn thiÕt lËp quan hÖ mËu dÞch víi ViÖt Nam
nh-ng còng ®ang ph¶i ®èi ®Çu víi viÖc t×m kiÕm c¸c mÆt hµng
thÝch hîp ®Ó buon b¸n, mÆc dï lµ «ng Guo nghÜ lµ cã thÓ t×m ra
lêi gi¶i ®¸p cho mét vÊn ®Ò b×nh th-êng.
C«ng ty Trung Quãc dù kiÕn trao ®æi xe h¬i lÊy l-¬ng thùc, vµ
sè l-¬ng thùc nµy sÏ ®em b¸n ë Nam Trung Quèc. Tuy nhiªn hä vÉn
thÝch trao ®æi nh÷ng mÆt hµng cã gi¸ trÞ cao h¬n.
‘‘ Chóng t«i kh«ng biÕt nhiÒu vÒ nh÷ng g× mµ ViÖt Nam mêi
chµo.’’ «ng Guo ®· nãi ®Õn ®iÒu nµy, mét quan ®iÓm ®-îc c¸c nhµ
doanh th-¬ng kh¸c nh¾c l¹i nhiÒu lÇn. Nh÷ng ng-êi n«n nãng b¸n
hµng h¬n lµ mua hµng.
ViÖc bu«n b¸n qua biªn giíi ®· t¨ng vät kÓ tõ ngµy hai n-íc më
l¹i biªn giíi vµo n¨m 1991. Nãi mét c¸ch chÝnh thøc th×, viÖc
bu«n b¸n hai chiÒu cã gi¸ trÞ kho¶ng 500 triÖu ®« la dï cho
viÖc bu«n b¸n bÊt hîp ph¸p cã thÓ cao h¬n nhiÒu. Trung quèc
®-îc h-ëng mät gi¸ trÞ thÆng d- to lín.
Trong chuyÕn viÕng th¨m Trung Quèc tuÇn tr-íc, Phã thñ t-íng
Phan V¨n Kh¶i kªu gäi hai bªn thay thÕ viÖc bu«n b¸n qua biªn
giíi b»ng nh÷ng tháa hiÖp chÝnh thøc gi÷a c¸c c«ng ty th-¬ng
m¹i vµ c¸c nhµ chÕ t¹o mµ c¸ch lµm nµy sÏ lµm t¨ng gi¸ cña c¸c
s¶n phÈm ViÖt Nam.
ViÖt Nam muèn ®Èy m¹nh h¬n n÷a viÖc xuÊt khÈu than vµ dÇu khÝ
cho c¸c trung t©m s¶n xuÊt ®ang bïng ph¸t ë Nam Trung Quèc, n¬i
xa nguån n¨ng l-îng cña Trung Quèc c¶ hµng ngµn c©y sè.
 67

¤ng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cßn nhÊn m¹nh thªm vÒ gi¸ g¹o vµ c¸c mÆt
hµng thùc phÈm kh¸c vµ phÝa ViÖt Nam nhËp nhiÒu h¬n n÷a c¸c m¸y
mãc chÕ t¹o vµ c¸c c«ng nghÖ kh¸c cña Trung Quèc.
 68

ASSIGNMENT 14:
Translate the following text into English
D©n sè cña A RËp Xa U §i lµ 8853000 ng-êi. §a sè lµ nh÷ng
ng-êi A RËp Håi gi¸o. Hay nãi c¸ch kh¸c, hä lµ nh÷ng tÝn ®å Håi
gi¸o. A RËp lµ mät quèc ®¹o. VÞ vua cña n-íc nµy võa lµ mét
ng-êi l·nh ®¹o chÝnh trÞ võa lµ mét nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o cña
®Êt n-íc. D¹o luËt cña chÝnh phñ ®-a ra lµ luËt cña Håi gi¸o,
vµ ng«n ng÷ cña n-íc nµy lµ tiÕng A RËp.
§¹o Håi rÊt quan träng ®èi víi nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A RËp. Tr-íc
n¨m 1950, hÇu nh- toµn bé nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A RËp lµ nÒn gi¸o
dôc t«n gi¸o. Häc sinh häc Kinh Koran, s¸ch kinh th¸nh cña d¹o
Håi. Chóng ph¶i cè g¾ng nhí nh÷ng ®iÒu trong cuèn s¸ch nµy cµng
nhiÒu cµng tèt. Tr-íc n¨m 1949, kh«ng cã bÊt kú mét tr-êng cao
®¼ng hay ®¹i häc nµo mµ chØ cã mét vµi tr-êng tiÓu häc vµ trung
häc ë n-íc nµy.
Vµo n¨m 1953, chÝnh phñ A RËp thµnh lËp Bé Gi¸o Dôc. §©y thùc
sù lµ b-íc më ®Çu cho mét nÒn gi¸o dôc hiÖn ®¹i cho n-íc nµy.
Khi nh÷ng kü s- ph¸t hiÖn ra dÇu ë A RËp th× ®Êt n-íc nµy trë
nªn giµu cã. C¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña n-íc nµy b¾t ®Çu nhËn thÊy
r»ng c«ng nghÖ Ph-¬ng T©y lµ cÇn thiÕt ®Ó gióp ®Êt n-íc ph¸t
triÓn. C¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o vÉn tin r»ng nÒn gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o lµ
rÊt quan träng, nh-ng mét n-íc hiÖn ®¹i kh«ng thÓ ph¸t triÓn
c«ng nghÖ mµ chØ dùa vµo mét hÖ thèng gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o truyÒn
thèng. Hä quyÕt ®Þnh bæ sung c¸c m«n häc kh¸c vµo hÖ thèng gi¸o
dôc. Hä muèn kÕt hîp nÒn gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o truyÒn thèng víi nÒn
gi¸o dôc c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i cña Ph-¬ng T©y.
T«n gi¸o vÉn lµ mét yÕu tè quan träng trong nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A
RËp. Tuy nhiªn hiÖn nay häc sinh, sinh viªn A RËp còng hocj tÊt
c¶ c¸c m«n häc kh¸c nh- : ng«n ng÷ ( ®Æc biÖt lµ tiÕng Anh),
lÞch sö, khoa häc, to¸n häc, vi tÝnh v.v.. Tr-íc n¨m 1950 chØ
cã 20000 häc sinh, sinh viªn ë A RËp. N¨m 1982 con sè nµy lªn
tíi 1780000. HÖ thèng gi¸o dôc cña A RËp ph¸t triÓn nhanh h¬n
bÊt kú mét n-íc nµo trªn thÕ giíi. TÊt c¶ c¸c tr-êng häc ë a
RËp lµ miÔn phÝ. ChÝnh phñ còng cho sinh viªn cao ®¼ng vµ ®¹i
häc thªm tiÒn ®Ó nh»m ®éng viªn hä. Tuy nhiªn c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o
t«n gi¸o kh«ng thÝch cho phô n÷ ®i häc. Hä cho r»ng phô n÷ cã
häc cã thÓ g©y nh÷ng ¶nh h-ëng xÊu cho gia ®×nh vµ x· héi. Do
vËy, ®Ó lµm cho c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o chÊp nhËn cho phñ n÷
®i häc th× chÝnh phñ ph¶i dÆt viÖc gi¸o dôc phô n÷ theo c¸c t«n
chØ cña c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o.
 69

Phô n÷ theo häc c¸c tr-êng cao ®¼ng vµ ®Æc biÖt lµ theo häc ë
c¸c khoa vÒ phô n÷ ë c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc dµnh riªng cho phô n÷.
Gi¸o viªn ë ®©y lµ n÷. V× kh«ng cã ®ñ gi¸o viªn n÷ nªn chÝnh
phñ cho phÐp gi¸o viªn nam gi¶ng d¹y phô n÷ A RËp th«ng qua
ph-¬ng tiÖn truyÒn h×nh. Tr-íc hÕt, phô n÷ theo dâi c¸c bµi
gi¶ng trªn v« tuyÕn vµ sau ®ã hä cã thÓ nãi chuyÖn víi thÇy
gi¸o qua ®iÖn tho¹i ®Ó hái vÒ nh÷ng th¾c m¾c. ThÇy gi¸o vµ sinh
viªn n÷ kh«ng ®-îc phÐp gÆp nhau.
Sau khi tèt nghiÖp, phô n÷ A RËp cã nhiÒu c¬ héi xin viÖc
gièng nh- nam giíi. Hä trë thµnh c¸c gi¸o viªn, b¸c sÜ, c¸c nhµ
ho¹t ®éng x· héi, c¸c nhµ khoa häc vµ nhiÒu viÖc kh¸c n÷a. N¬i
lµm viÖc hÇu nh- còng t¸ch rêi phô n÷ víi nam giíi. §iÒu ®ã cã
nghÜa lµ phô n÷ vµ nam giíi kh«ng ®-îc phÐp lµm viÖc cïng mét
chç chØ trõ ë bÖnh viÖn. Phñ n÷ A RËp muons cã nhiÒu c¬ héi t×m
viÖc lµm h¬n. Nh-ng mét vµi phô n÷ kh«ng muèn cïng lµm viÖc víi
nam giíi. Trong mét bµi b¸o gÇn ®©y d¨ng trong mét t¹p chÝ cã
tªn gäi T¹p ChÝ Trung §«ng, mét vµi sinh viªn n÷ nãi r»ng hä
thùc sù kh«ng muèn lµm viÖc cïng nam giíi.

ASSIGNMENT 15:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
After getting high on the hopes of striking black gold off the shores of Vietnam, the world's
oil giants have now glumly awoken to the hazards- - the immense coot of investment and, so
far, the meagre rewards.
The mood was subdued among foreign companies exhibiting their technological wares this
week at the second International Oil and Gas Fair in Hanoi.
"The results aren't bad, but they, are not as great as some had hoped, "said Melchior de
Matharel, head of Southeast Asia operations with the French firm Total.
If caution is now the watchword, disappointed foreign petroleum companies may draw
comfort from the recent. "encouraging" discoveries of oil made by Mitsubishi Oil and the
Malaysian firm Petronas Carigali, and of gas made by British Petroleum (BP), off the coast of
southern Vietnam.
"Oil exploration is plainly hazardous. But the good news is that the Vietnamese basin is oil-
bearing", Matharel said. Prospectors enthusiasm was abruptly dampened last May, when BHP
Petroleum of Australia announced the reserves at the Dai Hung ("Great Bear") site, 375
kilometers (235 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, were far smaller than projected.
BHP initially estimated the site to contain 700 million to 800 million barrels of oil, but has
now downgraded it to 100 million to 200 million. Production is scheduled to begin neat
month, at a modest level of 25,000 barrels per day.
That was a tough -blow for BHP. It has already invested 240 million dollars in Vietnam- - and
half of it went into the first phase of the Dai Hung project.
 70

BHP headed an international consortium, selected in April 1993, to develop the field at a total
cost estimated at 1.5 billion dollars. BHP holds 43.75 percent of the consortium, with
Petronas holding 20 percent, and state - owned PetroVietnam 15 percent. The remaining
21.25-percent share is equally split between Total and the Japanese firm Sumitomo.
For the moment, it is the Japanese- the main buyers of Vietnam's crude oil- who appear to
have had the best luck.
The Japan Vietnam Petroleum Co. (JVPC), a branch of the Mitsubishi Oil group, announced
in June a "very promising" discovery at the Rang Dong (:Dawn) site.
According to the results of an exploratory well, the field may be "of the same caliber" as
neighbouring Bach Ho ("White Tiger") the only site now being commercially exploited in
Vietnam. Bach Ho's reserves are estimated at a maximum of :300 million barrels.But et will
take at least another year and other drillings to precisely determine the scope of the Japanese
discovery, industry experts in Honoi cautioned.
Pessimists say it will take four to five years in all to gauge Vietnam's oil potentially.
Gas exploration and exploitation have also proven to be a risk business, although fortune has
so far smiled on British Petroleum, which announced in September the discovery of two gas
pockets, estimated to be 57 billion cubic metres (1,995 billion cubic feet), in Nam Con Son,
south of Ho Chi Minh City.
BHP and the Norwegian national company, Statoil, bought shares in the offshore concession,
held by the Indian state firm Oil and Natural Gas Co. (ONGC), in 1992.
The consortium, with ONGC holding 55 percent, BP 30 percent. and Statoil five percent, has
conducted exploration and tests under a shared - production contract with PetroVietnam,
which in turn has taken a five percent stake on the interests of each of the European partners.
Translate the following text into English
ViÖc háng hãc cña mét bé phËn tµu vò trô con thoi ®iÒu khiÓn
b»ng ph¶n lùc vµo h«m thø t- buéc c¬ quan NA SA ph¶i ho·n mét
cuéc kh¶o s¸t tr¸i ®Êt b»ng radar khi chuyÕn bay nghiªn cøu m«i
sinh 10 ngµy cña tµu Endeavour bay qua mèc nöa phi tr×nh.
C¬ quan Qu¶n TrÞ Hµng Kh«ng vµ Khong Gian Quèc Gia cho biÕt
vÊn ®Ò nµy lµ mét tr¬ lùc ®èi víi phßng thÝ nghiÖm Radar trÞ
gi¸ 384 triÖu ®«la, nh-ng kh«ng g©y ra mét nguy hiÓm nµo ®èi
víi c¸c nhµ du hµnh vò trô. C¸c viªn chøc nãi r»ng bé phËn chïm
®iÖn tö kiÓm tra nhiªn liÖu bÞ hang, kh«ng ph¸t hiÖn ®-îc mét
hÖ thèng rß ritrong bé phËn ddaayr bÞ nghi lµ nguyªn nh©n lµm
ng-ng ho¹t ®éng n¨m bé phËn kh¸c gäi lµ vÐcnª (verniers) cÇn
thiÕt ®Ó chØnh l¹i cho ®óng ®-êng ®i cña tµu con thoi trong
quyx ®¹o vµ chØ dÉn chÝnh x¸c khÝ cô trong khoang hµng ®Õn môc
tiªu trªn hµnh tinh.
Kelly Humphries, ng-êi thuyÕt minh chuyÕn bay, vµo chiÒu h«m
thø t- ®· gäi sù gi¸n ®o¹n mang tÝnh khoa häc nµy lµ ‘‘sù nghØ
 71

t¹m thêi’’ trong lóc c¸c kÜ s- trªn mÆt ®Êt véi nghÜ ra mét
c¸ch ®Ó c¸c m¸y tÝnh cña con thoi kh«ng ®Ó ý ®Õn bé phËn kiÓm
tra nhiªn liÖu bÞ háng.
Theo «ng Rich Jackson, Gi¸m ®èc ®iÒu khiÓn chuyÕn bay th× con
tµu Endeavour víi 38 bé phËn ®Èy lín h¬n sÏ tiªu thô qu¸ nhiÒu
nhiªn liÖu vµ lo¹i trõ ®iÒu mong ®îi con tµu sÏ lµm lan ra tai
häa thiªn nhiªn quanh ®Þa cÇu.
Vµo chiÒu h«m thø t-, tµu con thoi bay theo ph-¬ng thøc tù l¸i
(hoa tiªu tù ®éng) vµ phi hµnh ®oµn ®· lµm viÖc theo hai ca
suèt 24 giê liÒn kÓ tõ lóc cÊt c¸nh khái Florida vµo h«m thø
s¸u, ®· h-ëng mät giê nghØ gi¶i lao bÊt ngê.
¤ng Jackson dù ®o¸n r»ng kho¶ng phÇn mÒm sÏ s½n sµng lµm viÖc
vµo chiÒu thø ba, kho¶ng 24 giê sau khi trôc trÆc kü thuËt x¶y
ra.
Nãi víi c¸c phãng viªn t¹i tr¹m kiÓm so¸t chuyÕn bay t¹i
Houston, «ng Jackson cho biÕt: ‘‘ Bé phËn chÊt hµng vµ nhãm
kiÓm so¸t chuyÕn bay ®ang lµ viÖc rÊt tÝch cùc ®Ó phôc håi viÖc
kiÓm so¸t c¸c vecnª vµ gi¶m thiÓu ¶nh h-ëng trong thêi gian cã
sù cè.’’
C¸c nhµ khoa häc nãi r»ng sù trôc trÆc nµy kh«ng lµm h- háng
c¸c h×nh ¶nh, nh-ng sÏ ph¶i mÊt mét thêi gian l©u ®Õn gÊp 5 lÇn
®Ó xö lý c¸c d÷ liÖu ra ®a vµ m¸y tÝnh cña chóng.
 72

ASSIGNMENT 16:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Britain is divided into 651 constituencies and people in each constituency select one person to
represent them in the House of Commons. The simple majority system of voting is used in
parliamentary elections in Britain and voting is by secret ballot. There are moves to have this
changed to a preferential system.
Voting is voluntary. All British people who are 18 years of age or over and not legally barred
from voting can vote.
Members of the Royal Family peers and peeresses who are members of the House of Lords
and foreign nationals are not allowed to vote. People who are disqualified include those who
are kept in hospital for mental health reasons people serving prison sentences and people
convicted within the previous five years of corruption.
Candidates
Anyone aged 21 or over holding British citizenship, or a citizen of another commonwealth
country or the Irish Republic, who is qualified. May stand for election to Parliament. People
who are not qualified are members of the House of Lords, elegy of the Church of England,
Church of Ireland, Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church. Neither are
bankrupts, public
servants and officials and those who have been sentenced to more than one year‟s
imprisonment. Candidates in a constituency have to pay a sum of money, about £1,000, as a
deposit and if they get at least 5% of the votes they will get the money back.
General Elections
In theory, the election for or seats in the House of Commons takes place every five years.
But, elections are usually held before the end of the five-year term. The Prime Minister has the
right to decide when to hold a general election. Then the queen formally dissolves parliament
and calls for the election of the new one.
Britain is divided into areas called constituencies of roughly equal population. General
elections often happen on a Thursday and people still go to word as usual. Therefore, the
hours of voting are flexible, from 07:00 to 22:00; to give voters are given a ballot paper with
the names of the candidates for that constituency, usually in alphabetical order, and sometimes
with a brief description of the candidates‟ backgrounds or their parties. After that, spoiled
ballots are eliminated. The legal ballot papers are counted and the candidate with the most
support is the winner and becomes the Member of Parliament for the constituency.
The Campaign
Three weeks before a general election is the time for the campaign. The campaign takes place
in every constituency all over Britain. Candidates resort to different means to attract their
supporters.
Canvassing
Canvassing means local party workers go from door to door and ask people how they intend
to vote. In this way, candidates can know people‟s voting intentions and attitudes so that they
can adapt their campaign tactics. Party workers also revisit those who have promised to
support their party and urge them to do so on polling day.
 73

Public meetings
Candidates have the right to hold public meetings whenever and wherever available during an
election campaign. They invite guests including influential members of their parties, and well-
know people such as writers, actors and actresses, who support them, to the meetings and try
to influence voters. Such meetings are often covered in detail by the media.
The mass media
Because newspapers and magazines in Britain are privately owned and financially
independent of the political parties, the owners and the editors can decide to support any party
they like, but radio and television are required to be impartial. News programmes cover all
aspects of the major parties‟ campaigns. On these occasions, candidates appear on television
and radio day and night. They are televised in factories, school, youth centers, and the farms,
giving speeches about their party policies. Talkback radio allows people to pose questions to
political leaders, and reports and commentaries from journalists holding interviews with
leading figures from all the parties are broadcast.
Manifestos
The main parties publish manifestos during the election campaign. Manifesto are often
launched by each party at a press conference and inform people of their policies and what they
will do if they win the election. Manifestos might include the past achievements of the party
and can attack the policies of the their opponents.

ASSIGNMENT 17:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Ha Noi- Ha Noi is trying to nearly double its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to US$1,100 per
capita over the next five years.
The ambitious projection has been based on the current annual GDP growth rate of 11.9 per
cent.
Participants at yesterday‟s Ha Noi Communist Party Conference were told if the current
growth rate continues as expected, it should reach 15 per cent by the turn of the century.
This should translate into a doubling of the GDP.
The conference was also told the traditional rural and small industry base of the capital city‟s
economy had rapidly been replaced by industrial endeavor and the trading and services
industries, and that about 19 per cent of Hanoi families could now be classified as well-off.
Last year‟s average GDP was estimated at $650 per capita compared with $470 in 1991.
The sharp rise was due to massive investments from both foreign and domestic sources
estimated as VND32, 570 (about $3.257 billion), according to a senior Ha Noi party official.
Deputy Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee Le Xuan Tung told participants at the
conference yesterday that part of the investment was spent on transfer of new technology and
renovating equipment in existing industrial plants. The major part of the investment, however,
was for setting up new joint ventures with foreign partners.
By the end of 1995, up to 210 foreign investment projects had been licensed to operate in Ha
Noi involving $3.3billion of prescribed capital. Of this amount $1.3billion has been
consumed, Tung said.
 74

This has helped Ha Noi along its chosen path to restructure its economic base towards
industries and services rather than rely on its traditional agricultural and small industry
underpinning.
The proportion of industries and that of trade and services in Ha Noi GDP in the 1991-1995
period rose sharply to 33.1 per cent and 61.6 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile the agricultural share fell to just 5.3 per cent of the total GDP share, Tung said.
Tung said the change in the economic face of Hanoi was because of the sharp increase in the
annual growth rate for the past five years.
He said that a growth rate of 11.9 per cent was ensured year after year, which is almost double
the figure set for the same period by the Ha Noi Party Committee back in 1991.
Tung told participants that by the year 2000 the growth rate would reach 15 per cent per year
and GDP per capita would be estimated at $1,100.
By that stage the industrial share in Ha Noi GDP should reach 40 per cent, up seven per cent
on the current rate.
Five industries have been targeted as the key industries for the city, Tung said.
They include mechanical engineering and electrical equipment production; textiles, garments
and leather goods; the food processing industry electronics; and construction materials.
In the next five years Ha Noi would need up to $9 billion in investment to develop new
industrial zones, renovate existing industrial zones and build more high rise buildings in the
inner city for office space, trade centers and entertainment centers.
Hanoi has about 10 established and five new industrial zones.
Many of the existing industrial areas need intensive-investment to replace old technology, and
expand their premises for more plants.
However the deputy party secretary for Hanoi reminded participants to the conference that
more effort was needed to keep development in line with what he termed as a socialist-
oriented market economy.
Ha Noi authorities had “failed to pay due attention to the consolidation of socialist production
relationships” while the administration at all levels remained weak and “the role of the Party
in different economic and social organizations remained limited,” he said.
Tung‟s comments were supported by Party General Secretary Do Muoi, who also addressed
the conference.
The party leader told the Ha Noi conference that despite its initial success, Ha Noi should be
more aware of economic development and human resource development.
About six per cent of Hanoi‟s population remained unemployed which, Do Muoi said, was a
challenge Ha Noi had to tackle.
Part of the solution was to set up production groups, which could be engaged in small
industries and the services industry.
Deputy Secretary Tung said that in the 1991-1995 period the number of well-to-do families
increased to nearly 19 per cent while those families classified as financially needy dropped to
about two per cent.
 75

ASSIGNMENT 18:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Gardening is a traditional occupation in Vietnam and appeared at the same time or earlier than
water rice cultivation. But VAC (abbreviation for “vuon” (garden), “ao” (pond for keeping
fish) and “chuong” (husbandary) is an economic model that was introduced only 10 years ago.
Foreigners who have come to Vietnam to learn about VAC in Vietnam say it is not very
efficient in production scale and performance, but is a uniform cultivation model bringing
both economic benefit and environmental advantages. From its first days of operation VAC
has continually cemented its role in the national economic development.
VAC now operates in 53 provinces, with over 10 million farmer households using the model.
In recent years, VAC has been expanded in most localities throughout the country. Tens of
thousands of hectares (on average) farms were set up in 13 midland and mountainous
provinces) and -orchards were expanded to 350000-400,000 ha.
This application of VAC became the main fruit suppliers for the country, simultaneously
meeting export demand. According to the FAO, Vietnam's fruit output is at nearly four
million tones per year, world's fruit output per capital at 65 kg, Asia Pacific 31 kg and
Vietnam 61 kg.
VAC has now become significant for the country's poverty alleviation and hunger eradication
campaign providing on - the - spot jobs, prevention of malnutrition, permanent agriculture and
settlement and for plantations for bare hills and barren land.
Living standards of VAC households have improved greatly with revenue from VAC
operations usually providing 60% of household's total income. VAC output value accounts for
one of third of agricultural output value and will probably in-crease further.
VAC has made rapid growth in the last 10 years, but has not penetrated all rural areas. If
intensive cultivation and crop specialization was carried out through out the country,
Vietnam's fruit output could reach 8 million tones per year in the 21st century.
VAC should be considered as a national agricultural programme. If VAC is encouraged to
reach its full potential, it will certainty obtain further effective growth contributing to the
national economy and the environmental protection.
 76

ASSIGNMENT 19:
Translate the following text into English
H«m thø Hai võa råi, c¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu cho r»ng hä ®· cã b»ng
chøng ®Ó kÕt luËn r»ng ph-¬ng ph¸p ®iÒu trÞ thùc nghiÖm b»ng
c¸ch truyÒn huyÕt t-¬ng lµm cho bÖnh ph¸t triÓn chËm lai cho
bÖnh nh©n nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh vµ kÐo dµi thªm thêi gian sèng
cho c¸c bÖnh nh©n AIDS.
Tuy nhiªn, «ng Abraham ë khoa huyÕt häc cña §H Cambridge, nãi
r»ng mÆc dï c¸ch ch÷a bÖnh miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng lµ sù ®ét ph¸
trong viÖc ®iÒu trÞ bÖnh AID S vµ kh«ng g©y ph¶n øng phô nµo,
th× còng kh«ng nªn m« t¶ nã nh- mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ch÷a trÞ.
Trong phÇn tr×nh bµy cña m×nh t¹i mét héi nghÞ ë Lu©n §«n «ng
nãi:’’Døt kho¸t ®ã kh«ng ph¶i lµ mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ch÷a trÞ.
Ch¼ng thÊy g× lµ ch÷a trÞ c¶, nh-ng h×nh nh- nã lµ h×nh thøc
ch÷a trÞ tèt nhÊt.’’
¤ng Karpasnãi viÖc nghiªn cøu cña Ph¸p vµ Mü vÒ c¸ch ch÷a bÖnh
miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng ®-îc th«ng b¸o t¹i héi nghÞ ®· lµm cho
nghiªn cøu ban ®Çu cña «ng v÷ng ch¾c h¬n.
¤ng tuyªn bè trong mét cuéc pháng vÊn qua ®iÖn tho¹i r»ng:’’
ViÖc nghiªn cwuws cã tÝnh chÊt mß mÉm vµ h¹n chÕ b»ng thuèc
trÊn an chøng tá r»ng viÖc ch÷a trÞ nµy cã lîi cho bÖnh nh©n
m¾c bÖnh AID S vµ kÐo dµi thªm thêi gian sèng cña hä.’’
¤ng nãi r»ng nh÷ng nghiªn cøu do c«ng ty Hemacare ë Califonia
vµ hai bÑnh viÖn ë Pa ri tiÕn hµnh còng cho they r»ng c¸ch ch÷a
trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng gióp lµm chem. L¹i sù tÊn c«ng d÷ déi
cuarv bÖnh AIDS ë c¸c bÖnh nh©n khi xÐt nghiÖm they cã HIV
d-¬ng tÝnh, lo¹i vi rót g©y ra bÖnh chÕt ng-êi nµy.’’
Qua c¸ch ch÷a trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng, hµng th¸ng c¸c bÖnh
nh©n ®-îc truyÒn nöa lÝt huyÕt t-¬ng lÊy tõ ng-êi kháe m¹nh cã
nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh. M¸u ®-îc lÊy hÕt c¸c hång cÇu vµ b¹ch
hang cÇu vµ kh«ng cã vi rót HIV, nh-ng cã scws ®Ò kh¸ng trung
hßa cao diÖt ®-îc vi rót.
¤ng Karpras nãi lµ lÇn ®Çu tiªn vµo n¨m 1985 «ng ®· ph¸t hiÖn
nh÷ng ng-êi kháe m¹nh nh-ng bÞ nhiÔm HIV cã søc ®Ò kh¸ng nµy ë
møc cao trong m¸u trong khi c¸c bÖnh nh©n AID S mÊt c¸c kh¸ng
thÓ trung hßa nµy cã kh¶ n¨ng chèng l¹i bÖnh truyÒn nhiÔm.
Bèn bÖnh nh©n ë Cambridge lµ nh÷ng ng-êi ®Çu tiªn ®-îc ch÷a
trÞ theo c¸ch nµy vµ sau ®ã c¸c thö nghiÖm trªn qui m« nhá ®-îc
 77

tiÕn hµnh ë Lu©n §«n vµo n¨m 1988 vµ 1989. Tuy nhiªn «ng
Karpras nãi r»ng «ng kh«ng nhËn ®-îc quyx dµnh cho c¸c nghiªn
cøu nµy ë n-íc Anh do ®ã viÖc nghiªn cøu ph¶i ®-îc tiÕn hµnh ë
Mü vµ Ph¸p.
Thö nghiÖm cña Hemancare nghiªn cøu tÝnh hiÖu qu¶ cña c¸ch
ch÷a trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng ®-îc tiÕn hµnh trªn 220 bÖnh nh©n
AIDS h¬n 3 n¨m. Trong 12 th¸ng ®Çu cuéc thùc nghiÖm cho they
møc tö vong gi¶m rÊt nhiÒu trong khi bÖnh nh©n ®-îc truyÒn
huyÕt t-¬ng, trong khi bÖnh nh©n trong nhãm kiÒm chÕ b»ng thuèc
trÊn an kh«ng ®-îc ch÷a trÞ th× tû lÖ tö vong cao gÊp 5 lÇn.
Nhãm ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ cã 1 ng-êi bÞ chÕt trong sè 21 ng-êi,
trong nhãm ng-êi ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ b»ng thuèc trÊn an th× cã 6
trong tæng sè 30 bÞ tö vong.
H¬n n÷a, sè bÖnh l©y nhiÔm do bÖnh AID S g©y ra thÊp h¬n nhiÒu
trong nhãm ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ vµ chÝnh b¶n th©n nh÷ng ng-êi hiÕn m¸u
h×nh nh- hä còng they cã lîi. C¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu cho r»ng viÖc
hiÕn m¸u cã vÎ nh- kÝch thÝch viÖc s¶n sinh c¸c kh¸ng thÓ trung
hßa trong m¸u cña c¸c bÖnh nh©n nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh.
¤ng Karpras nãi r»ng c¸c nghiªn cøu cña Ph¸p còng ®em l¹i
nh÷ng kÕt qu¶ t-¬ng tù. ¤ng nãi lµ c¸c nghiªn cøu tiªu biÓu cña
Mü vµ Ph¸p cho b»ng chøng kÕt luËn ®Çu tiªn lµ c¸ch ch÷a trÞ
miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng lµ mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ®iÌu trÞ bÖnh AIDS h÷u
hiÖu.’’

ASSIGNMENT 20:
Translate the following text into English
H«m kh¸c, bµ l¹i kÓ vÒ mét gi¸o sÜ bµ biÕt. Vµo mét ®ªm, «ng
ta ®· thøc giÊc vµ thÊy mét ng-êi l¹ mÆt ®ang dùa vµo cuèi
gi-êng «ng. Mét chót lo sî, vÞ gi¸o sÜ ®· b×nh tÜnh hái xem
ng-êi ®ã muèn g×. ‘‘Th-a, con muèn x-ng téi‘‘, víi mét giäng
khµn khµn, ng-êi ®µn «ng ®¸p. VÞ gi¸o sÜ b¶o ng-êi ®ã r»ng h·y
®îi ®Õn s¸ng mai v× lóc nµy kh«ng tiÖn ®Ó x-ng téi. Ng-êi ®µn
«ng l¹i th-a: ‘‘LÇn tr-íc con ®· ®Õn x-ng téi, nh-ng v× xÊu hæ,
con ®· kh«ng nh¾c ®Õn mét téi lçi con ®· g©y ra, vµ ®iÒu nµy ®·
lu«n ¸m ¶nh trong t©m trÝ con cho ®Õn giê. ‘‘ VÞ gi¸o sÜ biÕt
®©y lµ mét tr-êng hîp rÊt tåi tÖ. Ng-êi ®µn «ng ®ã ®· thiÕu
thµnh thËt khi x-ng téi vµ cã lÏ «ng ta sÏ ph¶i nhËn l·nh téi
chÕt.VÞ gi¸o sÜ choµng dËy vµ chuÈn bÞ ¸o quÇn. §Õn lóc tiÕng
gµ b¾t ®Çu g¸y ngoµi s©n, «ng nh×n quanh nh-ng kh«ng thÊy ng-êi
 78

®©u c¶, chØ ngöi thÊy mïi gç ch¸y. ¤ng nh×n l¹i gi-êng nh-ng
còng kh«ng thÊy dÊu ®«i bµn tay ®ang bÞ ch¸y. LÝ do lµ v× ng-êi
®µn «ng ®ã ®· thiÕu ch©n thµnh lóc x-ng téi. C©u chuyªn ®· ®Ó
l¹i trong t«i mét nçi kinh hoµng.
§iÒu tåi tÖ nhÊt lµ lóc bµ Ryan bµy cho chóng t«i c¸ch ®Ó ph¸n
xÐt l-¬ng t©m. Chóng ta kªu tªn §øc Chóa Trêi cã v« cí kh«ng?
Chóng ta cã ph¶i th¶o kÝnh víi cha mÑ kh«ng? (T«i ®· hái bµ ta
lµ cã ph¶i kÝnh träng «ng bµ kh«ng vµ bµ b¶o lµ cã!) Cã yªu
th-¬ng hµng xãm nh- chÝnh cho b¶n th©n m×nh kh«ng? (T«i l¹i
nghÜ ®Õn sè tiÒn mµ Nora cã ®-îc vµo thø s¸u hµng tuÇn.) TÝnh
l¹i th× t«i còng ®· vi ph¹m 10 ®iÒu r¨n, tÊt c¶ chØ v× bµ néi
t«i. Vµ ®Õn b©y giê t«i cã thÓ nhËn ra r»ng chõng nµo néi t«i
cßn ë trong nhµ t«i, chõng ®ã t«i vÉn cßn tiÕp tôc ph¹m téi.
T«i sî x-ng téi ®Õn mÊt hån vÝa. Ngµy c¶ líp ®i, t«i gi¶ vê
®au r¨ng, hy väng sù v¾ng mÆt cña t«i sÏ kh«ng g©y sù chó ý.
Nh-ng vµo lóc 3 giê, khi t«i ®ang c¶m thÊy yªn æn th× mét anh
chµng ch¹y dÕn, cïng víi lêi nh¾n cña bµ Ryan b¶o r»ng t«i ph¶i
x-ng téi vµo ngµy thø b¶y t¹ nhµ nguyÖn cïng ví nh÷ng ng-êi cßn
l¹i. Tåi tÖ h¬n n÷a, mÑ t«i kh«ng ®i cïng t«i mµ l¹i lµ Nora.
Giê ®©y, Nora ®· cã c¸ch lµm t«i ®au ®ín mÇ mÑ kh«ng hÒ biÕt.
Nora n¾m lÊy tay t«i khi chóng t«i xuèng ch©n ®åi, mØm c-êi
buån b·. ChÞ Êy tá vÎ th-¬ng h¹i t«i nh- thÓ chÞ ®ang ®-a t«i
®Õn bÖnh viÖn cho mét ca mæ.
‘‘¤i Chóa ¬i! Xin h·y gióp chóng con! ‘‘ Nora rªn rØ. ‘‘Mµ còng
ch¼ng cã g× ®¸ng tiÕc v× em ®©u ph¶i lµ mét ®øa bÐ ngoan ph¶i
kh«ng Jackie? ¤i, Jackie, tim chÞ ®ang nhãi ®au v× em ®©y! Em
sÏ nghØ nh- thÕ nµo vÒ téi lçi cña m×nh nhØ? Nµy, ®õng quªn
x-ng c¸i téi em ®· ph¹m víi bµ ®Êy nhÐ! ‘‘
‘‘§Ó em ®i! ‘‘, võa nãi t«i cè giËt tay m×nh ra khái tay Nora.
‘‘Em kh«ng muèn ®i x-ng téi ®©u‘‘
‘‘Sao l¹i kh«ng, em ph¶i ®i Jackie ¹!‘‘ Nora còng ®¸p l¹i víi
giäng ®iÖu ®µy vÎ th-¬ng h¹i ®ã. ‘‘Em ph¶i ®i, nÕu kh«ng cha xø
sÏ ®Õn nhµ t×m em ®Êy. Cã Chóa míi biÕt, chÞ kh«ng c¶m thÊy téi
cho em chót nµo c¶. Em cã nhí c¸i lÇn em ®· cè giÕt chÞ b»ng
con dao c¾t b¸nh m× kh«ng? Vµ c¶ nh÷ng lêi lÏ em ®· nãi n÷a?
ChÞ kh«ng biÕt råi Cha sÏ lµm g× víi em. Cã thÓ Cha sÏ göi em
cho ®øc Gi¸m Môc. ‘‘
 79

M·i tËn b©y giê t«i vÉn cßn nhí lµ t«i ®· suy nghÜ mét c¸ch
cay ®¾ng ®Õn thÕ nµo. T«i nghÜ nÕu t«i cã ®i x-ng téi th× chÞ
Êy sÏ kh«ng biÕt ®Õn mét nöa nh÷ng g× t«i sÏ ph¶i nãi vµ lóc Êy
t«i bçng hiÓu t¹i sao c¸i anh chµng trong c©u chuyÖn cña bµ
Ryan ®· x-ng téi mét c¸ch kh«ng thµnh thËt. D-êng nhuwtooi còng
c¶m th¸y rÊt xÊu hæ v× mäi ng-êi ®· kh«ng ngõng chª tr¸ch anh
chµng ¸y.
T«i vÉn cßn nhí nh- in c¸i ®åi cã con dèc dÉn xuèng nhµ thê.
T«i cßn nhí c¶ nh÷ng ¸nh tµ d-¬ng tr¶i dµi hai bªn ngän ®åi n»m
xa xa c¸i thung lòng bªn bê s«ng. Trong c¶nh t-îng Êy, khi quay
nh×n l¹i nh÷ng kho¶ng kh«ng cña nh÷ng ng«i nhµ n»m c¸ch nhau,
t«i bæng liªn t-ëng ®Õn c¸i nh×n cuèi cïng cña Adam vÒ v-ên ®Þa
®µng.
Khi Nora ®· kÐo t«i xuèng hÕt nh÷ng bËc tam cÊp ®Õn s©n nhµ
thê, chÞ Êy bçng ®æi giäng. Nora trë nªn hung d÷ vµ ®éc ¸c nh-
chÝnh con ng-êi thËt cña chÞ Êy. ‘‘§Õn råi ®ã’’ Nora cÊt cao
giäng rÊt tù m·n råi quay manh ng-êi ®i nhanh vµo cöa nhµ thê.
Khi s¾p b-íc ®i, chÞ kh«ng quªn nÐm mét c©u n÷a: ‘‘Vµ tau hi
väng Cha sÏ cho mµy ®äc thËt nhiÒu kinh hèi lçi. §óng lµ ®å h-
®èn. ‘‘
Råi th× t«i biÕt m×nh ®· bÞ l¹c lâng thËt sù. T«i ®ang ®øng
tr-íc ‘‘Tßa ph¸n xÐt‘‘. Khi t«i b-íc vµo, c¸ch cöa víi nh÷ng «
kÝnh ®Çy mµu s¾c bçng ®ãng sÇm sau l-ng t«i. ¸nh mÆt trêi vôt
t¾t ®Ó nh-êng chç cho bãng tèi th¼m s©u. Giã cø xµo x¹c bªn
ngoµi lµm cho sù im lÆng bªn trong d-êng nh- vì ra l¹nh gi¸
d-íi ch©n t«i. Nora ngåi ®ã, ®èi diÖn víi cËu bÐ Jackie, bªn
c¹ch tßa x-ng téi. Tr-íc Nora cã thªm hai cô giµ n÷a. Råi bçng
nhiªn, mét bãng ®en tr«ng rÊt th¶m h¹i ®ang di ®Õn ®øng sau
l-ng t«i cø nh- thÓ kÑp t«i vµo gi÷a ®Ó t«i kh«ng thÓ nµo tho¸t
®-îc dÉu t«i cã can ®¶m ®Õn ®©u. C¸i bãng ®en míi ®Õn - mét
ng-êi ®µn «ng- ®øng ®ã, vßng tay l¹i, m¾t dâi lªn cao cÇu
nguyÖn víi mét giäng rÊt ®çi thèng hèi. Lóc Êy t«i tù hái m×nh
liÖu «ng Êy cã ph¶i lµ ng-êi còng gièng néi t«i kh«ng. Bëi v×
chØ cã bµ míi khiÕn cho mét chµng trai ph¶i c- xö mét c¸ch th¶m
th-¬ng nh- vËy. Nh-ng dï sao, anh Êy vÉn tèt h¬n t«i. Ýt ra anh
ta ®· ®Õn ®©y ®Ó x-ng téi. Cßn t«i, cã thÓ t«i sÏ kh«ng x-ng
téi mét c¸ch thµnh thËt, råi t«i sÏ bÞ chÕt ®i trong bãng ®ªm
vµ liªn tôc trë vÒ ®Ó ph¸ ph¸ch ®å ®¹c.
 80

ASSIGNMENT 21:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
1. Generally, after a time of stagnation, HCMC' s private textile embroidery industry has
recovered and develop somewhat since 1991. Yet development is not stable because most
private units work according to foreign orders. Consequently, they can't control their
production plan, and labour price for making garments is limited by foreign partners (the
labour cost of 1995 is equal to 65 - 70% of that in 1991 - 1992). Due to the very nature of the
industry, the average wage of those working in this branch is only about VND 400,000 per
month. Under the current fierce competition, the amount of 15% of total wages for social
insurance and 2% for medical insurance that enterprises must contribute, if the proposed
social insurance scheme comes into effect, will push up production costs to very high levels,
making it difficult for Vietnamese ventures to compete effectively and occupy the market.
To help private textile embroidery businesses survive, Mr. Nam has suggested, the State
should amend the contribution rate of non - State ventures to Social Insurance schemes, as
follows:
- Social Insurance: 10% by enterprise, 3% by employee.
- Medical Insurance: 1 % by enterprises, 1 % by employee
The State should also issue a regulation concerning employees who are trained and recruited
by an enterprise, and are obligated to work for at least two years. It is necessary that
employees working at non-- State ventures should be given a work card. Employer agreement
may be required if an employee want to leave his or her job.
All members of HCMC's Textile - Embroidery Association agree on the implementation of
contributing a part of total wages to Social and Medical Insurance, in compliance with the
Labour Code.
2. Business leaders of big companies in HCMC have voiced difficulties they are facing with
in the fierce competition against foreign companies, especially world giants.
At a meeting on "How to encourage foreign investment and protect domestic production" held
in HCMC last week, producers of Tico and Lux Detergent, P/S Cosmetics, Tribeco Soft
Drink, Viet Thang Textiles, Saigon Beer and HCMC Poultry Company, had the same opinion
that local enterprises are not in an equal footing in competing with foreign counterparts as
they do not enjoy tax incentives as foreign-invested enterprises.
Only a year after the US embargo was lifted, soft drink giants such as Coca Cola and Pepsi
Cola, which have enjoyed superior advantages in capital, marketing policies and preferences
under the Foreign Investment Law, have gradually eaten into the market shares of local
producers. Other products are also in the same situation. Saigon Beer has to compete fiercely
with breweries of foreign Joint-ventures. Local detergent producers, although capable of
meeting domestic demand to the year 2000, have driven into the corner by giants such as
Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
To protect domestic production, local producers have proposed several measures to the
Government. First, the State should devise specific development plans for foreign investment
in terms of business field and geographical area and should not encourage foreign investment
in products, which local enterprises can produce such as soft drink, detergent, paper and
 81

cigarettes. Second, licenses should be granted only to JVs or 100% foreign-owned enterprises,
which involve in projects requiring large capital, advanced technology or producing goods for
export. Third, a law should be enacted against unfair competition that can lead to monopoly,
dumping or price inflation that does not benefit consumers. Fourth, there should be a policy to
encourage domestic investment and to grant domestic enterprises the same tax incentives as
foreign investors enjoy. Fifth, a campaign to motivate local consumers to use domestic goods
should be launched, creating conditions for domestic enterprises to develop.

ASSIGNMENT 22:
Translate the following text into English
Ng-êi nghÌo th-êng cã nhiÒu con h¬n nh÷ng ng-êi thuéc giíi
trung l-u vµ th-îng l-u. Vµ d©n ë c¸c n-íc kÐm ph¸t triÓn th×
cã nhiÒu con h¬n d©n cña c¸c n-íc ph¸t triÓn. Ngµy cµng cã
nhiÒu chuyªn gia vÒ d©n sè thÊy ®-îc mèi quan hÖ kh¨ng khÝt
gi÷a sè con trong gia ®×nh vµ sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ.
T¹i mét vµi vïng, dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh cña chÝnh phñ
cã lÏ kh«ng cã ®èi víi d©n nghÌo do ®iÒu kiÖn ®Þa lý. Ch¼ng h¹n
nh- ng-êi d©n ë n«ng th«n sèng qu¸ xa trung t©m kÕ ho¹ch hãa
gia ®×nh. Do vËy hä kh«ng nhËn ®-îc th«ng tin vÒ c¸ch thøc h¹n
chÕ sinh ®Î. Nh×n chung th× d©n thµnh thÞ cã nhiÒu th«ng tin
h¬n d©n n«ng th«n. D©n ë thµnh thÞ ®-îc hæ trî dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch
hãa gia ®×nh, vµ hä cã gia ®×nh Ýt con h¬n. V× thÕ chóng ta cã
thÓ nãi r»ng vÞ trÝ ®Þa lý n¬i mµ ng-êi d©n sèng ®ãng mét vai
trß qan träng trong viÖc quyÕt dÞnh mät gia ®×nh nªn sinh bao
nhiªu con: Gia ®×nh sèng ë thµnh thÞ th× cã Ýt con h¬n gia ®×nh
sèng ë n«ng th«n.
Nh÷ng lý do kh¸c lµ g×? Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ gia ®×nh, hay ë
mét ph¹m vi lín h¬n lµ cña mét n-íc, lµ mét nh©n tè quan träng
trong viÖc quyÕt ®Þnh sè con trong gia ®×nh. Ng-êi cã nhiÒu
tiÒn th× cã Ýt con. Ng-îc l¹i, ng-êi nghÌo ë n-íc kÐm ph¸t
triÓn muèn cã nhiÒu con. T¹i sao? Do hä ph¶i lÖ thuéc vµo sù
ch¨m sãc cña con c¸i khi vÒ giµ. Hä kh«ng cã b¶o hiÓm, tiÒn
h-u, hay sù gióp ®ì cña chÝnh phñ. Khi hä giµ c¶ th× ai sÏ gióp
hä. C©u tr¶ lêi rÊt ®¬n gi¶n. Hä cã thÓ vµ sÏ quay sang nhê con
c¸i gióp ®ì. Con c¸i cña hä b©y giê ®· trë thµnh ng-êi lín vµ
®ang ®i lµm viÖc. TÊt c¶ con c¸i cña hä ®Òu ph¶i chia sÏ vµ
g¸nh v¸c tr¸ch nhiÖm ch¨m sãc cha mÑ. §èi vãi nhiÒu ng-êi
nghÌo, mét gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ mét c¸ch thøc ®Ó ho¹ch ®Þnh cho
t-¬ng lai. Chóng ta cã thÓ nãi r»ng gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ nguån
b¶o hiÓm cho tuæi giµ.
 82

ASSIGNMENT 23:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
“Indonesia will face a record food deficit this year as a result of lower harvests and a
financial crisis that has raised the cost of imports”, two UN food agencies said yesterday.
In a joint report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the world Food
programme (WFP) said large - scale international assistance would be needed to meet a short
fall in rice, the country's main staple food.
" FA0 - WFP urge donor countries to assist Indonesia in managing its drought- and financial
crisis- related food problems " the report by the two Rome - based organizations said. Steep
food price increases and rapidly growing unemployment were adding large numbers of people
to those already living below the poverty line, the report added.
" Approximately 7,5 million poor Indonesians in 15 provinces may experience acute food
short ages during the upcoming dry season ". said the report on the world's fourth - most
populous country whose economy has been shattered. The report was based on findings of an
11-- member mission from the two agencies, which visited the country from March 9 to April
1 in 1998. This year‟s yield would be about 47.5 million tones, 3.6 percent below last year's
production.
The shortfall was due to one of Indonesia's worst droughts this century. The report said the
Indonesian government planned to import about 1.5 million tones of rice between April and
September but this would still leave a deficit of two million tones.
The shortfall would have to be made up by the international community in order to help the
country to revive its battered economy.
The major challenge facing the country was to ensure the food supply for some 7.5 million
poor people since rice and overall food prices have increased by about 60 percent in the last
12 months, the report said.

ASSIGNMENT 24:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Vietnam on Wednesday said it would join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) next year, dispelling speculation that Hanoi might put off membership until it. was
better prepared.
"Vietnam is now actively preparing all necessary conditions to become a full member of
ASEAN next year," Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told business people over lunch
organised by the Switzerland - based World Economic Forum (WEF), which is hosting a three
day meeting here.
Khai said that Hanoi would also participate in other regional organisations and would join the
17 - member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum "When it is possible".
 83

In Jakarta, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Khoan was quoted as saying that his
country would file an application for ASEAN membership by the end of this month or early in
November.
Khoan, who was speaking after meeting Jakarta - based ASEAN Secretary - general Ajil,
Singh, said he did not expect any difficulties in joining, as quoted by the Antara news agency.
APEC 's members include the ASEAN countries- - Brunei; Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand- - as well as the United States, Canada, Japan and China.
An informal APEC leaders meeting will be held in Indonesia next month.
Vietnam, which gained observer status in ASEAN in 1992, has said it is keen to become a full
member of the group, which has ambitious programmes for cooperation, including the launch
of an ASEAN Free Trade Area within 10 years.
ASEAN officials had hoped that Vietnam might join ASEAN before leaders of the group 's
six current members hold their next summit in Thailand in December 1995.
"There are already regulations for cooperation in ASEAN. Once we are a member we will
follow all regulations," Khai told reporters later, adding that Hanoi would work with others in
Southeast Asia to ensure regional peace.
Khai said his government would push ahead with reforms to improve conditions for foreign
investment by putting a new legal framework and better administrative procedures in place.
"We deeply understand that Vietnam is facing great challenges of global economic
competition and so must try hard to do away with the danger of being left far behind by
neighbouring countries, "he said
ASSIGNMENT 25:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
1. Ngành sản xuất đã phát triển đáng kể trong thời kỳ tái thiết nền kinh tế của Philippines sau
Chiến tranh Thế giới thứ II. Việc kiểm soát hàng hoá nhập khẩu của chính phủ đã thúc đẩy sự
phát triển ngành công nghiệp nhẹ sản xuất các mặt hàng tiêu dùng cho thị trường trong nước.
Vào những năm 70, chính phủ đã xây dựng bốn đặc khu kinh tế nhằm tăng cường sản xuất
hàng hoá xuất khẩu. Các ngành công nghiệp trong các khu chế xuất này được khuyến khích
sản xuất các mặt hàng xuất khẩu truyền thống. Những đặc khu kinh tế này đã thu hút vốn đầu
tư của nước ngoài vào Philippines một phần nhờ vào chính sách miễn thuế cho các doanh
nghiệp có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài. Xây dựng thành công những đặc khu kinh tế này đã tạo tiền
đề cho sự ra đời các khu công nghiệp có qui mô lớn hơn. Chẳng hạn như, căn cứ hải quân
Subic Bay của Mỹ trước đây nay đã trở thành một khu thương mại-công nghiệp khổng lồ ở
Manila. Một khu công nghiệp-thương mại lớn với cơ sở hạ tầng hiện đại và được miễn thuế đã
thu hút các ngành công nghiệp sản xuất hàng xuất khẩu và đầu tư nước ngoài.

2. Việt Nam đã nổ lực duy trì sự ổn định chính trị xã hội, phát triển kinh tế và quan hệ ngoại
giao trong những năm gần đây. Những thay đổi tích cực của luật pháp đã ảnh hưởng không
nhỏ đến tình hình sản xuất, tài chính và thương mại. Nhờ nông nghiệp thích ứng với thị
trường tự do nên Việt Nam được xếp là nước xuất khẩu gạo lớn thứ hai trên thế giới sau Thái
Lan. Tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh và vùng phụ cận những hoạt động dịch vụ và sản xuất đã
phát triển và thay đổi nhanh chóng. Kinh tế phát triển mạnh một phần nhờ vào nguồn đầu tư
vốn và công nghệ của gần 2 triệu Việt Kiều ở các nước trên thế giới. Đa số họ đã quay trở về
Việt Nam để đầu tư và liên lạc với bà con.
 84

3. ChØ 1 n¨m sau khi lÖnh cÊm vËn cña Mü ®-îc b·i bá, c¸c c«ng
ty n-íc gi¶i kh¸t khæng lå nh- Coca-cola, Pep si- Cola ®-îc
h-ëng -u ®·i vÒ vèn, chÝnh s¸ch tiÕp thÞ vµ c¸c -u ®·i kh¸c
theo luËt §Çu T- N-íc Ngoµi, nªn c¸c c«ng ty nµy ®· dÇn dÇn
th©m nhËp thÞ phÇn cña c¸c nhà s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc. C¸c s¶n
phÈm kh¸c còng r¬i vµo hoµn c¶nh t-¬ng tù. Bia Sµi Gßn ph¶i
c¹nh tranh quyÕt liÖt víi c¸c c«ng ty bia liªn doanh víi n-íc
ngoµi. C¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt bét giÆt trong n-íc, mÆc dï cã thÓ ®¸p
øng nhu cÇu trong n-íc ®Õn n¨m 2005, nh-ng l¹i bÞ c¸c c«ng ty
khæng lå nh- Procter & Gamble vµ Unilever dån vµo thÕ bÝ.

4. §Ó b¶o vÖ viÖc s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt trong
n-íc ®· ®Ò nghÞ víi chÝnh phñ mét sè biÖn ph¸p. Thø nhÊt, nhµ
n-íc nªn cã kÕ ho¹ch ph¸t triÓn dµnh riªng cho viÖc ®Çu t- n-íc
ngoµi vÒ l·nh vùc kinh doanh vµ ph©n bè theo vïng ®Þa lý vµ
kh«ng nªn khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi vµo viÖc s¶n xuÊt ra
c¸c s¶n phÈm mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc cã kh¶ n¨ng s¶n
xuÊt ®-îc nh- n-íc gi¶i kh¸t, bét giÆt, giÊy vµ thuèc l¸. Thø
hai, viÖc cÊp giÊy phÐp nªn ®-îc ¸p dông cho c¸c c«ng ty liªn
doanh hay c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi tham gia
vµo c¸c dù ¸n ®ßi hái cã nhiÒu vèn, c«ng nghÖ cao hay s¶n xuÊt
c¸c mÆt hµng xuÊt khÈu. Thø ba, lµ nªn cã mét ®¹o luËt chèng
®èi viÖc c¹nh tranh kh«ng lµnh m¹nh cã thÓ dÉn ®éc quyÒn kinh
doanh, ph¸ gi¸ lµm h¹i ng-êi tiªu dïng.

5. Trong tiếng Việt, từ “nước” vừa có ý nghĩa là quốc gia, vừa có ý nghĩa là nước, một liên kết
về ngôn ngữ mà mối ràng buộc càng thấy rõ ràng sau một chuyến đi thăm vùng đất phì nhiêu
nhất Việt Nam: Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long. Do phù sa bồi đắp của dòng sông Cửu Long làm
phong phú vựa lúa đầy ắp này, tượng trưng cho nguồn lương thực của cả nước cũng như
phong cách sinh hoạt kề cận sông nước của cư dân trong vùng. Đối với du khách, Đồng bằng
sông Cửu Long là một trong những địa chỉ tham quan đẹp nhất Đông Nam Á, kết hợp cái kỳ
ảo của vùng sông nước lung linh với cảnh quan đầy phấn khởi của một nền văn hoá vui tươi
thể hiện qua cách sinh hoạt của dân địa phương cùng hoạt động thương mại. Trong khi những
thành phố lớn như Cần Thơ, Mỹ Tho, Long Xuyên lập thành thế vững cho các tỉnh của Đồng
bằng sông Cửu Long thì mạng lưới kênh rạch mênh mông lại là cái duyên có một không hai
của vùng này. Sinh hoạt vui nhộn của vùng này không giống mấy với cách sinh hoạt của
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Tuy nhiên điều đó không có nghĩa là phải khó khăn lắm mới tới
được Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long để thoát khỏi cái ồn ào náo nhiệt của thành phố lớn nhất
Miền Nam này. Chỉ mất chừng ba giờ đồng hồ bằng xe đò trên Quốc lộ 1 là bạn là bạn đến
Mỹ Tho, thủ phủ của tỉnh Tiền Giang và là điểm xuất phát tốt cho cuộc thăm dò vùng đồng
bằng này.
 79

CHAPTER 3: ASSIGNMENT KEYS

ASSIGNMENT 1:
II. EXERCISES:
A.
1. change of form
2. change of meaning
3. change of form
4. change of meaning
5. change of form
B
6.the jug contains water/ the jug of water/
7. a car was bought by John/ John owned a car/ A car belonged to John.
8. the day is hot/ the day, which is hot
9. a blue long dress of mother/ mother has a blue long dress
10. the house of Peter/ Peter is the owner of the house/ Peter owns the house
C.
1. the place where doctor works/ the docter owns the office
2 someone is treated by the doctor
3. thec doctor owns the book
4. the relative of the doctor/ the kinship
5. the hand is part of the doctor
6. the doctor owns the house
D.
1. the same in meaning
2. different in meaning
3. the same in meaning
4 . the same in meaning
5. the same in meaning
6. the same in meaning
7. the same in meaning
8. different in meaning
9. the same in meaning
10. different in meaning
E.
 80

1. Where did you have/ get your shirt made?

2. Da Lat, which is surrounded by the great/imposing hills and mountains, takes up/covers/is
situated in a large area on the Lam Vien Plateau.
3. Despite the great improvement in the woman status, other things must be done to improve
women’s health, nutrition and education.

4. Nowadays, the world has been facing a number of serious problems in spite of the fact that
there have been dramatic progress in science, technologyand knowledge. One of the problems
is the population explosion/boom in the developing countries. The population is growing in
geometric progression while thee production of goods is growing in arithmetic prgression .

5. Charles Dickens, who belongs to the school of critical realism, is one of the greatest
novelists in the world. What we value in his works is the criticism about evils and the contrast
between the wealth and poverty in the English bougeois society of his time. The world he
describes is that of the middle and lower classes in London.

ASSIGNMENT 2:
II.
A. 1. b. 2.a 3. a 4.a
B.
1. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for this hotel has been recommended by their
friends.
2. Since the USA lifted the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
3. Hue is famous for its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
4. The participants discussed the causes of pollution environment.
5 . A motorcycle rider was robbed at Kampung early yesterday morning.
C.
1. change word order
2. change structure/ change word collocation
3. change set expression
4. change the meaning of the verb and adjective
5. omitting relative clause
D.
1. Thac Mo is a hydroelectric works with a designed of 150000 KW, annually produce 600
million KWH/ has an average annual output of 150000 KWH.
2. To construct this, nearly 15 million cubic meters of earth and stone must be dug up and
banked up; over 350000 cubic meters of filtering layers were embanked; about 220000 cubic
 81

meters of concrete were used and nearly 7000 tons of equipment and metal structures were
installed.
3. Despite such enormous volume, the government has decided to have the construction
finished in two years since the demand in power supply of southern localities has become very
pressing.
4. So far, the construction units have carried out about 90% of the dug-up earth volume,
concreted some 40% of the concrete volume.
5. According Mr. Nguyen Ba Man, head of the work managing committee, nearly all the basic
items have met the demand in construction speed.
6. In mid November 93, the Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet came to inspect the building of Thac
Mo Hydroelectric works.
7. The field leaders assured the Prime Minister that they already have grounds to ensure the
operation of Turbine 1 in June 1994.
8. The task of blocking the current of Song Be River will start in December.
9. Thus, there will be a significant coincidence when Turbine 1 of Thac Mo Hydro-electric
Plant starts operating. The North-South 500 KV transmission line will also be completed
simultaneously.
10. With these sources of power in 1994, the South will basically free itself from the hunger
for electricity.
D.
1. MÆc dï kÓ tõ n¨m 1990, ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc dµnh cho c¸c
tr-êng häc ®· ®-îc t¨ng lªn nh-ng vÉn cßn rÊt thÊp so víi nhu
cÇu trang bÞ ®Çy ®ñ cho tr-êng häc vµ c¶i tiÕn chÊt l-îng ®µo
t¹o.
2. Tæng thèng Putin kh¼ng ®Þnh r»ng n-íc Nga lu«n coi träng
mèi quan hÖ víi ViÖt Nam , ng-êi b¹n truyÒn thèng vµ lµ ®èi t¸c
chiÕn l-îc ë §«ng Nam ¸.
3. Ng-êi ta lËp dù ¸n ®Ó t¨ng thªm c¬ héi héi nhËp cho 3000
trÎ em khuyÕt tËt ë ba tØnh , mét ë vïng nói, mét ë vïng duyªn
h¶i MiÒn Trung vµ mét ë vïng s©u vïng xa
4. Hä ®· th¶o luËn mét lo¹t c¸c biÖn ph¸p nh»m môc ®Ých b¶o
®¶m sù hîp t¸c toµn diÖn vÒ kinh tÕ, th-¬ng m¹i, khoa häc vµ kü
thuËt.
5. Ng-êi ta ®ang thùc hiÖn mäi næ lùc ®Ó n©ng cao nhËn thøc
cña phô n÷ vÒ viÖc hä cã quyÒn ®-îc h-ëng sù an toµn lao ®éng ,
hay ®iÒu kiÖn vÖ sinh lao ®éng th«ng qua m¹ng l-íi truyÒn
th«ng më réng.
6. Râ rµng r»ng c¸c tr-êng häc ë c¸c tØnh phÝa nam cã nhiÒu
phßng m¸y vµ phßng thùc hµnh ®-îc dïng vµo viÖc ngo¹i ng÷ h¬n
c¸c tr-êng ë c¸c tØnh phÝa B¾c.
7. §· cã bèn dù ¸n ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi cho gi¸o dôc. Vèn ®Çu t-
chñ yÕu tõ Ng©n Hµng ThÕ Giíi vµ Ng©n hµng Ph¸t triÓn Ch©u ¸.
 82

8. 38 trong sè 50 sinh viªn ngo¹i ng÷ ®-îc b¸o Vietnam Courier

nãi r»ng hä kh«ng thÝch lµm viÖc cho c¸c c«ng ty ®-îc n-íc
ngoµi ®Çu t-.
9. ViÖt Nam vµ Trung Quèc ®ång ý më c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n ®Ó ký
kÕt mét hiÖp ®Þnh vÒ l·nh thæ vµ biªn giíi vµ mét hiÖp ®Þnh vÒ
l·nh h¶i tr-íc n¨m 2000.
10. Míi ®©y chÝnh phñ ®· d-a ra biÖn ph¸p khÝch lÖ nh- gi¶m
thuÕ hoÆc cho vay -u ®·i cho nh÷ng chñ nh©n sö dông nhiÒu c«ng
nh©n n÷.

ASSIGNMENT 3:
Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1. Since early in the last lunar month, Tet has already roamed around the vicinities of Hanoi.
2. The peasants in the suburbs are probably the ones to feel the presence of Tet before anyone
else because all their tasks from taking care of vegetables, fruits, grass, flowers to fattening
pigs and poultry are for Tet’s sake.
3. Moving down from Kinh Bac, we will see immense fields of flowers especially gladioli of
all colors.
4. Adjacent to the inner city are flower districts: Nhat Tan, Nghi Tam, Quang Ba with a
number of varieties: dark pink peach blossoms, juicy golden kamquat, purplish violet and
bright red gerbera .
5. A few year ago, here was a vast land of flowers sufficiently meeting the need of ornamental
plants for Hanoi people.
6. The local inhabitants have long been artisans devoting their lives to growing flowers.
7. It is a regret to see the narrowing flower acreage due to a change in business of a number of
artisans.
8. Some have sold their land and left their occupations forever. Others have turned to building
luxury villas rented out as mini hotels to foreign tourists with their own capital or in
cooperation with those who have capital.
9. Stores and shops have musroomed, selling all kinds of goods from the most popular to the
top-graded ones.
10 No wonder why Hanoi has changed and been developed in the open-door time. Hopefully,
Hanoi and its people will always deserve the land of age-old culture.
B
1. Mµn tr×nh diÔn chÝnh cña lÔ héi lµ mét mµn diÔn mang tªn ‘‘
§Êt Lµnh Chim §Ëu’’ d-îc tr×nh diÔn ®ång thêi ë ba s©n khÊu lín
ë khu trung t©m.
2. Toµn bé khu vùc quanh ®Òn tËp trung ®Æc kÝn ng-êi, chØ chõa
méy kho¶ng nhá cho nh÷ng nghi lÔ ®-îc tiÕn hµnh.
 83

3. §Ó gi¶m bít chi phÝ trong viÖc t¨ng kh¶ n¨ng tiÕp cËn c¶u
trÎ em tµn tËt víi gi¸o dôc, chÝnh phñ ®· ph¸t ®éng ch-¬ng
tr×nh gi¸o dôc vµ héi nhËp céng ®ång.

4. Trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y ®Ó lËp l¹i trËt tù c«ng céng, Hµ
Néi ®· dêi mét sè khu chî t¹m ®Õn nh÷ng vïng ®· ®-îc qui ®Þnh.
Nh-ng trong sè 4 khu chî ®¨ ®-îc qui ®Þnh , th× chØ cã chî §ång
T©m ®-îc dêi tõ khu d©n c- §èng §a sang khu vùc §¹i La.

5. Ngoµi viÖc ®Çu t- tõ ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc, tÊt c¶ c¸c tr-êng
häc ph¶i t×m c¸c nguån tµi chÝnh kh¸c ®Ó mua ®å dïng d¹y häc.
Tuy nhiªn, c¸c nguån nµy chØ b»ng 13% ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc dµnh
cho c¸c tr-êng phæ th«ng vµ 21% cho c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc.
6. Tæng thu nhËp ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc ®¹t xÊp xØ møc ®Ò ra ban
®Çu. Nh÷ng nguån chi tiªu b×nh th-êng vÉn ®-îc ®¶m b¶o, trong
khi ®ã c¸c kho¶n chi bÊt th-êng cho c¸c vïng bÞ b·o, lôt, h¹n
h¸n vÉn ®-îc thùc hiÖn. ViÖc th©m hôt ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc ®-îc
gi÷ ë møc cho phÐp lµ 3,6% tæng thu nhËp quèc néi vµo n¨m 1998,
thÊp h¬n n¨m 1997 lµ 4,2%.
7.. Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ cña ViÖt Nam ph¶i ®-îc xÐt trong
hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi. Hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh Êy ®· g©y
ra nhiÒu thiÖt h¹i vÒ sinh m¹ng vµ tµi s¶n còng nh- c¸c c«ng
tr×nh c«ng céng vµ tµi nguyªn.

8. M¹ng l-íi truyÒn h×nh ®ang x©y dùng réng kh¾p c¶ n-íc.
Ngoµi nh÷ng ®µi truyÒn h×nh t-¬ng ®èi hiÖn ®¹i, cã tõ l©u ®êi
nh- ®µi truyÒn h×nh Hµ Néi vµ Thµnh Phè Hå ChÝ Minh, cßn cã 25
®µi thuéc c¸c tØnh ®-îc thµnh lËp vµo n¨m 1988. Nh÷ng ®µi
truyÒn h×nh nµy sÏ truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh quan träng cña ®µi
truyÒn h×nh trung -¬ng vµ ph¸t ch-¬ng tr×nh cña ®µi m×nh.

9. Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam ®-îc cö ®¹i diÖn ë Quèc Héi
vµ chñ tÞch héi ®-îc quyÒn tham dù c¸c cuéc häp th-êng kú cña
Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng ®Ó bµy tá quan ®iÓm cña Héi vµ ®Ò nghÞ nh÷ng
®iÒu lÖ liªn quan ®Õn phô n÷.

10. Gia ®×nh ViÖt Nam chÞu ¶nh h-áng râ rÖt cña nÒn v¨n minh
n«ng nghiÖp. Do chÝnh s¸ch më cöa, nÒn v¨n minh c«ng nghiÖp
®ang t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy, tõng giê vµo cuéc sèng gia ®×nh ViÖt
Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 4:
 84

A.
1. to give information
2. about invironmental protection / to be more exact, it is about deforestation.
3. It depends on the leaners’ ability.
4. yes/ a bilingual dictionary and the context could help to discover the meanings of these
words.
5.yes
6. ` N¹N PH¸ RõNG
Sù gia t¨ng d©n sè lµ mét nh©n tè g©y ra n¹n ph¸ rõng nhiÖt
®íi. Tuy nhiªn, nÕu cho r»ng viÖc më réng mét nÒn n«ng nghiÖp
tù cung tù cÊp ®Ó nu«i sèng nhiÒu miÖng ¨n h¬n lµ nguyªn nh©n
chÝnh, th× ®©y lµ mét gi¶i thÝch v« c¨n cø. §¹i bé phËn rõng ë
Ch©u Mü La Tinh, §N¸ vµ Th¸i B×nh D-¬ng bÞ tµn ph¸ lµ do viÖc
khai hoang ®Ó trång c¸c lo¹i n«ng s¶n xuÊt khÈu vµ do c¸c ho¹t
®éng bu«n b¸n gç , chø kh«ng ph¶i do n¹n du canh, du c- vµ t¸
®iÒn g©y nªn. Hµng n¨m ho¹t ®éng bu«n b¸n gç ®· ph¸ huû 4500
km2 rõng, phÇn lín gç ®-îc xuÊt khÈu sang Mü vµ NhËt.
Mèi liªn hÖ gi÷a n¹n ph¸ rõng vµ nhu cÇu thµnh lËp x· héi phån
vinh ®-îc thÊy râ nÐt nhÊt ë Trung Mü vµ Brazin n¬i nh÷ng c¸nh
rõng nhiÖt ®íi ®· bÞ biÕn thµnh ®ång cá ch¨n th¶ v× viÖc nu«i
gia sóc mang l¹i c¸c kho¶n lîi nhuËn xuÊt khÈu gióp tr¶ nî n-íc
ngoµi. Kho¶n nî n-íc ngoµi khæng lå ®ang ®Ì nÆng lªn vai d©n
nghÌo chñ yÕu ®-îc dïng ®Ó trang tr¶i cho c¸c kho¶n mua s¾m xa
xØ cña chÝnh phñ vµ qu©n ®éi. ViÖc x©y dùng c¸c ®iÒn trang ch¨n
th¶ réng lín lµ nguyªn nh©n chÝnh dÉn ®Õn viÖc ph¸ huû 2000 km2
rõng nhiÖt ®íi hµng n¨m ë Trung vµ Nam Mü. §Êt khai hoang chñ
yÕu dïng cho viÖc nu«i bß xuÊt khÈu phôc vô cho ngµnh c«ng
nghiÖp thøc ¨n nhanh ë B¾c Mü, Ch©u ¢u vµ NhËt- vïng xøng víi
tªn gäi lµ ‘‘vïng giao l-u hamburger’’
A.
1. to give information
2. about Vietnam,its language and people
3. It depends on the leaners’ ability.
4. yes/ a bilingual dictionary and the context could help to discover the meanings of these
words.
5.yes
COUNTRY
Our ancestors drank the water from the Red River, Da River, Me Kong River and tried hard/
spare no pain to protect them. Just think about the fact that very few languages in the world
enjoy the uniformity as in the case of our mother tongue. In Vietnam, the word “nuoc” (in the
river, lake and sea) have a synonym and homonym of the word “nuoc” signifying homeland.
 85

Here like an immortal bloc the rivers and people are closely linked to the nature and people by
a kind of everlasting cement. That is the patriotism of the Vietnamese people.

In the world, there are many countries where people cannot communicate with one another
when they travel from one province to another. In Vietnam, on the contrary, no matter where
they are from, the north or the south, people are able to understand one another right at the
first meeting.

ASSIGNMENT 5:
A.
1. Trong lÞch sö loµi ng-êi khoa häc ®-îc xem nh- cã sø mÖnh
gi¶i phãng con ng-êi khái sù ngu dèt, sù mª tÝn, gi¶m ®ãi nghÌo
vµ t¨ng tÇm hiÓu biÕt cña con ng-êi vÒ thÕ giíi.
2. Tê N. A ®· ca ngîi c¸c nhµ khoa häc cña thêi ®¹i ®ã lµ c¸c
nhµ truyÒn b¸ ¸nh s¸ng, nh÷ng ng-êi sÏ xua tan bãng ®ªm vµ më
ra con ®-êng cho con ng-êi chinh phôc thiªn nhiªn. Trong thêi
kú ®ã, nh÷ng ph¸t minh kh«ng t-ëng nh- m¸y bay, tµu ngÇm vµ
®iÖn tho¹i ®· ®-îc dù b¸o tr-íc.
3. Nh÷ng ai quan t©m ®Õn ngµnh c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh tin rµng
chóng ta ®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc c¸ch m¹ng vÒ m¸y tÝnh. T¹i sao
cuéc c¸ch m¹ng nµy x¶y ra ? §iÒu nµy cã mang l¹i hËu qu¶ g× cho
x· héi? §Ó tr¶ lêi nh÷ng c©u hái nµy, cÇn phØa s¬ l-îc vÒ lÞch
sö m¸y tÝnh.
4. M¸y tÝnh ®Çu tiªn -bµn tÝnh , do ng-êi Trung Quèc ph¸t minh
c¸ch ®©y 5000 n¨m lµ tiÒn th©n cña m¸y tÝnh hiÖn ®¹i sau nµy.
Cho ®Õn thÕ kû thø 17, ë Ch©u ¢u ch-a cã g× cã thÓ s¸nh b»ng
bµn tÝnh vÒ tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n.
5. M¸y tÝnh ®-îc ph¸t triÓn ®ång thêi ë §øc, Anh vµ Mü ®Ó t¨ng
thªm tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n cÇn cho viÖc
gi¶i m· th«ng ®iÖp cña kÎ thï.
6. Ngµy nay , nhiÒu c«ng viÖc trong c¸c kh©u s¶n xuÊt vµ dÞch
vô do con ng-êi ®¶m tr¸ch cã thÓ ®-îc thùc hiÖn nhanh h¬n vµ Ýt
tèn kÐm h¬n nhê sù trî gióp cña c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh vµ c¸c thiÕt
bÞ ®-îc m¸y tÝnh kiÓm so¸t.
7. Ng-êi m¸y ®ang dÇn thay thÕ c«ng nh©n trong d©y chuyÒn s¶n
xuÊt nh- nhµ m¸y chÕ t¹o « t« Fiat cña ý vµ Nissan cña NhËt.
Vµo n¨m 1980, 50 robot ®· ®-îc c¸c c«ng ty cña óc sö dông ch¼ng
h¹n nh- h·ng General Motors Ford, Nissan vµ Simpson Pope
8. C«ng ty nµo kh«ng sö dông c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh ®Òu kh«ng thÓ
c¹nh tranh ®-îc víi c¸c ®èi thñ ¸p dông c«ng nghÖ nµy. B»ng
chøng lµ sù thÊt b¹i cña c«ng nghiÖp s¶n xuÊt ®ång hå Thuþ SÜ
trong 2 n¨m võa qua do bÞ ®ång hå ®iÖn tö c¹nh tranh nªn ®·
thÊt thu 200 triÖu ®« la mçi n¨m.
 86

9. Cïng víi viÖc c¬ giíi ho¸ ë mét sè qui tr×nh s¶n xuÊt, b-íc
®Çu ®· g©y ra n¹n thÊt nghiÖp víi sè l-îng lín. Nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n
lµnh nghÒ trong ngµnh tiÓu thñ c«ng nghiÖp vèn khan hiÕm tr-íc
®©y, nay bçng d-ng tù hä c¶m thÊy thõa d- vµ thiÕu kü n¨ng
trong nÒn c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i.
10. Nh÷ng ý t-ëng khoa häc vÜ ®¹i nµy ®· ph¸t triÓn vµo thÕ kû
18 vµ 19. Cuéc c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp Anh vµo cuèi thÕ kû 18
cµng cñng cè niÒm tin vµo mét x· héi khoa häc kü thuËt mÆc dï
lîi nhuËn x· héi thu vµo kh«ng bï ®-îc chi phÝ x· héi bá ra .
B
1. Dung Quat Bay is to the northeast of Binh Son District, QN Province. It is 18 km long and
is protected by mountain ranges.
2. To the south of the bay is an area of flat land having geographical structure with an area of
tens of square kilometers.
3. Here will be formed / established heavy industry and chemical zones, oil refineries, sea
products processing zone, light industry zone, and a modern urban residential area with about
600000 inhabitants./ with a population of about 600000.
4. Another advantage is that Dung Quat lies about 12 km from roadway, railway lines, power
transmission line and the trans-Vietnam optic cable. Thev supply of fresh water for this area is
very convenient with a reserve of about 3 billion cubic meters per year taken from the Tra
Bong River.
5. Today, we are going through a period of profound social changes like that of the first
industrial revolution. It may be necessary for us to re-define the very notion of work itself.

ASSIGNMENT 6:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. The silt from the Mekong River helps to bring an ample granary representing the whole
country’s source of food as well as the local inhabitants’ riverside lifestyle
2. The Mekong river itself with its huge tributaries and small canals navigable for tiny boats
creates a majesty landscape as it flows through VN, the last part of its 4500 km-long journey,
pouring into the East Sea.
3. It is significant that these overseas Vietnamese always direct their attention to their
homeland, cherish a close link with their families and preserve the national identity which
typifies the Vietnamese.
4. In addition to their support for their relatives, a number of overseas Vietnamese have
contributed to the welfare of their country and taken part in relief movements to help those
who suffer from natural calamities. They have also participated in the charity work following
the tradition “ the luckier should help the sufferer.”
5. Before 1988, the effect of the banking system on the development and macro-economic
management was minimal. In order to encourage the banking system to play a more
constructive role, the government has taken new measures including the reorganization of the
 87

banking system, the introduction of restrictive credit policies, and new policies on interest and
free trade of gold in market.
6. The government implemented a comprehensive reconstructuring of wages and salaries of
the governmental employees with a consolidation of consumer subsidies into the nominal
wage structure. Though the monthly minimum wage increased, real salaries have declined
substantially as a result of inflation.
7.The survey conducted by the VWU shows that traditional contraceptive methods have been
widely used. The survey also indicates that 39% of married women used modern methods, the
most frequent method being intra uterine device (IUD).
B.
1. Nh÷ng ng-êi khëi x-íng ra viÖc dïng n¨ng l-îng nguyªn tö
nhÊn m¹nh r»ng thÕ giíi nµy råi ®©y ch¾c c¾n sÏ trë thµnh mét
thÕ giíi cña nguyªn tö. Ng-êi ta còng cho r»ng nh÷ng ng-êi
chèng ®èi l¹i viÖc sö dông nguyªn tö ®ang chèng l¹i trµo l-u
cña lÞch sö vµ cã mèi quan hÖ gÇn gòi víi dßng hä Luddites -
vèn lµ nh÷ng ng-êi chñ tr-¬ng ®Ëp ph¸ m¸y mãc ngay tõ khi cuéc
c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp b¾t ®Çu.

2. C¸c b¸c sÜ cho thÊy lÇn ®Çu tiªn hä cã thÓ t¸i t¹o c¸c hÖ
miÔn nhiÔm cña nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ nhiÔm vi rót bÖnh AIDS b¨ng c¸ch
®ét ngét t¨ng sè l-îng tÕ bµo m¸u mµ vi rót HIV huû diÖt.
3. Trong lÜnh vùc ®µo t¹o y khoa, nh÷ng viÖc ®· lµm ®-îc trong
nh÷ng n¨m qua ®-îc ®¸nh dÊu b»ng sù kiÖn næi bËt lµ viÖc nhiÒu
chuyªn gia vÒ ®µo t¹o y khoa , nhiÒu tr-êng ®¹i häc trªn thÕ
giíi ®· dÆt vÊn ®Ò ph¶i xem xÐt l¹i néi dung ®µo t¹o ®éi ngò
c¸n bé y tÕ .
4. Ng-êi thÇy thuèc ngµy nay nªn lµ ng-êi cña søc khoÎ . V×
vËy ng-êi thÇy thuèc ®ã cÇn ph¶i biÕt ph¸t hiÖn , gi¶i quyÕt ,
phôc håi nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò søc khoÎ cña c¸ nh©n vµ céng ®ång.
5. Râ rµng r»ng mét th©n thÓ khoÎ m¹nh gióp cho mét t©m hån
lµnh m¹nh, v× chÝnh nh÷ng t©m hån lµnh m¹nh ®iÒu khiÓn h-íng ®i
cña hÖ thèng gi¸ trÞ. Mét ng-êi khoÎ m¹nh lµ mét ng-êi khoÎ
m¹nh vÒ mÆt thÓ chÊt lÉn tinh thÇn.
6. Ngµy nay con ng-êi cã khuynh h-íng lo ©u vÒ søc khoÎ thÓ
chÊt. Tuy nhiªn t«i muèn nhÊn m¹nh tíi tÇm quan träng cña søc
khoÎ t©m lý. M¹nh khoÎ vÒ mÆt tinh thÇn lµ rÊt quan träng vµ lµ
mét ng-êi thùc sù khoÎ m¹nh lµ ng-êi ®¹t ®-îc sù th¨ng b»ng hîp
lý gi÷a thÓ chÊt vµ tinh thÇn.
 88

ASSIGNMENT 7:
1. The achievements of the renovation process in the past ten years have provided
opportunities for women to obtain their goals. Their lives have been improved and women
have become less burdened. Social services have helped to ease their housework and create
favourable conditions for them to participate in social activities.
2. The Vietnam Women’s Union which represents Vietnamese women nationwide , has
renovated their organization and work style , thus attracting more and more women to social
activities. It has also helped women deal with difficult matters of every life. It has proposed to
the state laws and policies that make full use of women’s potentials in the process of
renovation.
3. Identification of the factors that leads to fast effective foreign language learning has
become increasingly important because of a majority of learners who are very anxious , as
adults, to learn a foreign language for a specific purpose : business, study, and diplomacy. The
requirements for effective language learning may be taken into account in terms of the
learners, the teachers and the curriculum.
4. The greatest attraction to the tourists is the age-old traditions typical of the Vietnamese
culture. Thousands of historical and revolutionary relics have been graded by the government ,
hundreds of which have high artistic and historical value . Vietnam is a large community
consisting of 54 ethnic groups with different traditions , customs and unique folk culture.
hundreds of traditional handicraft villages have produced thousands of famous handicraft and
fine art products.
5. If tourists go to an ethnic minority region, they will have an opportunity to engage in other
fascinating cultural activities typical of the rainforest region. Take the buffalo stabbing
ceremony as an example. Tourists should have to be present about a week before the
ceremony to join the local inhabitants in looking for a suitable kind of bamboo to repair the
Rong House (The community House) and to make a Neu tree ( The New Year Tree) to chase
evil spirits. The ceremony provides tourists with a chance to observe the decoration of jars and
the way they are chosen to store wine. They also have an opportunity to observe the way
people choose the buffalo for the ceremony.
6. Social welfare is a major policy of Vietnam which has its origin in the age-old national
traditions of solidarity and mutual assistance. The basic principle of the policy is to combine
the responsibility of the state, the community, and the efforts of each individual within the
society. This policy is being gradually extended to all the inhabitants in various forms.
7. Economic backwardness and the danger of lagging behind in the economic development
are the great concerns of all the Vietnamese at home and abroad . If Vietnam lags far behind
other countries, it will be a supplier of raw materials and cheap labour in the international
division of labour. It will have to accept an inferior position and losses in the international co-
operation and competition. This is the great challenge facing Vietnam in the current
international context.
8. The humanism of the Vietnamese diplomatic line constitutes a typical characteristic.
Though the Vietnamese have been victims of countless aggressions, they never lose their
compassion . Also, their compassion is a factor which creates the strength and the diplomacy
of the nation. Nguyen Trai, a national hero of the 15th century, left a legendary guiding
principle which remains today: “ Using great justice to vanquish cruelty
Humanism to subdue brutality”
 89

ASSIGNMENT 8:
Translate the following text into English

Beijing may be the seat of political power, but Shanghai can lay claim to the title of
commercial capital. Historic sites date back less than 80 years in Shanghai, and yet most
visitors fall under the spell of this unique city where ambience is everything. The very name
Shanghai still sends a ripple of excitement down most spines. It was a minor weaving and
fishing town until the mid 19th century, when it began to develop as a trading and industrial
center. Entrepreneurs and carpetbaggers from all over the world descended and developed it
into one of the world's most cosmopolitan and sophisticated cities. From the 1920s on it
became increasingly notorious as the place where anything could - and usually did - happen.
Banks and commercial companies of all kinds built opulent head offices for themselves
overlooking what were then open rice fields beyond the banks of the Huangpu river. This
whole stretch has survived the busy bulldozers and today it forms a unique open - air museum
of 1930s architecture. A stroll along the Bund is a must for everyone who visits what is still
regarded by many as China's leading city.
Skyscrapers, including some of the world's tallest buildings, have sprouted where the rice
used to grow. The most prominent is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower - if time allows, the
panoramic views from the upper levels make an unforgettable experience.
The past is still tangible in sections of the former French concession, with its elegant villas
and tree - lined streets. Around the corner from the Bund, the Peace Hotel and its venerable
Jazz Band Are the best-known survivors from a more gracious age, but Shanghai has many
other exquisite hotels from the 1930s, most of which are being lovingly restored to their
former glory.
Shanghai boasts one of the world's truly great museums, opened in 1996. It would be
impossible to tour the entire treasure huose in a short visit, but even an hour in the galleries
devoted to the bronzes, stones sculptures and ceramics will provide lasting memories.

ASSIGNMENT 9:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Ngày hôm qua, trong bài diễn văn chính phát biểu tại trường Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội, Tổng
Bí Thư Giang Trạch Dân kêu gọi giới trẻ Việt Nam và Trung Quốc nỗ lực nhằm thắt chặt tình
hữu nghị giữa hai nước, góp phần vào sự nghiệp hoà bình và phát triển ở châu Á cũng như
trên toàn thế giới.

Tổng Bí Thư-Chủ Tịch nước Trung Quốc nói với sinh viên: “Các bạn trẻ thân mến, chính các
bạn là những người tạo ra tương lai tươi sáng và tương lai thuộc về các bạn”.

Tổng Bí Thư Giang Trạch Dân nhấn mạnh rằng mối quan hệ Việt -Trung sẽ phát triển tốt đẹp
trong thế kỷ 21, trong đó nỗ lực chung của thanh niên hai nước là không thể thiếu.
 90

Ông nói: thế hệ trẻ cả hai nước phải theo đuổi lý tưởng của mình và lao động không mệt mỏi
để xây dựng Chủ Nghĩa Xã Hội.

Ông phát biểu rằng: “Giới trẻ Trung Quốc và Việt Nam cần kế thừa và phát huy mạnh mẽ tinh
thần cách mạng của cha ông, có tư tưởng vững vàng, chăm chỉ học tập, nỗ lực vì sự nghiệp
phát triển Chủ Nghĩa Xã Hội, vì sự giàu có và thịnh vượng của mỗi nước”.

Ông hy vọng giới trẻ Trung Quốc và Việt Nam sẽ gìn giữ, duy trì và phát triển mối quan hệ
Việt-Trung, trao đổi và học hỏi lẫn nhau để tăng cường hiểu biết. Ông bảo đảm Đảng và
Chính phủ Trung Quốc sẽ hoàn toàn ủng hộ sự trao đổi đó.

Chủ tịch nước Giang Trạch Dân nói: “Trong lịch sử, cả Việt Nam và Trung Quốc đều bị đế
quốc xâm lược nhưng chúng ta đều đã đánh bại chúng, giải phóng dân tộc và thống nhất đất
nước”.
Theo ông tình hữu nghị giữa Việt Nam và Trung Quốc không chỉ xuất phát từ lịch sử mà còn
từ thực tiễn, như Chủ Tịch Hồ Chí Minh đã từng nhấn mạnh hai dân tộc “là đồng chí, là anh
em”.

Ông nói quan hệ Việt-Trung dựa trên cơ sở tin tưởng lẫn nhau, sự ổn định lâu dài, tiền đề,
tình láng giềng thân thiện và sự bảo đảm .

Ông nói thêm: “Hợp tác trên cơ sở hiểu biết lẫn nhau là cầu nối và cũng là mục tiêu cho tương
lai thịnh vượng”.

Chủ Tịch nước Giang Trạch Dân rời Hà Nội ngày hôm qua để đến miền Trung Việt Nam. Ở
đó, ông đi thăm cố đô Huế, đã được UNESCO công nhận là di sản thế giới, và gặp gỡ các
đồng chí lãnh đạo của thành phố cảng Đà Nẵng.

Theo lịch trình, ông sẽ đến thăm phố cổ Hội An và công ty dệt may Hoà Thọ trước khi kết
thúc chuyến đi thăm ba ngày đến Việt Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 10:
Translate the following text into English
Concerning a poor country like ours, “practising thrift and fighting against waste” must be
always the national policy. In reality, however, waste has still been spreading everywhere.
Waste appears in management, using budget, in basic construction investment, in land and
office management, in State-owned enterprises, and waste also exists in the masses with
costly weddings.
Waste has really been a pressing problem of the society and one of the causes which
considerably affects the economy of our country. As in the first year (1998), after the decree of
 91

practising thrift and fighting against waste passed by the National Assembly’s Standing
Committee 10th session in Feb 26th 1998 and taking effective since May 1st 1998, the real
expenses in 1998, according to reports of 12 Ministries and bodies functionally equivalent to
Ministries, reduced in comparison with the balance in 1997, for instance, conference
expenses: VND12.8 billion, business expenses: VND12.43 billion, telephone, fax expenses:
VND9.57 billion, expenses for great reparation of fixed assets: VND80.94 billion, expenses
for purchasing professionally fixed assets: VND153.7 billion. The State’s budget in 1999 is
estimated to continue economizing 10% of estimated regular expenses. Some regular
expenses have sharply fell from 30% to 70%, e.g. expenses for purchasing office equipment,
for conferences and receptions…
“Reducing expenses” statistics while the Decree of practising thrift and fighting against waste
is being carried out are really speaking numbers, which show that this campaign is taking a
turn for better. These numbers, however, indicate that spending has so far been loose and that
it is necessary to limit expenses.
Financial inspections and annual balance reports helped to find out a breach of rules of
administrative management of many enterprises and administrative bodies. One of the most
pressing and costly expenses nowadays is: expenses for medal reception, branch forming
celebration, conferences… Such festivities have cost so much money for hiring halls, parties,
gifts… At the end of the year, restaurants are crowded with “Gods”, most of whom are public
servants, because inhabitants have no such budget for those parties. While “free” inhabitants
are leading a poor life and spending thriftily, practising thrift and fighting against waste in
“subsidy spending mechanism” is a must.

ASSIGNMENT 11:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
1. Thµnh phè Gaza- Nh÷ng ng-êi l·nh ®¹o cña Israel vµ Palestin
®· tiÕn hµnh ®µm ph¸n suèt ®ªm mµ theo c¸ch nãi cña «ng Dennis
Ross - Ph¸i viªn cña Hoa Kú lµ ‘‘ mét ®ªm tèt lµnh cho c«ng
viÖc’’ nh»m ph¸ vì sù bÕ t¾t trong viÖc Israel tr× ho·n ruts
qu©n khái thÞ trÊn West Bank cña Heebron.
¤ng Ross rêi khái v¨n phßng cña nhµ l·nh ®¹o Palestin- Yasser
Arafat, sím h«m qua sau 3 gê ®ång hå cã mÆt ë ®ã trong khi
nh÷ng ng-êi tham dù ®µm ph¸n vÉn tiÕp tôc c¸c cuéc héi ®µm.
¤ng A ra fat nãi :’’ Cuéc gÆp gì ®· diÔn ra theo chiÒu h-íng
tÝch cùc vµ cã tÝnh x©y dùng.’’ ¤ng cßn nãi thªm r»ng «ng vµ
«ng Ross ‘‘ ®· gi¶i quyÕt mét sè khóc m¾c gi÷a t«i vµ «ng Êy’’,
®Ò cËp mét c¸ch râ rµng ®Õn gîi ý cña chÝnh «ng tuÇn tr-íc lµ
«ng Ross ®· cã ý bªnh vùc Israel.
¤ng Ross- dù ®Þnh sÏ trë vÒ n-íc vµo ngµy h«m qua - ®ång ý
r»ng:’’ Chóng t«i ®· cã mét lo¹t c¸c cuéc th¶o luËn tèt ®Ñp’’.
Khi ®Ò cËp ®Õn c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n, «ng nãi:’’ §ã lµ mét buæi tèi
 92

lµm viÖc tèt ®Ñp, nh-ng cßn mét sè vÊn ®Ò cÇn ®-îc gi¶i
quyÕt.’’
Bªn trong tßa trô së chÝnh cña «ng Arafat, nhãm ®¹i diÖn
Palestin do «ng tr-ëng ®oµn ®µm ph¸n Saeb Erekat dÉn ®Çu tiÕp
tôc c¸c cuéc bµn th¶o víi Israel do hai «ng MaJ Gen Shaul Muha
faz vµ Yitzhak cè vÊn cao cÊp cña Thñ t-íng Benjamin Netanyahu
dÉn ®Çu. C¸c cuéc héi ®µm b¾t ®Çu vµo chiÒu Chñ NhËt ë Ze ru
sa lem vµ sau ®ã chuyÓn ®Õn Gaza.
C¸c c¬ quan truyÒn th«ng Israel pháng ®o¸n r»ng nÕu cuéc
th-¬ng l-îng thµnh c«ng th× «ng Ro ss cã thÓ ho·n l¹i chuyÕn
bay cña «ng vµ hai «ng Netanyahu vµ Arafat cã thÓ tæ chøc mét
cuéc häp th-îng ®Ønh néi trong ngµy h«m qua hoÆc h«m nay.
Israel s¾p söa rót qu©n ra khái Hebron - thµnh phè Westbank,
vïng cuèi cïng bÞ chiÕm ®ãng- vµo th¸ng 3 th× ph¶i ho·n l¹i sau
mét lo¹t tÊn c«ng cña bän khñng bè ë Israel. ¤ng Netanyahu, mét
nh©n vËt cøng r¾n ®-îc bÇu lµm thñ t-íng vµo th¸ng 5 võa qua,
®· tr× ho·n viÖc tiÕp tôc rót qu©n, vµ næ lùc b¶o ®¶m an ninh
cho 500 c- d©n ®ang sèng trong thÞ trÊn cña 130.000 ng-êi ¶
rËp.
Ng-êi Palestin tõ chèi viÖc nèi l¹i c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n vµ yªu
cÇu Israel tiÕp tôc rót qu©n nh- ®· cam kÕt trong b¶n HiÖp -íc
vÒ quyÒn tù trÞ ®· ®-îc ký kÕt.
Vµo ngµy Chñ NhËt t¹i Hebron, qu©n ®éi ®· v©y b¾t kho¶ng 100
ng-êi Palestin sau khi ®· cã kÎ nÐm 2 qu¶ bom vµo l·nh thæ cña
ng-êi Do Th¸i nh-ng kh«ng cã ng-êi nµo bÞ th-¬ng. Hä bÞ qu©n
®éi chÜa sóng thÈm tra vµ b¾t gi÷ trong vßng nöa giê nh-ng sau
®ã phÇn lín ®· ®-îc th¶ ra. Ph¸t ng«n viªn cña qu©n ®éi nãi
r»ng nhiÒu ng-êi Pale stin vÉn ®ang cßn bÞ b¾t gi÷.
Mét ng-êi Pale stin ®ang ®i ngang qua vïng l·nh thæ Beit Hada
ssah th× bÞ mét c¸i thang lµm b»ng kim lo¹i r¬i hoÆc ai ®ã nÐm
tõ m¸i nhµ xuèng lµm bÞ th-¬ng; ng-êi nµy ®· ®-îc ®-a ®Õn bÖnh
viªn thµnh phè ®Ó ch÷a trÞ
2. TP Hå ChÝ Minh - Sè l-îng du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi ®Õn Viet Nam
ngµy cµng t¨ng. Theo sè liÖu thèng kª gÇn ®©y cña Tæng Côc Du
LÞch ViÖt Nam th× l-îng du kh¸ch t¨ng b×nh qu©n h»ng n¨m lµ
30%.
MÆc dï l-îng du kahchs t¨ng, nh-ng t×nh tr¹ng kh¸ch ë l¹i
kh¸ch s¹n gi¶m ®¸ng kÓ so víi nh÷ng n¨m võa råi. H¬n 6 n¨m
qua,, c¸c kh¸ch s¹n liªn doanh vµ c¸c nhµ kh¸ch chØ khai th¸c
 93

®-îc tõ 85-90% sè phßng hiÖn cã. HiÖn giê chØ cßn ®¹t ë møc
60%, thÊp h¬n nhiÒu so víi c¸c kh¸ch s¹n cña nhµ n-íc vµ nhµ
kh¸ch t- nh©n.
Mét trong nh÷ng nguyªn nh©n chÝnh cña sù tôt gi¶m l-îng kh¸ch
lµ do kh¸ch s¹n liªn doanh mäc lªn nh- nÊm, ®iÒu nµy dÉn ®Õn
viÖc c¹nh tranh khèc liÖt vÒ gi¸ phßng vµ gi¸ dÞch vô.
NhiÒu kh¸ch s¹n cã tæng doanh thu thÊp trong khi l¹i chÞu møc
thuÕ cao, ®ang trë thµnh g¸nh nÆng cho c¸c «ng chñ vµ cã nhiÒu
kh¸ch s¹n s¾p söa buéc ph¶i ®ãng cöa.
§a sè du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi h¨m hë ®Õn ViÖt Nam ®Ó t×m mét c¸i
g× ®ã míi mÎ vµ muèn ®i ®Õn nh÷ng vïng cã vÎ ®Ñp tù nhiªn vµ
hoang d· trong thêi gian l-u l¹i cña hä. V× lý do nµy, du lÞch
ViÖt Nam cÇn tæ chøc l¹i viÖc qu¶n lý vµ ®Æt ra nh÷ng môc tiªu
nh»m tháa m·n nhu cÇu hiÖn nay cña du kh¸ch.
MÆc dï l-îng du kh¸ch vÉn t¨ng trong nh÷ng n¨m qua nh-ng sè du
kh¸ch trë l¹i ViÖt nam lÇn thø hai rÊt Ýt. Râ rµng r»ng ngµnh
du lÞch ViÖt Nam vÉn ch-a ®ñ søc hÊp dÉn du kh¸ch. Thªm vµo ®ã,
c¸c ®iÓm du lÞch vµ c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn ¨n ë ®i l¹i ch-a ®¹t ®Õn
tiªu chuÈn quèc tÕ. ViÖt nam hiÖn cã kho¶ng 22 tØnh vµ thµnh
phè ®ang hoµn tÊt nh÷ng kÕ ho¹ch tæng thÓ chi tiÕt ®Ó x©y dùng
c¸c khu nghØ m¸t cho du kh¸ch.
Tuy nhiªn nh÷ng ®Ò ¸n nµy vÉn ch-a ®-îc triÓn khai, vÉn ®ang
cßn ®ang ®-îc th¶o luËn.
MÆc dï h»ng n¨m chÝnh phñ ®· chi h»ng chôc tØ ®ång ®Ó n©ng cÊp
c¸c di tÝch lÞch sö quèc gia vµ c¸c khu nghØ m¸t, nh-ng do sù
yÕu kÐm vÒ chuyªn m«n qu¶n lý nªn nh÷ng n¬i nµy vÉn ch-a cã thÓ
thóc ®Èy sù ph¸t triÓn cña ngµnh du lÞch n-íc nhµ. §Ó c¶i thiÖn
chÊt l-îng cña c¸c nhµ nghØ vµ t¨ng c-êng ho¹t ®éng cña kh¸ch
s¹n, ngµnh du lÞch ViÖt nam cÇn chÝnh phñ ®Çu t- nhiÒu h¬n n÷a.

Translate the following text into English

More and more Vietnamese people are seeking study abroad at. their own expense. While the
number of people who have already done so is relatively small - 2970 from mid 1992 to May
this year - the numbers are expected to increase within the next. few years a: the Vietnamese
economy strengthens and the government streamlines the procedures to make it. easier. But t
he biggest boost to Vietnamese people courageously investing their money for themselves or
their children to gain an international standard education has come through the staging of a
special overseas education exhibition held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi over the past two
months. Called "Edukasia", the. exhibition featured universities, vocational schools and
school equipment suppliers from Great Britain, France, Australia, The United States and
Switzerland. The exhibition sought to establish what training or education private Vietnamese
 94

students were seeking and the overseas institutions companies explained what they could
offer. Courses in telecommunications, machine building. the hotel industry, tourism and
cooking wt-re particularly featured. Up until now, most Vietnamese students have been going
abroad for further study as recipients of international scholarship or funding from foreign
government. Vietnam has been annually sending about 77 students and 160 senior level
experts abroad through such officially sponsored scheme. Most of the private students have
been going to Russia. Some to eastern European countries and a trickle to the Netherlands.
Belgium, the USA, Denmark and Thailand. But. in April this year, a temporary halt has been
put. on private places being offered to foreign students in Russia and Eastern Europe. While
these existing avenues for Vietnamese students have required secondary school graduation
and intensive courses in the relevant foreign language and computers, often these schemes
were deficient in anticipating the problems foreign private students may encounter,
particularly regarding duration and the level of the courses being offered. There has been an
avoidable waste of time and money, and an attrition rate.

At "Edukasia", the courses on offer are delivered abroad it Vietnam by correspondence or

distant training. Those student who want to go abroad for study must first of all be able to
speak English which is an indispensable condition for initial contact: and assimilation of
knowledge:

Educational standards are also set, such as marks obtained it each subject and health
condition. A number of schools give priority to students with high marks in intelligence tests
and offer them scholarship. But 90% of tested students have to pay education fees.

According to Mr. Charles Wilmot, the director of Edukasia, the fees are high, depending on
the institution and the courses. But they are reasonably calculated. The lowest level is 2500
USD/year; while the most reputed USA schools and purses generally demand 3000 USD/year
to 6000 USD/year. Fees for remote training are less, about 300 USD/year, and graduation
diplomat are also recognized as equivalent to the regular training diplomas These institutions
are ready to receive Vietnamese students and to facilitate entry visas. The remaining question
depends upon a decision by the Vietnamese government. Mr. Wilmot stressed that in general,
the accommodation and studying conditions of students in countries where there were
Vietnamese students were very good. In Great Britain especially, there are organizations
specialized in helping foreign students. Most Vietnamese studying abroad begin their training
at the age of 18 to 19, the lowest allowed aged is 13. There is no limit for a maximum age
studying abroad depends now only on these students willing to receive an advanced
knowledge of the world.

ASSIGNMENT 12:
Translate the following text into English
Poor people often have larger families than middle class and upper class people. And people
in underdeveloped countries have more children than people in developed countries. More and
 95

more experts in population growth see the strong relationship between family size and
economic development.
In some areas, government family planning services may not be available to poor people due
to geographic location. For example, people in rural areas may live too far away from family
planning services. Therefore, they don't receive information about ways to control family size.
In general, people in urban areas have much more information available to them than people
living in rural areas. Urban people have help with family planning, and they have smaller
families. So we can say that geography where people live - plays a part in determining family
size: Urban families are smaller than rural families.
What are the other reasons? Economic development of families and, on a larger scale, of
nations, is an important factor in determining family size. People with a lot of money have
fewer children. On the other hand, poor people in underdeveloped countries choose to have
many children. Why? Because they have to depend upon their children to take care of them in
their old age. They have no insurance, pensions, or government help. When they grow old,
where can they get help? The answer is simple. They can and will turn to their children. Their
children will be adults then, and they will be working. The children can all share the costs and
other responsibilities of taking care of their parents. For many poor people, a large family is a
way of planning and preparing for the future. We could say that a large family is insurance for
old age in some societies.

ASSIGNMENT 13:
Translate the following text into English
China's powerful exporters are training their sights on, Vietnam, seeing their southern
neighbour as ripe for a boost in purchases of consumer goods and machinery, Chinese
executives said here Thursday.
But Vietnam has a long way to go before it sees its exports to China grow as few products are
likely to break into the more developed Chinese market, the executives said at the opening of
a trade fair here.
Some 60 firms from Beijing are showing off their wares ranging from cheap plastic toys and
ornaments to off - road vehicles at the fair in Hanoi in what is the first exhibition of Chinese
goods here since the two countries began patching up their relations.
Beijing Jeep, a Sino - American auto manufacturer, is hoping to squeeze into Vietnam's
growing car market but is facing stiff competition from Japanese firms already entrenched
here, said Beijing Automotive Import Export Corp. (BAIEC) vice president Guo Fengli.
"The market here is opening up quite quickly for our products, particularly as we are very
competitive in pricing with our rivals," Guo said.
BAIEC is looking to set up barter deals with Vietnam but is facing problems finding suitable
moods to trade although Guo thinks he may have found the answer in the humble sweet
potato.
The Chinese firm is planning to trade cars for foodstuffs that will be sold in southern China
but would prefer to exchange higher value goods.
 96

"We don't know much about what Vietnam has to offer, "said Guo, a point repeated by other
traders who were more eager to sell than buy.
Cross border trade has boomed since the frontier was reopened in 1991.
Officially, two - way trade stands at around 500 million US dollars although the illegal
frontier trade is believed to b! much higher, with China enjoying a massive surplus.
During a visit to China last week, Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai called for both sides
to replace the cross border trade with official agreements between trading companies and
manufacturers that would boost sales of Vietnamese products.,
Vietnam wants to step up exports of coal and oil to southern China's booming manufacturing
centres, which are thousands of kilometres (miles) from China's own sources of energy.
Khai also called for more sales of rice and other food products and for Vietnam to import
more manufacturing machinery and other technology from China.

ASSIGNMENT 14:
Translate the following text into English
Saudi Arabia has about 8.,853,000 people. Almost all of these people are Arab Muslims. In
other words, they are followers of the Islamic religion. Saudi Arabia is a religious nation. The
king of Saudi Arabia is both the political leader and one of the religious leaders of the country.
The government laws are Islamic law (Muslim religious law), and the national language is
Arabic.
The Islamic religion is very important in the Saudi educational system. Before 1950 almost all
education in Saudi Arabia was religious education. Students studied the Koran, the Islamic
holy book. They tried to memorize as much as possible from this book. There were no
colleges or universities before 1949 and only a few elementary and secondary schools.
In 1953, the Saudi government established the Ministry of Education. This was really the
beginning of the modern educational system in Saudi Arabia. When engineers discovered oil
in Saudi Arabia, the country started to become very wealthy. Saudi leaders realized that
Western technology was necessary for the country to develop. The leaders still believed that
religious education was very important, but a modern country could not develop
technologically with only a traditional, religious educational system. They decided to add
other subjects to the educational system. They wanted to combine traditional religious
education with modern technological education from the West.
Religion is still an important part of Saudi education. Now, however, Saudi students study all
kinds of other subjects too: languages (especially English), history, science, mathematics,
computer technology, etc. Before 1950, there were about 20,000 students in Saudi Arabia. In
1982, there were 1,780,000 students. The educational system has grown faster in Saudi Arabia
than in almost any other country in the world. All schools in Saudi Arabia are free.

ASSIGNMENT 15:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
 97

Sau khi ®Æt nhiÒu hi väng vµo viÖc khoan tróng c¸c má dÇu khÝ
ë ngoµi kh¬i ViÖt Nam, c¸c c«ng ty dÇu má khæng lå trªn thÕ
giíi ®· nhËn ra nh÷ng rñi ro. C¸i gi¸ ®Çu t- khæng lå nh-ng l¹i
nhËn ®-îc mät kho¶n lîi nhuËn cßm câi. T©m tr¹ng ®ã ®· gi¶m ®i
trong sè nh÷ng c«ng ty n-íc ngoµi tham gia triÓn l·m tr-ng bµy
c¸c mÆt hµng cña ngµnh c«ng nghÖ t¹i cuéc TriÓn l·m Dçu vµ khÝ
®èt Quèc tÕ lÇn thø hai ë Hµ Néi.
¤ng Melchior de Matharel, Vô Tr-ëng §«ng Nam ¸ cña h·ng Total
Ph¸p ®· ph¸t biÓu : ‘‘ KÕt qu¶ kh«ng ph¶i lµ tÖ, nh-ng kh«ng
lín nh- mét sè ng-êi ®· hy väng.’’
NÕu sù chó ý b©y giê lµ ‘‘khÈu hiÖu’’ ®· lµm thÊt väng c¸c c«ng
ty dÇu löa n-íc ngoµi cã thÓ t¹o nguån an ñi tõ nh÷ng kh¸m ph¸
®Çy khÝch lÖ võa qua vÒ dÇu do c«ng ty Mitsubishi vµ c«ng ty
dÇu Petrornas Cairigali cña Malaisia, vµ vÒ khÝ ®èt cña BP, ë
ngoµi bê biÓn nam ViÖt Nam.
ViÖc th¨m dß dÇu khÝ ë thÒm lôc ®Þa ViÖt nam lµ hÕt søc khã
kh¨n. Tuy nhiªn, «ng Matherel nãi r»ng thÒm lôc ®Þa ViÖt Nam lµ
mét n¬i chøa dÇu. Sù nhiÖt t×nh cña nh÷ng ng-êi th¨m dß ®ét
nhiªn suy gi¶m vµo th¸ng 5 tr-íc khi c«ng ty dÇu BHP cña óc
th«ng b¸o tr÷ l-îng dÇu ë vÞ trÝ má §¹i Hïng, 375 c©y sè ë §«ng
nam thµnh phè HCM lµ Ýt ái h¬n so víi dù trï.
T¹i vÞ trÝ nµy, BHP -íc tÝnh s¬ khëi lµ tr÷ l-îng ë ®©y
kho¶ng tõ 700 ®Õn 800 triÖu thïng dÇu, nh-ng hiÖn nay con sè Êy
®· xuèng ë 100 ®Õn 200 triÖu thïng.
ViÖc s¶n xuÊt ®-îc dù kiÕn b¾t ®Çu vµo th¸ng tíi, ë møc khiªm
nh-êng lµ 25000 thïng mét ngµy.
§iÒu ®ã lµ ‘‘mét ®ßn gi¸ng m¹nh’’ cho BHP, mét c«ng ty ®· ®Çu
t- ®Õn 240 triÖu ®« la ë ViÖt Nam vµ mét nöa cña kinh phÝ nµy
®· ®-îc sö dông cho dù ¸n §¹i Hïng.
BHP ®øn ®µu mét hiÖp héi quèc tÕ bÇu chän vµo th¸ng 4/1993 cã
tr¸ch nhiÖm triÓn khai tæng kinh phÝ 1,5 tû ®« trong lÜnh vùc
nµy. BHP chiÕm 43,75% tæng sã vèn cña HiÖp häi, Petronas chiÕm
20%, c«ng ty quèc doanh Petro-Vietnam chiÕm 15%. PhÇn 21,25%
cßn l¹i chia ®Òu cho c«ng ty Total (Ph¸p) vµ c«ng ty Sumitomo
cña NhËt.
Vµo thêi ®iÓm ®ã, chÝnh NhËt B¶n lµ kh¸ch mua hµng chÝnh cña
dÇu th« ViÖt Nam, ®· lé diÖn ®Ó cã ®-îc mät c¬ may tèt nhÊt.
 98

C«ng ty DÇu KhÝ ViÖt nam- NhËt b¶n (JVPC), mét chi nh¸nh cña
tËp ®oµn dÇu khÝ Mitsubishi ®· th«ng b¸o trong th¸ng 6 lµ ®· cã
mét sù kh¸m ph¸ rÊt høa hÑn t¹i vÞ trÝ R¹ng §«ng.
Theo kÕt qu¶ ghi nhËn ®-îc tõ mét tõ mét giÕng dÇu th¨m dß,
khu vùc khai th¸c cã thÓ cã cïng chÊt l-îng nh- vÞ trÝ má B¹ch
Hæ ë gÇn mét ®Þa ®iÓm duy nhÊt hiÖn giê ®ang ®-îc kinh doanh
khai th¸c ë ViÖt Nam. Tr÷ l-îng cña B¹ch Hæ -íc tÝnh ë møc cao
nhÊt lµ 3000 triÖu thïng.
Nh-ng Ýt nhÊt cÇn ph¶i mét n¨m n÷a vµ cÇn ®Õn viÖc khoan dß
n÷a th× míi cã thÓ x¸c ®Þnh chÝnh x¸c ®-îc môc tiªu viÖc th¨m
dß cña c«ng ty NhËt.
Nh÷ng ng-êi bi quan th× cho r»ng cÇn ®Õn kho¶ng 5 n¨m míi ®¸nh
gi¸ ®óng vµ ®Çy ®ñ tr÷ l-îng dÇu cña ViÖt Nam.
ViÖc th¨m dß vµ khai th¸c khÝ ®èt còng chøng tá ®ã lµ mät dÞch
vô ®ang gÆp khã kh¨n, dï c¬ may ®· mØm c-êi víi víi c«ng ty BP
Anh, mét ®¬n vÞ mµ trong th¸ng 9 ®· th«ng b¸o lµ ®· ph¸t hiÖn
ra hai tói dÇu khÝ, -íc tÝnh ®¹t ®-îc 57 tû mÐt khèi ë Nam C«n
S¬n, phÝa nam thµnh phè HCM.
C«ng ty BHP vµ c«ng ty Quèc gia Na Uy Statoil ®· mua l¹i c¸c
phÇn ®Æc nh-îng cña c«ng ty khÝ ®èt vµ dÇu khÝ quèc gia Ên §é
(ONGC) vµo n¨m 1992.
Liªn hiÖp, víi ONGC n¾m 55% cæ phÇn, BP 30% vµ Statoil 5% ®·
tiÕn hµnh th¨m dß vµ thö nghiÖm theo mét hîp ®ång ph©n chia s¶n
phÈm víi ViÖt Nam, mét ®¬n vÞ lÇn l-ît nhËn 5% tiÒn gãp vµo,
c¨n cø trªn quyÒn lîi cña mçi ®èi t¸c Ch©u ¢u.

Translate the following text into English

The failure of a space shuttle steering jet Wednesday forced NASA to suspend a radar survey
of Earth as Endeavour's 10 day environmental research flight passed the halfway mark.
The problem was a hindrance to the $384 million space Radar Laboratory but not a danger to
the astronauts, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.
Officials said a fuel temperature sensor failed, disabling a leak detection system in the suspect
thruster and triggering a shutdown of five others, called verniers, which are needed to
fine-tune the shuttle's orbital path and precisely point cargo bay instruments at targets on the
planet.
Mission commentator Kelly Humphries late Wednesday called the scientific hiatus
"temporary pause" while ground engineers hastily devised a way for shuttle computers to
ignore the broken sensor.
 99

Maneuvering Endeavour with its 38 larger thrusters would consume too much full and
eliminate hope of extending the natural disasters around the globe, according to flight director
Rich Jackson.
Late Wednesday the shuttle was flying on autopilot and the crew, which has been working in
two shifts around the clock since Friday's liftoff from Florida, was enjoying an unexpected
time-out., Jackson predicted the software patch would be ready by Thursday afternoon, about
24 hours after the malfunction occurred.
"The payloads community and the flight control team are working very hard to regain venire
control and minimise the impact. in the intervening time period". Jackson told reporters at
Mission Control in Houston.
Scientists said the problem would not harm the images but that it would take up to five times
longer to process the radar data in their computers.

ASSIGNMENT 16:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
N-íc Anh ®-îc chia lµm 651 khu vùc bÇu cö ng-êi d©n ë mçi khu
vùc chän ra mét ng-êi ®¹i diÖn cho m×nh ë h¹ viÖn. ë Anh hÖ
thèng bÇu cö ®¬n gi¶n ®-îc sö dông trong c¸c cuéc bÇu cö quèc
héi theo ph-¬ng thøc bá phiÕu kÝn. HiÖn nay, hÖ thèng nµy cã
nh÷ng ®iÒu chØnh ®Ó ngµy cµng trë nªn tèi -u h¬n.
ViÖc bÇu cö lµ hoµn toµn tù nguþªn. mäi ng-êi d©n Anh tõ 18
tuæi trë nªn kh«ng bÞ t-íc quyÒn bÇu cö do ph¹m ph¸p, ®Òu cã
thÓ bá phiÕu bÇu cö.
Nh÷ng ng-êi kh«ng cã quyÒn bÇu cö bao gåm: thµnh viªn cña
hoµng gia, c¸c nhµ quý téc lµ thµnh viªn cña th-îng nghÞ viÖn
hoÆc lµ c- d©n n-íc ngoµi. Ngoµi ra cßn cã bÖnh nh©n n»m viÖn
do cã vÊn ®Ò vÒ t©m thÇn ph¹m nh©n ®ang thi hµnh ¸n vµ nh÷ng
ng-êi bÞ kÕt ¸n, trong vßng n¨m n¨m tr-íc ®ã vÒ téi tham nhòng.
øng cö viªn:
BÊt cø ai trªn 21 tuæi lµ c«ng d©n n-íc Anh c¸c n-íc trong
khèi thÞnh v-îng chung hoÆc lµ n-íc céng hoµ Ai Len, cã ®ñ t-
c¸ch th× ®Òu cã thÓ øng cö vµo quèc héi, nh÷ng ng-êi kh«ng cã
quyÒn øng cö lµ thµnh viªn cña th-îng nghÞ viÖn, t¨ng l÷, gi¸o
sÜ thuéc gi¸o héi Anh, gi¸o héi Ai Len, gi¸o héi ScètLan vµ
gi¸o héi Thiªn chóa gi¸o La M·, nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ ph¸ s¶n, ng-êi
lµm dÞch vô c«ng céng vµ nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ kÕt ¸n tï tõ 1 n¨m trë
lªn còng kh«ng ®-îc tham gia tranh cö.
C¸c øng cö viªn trong mét khu vùc bÇu cö ph¶i tr¶ mét kho¶ng
tiÒn 1000 b¶ng nh- lµ mét kho¶ng tiÒn ®Æt cäc. NÕu dµnh ®-îc Ýt
nhÊt 5% phiÕu bÇu cö th× hä sÏ ®-îc nhËn l¹i sè tiÒn ®ã.
Tæng bÇu cö:
 100

Theo nguyªn t¾c, bÇu cö h¹ nghÞ viÖn ®-îc tæ chøc 5 n¨m mét
lÇn.
Nh-ng c¸c cuéc bÇu cö th-êng ®-îc tæ chøc tr-íc khi kÕt thóc
mét nhiÖm k× 5 n¨m. Thñ t-íng lµ ng-êi cã quyÒn quyÕt ®Þnh thêi
gian tæ chøc tæng bÇu cö. N÷ Hoµng cã thÓ gi¶i t¸n Quèc héi vµ
kªu gäi mét cuéc bÇu cö ®Ó lËp nªn quèc héi míi.
N-íc Anh ®-îc chia thµnh c¸c vïng gäi lµ khu vùc bÇu cö dùa
trªn sè l-îng d©n c- xÊp xØ nhau. Tæng bÇu cö th-êng ®-îc tæ
chøc vµo thø 5 vµ mäi ng-êi vÉn ®i lµm nh- th-êng lÖ. Do ®ã,
thêi gian bÇu cö rÊt linh ®éng kÐo dµi tõ 7h ®Õn 22h ®Ó cho tÊt
c¶ mäi ng-êi ®Òu cã thÓ ®Õn bá phiÕu. T¹i c¸c ®Þa ®iÓm bá
phiÕu, cö tri ®-îc ph¸t phiÕu bÇu cã in tªn c¸c øng cö viªn ë
khu vùc bÇu cö ®ã, danh s¸ch th-êng s¾p xÕp theo thø tù anphabe
®«i khi cßn cã mét b¶n tãm t¾t vÒ tiÓu sö øng cö viªn vµ ®¶ng
cña hä ®-îc ®i kÌm víi l¸ phiÕu.
Sau ®ã, c¸c phiÕu kh«ng hîp lÖ sÏ bÞ lo¹i vµ ng-êi ta sÏ tiÕn
hµnh kiÓm phiÕu ®èi víi sè phiÕu hîp lÖ vµ øng cö viªn nµo nhËn
®-îc nhiÒu phiÕu ñng hé nhÊt sÏ lµ ng-êi th¾ng cuéc vµ trë
thµnh thµnh viªn Quèc héi ®¹i diÖn cho khu vùc cña m×nh.
ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö:
ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö diÔn ra trong vßng 3 tuÇn tr-íc ngµy tæng
bÇu cö. ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö diÔn ra ë mäi khu vùc bÇu cö trªn
toµn quèc. C¸c øng cö viªn sö dông mäi lo¹i ph-¬ng tiÖn, s¸ch
l-îc ®Ó thu hót sù ñng hé cña ng-êi d©n.
VËn ®éng tranh cö:
VËn ®éng tranh cö cã nghÜa lµ nh©n viªn cña §¶ng ë ®Þa ph-¬ng
®i ®Õn tõng gia ®×nh vµ hái ng-êi d©n vÒ ý ®Þnh cña hä, xem thö
lµ hä ®Þnh bÇu ai. B»ng c¸ch nµy, c¸c øng cö viªn cã thÓ biÕt
®-îc ý ®Þnh còng nh- th¸i ®é cña ng-êi d©n, tõ ®ã hä cã thÓ
®iÒu chØnh c¸c chiÕn l-îc cña m×nh. Ngoµi ra nh©n viªn ®ã sÏ
quay trë l¹i nh÷ng gia ®×nh cã ng-êi ®· høa lµ sÏ ñng hé §¶ng
cña hä ®Ó thóc giôc hä bá phiÕu cho ng-êi cña §¶ng m×nh trong
ngµy bÇu cö.
MÝt tin:
øng cö viªn cã thÓ tæ chøc mÝt tin bÊt cø n¬i nµo bÊt cø n¬i
®©u cã thÓ trong suèt chiÕn dÞch bÇu cö. Kh¸ch mêi cña hä bao
gåm nh÷ng ng-êi cã tÇm ¶nh h-ëng lín ttrong ®¶ng, nh÷ng ng-êi
næi tiÕng ñng hé hä nh- nµh v¨n, diÔn viªn ®Ó g©y ¶nh h-ëng ®èi
víi cö tri. Nh÷ng cuéc mÝt tin nh- thÕ th-êng ®-îc ®-a trän vÑn
lªn c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn th«ng tin ®¹i chóng.
Th«ng tin ®¹i chóng:
Do b¸o vµ t¹p chÝ ë Anh th-êng lµ thuéc së h÷u t- nh©n vµ ®éc
lËp vÒ mÆt tµi chÝnh ®èi víi c¸c ®¶ng ph¸i chÝnh trÞ nªn ng-êi
chñ bót hoÆc ng-êi biªn tËp cã thÓ ñng hé bÊt cø ai hä muèn.
 101

Tuy nhiªn, ®µi ph¸t thanh vµ ®µi truyÒn h×nh th× kh¸c lu«n
lu«n c«ng b»ng, kh«ng thiªn vÞ. Ch-¬ng tr×nh tin tøc ®-a tin vÒ
mäi mÆt cña chiÕn dÞch tranh cö cña c¸c §¶ng. Trong thêi gian
nµy, c¸c øng cö viªn xuÊt hiÖn trªn ®µi vµ tivi suèt ngµy ®ªm,
ta cã thÓ thÊy hä ë nhµ m¸y, xÝ nghiÖp, tr-êng häc, trung t©m
thanh niªn vµ ë c¶ c¸c n«ng tr¹i. Hä ph¸t biÓu c¸c chÝnh s¸ch
cña ®¶ng m×nh.
Ch-¬ng tr×nh ®èi tho¹i trùc tiÕp trªn ®· cho phÐp mäi ng-êi
®Æt c©u hái cho c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o chÝnh trÞ. Bªn c¹nh ®ã, c¸c
bµi t-êng thuËt, bµi b×nh luËn do c¸c phãng viªn ghi l¹i trong
c¸c cuéc pháng vÊn víi c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña c¸c ®¶ng còng ®-îc
ph¸t sãng.
B¶n tuyªn ng«n:
C¸c ®¶ng lín cho xuÊt b¶n b¶n tuyªn ng«n cña ®¶ng m×nh trong
suèt chiÕn dÞch bÇu cö. Mçi ®¶ng ®Òu ®-a ra b¶n tuyªn ng«n cña
®¶ng m×nh nh- lµ mét Ên phÈm tham kh¶o. Nã cung cÊp cho ng-êi
d©n nh÷ng th«ng tin vÒ chÝnh s¸ch cña ®¶ng, vÒ nh÷ng g× hä sÏ
lµm nÕu hä ®¾c cö.
C¸c b¶n tuyªn ng«n cßn bao gåm nh÷ng thµnh c«ng tr-íc ®©y cña
®¶ng. Ngoµi ra ®«i khi nã cßn chøa ®ùng sù c«ng kÝch cña ®¶ng
nµy ®èi víi ®¶ng ®èi lËp.

ASSIGNMENT 17:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Hµ Néi ®ang cè g¾ng t¨ng gÊp ®«i GDP lªn 1100 ®«la MÜ trong
vßng 5 n¨m tíi.
KÕ ho¹ch ®Çy tham väng nµy ®-îc ®-a ra trªn c¬ së 11,9% tØ lÖ
t¨ng GDP h»ng n¨m cña thµnh phè.
T¹i §¹i héi §¹i biÓu §¶ng Bé thµnh phè Hµ Néi ®-îc tæ chøc
võa qua, c¸c ®¹i biÓu ®· ®-îc th«ng b¸o: nÕu tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng
vÉn tiÕp tôc nh- dù tÝnh th× GDP sÏ ®¹t kho¶ng 15% vµo ®Çu thÕ
kØ.
§iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ GDP ®· t¨ng gÊp ®«i.
§¹i héi còng ®Ò cËp ®Õn vÊn ®Ò c¬ së CN nhá truyÒn thèng cña
nÒn kinh tÕ thñ ®« t¨ng nhanh bÞ thay thÕ bëi c¸c ho¹t ®éng CN
vµ nghµnh c«ng nghiÖp dÞch vô-th-¬ng m¹i. Ngoµi ra ®¹i héi cßn
®-îc b¸o c¸o lµ kho¶ng 19% sè hé gia ®×nh ë Hµ Néi cã thÓ xÕp
vµo diÖn hé giµu.
Møc GDP b×nh qu©n n¨m ngo¸i cña thµnh phè ®-îc -íc tÝnh lµ
kho¶ng 650 ®«la. Cao h¬n so víi 470 ®«la n¨m 1991 (tèc ®é t¨ng
tr-ëng m¹nh mÏ).
Sù t¨ng tr-ëng nµy lµ kÕt qu¶ cña hµng lo¹t c¸c dù ¸n ®Çu t-
trong n-íc vµ n-íc ngoµi -íc tÝnh vµo kho¶ng 32,570VND (kho¶ng
3.275 triÖu USD).
 102

Phã chñ tÞch héi ®ång Nh©n D©n thµnh phè Hµ Néi, «ng Lª Xu©n
Hïng b¸o c¸o víi ®¹i héi r»ng:
Mét phÇn cña sè vèn ®Çu t- ®· ®-îc sö dông cho qu¸ tr×nh
chuyÓn giao c«ng nghÖ, ®æi míi thiÕt bÞ trong nghµnh CN. PhÇn
lín sè vèn ®Çu t- cßn l¹i ®-îc dïng vµo viÖc thiÕt lËp c«ng ty
liªn doanh víi ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi.
Vµo cuèi n¨m 1995 cã ®Õn h¬n 210 dù ¸n ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi ®·
®-îc cÊp giÊy phÐp kinh doanh trªn ®Þa bµn thµnh phè Hµ Néi víi
tæng sè tiÒn lªn tíi 3,3 tØ ®«la. ¤ng Tïng nãi trong sè ®ã lµ 1
phÇn 3 tØ ®«la ®· ®-îc sö dông.
§iÒu nµy ®· gióp Hµ Néi trong viÖc lùa chän h-íng c¬ cÊu l¹i
c¬ së kinh tÕ theo h-íng CN-DV thay cho c¬ cÊu cñ víi vai trß
trô cét cña CN nhá vµ n«ng nghiÖp truyÒn thèng.
Theo lêi «ng Tïng, tØ lÖ s¶n phÈm CN, th-¬ng m¹i, dÞch vô
trong ®ã tæng s¶n phÈm quèc néi cña thµnh phè Hµ Néi giai ®o¹n
1991-1995 t¨ng lªn ®Õn 33,1% ®èi víi c«ng nghiÖp vµ 61,6% ®èi
víi th-¬ng m¹i vµ dÞch vô.
Trong khi ®ã tØ lÖ n«ng nghiÖp l¹i gi¶m xuèng cßn 5,3% trong
tæng GDP.
¤ng Tïng cßn nãi sö thay ®æi cña bé mÆt kinh tÕ Hµ Néi cßn nhê
vµo sù t¨ng vät cña tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng h»ng n¨m cña 5 n¨m tr-íc.
¤ng nãi tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng 11,9% hµng n¨m cµng ®-îc ®¶m b¶o
ch¾c ch¾n, con sè nµy cao h¬n gÊp ®«i so víi tØ lÖ ®Ò ra n¨m
1991.
¤ng Tïng b¸o c¸o víi c¸c ®¹i biÓu r»ng vµo n¨m 2000 tØ lÖ t¨ng
tr-ëng cña thµnh phè sÏ ®¹t 15% 1 n¨m. GDP -íc tÝnh ®¹t kho¶ng
1000 ®« la.
Vµo thêi ®iÓm ®ã tØ lÖ s¶n phÈm c«ng nghiÖp tæng sè GDP cña
thµnh phè Hµ Néi sÏ ®¹t 40% t¨ng 7% so víi hiÖn t¹i.
N¨m ngµnh c«ng nghiÖp ®· ®¹t ®-îc môc ®Ých trë thµnh ngµnh
c«ng nghiÖp then chèt cña thµnh phè bao gåm: ngµnh s¶n xuÊt
thiÕt bÞ ®iÖn, m¸y mãc, c¬ khÝ; ngµnh dÖt; chÕ biÕn thùc phÈm;
®iÖn tö; vËt liÖu x©y dùng.
Trong 5 n¨m tíi Hµ Néi cÇn kho¶ng 9 tØ USD ®Ó ®Çu t- x©y dùng
ph¸t triÓn nh÷ng khu c«ng nghiÖp míi, ®æi míi c¸c khu c«ng
nghiÖp cñ, x©y dùng c¸c toµ nhµ lín ë trung t©m thµnh phè ®Ó
lµm c¸c v¨n phßng ®¹i diÖn, khu th-¬ng m¹i, khu vui ch¬i gi¶i
trÝ, Hµ Néi ®· cã kho¶ng 10 khu c«ng nghiÖp vµ 5 c¸i kh¸c ®ang
®-îc x©y dùng.
NhiÒu khu c«ng nghiÖp hiÖn nay cÇn nh÷ng kho¶ng ®Çu t- theo
chiÒu s©u ®Ó thay thÕ c¸c kÜ thuËt cñ, më réng x©y dùng nhiÒu
nhµ m¸y h¬n n÷a.
 103

Tuy nhiªn phã bÝ th- §¶ng uû thµnh phè Hµ Néi cÇn nh¾c nhë c¸c
®¹i biÓu r»ng cÇn ph¶i næ lùc h¬n n÷a ®Ó gi÷ v÷ng sù ph¸t triÓn
theo h-íng ‘‘nÒn kinh tÕ thÞ tr-êng’’ theo ®Þnh h-íng x· héi
chñ nghÜa.
¤ng cßn nãi ‘‘chÝnh quyÒn thµnh phè Hµ Néi ®· thÊt b¹i trong
viÖc x©y dùng sù ®oµn kÕt c¸c quan hÖ s¶n xuÊt kinh doanh x·
héi chñ nghÜa’’. Trong khi bé m¸y hµnh chÝnh c¸c cÊp cßn yÕu vµ
‘‘vai trß cña §¶ng trong c¸c tæ chøc kinh tÕ x· héi kh¸c nhau
vÉn cßn h¹n chÕ’’.
Nh÷ng tham vÊn cña «ng Tïng cßn ®-îc Tæng bÝ th- §æ M-êi còng
cè thªm, «ng Tïng chØ ph¸t biÓu víi ®¹i héi r»ng:
Bªn c¹nh nh÷ng thµnh c«ng ban ®Çu Hµ Néi cßn chó ý ®Õn viÖc
ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ vµ x©y dùng nguån nh©n lùc.
§ång chÝ nãi 6% nh©n d©n thµnh phè Hµ Néi thÊt nghiÖp lµ mét
th¸ch thøc mµ thµnh phè cÇn ph¶i gi¶i quyÕt.
Cã thÓ lµ b»ng c¸ch lËp nªn c¸c nhãm s¶n xuÊt ®Ó tõ ®ã h×nh
thµnh c¸c c¬ së c«ng nghiÖp nhá vµ ph¸t triÓn c«ng nghiÖp dÞch
vô.
§ång chÝ phã bÝ th- Lª Xu©n Tïng nãi r»ng: trong giai ®o¹n
1991-1995 sè l-îng c¸c gia ®×nh giµu t¨ng lªn gÇn 19%. Sè hé
nghÌo gi¶m xuèng chØ cßn kho¶ng 2%.

ASSIGNMENT 18:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Lµm v-ên lµ mét nghÒ truyÒn thèng ë ViÖt Nam, nã xuÊt hiÖn
®ång thêi hay sím h¬n nghÒ trång lóa n-íc. Nh-ng VAC ( viÕt t¾t
cña v-ên, ao, chuång) lµ mét m« h×nh kinh tÕ hiÖn ®¹i míi ®-îc
®-a vµo hoat ®éng c¸ch ®©y 10 n¨m.
Ng-êi n-íc ngoµi ®Õn ViÖt Nam ®Ó nghiªn cøu m« h×nh VAC ë ®©y
nãi r»ng: Tuy nã kh«ng cã hiÖu qu¶ cao trong viÖc thùc hiÖn qui
m« s¶n xuÊt nh-ng lµ mét m« h×nh s¶n xuÊt ®ång bé mang l¹i lîi
Ých kinh tÕ lÉn lîi Ých vÒ m«i tr-êng.Tõ nh÷ng ngµy ®Çu tiªn
cña qu¸ tr×nh ho¹t ®éng, m« h×nh VAC lu«n g¾n chÆt vai trß cña
m×nh trong sù ph¸t triÓn cña nÒn kinh tÕ quèc d©n.
HiÖn nay VAC cã mÆt trªn kh¾p 53 tØnh víi h¬n 10 triÖu chñ
n«ng hé sö dông m« h×nh nµy. Trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y VAC ®· vµ
®ang ®-îc ph¸t triÓn trªn hÇu hÕt c¸c vïng kh¾p c¶ n-íc. Víi
hµng chôc ngµn hecta ®Êt canh t¸c ë c¸c tØnh Trung du vµ miÒn
nói, v-ên c©y ¨n qu¶ ®· më réng tõ 350,000 ®Õn 400,000 hecta
 104

M« h×nh VAC ®-îc ¸p dông ®· trá thµnh nguån cung cÊp rau qu¶
chÝnh cho c¶ n-íc, ®ång thêi còng ®¸p øng cho nhu cÇu xuÊt
khÈu..Theo FAO ( Tæ chøc L-¬ng N«ng ThÕ Giíi) th× s¶n l-îng rau
qu¶ ViÖt Nam ®¹t xÊp xØ 4 triÖu tÊn mçi n¨m. S¶n l-îng rau qu¶
b×nh qu©n ®Çu ng-êi trªn thÕ giíi lµ 65 Ki l«, ch©u ¸-Th¸i B×nh
D-¬ng lµ 31 kg vµ ViÖt nam lµ 61 kg.
HiÖn nay VAC cã mét ý nghÜa quan träng trong viÖc xãa ®ãi gi¶m
nghÌo ®èi víi c¸c n-íc chËm ph¸t triÓn, tæ chøc ho¹t ®éng t¹i
chç ®Ó ng¨n ch¨n suy dinh d-ìng, t¹o dùng c¸c v-ên c©y hay ®ån
®iÒn trªn khu ®Êt trèng ®åi nói träc, t¹o ra sù ph¸t triÓn mét
nÒn n«ng nghiÖp l©u dµi vµ æn ®Þnh.møc sèng cña c¸c hé n«ng d©n
thùc hiÖn m« h×nh VAC ®· ®-îc c¶i thiÖn ®¸ng kÓ víi møc thu
nhËp h»ng n¨m tõ ho¹t ®éng VAC ®¹t 60% tæng thu nhËp. Gi¸ trÞ
s¶n phÈm VAC chiÕm 1/3 gi¸ trÞ tæng s¶n phÈm vµ sÏ t¨ng h¬n
n÷a.
MÆc dï m« h×nh VAC ®· ph¸t triÓn nhanh trong vßng 10 n¨m qua,
nh-ng nã ch-a ®-îc thùc hiÖn ®ång lo¹t ë tÊt c¶ c¸c vïng n«ng
th«n. NÕu tËp trung më réng th©m canh vµ chuyªn m«n hãa c¸c
lo¹i c©y trång tren kh¾p c¶ n-íc, th× s¶n l-îng rau qu¶ ViÖt
nam cã thÓ ®¹t ®-îc 8 triÖu tÊn mçi n¨m ë thÕ kû 21.
VAC nªn ®-îc xem nh- lµ mét ch-¬ng tr×nh n«ng nghiÖp quèc gia.
NÕu VAC ®-îc khuyÕn khÝch ®Ó ph¸t huy hÕt mäi tiÒm n¨ng cña nã
th× ch¾c ch¾n sÏ ®¹t ®-îc hiÖu qu¶ cao, gãp phÇn vµo viÖc ph¸t
triÓn n-íc nhµ vµ gãp phÇn vµo viÖc b¶o vÖ m«i tr-êng.
 105

ASSIGNMENT 19:
Translate the following text into English
Researchers said on Monday they had conclusive evidence an experimental AIDS treatment
using plasma transfusions delays the onset of the disease in HIV positive patients and
prolongs the lives of AIDS sufferers.
DR. Abraham Karpas of the University of Cambridge's department of haematology said,
however, that although Passive Immune Therapy (PIT) was "breakthrough" in treating AIDS
and had no known side effects it should not be described as a cure.
"It is definitely not a cure. There is no cure in sight, but it looks as if it is the best form of
treatment," he said in his presentation to a London conference.
Karpas said U.S. and French studies on PIT released at the conference confirmed his original
research.
"Their double - blind, placebo - controlled studies showed that this treatment benefits AIDS
patients and prolonged their sure, survival,'' he stated in a telephone interview.
He said the studies, conducted by the Hemacare Corporation of California and two Paris
hospitals, also showed that PIT helped to delay the onset of full - blown AIDS (Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in people tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes the
deadly disease.
Under PIT, patients receive a monthly transfusion of half a litre of plasma taken from healthy
HIV - positive individuals. The blood has the red and white cells removes and is free of HIV
but has high levels of neutralising antibodies that kill the virus.
Karpas said he first discovered in 1985 that people with HIV who were otherwise healthy had
high levels of these antibodies in their blood while AIDS patients lost these neutralising
antibodies and their ability to fight infections.
Four patients in Cambridge were the first to receive the treatment and subsequently small
scale trials were carried out in London in 1988 and 1989. But Karpras said he has failed to
receive funding for his research in Britain and studies had therefore been set up in the US and
France.
The Hemancare trial studied the effect of PIT on 220 AIDS patients over 3 years. It found that
in the first 12 months the mortality rate was greatly reduced in the group who received the
plasma transfusion while those in the control group, where no treatment was given, had a
death rate of five time higher.
The treated group had one death in 21 people while the placebo group had six deaths in 30.
Moreover, the number of AIDS - linked infections was far lower in the treated group and the
blood donors themselves also appeared to benefit. The researchers said donating blood
appeared to stimulate the production of neutralising antibodies in the blood of HIV - positive
patients.
The French studies produced similar results, Karpas said he said the U.S. and French studies
represented the "first conclusive evidence that PIT is an effective AIDS treatment".
 106

ASSIGNMENT 20:
Translate the following text into English
Another day she said she knew a priest who woke one night to find a fellow he didn't
recognize leaning over the end of his bed. The priest was a bit frightened -naturally enough -
but he asked the fellow what he wanted, and the fellow said in a deep, husky voice that he
wanted to go to confession. The priest said it was an awkward time and wouldn't it do in the
morning, but the fellow said that last time he went to confession, there was one sin he kept
back, being ashamed to mention it, and now it was always on his mind. Then the priest knew
it was a bad case, because the fellow was after making a bad confession and committing a
mortal sin. He got up to dress, and just then the cock crew in the yard outside, and to and
behold! When the priest looked round there was no sign of the fellow, only a smell of burning
timber, and when the priest looked at his bed didn't he see the print of two hands burned in it!
That was because the fellow had made a bad confession. This story made a shocking
impression on me.
But the worst of all was when she showed us how to examine our conscience. Did we take the
name of the Lord, our God, in vain? Did we honour our father and our mother? (I asked her
did this include grandmothers and she said it did.) Did we love our neighbours as ourselves?
Did we cover our neighbour's goods? (I thought of the way I felt about the penny that Nora got
every Friday.) I decided that, between one thing and another, I must have broken the whole ten
commandments, all on account of that old woman, and so far as I could see-,, 9-n long ac, he
remained in the house, I had no hope of ever doing anything else.
I was scared to death of confession. The day the whole class went I let on to have a toothache,
hoping my absence wouldn't be noticed; but at three o'clock, just as I was feeling safe, along
comes a chap with a message from Mrs. Ryan that I was to go to confession myself on
Saturday and be at the chapel for communion with the rest. To make it worse, Mother couldn't
come with me and sent Nora instead.
Now, that girl had ways of tormenting me that Mother never knew of. She held my hands as
we went down the hill, smiling sadly and saying how sorry she was for me, as if she were
bringing me to the hospital for an operation.
"Oh, God, help us!" she moaned. "Isn't it a terrible pity you weren't a good boy? Oh Jackie,
my heart bleeds for you! How will you ever think of all your sins? Don't forget you have to
tell him about the time you kicked Gran on the shin."
"Let me go!" I said, trying to drag myself free of her, "I don't want to go to confession at all."
"But sure, you'll have to go to confession, Jackie," she replied in the same regretful tone.
"Sure, if you didn't, the parish priest would be up to the house, looking for you. Isn’t God
knows, that I'm not sorry for you. Do you remember the time you tried to kill me with the
bread knife under the table? And the language you used to me? I don't know what he'll do with
you at all, Jackie. He might have to send you up to the bishop."
I remember thinking bitterly that she didn't know the half of what I had to tell - if I told it. I
knew I couldn't tell it, and understood perfectly why the fellow in Mrs. Ryan's story made a
bad confession, it seemed to me a great shame that people wouldn't stop criticizing him. I
remember that steep hill down to the church, and the sunlit hillsides beyond the valley of the
river, which I saw in the gaps between the houses like Adam's last glimpse of Paradise.
 107

Then, when she had maneuvered me down the long flight of steps to the chapel yard, Nora
suddenly changed her tone. She became the raging malicious devil she really was.
"There you are!" she said with a yelp of triumph, hunting me through the church door." And I
hope he'll give you the penitential psalins, you dirty little baffler.'
I knew then I was lost, given up to eternal justice. The door with the coloured-glass panels
swung shut behind me, the sunlight went out and gave place to deep shadow, and the wind
whistled outside so that the silence within seemed to crackle like ice under my feet. Nora sat
in front of me by

ASSIGNMENT 21:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
1. Nh×n chung sau mét thêi gian ho¹t ®éng tr× trÖ, nÒn c«ng
nghiÖp dÖt thªu t- nh©n cña Thµnh phè Hå ChÝ Minh ®· ®-îc kh«i
phôc vµ ph¸t triÓn ë møc ®é nhÊt ®Þnh kÓ tõ n¨m 1991.Tuy nhiªn
sù ph¸t triÓn kh«ng æn ®Þnh bëi v× hÇu hÕt c«ng viÖc cña c¸c xÝ
nghiÖp t- nh©n ®Òu phô thuéc vµo ®¬n ®Æt hµng cña n-íc ngoµi.Do
vËy, hä kh«ng thÓ kiÓm so¸t ®-îc kÕ ho¹ch s¶n xuÊt, vµ gi¸ lao
®éng cho s¶n phÈm may mÆt bÞ c¸c ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi qui ®Þnh
rÊt thÊp ( tiÒn c«ng lao ®éng n¨m 1995 chØ b»ng 65%-70% so víi
c¸c n¨m 1991 vµ 1992.).Do tÝnh ®Æc thï cña ngµnh nµy, nªn l-¬ng
trung b×nh cña c«ng nh©n trong ngµnh may-thªu chØ kho¶ng
400.000 ®ång/th¸ng. Víi sù c¹nh tranh gay g¾t hiÖn nay, b¶o
hiÓm x· héi chiÕm ®Õn 15% vµ b¶o hiÓm y tÕ lµ 2% trong tæng sè
l-¬ng mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp ph¶i ®ãng, vµ nÕu nh- kÕ ho¹ch dù
kiÕn cña b¶o hiÓm x· héi ®-îc phª duyÖt, th× gi¸ thµnh s¶n xuÊt
sÏ rÊt cao g©y khã kh¨n cho c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt ViÖt Nam trong
vieec c¹nh tranh cã hiÖu qu¶ vµ chiÕm lÜnh thÞ tr-êng.
§Ó gióp c¸c doanh nghiÖp thªu-may t- nh©n sèng cßn, «ng Nam ®·
®Ò nghÞ nhµ n-íc nªn söa ®æi tû lÖ ®ãng gãp cña c¸c doanh
nghiÖp ngoµi quèc doanh ®èi víi chÝnh s¸ch b¶o hiÓm x· héi nh-
sau:

- B¶o hiÓm x· héi: 10% ®èi víi doanh nghiÖp vµ 3% ®èi víi c«ng
nh©n

- B¶o hiÓm y tÕ : 1% ®èi víi doanh nghiÖp vµ 1% ®èi víi

c«ng nh©n
Nhµ n-íc còng nªn ban hµnh mét qui ®Þnh cã liªn quan ®Õn ng-êi
lao ®éng ®· ®-îc c¸c doanh nghiÖp tuyÓn dông vµ ®µo t¹o buéc
ph¶i lµm viÖc tèi thiÓu lµ 2 n¨m. C¸c c«ng nh©n lµm viÖc trong
 108

c¸c doanh nghiÖp ngoµi quèc doanh cÇn ph¶i ®-îc cÊp thÎ lµm
viÖc. NÕu mét c«ng nh©n nµo ®ã muèn th«i viÖc th× ph¶i ®-îc
doanh nghiÖp cñ qu¶n ®ång ý.
TÊt c¶ mäi thµnh viªn cña c¸c c«ng ty may-thªu ë Thµnh phè Hå
ChÝ Minh ®Òu ®ång ý thùc hiÖn ®Çy ®ñ viÖc ®ãng gãp mét phÇn
l-¬ng vµo b¶o hiÓm x· héi vµ y tÕ, thÓ theo ®óng qui ®Þnh cña
luËt lao ®éng.
2. C¸c chñ doanh nghiÖp cña c¸c c«ng ty lín ë TP Hå ChÝ Minh
®· nªu ra nh÷ng khã kh¨n mµ hä ph¶i ®-¬ng ®Çu trong viÖc c¹nh
tranh gay g¾t víi c¸c c«ng ty n-íc ngoµi, ®Æc biÖt lµ víi c¸c
c«ng ty khæng lå thÕ giíi.
T¹i mét cuéc häp bµn vÒ : Lµm thÕ nµo ®Ó khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t-
n-íc ngoµi vµ ®¶m b¶o s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc ®-îc tæ chøc t¹i TP
Hå ChÝ minh tuÇn qua, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt cña c¸c c«ng ty bét giÆt
Tico vµ Lux, Mü phÈm P/S, n-íc gi¶i kh¸t Tribeco, dÖt ViÖt
Th¾ng, bia Sµi gßn vµ c«ng ty gia cÇm vËt nu«i TP Hå ChÝ Minh
®Òu thèng nhÊt mét ý kiÕn lµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc kh«ng
c©n søc trong viÖc c¹nh tranh víi c¸c ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi v× hä
kh«ng ®-îc h-ëng chÝnh s¸ch -u ®·i thuÕ nh- c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã
vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi.
ChØ 1 n¨m sau khi lÖnh cÊm vËn cña Mü ®-îc b·i bá, c¸c c«ng ty
n-íc gi¶i kh¸t khæng lå nh- Coca-cola, Pep si- Cola ®-îc h-ëng
-u ®·i vÒ vèn, chÝnh s¸ch tiÕp thÞ vµ c¸c -u ®·i kh¸c theo luËt
§Çu T- N-íc Ngoµi, nªn c¸c c«ng ty nµy ®· dÇn dÇn th©m nhËp thÞ
phÇn cña c¸c nahf s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc. C¸c s¶n phÈm kh¸c còng
r¬i vµo hoµn c¶nh t-¬ng tù. Bia Sµi Gßn ph¶i c¹nh tranh quyÕt
liÖt víi c¸c c«ng ty bia liªn doanh víi n-íc ngoµi. C¸c nhµ s¶n
xuÊt bét giÆt trong n-íc, mÆc dï cã thÓ ®¸p øng nhu cÇu trong
n-íc ®Õn n¨m 2000, nh-ng l¹i bÞ c¸c c«ng ty khæng lå nh-
Procter & Gamble vµ Unilever dån vµo thÕ bÝ.
§Ó b¶o vÖ viÖc s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt trong
n-íc ®· ®Ò nghÞ víi chÝnh phñ mét sè biÖn ph¸p. Thø nhÊt, nhµ
n-íc nªn cã kÕ ho¹ch ph¸t triÓn dµnh riªng cho viÖc ®Çu t- n-íc
ngoµi vÒ l·nh vùc kinh doanh vµ ph©n bè theo vïng ®Þa lý vµ
kh«ng nªn khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi vµo viÖc s¶n xuÊt ra
c¸c s¶n phÈm mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc cã kh¶ n¨ng s¶n
xuÊt ®-îc nh- n-íc gi¶i kh¸t, bét giÆt, giÊy vµ thuèc l¸. Thø
hai, viÖc cÊp giÊy phÐp nªn ®-îc ¸p dông cho c¸c c«ng ty liªn
 109

doanh hay c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã 100% vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi tham
gia vµo c¸c dù ¸n ®ßi hái cã nhiÒu vèn, c«ng nghÖ cao hay s¶n
xuÊt c¸c mÆt hµng xuÊt khÈu. Thø ba, lµ nªn cã mét ®¹o luËt
chèng ®èi viÖc c¹nh tranh kh«ng lµnh m¹nh cã thÓ dÉn ®éc quyÒn
kinh doanh, ph¸ gi¸ lµm h¹i ng-êi tiªu dïng. Thø t- nªn cã
chÝnh s¸ch khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- trong n-íc vµ cho c¸c doanh
nghiÖp trong n-íc ®-îc h-ëng chÝnh s¸ch -u ®·i thuÕ nh- c¸c nhµ
®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi. Thø n¨m, nªn ph¸t ®éng mét chiÕn dÞch ®éng
viªn ng-êi ViÖt Nam dïng hµng néi ®Þa, t¹o ®iÒu kiÖn cho c¸c
doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc ph¸t triÓn.

ASSIGNMENT 22:
Translate the following text into English
Poor people often have larger families than middle class and upper class people. And people
in underdeveloped countries have more children than people in developed countries. More and
more experts in population growth see the strong relationship between family size and
economic development.
In some areas, government family planning services may not be available to poor people due
to geographic location. For example, people in rural areas may live too far away from family
planning services. Therefore, they don't receive information about ways to control family size.
In general, people in urban areas have much more information available to them than people
living in rural areas. Urban people have help with family planning, and they have smaller
families. So we can say that geography where people live - plays a part in determining family
size: Urban families are smaller than rural families.
What are the other reasons? Economic development of families and, on a larger scale, of
nations, is an important factor in determining family size. People with a lot of money have
fewer children. On the other hand, poor people in underdeveloped countries choose to have
many children. Why? Because they have to depend upon their children to take care of them in
their old age. They have no insurance, pensions, or government help. When they grow old,
where can they get help? The answer is simple. They can and will turn to their children. Their
children will be adults then, and they will be working. The children can all share the costs and
other responsibilities of taking care of their parents. For many poor people, a large family is a
way of planning and preparing for the future. We could say that a large family is insurance for
old age in some societies.

ASSIGNMENT 23:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Hai c¬ quan l-¬ng thùc cña Liªn Hîp quèc ngµy h«m qua ®· cho
r»ng Indonesia sÏ ®èi mÆt víi sù thiÕu hôt l-¬ng thùc trÇm
 110

träng trong n¨m nay. §ã lµ hËu qu¶ cña nh÷ng vô mïa thÊt thu vµ
cña cuéc khñng ho¶ng tµi chÝnh ®· lµm t¨ng gi¸ nhËp khÈu.
Trong mét b¶n b¸o c¸o chung, tæ chøc L-¬ng N«ng thÕ giíi (FAO)
vµ Ch-¬ng Tr×nh L-¬ng Thùc ThÕ Giíi (WFP) cho r»ng viÖc gióp ®ì
cña thÕ giíi lµ cÇn thiÕt ®Ó gi¶i quyÕt viÖc thiÕu hôt g¹o t¹m
thêi, nguån l-¬ng thùc chÝnh cña ®Êt n-íc.
B¶n b¸o c¸o chung cña hai tæ chøc cã v¨n phßng ®Æt t¹i Rome
th× hai tæ chøc FAO vµ WFP thóc giôc c¸c n-íc tµi trî gióp
Indonesia gi¶i quyÕt c¸c vÊn ®Ò liªn quan ®Õn h¹n h¸n vµ khñng
ho¶ng tµi chÝnh. B¶n b¸o c¸o nãi thªm r»ng gi¸ l-¬ng thùc ngµy
cµng t¨ng cao, sè ng-êi thÊt nghiÖp ngµy cµng ®«ng lµm t¨ng
thªm sè ng-êi sèng d-íi møc nghÌo ®ãi. Mét b¶n b¸o c¸o vÒ mét
n-íc ®«ng d©n thø t- trªn thÕ giíi mµ nÒn kinh tÕ ®· bÞ tµn ph¸
cho r»ng :’’ Vµo kho¶ng 7,5 triÖu ng-êi Indonesia nghÌo khæ ë
15 tØnh cã thÓ ph¶i sèng thiÕu ¨n trong mïa kh«’’. B¶n b¸o c¸o
dùa trªn nh÷ng cø liÖu do mét nhãm c«ng t¸c gåm 11 thµnh viªn
cña hai tæ chøc nµy. Nhãm nµy ®· ®Õn Indonesia tõ ngµy 9
th¸ng 3 ®Õn 1 th¸ng 4 n¨m 1998. S¶n l-îng n¨m nay chØ -íc ®¹t
47,5 triÖu tÊn, thÊp h¬n 3,6% so víi n¨m ngo¸i. Sù tôt gi¶m nµy
do mét trong nh÷ng ®ît h¹n h¸n nghiªm träng nhÊt ë Indonesia
trong thÕ kû nµy g©y nªn. B¶n b¸o c¸o cßn cho biÕt mÆc dï chÝnh
phñ Indonesia dù ®Þnh nhËp khÈu 1,5 triÖu tÊn g¹o tõ th¸ng 4
®Õn th¸ng 9, nh-ng n-íc nµy vÉn cßn thiÕu 2 triÖu tÊn n÷a.
Kho¶n thiÕu hôt nµy sÏ ®-îc céng ®ång quèc tÕ gióp ®ì ®Ó nh»m
cøu v·n nÒn kinh tÕ ®ang l©m vµo c¶nh khèn cïng. B¶n b¸o c¸o
cho biÕt th¸ch thøc chÝnh mµ ®Êt n-íc nµy ®ang ®èi mÆt lµ b¶o
®¶m cung cÊp ®ñ l-¬ng thùc cho 7,5 triÖu ng-êi nghÌo ®ãi v× gi¸
g¹o vµ c¸c lo¹i l-¬ng thùc kh¸c t¨ng 50% trong vßng 12 th¸ng
qua.

ASSIGNMENT 24:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
H«m thø t-, ViÖt Nam tuyªn bè lµ sÏ gia nhËp HiÖp Héi c¸c n-íc
§«ng Nam ¸, nh»m xua ®i pháng ®o¸n lµ Hµ Néi muèn lÇn l÷a viÖc
trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cho ®Õn khi chuÈn bÞ tèt mäi ®iÒu
kiÖn.
‘‘ ViÖt Nam hiÖn giê ®ang tÝch cùc chuÈn bÞ mäi ®iÒu kiÖn cÇn
thiÕt ®Ó trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cña ASEAN vµo n¨m tíi.’’
Phã Thñ T-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i ®· tuyªn bè nh- vËy víi c¸c doanh
nh©n t¹i mét b÷a ¨n tr-a do DiÔn ®µn Kinh tÕ thÕ giíi (WEF) -
 111

trô së ®Æt t¹i Thôy SÜ- tæ chøc. WEF lµ c¬ quan ®øng ra duy tr×
cuéc häp kÐo dµi 3 ngµy ë ®©y.
Phã Thñ T-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cho biÕt ViÖt Nam còng muèn tham
gia vµo DiÔn §µn Hîp T¸c Kinh TÕ Ch©u ¸- Th¸i B×nh D-¬ng (
APEC) víi 17 thµnh viªn. khi cã ®ñ ®iÒu kiÖn. T¹i Jakarta, Thø
tr-ëng ngo¹i giao ViÖt Nam Vò Khoan nãi r»ng n-íc «ng sÏ ®Ö ®¬n
xin trë thµnh héi viªn A SEAN vßa cuèi th¸ng nµy hay ®Çu th¸ng
11.
Thø tr-ëng Vò Khoan, sau khi gÆp «ng A Jit Singh Tæng th- ký A
SEAN- v¨n phßng ®Æt t¹i JaKarta, ®· ph¸t biÓu r»ng «ng kh«ng
muèn cã mét trë ng¹i nµo trong qu¸ tr×nh gia nhËp A SEAN. Th«ng
tÊn x· Antara ®· trÝch dÉn lêi tuyªn bè cña «ng.
C¸c thµnh viªn APEC bao gåm c¸c quèc gia thuéc A SEAN- Brun©y,
Indonesia, Malaisia, Phillipine, Xingapore vµ Th¸i Lan- cïng
c¸c n-íc Mü, Canada, NhËt vµ Trung Quèc. Mét cuéc häp kh«ng
chÝnh thøc cña c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o c¸c n-íc tham giaAPEC sÏ ®-îc
tæ chøc t¹i Indonesia vµo th¸ng tíi.
ViÖt nam ®· ®¹t ®-îc kÕt qu¶ lµ trë thµnh quan s¸t viªn ASEAN
trong cuéc héi nghÞ cña khèi nµy vµo n¨m 1992, ®· tuyªn bè lµ
thiÕt tha mong muèn trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cña tæ chøc
nµy, ®· cã nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh víi nhiÒu hoµi b¶o vÒ sù hîp t¸c,
bao gåm c¶ viÖc ph¸t ®éng khu vùc tù do mËu dÞch A SEAN trong
vßng 10 n¨m.
C¸c viªn chøc ASEAN còng ®· hy väng lµ ViÖt Nam cã lÏ sÏ gia
nhËp A SEAN tr-íc khi c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña 6 quèc gia thµnh
viªn tham dù cuéc häp th-îng ®Ønh tæ chøc t¹i Th¸i Lan vµo
th¸ng 12 n¨m 1995.
‘‘ §· s½n cã nh÷ng qui ®Þnh vÒ viÖc hîp t¸c trong khèi A SEAN.
Mét khi chóng t«i lµ héi viªn th× chóng t«i sÏ tu©n theo mäi
qui ®Þnh. Phã Thñ T-íng nãi thªm r»ng Hµ Néi sÏ lµm viÖc víi
c¸c n-íc kh¸c t¹i §ong Nam ¸ ®Ó b¶o ®¶m nÒn an ninh khu vùc. ’’
Phã Thñ t-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cho biÕt chÝnh phñ cña «ng sÏ ®Èy
m¹nh c¸c næ lùc b»ng nh÷ng viÖc c¶i c¸ch ®Ó hoµn thiÖn c¸c ®iÒu
kiÖn cho sù ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi qua sù h×nh thµnh mét c¬ cÊu luËt
ph¸p míi vµ c¸c thñ tôc hµnh ch¸nh thÝch hîp h¬n.
Phã Thñ t-íng nãi: ‘‘ Chóng t«i hiÓu ®-îc lµ ViÖt Nam ®ang ®èi
phã víi nh÷ng thö th¸ch lín lao cña sù c¹nh tranh kinh tÕ toµn
cÇu vµ nh- thÕ chóng t«i ph¶i cè g¾ng thËt tÝch cùc ®Ó g¹t bá
®i mèi nguy c¬ tôt hËu ®»ng sau c¸c n-íc l¸ng giÒng.’’

ASSIGNMENT 25:
Translate the following texts into English
 112

1. The manufacturing sector expanded significantly during the post-World War II

reconstruction of the Philippine economy. Government controls on imports promoted the
development of light industries that produced consumer goods for the domestic market. In the
1970s the government created four special economic zones designed to stimulate
manufacturing for the export market. Industries in these export-processing zones receive
incentives to produce traditional exports. The zones have helped to stimulate foreign
investment in the Philippine economy, in part because they are exempt from certain taxes and
restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses. The success of these zones has led to the
creation of other types of special economic zones, such as large industrial estates. Businesses
receive tax exemptions and other incentives in these zones. The former U.S. naval base at
Subic Bay, for example, is now a huge industrial-commercial zone in Manila. Its modern
facilities and duty-free economic zone have attracted new export-focused industries and
foreign investment
2. Vietnam has sought to maintain socio-politic stability, develop economic and diplomatic
establishment in recent years. The positive legal changes have had a tremendous influence on
the production, financial and commercial situations. Vietnam ranked as the world’s second-
largest rice exporter to Thailand because its agriculture responded dramatically to free market.
In manufacturing and service activities the rapid growth and change occurred in and around
HCM City. Much economic expansion was partially driven by an influx of investment and
technology from some 2 million overseas Vietnamese in many different countries worldwide,
most of whom had returned to Vietnam for their investment and contacts with their relatives.

Only a year after the US embargo was lifted, soft drink giants such as Coca Cola and Pepsi
Cola, which have enjoyed superior advantages in capital, marketing policies and preferences
under the Foreign Investment Law, have gradually eaten into the market shares of local
producers. Other products are also in the same situation. Saigon Beer has to compete fiercely
with breweries of foreign Joint-ventures. Local detergent producers, although capable of
meeting domestic demand to the year 2005, have driven into the corner by giants such as
Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

3. To protect domestic production, local producers have proposed several measures to the
Government. First, the State should devise specific development plans for foreign investment
in terms of business field and geographical area and should not encourage foreign investment
in products which local enterprises can produce such as soft drink, detergent, paper and
cigarettes. Second, licenses should be granted only to JVs or foreign-owned enterprises which
involve in projects requiring large capital, advanced technology or producing goods for
export. Third, a law should be enacted against unfair competition that can lead to monopoly,
dumping or price inflation that does not benefit consumers.

4. In Vietnamese the word “nuoc” carry a double meaning of “country” and “water”, a
linguistic association recognizable after a journey to the most fertile land in Vietnam- the
Mekong Delta. The silt from the Mekong River helps to bring an ample granary representing
the whole country source of food as well as the local inhabitants’ riverside lifestyle. For
tourists, the Mekong Delta is one of the most fascinating tourist destinations in South-east
Asia. It offers the marvel of the glittering waters coupled with the gaiety of a culture
demonstrated by the local lifestyle and commercial activities. The big cities such as Can Tho,
 113

My Tho and Long Xuyen provide a vantage for the nine provinces of the Mekong Delta while
the immense network of rivers and canals is regarded as the great boon second to none in this
region. The exciting life in this region is not very similar to that in HCM City. However, it
does not suggest any difficulty in reaching the Mekong Delta to escape the excitement of the
greatest city in Southern Vietnam. It takes only a three-hour drive( by bus, though) on the
National Highway Number 1 to get to My Tho, the capital of Tien giang & an ideal departure
point for exploring this delta region.
 114

REFERENCES

Bolinger, Dwight. 1977. Meaning and Form. Longman, London, UK.

Catford, J.C. 1985. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Oxford University Press, London,
UK.

Halliday, M.K.A. 1976. Cohesion in English. Longmans, London, UK.

Larson, Mildred L. 1998. Meaning-based Translation.University Press of America. Maryland,

USA.

Newmark, Peter. 1989. A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall International, Hertfordside,

USA

Palmer, F.R. 1981. Semantics. Cambridge University Press, London, UK.

Reyburn, D. 1979. Cultural Equivalences in Translation. Oxford University Press, London,

UK.

Rose, Marilyn. 1982. Translation Spectrum. State University of NY Press, New York, USA

Steiner, G. 1985. Aspects of Language and Translation. Oxford University Press, London,
UK.

Tosh, Wayne. 1975. Syntactic Translation. The Hague, Mouton, USA

 1

INTRODUCTION

An increasing number of universities in Vietnam have added courses in translation to their

curricula; however, the textbooks available for such courses are few. This unit has been
written with these courses in mind. The unit is designed to provide the learners with some
basic principles of translation which will be generally useful to translation courses in
universities and colleges, to help the learners avoid some errors they may encounter when they
translate a text, to provide the learners with essential English sentence patterns that could be
very useful for the learners in learning and practicing translating and to provide the learners 20
assignments related to the theory they have learned.
The desire of the author is to make available the principles of translation which have learned
through personal experience in translation and teaching translation, and through interaction
with colleagues involved in translation projects in many universities in Central Vietnam.
Since it is assumed that the students will be speakers of Vietnamese language, many of these
exercises involve translating from or into their mother tongue. The material is presented in a
way that it can be used in a self-teaching situation or in a classroom. An attempt has been
made to keep technical terms to a minimum. When technical vocabulary is used, every effort
is made to clarify the meaning of such vocabulary or to provide its meaning in Vietnamese.
This has been done so that the unit can be used by any student translator, even though his
exposure to linguistic and translation theory has been minimal.
This is an introductory unit. The lessons give an overview
presenting the fundamental principles of translation and the
rest of the unit illustrates these principles. The overriding
principle is that translation is meaning-based rather than
form-based. Once the learner has identified the meaning of the
source text, his goal is to express that same meaning in the
receptor/target language. Many examples of cross-language
equivalence are used to illustrate this principle.
Since the coursebook has been written for the students to
learn either by themselves in their distant learning course or
in class with a teacher, there will be a coursebook and 20
assignments.
By the end of the course, the students will be able to:
1. obtain general knowledge of the principles of translation .
2. get familiar with and effectively use the English sentence patterns in their translations.
On the completion of this coursebook, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Ton
Nu Nhu Huong for her encouragement. I would also like to be grateful to Dr. Tran Van Phuoc
and other colleagues of the College of Foreign Languages and the English Department for
their kind help.
Errors are unavoidable in this coursebook. Therefore, I appreciate and welcome any criticism
on the course book.

Hue, June 24th, 2001

 2

Nguyen Van Tuan

 3

CHAPTER 1: THEORY OF TRANSLATION

LESSON 1: FORM AND MEANING

1.What is translation?
1.1. Translation is the expression in another language (target language) of what has been
expressed in one language (source language), preserving semantic and stylistic equivalencies.
(By Roger T. Bell).
1.2. Translation is the replacement of a representation of a text in one language by a
representation of an equivalent text in a second language. (By Roger T. Bell).
The author continues and makes the problems of equivalence very plain:
Texts in different languages can be equivalent in different degrees (fully or partially
different), in respect of different levels of presentation (in respect of context, of semantics, of
grammar, of lexis, etc.) and at different ranks (word-for-word, phrase-for-phrase, sentence-
for-sentence).
However, languages are different from each other; they are different in form having different
codes and rules regulating the construction of grammatical stretches of language and these
forms have different meanings.
To shift from one language to another is, by definition, to change the forms. Also, the
contrasting forms convey meanings which cannot but fail to coincide totally; there is no
absolute synonym between words in the same language, why should anyone be surprised to
discover a lack synonym between languages.
Something is always „lost‟ (or might one suggest „gain‟?) in the process and translators can
find themselves being accused of reproducing only part of the original and so „betraying‟ the
author‟s intentions. Hence the traitorous nature ascribed to the translator by the notorious
Italian proverb: “ Traduttore traditore”.
Faced by a text in a language, we are able to work out not only the meaning of each word and
sentence but also its communicative value, its place in time and space and information about
the participants involved in its production and reception. We might take, as a light-hearted
model of the questions we can ask of the text, the first verse of a short poem by Kipling.
I keep six honest serving men;
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names were What? And Why? And When?
And How? And Where? And Who?
What? is the message contained in the text; the content of the signal.
Why? orients us towards the intention of the sender, the purpose for which the text was is
used. (Informing, persuading, flattering, etc.)
When? is concerned with the time of communication realized in the text and setting in its
historical context; contemporary or set in the recent or remote past or future.
 4

Where? is concerned with the place of communication, the physical location of the speech
event realized in the text.
How? refers to whether the text is written in a formal or informal way.
Who? refers to the participants involved in the communication; the sender and receiver.

1.3. Translation is rendering a written text into another language in a way that the author
intended the text. (By Bui Tien Bao- Hanoi National University)
“ Translators are concerned with written texts. They render written texts from one language
into another language. Translators are required to translate texts which arrange from simple
items including birth certificates or driving licences to more complex written materials such as
articles in journals of various kinds, business contracts and legal documents.” (Bui Tien Bao-
Hanoi National University).

1.4. Translation, by dictionary definition, consists of changing from one state or form to
another, to turn into one‟s own or another‟s language. (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary,
1974). Translation is basically a change of form. When we speak of the form of a language,
we are referring to the actual words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. The forms are
referred to as the surface structure of a language. It is the structural part of language which is
actually seen in print or heard in speech. In translation the form of the source language is
replaced by the form of the receptor/target language. But how is this change accomplished?
What determines the choices of form in the translation?

The purpose of this lesson is to show that translation consists of transferring the meaning of
the source language into the receptor language. This is done by going from the form of the
first language to the form of the second language by a way of semantic structure. It is meaning
that is being transferred and must be held constant. Only the form changes. The form from
which the translation is made will be called the source language and the form into which it is
to be changed will be called the receptor language. Translation, then, consists of studying the
lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source
language text, analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and then reconstructing this
same meaning using the lexicon, grammatical structure which are appropriate in the receptor
language and its cultural context.

Let us look at an example. Assume that we are translating the Vietnamese sentence ‘‘ C¸m
¬n b¹n ®· gióp ®ì t«i tËn t×nh.’’ into English. This Vietnamese sentence
has the verb ‘gióp ®ì tËn t×nh’, but to convey the same meaning in English one
would use a noun phrase: „ your kind help‟. To do effective translation one must discover the
meaning of the source language and use the receptor language forms which express the
meaning in a natural way.
It is the purpose of this unit to familiarize the learners with the basic linguistic and
sociolinguistic factors involved in translating a text from a source language into a receptor
language, and to give them enough practice in the translation process for the development of
skills in cross-language transfer.
 5

2. Characteristics of language which affect translation

There are certain characteristics of languages which have a very direct bearing on principles
of translation. First, let us look at the characteristics of meaning components. Meaning
components are packaged into lexical items, but they are packaged differently in one
language than in another. In most languages there is a meaning of plurality, for example the
English -s. This often occurs in the grammar as a suffix on the nouns or verbs or both. In
Vietnamese, however, plurality is expressed in an isolated word ‘ nh‚ng/c¸c’. Many
times a single word in the source language will need to be translated by several words. For
example, a projector was called the thing that shows pictures on the wall by the Chipara
Bolivia.

Second, it is characteristic of languages that the same meaning component will occur in
several surface structure lexical items. In English, the word „sheep‟ occurs. However, the
words „lamb‟,‟ ram‟ and „ewe‟ also include the meaning „sheep‟. They include the addition
meaning components of young (in „lamb‟, adult and male in „ ram‟ and adult and female in
„ewe‟. In Peru, „lamb‟ would need to be translated by „sheep its child‟, „ram‟ by „ sheep big‟
and „ewe‟ by „sheep its woman‟.

Third, it is further characteristic of language that one form will be used to represent several
alternative meanings. This again is obvious from looking in any good dictionary. For example,
the Reader‟s Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary gives 54 meanings for the English word
„run‟. Most words have more than one meaning. There will be a primary meaning-the one
which usually comes to mind when the word is said in isolation-and the secondary meaning-
the additional meanings, which a word has in context with other words. In English, we can say
„ the boy runs‟, using „run‟ in its primary meaning. We can also say „ the motor runs, the river
runs, and his nose runs‟, using runs in its secondary meanings.

This principle is not limited to lexical items for it is also true that the same grammatical
pattern may express several quite different meanings. For instance, the English possessive
phrase „my house‟ may mean „the house I built‟, „ the house I rent‟, „the house I live in‟, or the
house for which I drew up in my plans.‟ Only the larger context determines the meaning.
Notice the following possessive phrases and the variety of meanings:
my car ownership
my brother kinship
my foot part-whole
my singing action
my book ownership or authorship
( the book I own, or, the book I wrote)
my village residence
( the village where I live)
my train use
 6

(the train I ride on)

Whole sentences may also have several functions. A question form may be used for a non-
question. For example, the question: “ Mary, why don‟t you wash the dishes?” has a form of a
question, and may in some context be asking for information, but it is often used with the
meaning of command rather than a real question. A simple English sentence like “ He made
the bed.” May mean either “He made (as a carpenter would make) the bed”, or “ He put the
sheets, blanket, and pillows in neat order on the bed.”

Just as words have primary and secondary meanings, so grammatical markers have their
primary function and often have other secondary functions. The preposition „on‟ is used in
English to signal a variety of meanings. Compare the following uses of „on‟ with the
corresponding form used in Vietnamese.

John found the book on the floor. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch trªn sµn
nhµ.
John found the book on mathematics. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch viÕt vÒ
m«n to¸n.
John found the book on Tuesday. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch vµo
thø Ba.
John found the book on sale. John t×m thÊy cuèn s¸ch
®ang bµy b¸n.
Compare also the following uses of ‘ by’
John was stopped by the policeman.
John was stopped by the bookstand.

In the first, by is used to signal the meaning that the policeman is the agent of the action. In
the second, by is used to signal that the bookstand is the location.

We have seen that one form may express many meanings. On the other hand, another
characteristic of languages is that a single meaning may be expressed in a variety of forms.
For example, the meaning “ the cat is black” may be expressed by the following: the cat is
black, the black cat, and, the cat, which is black, depending on how that meaning relates to
other meanings. In addition, the meanings of “ Is this place taken?” “Is there anyone sitting
here?” and “ May I sit here?” are essentially the same. Also, the meaning is essentially the
same in the following English sentences:

Others blamed John because of the difficulty.

Others blamed John for the difficulty.
Others blamed the difficulty on John.
Others said John was responsible for the difficulty.
 7

Others accused John of being responsible for the difficulty.

We have seen that even within a single language there are a great variety of ways in which
form expresses meaning. Only when a form being used in its primary meaning or function is
there a one-to-one correlation between form and meaning. The other meanings are secondary
meanings or figurative meanings. Words have these extended meanings and in the same way
grammatical forms have extended usages (secondary and figurative function).

This characteristic of “skewing”; that is, the diversity or the lack of one-to-one correlation
between form and meaning is the basic reason that translation is a complicated task. If there
were no skewing, then all lexical items and all grammatical forms would have only one
meaning and a literal word-for-word and grammatical structure-for- grammatical structure
translation would be possible. But the fact is that a language is a complex set of skewed
relationship between meaning (semantics) and form (lexicon and grammar). Each language
has its own distinctive forms for representing the meaning. Therefore, in translation the same
meaning may have to be expressed in another language by a very different form.

To translate the form of one language literally according to the corresponding form in another
language would often change the meaning or at least result in a form which is unnatural in the
second language. Meaning must, therefore, have priority over form in translation. It is
meaning that is to be carried over from the source language to the receptor language, not the
linguistic forms. For example, to translate the English sentence “ he is cold hearted” i.e. His
heart is cold (meaning „he is unfeeling, has no emotional sympathy.‟) literally into Mambila in
Nigeria would be understood to mean, “ he is peaceful, not quick-tempered.” And if translated
literally into Cinyanja in Zambia, it would mean, “ he is frightened.”

The nature of language is that each language uses different forms and these forms have
secondary and figurative meanings which add further complications. A word-for-word
translation which follows closely the form of the source language is called a literal translation.
A literal translation does not communicate the meaning of the source text. It is generally no
more than a string of words intended to help someone read a text in its original language. It is
unnatural and hard to understand, and may even be quite meaningless, or give a wrong
meaning in the receptor language. It can hardly be called a translation. The goal of a translator
should be to produce a receptor language text (a translation) which is idiomatic; that is one
which has the same meaning as the source language but is expressed in the natural form of the
receptor language. The meaning, not form is retained.
The following is a literal translation of a story first told in the Quiche language of Guatemala:

“It is said that being one man not from here, not known where the his or the he comes where.
One day the things he walks in a plantation or in them the coastlands, he saw his appearance
one little necklace, or he thought that a little necklace the very pretty thrown on the ground in
the road. He took the necklace this he threw in his mouth for its cause that coming the one
person another to his behind ness, for his that not he encounters the one the following this
way in his behindness not he knows and that the necklace the he threw in his mouth this one
 8

snake and the man this one died right now because not he knows his appearance the snake or
that the he ate this not this a necklace only probably this snake.”

Now compare the above with the following less literal translation of the same story:
“ It is said that there once was a man not from here, and I do not know his town or where he
came from, who one day was walking in a plantation (or in the coastlands). He saw a little
necklace, or rather, what he thought was a very pretty little necklace, lying on the road. He
grabbed this necklace and threw this into his mouth because there was someone coming along
behind him, and he did not want the other person to see it. He did not know that the necklace
he threw into his mouth was really a snake. The man died in short order because he did not
recognize from its appearance that it was a snake. He did not know that what he had put in
his mouth was not a necklace, but rather a snake.”
In the first, each quiche word was replaced by the nearest English equivalent. The result was
nonsense. In the second translation, the natural forms of English lexicon and grammar were
used to express the meaning of the Quiche story. Below the story is again rewritten in a more
idiomatic English style.

“I am told that there once was a stranger from some other town who was walking in a
plantation along the coast. As he walked along he suddenly saw a very pretty little necklace
lying on the road. He snatched up this necklace and threw this into his mouth because there
was another person walking behind him and he did not want him to see the necklace. The
stranger did not know that the necklace was really a snake. The man died immediately. He
died because he did not realize that it was a snake. He did not know he put a snake into his
mouth rather than a necklace.”

Anything which can be said in one language can be said in another. It is possible to translate.
The goal of the translator is to keep the meaning constant. Wherever necessary, the receptor
language form should be changed in order that the source language meaning should not be
distorted. Since a meaning expressed by a particular form in one language may be expressed
by quite a different form in another language, it is often necessary to change the form when
translating.
3. Notes
Form-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo h×nh thøc hay cÊu tróc
Meaning-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo nghÜa, dùa vµo néi dung cÇn
chuyÓn t¶i
Source language: ng«n ng÷ gèc
Receptor language: ng«n ng÷ dÞch
Context: v¨n c¶nh/ ng÷ c¶nh
Principle of translation: nguyªn t¾c dÞch/kü thuËt dÞch
Meaning component: thµnh tè nghÜa
 9

Lexical: (thuéc vÒ) tõ vùng

Surface structure: cÊu tróc bÒ mÆt
Deep structure: cÊu tróc s©u/cÊu tróc ng÷ nghÜa
Meaning/ sense: nghÜa
Primary meaning: nghÜa chÝnh/nghÜa gèc
Secondary meaning: nghÜa ph¸i sinh
Literal translation: dÞch tõng tõ mét
One-to-one correlation: quan hÖ mét ®èi mét
Figurative meaning: nghÜa bãng
Function: chøc n¨ng
Idiomatic translation: dÞch ®óng, dÞch s¸t nghi·
4. Self-study
4.1 Questions for discussion
1. What is translation? What definition do you think is the most appropriate? Can you give
your own definition of translation?
2. What is a literal translation? Can you give some examples of literal translations?
3. What is an idiomatic translation? Give some examples of idiomatic translations.
4. What characteristics of language affect translation?
5. What are the secondary meanings? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used
in a secondary sense.
6. What is the primary meaning? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used in a
primary sense.
4.2 Exercises
A. Identify change of meaning versus change of form. Some of the following pairs of
sentences differ in their form. Some differ in meaning. Indicate if the primary change is in the
form or in the meaning.
Example: They robbed the old man.
The old man was dropped by them.
Answer: Change of form
1. The students like to study translation.
The students like studying translation.
2. I bought a pair of horseshoes.
I bought a pair of leather shoes.
3. He saw the bird.
He heard the cat.
 10

4. Phillip went walking.

Phillip took a walk.
5. Go to bed.
I want you to go to bed.
6. I came; I saw; I conquered.
I came, saw, and conquered.
7. Two weeks later he came.
After two weeks he came.
8. There is a table in the book.
There is a book on the table.
9. The young man had an English grammar book stolen.
An English grammar book was stolen from the young man.
10. He was awaken by a thunderclap.
A thunderclap awakened him.
B. List as many grammatical forms as you can which realize the same meaning as the one
given below. Then put the same meaning into a language other than English in as many forms
as you can.
Example: the cat is black
the black cat
the cat, which is black
1. the jug water
2. John bought a car
3. a hot day
4. mother‟s long blue dress
5. Peter‟s house
C. All of the following have the same grammatical form. With the change of lexical items,
there is a change of meaning which is signaled by that lexical item, apart from the referential
meaning of the word itself. What meaning is signaled in each of the following possessive
phrases? Answer by restating. How can that meaning best be expressed in another language
which you speak?
Example: The man‟s car - the man owns the car
The man‟s eye - the eye is part of the man
1. the doctor‟s office
2. the doctor‟s patient
3. the doctor‟s book
4. the doctor‟s brother
 11

5. the doctor‟s hand

6. the doctor‟s house
D. For each pair of sentences, state whether the two sentences are 1. the same in meaning or
2. different in meaning.
Example:
(a) It rained all night.
(b) Rain fell all night.
(a) There is a book on the table.
(b) There is a table on the book.
1. (a) John was very surprised when he heard the news.
(b) The news very much amazed John when he heard it.
2. (a) It was a hot day.
(b) The day was hot.
3. (a) Peter‟s house
(b) The house that belongs to Peter
4. (a) He remained silent.
(b) He did not say anything.
5. (a) I bought cloth to make Mary a new dress.
(b) I bought a new dress for Mary.
6. (a) I bought vegetables in the market.
(b) I bought tomatoes and onions in the market.
7. (a) My parents are well.
(b) My mother and father are well.
8. (a) John is ill: he has a bad case of malaria.
(b) John is very ill indeed.
9. (a) There are four rooms in the house.
(b) The house has four rooms and a kitchen at the back.
10. (a) In my opinion, the government is doing well and making many improvements in the
country. But there are many people who do not agree that this is so.
(b) Opinions are divided concerning the government. Some say they are doing well and
making many improvements in the country. Others do not agree.

LESSON 2: KINDS OF TRANSLATION

1. Literal versus idiomatic

 12

Because a given text has both form and meaning, as discussed in the previous lesson, there are
two main kinds of translation. One is form-based and the other is meaning-based. Form-based
translations attempt to follow the form of the source language and are known as literal
translation. Meaning-based translations make every effort to communicate the meaning of the
source language text in the natural forms of the receptor language. Such translations are called
idiomatic translations.

An interlinear translation is a completely literal translation. For some purposes, it is desirable

to reproduce the linguistic features of the source text, as for example, in a linguistic study of
that language. Although these literal translations may be very useful for purposes related to
the study of the source language, they are of little help to speakers of the receptor language
who are interested in the meaning of the source language text. A literal translation sounds like
nonsense and has little communication value. For example:

Vietnamese: Mêi b¹n vÒ nhµ t«i ch¬i

Literal translation: Invite friend about house me play.

This literal translation makes little sense in English. The appropriate translation would be:
Would you like to come to my home?

If the two languages are related, the literal translation can often be understood, since the
general grammatical form may be similar. However, the literal choice of lexical items may the
translation sounds foreign. The following bilingual announcement was overheard at an airport
( Barnwell 1980:18)
Literal English: Madame Odette passenger with destination Domda is demanded on the
telephone.
This English version is a literal translation of the French.
French: Madame Odette, passager µ destination de Domda, est demandeÐ au telefon.
An idiomatic translation into English would be: Miss Odette, passenger for Domda. You are
wanted on the phone.

Except for interlinear translation, a truly literal translation is uncommon. Most translators who
tend to translate literally actually make a partially modified literal translation. They modify the
order and grammar enough to use acceptable sentence structure in the receptor language.
However, the lexical items are translated literally. Occasionally, these are also changed to
avoid complete nonsense or to improve the communication. However, the result still does not
sound natural. Notice the following example from a language in Papua New Guinea:

Ro abombo ngusifu pamariboyandi.

I my heart fastened-her. (literal)
I fastened her in my heart. (modified literal)
 13

The modified literal translation changes the order into English structure. However, the
sentence still does not communicate in clear English. An idiomatic translation would have
used the form: “ I never forgot her.” Or “ I‟ve kept her memory in my heart.”
A person who translates in a modified literal manner will change the grammatical forms when
the constructions are obligatory. However, if he has a choice, he will follow the form of the
source text even though a different form might be more natural in the receptor language.
Literal and modified literal translations consistently err in that they choose literal
equivalents for the words, i.e. lexical items being translated. Literal translations of words,
idioms result in unclear, unnatural, and sometimes nonsensical translations. In a modified
literal translation, the translator usually adjusts the translation enough to avoid the nonsense
and wrong meanings, but the unnaturalness still remains.

Idiomatic translations use the natural forms of the receptor language, both in the grammatical
constructions and in the choice of lexical items. A truly idiomatic translation does not sound
like a translation. It sounds like it was written originally in the receptor language. Therefore, a
good translator will try to translate idiomatically. This is his goal. However, translations are
often a mixture of a literal transfer of the grammatical units along with some idiomatic
translation of the meaning of the text. It is not easy to consistently translate. A translator may
express some parts of his translation in very natural forms and then in other parts fall back
into a literal form.

In one translation, the source text said, ‘‘ NhiÒu du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi ®· giíi
thiÖu cho chóng t«i vÒ kh¸ch s¹n H-¬ng Giang.’’ It was translated, “
Many foreign tourists have introduced us about Huong Giang Hotel.” It would have been
translated idiomatically, “ Huong Giang Hotel has been recommended to us by a number of
foreign tourists.”

The translator‟s goal should be to reproduce in a receptor language a text which

communicates the same message as the source language but using the natural grammatical and
lexical choices of the receptor language. The basic overriding principle is that an idiomatic
translation reproduces the meaning of the source language in the natural form of the receptor
language.
2. Translating grammatical features
Parts of speech are language specific. Each language has its own division of the lexicon into
classes such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and so on. Different languages will have different
classes and subclasses. It will not always be possible to translate a source language noun with
a noun in the receptor language. For example, English has many nouns which really refer to
actions while Vietnamese prefers to express actions as verbs rather than nouns.

In one translation, the source text said, “ There is a general agreement that the government
has given top priority to education.” It was translated, ‘‘ Cã mét sù ®ång ý chung
r»ng chÝnh phñ ®· dµnh nhiÒu sù -u tiªn cho gi¸o dôc’’. This would
 14

have been translated idiomatically, ‘‘Ai còng ®ång ý r»ng chÝnh phñ ®· dµnh
nhiÒu -u tiªn cho gi¸o dôc.’’ Similarly, a translator in Papua New Guinea was
asked to translate the Eight Point Improvement Plan for Papua New Guinea. One point reads,
“Decentralization of economic activity, planning and government spending, with emphasis on
agricultural development, village industry, better internal trade, and more spending
channeled through local and area bodies.” Such sentences are very difficult for translators
who want to translate into the native language of the country. Words such as Decentralization,
activity, planning, government spending, emphasis development, trade would have to be
rendered by verbs in most languages. When verbs are used, then, the appropriate subject and
object of the verb may need to be made explicit also. The form in the receptor language is
very different from the source language form and yet this kind of adjustment, using verbs
rather than using nouns, must be made in order to communicate the message. An idiomatic
translation was made which used verbs as in the following.

“The government wants to decrease the work it does for businesses and what it plans and the
money it spends in the capital, and wants to increase what people and groups in local area do
to help farmers and small businesses whose owners live in the villages, and help people in this
country buy and sell things made in this country and to help local groups spend the
government‟s money.”

Most languages have a class of words which may be called pronouns. Pronominal systems
vary greatly from language to language and the translator is obliged to use the form of the
receptor language even though they may have very different meanings than the pronouns of
the source language. For example, if one is translating into Kiowa (USA), the pronouns will
have to indicate a different between singular, dual and plural person even though the source
language does not make this three-way distinction. Or if a translator is translating into
Balinese, he must distinguish degrees of honor even though nothing in the source language
indicates these distinctions. He will need to understand the culture of the Balinese and the
cultural context of the text he is translating in order to choose correctly.

In English, the first plural pronoun we is often used when the real meaning is second person
you. The reason for the use of we is to show empathy and understanding. The nurse say to the
sick child, “ It‟s time for us to take our medicine now.” Or the teacher says, “We‟re not going
to shout, quietly to our we‟ll walk places.” Clearly , the pronouns do not refer to the nurse or
the teacher but to the children whom she is addressing you. In translating these pronouns into
another language, a literal translation with first person plural would probably distort the
meaning. The translator would need to look for the natural way to communicate second
person and the feeling of empathy carried by the source language.

Grammatical constructions also vary between the source language and the receptor language.
The order , for example, may be completely reserved. The following simple sentences from
Vietnamese is given with a literal English translations:
ChÞ sèng ë ®©u?
You live where ?
 15

C« Êy th-êng mÆc ¸o s¬ mi v¶i silk mµu xanh cì nhá.

She often wears a shirt silk blue small.
It will readily be seen that understandable translations into English requires a complete
reversal of the order: She often wears a small blue silk shirt.

It is not uncommon that passive constructions will need to be translated with an active
construction or vice versa, depending on the natural form of the receptor language. For
example, Vietnamese people tend to use active constructions to express their ideas whereas
English people prefer to use passive constructions.

English: Nguyen Du is considered to be a great poet. ( passive)

Vietnamese: Ng-êi ta xem NguyÔn Du lµ mét nhµ th¬ vÜ ®¹i.
(active)
English:
A: What has happened to all your money after the will was settled and the business was
sold?
(passive)
B: The usual thing, false friends, fast-living style and bad investment.
Vietnamese:
A: ChuyÖn g× ®· x¶y ra víi toµn bé sè tiÒn mµ b¹n cã ®-îc sau
khi gi¶i quyÕt xong
chuyÖn chóc th- vµ b¸n ®i c¶ s¶n nghiÖp. (active)
B: Còng lÏ th-êng t×nh th«i, b¹n bÌ gi¶ dèi, ¨n ch¬i hoang ®µn
vµ ®Çu t- sai chç.
The above translated sentences are only examples to show some types of grammatical
adjustments which will result if a translator translates idiomatically in the source language.
Certainly, there will be times by coincidence they match, but a translator should translate the
meaning not concern himself with whether the forms turn out the same or not.
3. Translating lexical features
Each language has its own idiomatic way of expressing meaning lexical items. Languages
abound in idioms, secondary meanings, metaphors, and other figurative meanings. For
example, notice the following ways in which a fever is referred to ( literal translations are
given to show the source language form):
Greek: The fever left him.
Aguaruna: He cooled.

Vietnamese: He cooled.
Or: The fever was no more in him.
 16

Ilocano: The fever was no more in him.

The English translations of all six would be : His fever went down, or His temperature
returned to normal.

All languages have idioms, i.e. a string of words whose meaning is different than the meaning
conveyed by the individual words. In English to say that someone is bullheaded means that
the person is „stubborn‟. The meaning has little to do with bull or head . Similarly, in
Vietnamese to say that someone is cøng ®Çu cøng cæ means that the person is
„stubborn‟. The meaning has little to do with ®Çu or cæ. Languages abound in such
idioms. The following are a few English idioms using in and into: run into debt, rush into
print, step into a practice, jump into a fight, dive into a book, stumble into acquaintance, fall
in love, break into society. In spite of all these combinations, one cannot say the following
break into debt, fall into print, rush into a fight, dive into debt, etc. The combinations are
fixed as to form and their meaning comes from their combination. A literal word-for-word
translation of these idioms into another language will not make sense. The form cannot be
kept, but the receptor language word or phrase which has the equivalent meaning will be the
correct one to use in the translation. The following idioms occur in Vietnamese. In the first
column is a literal translation from Vietnamese. In the second is an idiomatic translation. The
literal English is misleading.

LITERAL IDIOMATIC
I don‟t have my eye on you. I don‟t remember you.
He is as strong as a buffalo. He is as strong as a horse.
I have buried my head into my business. I have been busy with my work.

Translators who wants to make a good idiomatic translation often find figures of speech
especially challenging. A literal translation of strong as a horse might sound really strange in a
language where the comparison between a strong person and a horse has never been use as a
figure of speech. In Vietnamese it would be more natural to say strong as a buffalo. Similarly,
a literal translation of blind as a bat might sound really strange in a language where the
comparison between a blind person and a bat has never been use as a figure of speech. In
Aguaruma it would be more natural to say blind as a fox. There is a legend in which the sun
borrowed the fox‟s eyes and then returned to heaven taking the fox‟s good eyes with him and
leaving the fox with the sun‟s inferior eyes. That is why they say, when the fox is trying to see,
he stretches back his head and looks with his throat. Figures of speech are often based on
stories or historical incidents.
Names of animals are used metaphorically in most languages. But the comparison is often
different and so the figure will be misunderstood unless some adjustment is made. For
example, when someone is called a pig in English, it usually means he is dirty or a greedy
eater. In Vietnamese, it has different meanings. It could means that the person is stupid or that
the person is a greedy. Care would need to be taken if pig were used metaphorically or a
wrong meaning might result in the receptor language.
 17

Some lexical combinations of the source language may be ambiguous. The meaning is not
clear. For example, “ It is too hot to eat,” could mean any of the following: The food is too hot
to eat; the weather is too hot for us to feel like eating; the horse is too hot after running a race
and does not want to eat. In the process of making an idiomatic translation, such ambiguities
must often be resolved and only the intended meaning communicated.
4. Conclusion
It is obvious that translation is a complicated process. However, a translator who is concerned
with transferring the meaning will find that the receptor language has a way in which the
desired meaning can be expressed even though it may be very different from the source
language form.

Considering the complexity of language structures, how can a translator ever hope to produce
an adequate translation? Literal translation can only be avoided by careful analysis of the
source language: by, first of all, understanding clearly the message to be communicated. A
translator who takes the time to study carefully the source language text, to write analysis of it,
and then to look for the equivalent way in which the same message is expressed naturally in
the receptor language, will be able to provide an adequate, and some times brilliant
translation. His goal must be to avoid literalisms and to strive for a truly idiomatic receptor
language text. He will know he is successful if the receptor language readers do not recognize
his work as a translation at all, but simply as a text written in the receptor language for their
information and enjoyment.
5. Notes
Form-based translation : dÞch dùa vµo h×nh thøc
Meaning-based translation: dÞch dùa vµo nghÜa
Literal translation: dÞch tõng tõ mét
Idiomatic translation: dÞch ®óng nghÜa
Interference : sù can thiÖp
Mother-tongue interference: sù can thiÖp cña tiÕng mÑ ®Î
To make adjustments: hiÖu ®Ýnh/ ®iÒu chØnh
Translating grammatical features: ®Æc tr-ng ng÷ ph¸p dÞch
Parts of speech: tõ lo¹i
Subclass: nhãm nhá
Indo-European language: ng«n ng÷ Ên-¢u
Pronominal system: hÖ thèng ®¹i tõ
6. Self-study
6.1 Questions for discussion
1. What are the differences between a literal translation and an idiomatic translation?
2. What should you do to translate a text idiomatically?
 18

3. What grammatical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some
examples to support your ideas.
4. What lexical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some examples
to support your ideas.
5. Why do you have to take the time to read the source language text carefully before
translating it?
6.2 Exercises
A. In each of the following pairs of sentences, which is more idiomatic English, a or b? How
would the meaning be expressed idiomatically in the language you speak?
1.(a) The storekeeper said that we will refund your money.
(b) The storekeeper promised to refund our money.

2.(a) A certain boy told me this little story at a party.

(b) He is one boy. He told the one little story. This is a game he said.
3.(a) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform as well. How
many children have shed hot tears about spelling?
(b) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform ,too. And how
many hot children‟s tears have not been shed on spelling?
4.(a) He then reported his misfortune to the police, who are searching diligently for the thief.
(b) He then his mishap reported to the police, who are the thief searching intensively
B. Look for literalisms in the following translations into English and underline the words or
phrases that do not sound natural in English. Suggest a more idiomatic way of saying it. All
of these examples are from published translated material.
1. The third-year students often visit the schools in the city for the attendance of the class.
2. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for their friends have introduced to them very
much about this hotel.
3. Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
4. After saying lies many times, he lost our belief in him.
5. Hue is famous about its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
6. The participants discussed about the causes of pollution environment.
7. Every time my mother goes to work , I feel my house absent anybody.
8. One thing makes me proud of my village is a large green field that provides one part of life
for people.
9. A robbery took place of a motorcycle rider at Kampung early yesterday morning.
10. I left my village for three years, a time not long but like a century.
C. Each of the following are sentences written by some Vietnamese who are not yet fluent
English speakers. The forms used shows examples of how their mother-tongue language
 19

structures have been carried over into English. The same information is then given in
parenthesis in idiomatic English. What changes were made in correcting the English? These
changes point out some of the differences between Vietnamese and English.
1. Sir, the problems of before don‟t forget.
( Sir, please don‟t forget the problems we discussed before.)
2. If there is any means, send me a letter to Saigon.
(If there is any way to do so, send a letter to me in Saigon.)
3. I will think you time to time day and day.
( I will be thinking about you often every day.)
4. I am very grateful to inform you with this letter.
( I am very happy to be able to send/write you this letter.)

5. I am a man who has been to Hanoi for 12 years.

( I have now lived in Hanoi for 12 years.)
D. Translate the following Vietnamese sentences as idiomatically as possible.
1. ChÞ may ¸o s¬ mi nµy ë ®©u vËy?
2. Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, s«ng §µ, s«ng Cöu Long
vµ ®· sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. Trong tiÕng ViÖt, th× ‘‘n-íc’’ (trong s«ng, trong hå,
trong biÓn....) l¹i ®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý
nghÜa tæ quèc quª h-¬ng.
- cha «ng: ancestors
- thèng nhÊt : uniformity
- ®ång nghÜa : synonym/ synonymous
- ®ång ©m : homonym
- trong ý nghÜa : to mean/ to signify
- tæ quèc quª h-¬ng: homeland/ fatherland/ motherland
- sèng chÕt: to try hard to protect them/ to spare no pain to protect them
3. §µ L¹t chiÕm cø mét vïng ®Êt réng trªn cao nguyªn L©m Viªn,
xung quanh toµn lµ nói ®åi hïng vÜ.
- chiÕm cø : take up/ to be situated/ to occupy
- cao nguyªn : plateau
- xung quanh: to be surrounded by/ with
4. Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ cña ViÖt Nam ph¶i ®-îc xÐt trong hoµn
c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi. Hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh Êy ®· g©y ra
 20

nhiÒu thiÖt h¹i vÒ sinh m¹ng vµ tµi s¶n còng nh- c¸c c«ng tr×nh
c«ng céng vµ tµi nguyªn.
- sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ : the economic development
- ®-îc xÐt : to be viewed/ to be considered/ to be taken into account
- hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi : in the context of the long period of war
- g©y ra thiÖt h¹i : to cause damage to
- tµi s¶n : property
- c«ng tr×nh c«ng céng : public facilities
- tµi nguyªn : resources
5. MÆc dï ®Þa vÞ cña phô n÷ ®· cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu,
nh-ng ng-êi ta ph¶i thùc hiÖn nhiÒu chuyÖn kh¸c ®Ó c¶i thiÖn
t×nh tr¹ng søc khoÎ, dinh d-ìng vµ gi¸o dôc cho phô n÷.
- ®Þa vÞ : status
- cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu: to be dramatically improved
- dinh d-ìng : nutrition

6. M¹ng l-íi truyÒn h×nh ®ang x©y dùng réng kh¾p c¶ n-íc.
Ngoµi nh÷ng ®µi truyÒn h×nh t-¬ng ®èi hiÖn ®¹i, cã tõ l©u ®êi
nh- ®µi truyÒn h×nh Hµ Néi vµ Thµnh Phè Hå ChÝ Minh, cßn cã 25
®µi thuéc c¸c tØnh ®-îc thµnh lËp vµo n¨m 1988. Nh÷ng ®µi
truyÒn h×nh nµy sÏ truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh quan träng cña ®µi
truyÒn h×nh trung -¬ng vµ ph¸t ch-¬ng tr×nh cña ®µi m×nh.
- m¹ng l-íi : network
- ®µi truyÒn h×nh : television station
- l©u ®êi: long-standing
- thµnh lËp : to establish/ set up
- truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh : to relay the transmissions
- ph¸t: to broadcast
7. Ngµy nay thÕ giíi ®ang ®-ong ®Çu víi nhiÒu vÊn ®Ò nghiªm
träng cho dï ®· cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ trong lÜnh vùc khoa
häc, c«ng nghÖ vµ tri thøc. Mét trong nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò ®ã lµ sù
bïng næ d©n sè, ®Æc biÖt ë c¸c n-íc ®ang ph¸t triÓn. D©n sè
®ang t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n trong lóc s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ l¹i t¨ng
theo cÊp sè céng.
- ®-¬ng ®Çu : to face
- vÊn ®Ò nghiªm träng : serious problem
- cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ : to take great strikes
 21

- sù bïng næ d©n sè : population explosion/ population boom

- t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n : to grow in geometric progression
- t¨ng theo cÊp sè céng : to grow in arithmetic progression
- s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ : the production of goods
8. Charles Dickens lµ mét trong nh÷ng nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt lín
nhÊt thÕ giíi, thuéc tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n thÕ kû 19.
§iÒu mµ chóng ta ®¸nh gi¸ cao vÒ nh÷ng t¸c phÈm cña Dickens lµ
sù phª ph¸n vÒ téi ¸c vµ sù t-¬ng ph¶n gi÷a giµu vµ nghÌo cña
x· héi t- s¶n Anh lóc bÊy giê. ThÕ giíi mµ «ng ta miªu t¶ lµ
thÕ giíi cña giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u ë Lu©n §«n.
- nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt : novelist
- tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n : the school of critical
realism
- ®¸nh gi¸ cao : to value/ highly appreciate
- sù phª ph¸n : criticism
- téi ¸c : evil
- sù t-¬ng ph¶n : contrast
- giµu vµ nghÌo : wealth and poverty
- x· héi t- s¶n Anh : the English boutgeois society
- giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u : the middle and lower classes
9. Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam ®-îc cö ®¹i diÖn ë Quèc Héi
vµ chñ tÞch héi ®-îc quyÒn tham dù c¸c cuéc häp th-êng kú cña
Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng ®Ó bµy tá quan ®iÓm cña Héi vµ ®Ò nghÞ nh÷ng
®iÒu lÖ liªn quan ®Õn phô n÷.
- Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam : The Vietnam‟s Women Union
- cö ®¹i diÖn : to be represented
- Quèc Héi : the National Assembly
- ®-îc quyÒn lµm g× : to have the right to do something
- cuéc häp th-êng kú : regular meeting
- Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng : the Council of Ministers
- bµy tá quan ®iÓm : express one‟s points of view
- ®iÒu lÖ : regulations
10. Gia ®×nh ViÖt Nam chÞu ¶nh h-áng râ rÖt cña nÒn v¨n minh
n«ng nghiÖp. Do chÝnh s¸ch më cöa, nÒn v¨n minh c«ng nghiÖp
®ang t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy, tõng giê vµo cuéc sèng gia ®×nh ViÖt
Nam.
- chÞu ¶nh h-áng : to be affected by
 22

- nÒn v¨n minh n«ng nghiÖp : agricultural civilization

- chÝnh s¸ch më cöa : the open-door policy
- t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy tõng giê : to have daily and hourly impact /influence on

LESSON 3: STEPS IN A TRANSLATION PROJECT

Before beginning an actual translation, it is important to have in mind the total translation
project and what is involved in producing a good translation. Each of these steps will be
elaborated on in more detail in the last section of the book.

1.Establishing the project

Before one considers beginning a translation project, there are a number of matters which
need to be clearly understood by all who will be involved. These can be summarized under
four T‟s- the text, the target, the team, and the tools.
The text refers to the source language document which is to be translated. The desirability of
translating a particular text must be determined. Texts are chosen to be translated for various
reasons. Most often it is to communicate certain information to people speaking another
language, or it may be to share the enjoyment of the source text. The translator should
examine his reasons for choosing the text and the potential for its use by the receptor language
audience.
The target refers to the audience. For whom is the translation prepared? The form of
translation will be affected by questions of dialect, educational level, age level, bilingualism,
and people‟s attitudes towards their languages. Will it be used in school, in business, or read
orally in a meeting or at home?
The team refers to the people who will be involved in the project. If a person is a competent
speaker of both the source language and the receptor language, it may be that the project can
be done completely by one person. But even so there should be other available for evaluation
and consultation. Most translation projects require a team, a number of people who are going
to contribute to the translation at some stage in the project. The working relationship between
these people needs to be established before the project gets underway. It may, however, also
change as the project moves along and new factors come into focus.
There are certain essentials to any translation project. Not all these need to be found in one
person. There are various kinds of programs which may be set up depending on the abilities
and backgrounds of those who will be involved. The team may consist of 1. co-translators,
where one is a specialist in the source language and the other a specialist in the receptor
language, or 2. a translator with capability to handle both source language and receptor
language matters and an advisor or consultant, or 3. a committee working together with
specific responsibilities delegated to each one. Which kind of program is developed will
depend on who is available and qualified to determine the meaning of the source language,
who is most skilled at drafting in the receptor language, and who has an understanding of
translation principles. The team may include the translators, a consultant, testers, and
reviewers.
 23

Tools refer to the written source materials which will be used by the translators as helps.
These include, in addition to the document to be translated, any dictionaries, lexicons,
grammars, cultural descriptions. etc.. .. of both the source language and receptor language
which are available. The team will want as much in formation available as possible while
translating. All of these tools should be brought to the translation site in preparation for the
project. For some projects, there will be a wealth of materials that can be used to help in
interpreting the source language text and in finding equivalents in the receptor language. For
other projects, there may be a scarcity of such material, but whatever is available should be
there to make the work easier.
2. Exegesis
Exegesis is used to refer to the process of discovering the meaning of the source language text
which is to be translated. It is the step which includes the preparation and analysis which must
be done before anything at all can be written in the receptor language. The text must be
understood completely. This is the process which takes place in moving from the source
language form to the meaning of the text.

The translator should begin by reading the text several times, then by reading other materials
that may help in understanding the culture or language of the source text. As he reads the text,
he will be looking for the author‟s purpose and the theme of the text. He will look for the
larger groupings or sections. He may want to outline the text. The purpose is to understand the
text as a whole. Once he has done this, he is ready to work on the material a section at a time.
The analysis of the source text will include resolving ambiguity, identifying implicit
information, studying key words, interpreting figurative senses, recognizing when words are
being used in a secondary sense, when grammatical structures are being used in a secondary
function, etc. It will involve doing the kind of analysis which this book is all about. The goal
of exegesis is to determine the meaning which is to be communicated in the receptor language
text. The translator carefully studies the source language text and using all the available tools,
determines the content of the source language message, the related communication situation
matters, and all other factors which will need to be understood in order to produce an
equivalent translation.
3. Transfer and initial draft
After a careful analysis of the source language text, as indicated above, the translator begins
drafting piece by piece, section by section. The transfer results in the initial draft. In preparing
this draft, the translator is transferring from the source language into the receptor language. As
he does so, he must always keep his target audience in mind.
Before any extensive drafting can be done, the key terms must be determined. Every text has a
set of words which re crucial to the content and correct communication of the theme. These
need to be decided upon and may need to be checked with other speakers of the receptor
language.
There are two ways of approaching the transfer and initial draft. Some translators prefer to do
a quick rough translation so that the material flows naturally. Then they go back and tighten
up the details to be sure that there is no wrong information, and no omissions or additions. In
this way, the receptor language text is more apt to be in the natural style of the receptor
language. Others prefer to prepare a proposition-like semantic draft, being sure that all the
information all the information is accounted for, and then reword it for naturalness; that is,
 24

reword it in the idiomatic form of the receptor language. Either method will lead to an
idiomatic translation if careful work is done.
It may be necessary to rework the initial draft several times before the team is satisfied that all
the adjustments needed have been made, that no information is wrong or omitted, that the text
communicates clearly in the receptor language, and that the form chosen will communicate to
the desired audience. While making and reworking this draft, the audience must always be
kept in mind. Once the translation team has sufficiently reworked the initial draft, they arrange
for copies to be made so that adequate evaluation.
4. Evaluation
The purpose of evaluation is threefold: accuracy, clearness, and naturalness. The questions to
be answer are: 1. Does the translation communicate the same meaning as the source language?
2. Does the audience for whom the translation is intended understand it clearly? 3. Is the form
of the translation easy to read and natural receptor language grammar and style? Those
helping with the evaluation should be mother-tongue speakers of the receptor language. There
are a number of kinds of evaluations which need to be done.
The translator will want to compare the translation with the source text at several points
during the translation process to be sure no additions, deletions or change of in formation have
crept in . Others may help with this work. It is especially advantageous to have a consultant
check over the material. The translator will want to have receptor language speakers read the
text and then tell back what the text communicated to them. As they read, there will be parts
that are hard to read or hard to understand. Any time there is an indication of a problem in
reading , this should be noted for further checking . Another way to check is by asking
questions of those who read the text , or to whom it is read. Questions need to be carefully
formed so that they bring out the theme, the author‟s purpose , and the relevant facts of the
text. Any wrong understanding should be noted and then checked with others as well. It is best
to have someone who has not worked on the translation, but know both the source language
and receptor language, translate back from the receptor language into the source language
without the reference to the original source language text. Does the back translation carry the
same information as the original source language text? Any difference will need to be checked
further.
It is very important that sufficient time and effort be given to evaluation. If many of the people
who will eventually be using the receptor language text can be involved in the evaluation
process, this will also create interest in the translated material when it is finally published.
5. Revised
After evaluation is done carefully, there will need to be a revised draft made on the basis of
the feedback received. Those with whom the translator has checked may have suggested many
rewordings, may have expressed misunderstanding, etc. The translation team now works
through this material , honestly accepting the evaluation , and rewording the material
accordingly. If any key words are changed, the text will need to be checked carefully for
consistency in the change made. If some parts were hard for people to read, they may need to
be made easier by more redundancy( or less redundancy in another language), by adding more
information to clarify participants or theme or whatever. How much re-drafting will be needed
will vary depending on the results of the evaluation.
6. Consultation
 25

In many translation projects, there are advisors or consultants who are willing to help the
translator. The translator(s) will expect that the consultant is interested in three
matters:1.accuracy of content 2. naturalness of style, and 3. effect on the receptor language
audience.
It is important that translators check their materials with a trained consultant after completing
a section or two of a long document. If they continue , and do large amounts of translation
work without this kind of a check, they will miss out on the training which a consultant can
give as they go over the material together. Asking a consultant to work through the material
with him will give the translator insights which will not only help his final draft of the
material being worked on, but will help him do better transfer drafts on the sections of the
document remaining to be done.
7. Final draft
The translator incorporates into the translated text the suggestions made by the consultant,
checks them again with mother-tongue speakers to be sure they are warranted, and makes any
other minor changes which have come to his attention. However, before he prepares the final
draft, decisions about format need to be discussed with the whole translation team, the
consultant, the potential publisher and those who will promote distribution.
Some matters may need special testing before the final draft is prepared. If the publication is
to include pictures, these will need evaluation. If a special size of print is being recommended,
it will need to be tested. A final editing for spelling and punctuation will need to be made.
When all matters are cared for, a number of copies should be prepared and distributed for
proofreading by various people before the actual printing takes place. Every translator wants
his final copy to be as accurate as possible. The time spent in careful checking and preparation
of the final draft will improve quality and will make the translation more acceptable to the
audience for whom it is being prepared.
8. Notes
Target: ®äc gi¶
Target language audience: ng-êi ®äc b¶n dÞch
Dialect: ph-¬ng ng÷
Educational level: tr×nh ®é häc vÊn
Bilingualism: song ng÷
To come into focus: chó ý/ tËp trung
Co-translator: ng-êi cïng dÞch
Specialist: chuyªn gia
Tools: tµi liÖu tham kh¶o khi dÞch
Lexicon: tù ®iÓn tõ vùng
Exegesis: hiÓu nghÜa v¨n b¶n tr-íc khi dÞch
Initial draft: b¶n th¶o ®Çu tiªn
Revised draft: b¶n th¶o ®· d-îc hiÖu ®Ýnh
 26

9. Self-study
9.1 Questions for discussion
1. Name and discuss the four T‟s of a translation project.
2. Explain what is meant by exegesis.
3. What are the goals of the translator as he prepares the initial draft?
4. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
5. What kinds of evaluation checks can be made?
6. What is the consultant concerned about when he checks a translation?
7. How will the final draft be different from the revision draft done earlier?
8. How is the revision draft different from the initial draft?
9.2 Exercises
A. Read the English text and answer the questions.
DEFORESTATION
Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assume that
the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. The majority
of deforestation in Latin America, South-east Asia and the Pacific is caused by clearing land
to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and not by „shifting‟
cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial logging eliminates 45000 square
kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the United States and Japan.

No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to grazing
land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt payments. These
heavy payments, which affect the poor the most, have arisen largely from external loans taken
out to finance the purchase of luxury items and arms by military and governing elite. The
establishment of large ranch-style cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the
elimination of 20000 square kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America.
The cleared land is mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North
America, Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the Vietnamese meaning of the English words :
subsistence agriculture, cash crops, commercial logging operations, shifting cultivators,
landless peasants, affluent society, external debt payment, military and governing elites,
ranch-style cattle grazing property, hamburger connection ?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent Vietnamese structures of the following
English sentences?
a. However, it is a myth to assume that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more
mouths is the main factor.
 27

b. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to
grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt
payments.
6. Translate the text into Vietnamese.
B. Read the Vietnamese text and answer the questions.
NON N¦íC
Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, S«ng §µ, S«ng Cöu Long vµ
tõng sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. ë ViÖt Nam th× ‘‘n-íc’’( trong s«ng, hå, biÓn.) l¹i
®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý nghÜa tæ quèc quª
h-¬ng. S«ng n-íc vµ con ng-êi ë ®©y kÕt hîp víi thiªn nhiªn vµ
lÞch sö nh- mét khèi bÊt tö bÊt diÖt bëi mét thø xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån. §ã lµ lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi cña d©n téc ViÖt Nam.
Trªn thÕ giíi, cã nhiÒu quèc gia tõ tØnh nä sang tØnh kia nãi
lµ kh«ng hiÓu nhau råi. Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u,
ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the English meaning of the Vietnamese words : cha
«ng, sèng chÕt, sù thèng nhÊt, kÕt hîp chÆt chÏ, xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån, lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi, hiÓu nhau?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent English structures of the following
Vietnamese sentences?
a. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã
sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña chóng ta.
b.Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u, ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp
nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
6. Translate the text into English.
 28

LESSON 4: STRATEGIES FOR TRANSLATORS

The following strategies have been suggested by translators, commissioners of translations,

and others involved in translating as ways to approach difficulties in translations from English
into Vietnamese.

1. STRATEGY 1 : How to deal with non-equivalence at lexical level

It is often the case that no direct equivalents can be found in Vietnamese for English words. It
may be that the concept or idea is new to Vietnamese translators, as in the case of „gender‟,
which is, in fact, a relatively new concept in general, and a very difficult concept to
understand and explain in many languages. It may also be that the concept is known or
understood but there is no specific word in Vietnamese used to express it. Another difficulty
is that, in addition to their concrete meaning, some words have special connotations that are
not conveyed by the Vietnamese word for the same thing. The strategies listed below can be
used to handle cases of non-equivalence.
1.1 Translating by a more specific word
In some cases, it may be appropriate or necessary to use a more specific word to translate an
English word into Vietnamese. This usually involves choosing among several different words,
as there may be many Vietnamese words that correspond to the general category or meaning
expressed by English word. For instance, Vietnamese has many words that mean “ to carry”
with distinction being made depending on the size and shape of the object; its animate ( e.g. a
child as opposed to a box); and how it is carried (e.g. in the hand, or in the arms...). Similarly,
the English word for “rice” can be translated by many different Vietnamese words, depending
on whether one is planting it, harvesting it, cooking it, or eating it. In these cases, the English
word alone is not enough to determine the appropriate Vietnamese translation, and it is
necessary to examine the English context.
1.2 Translating by a more general word
In other cases, it may be appropriate to use a more general word to translate an English word
with no specific Vietnamese equivalent. For example, English makes distinctions among
mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles, the latter having larger wheels and engines than both
mopeds and scooters. Vietnamese, on the one hand, refers to all two-wheel, motorized
vehicles as ‘‘ xe m¸y’’. Similarly, the English words “paw”, “foot”, or “leg” may all be
translated by the Vietnamese word ‘‘ch©n’’, which does not suggest any problems of
comprehension in Vietnamese, as it should be clear from the context which of these words is
meant. Another example can be found in a manual on community development, which
translates the word “matrix” by the Vietnamese word ‘‘ma trËn’’. However, in
Vietnamese, ‘‘ma trËn’’ has a specific use in mathematics only, and does not have the
additional sense of a model or a plan according to which something is developed. In this
example, “matrix” is better translated ‘‘b¶n’’, which is a more general word used to
classify a written plan or formula.
1.3 Translating by cultural substitution
This strategy involves replacing a culture-specific item or expression with one of the different
meanings but similar impact in the translated text. Because of their self-described “respect”
 29

for the original text, most Vietnamese translators object to this strategy and tend to translate
directly, even though it is in appropriate. For example, a farmer‟s manual that has been
translated into Vietnamese suggests the planting of different types of fruit trees which are not
even grown in Vietnam. The original manual, which was developed in other parts in Asia, was
not modified at all for the Vietnamese context. Though some translators argue that it is not the
responsibility of the translator to chance the text in this way, the translator is in fact playing
an important role in this task. Translators should be encouraged to consider the
appropriateness of the documents they are translating and suggest changes to make them more
culturally appropriate. However, this is not only the burden of the translator, but also of the
commissioners of the translation and the editor.
1.4 Translating by using a loan word plus explanation
There is some objection to this strategy in Vietnam, as many translator prefer to coin new
words in Vietnamese rather than borrow English words. However, this strategy is very useful
when the translator deal with concepts or ideas that are new to Vietnamese audience, culture-
specific items, and proper names of diseases or medicines that are widely known in English
names. For instance, HIV and AIDS are two loan words that are frequently used in
Vietnamese, as they are referred to by their English names in almost every part of the world.
Because these words have been in common used in Vietnam for a long time, they are often
used without any accompanying explanation. Whenever a loan word is used , it is better to
give an explanation. Another example is the acronym for oral dehydration salts, or ORS,
which is printed on every package and hence easily recognized; this is normally written in
English with an explanation in Vietnamese : ORS (muèi bï mÊt n-íc)
1.5 Translating by using a paraphrase
This strategy can be used when we translate an English word or concept that does not exist in
Vietnamese, or when the Vietnamese term for it does not include all the meanings conveyed
by the English term for the same concept. For example, in the sentence: “ Pregnant women
should avoid alcohol.”, the English „alcohol‟ includes all alcoholic drinks in its meaning. The
Vietnamese word ‘r­îu’ does not include beer in its definition, so the Vietnamese
translation should add the word beer to reflect the full meaning of the source language
sentence. Another example is that the English words „abuse‟ and „neglect‟ signify a whole
range of behaviors, some of which are not conveyed by the Vietnamese words alone. As a
result, the English sentence: “Children should be protected from abuse and neglect.” cannot
be translated as simply as ‘‘trÎ em nªn ®-îc b¶o vÖ khái sù l¹m dông vµ
l¬ lµ.’’. This translation does not account for their full meaning , which must be
unpacked for better understanding. This can be done by paraphrasing as a translator has
attempted in the following translation: ‘‘trÎ em cÇn b¶o vÖ chèng l¹i mäi
h×nh thøc b¹o lùc, g©y tæn th-¬ng hay xóc ph¹m, bá mÆc hoÆc xao
nh·ng trong viÖc ch¨m sãc’’. Back translated roughly into English, this sentence
reads, : “Children must be protected from all forms of violence causing harm or offense, and
from abandonment and negligence in their care.”
1.6 Translating by omission
Though some translators may reject this strategy as too drastic, it is sometimes appropriate to
omit words or phrases that are not essential to the meaning or impact of the text. This is
especially true for words that would require lengthy explanations, awkward paraphrases, or
literal and unnatural translations, which would interrupt the flow of the text and could distract
 30

the reader from the overall meaning. For example, the sentence “ Much can be done even
without being physically present in the meeting.” is best translated into Vietnamese by, ‘‘
nhiÒu viÖc cã thÓ lµm ngµy c¶ khi kh«ng cã mÆt t¹i cuéc häp’’
which omit the word “physically” in the translation. The difference in meaning between “
being physically present” and being present” is so minimal that it does not justify translation
into Vietnamese, which cannot easily express the slight emphasis implied here by the author,
and would not do so by emphasizing the physicality of a person‟s presence.

STRATEGY 2 : How to deal with idioms and set expressions

Idioms and set expressions can be dealt with in the ways similar to those mentioned above.
With idioms, however, there is another difficulty that the translator may not realize that s/he is
dealing with an idiomatic expression, since more idioms may make sense when translated
literally.
2.1 Using an idiom or a set expression of similar meaning and form
It is sometimes possible to find a Vietnamese idiom or expression with a similar meaning to
an English idiom or expression, and which is expressed in the same way. One example is the
idiom “ to fight like cats and dogs”, which is expressed using the same words in Vietnamese:
‘‘ c·i nhau nh- chã víi mÌo.’’; another is “ Better than never.”, which is
translated : ‘‘Thµ muén cßn h¬n kh«ng ®Õn’’. It is ideal if such a match can be
found, but this kind of correspondence is not common, and it is usually necessary to use other
strategies in dealing with idioms and set expressions.
2.2 Using an idiom or a set expression of similar meaning but different form
It is possible and easy to find a Vietnamese idiom with a similar meaning for an English
idiom or set expression. A good example can be found is the translation for to carry coals to
Newcastle”: ‘‘Chë cñi vÒ rõng." ,which is translated as “ to carry firewood to the
forest.” The meaning here is clearly the same for both idioms- to bring something to a place
that has an abundance of that thing- but the way in which each language expresses is bound to
be the culture of that language. It is far more cumbersome to translate this idiom literally into
Vietnamese with an explanation that Newcastle is a well-known coal-producing city in
England (as was suggested by some Vietnamese translators), which would unduly interrupt
the flow of the text and greatly diminish the idiom‟s impact. By substituting a similar
Vietnamese idiom, then, the flow and the impact of the source text are retained in the
translation.
2.3 Translating by paraphrasing
When Vietnamese equivalents cannot be found, paraphrasing may be the best way to deal
with an idiom or set expression in English. A good example can be found in an article on
maternal mortality, which includes the sentence, “ But before the new estimates replace the
old as a way of packaging up the problem, it should be said that a mistake has been made in
allowing statistics such as these to slip into easy language. The expression “packaging up the
problem” caused the problems in translation, as it was misinterpreted to mean “assembling” or
“gathering”. However, even if this phrase were clearly understood, it would be difficult to find
a precise equivalent in Vietnamese. In fact, it would be difficult to restate concisely in
English. This phrase is best dealt with by paraphrasing, which in English could be understood
as something like “summing up the problem by referring to it simply as a number, which does
 31

not reflect its true magnitude or impact.” The expression “to slip into easy usage” is
problematic for the same reasons, and is also best dealt with by paraphrasing, as a literal
translation into Vietnamese would be meaningless.

2.4 Translating by omission

This strategy could be used when we translate words or phrases that would require lengthy
explanations, awkward paraphrases, or literal and unnatural translation. This strategy has also
be used when we translate phases which has two meanings one of the meanings may be
sacrificed for the other. For instance, a book entitled “ Being Positive-Living with HIV/AIDS”
causes problems in translate because of the double meaning of “ being positive”. The meaning
of the phrase could be that a person is suffering from positive HIV and that s/he should have
an optimistic outlook on life. This may be clear to the translator , who may interpret the
phrase to mean that this book is for and about people who are HIV positive. However, the
double meaning should be made clear through collaboration with the commissioner, after
which a choice must be made between the two meanings, for it would not be possible to
translate both meanings by one Vietnamese phrase. As the emphasis is on positive outlook on
life but not on the fact of being HIV positive, one translator has suggested the translation:
‘‘H·y Sèng Yªu §êi Dï NhiÔm HIV’’. This translation expresses the notion of
being positive about life without mentioning anything about being HIV positive status.
STRATEGY 3 : How to deal with voice, number and person
2.1 Voice
The passive voice is used very often in English and poses some problems in Vietnamese
translation. Passive voice can be translated from English into Vietnamese in the following
ways:

a. English : A is/was/has been done by B

Vietnamese: (i) A ®-îc+ ®éng tõ+(bëi B)

A ®-îc/do+(B)+®éng tõ

(ii) A bÞ +®éng tõ + bëi B

A bÞ +(B) + ®éng tõ
Example:
This house was built by Frank in 1930
Ng«I nhµ nµy do Frank x©y n¨m 1930

Tom is given a present by Mary

Tom ®-îc Mary tÆng mét mãn quµ
 32

Tom was attacked by a stranger last night

Tom bÞ mét kÎ l¹ mÆt tÊn c«ng tèi h«m qua

b.English : A is/was/has been done.

Vietnamese: (i) A ®-îc+ ®éng tõ
(ii) A bÞ+ ®éng tõ
(iii) Ng-êi ta/ai ®ã + ®éng tõ + A
Example:
Tom has been promoted recently.
Tom míi ®-îc ®Ì b¹t gÇn ®©y.
The CD has been broken.
ChiÕc ®Üa CD ®· bÞ vì/ Ai ®ã ®· lµm vì chiÕc ®Üa CD.
The positive and negative connotation is not often conveyed in English, so it is difficult to
know what way used to translate into Vietnamese.

Example: The children were given injections.

Vietnamese translation : ‘‘C¸c ch¸u ®-îc tiªm.’’, or ‘‘C¸c ch¸u bÞ
tiªm.’’
depending on whether the receiving injection is considered a positive or negative experience.
On the other hand, when the positive or negative connotation of the sentence is clear it is more
appropriate to retain the passive voice in Vietnamese.
Example: The H‟Mong people do not like to be called Meo. They prefer to
be called H‟Mong.

Vietnamese: Ng-êi d©n téc H¬ M«ng kh«ng thÝch bÞ gäi lµ d©n téc
MÌo. Hä
thÝch ®-îc gäi lµ d©n téc H¬ M«ng.

In Vietnamese, there are some cases where one can see the words ®-îc/bÞ but they are not
translated into English passive sentences at all.

Example: - Anh Êy bÞ ng·. : He fell.

- ChÞ Lan bÞ ho. : Lan has a cough.
- H«m nay chóng ta ®-îc ®¸nh chÐn no nª.
 33

We had and enormous meal today.

2.2 Number
Though both languages have similar notions of number and countability, each language has its
own way to express these notions. In English, number is expressed as a grammar category;
that is, there are different grammatical forms for singular and plural nouns. In Vietnamese,
however, no such distinction is grammatically made.
Example : Phô n÷: can mean either woman or women

In Vietnamese, some plural markers such as ‘‘c¸c’’, ‘‘nh÷ng’’, tÊt c¶’’,

‘‘mäi" ,’’mçi’’ can be used in addition to the noun. ‘‘c¸c’’ generally means all of
the given category of things, whereas ‘‘nh÷ng’’ refers only to some of the total number of
things being discussed. ‘‘Mçi’’ emphasizes the identity of the individual member of the
category without indicating anything of their totality; ‘‘mäi’’ expresses both the
individuality of the items and the totality of the category. If it is clear from the English context
which of these plural markers should be used in the Vietnamese, then the translator should
choose accordingly.
2.3 Person
Participants‟ roles and forms of address are expressed in Vietnamese through a very
complicated system of personal pronouns based largely on kinship terms. Unlike English
pronouns, Vietnamese pronouns bear a number of semantic components depending on the
relationship within a family, age, sex, familiarity, social status, and even one‟s particular
mood or attitude in a given situation. These distinctions are not always explicitly expressed in
English and can usually be determined by the context in which the language operates. If it is
not possible to determine the distinctions of the English pronouns, the attention should be
focused on the tone and the overall purpose of the text to be translated.
Example: A book on health-care contains many sections written especially for children and
adults. In the sections for children the pronoun “you” is translated as “em” or ‘‘c¸c em’’.
In the sections for adults, “you” should be translated as ‘‘chóng ta’’ .

4. STRATEGY 4 : How to deal with non-subject sentences

( Vietnamese- English translation)
The following techniques could be used to translate the non-subject sentences in Vietnamese
texts:
4.1. Passive voice
4.2. It + to be + Adj + to infinitive
4.3. There + to be...
4.4. Use the subject that is found in the previous sentence(s)
Example:
CÇn ®¶y m¹nh c«ng nghiÖp hãa, hiÖn ®¹i hãa.
 34

Industrialization and modernization should be

promoted.
Or: It is necessary to promote industrialization and
modernization
VÉn ch-a cã c¸ch ch÷a khái bÖnh AIDS.
There has been no cure for AIDS.

5. STRATEGY 5 : How to deal with newspaper headlines

Some main characteristics of newspaper headlines are as
follows.
5.1. Present tense = past events
5.2. Present participle = event in progress
5.3. To infinitive = future events
5.4. Past participle = passive voice
5.5. Nouns
5.6. Verb + noun
Example:
1. Chinese Professors Turn To Business
C¸c gi¸o s- Trung Quèc chuyÓn sang kinh doanh
2. US President Visiting Vietnam
Tæng thèng Hoa Kú ®ang th¨m ViÖt Nam
3. Oil Price To Rise?
Gi¸ dÇu sÏ t¨ng
4. Three More Investment Projects Licensed This Year
Thªm ba dù ¸n ®Çu t- n÷a ®-îc cÊp giÊy phÐp trong n¨m nay
5. Investment Boom
Bïng næ ®Çu t-
6. See You In Court
HÑn gÆp t¹i tßa

LESSON 5: PATTERNS AND SOURCES OF ERRORS MADE

BY VIETNAMESE TRANSLATORS
What is mother tongue interference in translation?
In the narrow definition, interference in translation takes place when apparently, any feature
of the source language – notably a syntactic structure, a lexical item, and idiom, a metaphor,
 35

word order or culture is carried over or literally translated as the case may be into the target
language(TL) text.
In a wider definition, interference includes cases when sentence length, punctuation, proper
names, culture words are evidently transferred in the translation in fact all cases where the
language of the translation is manifestly affected whether appropriately or not by the language
of the original.
When the mother tongue interference is an error, a “false friend”, a sign of the translator‟s
ignorance, a mark of the effect of the source language (SL) or the SL culture, it can be
categorized as follows.
1. LINGUISTIC ERRORS
The linguistic errors can be divided into the following groups:
 36

1.1 Lexical Errors

Lexical interference traps are common enough but more invidious are innocent looking
collocations which appear to make sense until one asks oneself what they mean in particular
context.
E.g. in English “ to cook an account” translated as ‘‘nÊu sæ s¸ch’’ is meanigless and it
must be translated as ‘‘gi¶ m¹o sæ s¸ch’’. Lexical interference is very dangerous
because it can distort the meaning of a sentence.
1.1.1 Context
The context itself determines the meaning of words. Therefore, their meaning should be
solved in the context. It is commonly known that a word may have equivalents and
accordingly the analysis of its meaning has to be made carefully in order to pick out the most
appropriate word. There are many ways of translating of some nouns related to professions,
classes, fields in society. For example, in a text written about Buddhism in which there are
two words “clergy” and “death”. Some translated transferred “clergy” as ‘‘gi¸o sÜ’’ and
“death” as ‘‘c¸i chÕt’’ for Buddha. It sounds strange and funny. In fact, “clergy”
translated as ‘‘gi¸o sÜ’’ for Catholicism but ‘‘giíi t¨ng ®å’’ for Buddhism. The
word “death” is normally translated as ‘‘c¸i chÕt’’ but ‘‘vua b¨ng hµ’’ in
“King‟s death” and as for Buddhism this word should be translated as ‘‘viªn tÞch’’.
When translators are asked to translate these sentences into English
a. Kha Lu©n Bè ®· t×m ra T©n thÕ giíi vµo n¨m 1842.
b. T«i ®ang t×m cuèn s¸ch.
c. Michael Faraday ®· t×m ra m¸y ph¸t ®iÖn.
Obviously, there are many equivalents in English for the word ‘‘t×m’’ such as “seek”,
“look for”, “search for”, “find”, “find out”. In addition, there are two more words related to
this meaning: “to invent” and “ to discover”. However, in sentence (1) the word ‘‘t×m’’ has
an equivalent in English as “discover”. In sentence (2) the word ‘‘t×m’’ is understood as
“look for”, search for” or “seek”. In sentence (3) the word ‘‘t×m’’ has an equivalent as
“invent”.
The three above-mentioned sentences can be translated as follows.
1. The New World was discovered by Christopher.
2. I am looking for my book.
3. Michael Faraday invented the generator.
It is characteristic of word that a single lexical item may have several meanings. For example,
the word “ head” in isolation means something like” the upper part of the body”. But the same
word used in the context of talking about a company or an organization has nothing to do
with the human body though the idea of the upper position of something still remains.
Example:
1. He is the former head of the Chemistry Section of the Australian Atomic Energy
Commission. ( leader)
2. Although he is the head of the company, he has no head. ( leader-intelligence)
 37

The following examples show that the translators do not treat words in context but rely on the
meaning in dictionary:
1. “In 1999, some major commodities were stockpiled because of poor quality.” It is not
accurate at all when “stockpiled” was translated ‘‘l-u tr÷’’. In fact, due to poor quality,
major commodities were not sold out leading to stockpile. Therefore, the sentence should be
translated as ‘‘ N¨m 1999 mét sè mÆt hµng chñ yÕu bÞ tån kho do chÊt
l-îng kÐm.’’
2. “The Prime Minister has also assigned relevant agencies to formulate a law on industrial
zones to provide a complete legal background/frame for the operation of Izs and EPZs in
Vietnam.” was translated ‘‘Thñ t-íng ®· bæ nhiÖm nh÷ng chÝnh s¸ch thÝch
hîp ®Ó ®-a ra luËt vÒ khu c«ng nghiÖp ®Ó cung cÊp mét bèi c¶nh
hoµn toµn hîp ph¸p cho c¸c ho¹t ®éng cña khu c«ng nghiÖp, khu
chÕ xuÊt ViÖt Nam. ’’. This translation is quite vague in Vietnamese. In fact, a word
in source language has many equivalents in target language. The word “ assign” is equivalent
with ‘‘ph©n c«ng/ bæ nhiÖm’’; “ relevant with ‘‘thÝch ®¸ng, thÝch hîp,
cã liªn quan’’; ‘‘ agency’’ with ‘‘ ®¹i lý, c¬ quan, chi
nh¸nh’’; “foundation’’ ‘‘nÒn mãng, nÒn t¶ng, c¬ së’’. For this reason, in
this context it should be chosen the most appropriate equivalents to create an idiomatic
translation: ‘‘ Thñ t-íng ®· giao cho c¸c c¬ quan cã liªn quan ban
hµnh bé luËt vÒ khu c«ng nghiÖp nh»m cung cÊp mét sè c¬ së ph¸p
lý hoµn chØnh cho viÖc ho¹t ®éng cña khu c«ng nghiÖp vµ khu chÕ
xuÊt ë ViÖt Nam.’’
In brief, the translators have a habit of translating literally and depending largely on the
meaning in dictionary due to the mother-tongue interference. In order to avoid committing
errors of context, words should be solved in context and the analysis of their meaning has to
be made carefully to pick out the most appropriate equivalent.
1.1.2 Word collocation
Word collocation consists of the associations a word acquires on account of the meanings of
words which tend to occur in its environment. Each of language has its own principle in word
collocation. For example, the word “ pretty” often goes with girls and women, while the word
“handsome” often goes with boys or men. Some translators do not realize this, which leads to
wrong and funny collocation. For instance, in Vietnamese the word ‘‘uèng’’ (drink) can go
with many different kinds of liquid including water, beer, alcohol, medicine and even poison.
However, in English these are clear distinction as follows:
Drink beer/ water/ wine/ coffee.
Take medicine/ poison.
Another example indicates that in Vietnamese the word ‘‘nãi’’ (say) can be collocated
with ‘‘lêi t¹m biÖt’’ “goodbye”, ‘‘lêi chµo hái’’ “hello”, ‘‘dèi’’ “a lie”,
‘‘sù thËt’’ “ the truth”, ‘‘tiÕng Ph¸p’’ “French”. However, in English it is quite
different.
Say hello/ goodbye/ yes/ no.
Tell a lie/ the truth/ a story.
 38

Speak English/ French/ Chinese.

In Vietnamese, the word ‘‘®µn’’ can be collocated with many different nouns such as
‘‘c¸’’(fish) “chim” ( bird), ‘‘s- tö’’ (lion), ‘‘gia sóc’’ (cattle). On the contrary, in
English there are many words meaning ‘‘®µn’’ as follows.
A flock of birds/ sheep: §µn chim/ cõu
A herd of cattle/ buffaloes: §µn gia sóc/ tr©u
A pack of dogs/ calves: §µn chã/ bª
A school of fish/ chickens: §µn c¸/ gµ
A pride of lions/ deer : §µn s- tö/ nai

Similarly, the word “decision” can be collocated with many word such as “to make/ to
reach/ to arrive at/ to come to... a decision”. The following examples show the wrong
collocations of some translators:
1. ChÝnh phñ ®· tiÕn thùc hiÖn nhiÒu biÖn ph¸p nh»m ng¨n chÆn
viÖc bu«n lËu ma tóy.
(The government has made many measures to stop the drug smuggling.)
2. Chóng t«i ph¶i hoµn thµnh nhiÖm vô tr-íc khi tæ kiÓm tra chÊt
l-îng s¶n phÈm.
( We have to complete our duty before the investigators control the product quality.)
3. Sau khi nghiªn cøu thÞ tr-êng, chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®-a ra
thÞ tr-êng mét s¶n phÈm g©y Ên t-îng cã søc c¹nh tranh víi hµng
ngo¹i nhËp.
(After making a market research, we decided to launch an impressive product which can
compete against the imported ones.)
4. Tõ khi Mü bá lÖnh cÊm vËn ViÑt Nam, nhiÒu n-íc trªn thÕ giíi
®x ®Çu t- vµo c¸c lÜnh vùc kh¸c nhau.
(Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam many foreign countries have been
investing in many different fields.)
It is the mother tongue interference that leads to the mechanic collocation which is
unacceptable in target language. In fact, each language has its own principles of word
collocation. Neither English nor Vietnamese is an exception. As a result, the above-mentioned
examples should be translated more accurately and idiomatically as follows.
1. “The government has made many measures to stop the drug smuggling.” should be
corrected as “The government has taken many measures to stop the drug smuggling.”
2. “We have to complete our duty before the investigators control the product quality.” should
be corrected “We have to fulfill our duty before the investigators control the product quality.”
 39

3. “After making a market research, we decided to launch an impressive product which can
compete against the imported ones.” should be corrected “After doing a market research, we
decided to launch an impressive product which can compete against the imported ones.”
4. “Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam many foreign countries have been
investing in many different fields.” should be corrected “Since the USA lifted the embargo
against Vietnam many foreign countries have been investing in many different fields.”
In a word, it is inevitable for the translators to obey the principles of English and Vietnamese
word collocations. In order to avoid this type of errors, the translator should read as many
English books and magazines to take notes of collocated words under the English standard.
1.1.3 Misuse of personal pronouns and prepositions
In Vietnamese, there are many ways to express the thoughts and feelings or attitude which
differ from those in English. The social status, age, sex, and the family order are distinguished
clearly and systematically. This is reflected in a distinguished clearly and systematically. This
is reflected in a number of words for addressing such as ‘‘cô, «ng, bµ, b¸c, c«,
chó, thÝm, d×, d-îng, cËu, anh, chÞ, ngµi, quÝ vÞ, mµy, em,
..’’ such words are generally expressed by English people in one word “you”.
The following examples show clearly that the translator sometimes do not master the
relationship between the speaker and the hearer leading to a funny translation. A mother was
taking care of her child in hospital. She said: “ I love you very much, dear.” Which was
translated as ‘‘ Em yªu anh l¾m , c-ng µ.’’ instead of ‘‘ MÑ yªu con
l¾m, c-ng µ.’’
In Vietnamese, each preposition has a fixed meaning which does not change regardless of the
noun, adjective or verb proceeding it. On the contrary, the meaning of a preposition in English
depends on its preceding word. This difference leads to errors in using prepositions of TL. For
example, the Vietnamese preposition ‘‘vÒ’’ can be expressed by different prepositions in
English:
a talk on history : mét cuéc nãi chuyÖn vÒ lÞch sö
be disappointed in : thÊt väng vÒ
be interested in : quan t©m vÒ
lay emphasis/ stress on : nhÊn m¹nh vÒ
be worried about : lo l¾ng vÒ
be proud of/ take pride in : tù hµo vÒ
be famous for : næi tiÕng vÒ
instead of “disappointed about”, “ proud about”, “famous about” as the translator may use.
These are the typical errors made by the translators:
1. “According to Mr Thien, his plant currently produces lubricants under the API (American
Petroleum Institute) standards”
(Theo «ng ThiÖn th× hiÖn nay nhµ m¸y cña «ng ®ang s¶n xuÊt
dÇu nhên d-íi tiªu chuÈn cña
 40

ViÖn x¨ng dÇu Mü.)

2. “It is so easy to be misunderstood when talking on the phone.”
( Nãi chuyÖn trªn diÖn tho¹i th× dÔ bÞ hiÓu nhÇm.)
3. ‘‘Tßa ¸n Nh©n D©n quyÕt ®Þnh kÕt ¸n chóng 15 n¨m vÒ téi bu«n
lËu ma tóy.’’
(The People‟s Court decided to condemn them to 15 years imprisonment about the drug
smuggling.)
4. ‘‘Lµ gi¸o viªn -u tó trong nhiÒu n¨m, «ng Nam cã nhiÒu kinh
nghiÖm vÒ viÖc gi¶ng d¹y häc
sinh.’’
(As a qualified teacher for many years, Mr.Nam is experienced about educating and
teaching the pupils.”
5. ‘‘Chóng t«i thµnh thËt chia buån vÒ viÖc ra ®i cña bè b¹n.’’
(We really condole with you about the loss of your father.”

As can be seen from the above-mentioned examples, the translators tended to choose the
English prepositions basing on Vietnamese meanings without paying attention to their
variations. These errors could be corrected as follows.

1. “According to Mr Thien, his plant currently produces lubricants under the API ( American
Petroleum Institute) standards” should be translated (Theo «ng ThiÖn th× hiÖn nay
nhµ m¸y cña «ng ®ang s¶n xuÊt dÇu nhên theo tiªu chuÈn cña ViÖn
x¨ng dÇu Mü.)
2. “It is so easy to be misunderstood when talking on the phone.” is equivalent with (Nãi
chuyÖn qua ®iÖn tho¹i th× dÔ bÞ hiÓu nhÇm.)
3. ‘‘Tßa ¸n Nh©n D©n quyÕt ®Þnh kÕt ¸n chóng 15 n¨m vÒ téi bu«n
lËu ma tóy.’’ should be translated (The People‟s Court decided to condemn them to
15 years imprisonment for the drug smuggling.)
4. ‘‘Lµ gi¸o viªn -u tó trong nhiÒu n¨m, «ng Nam cã nhiÒu kinh
nghiÖm vÒ viÖc gi¶ng d¹y häc sinh.’’ should be translated (As a qualified
teacher for many years, Mr Nam is experienced in educating and teaching the pupils.”
5. ‘‘Chóng t«i thµnh thËt chia buån vÒ viÖc ra ®i cña bè b¹n.’’
should be translated (We really condole with you for the loss of your father.”
Due to the mother tongue interference, the translators found themselves in a confusing
situation when they use prepositions n English. In order to avoid this type of errors the
translators should learn the prepositions going with nouns, adjectives or verbs by heart. If they
do not know how to use prepositions exactly, they tend to the Vietnamese ones into English or
vice versa. As a result, the translators should be provided with as many structures with
 41

prepositions systematically as possible to help them take notes and draw out the formation and
rules.
1.1.4 Misuse of synonyms
Some translators depend largely on the meaning in dictionary picking out the synonyms
without paying much to the context. In fact, the pairs of synonyms share at least one sense in
common but do not share all their senses. To some extent, they can hardly substitute for each
other. The misuse of synonyms makes the meaning of one of the following sentences
unacceptable.
“ You have my deep/ profound sympathy.( acceptable)
“ The river is deep.”( acceptable)
“ The river is very profound.” (unacceptable)
Another example shows that some translators do not realize the connotational meaning, which
leads to the distorting of the meaning of the sentence. Take “famous’’(næi tiÕng) and
“notorious” (khÐt tiÕng) as an example. While “famous” means “well-known/
celebrated”, and therefore contains some features of positive meaning, “notorious” means
“well-known” especially for unfavorable reason & negative meaning.
The following can be seen as the misuse of the synonyms by some of the inexperienced
translators.
1. “CËu bÐ nµy rÊt b-íng bØnh.’’
(This boy is very stubborn/unyielding.) ( right)
2. “Ng-êi ViÖt Nam cã tinh thÇn bÊt khuÊt.’’
(The Vietnamese people are really stubborn.) (wrong)
3. ChÝnh phñ cã kÕ ho¹ch x©y hµng ngµn ng«i nhµ cho ng-êi v« gia
c-.’’
(The government plans to build thousands of homes for homeless people.) ( wrong)
In Example 1 “stubborn” synonymous to “unyielding” means ‘‘cøng ®Çu/b-íng
bØnh’’ in Vietnamese.
In Example 2 “stubborn” fails to evoke the features of positive meaning which praises the
Vietnamese people on their heroism expressing the speaker‟s admiration. In contrast, it
expresses the speaker‟s anger and discontent.
In Example 3 “home” and “house” are places where one lives, meaning ‘‘nhµ’’ in
Vietnamese. However, in terms of the connotational meaning they are quite different. “House”
refers to the building or structure while “home” refers to the atmosphere or feeling found in
the house.
Example:
- There is no place like home.
(Ch¼ng cã n¬i ®©u nh- ë nhµ.)
- Home is where the heart is.
(Nhµ lµ n¬i con tim tró ngô.)
 42

Most of the synonyms have the same meaning in certain context. If a translator use synonyms
without referring to the context,(s)he can make wrong & funny for his readers. In order to
avoid the misuse, the translator should carefully take the synonyms into consideration before
using them. In addition, it would be better for the translator to consider the differences of the
pairs of synonyms when translating.
1.1.5 Idioms & terminologies
The meanings of idioms are not definitely related to grammatical rules or the lexical meaning
of each word because they feature the metaphor and figures of speech. For example, “ wet
blanket” should be translated ‘‘ng-êi rÇu rÜ’’ instead of “c¸i ch¨n -ít’’ or “to
read one‟s palm” translated as ‘‘xem chØ tay’’ instead of ‘‘®äc c¸i g× ë lßng
bµn tay’’.
In fact, idioms can be translated satisfactorily by considering the context, if not, it is difficult
to find the exact meaning. An English idiom must be translated into Vietnamese by an
equivalent one. It is very important to be aware that we must not choose the equivalents of
every word forming the idiom but we do find the equivalent ways of expression which exist in
both languages. If we stick to each word, the meaning becomes strange, unnatural and funny.
For instance, “to sell like a hot cake” is usually translated as ‘‘b¸n ®¾t nh- t«m
t-¬i.” Instead of ‘‘b¸n nh- b¸nh nãng”. “ There is no time like present.” is usually
translated as ‘‘viÖc h«m nay chí ®Ó ngµy mai’’ instead of ‘‘kh«ng cã thêi
gian nh- b©y giê’’. “Live and learn” is usually translated as ‘‘cßn sèng cßn
häc’’ instead of ‘‘sèng vµ häc’’.
The following errors were found in some of the translated texts and should be corrected.
1. “Every time, we have our children‟s birth certificates signed at the local People‟s
committee, we have to go though a lot of red tape.” was translated as ‘‘Mçi khi nhê hä
ký giÊy khai sinh t¹i ñy ban nh©n d©n ph-êng, chóng t«i ph¶i ®i
qua nhiÒu b¨ng ®á.’’

2. “At first we intended to stay at home. On the second thought, we decided to go out.” was
translated as ‘‘Tho¹t ®Çu chóng t«i cã ý ®Þnh ë nhµ. Trong lÇn suy
nghÜ thø hai chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®i ra ngoµi.’’
3. “ She rarely saves her time to do her homework. She often lets the grass grow under her
feet.” was translated as ‘‘C« Êy hiÕm khi tiÕt kiÖm thêi gian ®Ó lµm bµi
tËp ë nhµ. C« th-êng ®Ó cá mäc d-èi ch©n.’’
The above-mentioned translations could be improved as follows.
1. “Every time, we have our children‟s birth certificates signed at the local People‟s
committee, we have to go though a lot of red tape.” should be translated as ‘‘Mçi khi
nhê hä ký giÊy khai sinh t¹i ñy ban nh©n d©n ph-êng, chóng t«i
ph¶i lµm nhiÒu thñ tôc giÊy tê r-êm rµ.’’
2. “At first we intended to stay at home. On the second thought, we decided to go out.” should
be translated as ‘‘Tho¹t ®Çu chóng t«i cã ý ®Þnh ë nhµ. Sau khi suy
®i tÝnh l¹i, chóng t«i quyÕt ®Þnh ®i ra ngoµi.’’
 43

3. “She rarely saves her time to do her homework. She often lets the grass grow under her
feet.” should be translated as ‘‘C« Êy hiÕm khi tiÕt kiÖm thêi gian ®Ó
lµm bµi tËp ë nhµ. C« th-êng ®Ó n-íc ®Õn ch©n míi nh¶y.’’
In addition to this, due to the limited knowledge of social background and some special fields,
some translators mistranslated the terminologies causing vagueness, inaccuracy to readers. It
is not very easy for some translators to translate the following terminologies if they are not
familiar with business texts.
- cash flow: l-u l-îng tiÒn mÆt
- insurance policy: hîp ®ång b¶o hiÓm
- acknowledgement: giÊy b¸o cho biÕt ®· nhËn ®-îc
- credit terms: nh÷ng ®iÒu kho¶n tÝn dông
- hard currency: ®ång tiÒn m¹nh
- marginal: biªn tÕ chªnh lÖch gi÷a gi¸ mua vµ
gi¸ b¸n)
- total working capital: tæng sè vèn l-u ®éng
- sales promotion campaign: chiÕn dÞch khuyÕn m¹i
In conclusion, some inexperienced translators committed the lexical errors mentioned above
including those of context, word collocation, prepositions, synonyms and idioms &
terminologies. They are committed by those who have little knowledge of both source
language(SL) and target language (TG). At the same time, they thought that although English
is different from Vietnamese, both languages have a one-to-one correlation of lexical items. In
practice, in terms of translation, it can be chosen the only one appropriate equivalent from this
into that language. Even more, that equivalent hardly keeps the meaning of the word itself but
that of context.
In some dictionaries, the authors present series of synonyms of SL in comparison with TL.
However, the synonyms are those of the context in which the are operating . Another problem
is that some translators did not realize the linking meaning of word units. It is obvious that
these units link together to create a larger unit of meaning in a given text to be translated. The
linking meaning itself does not exist in separate word units but in the link of the units
constituting the whole text.
1.2. Structural Errors
Each language has its own division of lexicon into classes such as nouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, etc. It is not always possible to translate a SL noun with a noun in TL.
In English, there is a tendency of using more nominal structures while verbal structures are
used more in Vietnamese. Some translators keep the same structures when translating, leading
to vagueness in TL texts. For example, “Thank you for your pretty present.” was translated as
‘‘C¸m ¬n anh v× mãn quµ ®¸ng yªu.’’ instead of ‘‘C¸m ¬n anh ®· tÆng
em mãn quµ ®¸ng yªu.’’
In addition, there is also a tendency of using more passive constructions in English than in
Vietnamese. For instance, “The USA is said to be a powerful country.” was translated as:
 44

‘‘Mü ®-îc nãi lµ mét c-êng quèc.’’ instead of ‘‘Ng-êi ta nãi r»ng
Mü lµ mét c-êng quèc.’’
The following examples of structural errors were made by some of translators.
1. The Vietnamese Airlines has coped with difficulties due to the regional financial crisis.
( Hµng kh«ng ViÖt Nam gÆp ph¶i nh÷ng khã kh¨n do cuéc khñng
ho¶ng tµi chÝnh vïng trÇm träng.)
2. Schools teach mathematics because of its very important roles.
( Tr-êng häc d¹y to¸n v× tÇm quan träng cña nã.)
3. Thank you for your letter.
( C¸m ¬n l¸ th- cña em.’’
4. Hue was recognized as the world‟s cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1994.
( HuÕ ®-îc xem lµ di s¶n v¨n hãa thÕ giíi bëi UNESCO vµo n¨m
1994.)
5. I was rewarded with a trip to Nha Trang by my parents after a year of hard work.
(T«i ®· ®-îc th-ëng mét chuyÕn ®i ®Õn Nha Trang bëi bè mÑ cña
t«i sau mét n¨m lµm viÖc vÊt v¶.)
The above-mentioned translations do not sound Vietnamese, lacking the coherence and
smoothness, not conveying the desired meaning of the SL sentences. It would be more
idiomatic to translate as follows.
1. Do ¶nh h-ëng cña cuéc khñng ho¶ng tµi chÝnh trÇm träng
trong khu vùc, nªn H·ng Hµng Kh«ng VN ph¶i ®-¬ng ®Çu víi nh÷ng
khã kh¨n.
2. Tr-êng häc d¹y to¸n v× to¸n häc ®ãng vai trß rÊt quan
träng.
3. C¶m ¬n em ®· viÕt th- cho em.
4. UNESCO ®· c«ng nhËn HuÕ lµ di s¶n v¨n hãa thÕ giíi vµo n¨m
1994.
5. Sau mét n¨m häc hµnh ch¨m chØ, bè mÑ ®· th-ëng cho t«i mét
chuyÕn du lÞch ®Õn thµnh phè Nha Trang.

As can be seen from the examples mentioned above, some translators focused on the
structures of SL so much that they fail to convey all the implicit meaning of TL. In fact, it is
not necessary to keep the form at all. The most important thing is that the translations must be
done on the basis of the TL grammar that is familiar to the readers. This principle suggests
that the translator should not depend largely on the structures of the SL but break them ,
conveying the meaning as much as possible in an appropriate structures in the TL.
Another problem is that some translators was not aware of the relationship between form and
function of language. It is commonly known that in some languages, on function is expressed
by many forms and vice versa. For example, in English the way of giving an advice could be
expressed by a number of structures : “Why don‟t you..?”, “You should/ ought to..”, “If I were
 45

you, I‟d..”, “You‟d better” or “ I advise you to.”. In addition, some translators did not realize
the conversational implicature understood implicitly as follows.

1. What‟s the time? ( Why are you so late?)

2. Are you my teacher? ( You want to teach me.)
3, Why don‟t we go to the cinema? ( a suggestion)
4. Why did you say so? ( You should not have said so)
5. Unless he has done the work to my satisfaction, I will not pay him for this.(If
he has not done.)

Those sentences should be translated as follows.

1. Cã biÕt mÊy giê råi kh«ng?
2. Mµy ®ßi lµm thÇy cña tao µ?
3. Chóng ta ®i xem phim hÌ?
4. LÏ ra anh kh«ng nªn nãi nh- vËy!
5. NÕu h¾n kh«ng lµm viÖc võa ý t«i , th× ®õng hßng
t«i tr¶ l-¬ng cho h¾n.

As mentioned in the previous part, the structural difference between the SL and the TL is
likely to make it difficult for the translators. The translators were not aware of dividing or
combining the sentences within a text to be translated. If they try to keep the same punctuation
of the SL text, the correspondent TL text will have clumsy, run-together, long and complex
sentences. It is much better to divide long sentences into short ones aiming at creating
coherence, attraction for readers in the translations.
These are the translated sentences with their structural errors made by some of inexperienced
translators.

1. “The dividing gap between the rich and the poor as well as corruption and social unrest
caused by the relocation of people in industrialized areas, have made many people hesitate in
further changes.”
(Kho¶ng c¸ch lín gi÷a ng-êi giµu vµ ng-êi nghÌo còng nh- sù
tham nhòng vµ t×nh tr¹ng bÊt an cña x· héi g©y ra do sù ph©n bè
l¹i d©n c- ë c¸c khu c«ng nghiÖp ®· lµm cho nhiÒu ng-êi ph¶i do
dù khi chÊp nhËn nh÷ng thay ®æi lín.)

2. “ It is also necessary to invest in increasing capability of battery production establishments

to meet the demand for automobile and motorbike manufacturing and assembling in
accordance with the localization program.”
 46

( Nã còng rÊt cÇn thiÕt ®Ó ®Çu t- vµo viÖc t¨ng n¨ng suÊt cña
nh÷ng c¬ së s¶n xuÊt ¾c qui ®Ó ®¸p øng nhu cÇu d©y chuyÒn s¶n
xuÊt vµo viÖc chÕ t¹o « t« vµ xe m¸y phï hîp víi ch-¬ng tr×nh ë
trong n-íc.)

3. “It takes much time to deliver goods to remote areas by backward means of transport.”
(Nã lÊy nhiÒu thêi gian ®Ó ph©n phèi hµng hãa ®Õn c¸c vïng xa
x«i b»ng c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn giao th«ng l¹c hËu.)

All above translated sentences should be corrected as follows.

1. “The dividing gap between the rich and the poor as well as corruption and social unrest
caused by the relocation of people in industrialized areas, have made many people hesitate in
further changes.”
(Sù thay ®æi chç ë t¹i c¸c vïng c«ng nghiÖp hãa ®· lµm cho
kho¶ng c¸ch gi÷a ng-ßi giµu vµ ng-êi nghÌo còng nh- sù tham
nhòng vµ t×nh tr¹ng bÊt an cña x· héi ngµy cµng lín. ChÝnh ®iÒu
nµy ®· lµm cho nhiÒu ng-êi ph¶i miÔn c-ìng nh÷ng thay ®æi lín
h¬n n÷a.)

2. “ It is also necessary to invest in increasing capability of battery production establishments

to meet the demand for automobile and motorbike manufacturing and assembling in
accordance with the localization program.”
( §Çu t- vµo viÖc t¨ng n¨ng suÊt cña nh÷ng c¬ së s¶n xuÊt ¾c
qui ®Ó ®¸p øng nhu cÇu d©y chuyÒn s¶n xuÊt vµo viÖc chÕ t¹o «
t« vµ xe m¸y phï hîp víi ch-¬ng tr×nh ë trong n-íc lµ rÊt cÇn
thiÕt.)

3. “It takes much time to deliver goods to remote areas by backward means of transport.”
( Ph¶i mÊt nhiÒu thêi gian ®Ó ph©n phèi hµng hãa ®Õn c¸c vïng
xa x«i b»ng c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn giao th«ng l¹c hËu.)

In order to overcome this type of structural errors, the most effective way for translators is to
master the structures of bot languages. It is clear that a translator who is proficient in English
cannot help being good at Vietnamese and vice versa.
2. STYLE ERRORS
Styles play an important role informal translation and strongly affect the second language
meaning. Due to the context, text-type and audience, the levels of language in translation can
be different - the informal language used in informal situations ; colloquials used in spoken
language; familiar language used among friends, relatives, members in a family; formal
 47

language used in formal texts such as speeches in conference, legal documents, business letter
& documents, research papers.
The examples given below clearly indicate that the same massage could be expressed in
different styles.
 48

1. Drop me a line. ( informal language )

2. Remember to write me a letter. ( neutral)
3. I look forward to your letter. ( informal language )
4. They can escape from family suprvision. ( formal)
5. Their parents can‟t keep an eye on them. (colloquial)
6. They are completely armed. ( formal)
7. They are armed to teeth. ( colloquial)

Style error is an acute problem to the translators. There are translators did not master the
difference when using various styles such as conversational, academic, scientific, literary
styles. Many translators failed when coming across the unfamiliar styles due to being unaware
of degrees of formality (informal or formal style), usage of vocabulary ( informal, colloquial,
formal)

These are some style errors taken out from some Vietnamese- English translations.
1. NÕu chóng t«i ®Æt hµng víi sè l-îng lín, liÖu doanh nghiÖp
anh cã b¸n víi gi¸ rÎ kh«ng?
(If we place substantial orders, can your enterprise get us with soft price?)
It is impossible to use informal style in a business letter. Instead of using “soft price” , the
translator should use “cheaper price”.
2. Thêi tiÕt ë HuÕ kh«ng thÝch hîp cho ng-êi giµ. Mïa hÌ trêi
nãng nh- thiªu ®èt, trong khi mïa ®«ng l¹nh ®Õn x-¬ng tñy.
(The weather in Hue is favorable for the old. It is burning hot in summer while it chills to the
bones in winter.)
It is impossible to use informal style to tanslate a formal text. Instead of using “burning hot” ,
the translator should use “exceedingly hot”.
3. CULTURAL ERRORS
Culture could be understood as the total set of beliefs, attitude, customs, behaviour, social
habits etc. of the member of a particular society. In the broad sense, it includes mode of
production, production activities, community organization, spiritural life, knowledge of nature
and society, emotions, and moral conceptions. Language is regarded as both a component of a
culture and network through which other elements of culture operate. Language , therefore
uses almost all other cultural elements so as to perfect its universal and self-sufficient nature.
It could be said that we will not translate from this to that language perfectly unless we know
its relation to its culture.

It is common ly known that “ao dai” is a traditional costume of the Vietnamese women and
we never find an equivalent word in English to translate “ao dai”. However, some translators
translated mechanically “ ao dai” into “ a dress”. How funny it is! It would be preferredcto
 49

writing down “ao dai” to express the cultural feature to making foreign people misunderstand
“ao dai” as”a dress”.
* ‘‘ Trang phôc truyÒn thèng cña ng-êi phô n÷ ViÖt Nam lµ
chiÕc ¸o dµi t-îng tr-ng cho sù duyªn d¸ng.’’ should be translated as “
The traditional costume of the Vietnamese women is ‘‘ao dai’’ which symbolises the
grace.

Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two
cultural traditions." As this statement implies, translators are permanently faced with the
problem of how to treat the cultural aspects implicit in a source text (ST) and of finding the
most appropriate technique of successfully conveying these aspects in the target language
(TL). These problems may vary in scope depending on the cultural and linguistic gap between
the two (or more) languages concerned.
The cultural implications for translation may take several forms ranging from lexical content
and syntax to ideologies and ways of life in a given culture. The translator also has to decide
on the importance given to certain cultural aspects and to what extent it is necessary or
desirable to translate them into the TL. The aims of the ST will also have implications for
translation as well as the intended readership for both the ST and the target text (TT).

Considering the cultural implications for a translated text implies recognising all of these
problems and taking into account several possibilities before deciding on the solution which
appears the most appropriate in each specific case. Before applying these methods to the
chosen text, this essay will examine the importance of culture in translation through a
literature review. The different general procedures of treating the cultural implications for
translation will be examined as well as analysing the ST and the aims of the author. The
translation process will also be treated using specific examples found in the ST before
discussing the success of aforementioned theoretical methods applied to the TT.

Although corresponding to cultural categories examined, the title will be considered

separately in order to determine the pertinence of conserving, highlighting, or excluding
certain aspects. Due to these considerations, the title will be considered after the other aspects
as all other cultural implications need to be examined before reaching relevant conclusions.
 50

CHAPTER 2: ASSIGNMENTS

ASSIGNMENT 1:
I.THEORY:
1. What is translation? What definition do you think is the most appropriate? Can you give
your own definition of translation?
2. What is an idiomatic translation? Give some examples of idiomatic translations.
3. What are the secondary meanings? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used
in a secondary sense.
4. What is the primary meaning? Give ten sentences, each of which contains a word used in a
primary sense.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Identify change of meaning versus change of form. Some of the following pairs of
sentences differ in their form. Some differ in meaning. Indicate if the primary change is in the
form or in the meaning.

Example:
They robbed the old man.
The old man was dropped by them.
Answer: Change of form

1. The students like to study translation.

The students like studying translation.
2. He saw the bird.
He heard the cat.
3. Go to bed.
I want you to go to bed.
4. I came; I saw; I conquered.
I came, saw, and conquered.
5. The young man had an English grammar book stolen.
An English grammar book was stolen from the young man.
B. List as many grammatical forms as you can which realize the same meaning as the one
given below. Then put the same meaning into a language other than English in as many forms
as you can.
 51

Example:
The cat is black
The black cat
The cat, which is black
1. The water jug
2. John bought a car
3. A hot day
4. Mother‟s long blue dress
5. Peter‟s house

C. All of the following have the same grammatical form. With the change of lexical items,
there is a change of meaning which is signaled by that lexical item, apart from the referential
meaning of the word itself. What meaning is signaled in each of the following possessive
phrases? Answer by restating. How can that meaning best be expressed in another language
which you speak?
Example:
The man‟s car - the man owns the car
The man‟s eye - the eye is part of the man
1. The doctor‟s office
2. The doctor‟s patient
3. The doctor‟s book
4. The doctor‟s brother
5. The doctor‟s hand
6. The doctor‟s house
D. For each pair of sentences, state whether the two sentences are 1. the same in meaning or
2. different in meaning.
1. (a) It rained all night.
(b) Rain fell all night.
2. (a) There is a book on the table.
(b) There is a table on the book.
3. (a) John was very surprised when he heard the news.
(b) The news very much amazed John when he heard it.
4. (a) It was a hot day.
(b) The day was hot.
5. (a) Peter‟s house
(b) The house that belongs to Peter
 52

6. (a) He remained silent.

(b) He did not say anything.
7. (a) I bought cloth to make Mary a new dress.
(b) I bought a new dress for Mary.
8. (a) My parents are well.
(b) My mother and father are well.
9. (a) John is ill: he has a bad case of malaria.
(b) John is very ill indeed.
E. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. ChÞ may ¸o s¬ mi nµy ë ®©u vËy?
2. §µ L¹t chiÕm cø mét vïng ®Êt réng trªn cao nguyªn L©m Viªn,
xung quanh toµn lµ nói ®åi hïng vÜ.
3. MÆc dï ®Þa vÞ cña phô n÷ ®· cã nh÷ng b-íc tiÕn kú diÖu,
nh-ng ng-êi ta ph¶i thùc hiÖn nhiÒu chuyÖn kh¸c ®Ó c¶i thiÖn
t×nh tr¹ng søc khoÎ, dinh d-ìng vµ gi¸o dôc cho phô n÷.
4. Ngµy nay thÕ giíi ®ang ®-ong ®Çu víi nhiÒu vÊn ®Ò nghiªm
träng cho dï ®· cã nhiÒu b-íc tiÕn ®¸ng kÓ trong lÜnh vùc khoa
häc, c«ng nghÖ vµ tri thøc. Mét trong nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò ®ã lµ sù
bïng næ d©n sè, ®Æc biÖt ë c¸c n-íc ®ang ph¸t triÓn. D©n sè
®ang t¨ng theo cÊp sè nh©n trong lóc s¶n xuÊt hµng ho¸ l¹i t¨ng
theo cÊp sè céng.
5. Charles Dickens lµ mét trong nh÷ng nhµ viÕt tiÓu thuyÕt lín
nhÊt thÕ giíi, thuéc tr-êng ph¸i hiÖn thùc phª ph¸n thÕ kû 19.
§iÒu mµ chóng ta ®¸nh gi¸ cao vÒ nh÷ng t¸c phÈm cña Dickens lµ
sù phª ph¸n vÒ téi ¸c vµ sù t-¬ng ph¶n gi÷a giµu vµ nghÌo cña
x· héi t- s¶n Anh lóc bÊy giê. ThÕ giíi mµ «ng ta miªu t¶ lµ
thÕ giíi cña giai cÊp trung l-u vµ h¹ l-u ë Lu©n §«n.

ASSIGNMENT 2:
I.THEORY:
1. What are the differences between a literal translation and an idiomatic translation?
2. What grammatical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give some
examples to support your ideas.
II. EXERCISES:
A. In each of the following pairs of sentences, which is more idiomatic English, a or b? How
would the meaning be expressed idiomatically in the language you speak?
1. (a) The storekeeper said that we will refund your money.
(b)The storekeeper promised to refund our money.
2. (a) A certain boy told me this little story at a party.
(b) He is one boy. He told the one little story. This is a game he said.
 53

3. (a) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform as well. How
many children have shed hot tears about spelling?
(b) An International Alphabet would inevitably bring about a spelling reform,too. And how
many hot children‟s tears have not been shed on spelling?
4. (a) He then reported his misfortune to the police, who are searching diligently for the
thief.
(b) He then his mishap reported to the police, who are the thief searching intensively.
B. Look for literalisms in the following translations into English and underline the words or
phrases that do not sound natural in English. Suggest a more idiomatic way of saying it. All
of these examples are from published translated material.
1. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for their friends have introduced to them very
much about this hotel.
2. Since the USA abolished the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
3. Hue is famous about its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
4. The participants discussed about the causes of pollution environment.
5 . A robbery took place of a motorcycle rider at Kampung early yesterday morning.
C. Each of the following are sentences written by some Vietnamese who are not yet fluent
English speakers. The forms used shows examples of how their mother-tongue language
structures have been carried over into English. The same information is then given in
parenthesis in idiomatic English. What changes were made in correcting the English? These
changes point out some of the differences between Vietnamese and English.
1. Sir, the problems of before don‟t forget.
( Sir, please don‟t forget the problems we discussed before.)
2. If there is any means, send me a letter to Saigon.
(If there is any way to do so, send a letter to me in Saigon.)
3. I will think you time to time day and day.
( I will be thinking about you often every day.)
4. I am very grateful to inform you with this letter.
( I am very happy to be able to send/write you this letter.)
5. I am a man who has been to Hanoi for 12 years.
( I have now lived in Hanoi for 12 years.)
D. Translate the following sentences into Englisgh.
1. Th¸c M¬ lµ c«ng tr×nh thuû ®iÖn cã c«ng suÊt thiÕt kÕ
150.000 Kw, s¶n l-îng ®iÖn trung b×nh hµng n¨m 600 triÖu Kw
giê.
 54

2. §Ó x©y dùng c«ng tr×nh nµy cÇn ph¶i ®µo ®¾p gÇn 15 triÖu m3
®Êt ®¸, ®¾p h¬n 350.000 mÐt khèi tÇng läc, ®æ kho¶ng 220.000
mÐt khèi bª t«ng cèt thÐp vµ l¾p ®Æt gÇn 7.000 tÊn thiÕt bÞ vµ
kÕt cÊu kim lo¹i.
3. Víi khèi l-îng c«ng viÖc lín nh- vËy, nh-ng chÝnh phñ quyÕt
®Þnh ph¶i hoµn thµnh viÖc thi c«ng trong hai n¨m do nhu cÇu
cung cÊp ®iÖn cho c¸c ®Þa ph-¬ng phÝa Nam ®· trë nªn hÕt søc
cÊp b¸ch.
4. Tõ ngµy khëi c«ng ®Õn nay, c¸c ®¬n vÞ thi c«ng ®· thùc hiÖn
®-îc kho¶ng 90% khèi l-îng ®µo ®Êt, ®æ kho¶ng 40% khèi l-îng bª
c«ng cèt thÐp.
5. Theo «ng NguyÔn B¸ MÉn, Tr-ëng ban Qu¶n lý c«ng tr×nh, th×
hÇu hÕt c¸c h¹ng môc c¨n b¶n ®Òu ®¹t ®óng yªu cÇn vÒ tiÕn ®é
thi c«ng.
6. Trung tuÇn th¸ng 11/1993, Thñ t-íng Vâ V¨n KiÖt ®· ®Õn kiÓm
tra t×nh h×nh thi c«ng c«ng tr×nh thuû ®iÖn th¸c M¬.
7. Nh÷ng ng-êi l·nh ®¹o c«ng tr×nh kh¼ng ®Þnh víi Thñ t-íng
r»ng ®· cã ®Çy ®ñ c¬ së ®Ó ®¶m b¶o khëi ®éng tæ m¸y sè 1 vµo
th¸ng 6 n¨m 1994.
8. ViÖc chÆn dßng s«ng BÐ tiÕn hµnh vµo th¸ng 12 nµy.
9. Nh- vËy sÏ cã mét sù trïng hîp cã ý nghÜa lµ cïng mét thêi
®iÓm víi viÖc khëi ®éng tæ m¸y sè 1 thuû ®iÖn th¸c M¬, hÖ
thèng t¶i ®iÖn 500 Kw B¾c Nam còng ®-îc hoµn thµnh.
10. Víi c¸c c«ng tr×nh nµy, n¨m 1994, miÒn Nam ®· tho¸t khái
t×nh tr¹ng ®ãi ®iÖn.
E. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1. Although the state budget for teaching aids at schools of all levels has been icreased since
1990, it is still far below the demand to fully equip schools and improve training quality.
2. President Putin affirmed that Russia has always attacted importance to its relations with
Vietnam, its traditional friend and stragic partner in Southeast Asia.
3. It is projected to extend integration opportunities to 3000 disabled children in three
provinces, one in mountainous areas, one in the central coast and one in remote areas.
4. They discussed a series of measures intended to ensure comprehensive cooperation in
economy, trade, science and technology.
5. Efforts are being made to raise women‟s awareness of their rights to have labour safety or
hygiene conditions at work through an expanded communication network.
6. It is more likely that schools in the southern provinces have more computer labs used in
teaching foreign languages than schools in the northern provinces.
7. There have been four foreign invested projects in education, with investment capital from
the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
 55

8. Of 50 foreign language students surveyed recently by the Vietnam Courier, 38 said they are
not interested in working for foreign invested companies.
9. Vietnam and China agreed to set up negotiations for the signing of a land border agreement
delineating the sea boundary in the Bac Bo ( Tonkin ) Gulf no later than 2000.
10. Most recently the government has offered incentives like tax reduction or preferential
loans to employers who have employed a large number of women.
 56

ASSIGNMENT 3:
I. THEORY:
1. What lexical features should be considered when you translate a text? Give
some examples to support your ideas.
2. Why do you have to take the time to read the source language text carefully
before translating it?
II. EXERCISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Ngay tõ nh÷ng ngµy ®Çu th¸ng Ch¹p ( ¢m lÞch) TÕt ®· l¶ng
v¶ng ë vïng ngo¹i thµnh Hµ Néi.
2. Cã lÏ bµ con n«ng d©n ngo¹i thµnh lµ ng-êi c¶m nhËn thÊy
TÕt h¬n ai hÕt bëi tõ viÖc vun xíi rau qu¶, cá hoa cho viÖc vç
bÐo lîn, gµ ®Ìu nh»m phôc vô tÕt.
3. NÕu ®i tõ phÝa Kinh B¾c xuèng, ta sÏ nh×n thÊy b¹t ngµn hoa
xu©n, nhÊt lµ lay¬n khoe s¾c ®ñ mµu.
4. S¸t víi vïng Néi Thµnh lµ vïng hoa NhËt T©n , Nghi Tµm,
Qu¶ng B¸ víi nhiÒu lo¹i : ®µo hång th¾m, quÊt vµng méng, tim
tÝm vi«lÐt vµ ®á rùc hoa ®ång tiÒn.
5. Vµi ba n¨m trë vÒ tr-íc, n¬i ®©y lµ rõng hoa, ®ñ ®¸p øng
nhu cÇu cña ng-êi Hµ Néi vÒ hoa c¶nh.
6. Bµ con vïng nµy lµ nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n cã truyÒn thèng trång
hoa l©u ®êi.
7. TiÕc thay, ®Êt trång hoa hiÖn nay bÞ thu hÑp dÇn do sù
chuyÓn h-íng lµm ¨n cña kh«ng Ýt nghÖ nh©n.
8. Ng-êi th× b¸n ®¸t bá nghÒ, ng-êi th× tù bá vèn hoÆc lµ liªn
kÕt víi ng-êi bá vèn hïn h¹p x©y dùng c¸c biÖt thù sang träng
dïng lµm kh¸ch s¹n mi ni phôc vô kh¸ch n-íc.
9. Cöa hµng, cöa hiÖu mäc lªn nh- nÊm ®ñ lo¹i hµng ho¸ tõ b×nh
d©n ®Õn cao cÊp.
10. Ch¼ng cßn nghi ngê g× n÷a, Hµ Néi thêi më cöa ®ang ®æi
thay, ®ang ph¸t triÓn. Mong sao Hµ néi vµ ng-êi Hµ Néi m·i m·i
xøng danh víi m¶nh ®Êt ngµn n¨m v¨n hiÕn.
B. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.
1. The centerpiece of the festivities was a show entitled “ A Flock of Birds to Good Land”
staged simultaneously on the three different grand stages in the downtown area.
2. The whole area around the temple was virtually packed with people, leaving only a small
opening for the rituals to proceed.
3. To reduce the costs while increasing accessibility of education for disabled children, the
government has launched a program of community-based education and integration.
 57

4. In recent years, to restore public order, Hanoi removed a number of unofficial marketplaces
into designated areas. But out of the four marketplaces targeted, only Dong Tam market was
moved from the Dong Da residential quarter to the Dai La area.

5. Besides the investment from the State budget, all the schools had to look for other
financial sources to buy teaching equipment. However, these sources made up only 13% and
21% of the state budget for general education schools and universities respectively.
6. State budget revenues have approximately achieved the level originally set. Regular
expenditure has been ensured, while irregular spending in support of area hit by storms, floods
and droughts have been made. The budget deficit has been kept at a permissible level of 3.6%
of GDP in 1998, down from 4.2% in 1997.
7. The economic development of Vietnam has to be viewed in the context of long periods of
wars. It is the context of long periods of wars that has caused loss of people‟s lives and
damage to property, public facilities and resources.
8. The television network is being established throughout the country. Apart from the
relatively modern and long-standing television stations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 25
provincial stations were set up in 1988. These relay the important transmissions of the central
TV stations and broadcast their own program.
9. The Vietnam‟s Women Union is represented in the National Assembly and its president is
entitled to attend the regular meeting of The Council of Ministers where she can express the
Women Union‟s view-points and propose the regulations related to the Union.
10. The Vietnamese families have been affected by the agricultural civilization. Due to the
open-door policy, the industrial civilization has exerted a daily and hourly effect on the life of
Vietnamese families.

ASSIGNMENT 4:
I. THEORY:
1. Name and discuss the four T‟s of a translation project.
2. Explain what is meant by exegesis.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Read the English text and answer the questions.
Deforestation
Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assume that
the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. The majority
of deforestation in Latin America, South-east Asia and the Pacific is caused by clearing land
to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and not by „shifting‟
cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial logging eliminates 45000 square
kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the United States and Japan.

No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to grazing
 58

land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt payments. These
heavy payments, which affect the poor the most, have arisen largely from external loans taken
out to finance the purchase of luxury items and arms by military and governing elite. The
establishment of large ranch-style cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the
elimination of 20000 square kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America.
The cleared land is mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North
America, Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟.
1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?
2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the Vietnamese meaning of the English words :
subsistence agriculture, cash crops, commercial logging operations, shifting cultivators,
landless peasants, affluent society, external debt payment, military and governing elites,
ranch-style cattle grazing property, hamburger connection ?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent Vietnamese structures of the following
English sentences?
a. However, it is a myth to assume that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more
mouths is the main factor.
b. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands of affluent societies can be
found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical forest has been converted to
grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings that help with external debt
payments.
6. Translate the text into Vietnamese.
B. Read the Vietnamese text and answer the questions.
NON N¦íC
Cha «ng ta ®· uèng n-íc s«ng Hång, S«ng §µ, S«ng Cöu Long vµ
tõng sèng chÕt víi s«ng n-íc nµy. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt
ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña
chóng ta. ë ViÖt Nam th× ‘‘n-íc’’( trong s«ng, hå, biÓn.) l¹i
®ång nghÜa, ®ång ©m víi ‘‘n-íc’’ trong ý nghÜa tæ quèc quª
h-¬ng. S«ng n-íc vµ con ng-êi ë ®©y kÕt hîp víi thiªn nhiªn vµ
lÞch sö nh- mét khèi bÊt tö bÊt diÖt bëi mét thø xi m¨ng tr-êng
tån. §ã lµ lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi cña d©n téc ViÖt Nam.
Trªn thÕ giíi, cã nhiÒu quèc gia tõ tØnh nä sang tØnh kia nãi
lµ kh«ng hiÓu nhau råi. Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u,
ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.

1. What is the author‟s purpose of writing this text?

2. What is the text about?
3. How many times have you read the text to understand it completely?
 59

4. Do you have any difficulty in finding the English meaning of the Vietnamese words :
cha «ng, sèng chÕt, sù thèng nhÊt, kÕt hîp chÆt chÏ, xi m¨ng
tr-êng tån, lßng yªu n-íc th-¬ng nßi, hiÓu nhau?
5. Do you have any difficulty in finding the equivalent English structures of the following
Vietnamese sentences?
a. C¸c b¹n thö nghÜ xem rÊt Ýt ng«n ng÷ trªn thÕ giíi l¹i cã
sù thèng nhÊt nh- tiÕng mÑ ®Î cña chóng ta.
b.Nh-ng ë ViÖt Nam, dï bÊt kú ë ®©u, ng-êi Nam kÎ B¾c, hÔ gÆp
nhau lÇn ®Çu nãi lµ hiÓu nhau ngay.
6. Translate the text into English.
ASSIGNMENT 5:
I. THEORY:
1. What are the goals of the translator as he prepares the initial draft?
2. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
3. What kinds of evaluation checks can be made?
II. EXERSISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.
1. In the human history, science has been seen as having a mission to liberate people from
ignorance and superstition, to lessen human misery, and to increase human understanding of
the world.
2. The News Atlantic hailed the scientists of the time as merchants of light who would
penetrate the darkness and open the way to man‟s control over nature. At that time, utopian
invetions such as aircrafts, submarines, and telephones were foreseen.
3. People involved in the computer industry believe we are experiencing a computer
revolution. Why is this revolution occuring? What will be its social consequences? To answer
these questions , it is necessary to consider briefly the history of computers.
4. The forerunner of modern computer goes back some 5000 years to the first calculating
machine invented by the Chinese- the abacus. Until the 17th century, Europe had nothing to
rival the abacus for speed and accuracy of calculation.
5. Computers were developed simultaneously in Germany, England and the USA to aid the
speedy and accurate calculations necessary to decode the enemy‟s messages during the Second
World War.
6. Many of the jobs now being performed by people in the manufacturing and service sectors
of our economy can be done faster and more cheaply by modern computers or electronic
devices controlled by computers.
7. Robot machines are replacing assembly line workers in manufacturing. They have already
done so in the Fiat car factory in Italy and the Nissan car plant in Japan. By 1980, 50 robots
were in use in Australia by companies such as General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Simpson
Pope.
 60

8. Firms that do not adopt the new computer technology are enable to compete with their
cheaper electronic rivals. Such has been the fate of the $200 million a year Swiss watch
industry, which was wiped out by electronic watches in a couple of years.
9. With the mechanization of some work processes, the new factories initially resulted in
large-scale structural unemployment. Previously, much sought-after, skilled, “cottage
industry” artisans suddenly found themselves redundant and de-skilled by the new technology.
10. The heroic image of science grew through the 18th and 19th centuries. The Industrial
Revolution, which started in England in the late 18th century, strongly reinforced faith in a
technological society, although the social costs and benefits were far from equal share.
B. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. VÞnh Dung QuÊt n»m ë phÝa ®«ng b¾c huyÖn B×nh S¬n, tØnh
Qu¶ng Ng·i. VÞnh cã chiÒu dµi 18 km vµ ®-îc che chë kÝn ®¸o bëi
c¸c d·y nói tù nhiªn.
2. Bê phÝa nam vÞnh lµ mét vïng ®¸t b»ng ph¼ng, cã kÕt cÊu ®Þa
lý æn ®Þnh víi diÖn tÝch hµng chôc c©y sè vu«ng.
3. N¬i ®©y sÏ h×nh thµnh c¸c khu c«ng nghiÖp nÆng vµ ho¸ chÊt,
nhµ m¸y läc dÇu, khu chÕ biÕn h¶i s¶n, khu chÕ biÕn n«ng s¶n,
khu c«ng nghiÖp nhÑ vµ mét khu d©n c- ®« thÞ hiÖn ®¹i víi
kho¶ng 60 v¹n d©n.
4. Mét diÒu kiÖn thuËn lîi n÷a lµ Dung QuÊt n»m c¸ch ®-êng bé,
®-êng s¾t, ®-êng t¶i ®iÖn vµ c¸p quang xuyªn ViÖt kho¶ng 12 km.
ViÖc cung cÊp n-íc ngät cho khu nµy lµ hÕt søc thuËn lîi víi
tr÷ l-îng lµ 3 tØ mÐt khèi /n¨m, víi nguån n-íc tõ s«ng Trµ
Bång.
5. Ngµy nay chóng ta ®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc biÕn ®æi x· héi
rÊt s©u s¾c nh- sù thay ®æi trong cuéc c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp
lÇn thø nhÊt. Do vËy, viÖc ®Þnh nghÜa l¹i kh¸i niªm viÖc lµm cã
lÏ lµ cÇn thiÕt.

ASSIGNMENT 6:
I.THEORY:
1. Name some kinds of errors that a translator could make when he/she translates a text.
2. Why does a translator often make structural and lexical errors when he/she translates a
text?
3. Give some examples of errors in word collocation that a translator could make when he/she
translate a text.
II. EXERCISES:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Do phï sa båi ®¾p cña dßng s«ng Cöu Long ®· lam phong phó
vùa lóa ®Çy ¾p nµy, t-îng tr-ng cho nguån l-¬ng thùc cña c¶
 61

n-íc còng nh- phong c¸ch sinh ho¹t kÒ cËn s«ng n-íc cña c- d©n
trong vïng.
2. Tõ nh÷ng dßng s«ng réng lín ®Õn nh÷ng m-¬ng r¹ch m¶nh mai
chØ tiÖn cho nh÷ng chiÕc thuyÒn nhá bÐ ra v«, S«ng Cöu Long cho
ta mét c¶nh quan hoµnh tr¸ng khi nã ch¶y vµo ViÖt Nam, tr¹m
cuèi cïng cña hµnh tr×nh 4500km n¬i cöa ngâ biÓn §«ng.
3. §iÒu ®¸ng quÝ lµ kiÒu bµo lu«n h-íng vÒ tæ quèc, g¾n bã víi
gia ®×nh quª h-¬ng, ®Êt n-íc, yªu quÝ vµ gi÷ g×n b¶n s¾c v¨n
ho¸ vµ hun ®óc nªn tÝnh c¸ch con ng-êi ViÖt Nam.
4. Ngoµi viÖc gióp ®ì ng-êi th©n ë n-íc nhµ, nhiÒu kiÒu bµo
cßn ®ãng gãp x©y dùng quª h-¬ng, h-ëng øng viÖc cøu trî nh÷ng
n¬i trong n-íc bÞ thiªn tai vµ tham gia c¸c viÖc nghÜa víi
truyÒn thèng ‘‘ nhiÔu ®iÒu phñ lÊy gi¸ g-¬ng.’’
5. Tr-íc n¨m 1988, ¶nh h-ëng cña hÖ thèng ng©n hµng ®èi víi sù
ph¸t triÓn vµ qu¶n lý kinh tÕ vÜ m« lµ kh«ng ®¸ng kÓ. §Ó khuyÕn
khÝch hÖ thèng ng©n hµng ho¹t ®éng cã môc ®Ých h¬n, chÝnh phñ
®· ®Ì ra c¸c biÖn ph¸p míi bao gåm tæ chøc l¹i hÖ thèng ng©n
hµng, ®-a vµo c¸c chÝnh s¸ch tÝn dông h¹n ®Þnh, chÝnh s¸ch míi
vÒ l·i suÊt vµ cho phÐp tù do bu«n b¸n vµng trªn thÞ tr-êng.
6. ChÝnh phñ ®¨ xóc tiÕn mét cuéc t¸i thiÕt toµn diÖn vÒ l-¬ng
bæng cña c«ng nh©n viªn nhµ n-íc b»ng c¸ch chØnh ®èn l¹i nh÷ng
kho¶n bao cÊp cho ng-êi tiªu dïng trªn danh nghÜa ho¹ch ®Þnh
l¹i chÕ ®é l-¬ng. MÆc dï møc l-¬ng tèi thiÓu hµng th¸ng t¨ng,
nh-ngl-¬ng thùc tÕ vÉn gi¶m xuèng ®¸ng kÓ do l¹m ph¸t.
7. Cuéc ®iÒu tra do héi phô n÷ ViÖt Nam tiÕn hµnh cho thÊy
r»ng nh÷ng ph-¬ng ph¸p tr¸nh thai truyÒn thèng ®ang ®-îc ¸p
dông réng r·i. Cuéc ®iÒu tra cho thÊy r»ng 39% phô n÷ cã gia
®×nh dïng ph-¬ng ph¸p hiÖn ®¹i, ph-¬ng ph¸p th-êng dïng nhÊt lµ
®Æt vßng tr¸nh thai
B. Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1.The nuclear energy proponents also pressed the theme that it was inevitable that the world
would increasingly go nuclear. It is suggested that the opponents were standing against the
tide of history and were akin to the Luddites at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,
who broke machines.
2. Doctors have shown for the first time they can rebuild the immune systems of people
infected with the AIDS virus, dramatically increasing the blood cells that HIV destroys.
3. In the field of medicine training, what was done in the past years has been remarked by
distinguished fact that many specialists and medical colleges in different countries set forth
the necessity for reconsidering training subjects for health workers.
4. Today, the physicians should be considered as men of health. Hence, the responsibility of
the physicians is to know how to discover, cure, and rehabilitate the health of the individuals
and the community.
 62

5. It is obvious that a healthy body helps a sound mind because it is the sound minds that
direct the orientation of the values systems. A healthy man should be healthy not only
physically but also mentally.
6. Nowadays people are inclined to worry too much about their physical health. However, I
would like to lay stress on the importance of psychological health. Being mentally healthy is
very important, and a truly healthy man is one who can enjoy the proper equilibrium between
his body and mind.

ASSIGNMENT 7:
Translate the following texts into English
1.Nh÷ng thµnh tùu cña qu¸ tr×nh ®æi míi trong thËp niªn võa
qua ®· t¹o ra nh÷ng c¬ héi cho phô n÷ ®¹t ®-îc môc ®Ých cña
m×nh. Cuéc sèng cña phô n÷ ®· ®-îc c¶i thiÖn vµ phô n÷ bít nhäc
nh»n h¬n. C¸c dÞch vô x· héi ®· gióp phô n÷ bít nhäc nh»n trong
c«ng viÖc nhµ vµ t¹o ®IÒu kiÖn cho phô n÷ tham gia vµo c¸c ho¹t
®éng x· héi .
2. Héi phô n÷ ViÖt nam ®¹I diÖn cho phô n÷ ViÖt Nam trong c¶
n-íc ®· ®æi míi tæ chøc vµ c¸ch lµm viÖc v× vËy ®· thu hót ngµy
cµng nhiÒu phô n÷ tham gia vµo c«ng t¸c x· héi. H«Þ phô n÷ gióp
cho phô n÷ gi¶i quyÕt nh÷ng khã kh¨n trong cuéc sèng h»ng ngµy.
Héi còng ®Ö tr×nh lªn nhµ n-íc nh÷ng ®iÒu luËt vµ chÝnh s¸ch
nh»m ph¸t huy mäi tiÒm n¨ng cña phô n÷ trong tiÕn tr×nh ®æi
míi.
3.NhËn ra nh÷ng nh©n tè t¹o nªn viÖc häc ngo¹i ng÷ nhanh vµ
hiÖu qu¶ ngµy cµng trë nªn quan träng v× ®a sè ng-êi häc lµ
ng-êi lín rÊt lo l¾ng khi häc mét ngo¹i ng÷ chuyªn ngµnh sö
dông trong th-¬ng m¹i,nghiªn cøu vµ ngo¹I giao. Nhu cÇu ®Ó häc
mét ngäai ng÷ cã hiÖu qu¶ cÇn ®-îc xem xÐt theo khÝa c¹nh ng-êi
häc, ng-êi d¹y vµ ch-¬ng tr×nh gi¶ng d¹y.
4.Søc hÊp dÉn lín nhÊt ®èi víi du kh¸ch lµ b¶n s¾c v¨n hãa cña
d©n téc ViÖt Nam. Hµng ngh×n di tÝch lÞch sö, di tÝch c¸ch m¹ng
®· ®-îc nhµ n-íc xÕp h¹ng, trong ®ã hµng tr¨m di tÝch cã gi¸
trÞ lÞch sö vµ nghÖ thuËt cao. ViÖt Nam lµ mét céng ®ång cña 54
d©n téc víi nhiÒu phong tôc, tËp qu¸n, v¨n hãa nghÖ thuËt d©n
gian ®Æc s¾c. Sù hiÖn diÖn cña hµng tr¨m lµng nghÒ truyÒn thèng
®· s¶n xuÊt ra hµng ngh×n lo¹i s¶n phÈm thñ c«ng mü nghÖ næi
tiÕng.
5. NÕu du kh¸ch ®Õn víi c¸c vïng d©n téc thiÓu sè th× cßn cã
thÓ tham dù vµo nh÷ng sinh ho¹t v¨n hãa kú thó cña vïng nói
rõng nhiÖt ®íi. Mét lÔ héi ®©m tr©u ch¼ng h¹n. SÏ ph¶i cã mÆt
tr-íc lÔ héi hµng tuÇn cïng ng-êi d©n ®i t×m tre ®Ó söa nhµ
r«ng, ®Ó lµm c©y nªu xua ®uæi ma quû. Trong nh÷ng ngµy ®ã du
kh¸ch cßn ®-îc quan s¸t c¸ch chän c¸c vß r-îu cÇn vµ nhÊt lµ
viÖc chän tr©u ®Ó ®©m.
 63

6. Phóc lîi x· héi lµ chÝnh s¸ch x· héi lín cña ViÖt Nam dùa
trªn truyÒn thèng t-¬ng th©n t-¬ng ¸i gióp ®ì lÉn nhau cã tõ
ngµn x-a. Nguyªn t¾c c¬ b¶n cña chÝnh s¸ch nµy lµ kÕt hîp tr¸ch
nhiÖm cña nhµ n-íc, cña céng ®ång vµ mçi c¸ nh©n tù v-¬n lªn
hßa nhËp v¬I x· h«Þ. ChÝnh s¸ch nµy ®ang tõng b-íc më ra cho
mäi ®èi t-îng víi nhiÒu h×nh thøc kh¸c nhau.
7. Sù l¹c hËu vµ nguy c¬ tôt hËu h¬n vÒ kinh tÕ ®ang lµ nçi
tr¨n trë canh c¸nh trong lßng mçi ng-êi ViÖt Nam ë trong n-íc
còng nh- ®ang sinh sèng ë n-íc ngoµi. NÕu tôt hËu xa h¬n cã
nghÜa lµ r¬I vµo sè phËn cña mét n-íc cung cÊp nguyªn liÖu vµ
nh©n c«ng trong sù ph©n c«ng lao ®éng quèc tÕ, chÞu lÐp vÕ ,
thua thiÖt trong hîp t¸c c¹nh tranh. §ã thùc lµ mét th¸ch thøc
lín ®èi víi d©n téc ViÖt Nam trong bèi c¶nh quèc tÕ ngµy nay.
8. B¶n chÊt nh©n v¨n cña tr-êng ph¸i ngo¹i giao ViÖt Nam lµ
mét nÐt ®Æc thï. MÆc dï lµ n¹n nh©n cña biÕt bao nhiªu cuéc x©m
l-îc, nh-ng ng-êi ViÖt Nam kh«ng bao giê mÊt ®I lßng nh©n ¸i.
H¬n thÕ n÷a , chÝnh lßng nh©n ¸I lµ nh©n tè t¹o nªn søc m¹nhcña
d©n téc vµ nÒn ngo¹I giao ViÖt Nam. NguyÔn Tr·I , ng-êi anh
hïng d©n téc cña thÕ kû 15 ®· ®Ó l¹I ph-¬ng ch©m l-u truyÒn cho
m·I ®Õn h«m nay :
‘‘ LÊy ®¹I nghÜa th¾ng hung tµn,
LÊy chÝ nh©n thay c-êng b¹o.’’

ASSIGNMENT 8:
Translate the following text into English
Cã lÏ B¾c Kinh lµ n¬i tËp trung quyÒn lùc chÝnh trÞ nh-ng
Th-îng H¶i còng cã quyÒn tù hµo lµ mét thñ ®« th-¬ng m¹i. B¾c
Kinh cã lÏ lµ n¬i tËp trung quyÒn lùc chÝnh trÞ nh-ng danh hiÖu
mét thñ ®« th-¬ng m¹i l¹i thuéc vÒ Th-îng H¶i. Nh÷ng ®Þa ®iÓm
lÞch sö chØ míi cã tõ gÇn 80 n¨m tr-íc ë Th-îng H¶i, tuy thÕ
hÇu hÕt du kh¸ch ®Òu bÞ chinh phôc tr-íc vÎ quyÕn rò cña thµnh
phè ®Æc biÖt nµy, n¬i mµ m«i tr-êng lµ tÊt c¶. ChØ riªng c¸i
tªn Th-îng H¶i còng ®· dËy nªn mét lµn sãng nhá niÒm thÝch thó
v« tËn. Th-îng H¶i vÉn lµ mét thµnh phè nhá chuyªn nghÒ ®¸nh
c¸ vµ dÖt m·i cho ®Õn nöa thÕ kû 19 khi nã b¾t ®Çu ph¸t triÓn
nh- mét trung t©m c«ng nghiÖp vµ th-¬ng m¹i. Nh÷ng ng-êi chñ
h·ng bu«n vµ c¸c øng cö viªn chÝnh trÞ tõ kh¾p n¬i trªn thÕ
giíi ®æ vÒ ®©y vµ ph¸t triÓn nã thµnh mét trong nh÷ng thµnh phè
quèc tÕ sµnh ®iÖu nhÊt thÕ giíi. Tõ nh÷ng n¨m 1920 trë ®i, nã
trë nªn ngµy cµng tai tiÕng nh- lµ mét n¬i mµ bÊt cø viÖc g×
còng cã thÓ x¶y ra.
C¸c ng©n hµng vµ c¸c c«ng ty th-¬ng m¹i ®ñ lo¹i tù x©y dùng
cho hä nh÷ng trô së chÝnh sang träng tr«ng ra n¬i mµ sau ®ã lµ
nh÷ng c¸nh ®ång lóa mªnh m«ng tr¶i dµi hai bê s«ng Hoµng Phè.
 64

Toµn bé d¶i ®Êt nµy vÉn cßn tån t¹i sau nh÷ng thêi kú san b»ng
å ¹t vµ ngµy nay nã lµm nªn mét b¶o tµng më ®éc ®¸o vÒ kiÕn
tróc cña nh÷ng n¨m 1930. Mét cuéc t¶n bé däc bê ®ª lµ kh«ng thÓ
thiÕu ®èi víi nh÷ng ai ®Õn th¨m n¬i ®©y, / Du kh¸ch kh«ng thÓ
bá qua mét cuéc t¶n bé däc bê ®ª khi ®Õn th¨m n¬i ®©y, n¬i mµ
vÉn ®-îc nhiÒu ng-êi c«ng nhËn lµ thµnh phè träng ®iÓm cña
Trung Quèc.
Nh÷ng toµ nhµ chäc trêi, bao gåm mét vµi toµ nhµ cao nhÊt thÕ
giíi ®· mäc lªn ë chÝnh n¬i mµ x-a kia lóa ®· tõng mäc. §iÓm
næi bËt nhÊt lµ th¸p truyÒn h×nh Hßn Ngäc ViÔn §«ng - nÕu thêi
gian cho phÐp, mét c¸i nh×n toµn c¶nh tõ nh÷ng tÇng cao cña
th¸p sÏ lµ mét kû niÖm khã quªn.
D-íi sù nh-îng bé cña ng-êi Ph¸p tr-íc ®©y, tõng ®o¹n qu¸ khø
nh- vÉn cßn hiÖn h÷u ®©u ®ã trong nh÷ng biÖt thù tao nh· vµ
nh÷ng con ®-êng rîp bãng c©y. Vßng qua gãc ®ª, kh¸ch s¹n Hoµ
B×nh vµ ban nh¹c Jazz ®¸ng kÝnh cña nã lµ nh÷ng chøng tÝch
næi tiÕng cña mét thêi kú hµo hiÖp. Nh-ng Th-îng H¶i còng cßn
cã nhiÒu kh¸ch s¹n tuyÖt vêi kh¸c tõ nh÷ng n¨m 1930, phÇn lín
®ang ®-îc phôc håi nh÷ng nÐt ®¸ng yªu tõ thêi hoµng kim tr-íc
®©y cña chóng.

Th-îng H¶i së h÷u mét trong nh÷ng b¶o tµng thËt sù lín cña thÕ
giíi, ®-îc më cña vµo n¨m 1996. Trong mét thêi gian ng¾n kh«ng
thÓ tham quan hÕt toµ nhµ gi¸ trÞ nµy ®-îc, nh-ng thËm chÝ chØ
cÇn mét giê trong nh÷ng phßng tr-ng bµy ®å ®ång, ®iªu kh¾c ®¸
vµ ®å gèm còng ®· ®ñ ®em l¹i nh÷ng kû niÖm khã phai.

ASSIGNMENT 9:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
In a keynote speech at Hà Nội National University (HNU) yesterday, leader Jiang urged the
youth of Vietnam and China to work for strengthening the friendship between the two
countries and contribute to peace and development in Asia and the world.

“A bright future will be created by you, the young people, and the future belongs to you,” the
Chinese General Secretary and State President told the students.

Jiang stressed that a better future awaited China-Vietnam relations in the 21st century, and
joint efforts by the youth of both countries cannot be separated from this.

The younger generation in both our countries must stick to their ideals and work tirelessly for
socialism, he said.
 65

“The youth of China and Vietnam need to inherit and bring into full play the revolutionary
spirit of their elders, to be persistent in ideology, study hard, to strive for the cause of
developing socialism, and for the wealth and prosperity of their respective motherlands,” he
said.

He expressed his hope that the Chinese and Vietnamese young people will cherish, maintain
and promote China-Vietnam relations, have more exchanges and learn from each other to
enhance mutual understanding. He pledged that the Chinese party and Government would
fully back such exchanges.

“In history, both Vietnam and China have suffered invasion by the imperialists but we both
successfully fought off the imperialists, liberated our peoples and unified our countries,” said
Jiang.

He said that the friendship between Vietnam and China derives not only from history but also
the fact, as noted by Hồ Chí Minh, that the two peoples are “comrades and brothers”.

The foundation of China-Vietnam ties was mutual trust, long-term stability, the pre-condition,
and friendly neighborliness, the guarantee, he said.

“Comprehensive co-operation is the bridge and the target a prosperous future”, he added.

Jiang left Hanoi yesterday Central Vietnam where he toured the ancient imperial capital of
Huế, recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and met with leaders of the port
city of Đà Nẵng.

He is scheduled to visit the ancient port town of Hội An and the Hoà Thọ Textile Company
before concluding his three-day visit to Việt Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 10:
Translate the following text into English
Đối với một đất nước còn nhiều khó khăn như chúng ta, thì vấn đề “tiết kiệm chống lãng phí”
phải luôn được coi là quốc sách. Nhưng trong thực tế, những năm qua khắp nơi, vẫn còn tràn
lan những hiện tượng lãng phí. Nào là lãng phí trong quản lý, sử dụng ngân sách, lãng phí
trong đầu tư xây dựng cơ bản, lãng phí trong quản lý đất đai, trụ sở làm việc, lãng phí trong
lĩnh vực doanh nghiệp Nhà nước và rồi lãng phí còn len lỏi trong dân chúng với những thủ tục
cưới xin đầy tốn kém…

“Lãng phí” thực sự đã và đang là vấn đề bức xúc của xã hội, là một trong những nguyên nhân
gây ảnh hưởng lớn tới nền kinh tế của đất nước. Bởi vì trong năm đầu (1998) sau khi có pháp
 66

lệnh thực hành tiết kiệm, chống lãng phí được Uỷ Ban thường vụ Quốc Hội khóa X thông qua
ngày 26-02-1998 và có hiệu lực thi hành từ ngày 1-5-1998, qua số liệu báo cáo của 12 Bộ, cơ
quan ngang Bộ, số chi thực năm 1998 giảm so với quyết toán năm 1997, cụ thể như: Hội nghị
phí: 12,8 tỉ đồng; công tác phí: 12,43 tỉ đồng, chi phí điện thoại, fax: 9,57 tỉ đồng; chi phí sửa
chữa lớn TSCĐ: 80,94 tỉ đồng; chi mua sắm tài sản cố định phục vụ chuyên môn nghiệp vụ:
153,7 tỉ đồng. Dự toán NSNN năm 1999 tiếp tục thực hiện tiết kiệm 10% dự toán chi thường
xuyên. Một số khoản chi thường xuyên đã giảm mạnh từ 30% đến 70% như chi mua sắm thiết
bị làm việc, chi hội nghị lễ tân…

Những số liệu “giảm chi” trong khi thực hiện Pháp lệnh thực hành tiết kiệm chống lãng phí
thời gian qua, thực sự là những con số biết nói, cho thấy tín hiệu đáng mừng về sự chuyển
biến trong công tác này, song điều đó cũng chứng tỏ bấy lâu nay việc chi tiêu còn quá buông
lỏng, nên thắt chặt lại các khoản chi tiêu là việc cần làm.

Qua thanh tra tài chính, báo cáo quyết toán hàng năm đã phát hiện nhiều cơ quan đơn vị hành
chính sự nghiệp, doanh nghiệp vi phạm các nguyên tắc quản lý hành chính. Một trong những
vấn đề chi tiêu được coi là bức xúc và có thể nói là hết sức tốn kém hiện nay là: Chi tiêu đối
với các lễ đón nhận huân huy chương, ngày thành lập ngành, hội thảo… Mỗi cuộc “đình đám”
như vậy tốn không biết bao là tiền của, nào tiền thuê hội trường, tiền ăn uống, quà biếu… Vào
dịp cuối năm này, người ta còn thấy các nhà hàng chật kín bởi các “thượng đế” hầu hết là các
“cán bộ” chứ người dân thường thì lấy đâu ra “ngân quỹ” mà vui vẻ như vậy! Trong khi cuộc
sống của những người dân “tự do” còn đang vất vả bươn chải từng ngày với những chi tiêu
hạn hẹp thì việc tiết kiệm chống lãng phí trong “cơ chế chi bao cấp” là việc nhất thiết cần phải
làm.
ASSIGNMENT 11:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
GAZA CITY -Israel and palestinians negotiated through the night in what US envoy Dennis
Ross termed "a good evening of work" aimed at breaking an impasse over Israel's delayed
pullout from the West Bank town of Hebron.

Ross left Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office early yesterday - three hours after he arrived
- but negotiators stayed behind to corntinue talks.

"The meeting was positive (and) constructive," Arafat said. He added that he and Ross
"solved some of the obstacles which were between me and him," apparently referring to his
own suggestion last week that Ross was biased toward Israel.

Ross, who was to leave later yesterday, agreed that "We had a good set of discussions."
Referring to the negotiations, he said : "This has been a good evening of work, but there are
still issues to be overcome."
 67

Inside Arafat's headquarters, the Palestinian team led by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat
continued deliberations with Israel's delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Shaul Muhfaz and Yitzhak
Molcho, a top advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks began on Sunday
afternoon in Jerusalem and moved to Gaza.

Israeli media speculated that if the meeting was successful, Ross might delay his departure
and Netanyahu and Arafat might hold a summit either yesterday or today.

Israel was to have pulled out of Hebron - the last West Bank city under occupation in March,
but delayed it after a series of terrorist attacks in Israel. Netanyahu, a hardliner elected in May,
has delayed the pullout further, trying to tighten security for the 500 settlers who live in the
town of 130,000 Arabs.

The Palestiians have refused to reopen the existing agreement, and also seek to link the Israeli
redeployment to a further pullout elsewhere in the West Bank that was also promised in the
signed autonomy accords.

In Hebron on Sunday, the army rounded up about 100 Palestinians after two fire bombs were
thrown at a Jewish enclave without causing injuries. They were questioned and held at
gunpoint for about an hour, but most were released. The army spokesman said several
Palestinians were arrested.

A Palestinian walking past the Beit Hadassah enclave was hit and injured by a metal ladder
that fell or was thrown from the roof, and he was taken to the city hospital.
HCM CITY - The number of foreign tourists arriving in Viet Nam has been increasing year
after year. On average, it grows by 30 per cent a year, according to recent statisties released
from Viet Nam Tourism Administration.
Though the number of tourists is on the rise, occupancy rates of hotels have dropped
significantly as compared to previous years. Over the past six years, joint - venture hotels and
guest houses operated at an average capacity rate of 85 to 90 per cent. They are now operating
at a capacity rate of only 60 per cent. A rate which is much worse than that of state - owned
hotels and private guest - houses.
One of the main reasons for the decline in hotel capacity rates is the muchrooming of joint -
venture hotels which has caused severe competition among hotels for room - rates and hotel
services.
Several hotels have become burdens to their owners, with low gross earnings and high taxes,
many are about to be forced to close down.
Most foreign visitors have come here eager to experience something new and to travel to
places of wild and natural beauty during their stay. For this reason, Viet Nam's tourist industry
needs to reorganise its management and set goals in order to satisfy the current demands of
tourists.
 68

Though there has been growth in the number of tourists over the past several years, the
number of visitors that come for a second visit is low. It is evident that the attraction of Viet
Nam's tourist industry is still inadequate and tourist sites, transport and accommodation
facilities have not yet reached international standards.The country now has some 22 provinces
and cities which have completed detailed master plans for tourist resorts.

However, these projects are yet to be developed and are still under discussion. Even though
each year the government has spent tens of billion of dongs on upgrading national historical
relics and tourist resorts, due to a lack of management expertise and investment knowledge,
these sites have failed to help boost the development of the tourist industry. To improve
quality of tourist resorts and to boost hotel operations, Viet Nam's tourism industry now
requires more investment from the government.
Translate the following text into English
Cµng ngµy cµng cã nhiÒu ng-êi ViÖt nam t×m c¸ch ®i häc n-íc
ngoµi b»ng chi phÝ riªng cña m×nh. Tõ gi÷a n¨m 1992 dÕn th¸ng 5
n¨m nay, sè ng-êi tù bá tiÒn ra häc cßn Ýt, nh-ng hy väng sè
l-îng sÏ t¨ng trong vßng 5 n¨m tíi v× nÒn kinh tÕ ViÖt Nam tèt
h¬n vµ chÝnh phñ hîp lý hãa c¸c thñ tôc lµm cho viÖc häc tù tóc
dÔ dµng h¬n. Nh-ng cuéc qu¶ng c¸o lín nhÊt nh»m thóc ®Èy nh÷ng
ng-êi ViÖt Nam m¹nh d¹n ®Çu t- tiÒn b¹c cho b¶n th©n hoÆc con
c¸i cña m×nh ®Ó ®-îc häc trong mét nÒn gi¸o duc ®¹t chuÈn quèc
tÕ lµ nhê vµo viÖc më mét cuéc triÓn l·m ®Æc biÖt vÒ gi¸o dôc ë
n-íc ngoµi tæ chøc t¹i thµnh phè Hå ChÝ Minh vµ Hµ Néi trong
hai th¸ng võa qua. §-îc gäi lµ ‘‘ Educasia’’, cuéc triÓn l·m ®·
®Ò cao c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc, c¸c tr-êng h-íng nghiÖp vµ c¸c nhµ
cung cÊp thiÕt bÞ tr-êng häc cña c¸c n-íc Anh, Ph¸p, óc, Hoa Kú
vµ Thôy SÜ. Cuéc triÓn l·m ®Ò cËp ®Õn ch-¬ng tr×nh ®µo t¹o vµ
nÒn gi¸o dôc mµ c¸c sinh viªn tù tóc ViÖt Nam ®ang t×m kiÕm vµ
lêi gi¶i ®¸p cña nh÷ng c¬ së ®µo t¹o nµy ë n-íc ngoµi ®èi víi
nh÷ng th¾c m¾c cña sinh viªn. C¸c khãa häc vÒ viÔn th«ng,x©y
dùng b»ng c¬ giíi, ngµnh kh¸ch s¹n du lÞch vµ nÊu ¨n ®· ®-îc
®Æc biÖt ®Ò cao.
Cho ®Õn b©y giê hÇu hÕt nh÷ng sinh viªn ViÖt nam ®· ®i ra n-íc
ngoµi häc thªm theo häc bæng quèc tÕ hay cña mét chÝnh phñ n-íc
ngoµi cÊp. H»ng n¨m ViÖt Nam göi ®i kho¶ng 77 sinh viªn vµ 100
chuyªn viªn bËc cao ra n-íc ngoµi th«ng qua nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh
häc bæng ®-îc chÝnh thøc b¶o trî. PhÇn lín nh÷ng sinh viªn ®i
häc tù tóc ®· ®i häc ë Nga, mét sè ®i c¸c n-íc §«ng ¢u vµ mét
sè rÊt Ýt ®i häc ë Hµ Lan, BØ, Hoa Kú, §an M¹ch vµ Th¸i Lan.
Nh-ng vµo th¸ng t- n¨m nay, c¸c suÊt häc bæng riªng dµnh cho
c¸c sinh viªn n-íc ngoµi ë Nga vµ §«ng ¢u ®· t¹m ngõng. Hiªn
 69

nay ®· cã nh÷ng ®iÒu kiÖn dµnh cho sinh viªn ViÖt Nam muèn häc
ë n-íc ngoµi lµ ph¶i tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng vµ ph¶i theo häc c¸c
khãa häc ngo¹i ng÷ phï hîp vµ ph¶i cã kiÕn thøc vÒ vi tÝnh. Tuy
nhiªn vÉn cßn thiÕu nh÷ng th«ng tin vÒ c¸c r¾c rèi mµ sinh viªn
tù tóc ë n-íc ngoµi th-êng gÆp ph¶i, ®Æc biÖt lµ vÊn ®Ò vÒ thêi
gian vµ tr×nh ®é mµ c¸c khãa häc ®ßi hái. §· cã nh÷ng l·ng phÝ
vÒ thêi gian còng nh- tiÒn b¹c kh«ng thÓ tr¸nh khái.

ASSIGNMENT 12:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
The United States is a country of immigrants. These immigrants come from all over the
world. They speak many different languages. In the past, new immigrants had a hard time in
American schools. They could not understand their school work in English, so they often
became discouraged and dropped out of school. They were not able to get good jobs without a
good education.
Now, many schools in the United States have bilingual programs. ("Bi" means "two" and
"lingual" means "language".) For example, a school with many Spanish-speaking students
might have a bilingual program. The Spanish-speaking students study their subjects in both
English and Spanish. A school with a large Chinese population might have an English
Chinese bilingual program. Students in bilingual programs continue their general education
and learn English at the same time. After a period of time, they can take all of their classes in
English with English speaking students.
Bilingual education is "controversial." This means some people like it, and other people do
not like it. The people in favor of bilingual education say, "It helps students to understand
their school work in history, mathematics, science, etc., at the same time, they are learning
English." These people say bilingual education helps students succeed in school. They can get
better jobs and be better citizens after graduation.
The people against bilingual education say, "It's a waste of time and government money.
English is the national language of the United States." Everyone living in the United States,
they say, should learn to speak English as quickly as possible. They say, "Bilingual education
is too expensive." In other words, the government spends too much money on bilingual
education. They want to put the money for bilingual programs into English programs. In such
programs, everyone will learn English a lot faster. At least, those against bilingual education
think so.
Translate the following text into English
Ng-êi nghÌo th-êng cã nhiÒu con h¬n nh÷ng ng-êi thuéc giíi
trung l-u vµ th-îng l-u. Vµ d©n ë c¸c n-íc kÐm ph¸t triÓn th×
cã nhiÒu con h¬n d©n cña c¸c n-íc ph¸t triÓn. Ngµy cµng cã
nhiÒu chuyªn gia vÒ d©n sè thÊy ®-îc mèi quan hÖ kh¨ng khÝt
gi÷a sè con trong gia ®×nh vµ sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ.
 70

T¹i mét vµi vïng, dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh cña chÝnh phñ
cã lÏ kh«ng cã ®èi víi d©n nghÌo do ®iÒu kiÖn ®Þa lý. Ch¼ng h¹n
nh- ng-êi d©n ë n«ng th«n sèng qu¸ xa trung t©m kÕ ho¹ch hãa
gia ®×nh. Do vËy hä kh«ng nhËn ®-îc th«ng tin vÒ c¸ch thøc h¹n
chÕ sinh ®Î. Nh×n chung th× d©n thµnh thÞ cã nhiÒu th«ng tin
h¬n d©n n«ng th«n. D©n ë thµnh thÞ ®-îc hæ trî dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch
hãa gia ®×nh, vµ hä cã gia ®×nh Ýt con h¬n. V× thÕ chóng ta cã
thÓ nãi r»ng vÞ trÝ ®Þa lý n¬i mµ ng-êi d©n sèng ®ãng mét vai
trß qan träng trong viÖc quyÕt dÞnh mät gia ®×nh nªn sinh bao
nhiªu con: Gia ®×nh sèng ë thµnh thÞ th× cã Ýt con h¬n gia ®×nh
sèng ë n«ng th«n.
Nh÷ng lý do kh¸c lµ g×? Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ gia ®×nh, hay ë
mét ph¹m vi lín h¬n lµ cña mét n-íc, lµ mét nh©n tè quan träng
trong viÖc quyÕt ®Þnh sè con trong gia ®×nh. Ng-êi cã nhiÒu
tiÒn th× cã Ýt con. Ng-îc l¹i, ng-êi nghÌo ë n-íc kÐm ph¸t
triÓn muèn cã nhiÒu con. T¹i sao? Do hä ph¶i lÖ thuéc vµo sù
ch¨m sãc cña con c¸i khi vÒ giµ. Hä kh«ng cã b¶o hiÓm, tiÒn
h-u, hay sù gióp ®ì cña chÝnh phñ. Khi hä giµ c¶ th× ai sÏ gióp
hä. C©u tr¶ lêi rÊt ®¬n gi¶n. Hä cã thÓ vµ sÏ quay sang nhê con
c¸i gióp ®ì. Con c¸i cña hä b©y giê ®· trë thµnh ng-êi lín vµ
®ang ®i lµm viÖc. TÊt c¶ con c¸i cña hä ®Òu ph¶i chia sÏ vµ
g¸nh v¸c tr¸ch nhiÖm ch¨m sãc cha mÑ. §èi vãi nhiÒu ng-êi
nghÌo, mét gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ mét c¸ch thøc ®Ó ho¹ch ®Þnh cho
t-¬ng lai. Chóng ta cã thÓ nãi r»ng gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ nguån
b¶o hiÓm cho tuæi giµ.

ASSIGNMENT 13:
Translate the following text into English
C¸c nhµ xuÊt khÈu cã uy thÕ cña Trung Quèc ®ang chÜa tÇm ng¾m
cña m×nh vµo ViÖt Nam, nhËn ra n-íc l¸ng giÒng ë ph-¬ng nam nh-
®· chÝn muåi cho mét kÕ ho¹ch qu¶ng c¸o trong viÖc mua s¾m hµng
hãa tiªu dïng vµ m¸y mãc, c¸c nhµ qu¶n lý ®iÒu hµnh Trung Quèc
®· ph¸t biÕn nh- thÕ vµo h«m thø n¨m.
C¸c nhµ qu¶n lý Trung Quèc ®· nãi trong buæi lÔ khai m¹c héi
chî tæ chøc t¹i Hµ Néi : ‘‘ Nh-ng ViÖt Nam ®· cã mét kinh
nghiÖm l©u dµi tr-íc khi nhËn ra hµng xuÊt khÈu cña m×nh vµo
Trung Quèc t¨ng lªn khi mét vµi s¶n phÈm lµ cã thÓ x©m nhËp vµo
thÞ tr-êng Trung quèc ®· më réng h¬n.’’
Kho¶ng 60 c«ng ty ë B¾c Kinh ®· tr-ng bµy nh÷ng mÆt hµng cña
hä tõ ®å ch¬i b»ng nhùa rÎ tiÒn vµ c¸c ®å trang trÝ cho ®Õn
 71

c¸c lo¹i xe cé t¹i héi chî ë Hµ Néi, mét héi chî ®Çu tiªn triÓn
l·m c¸c mÆt hµng Trung Quèc kÓ tõ khi hai n-íc cã quan hÖ trë
l¹i víi nhau.
Jeep- B¾c Kinh, mét liªn doanh s¶n xuÊt « t« Trung-Mü, hi väng
sÏ chen ch©n vµo thÞ tr-êng xe h¬i ®ang lín m¹nh t¹i ViÖt Nam,
nh-ng ®ang ®èi mÆt víi mät sù c¹nh tranh kh¾c nghiÖt víi thÞ
tr-êng xe h¬i NhËt B¶n ®· ‘‘ x©y phßng tuyÕn xung quanh’’ ë
®©y, «ng Guo Fengli, phã chñ tÞch c«ng ty XuÊt NhËp KhÈu ¤ t«
B¾c Kinh ®· ph¸t biÓu nh- vËy.
Theo lêi cña «ng Guo th× ‘‘ thÞ tr-êng ë ®©y ®ang më ra kh¸
nhanh cho c¸c s¶n phÈm cña chóng t«i, ®Æc biÖt lµ khi gi¸ c¶
cña chóng t«i thùc sù c¹nh tranh ®-îc víi c¸c ®èi thñ cña chóng
t«i.’’
BAIEC ®ang mong muèn thiÕt lËp quan hÖ mËu dÞch víi ViÖt Nam
nh-ng còng ®ang ph¶i ®èi ®Çu víi viÖc t×m kiÕm c¸c mÆt hµng
thÝch hîp ®Ó buon b¸n, mÆc dï lµ «ng Guo nghÜ lµ cã thÓ t×m ra
lêi gi¶i ®¸p cho mét vÊn ®Ò b×nh th-êng.
C«ng ty Trung Quãc dù kiÕn trao ®æi xe h¬i lÊy l-¬ng thùc, vµ
sè l-¬ng thùc nµy sÏ ®em b¸n ë Nam Trung Quèc. Tuy nhiªn hä vÉn
thÝch trao ®æi nh÷ng mÆt hµng cã gi¸ trÞ cao h¬n.
‘‘ Chóng t«i kh«ng biÕt nhiÒu vÒ nh÷ng g× mµ ViÖt Nam mêi
chµo.’’ «ng Guo ®· nãi ®Õn ®iÒu nµy, mét quan ®iÓm ®-îc c¸c nhµ
doanh th-¬ng kh¸c nh¾c l¹i nhiÒu lÇn. Nh÷ng ng-êi n«n nãng b¸n
hµng h¬n lµ mua hµng.
ViÖc bu«n b¸n qua biªn giíi ®· t¨ng vät kÓ tõ ngµy hai n-íc më
l¹i biªn giíi vµo n¨m 1991. Nãi mét c¸ch chÝnh thøc th×, viÖc
bu«n b¸n hai chiÒu cã gi¸ trÞ kho¶ng 500 triÖu ®« la dï cho
viÖc bu«n b¸n bÊt hîp ph¸p cã thÓ cao h¬n nhiÒu. Trung quèc
®-îc h-ëng mät gi¸ trÞ thÆng d- to lín.
Trong chuyÕn viÕng th¨m Trung Quèc tuÇn tr-íc, Phã thñ t-íng
Phan V¨n Kh¶i kªu gäi hai bªn thay thÕ viÖc bu«n b¸n qua biªn
giíi b»ng nh÷ng tháa hiÖp chÝnh thøc gi÷a c¸c c«ng ty th-¬ng
m¹i vµ c¸c nhµ chÕ t¹o mµ c¸ch lµm nµy sÏ lµm t¨ng gi¸ cña c¸c
s¶n phÈm ViÖt Nam.
ViÖt Nam muèn ®Èy m¹nh h¬n n÷a viÖc xuÊt khÈu than vµ dÇu khÝ
cho c¸c trung t©m s¶n xuÊt ®ang bïng ph¸t ë Nam Trung Quèc, n¬i
xa nguån n¨ng l-îng cña Trung Quèc c¶ hµng ngµn c©y sè.
 72

¤ng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cßn nhÊn m¹nh thªm vÒ gi¸ g¹o vµ c¸c mÆt
hµng thùc phÈm kh¸c vµ phÝa ViÖt Nam nhËp nhiÒu h¬n n÷a c¸c m¸y
mãc chÕ t¹o vµ c¸c c«ng nghÖ kh¸c cña Trung Quèc.
 73

ASSIGNMENT 14:
Translate the following text into English
D©n sè cña A RËp Xa U §i lµ 8853000 ng-êi. §a sè lµ nh÷ng
ng-êi A RËp Håi gi¸o. Hay nãi c¸ch kh¸c, hä lµ nh÷ng tÝn ®å Håi
gi¸o. A RËp lµ mät quèc ®¹o. VÞ vua cña n-íc nµy võa lµ mét
ng-êi l·nh ®¹o chÝnh trÞ võa lµ mét nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o cña
®Êt n-íc. D¹o luËt cña chÝnh phñ ®-a ra lµ luËt cña Håi gi¸o,
vµ ng«n ng÷ cña n-íc nµy lµ tiÕng A RËp.
§¹o Håi rÊt quan träng ®èi víi nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A RËp. Tr-íc
n¨m 1950, hÇu nh- toµn bé nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A RËp lµ nÒn gi¸o
dôc t«n gi¸o. Häc sinh häc Kinh Koran, s¸ch kinh th¸nh cña d¹o
Håi. Chóng ph¶i cè g¾ng nhí nh÷ng ®iÒu trong cuèn s¸ch nµy cµng
nhiÒu cµng tèt. Tr-íc n¨m 1949, kh«ng cã bÊt kú mét tr-êng cao
®¼ng hay ®¹i häc nµo mµ chØ cã mét vµi tr-êng tiÓu häc vµ trung
häc ë n-íc nµy.
Vµo n¨m 1953, chÝnh phñ A RËp thµnh lËp Bé Gi¸o Dôc. §©y thùc
sù lµ b-íc më ®Çu cho mét nÒn gi¸o dôc hiÖn ®¹i cho n-íc nµy.
Khi nh÷ng kü s- ph¸t hiÖn ra dÇu ë A RËp th× ®Êt n-íc nµy trë
nªn giµu cã. C¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña n-íc nµy b¾t ®Çu nhËn thÊy
r»ng c«ng nghÖ Ph-¬ng T©y lµ cÇn thiÕt ®Ó gióp ®Êt n-íc ph¸t
triÓn. C¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o vÉn tin r»ng nÒn gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o lµ
rÊt quan träng, nh-ng mét n-íc hiÖn ®¹i kh«ng thÓ ph¸t triÓn
c«ng nghÖ mµ chØ dùa vµo mét hÖ thèng gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o truyÒn
thèng. Hä quyÕt ®Þnh bæ sung c¸c m«n häc kh¸c vµo hÖ thèng gi¸o
dôc. Hä muèn kÕt hîp nÒn gi¸o dôc t«n gi¸o truyÒn thèng víi nÒn
gi¸o dôc c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i cña Ph-¬ng T©y.
T«n gi¸o vÉn lµ mét yÕu tè quan träng trong nÒn gi¸o dôc cña A
RËp. Tuy nhiªn hiÖn nay häc sinh, sinh viªn A RËp còng hocj tÊt
c¶ c¸c m«n häc kh¸c nh- : ng«n ng÷ ( ®Æc biÖt lµ tiÕng Anh),
lÞch sö, khoa häc, to¸n häc, vi tÝnh v.v.. Tr-íc n¨m 1950 chØ
cã 20000 häc sinh, sinh viªn ë A RËp. N¨m 1982 con sè nµy lªn
tíi 1780000. HÖ thèng gi¸o dôc cña A RËp ph¸t triÓn nhanh h¬n
bÊt kú mét n-íc nµo trªn thÕ giíi. TÊt c¶ c¸c tr-êng häc ë a
RËp lµ miÔn phÝ. ChÝnh phñ còng cho sinh viªn cao ®¼ng vµ ®¹i
häc thªm tiÒn ®Ó nh»m ®éng viªn hä. Tuy nhiªn c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o
t«n gi¸o kh«ng thÝch cho phô n÷ ®i häc. Hä cho r»ng phô n÷ cã
häc cã thÓ g©y nh÷ng ¶nh h-ëng xÊu cho gia ®×nh vµ x· héi. Do
vËy, ®Ó lµm cho c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o chÊp nhËn cho phñ n÷
®i häc th× chÝnh phñ ph¶i dÆt viÖc gi¸o dôc phô n÷ theo c¸c t«n
chØ cña c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o t«n gi¸o.
 74

Phô n÷ theo häc c¸c tr-êng cao ®¼ng vµ ®Æc biÖt lµ theo häc ë
c¸c khoa vÒ phô n÷ ë c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc dµnh riªng cho phô n÷.
Gi¸o viªn ë ®©y lµ n÷. V× kh«ng cã ®ñ gi¸o viªn n÷ nªn chÝnh
phñ cho phÐp gi¸o viªn nam gi¶ng d¹y phô n÷ A RËp th«ng qua
ph-¬ng tiÖn truyÒn h×nh. Tr-íc hÕt, phô n÷ theo dâi c¸c bµi
gi¶ng trªn v« tuyÕn vµ sau ®ã hä cã thÓ nãi chuyÖn víi thÇy
gi¸o qua ®iÖn tho¹i ®Ó hái vÒ nh÷ng th¾c m¾c. ThÇy gi¸o vµ sinh
viªn n÷ kh«ng ®-îc phÐp gÆp nhau.
Sau khi tèt nghiÖp, phô n÷ A RËp cã nhiÒu c¬ héi xin viÖc
gièng nh- nam giíi. Hä trë thµnh c¸c gi¸o viªn, b¸c sÜ, c¸c nhµ
ho¹t ®éng x· héi, c¸c nhµ khoa häc vµ nhiÒu viÖc kh¸c n÷a. N¬i
lµm viÖc hÇu nh- còng t¸ch rêi phô n÷ víi nam giíi. §iÒu ®ã cã
nghÜa lµ phô n÷ vµ nam giíi kh«ng ®-îc phÐp lµm viÖc cïng mét
chç chØ trõ ë bÖnh viÖn. Phñ n÷ A RËp muons cã nhiÒu c¬ héi t×m
viÖc lµm h¬n. Nh-ng mét vµi phô n÷ kh«ng muèn cïng lµm viÖc víi
nam giíi. Trong mét bµi b¸o gÇn ®©y d¨ng trong mét t¹p chÝ cã
tªn gäi T¹p ChÝ Trung §«ng, mét vµi sinh viªn n÷ nãi r»ng hä
thùc sù kh«ng muèn lµm viÖc cïng nam giíi.

ASSIGNMENT 15:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
After getting high on the hopes of striking black gold off the shores of Vietnam, the world's
oil giants have now glumly awoken to the hazards- - the immense coot of investment and, so
far, the meagre rewards.
The mood was subdued among foreign companies exhibiting their technological wares this
week at the second International Oil and Gas Fair in Hanoi.
"The results aren't bad, but they, are not as great as some had hoped, "said Melchior de
Matharel, head of Southeast Asia operations with the French firm Total.
If caution is now the watchword, disappointed foreign petroleum companies may draw
comfort from the recent. "encouraging" discoveries of oil made by Mitsubishi Oil and the
Malaysian firm Petronas Carigali, and of gas made by British Petroleum (BP), off the coast of
southern Vietnam.
"Oil exploration is plainly hazardous. But the good news is that the Vietnamese basin is oil-
bearing", Matharel said. Prospectors enthusiasm was abruptly dampened last May, when BHP
Petroleum of Australia announced the reserves at the Dai Hung ("Great Bear") site, 375
kilometers (235 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, were far smaller than projected.
BHP initially estimated the site to contain 700 million to 800 million barrels of oil, but has
now downgraded it to 100 million to 200 million. Production is scheduled to begin neat
month, at a modest level of 25,000 barrels per day.
That was a tough -blow for BHP. It has already invested 240 million dollars in Vietnam- - and
half of it went into the first phase of the Dai Hung project.
 75

BHP headed an international consortium, selected in April 1993, to develop the field at a total
cost estimated at 1.5 billion dollars. BHP holds 43.75 percent of the consortium, with
Petronas holding 20 percent, and state - owned PetroVietnam 15 percent. The remaining
21.25-percent share is equally split between Total and the Japanese firm Sumitomo.
For the moment, it is the Japanese- the main buyers of Vietnam's crude oil- who appear to
have had the best luck.
The Japan Vietnam Petroleum Co. (JVPC), a branch of the Mitsubishi Oil group, announced
in June a "very promising" discovery at the Rang Dong (:Dawn) site.
According to the results of an exploratory well, the field may be "of the same caliber" as
neighbouring Bach Ho ("White Tiger") the only site now being commercially exploited in
Vietnam. Bach Ho's reserves are estimated at a maximum of :300 million barrels.But et will
take at least another year and other drillings to precisely determine the scope of the Japanese
discovery, industry experts in Honoi cautioned.
Pessimists say it will take four to five years in all to gauge Vietnam's oil potentially.
Gas exploration and exploitation have also proven to be a risk business, although fortune has
so far smiled on British Petroleum, which announced in September the discovery of two gas
pockets, estimated to be 57 billion cubic metres (1,995 billion cubic feet), in Nam Con Son,
south of Ho Chi Minh City.
BHP and the Norwegian national company, Statoil, bought shares in the offshore concession,
held by the Indian state firm Oil and Natural Gas Co. (ONGC), in 1992.
The consortium, with ONGC holding 55 percent, BP 30 percent. and Statoil five percent, has
conducted exploration and tests under a shared - production contract with PetroVietnam,
which in turn has taken a five percent stake on the interests of each of the European partners.
Translate the following text into English
ViÖc háng hãc cña mét bé phËn tµu vò trô con thoi ®iÒu khiÓn
b»ng ph¶n lùc vµo h«m thø t- buéc c¬ quan NA SA ph¶i ho·n mét
cuéc kh¶o s¸t tr¸i ®Êt b»ng radar khi chuyÕn bay nghiªn cøu m«i
sinh 10 ngµy cña tµu Endeavour bay qua mèc nöa phi tr×nh.
C¬ quan Qu¶n TrÞ Hµng Kh«ng vµ Khong Gian Quèc Gia cho biÕt
vÊn ®Ò nµy lµ mét tr¬ lùc ®èi víi phßng thÝ nghiÖm Radar trÞ
gi¸ 384 triÖu ®«la, nh-ng kh«ng g©y ra mét nguy hiÓm nµo ®èi
víi c¸c nhµ du hµnh vò trô. C¸c viªn chøc nãi r»ng bé phËn chïm
®iÖn tö kiÓm tra nhiªn liÖu bÞ hang, kh«ng ph¸t hiÖn ®-îc mét
hÖ thèng rß ritrong bé phËn ddaayr bÞ nghi lµ nguyªn nh©n lµm
ng-ng ho¹t ®éng n¨m bé phËn kh¸c gäi lµ vÐcnª (verniers) cÇn
thiÕt ®Ó chØnh l¹i cho ®óng ®-êng ®i cña tµu con thoi trong
quyx ®¹o vµ chØ dÉn chÝnh x¸c khÝ cô trong khoang hµng ®Õn môc
tiªu trªn hµnh tinh.
Kelly Humphries, ng-êi thuyÕt minh chuyÕn bay, vµo chiÒu h«m
thø t- ®· gäi sù gi¸n ®o¹n mang tÝnh khoa häc nµy lµ ‘‘sù nghØ
 76

t¹m thêi’’ trong lóc c¸c kÜ s- trªn mÆt ®Êt véi nghÜ ra mét
c¸ch ®Ó c¸c m¸y tÝnh cña con thoi kh«ng ®Ó ý ®Õn bé phËn kiÓm
tra nhiªn liÖu bÞ háng.
Theo «ng Rich Jackson, Gi¸m ®èc ®iÒu khiÓn chuyÕn bay th× con
tµu Endeavour víi 38 bé phËn ®Èy lín h¬n sÏ tiªu thô qu¸ nhiÒu
nhiªn liÖu vµ lo¹i trõ ®iÒu mong ®îi con tµu sÏ lµm lan ra tai
häa thiªn nhiªn quanh ®Þa cÇu.
Vµo chiÒu h«m thø t-, tµu con thoi bay theo ph-¬ng thøc tù l¸i
(hoa tiªu tù ®éng) vµ phi hµnh ®oµn ®· lµm viÖc theo hai ca
suèt 24 giê liÒn kÓ tõ lóc cÊt c¸nh khái Florida vµo h«m thø
s¸u, ®· h-ëng mät giê nghØ gi¶i lao bÊt ngê.
¤ng Jackson dù ®o¸n r»ng kho¶ng phÇn mÒm sÏ s½n sµng lµm viÖc
vµo chiÒu thø ba, kho¶ng 24 giê sau khi trôc trÆc kü thuËt x¶y
ra.
Nãi víi c¸c phãng viªn t¹i tr¹m kiÓm so¸t chuyÕn bay t¹i
Houston, «ng Jackson cho biÕt: ‘‘ Bé phËn chÊt hµng vµ nhãm
kiÓm so¸t chuyÕn bay ®ang lµ viÖc rÊt tÝch cùc ®Ó phôc håi viÖc
kiÓm so¸t c¸c vecnª vµ gi¶m thiÓu ¶nh h-ëng trong thêi gian cã
sù cè.’’
C¸c nhµ khoa häc nãi r»ng sù trôc trÆc nµy kh«ng lµm h- háng
c¸c h×nh ¶nh, nh-ng sÏ ph¶i mÊt mét thêi gian l©u ®Õn gÊp 5 lÇn
®Ó xö lý c¸c d÷ liÖu ra ®a vµ m¸y tÝnh cña chóng.
 77

ASSIGNMENT 16:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Britain is divided into 651 constituencies and people in each constituency select one person to
represent them in the House of Commons. The simple majority system of voting is used in
parliamentary elections in Britain and voting is by secret ballot. There are moves to have this
changed to a preferential system.
Voting is voluntary. All British people who are 18 years of age or over and not legally barred
from voting can vote.
Members of the Royal Family peers and peeresses who are members of the House of Lords
and foreign nationals are not allowed to vote. People who are disqualified include those who
are kept in hospital for mental health reasons people serving prison sentences and people
convicted within the previous five years of corruption.
Candidates
Anyone aged 21 or over holding British citizenship, or a citizen of another commonwealth
country or the Irish Republic, who is qualified. May stand for election to Parliament. People
who are not qualified are members of the House of Lords, elegy of the Church of England,
Church of Ireland, Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church. Neither are
bankrupts, public
servants and officials and those who have been sentenced to more than one year‟s
imprisonment. Candidates in a constituency have to pay a sum of money, about £1,000, as a
deposit and if they get at least 5% of the votes they will get the money back.
General Elections
In theory, the election for or seats in the House of Commons takes place every five years.
But, elections are usually held before the end of the five-year term. The Prime Minister has the
right to decide when to hold a general election. Then the queen formally dissolves parliament
and calls for the election of the new one.
Britain is divided into areas called constituencies of roughly equal population. General
elections often happen on a Thursday and people still go to word as usual. Therefore, the
hours of voting are flexible, from 07:00 to 22:00; to give voters are given a ballot paper with
the names of the candidates for that constituency, usually in alphabetical order, and sometimes
with a brief description of the candidates‟ backgrounds or their parties. After that, spoiled
ballots are eliminated. The legal ballot papers are counted and the candidate with the most
support is the winner and becomes the Member of Parliament for the constituency.
The Campaign
Three weeks before a general election is the time for the campaign. The campaign takes place
in every constituency all over Britain. Candidates resort to different means to attract their
supporters.
Canvassing
Canvassing means local party workers go from door to door and ask people how they intend
to vote. In this way, candidates can know people‟s voting intentions and attitudes so that they
can adapt their campaign tactics. Party workers also revisit those who have promised to
support their party and urge them to do so on polling day.
 78

Public meetings
Candidates have the right to hold public meetings whenever and wherever available during an
election campaign. They invite guests including influential members of their parties, and well-
know people such as writers, actors and actresses, who support them, to the meetings and try
to influence voters. Such meetings are often covered in detail by the media.
The mass media
Because newspapers and magazines in Britain are privately owned and financially
independent of the political parties, the owners and the editors can decide to support any party
they like, but radio and television are required to be impartial. News programmes cover all
aspects of the major parties‟ campaigns. On these occasions, candidates appear on television
and radio day and night. They are televised in factories, school, youth centers, and the farms,
giving speeches about their party policies. Talkback radio allows people to pose questions to
political leaders, and reports and commentaries from journalists holding interviews with
leading figures from all the parties are broadcast.
Manifestos
The main parties publish manifestos during the election campaign. Manifesto are often
launched by each party at a press conference and inform people of their policies and what they
will do if they win the election. Manifestos might include the past achievements of the party
and can attack the policies of the their opponents.

ASSIGNMENT 17:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Ha Noi- Ha Noi is trying to nearly double its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to US$1,100 per
capita over the next five years.
The ambitious projection has been based on the current annual GDP growth rate of 11.9 per
cent.
Participants at yesterday‟s Ha Noi Communist Party Conference were told if the current
growth rate continues as expected, it should reach 15 per cent by the turn of the century.
This should translate into a doubling of the GDP.
The conference was also told the traditional rural and small industry base of the capital city‟s
economy had rapidly been replaced by industrial endeavor and the trading and services
industries, and that about 19 per cent of Hanoi families could now be classified as well-off.
Last year‟s average GDP was estimated at $650 per capita compared with $470 in 1991.
The sharp rise was due to massive investments from both foreign and domestic sources
estimated as VND32, 570 (about $3.257 billion), according to a senior Ha Noi party official.
Deputy Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee Le Xuan Tung told participants at the
conference yesterday that part of the investment was spent on transfer of new technology and
renovating equipment in existing industrial plants. The major part of the investment, however,
was for setting up new joint ventures with foreign partners.
By the end of 1995, up to 210 foreign investment projects had been licensed to operate in Ha
Noi involving $3.3billion of prescribed capital. Of this amount $1.3billion has been
consumed, Tung said.
 79

This has helped Ha Noi along its chosen path to restructure its economic base towards
industries and services rather than rely on its traditional agricultural and small industry
underpinning.
The proportion of industries and that of trade and services in Ha Noi GDP in the 1991-1995
period rose sharply to 33.1 per cent and 61.6 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile the agricultural share fell to just 5.3 per cent of the total GDP share, Tung said.
Tung said the change in the economic face of Hanoi was because of the sharp increase in the
annual growth rate for the past five years.
He said that a growth rate of 11.9 per cent was ensured year after year, which is almost double
the figure set for the same period by the Ha Noi Party Committee back in 1991.
Tung told participants that by the year 2000 the growth rate would reach 15 per cent per year
and GDP per capita would be estimated at $1,100.
By that stage the industrial share in Ha Noi GDP should reach 40 per cent, up seven per cent
on the current rate.
Five industries have been targeted as the key industries for the city, Tung said.
They include mechanical engineering and electrical equipment production; textiles, garments
and leather goods; the food processing industry electronics; and construction materials.
In the next five years Ha Noi would need up to $9 billion in investment to develop new
industrial zones, renovate existing industrial zones and build more high rise buildings in the
inner city for office space, trade centers and entertainment centers.
Hanoi has about 10 established and five new industrial zones.
Many of the existing industrial areas need intensive-investment to replace old technology, and
expand their premises for more plants.
However the deputy party secretary for Hanoi reminded participants to the conference that
more effort was needed to keep development in line with what he termed as a socialist-
oriented market economy.
Ha Noi authorities had “failed to pay due attention to the consolidation of socialist production
relationships” while the administration at all levels remained weak and “the role of the Party
in different economic and social organizations remained limited,” he said.
Tung‟s comments were supported by Party General Secretary Do Muoi, who also addressed
the conference.
The party leader told the Ha Noi conference that despite its initial success, Ha Noi should be
more aware of economic development and human resource development.
About six per cent of Hanoi‟s population remained unemployed which, Do Muoi said, was a
challenge Ha Noi had to tackle.
Part of the solution was to set up production groups, which could be engaged in small
industries and the services industry.
Deputy Secretary Tung said that in the 1991-1995 period the number of well-to-do families
increased to nearly 19 per cent while those families classified as financially needy dropped to
about two per cent.
 80

ASSIGNMENT 18:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Gardening is a traditional occupation in Vietnam and appeared at the same time or earlier than
water rice cultivation. But VAC (abbreviation for “vuon” (garden), “ao” (pond for keeping
fish) and “chuong” (husbandary) is an economic model that was introduced only 10 years ago.
Foreigners who have come to Vietnam to learn about VAC in Vietnam say it is not very
efficient in production scale and performance, but is a uniform cultivation model bringing
both economic benefit and environmental advantages. From its first days of operation VAC
has continually cemented its role in the national economic development.
VAC now operates in 53 provinces, with over 10 million farmer households using the model.
In recent years, VAC has been expanded in most localities throughout the country. Tens of
thousands of hectares (on average) farms were set up in 13 midland and mountainous
provinces) and -orchards were expanded to 350000-400,000 ha.
This application of VAC became the main fruit suppliers for the country, simultaneously
meeting export demand. According to the FAO, Vietnam's fruit output is at nearly four
million tones per year, world's fruit output per capital at 65 kg, Asia Pacific 31 kg and
Vietnam 61 kg.
VAC has now become significant for the country's poverty alleviation and hunger eradication
campaign providing on - the - spot jobs, prevention of malnutrition, permanent agriculture and
settlement and for plantations for bare hills and barren land.
Living standards of VAC households have improved greatly with revenue from VAC
operations usually providing 60% of household's total income. VAC output value accounts for
one of third of agricultural output value and will probably in-crease further.
VAC has made rapid growth in the last 10 years, but has not penetrated all rural areas. If
intensive cultivation and crop specialization was carried out through out the country,
Vietnam's fruit output could reach 8 million tones per year in the 21st century.
VAC should be considered as a national agricultural programme. If VAC is encouraged to
reach its full potential, it will certainty obtain further effective growth contributing to the
national economy and the environmental protection.
 81

ASSIGNMENT 19:
Translate the following text into English
H«m thø Hai võa råi, c¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu cho r»ng hä ®· cã b»ng
chøng ®Ó kÕt luËn r»ng ph-¬ng ph¸p ®iÒu trÞ thùc nghiÖm b»ng
c¸ch truyÒn huyÕt t-¬ng lµm cho bÖnh ph¸t triÓn chËm lai cho
bÖnh nh©n nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh vµ kÐo dµi thªm thêi gian sèng
cho c¸c bÖnh nh©n AIDS.
Tuy nhiªn, «ng Abraham ë khoa huyÕt häc cña §H Cambridge, nãi
r»ng mÆc dï c¸ch ch÷a bÖnh miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng lµ sù ®ét ph¸
trong viÖc ®iÒu trÞ bÖnh AID S vµ kh«ng g©y ph¶n øng phô nµo,
th× còng kh«ng nªn m« t¶ nã nh- mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ch÷a trÞ.
Trong phÇn tr×nh bµy cña m×nh t¹i mét héi nghÞ ë Lu©n §«n «ng
nãi:’’Døt kho¸t ®ã kh«ng ph¶i lµ mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ch÷a trÞ.
Ch¼ng thÊy g× lµ ch÷a trÞ c¶, nh-ng h×nh nh- nã lµ h×nh thøc
ch÷a trÞ tèt nhÊt.’’
¤ng Karpasnãi viÖc nghiªn cøu cña Ph¸p vµ Mü vÒ c¸ch ch÷a bÖnh
miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng ®-îc th«ng b¸o t¹i héi nghÞ ®· lµm cho
nghiªn cøu ban ®Çu cña «ng v÷ng ch¾c h¬n.
¤ng tuyªn bè trong mét cuéc pháng vÊn qua ®iÖn tho¹i r»ng:’’
ViÖc nghiªn cwuws cã tÝnh chÊt mß mÉm vµ h¹n chÕ b»ng thuèc
trÊn an chøng tá r»ng viÖc ch÷a trÞ nµy cã lîi cho bÖnh nh©n
m¾c bÖnh AID S vµ kÐo dµi thªm thêi gian sèng cña hä.’’
¤ng nãi r»ng nh÷ng nghiªn cøu do c«ng ty Hemacare ë Califonia
vµ hai bÑnh viÖn ë Pa ri tiÕn hµnh còng cho they r»ng c¸ch ch÷a
trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng gióp lµm chem. L¹i sù tÊn c«ng d÷ déi
cuarv bÖnh AIDS ë c¸c bÖnh nh©n khi xÐt nghiÖm they cã HIV
d-¬ng tÝnh, lo¹i vi rót g©y ra bÖnh chÕt ng-êi nµy.’’
Qua c¸ch ch÷a trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng, hµng th¸ng c¸c bÖnh
nh©n ®-îc truyÒn nöa lÝt huyÕt t-¬ng lÊy tõ ng-êi kháe m¹nh cã
nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh. M¸u ®-îc lÊy hÕt c¸c hång cÇu vµ b¹ch
hang cÇu vµ kh«ng cã vi rót HIV, nh-ng cã scws ®Ò kh¸ng trung
hßa cao diÖt ®-îc vi rót.
¤ng Karpras nãi lµ lÇn ®Çu tiªn vµo n¨m 1985 «ng ®· ph¸t hiÖn
nh÷ng ng-êi kháe m¹nh nh-ng bÞ nhiÔm HIV cã søc ®Ò kh¸ng nµy ë
møc cao trong m¸u trong khi c¸c bÖnh nh©n AID S mÊt c¸c kh¸ng
thÓ trung hßa nµy cã kh¶ n¨ng chèng l¹i bÖnh truyÒn nhiÔm.
Bèn bÖnh nh©n ë Cambridge lµ nh÷ng ng-êi ®Çu tiªn ®-îc ch÷a
trÞ theo c¸ch nµy vµ sau ®ã c¸c thö nghiÖm trªn qui m« nhá ®-îc
 82

tiÕn hµnh ë Lu©n §«n vµo n¨m 1988 vµ 1989. Tuy nhiªn «ng
Karpras nãi r»ng «ng kh«ng nhËn ®-îc quyx dµnh cho c¸c nghiªn
cøu nµy ë n-íc Anh do ®ã viÖc nghiªn cøu ph¶i ®-îc tiÕn hµnh ë
Mü vµ Ph¸p.
Thö nghiÖm cña Hemancare nghiªn cøu tÝnh hiÖu qu¶ cña c¸ch
ch÷a trÞ miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng ®-îc tiÕn hµnh trªn 220 bÖnh nh©n
AIDS h¬n 3 n¨m. Trong 12 th¸ng ®Çu cuéc thùc nghiÖm cho they
møc tö vong gi¶m rÊt nhiÒu trong khi bÖnh nh©n ®-îc truyÒn
huyÕt t-¬ng, trong khi bÖnh nh©n trong nhãm kiÒm chÕ b»ng thuèc
trÊn an kh«ng ®-îc ch÷a trÞ th× tû lÖ tö vong cao gÊp 5 lÇn.
Nhãm ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ cã 1 ng-êi bÞ chÕt trong sè 21 ng-êi,
trong nhãm ng-êi ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ b»ng thuèc trÊn an th× cã 6
trong tæng sè 30 bÞ tö vong.
H¬n n÷a, sè bÖnh l©y nhiÔm do bÖnh AID S g©y ra thÊp h¬n nhiÒu
trong nhãm ®-îc ®iÒu trÞ vµ chÝnh b¶n th©n nh÷ng ng-êi hiÕn m¸u
h×nh nh- hä còng they cã lîi. C¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu cho r»ng viÖc
hiÕn m¸u cã vÎ nh- kÝch thÝch viÖc s¶n sinh c¸c kh¸ng thÓ trung
hßa trong m¸u cña c¸c bÖnh nh©n nhiÔm HIV d-¬ng tÝnh.
¤ng Karpras nãi r»ng c¸c nghiªn cøu cña Ph¸p còng ®em l¹i
nh÷ng kÕt qu¶ t-¬ng tù. ¤ng nãi lµ c¸c nghiªn cøu tiªu biÓu cña
Mü vµ Ph¸p cho b»ng chøng kÕt luËn ®Çu tiªn lµ c¸ch ch÷a trÞ
miÔn nhiÔm thô ®éng lµ mét ph-¬ng ph¸p ®iÌu trÞ bÖnh AIDS h÷u
hiÖu.’’

ASSIGNMENT 20:
Translate the following text into English
H«m kh¸c, bµ l¹i kÓ vÒ mét gi¸o sÜ bµ biÕt. Vµo mét ®ªm, «ng
ta ®· thøc giÊc vµ thÊy mét ng-êi l¹ mÆt ®ang dùa vµo cuèi
gi-êng «ng. Mét chót lo sî, vÞ gi¸o sÜ ®· b×nh tÜnh hái xem
ng-êi ®ã muèn g×. ‘‘Th-a, con muèn x-ng téi‘‘, víi mét giäng
khµn khµn, ng-êi ®µn «ng ®¸p. VÞ gi¸o sÜ b¶o ng-êi ®ã r»ng h·y
®îi ®Õn s¸ng mai v× lóc nµy kh«ng tiÖn ®Ó x-ng téi. Ng-êi ®µn
«ng l¹i th-a: ‘‘LÇn tr-íc con ®· ®Õn x-ng téi, nh-ng v× xÊu hæ,
con ®· kh«ng nh¾c ®Õn mét téi lçi con ®· g©y ra, vµ ®iÒu nµy ®·
lu«n ¸m ¶nh trong t©m trÝ con cho ®Õn giê. ‘‘ VÞ gi¸o sÜ biÕt
®©y lµ mét tr-êng hîp rÊt tåi tÖ. Ng-êi ®µn «ng ®ã ®· thiÕu
thµnh thËt khi x-ng téi vµ cã lÏ «ng ta sÏ ph¶i nhËn l·nh téi
chÕt.VÞ gi¸o sÜ choµng dËy vµ chuÈn bÞ ¸o quÇn. §Õn lóc tiÕng
gµ b¾t ®Çu g¸y ngoµi s©n, «ng nh×n quanh nh-ng kh«ng thÊy ng-êi
 83

®©u c¶, chØ ngöi thÊy mïi gç ch¸y. ¤ng nh×n l¹i gi-êng nh-ng
còng kh«ng thÊy dÊu ®«i bµn tay ®ang bÞ ch¸y. LÝ do lµ v× ng-êi
®µn «ng ®ã ®· thiÕu ch©n thµnh lóc x-ng téi. C©u chuyªn ®· ®Ó
l¹i trong t«i mét nçi kinh hoµng.
§iÒu tåi tÖ nhÊt lµ lóc bµ Ryan bµy cho chóng t«i c¸ch ®Ó ph¸n
xÐt l-¬ng t©m. Chóng ta kªu tªn §øc Chóa Trêi cã v« cí kh«ng?
Chóng ta cã ph¶i th¶o kÝnh víi cha mÑ kh«ng? (T«i ®· hái bµ ta
lµ cã ph¶i kÝnh träng «ng bµ kh«ng vµ bµ b¶o lµ cã!) Cã yªu
th-¬ng hµng xãm nh- chÝnh cho b¶n th©n m×nh kh«ng? (T«i l¹i
nghÜ ®Õn sè tiÒn mµ Nora cã ®-îc vµo thø s¸u hµng tuÇn.) TÝnh
l¹i th× t«i còng ®· vi ph¹m 10 ®iÒu r¨n, tÊt c¶ chØ v× bµ néi
t«i. Vµ ®Õn b©y giê t«i cã thÓ nhËn ra r»ng chõng nµo néi t«i
cßn ë trong nhµ t«i, chõng ®ã t«i vÉn cßn tiÕp tôc ph¹m téi.
T«i sî x-ng téi ®Õn mÊt hån vÝa. Ngµy c¶ líp ®i, t«i gi¶ vê
®au r¨ng, hy väng sù v¾ng mÆt cña t«i sÏ kh«ng g©y sù chó ý.
Nh-ng vµo lóc 3 giê, khi t«i ®ang c¶m thÊy yªn æn th× mét anh
chµng ch¹y dÕn, cïng víi lêi nh¾n cña bµ Ryan b¶o r»ng t«i ph¶i
x-ng téi vµo ngµy thø b¶y t¹ nhµ nguyÖn cïng ví nh÷ng ng-êi cßn
l¹i. Tåi tÖ h¬n n÷a, mÑ t«i kh«ng ®i cïng t«i mµ l¹i lµ Nora.
Giê ®©y, Nora ®· cã c¸ch lµm t«i ®au ®ín mÇ mÑ kh«ng hÒ biÕt.
Nora n¾m lÊy tay t«i khi chóng t«i xuèng ch©n ®åi, mØm c-êi
buån b·. ChÞ Êy tá vÎ th-¬ng h¹i t«i nh- thÓ chÞ ®ang ®-a t«i
®Õn bÖnh viÖn cho mét ca mæ.
‘‘¤i Chóa ¬i! Xin h·y gióp chóng con! ‘‘ Nora rªn rØ. ‘‘Mµ còng
ch¼ng cã g× ®¸ng tiÕc v× em ®©u ph¶i lµ mét ®øa bÐ ngoan ph¶i
kh«ng Jackie? ¤i, Jackie, tim chÞ ®ang nhãi ®au v× em ®©y! Em
sÏ nghØ nh- thÕ nµo vÒ téi lçi cña m×nh nhØ? Nµy, ®õng quªn
x-ng c¸i téi em ®· ph¹m víi bµ ®Êy nhÐ! ‘‘
‘‘§Ó em ®i! ‘‘, võa nãi t«i cè giËt tay m×nh ra khái tay Nora.
‘‘Em kh«ng muèn ®i x-ng téi ®©u‘‘
‘‘Sao l¹i kh«ng, em ph¶i ®i Jackie ¹!‘‘ Nora còng ®¸p l¹i víi
giäng ®iÖu ®µy vÎ th-¬ng h¹i ®ã. ‘‘Em ph¶i ®i, nÕu kh«ng cha xø
sÏ ®Õn nhµ t×m em ®Êy. Cã Chóa míi biÕt, chÞ kh«ng c¶m thÊy téi
cho em chót nµo c¶. Em cã nhí c¸i lÇn em ®· cè giÕt chÞ b»ng
con dao c¾t b¸nh m× kh«ng? Vµ c¶ nh÷ng lêi lÏ em ®· nãi n÷a?
ChÞ kh«ng biÕt råi Cha sÏ lµm g× víi em. Cã thÓ Cha sÏ göi em
cho ®øc Gi¸m Môc. ‘‘
 84

M·i tËn b©y giê t«i vÉn cßn nhí lµ t«i ®· suy nghÜ mét c¸ch
cay ®¾ng ®Õn thÕ nµo. T«i nghÜ nÕu t«i cã ®i x-ng téi th× chÞ
Êy sÏ kh«ng biÕt ®Õn mét nöa nh÷ng g× t«i sÏ ph¶i nãi vµ lóc Êy
t«i bçng hiÓu t¹i sao c¸i anh chµng trong c©u chuyÖn cña bµ
Ryan ®· x-ng téi mét c¸ch kh«ng thµnh thËt. D-êng nhuwtooi còng
c¶m th¸y rÊt xÊu hæ v× mäi ng-êi ®· kh«ng ngõng chª tr¸ch anh
chµng ¸y.
T«i vÉn cßn nhí nh- in c¸i ®åi cã con dèc dÉn xuèng nhµ thê.
T«i cßn nhí c¶ nh÷ng ¸nh tµ d-¬ng tr¶i dµi hai bªn ngän ®åi n»m
xa xa c¸i thung lòng bªn bê s«ng. Trong c¶nh t-îng Êy, khi quay
nh×n l¹i nh÷ng kho¶ng kh«ng cña nh÷ng ng«i nhµ n»m c¸ch nhau,
t«i bæng liªn t-ëng ®Õn c¸i nh×n cuèi cïng cña Adam vÒ v-ên ®Þa
®µng.
Khi Nora ®· kÐo t«i xuèng hÕt nh÷ng bËc tam cÊp ®Õn s©n nhµ
thê, chÞ Êy bçng ®æi giäng. Nora trë nªn hung d÷ vµ ®éc ¸c nh-
chÝnh con ng-êi thËt cña chÞ Êy. ‘‘§Õn råi ®ã’’ Nora cÊt cao
giäng rÊt tù m·n råi quay manh ng-êi ®i nhanh vµo cöa nhµ thê.
Khi s¾p b-íc ®i, chÞ kh«ng quªn nÐm mét c©u n÷a: ‘‘Vµ tau hi
väng Cha sÏ cho mµy ®äc thËt nhiÒu kinh hèi lçi. §óng lµ ®å h-
®èn. ‘‘
Råi th× t«i biÕt m×nh ®· bÞ l¹c lâng thËt sù. T«i ®ang ®øng
tr-íc ‘‘Tßa ph¸n xÐt‘‘. Khi t«i b-íc vµo, c¸ch cöa víi nh÷ng «
kÝnh ®Çy mµu s¾c bçng ®ãng sÇm sau l-ng t«i. ¸nh mÆt trêi vôt
t¾t ®Ó nh-êng chç cho bãng tèi th¼m s©u. Giã cø xµo x¹c bªn
ngoµi lµm cho sù im lÆng bªn trong d-êng nh- vì ra l¹nh gi¸
d-íi ch©n t«i. Nora ngåi ®ã, ®èi diÖn víi cËu bÐ Jackie, bªn
c¹ch tßa x-ng téi. Tr-íc Nora cã thªm hai cô giµ n÷a. Råi bçng
nhiªn, mét bãng ®en tr«ng rÊt th¶m h¹i ®ang di ®Õn ®øng sau
l-ng t«i cø nh- thÓ kÑp t«i vµo gi÷a ®Ó t«i kh«ng thÓ nµo tho¸t
®-îc dÉu t«i cã can ®¶m ®Õn ®©u. C¸i bãng ®en míi ®Õn - mét
ng-êi ®µn «ng- ®øng ®ã, vßng tay l¹i, m¾t dâi lªn cao cÇu
nguyÖn víi mét giäng rÊt ®çi thèng hèi. Lóc Êy t«i tù hái m×nh
liÖu «ng Êy cã ph¶i lµ ng-êi còng gièng néi t«i kh«ng. Bëi v×
chØ cã bµ míi khiÕn cho mét chµng trai ph¶i c- xö mét c¸ch th¶m
th-¬ng nh- vËy. Nh-ng dï sao, anh Êy vÉn tèt h¬n t«i. Ýt ra anh
ta ®· ®Õn ®©y ®Ó x-ng téi. Cßn t«i, cã thÓ t«i sÏ kh«ng x-ng
téi mét c¸ch thµnh thËt, råi t«i sÏ bÞ chÕt ®i trong bãng ®ªm
vµ liªn tôc trë vÒ ®Ó ph¸ ph¸ch ®å ®¹c.
 85

ASSIGNMENT 21:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
1. Generally, after a time of stagnation, HCMC' s private textile embroidery industry has
recovered and develop somewhat since 1991. Yet development is not stable because most
private units work according to foreign orders. Consequently, they can't control their
production plan, and labour price for making garments is limited by foreign partners (the
labour cost of 1995 is equal to 65 - 70% of that in 1991 - 1992). Due to the very nature of the
industry, the average wage of those working in this branch is only about VND 400,000 per
month. Under the current fierce competition, the amount of 15% of total wages for social
insurance and 2% for medical insurance that enterprises must contribute, if the proposed
social insurance scheme comes into effect, will push up production costs to very high levels,
making it difficult for Vietnamese ventures to compete effectively and occupy the market.
To help private textile embroidery businesses survive, Mr. Nam has suggested, the State
should amend the contribution rate of non - State ventures to Social Insurance schemes, as
follows:
- Social Insurance: 10% by enterprise, 3% by employee.
- Medical Insurance: 1 % by enterprises, 1 % by employee
The State should also issue a regulation concerning employees who are trained and recruited
by an enterprise, and are obligated to work for at least two years. It is necessary that
employees working at non-- State ventures should be given a work card. Employer agreement
may be required if an employee want to leave his or her job.
All members of HCMC's Textile - Embroidery Association agree on the implementation of
contributing a part of total wages to Social and Medical Insurance, in compliance with the
Labour Code.
2. Business leaders of big companies in HCMC have voiced difficulties they are facing with
in the fierce competition against foreign companies, especially world giants.
At a meeting on "How to encourage foreign investment and protect domestic production" held
in HCMC last week, producers of Tico and Lux Detergent, P/S Cosmetics, Tribeco Soft
Drink, Viet Thang Textiles, Saigon Beer and HCMC Poultry Company, had the same opinion
that local enterprises are not in an equal footing in competing with foreign counterparts as
they do not enjoy tax incentives as foreign-invested enterprises.
Only a year after the US embargo was lifted, soft drink giants such as Coca Cola and Pepsi
Cola, which have enjoyed superior advantages in capital, marketing policies and preferences
under the Foreign Investment Law, have gradually eaten into the market shares of local
producers. Other products are also in the same situation. Saigon Beer has to compete fiercely
with breweries of foreign Joint-ventures. Local detergent producers, although capable of
meeting domestic demand to the year 2000, have driven into the corner by giants such as
Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
To protect domestic production, local producers have proposed several measures to the
Government. First, the State should devise specific development plans for foreign investment
in terms of business field and geographical area and should not encourage foreign investment
in products, which local enterprises can produce such as soft drink, detergent, paper and
 86

cigarettes. Second, licenses should be granted only to JVs or 100% foreign-owned enterprises,
which involve in projects requiring large capital, advanced technology or producing goods for
export. Third, a law should be enacted against unfair competition that can lead to monopoly,
dumping or price inflation that does not benefit consumers. Fourth, there should be a policy to
encourage domestic investment and to grant domestic enterprises the same tax incentives as
foreign investors enjoy. Fifth, a campaign to motivate local consumers to use domestic goods
should be launched, creating conditions for domestic enterprises to develop.

ASSIGNMENT 22:
Translate the following text into English
Ng-êi nghÌo th-êng cã nhiÒu con h¬n nh÷ng ng-êi thuéc giíi
trung l-u vµ th-îng l-u. Vµ d©n ë c¸c n-íc kÐm ph¸t triÓn th×
cã nhiÒu con h¬n d©n cña c¸c n-íc ph¸t triÓn. Ngµy cµng cã
nhiÒu chuyªn gia vÒ d©n sè thÊy ®-îc mèi quan hÖ kh¨ng khÝt
gi÷a sè con trong gia ®×nh vµ sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ.
T¹i mét vµi vïng, dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh cña chÝnh phñ
cã lÏ kh«ng cã ®èi víi d©n nghÌo do ®iÒu kiÖn ®Þa lý. Ch¼ng h¹n
nh- ng-êi d©n ë n«ng th«n sèng qu¸ xa trung t©m kÕ ho¹ch hãa
gia ®×nh. Do vËy hä kh«ng nhËn ®-îc th«ng tin vÒ c¸ch thøc h¹n
chÕ sinh ®Î. Nh×n chung th× d©n thµnh thÞ cã nhiÒu th«ng tin
h¬n d©n n«ng th«n. D©n ë thµnh thÞ ®-îc hæ trî dÞch vô kÕ ho¹ch
hãa gia ®×nh, vµ hä cã gia ®×nh Ýt con h¬n. V× thÕ chóng ta cã
thÓ nãi r»ng vÞ trÝ ®Þa lý n¬i mµ ng-êi d©n sèng ®ãng mét vai
trß qan träng trong viÖc quyÕt dÞnh mät gia ®×nh nªn sinh bao
nhiªu con: Gia ®×nh sèng ë thµnh thÞ th× cã Ýt con h¬n gia ®×nh
sèng ë n«ng th«n.
Nh÷ng lý do kh¸c lµ g×? Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ gia ®×nh, hay ë
mét ph¹m vi lín h¬n lµ cña mét n-íc, lµ mét nh©n tè quan träng
trong viÖc quyÕt ®Þnh sè con trong gia ®×nh. Ng-êi cã nhiÒu
tiÒn th× cã Ýt con. Ng-îc l¹i, ng-êi nghÌo ë n-íc kÐm ph¸t
triÓn muèn cã nhiÒu con. T¹i sao? Do hä ph¶i lÖ thuéc vµo sù
ch¨m sãc cña con c¸i khi vÒ giµ. Hä kh«ng cã b¶o hiÓm, tiÒn
h-u, hay sù gióp ®ì cña chÝnh phñ. Khi hä giµ c¶ th× ai sÏ gióp
hä. C©u tr¶ lêi rÊt ®¬n gi¶n. Hä cã thÓ vµ sÏ quay sang nhê con
c¸i gióp ®ì. Con c¸i cña hä b©y giê ®· trë thµnh ng-êi lín vµ
®ang ®i lµm viÖc. TÊt c¶ con c¸i cña hä ®Òu ph¶i chia sÏ vµ
g¸nh v¸c tr¸ch nhiÖm ch¨m sãc cha mÑ. §èi vãi nhiÒu ng-êi
nghÌo, mét gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ mét c¸ch thøc ®Ó ho¹ch ®Þnh cho
t-¬ng lai. Chóng ta cã thÓ nãi r»ng gia ®×nh ®«ng con lµ nguån
b¶o hiÓm cho tuæi giµ.
 87

ASSIGNMENT 23:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
“Indonesia will face a record food deficit this year as a result of lower harvests and a
financial crisis that has raised the cost of imports”, two UN food agencies said yesterday.
In a joint report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the world Food
programme (WFP) said large - scale international assistance would be needed to meet a short
fall in rice, the country's main staple food.
" FA0 - WFP urge donor countries to assist Indonesia in managing its drought- and financial
crisis- related food problems " the report by the two Rome - based organizations said. Steep
food price increases and rapidly growing unemployment were adding large numbers of people
to those already living below the poverty line, the report added.
" Approximately 7,5 million poor Indonesians in 15 provinces may experience acute food
short ages during the upcoming dry season ". said the report on the world's fourth - most
populous country whose economy has been shattered. The report was based on findings of an
11-- member mission from the two agencies, which visited the country from March 9 to April
1 in 1998. This year‟s yield would be about 47.5 million tones, 3.6 percent below last year's
production.
The shortfall was due to one of Indonesia's worst droughts this century. The report said the
Indonesian government planned to import about 1.5 million tones of rice between April and
September but this would still leave a deficit of two million tones.
The shortfall would have to be made up by the international community in order to help the
country to revive its battered economy.
The major challenge facing the country was to ensure the food supply for some 7.5 million
poor people since rice and overall food prices have increased by about 60 percent in the last
12 months, the report said.

ASSIGNMENT 24:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Vietnam on Wednesday said it would join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) next year, dispelling speculation that Hanoi might put off membership until it. was
better prepared.
"Vietnam is now actively preparing all necessary conditions to become a full member of
ASEAN next year," Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told business people over lunch
organised by the Switzerland - based World Economic Forum (WEF), which is hosting a three
day meeting here.
Khai said that Hanoi would also participate in other regional organisations and would join the
17 - member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum "When it is possible".
 88

In Jakarta, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Khoan was quoted as saying that his
country would file an application for ASEAN membership by the end of this month or early in
November.
Khoan, who was speaking after meeting Jakarta - based ASEAN Secretary - general Ajil,
Singh, said he did not expect any difficulties in joining, as quoted by the Antara news agency.
APEC 's members include the ASEAN countries- - Brunei; Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand- - as well as the United States, Canada, Japan and China.
An informal APEC leaders meeting will be held in Indonesia next month.
Vietnam, which gained observer status in ASEAN in 1992, has said it is keen to become a full
member of the group, which has ambitious programmes for cooperation, including the launch
of an ASEAN Free Trade Area within 10 years.
ASEAN officials had hoped that Vietnam might join ASEAN before leaders of the group 's
six current members hold their next summit in Thailand in December 1995.
"There are already regulations for cooperation in ASEAN. Once we are a member we will
follow all regulations," Khai told reporters later, adding that Hanoi would work with others in
Southeast Asia to ensure regional peace.
Khai said his government would push ahead with reforms to improve conditions for foreign
investment by putting a new legal framework and better administrative procedures in place.
"We deeply understand that Vietnam is facing great challenges of global economic
competition and so must try hard to do away with the danger of being left far behind by
neighbouring countries, "he said
ASSIGNMENT 25:
Translate the following texts into Vietnamese
1. Ngành sản xuất đã phát triển đáng kể trong thời kỳ tái thiết nền kinh tế của Philippines sau
Chiến tranh Thế giới thứ II. Việc kiểm soát hàng hoá nhập khẩu của chính phủ đã thúc đẩy sự
phát triển ngành công nghiệp nhẹ sản xuất các mặt hàng tiêu dùng cho thị trường trong nước.
Vào những năm 70, chính phủ đã xây dựng bốn đặc khu kinh tế nhằm tăng cường sản xuất
hàng hoá xuất khẩu. Các ngành công nghiệp trong các khu chế xuất này được khuyến khích
sản xuất các mặt hàng xuất khẩu truyền thống. Những đặc khu kinh tế này đã thu hút vốn đầu
tư của nước ngoài vào Philippines một phần nhờ vào chính sách miễn thuế cho các doanh
nghiệp có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài. Xây dựng thành công những đặc khu kinh tế này đã tạo tiền
đề cho sự ra đời các khu công nghiệp có qui mô lớn hơn. Chẳng hạn như, căn cứ hải quân
Subic Bay của Mỹ trước đây nay đã trở thành một khu thương mại-công nghiệp khổng lồ ở
Manila. Một khu công nghiệp-thương mại lớn với cơ sở hạ tầng hiện đại và được miễn thuế đã
thu hút các ngành công nghiệp sản xuất hàng xuất khẩu và đầu tư nước ngoài.

2. Việt Nam đã nổ lực duy trì sự ổn định chính trị xã hội, phát triển kinh tế và quan hệ ngoại
giao trong những năm gần đây. Những thay đổi tích cực của luật pháp đã ảnh hưởng không
nhỏ đến tình hình sản xuất, tài chính và thương mại. Nhờ nông nghiệp thích ứng với thị
trường tự do nên Việt Nam được xếp là nước xuất khẩu gạo lớn thứ hai trên thế giới sau Thái
Lan. Tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh và vùng phụ cận những hoạt động dịch vụ và sản xuất đã
phát triển và thay đổi nhanh chóng. Kinh tế phát triển mạnh một phần nhờ vào nguồn đầu tư
vốn và công nghệ của gần 2 triệu Việt Kiều ở các nước trên thế giới. Đa số họ đã quay trở về
Việt Nam để đầu tư và liên lạc với bà con.
 89

3. ChØ 1 n¨m sau khi lÖnh cÊm vËn cña Mü ®-îc b·i bá, c¸c c«ng
ty n-íc gi¶i kh¸t khæng lå nh- Coca-cola, Pep si- Cola ®-îc
h-ëng -u ®·i vÒ vèn, chÝnh s¸ch tiÕp thÞ vµ c¸c -u ®·i kh¸c
theo luËt §Çu T- N-íc Ngoµi, nªn c¸c c«ng ty nµy ®· dÇn dÇn
th©m nhËp thÞ phÇn cña c¸c nhà s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc. C¸c s¶n
phÈm kh¸c còng r¬i vµo hoµn c¶nh t-¬ng tù. Bia Sµi Gßn ph¶i
c¹nh tranh quyÕt liÖt víi c¸c c«ng ty bia liªn doanh víi n-íc
ngoµi. C¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt bét giÆt trong n-íc, mÆc dï cã thÓ ®¸p
øng nhu cÇu trong n-íc ®Õn n¨m 2005, nh-ng l¹i bÞ c¸c c«ng ty
khæng lå nh- Procter & Gamble vµ Unilever dån vµo thÕ bÝ.

4. §Ó b¶o vÖ viÖc s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt trong
n-íc ®· ®Ò nghÞ víi chÝnh phñ mét sè biÖn ph¸p. Thø nhÊt, nhµ
n-íc nªn cã kÕ ho¹ch ph¸t triÓn dµnh riªng cho viÖc ®Çu t- n-íc
ngoµi vÒ l·nh vùc kinh doanh vµ ph©n bè theo vïng ®Þa lý vµ
kh«ng nªn khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi vµo viÖc s¶n xuÊt ra
c¸c s¶n phÈm mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc cã kh¶ n¨ng s¶n
xuÊt ®-îc nh- n-íc gi¶i kh¸t, bét giÆt, giÊy vµ thuèc l¸. Thø
hai, viÖc cÊp giÊy phÐp nªn ®-îc ¸p dông cho c¸c c«ng ty liªn
doanh hay c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi tham gia
vµo c¸c dù ¸n ®ßi hái cã nhiÒu vèn, c«ng nghÖ cao hay s¶n xuÊt
c¸c mÆt hµng xuÊt khÈu. Thø ba, lµ nªn cã mét ®¹o luËt chèng
®èi viÖc c¹nh tranh kh«ng lµnh m¹nh cã thÓ dÉn ®éc quyÒn kinh
doanh, ph¸ gi¸ lµm h¹i ng-êi tiªu dïng.

5. Trong tiếng Việt, từ “nước” vừa có ý nghĩa là quốc gia, vừa có ý nghĩa là nước, một liên kết
về ngôn ngữ mà mối ràng buộc càng thấy rõ ràng sau một chuyến đi thăm vùng đất phì nhiêu
nhất Việt Nam: Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long. Do phù sa bồi đắp của dòng sông Cửu Long làm
phong phú vựa lúa đầy ắp này, tượng trưng cho nguồn lương thực của cả nước cũng như
phong cách sinh hoạt kề cận sông nước của cư dân trong vùng. Đối với du khách, Đồng bằng
sông Cửu Long là một trong những địa chỉ tham quan đẹp nhất Đông Nam Á, kết hợp cái kỳ
ảo của vùng sông nước lung linh với cảnh quan đầy phấn khởi của một nền văn hoá vui tươi
thể hiện qua cách sinh hoạt của dân địa phương cùng hoạt động thương mại. Trong khi những
thành phố lớn như Cần Thơ, Mỹ Tho, Long Xuyên lập thành thế vững cho các tỉnh của Đồng
bằng sông Cửu Long thì mạng lưới kênh rạch mênh mông lại là cái duyên có một không hai
của vùng này. Sinh hoạt vui nhộn của vùng này không giống mấy với cách sinh hoạt của
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Tuy nhiên điều đó không có nghĩa là phải khó khăn lắm mới tới
được Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long để thoát khỏi cái ồn ào náo nhiệt của thành phố lớn nhất
Miền Nam này. Chỉ mất chừng ba giờ đồng hồ bằng xe đò trên Quốc lộ 1 là bạn là bạn đến
Mỹ Tho, thủ phủ của tỉnh Tiền Giang và là điểm xuất phát tốt cho cuộc thăm dò vùng đồng
bằng này.
 90

CHAPTER 3: ASSIGNMENT KEYS

ASSIGNMENT 1:
II. EXERCISES:
A.
1. change of form
2. change of meaning
3. change of form
4. change of meaning
5. change of form
B
6.the jug contains water/ the jug of water/
7. a car was bought by John/ John owned a car/ A car belonged to John.
8. the day is hot/ the day, which is hot
9. a blue long dress of mother/ mother has a blue long dress
10. the house of Peter/ Peter is the owner of the house/ Peter owns the house
C.
1. the place where doctor works/ the docter owns the office
2 someone is treated by the doctor
3. thec doctor owns the book
4. the relative of the doctor/ the kinship
5. the hand is part of the doctor
6. the doctor owns the house
D.
1. the same in meaning
2. different in meaning
3. the same in meaning
4 . the same in meaning
5. the same in meaning
6. the same in meaning
7. the same in meaning
8. different in meaning
9. the same in meaning
10. different in meaning
E.
 91

1. Where did you have/ get your shirt made?

2. Da Lat, which is surrounded by the great/imposing hills and mountains, takes up/covers/is
situated in a large area on the Lam Vien Plateau.
3. Despite the great improvement in the woman status, other things must be done to improve
women‟s health, nutrition and education.

4. Nowadays, the world has been facing a number of serious problems in spite of the fact that
there have been dramatic progress in science, technologyand knowledge. One of the problems
is the population explosion/boom in the developing countries. The population is growing in
geometric progression while thee production of goods is growing in arithmetic prgression .

5. Charles Dickens, who belongs to the school of critical realism, is one of the greatest
novelists in the world. What we value in his works is the criticism about evils and the contrast
between the wealth and poverty in the English bougeois society of his time. The world he
describes is that of the middle and lower classes in London.

ASSIGNMENT 2:
II.
A. 1. b. 2.a 3. a 4.a
B.
1. Foreign tourists usually at Kinh Do Hotel for this hotel has been recommended by their
friends.
2. Since the USA lifted the embargo against Vietnam, many foreign countries have been
investing in Vietnam.
3. Hue is famous for its delicious dishes and beautiful landscapes.
4. The participants discussed the causes of pollution environment.
5 . A motorcycle rider was robbed at Kampung early yesterday morning.
C.
1. change word order
2. change structure/ change word collocation
3. change set expression
4. change the meaning of the verb and adjective
5. omitting relative clause
D.
1. Thac Mo is a hydroelectric works with a designed of 150000 KW, annually produce 600
million KWH/ has an average annual output of 150000 KWH.
2. To construct this, nearly 15 million cubic meters of earth and stone must be dug up and
banked up; over 350000 cubic meters of filtering layers were embanked; about 220000 cubic
 92

meters of concrete were used and nearly 7000 tons of equipment and metal structures were
installed.
3. Despite such enormous volume, the government has decided to have the construction
finished in two years since the demand in power supply of southern localities has become very
pressing.
4. So far, the construction units have carried out about 90% of the dug-up earth volume,
concreted some 40% of the concrete volume.
5. According Mr. Nguyen Ba Man, head of the work managing committee, nearly all the basic
items have met the demand in construction speed.
6. In mid November 93, the Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet came to inspect the building of Thac
Mo Hydroelectric works.
7. The field leaders assured the Prime Minister that they already have grounds to ensure the
operation of Turbine 1 in June 1994.
8. The task of blocking the current of Song Be River will start in December.
9. Thus, there will be a significant coincidence when Turbine 1 of Thac Mo Hydro-electric
Plant starts operating. The North-South 500 KV transmission line will also be completed
simultaneously.
10. With these sources of power in 1994, the South will basically free itself from the hunger
for electricity.
D.
1. MÆc dï kÓ tõ n¨m 1990, ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc dµnh cho c¸c
tr-êng häc ®· ®-îc t¨ng lªn nh-ng vÉn cßn rÊt thÊp so víi nhu
cÇu trang bÞ ®Çy ®ñ cho tr-êng häc vµ c¶i tiÕn chÊt l-îng ®µo
t¹o.
2. Tæng thèng Putin kh¼ng ®Þnh r»ng n-íc Nga lu«n coi träng
mèi quan hÖ víi ViÖt Nam , ng-êi b¹n truyÒn thèng vµ lµ ®èi t¸c
chiÕn l-îc ë §«ng Nam ¸.
3. Ng-êi ta lËp dù ¸n ®Ó t¨ng thªm c¬ héi héi nhËp cho 3000
trÎ em khuyÕt tËt ë ba tØnh , mét ë vïng nói, mét ë vïng duyªn
h¶i MiÒn Trung vµ mét ë vïng s©u vïng xa
4. Hä ®· th¶o luËn mét lo¹t c¸c biÖn ph¸p nh»m môc ®Ých b¶o
®¶m sù hîp t¸c toµn diÖn vÒ kinh tÕ, th-¬ng m¹i, khoa häc vµ kü
thuËt.
5. Ng-êi ta ®ang thùc hiÖn mäi næ lùc ®Ó n©ng cao nhËn thøc
cña phô n÷ vÒ viÖc hä cã quyÒn ®-îc h-ëng sù an toµn lao ®éng ,
hay ®iÒu kiÖn vÖ sinh lao ®éng th«ng qua m¹ng l-íi truyÒn
th«ng më réng.
6. Râ rµng r»ng c¸c tr-êng häc ë c¸c tØnh phÝa nam cã nhiÒu
phßng m¸y vµ phßng thùc hµnh ®-îc dïng vµo viÖc ngo¹i ng÷ h¬n
c¸c tr-êng ë c¸c tØnh phÝa B¾c.
7. §· cã bèn dù ¸n ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi cho gi¸o dôc. Vèn ®Çu t-
chñ yÕu tõ Ng©n Hµng ThÕ Giíi vµ Ng©n hµng Ph¸t triÓn Ch©u ¸.
 93

8. 38 trong sè 50 sinh viªn ngo¹i ng÷ ®-îc b¸o Vietnam Courier

nãi r»ng hä kh«ng thÝch lµm viÖc cho c¸c c«ng ty ®-îc n-íc
ngoµi ®Çu t-.
9. ViÖt Nam vµ Trung Quèc ®ång ý më c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n ®Ó ký
kÕt mét hiÖp ®Þnh vÒ l·nh thæ vµ biªn giíi vµ mét hiÖp ®Þnh vÒ
l·nh h¶i tr-íc n¨m 2000.
10. Míi ®©y chÝnh phñ ®· d-a ra biÖn ph¸p khÝch lÖ nh- gi¶m
thuÕ hoÆc cho vay -u ®·i cho nh÷ng chñ nh©n sö dông nhiÒu c«ng
nh©n n÷.

ASSIGNMENT 3:
Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese
1. Since early in the last lunar month, Tet has already roamed around the vicinities of Hanoi.
2. The peasants in the suburbs are probably the ones to feel the presence of Tet before anyone
else because all their tasks from taking care of vegetables, fruits, grass, flowers to fattening
pigs and poultry are for Tet‟s sake.
3. Moving down from Kinh Bac, we will see immense fields of flowers especially gladioli of
all colors.
4. Adjacent to the inner city are flower districts: Nhat Tan, Nghi Tam, Quang Ba with a
number of varieties: dark pink peach blossoms, juicy golden kamquat, purplish violet and
bright red gerbera .
5. A few year ago, here was a vast land of flowers sufficiently meeting the need of ornamental
plants for Hanoi people.
6. The local inhabitants have long been artisans devoting their lives to growing flowers.
7. It is a regret to see the narrowing flower acreage due to a change in business of a number of
artisans.
8. Some have sold their land and left their occupations forever. Others have turned to building
luxury villas rented out as mini hotels to foreign tourists with their own capital or in
cooperation with those who have capital.
9. Stores and shops have musroomed, selling all kinds of goods from the most popular to the
top-graded ones.
10 No wonder why Hanoi has changed and been developed in the open-door time. Hopefully,
Hanoi and its people will always deserve the land of age-old culture.
B
1. Mµn tr×nh diÔn chÝnh cña lÔ héi lµ mét mµn diÔn mang tªn ‘‘
§Êt Lµnh Chim §Ëu’’ d-îc tr×nh diÔn ®ång thêi ë ba s©n khÊu lín
ë khu trung t©m.
2. Toµn bé khu vùc quanh ®Òn tËp trung ®Æc kÝn ng-êi, chØ chõa
méy kho¶ng nhá cho nh÷ng nghi lÔ ®-îc tiÕn hµnh.
 94

3. §Ó gi¶m bít chi phÝ trong viÖc t¨ng kh¶ n¨ng tiÕp cËn c¶u
trÎ em tµn tËt víi gi¸o dôc, chÝnh phñ ®· ph¸t ®éng ch-¬ng
tr×nh gi¸o dôc vµ héi nhËp céng ®ång.

4. Trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y ®Ó lËp l¹i trËt tù c«ng céng, Hµ
Néi ®· dêi mét sè khu chî t¹m ®Õn nh÷ng vïng ®· ®-îc qui ®Þnh.
Nh-ng trong sè 4 khu chî ®¨ ®-îc qui ®Þnh , th× chØ cã chî §ång
T©m ®-îc dêi tõ khu d©n c- §èng §a sang khu vùc §¹i La.

5. Ngoµi viÖc ®Çu t- tõ ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc, tÊt c¶ c¸c tr-êng
häc ph¶i t×m c¸c nguån tµi chÝnh kh¸c ®Ó mua ®å dïng d¹y häc.
Tuy nhiªn, c¸c nguån nµy chØ b»ng 13% ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc dµnh
cho c¸c tr-êng phæ th«ng vµ 21% cho c¸c tr-êng ®¹i häc.
6. Tæng thu nhËp ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc ®¹t xÊp xØ møc ®Ò ra ban
®Çu. Nh÷ng nguån chi tiªu b×nh th-êng vÉn ®-îc ®¶m b¶o, trong
khi ®ã c¸c kho¶n chi bÊt th-êng cho c¸c vïng bÞ b·o, lôt, h¹n
h¸n vÉn ®-îc thùc hiÖn. ViÖc th©m hôt ng©n s¸ch nhµ n-íc ®-îc
gi÷ ë møc cho phÐp lµ 3,6% tæng thu nhËp quèc néi vµo n¨m 1998,
thÊp h¬n n¨m 1997 lµ 4,2%.
7.. Sù ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ cña ViÖt Nam ph¶i ®-îc xÐt trong
hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh kÐo dµi. Hoµn c¶nh chiÕn tranh Êy ®· g©y
ra nhiÒu thiÖt h¹i vÒ sinh m¹ng vµ tµi s¶n còng nh- c¸c c«ng
tr×nh c«ng céng vµ tµi nguyªn.

8. M¹ng l-íi truyÒn h×nh ®ang x©y dùng réng kh¾p c¶ n-íc.
Ngoµi nh÷ng ®µi truyÒn h×nh t-¬ng ®èi hiÖn ®¹i, cã tõ l©u ®êi
nh- ®µi truyÒn h×nh Hµ Néi vµ Thµnh Phè Hå ChÝ Minh, cßn cã 25
®µi thuéc c¸c tØnh ®-îc thµnh lËp vµo n¨m 1988. Nh÷ng ®µi
truyÒn h×nh nµy sÏ truyÒn nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh quan träng cña ®µi
truyÒn h×nh trung -¬ng vµ ph¸t ch-¬ng tr×nh cña ®µi m×nh.

9. Héi Liªn HiÖp Phô N÷ ViÖt Nam ®-îc cö ®¹i diÖn ë Quèc Héi
vµ chñ tÞch héi ®-îc quyÒn tham dù c¸c cuéc häp th-êng kú cña
Héi §ång Bé Tr-ëng ®Ó bµy tá quan ®iÓm cña Héi vµ ®Ò nghÞ nh÷ng
®iÒu lÖ liªn quan ®Õn phô n÷.

10. Gia ®×nh ViÖt Nam chÞu ¶nh h-áng râ rÖt cña nÒn v¨n minh
n«ng nghiÖp. Do chÝnh s¸ch më cöa, nÒn v¨n minh c«ng nghiÖp
®ang t¸c ®éng tõng ngµy, tõng giê vµo cuéc sèng gia ®×nh ViÖt
Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 4:
 95

A.
1. to give information
2. about invironmental protection / to be more exact, it is about deforestation.
3. It depends on the leaners‟ ability.
4. yes/ a bilingual dictionary and the context could help to discover the meanings of these
words.
5.yes
6. ` N¹N PH¸ RõNG
Sù gia t¨ng d©n sè lµ mét nh©n tè g©y ra n¹n ph¸ rõng nhiÖt
®íi. Tuy nhiªn, nÕu cho r»ng viÖc më réng mét nÒn n«ng nghiÖp
tù cung tù cÊp ®Ó nu«i sèng nhiÒu miÖng ¨n h¬n lµ nguyªn nh©n
chÝnh, th× ®©y lµ mét gi¶i thÝch v« c¨n cø. §¹i bé phËn rõng ë
Ch©u Mü La Tinh, §N¸ vµ Th¸i B×nh D-¬ng bÞ tµn ph¸ lµ do viÖc
khai hoang ®Ó trång c¸c lo¹i n«ng s¶n xuÊt khÈu vµ do c¸c ho¹t
®éng bu«n b¸n gç , chø kh«ng ph¶i do n¹n du canh, du c- vµ t¸
®iÒn g©y nªn. Hµng n¨m ho¹t ®éng bu«n b¸n gç ®· ph¸ huû 4500
km2 rõng, phÇn lín gç ®-îc xuÊt khÈu sang Mü vµ NhËt.
Mèi liªn hÖ gi÷a n¹n ph¸ rõng vµ nhu cÇu thµnh lËp x· héi phån
vinh ®-îc thÊy râ nÐt nhÊt ë Trung Mü vµ Brazin n¬i nh÷ng c¸nh
rõng nhiÖt ®íi ®· bÞ biÕn thµnh ®ång cá ch¨n th¶ v× viÖc nu«i
gia sóc mang l¹i c¸c kho¶n lîi nhuËn xuÊt khÈu gióp tr¶ nî n-íc
ngoµi. Kho¶n nî n-íc ngoµi khæng lå ®ang ®Ì nÆng lªn vai d©n
nghÌo chñ yÕu ®-îc dïng ®Ó trang tr¶i cho c¸c kho¶n mua s¾m xa
xØ cña chÝnh phñ vµ qu©n ®éi. ViÖc x©y dùng c¸c ®iÒn trang ch¨n
th¶ réng lín lµ nguyªn nh©n chÝnh dÉn ®Õn viÖc ph¸ huû 2000 km2
rõng nhiÖt ®íi hµng n¨m ë Trung vµ Nam Mü. §Êt khai hoang chñ
yÕu dïng cho viÖc nu«i bß xuÊt khÈu phôc vô cho ngµnh c«ng
nghiÖp thøc ¨n nhanh ë B¾c Mü, Ch©u ¢u vµ NhËt- vïng xøng víi
tªn gäi lµ ‘‘vïng giao l-u hamburger’’
A.
1. to give information
2. about Vietnam,its language and people
3. It depends on the leaners‟ ability.
4. yes/ a bilingual dictionary and the context could help to discover the meanings of these
words.
5.yes
COUNTRY
Our ancestors drank the water from the Red River, Da River, Me Kong River and tried hard/
spare no pain to protect them. Just think about the fact that very few languages in the world
enjoy the uniformity as in the case of our mother tongue. In Vietnam, the word “nuoc” (in the
river, lake and sea) have a synonym and homonym of the word “nuoc” signifying homeland.
 96

Here like an immortal bloc the rivers and people are closely linked to the nature and people by
a kind of everlasting cement. That is the patriotism of the Vietnamese people.

In the world, there are many countries where people cannot communicate with one another
when they travel from one province to another. In Vietnam, on the contrary, no matter where
they are from, the north or the south, people are able to understand one another right at the
first meeting.

ASSIGNMENT 5:
A.
1. Trong lÞch sö loµi ng-êi khoa häc ®-îc xem nh- cã sø mÖnh
gi¶i phãng con ng-êi khái sù ngu dèt, sù mª tÝn, gi¶m ®ãi nghÌo
vµ t¨ng tÇm hiÓu biÕt cña con ng-êi vÒ thÕ giíi.
2. Tê N. A ®· ca ngîi c¸c nhµ khoa häc cña thêi ®¹i ®ã lµ c¸c
nhµ truyÒn b¸ ¸nh s¸ng, nh÷ng ng-êi sÏ xua tan bãng ®ªm vµ më
ra con ®-êng cho con ng-êi chinh phôc thiªn nhiªn. Trong thêi
kú ®ã, nh÷ng ph¸t minh kh«ng t-ëng nh- m¸y bay, tµu ngÇm vµ
®iÖn tho¹i ®· ®-îc dù b¸o tr-íc.
3. Nh÷ng ai quan t©m ®Õn ngµnh c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh tin rµng
chóng ta ®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc c¸ch m¹ng vÒ m¸y tÝnh. T¹i sao
cuéc c¸ch m¹ng nµy x¶y ra ? §iÒu nµy cã mang l¹i hËu qu¶ g× cho
x· héi? §Ó tr¶ lêi nh÷ng c©u hái nµy, cÇn phØa s¬ l-îc vÒ lÞch
sö m¸y tÝnh.
4. M¸y tÝnh ®Çu tiªn -bµn tÝnh , do ng-êi Trung Quèc ph¸t minh
c¸ch ®©y 5000 n¨m lµ tiÒn th©n cña m¸y tÝnh hiÖn ®¹i sau nµy.
Cho ®Õn thÕ kû thø 17, ë Ch©u ¢u ch-a cã g× cã thÓ s¸nh b»ng
bµn tÝnh vÒ tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n.
5. M¸y tÝnh ®-îc ph¸t triÓn ®ång thêi ë §øc, Anh vµ Mü ®Ó t¨ng
thªm tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n cÇn cho viÖc
gi¶i m· th«ng ®iÖp cña kÎ thï.
6. Ngµy nay , nhiÒu c«ng viÖc trong c¸c kh©u s¶n xuÊt vµ dÞch
vô do con ng-êi ®¶m tr¸ch cã thÓ ®-îc thùc hiÖn nhanh h¬n vµ Ýt
tèn kÐm h¬n nhê sù trî gióp cña c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh vµ c¸c thiÕt
bÞ ®-îc m¸y tÝnh kiÓm so¸t.
7. Ng-êi m¸y ®ang dÇn thay thÕ c«ng nh©n trong d©y chuyÒn s¶n
xuÊt nh- nhµ m¸y chÕ t¹o « t« Fiat cña ý vµ Nissan cña NhËt.
Vµo n¨m 1980, 50 robot ®· ®-îc c¸c c«ng ty cña óc sö dông ch¼ng
h¹n nh- h·ng General Motors Ford, Nissan vµ Simpson Pope
8. C«ng ty nµo kh«ng sö dông c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh ®Òu kh«ng thÓ
c¹nh tranh ®-îc víi c¸c ®èi thñ ¸p dông c«ng nghÖ nµy. B»ng
chøng lµ sù thÊt b¹i cña c«ng nghiÖp s¶n xuÊt ®ång hå Thuþ SÜ
trong 2 n¨m võa qua do bÞ ®ång hå ®iÖn tö c¹nh tranh nªn ®·
thÊt thu 200 triÖu ®« la mçi n¨m.
 97

9. Cïng víi viÖc c¬ giíi ho¸ ë mét sè qui tr×nh s¶n xuÊt, b-íc
®Çu ®· g©y ra n¹n thÊt nghiÖp víi sè l-îng lín. Nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n
lµnh nghÒ trong ngµnh tiÓu thñ c«ng nghiÖp vèn khan hiÕm tr-íc
®©y, nay bçng d-ng tù hä c¶m thÊy thõa d- vµ thiÕu kü n¨ng
trong nÒn c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i.
10. Nh÷ng ý t-ëng khoa häc vÜ ®¹i nµy ®· ph¸t triÓn vµo thÕ kû
18 vµ 19. Cuéc c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp Anh vµo cuèi thÕ kû 18
cµng cñng cè niÒm tin vµo mét x· héi khoa häc kü thuËt mÆc dï
lîi nhuËn x· héi thu vµo kh«ng bï ®-îc chi phÝ x· héi bá ra .
B
1. Dung Quat Bay is to the northeast of Binh Son District, QN Province. It is 18 km long and
is protected by mountain ranges.
2. To the south of the bay is an area of flat land having geographical structure with an area of
tens of square kilometers.
3. Here will be formed / established heavy industry and chemical zones, oil refineries, sea
products processing zone, light industry zone, and a modern urban residential area with about
600000 inhabitants./ with a population of about 600000.
4. Another advantage is that Dung Quat lies about 12 km from roadway, railway lines, power
transmission line and the trans-Vietnam optic cable. Thev supply of fresh water for this area is
very convenient with a reserve of about 3 billion cubic meters per year taken from the Tra
Bong River.
5. Today, we are going through a period of profound social changes like that of the first
industrial revolution. It may be necessary for us to re-define the very notion of work itself.

ASSIGNMENT 6:
A. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. The silt from the Mekong River helps to bring an ample granary representing the whole
country‟s source of food as well as the local inhabitants‟ riverside lifestyle
2. The Mekong river itself with its huge tributaries and small canals navigable for tiny boats
creates a majesty landscape as it flows through VN, the last part of its 4500 km-long journey,
pouring into the East Sea.
3. It is significant that these overseas Vietnamese always direct their attention to their
homeland, cherish a close link with their families and preserve the national identity which
typifies the Vietnamese.
4. In addition to their support for their relatives, a number of overseas Vietnamese have
contributed to the welfare of their country and taken part in relief movements to help those
who suffer from natural calamities. They have also participated in the charity work following
the tradition “ the luckier should help the sufferer.”
5. Before 1988, the effect of the banking system on the development and macro-economic
management was minimal. In order to encourage the banking system to play a more
constructive role, the government has taken new measures including the reorganization of the
 98

banking system, the introduction of restrictive credit policies, and new policies on interest and
free trade of gold in market.
6. The government implemented a comprehensive reconstructuring of wages and salaries of
the governmental employees with a consolidation of consumer subsidies into the nominal
wage structure. Though the monthly minimum wage increased, real salaries have declined
substantially as a result of inflation.
7.The survey conducted by the VWU shows that traditional contraceptive methods have been
widely used. The survey also indicates that 39% of married women used modern methods, the
most frequent method being intra uterine device (IUD).
B.
1. Nh÷ng ng-êi khëi x-íng ra viÖc dïng n¨ng l-îng nguyªn tö
nhÊn m¹nh r»ng thÕ giíi nµy råi ®©y ch¾c c¾n sÏ trë thµnh mét
thÕ giíi cña nguyªn tö. Ng-êi ta còng cho r»ng nh÷ng ng-êi
chèng ®èi l¹i viÖc sö dông nguyªn tö ®ang chèng l¹i trµo l-u
cña lÞch sö vµ cã mèi quan hÖ gÇn gòi víi dßng hä Luddites -
vèn lµ nh÷ng ng-êi chñ tr-¬ng ®Ëp ph¸ m¸y mãc ngay tõ khi cuéc
c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp b¾t ®Çu.

2. C¸c b¸c sÜ cho thÊy lÇn ®Çu tiªn hä cã thÓ t¸i t¹o c¸c hÖ
miÔn nhiÔm cña nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ nhiÔm vi rót bÖnh AIDS b¨ng c¸ch
®ét ngét t¨ng sè l-îng tÕ bµo m¸u mµ vi rót HIV huû diÖt.
3. Trong lÜnh vùc ®µo t¹o y khoa, nh÷ng viÖc ®· lµm ®-îc trong
nh÷ng n¨m qua ®-îc ®¸nh dÊu b»ng sù kiÖn næi bËt lµ viÖc nhiÒu
chuyªn gia vÒ ®µo t¹o y khoa , nhiÒu tr-êng ®¹i häc trªn thÕ
giíi ®· dÆt vÊn ®Ò ph¶i xem xÐt l¹i néi dung ®µo t¹o ®éi ngò
c¸n bé y tÕ .
4. Ng-êi thÇy thuèc ngµy nay nªn lµ ng-êi cña søc khoÎ . V×
vËy ng-êi thÇy thuèc ®ã cÇn ph¶i biÕt ph¸t hiÖn , gi¶i quyÕt ,
phôc håi nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò søc khoÎ cña c¸ nh©n vµ céng ®ång.
5. Râ rµng r»ng mét th©n thÓ khoÎ m¹nh gióp cho mét t©m hån
lµnh m¹nh, v× chÝnh nh÷ng t©m hån lµnh m¹nh ®iÒu khiÓn h-íng ®i
cña hÖ thèng gi¸ trÞ. Mét ng-êi khoÎ m¹nh lµ mét ng-êi khoÎ
m¹nh vÒ mÆt thÓ chÊt lÉn tinh thÇn.
6. Ngµy nay con ng-êi cã khuynh h-íng lo ©u vÒ søc khoÎ thÓ
chÊt. Tuy nhiªn t«i muèn nhÊn m¹nh tíi tÇm quan träng cña søc
khoÎ t©m lý. M¹nh khoÎ vÒ mÆt tinh thÇn lµ rÊt quan träng vµ lµ
mét ng-êi thùc sù khoÎ m¹nh lµ ng-êi ®¹t ®-îc sù th¨ng b»ng hîp
lý gi÷a thÓ chÊt vµ tinh thÇn.
 99

ASSIGNMENT 7:
1. The achievements of the renovation process in the past ten years have provided
opportunities for women to obtain their goals. Their lives have been improved and women
have become less burdened. Social services have helped to ease their housework and create
favourable conditions for them to participate in social activities.
2. The Vietnam Women‟s Union which represents Vietnamese women nationwide , has
renovated their organization and work style , thus attracting more and more women to social
activities. It has also helped women deal with difficult matters of every life. It has proposed to
the state laws and policies that make full use of women‟s potentials in the process of
renovation.
3. Identification of the factors that leads to fast effective foreign language learning has
become increasingly important because of a majority of learners who are very anxious , as
adults, to learn a foreign language for a specific purpose : business, study, and diplomacy. The
requirements for effective language learning may be taken into account in terms of the
learners, the teachers and the curriculum.
4. The greatest attraction to the tourists is the age-old traditions typical of the Vietnamese
culture. Thousands of historical and revolutionary relics have been graded by the government ,
hundreds of which have high artistic and historical value . Vietnam is a large community
consisting of 54 ethnic groups with different traditions , customs and unique folk culture.
hundreds of traditional handicraft villages have produced thousands of famous handicraft and
fine art products.
5. If tourists go to an ethnic minority region, they will have an opportunity to engage in other
fascinating cultural activities typical of the rainforest region. Take the buffalo stabbing
ceremony as an example. Tourists should have to be present about a week before the
ceremony to join the local inhabitants in looking for a suitable kind of bamboo to repair the
Rong House (The community House) and to make a Neu tree ( The New Year Tree) to chase
evil spirits. The ceremony provides tourists with a chance to observe the decoration of jars and
the way they are chosen to store wine. They also have an opportunity to observe the way
people choose the buffalo for the ceremony.
6. Social welfare is a major policy of Vietnam which has its origin in the age-old national
traditions of solidarity and mutual assistance. The basic principle of the policy is to combine
the responsibility of the state, the community, and the efforts of each individual within the
society. This policy is being gradually extended to all the inhabitants in various forms.
7. Economic backwardness and the danger of lagging behind in the economic development
are the great concerns of all the Vietnamese at home and abroad . If Vietnam lags far behind
other countries, it will be a supplier of raw materials and cheap labour in the international
division of labour. It will have to accept an inferior position and losses in the international co-
operation and competition. This is the great challenge facing Vietnam in the current
international context.
8. The humanism of the Vietnamese diplomatic line constitutes a typical characteristic.
Though the Vietnamese have been victims of countless aggressions, they never lose their
compassion . Also, their compassion is a factor which creates the strength and the diplomacy
of the nation. Nguyen Trai, a national hero of the 15th century, left a legendary guiding
principle which remains today: “ Using great justice to vanquish cruelty
Humanism to subdue brutality”
 100

ASSIGNMENT 8:
Translate the following text into English

Beijing may be the seat of political power, but Shanghai can lay claim to the title of
commercial capital. Historic sites date back less than 80 years in Shanghai, and yet most
visitors fall under the spell of this unique city where ambience is everything. The very name
Shanghai still sends a ripple of excitement down most spines. It was a minor weaving and
fishing town until the mid 19th century, when it began to develop as a trading and industrial
center. Entrepreneurs and carpetbaggers from all over the world descended and developed it
into one of the world's most cosmopolitan and sophisticated cities. From the 1920s on it
became increasingly notorious as the place where anything could - and usually did - happen.
Banks and commercial companies of all kinds built opulent head offices for themselves
overlooking what were then open rice fields beyond the banks of the Huangpu river. This
whole stretch has survived the busy bulldozers and today it forms a unique open - air museum
of 1930s architecture. A stroll along the Bund is a must for everyone who visits what is still
regarded by many as China's leading city.
Skyscrapers, including some of the world's tallest buildings, have sprouted where the rice
used to grow. The most prominent is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower - if time allows, the
panoramic views from the upper levels make an unforgettable experience.
The past is still tangible in sections of the former French concession, with its elegant villas
and tree - lined streets. Around the corner from the Bund, the Peace Hotel and its venerable
Jazz Band Are the best-known survivors from a more gracious age, but Shanghai has many
other exquisite hotels from the 1930s, most of which are being lovingly restored to their
former glory.
Shanghai boasts one of the world's truly great museums, opened in 1996. It would be
impossible to tour the entire treasure huose in a short visit, but even an hour in the galleries
devoted to the bronzes, stones sculptures and ceramics will provide lasting memories.

ASSIGNMENT 9:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Ngày hôm qua, trong bài diễn văn chính phát biểu tại trường Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội, Tổng
Bí Thư Giang Trạch Dân kêu gọi giới trẻ Việt Nam và Trung Quốc nỗ lực nhằm thắt chặt tình
hữu nghị giữa hai nước, góp phần vào sự nghiệp hoà bình và phát triển ở châu Á cũng như
trên toàn thế giới.

Tổng Bí Thư-Chủ Tịch nước Trung Quốc nói với sinh viên: “Các bạn trẻ thân mến, chính các
bạn là những người tạo ra tương lai tươi sáng và tương lai thuộc về các bạn”.

Tổng Bí Thư Giang Trạch Dân nhấn mạnh rằng mối quan hệ Việt -Trung sẽ phát triển tốt đẹp
trong thế kỷ 21, trong đó nỗ lực chung của thanh niên hai nước là không thể thiếu.
 101

Ông nói: thế hệ trẻ cả hai nước phải theo đuổi lý tưởng của mình và lao động không mệt mỏi
để xây dựng Chủ Nghĩa Xã Hội.

Ông phát biểu rằng: “Giới trẻ Trung Quốc và Việt Nam cần kế thừa và phát huy mạnh mẽ tinh
thần cách mạng của cha ông, có tư tưởng vững vàng, chăm chỉ học tập, nỗ lực vì sự nghiệp
phát triển Chủ Nghĩa Xã Hội, vì sự giàu có và thịnh vượng của mỗi nước”.

Ông hy vọng giới trẻ Trung Quốc và Việt Nam sẽ gìn giữ, duy trì và phát triển mối quan hệ
Việt-Trung, trao đổi và học hỏi lẫn nhau để tăng cường hiểu biết. Ông bảo đảm Đảng và
Chính phủ Trung Quốc sẽ hoàn toàn ủng hộ sự trao đổi đó.

Chủ tịch nước Giang Trạch Dân nói: “Trong lịch sử, cả Việt Nam và Trung Quốc đều bị đế
quốc xâm lược nhưng chúng ta đều đã đánh bại chúng, giải phóng dân tộc và thống nhất đất
nước”.
Theo ông tình hữu nghị giữa Việt Nam và Trung Quốc không chỉ xuất phát từ lịch sử mà còn
từ thực tiễn, như Chủ Tịch Hồ Chí Minh đã từng nhấn mạnh hai dân tộc “là đồng chí, là anh
em”.

Ông nói quan hệ Việt-Trung dựa trên cơ sở tin tưởng lẫn nhau, sự ổn định lâu dài, tiền đề,
tình láng giềng thân thiện và sự bảo đảm .

Ông nói thêm: “Hợp tác trên cơ sở hiểu biết lẫn nhau là cầu nối và cũng là mục tiêu cho tương
lai thịnh vượng”.

Chủ Tịch nước Giang Trạch Dân rời Hà Nội ngày hôm qua để đến miền Trung Việt Nam. Ở
đó, ông đi thăm cố đô Huế, đã được UNESCO công nhận là di sản thế giới, và gặp gỡ các
đồng chí lãnh đạo của thành phố cảng Đà Nẵng.

Theo lịch trình, ông sẽ đến thăm phố cổ Hội An và công ty dệt may Hoà Thọ trước khi kết
thúc chuyến đi thăm ba ngày đến Việt Nam.

ASSIGNMENT 10:
Translate the following text into English
Concerning a poor country like ours, “practising thrift and fighting against waste” must be
always the national policy. In reality, however, waste has still been spreading everywhere.
Waste appears in management, using budget, in basic construction investment, in land and
office management, in State-owned enterprises, and waste also exists in the masses with
costly weddings.
Waste has really been a pressing problem of the society and one of the causes which
considerably affects the economy of our country. As in the first year (1998), after the decree of
 102

practising thrift and fighting against waste passed by the National Assembly‟s Standing
Committee 10th session in Feb 26th 1998 and taking effective since May 1st 1998, the real
expenses in 1998, according to reports of 12 Ministries and bodies functionally equivalent to
Ministries, reduced in comparison with the balance in 1997, for instance, conference
expenses: VND12.8 billion, business expenses: VND12.43 billion, telephone, fax expenses:
VND9.57 billion, expenses for great reparation of fixed assets: VND80.94 billion, expenses
for purchasing professionally fixed assets: VND153.7 billion. The State‟s budget in 1999 is
estimated to continue economizing 10% of estimated regular expenses. Some regular
expenses have sharply fell from 30% to 70%, e.g. expenses for purchasing office equipment,
for conferences and receptions…
“Reducing expenses” statistics while the Decree of practising thrift and fighting against waste
is being carried out are really speaking numbers, which show that this campaign is taking a
turn for better. These numbers, however, indicate that spending has so far been loose and that
it is necessary to limit expenses.
Financial inspections and annual balance reports helped to find out a breach of rules of
administrative management of many enterprises and administrative bodies. One of the most
pressing and costly expenses nowadays is: expenses for medal reception, branch forming
celebration, conferences… Such festivities have cost so much money for hiring halls, parties,
gifts… At the end of the year, restaurants are crowded with “Gods”, most of whom are public
servants, because inhabitants have no such budget for those parties. While “free” inhabitants
are leading a poor life and spending thriftily, practising thrift and fighting against waste in
“subsidy spending mechanism” is a must.

ASSIGNMENT 11:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
1. Thµnh phè Gaza- Nh÷ng ng-êi l·nh ®¹o cña Israel vµ Palestin
®· tiÕn hµnh ®µm ph¸n suèt ®ªm mµ theo c¸ch nãi cña «ng Dennis
Ross - Ph¸i viªn cña Hoa Kú lµ ‘‘ mét ®ªm tèt lµnh cho c«ng
viÖc’’ nh»m ph¸ vì sù bÕ t¾t trong viÖc Israel tr× ho·n ruts
qu©n khái thÞ trÊn West Bank cña Heebron.
¤ng Ross rêi khái v¨n phßng cña nhµ l·nh ®¹o Palestin- Yasser
Arafat, sím h«m qua sau 3 gê ®ång hå cã mÆt ë ®ã trong khi
nh÷ng ng-êi tham dù ®µm ph¸n vÉn tiÕp tôc c¸c cuéc héi ®µm.
¤ng A ra fat nãi :’’ Cuéc gÆp gì ®· diÔn ra theo chiÒu h-íng
tÝch cùc vµ cã tÝnh x©y dùng.’’ ¤ng cßn nãi thªm r»ng «ng vµ
«ng Ross ‘‘ ®· gi¶i quyÕt mét sè khóc m¾c gi÷a t«i vµ «ng Êy’’,
®Ò cËp mét c¸ch râ rµng ®Õn gîi ý cña chÝnh «ng tuÇn tr-íc lµ
«ng Ross ®· cã ý bªnh vùc Israel.
¤ng Ross- dù ®Þnh sÏ trë vÒ n-íc vµo ngµy h«m qua - ®ång ý
r»ng:’’ Chóng t«i ®· cã mét lo¹t c¸c cuéc th¶o luËn tèt ®Ñp’’.
Khi ®Ò cËp ®Õn c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n, «ng nãi:’’ §ã lµ mét buæi tèi
 103

lµm viÖc tèt ®Ñp, nh-ng cßn mét sè vÊn ®Ò cÇn ®-îc gi¶i
quyÕt.’’
Bªn trong tßa trô së chÝnh cña «ng Arafat, nhãm ®¹i diÖn
Palestin do «ng tr-ëng ®oµn ®µm ph¸n Saeb Erekat dÉn ®Çu tiÕp
tôc c¸c cuéc bµn th¶o víi Israel do hai «ng MaJ Gen Shaul Muha
faz vµ Yitzhak cè vÊn cao cÊp cña Thñ t-íng Benjamin Netanyahu
dÉn ®Çu. C¸c cuéc héi ®µm b¾t ®Çu vµo chiÒu Chñ NhËt ë Ze ru
sa lem vµ sau ®ã chuyÓn ®Õn Gaza.
C¸c c¬ quan truyÒn th«ng Israel pháng ®o¸n r»ng nÕu cuéc
th-¬ng l-îng thµnh c«ng th× «ng Ro ss cã thÓ ho·n l¹i chuyÕn
bay cña «ng vµ hai «ng Netanyahu vµ Arafat cã thÓ tæ chøc mét
cuéc häp th-îng ®Ønh néi trong ngµy h«m qua hoÆc h«m nay.
Israel s¾p söa rót qu©n ra khái Hebron - thµnh phè Westbank,
vïng cuèi cïng bÞ chiÕm ®ãng- vµo th¸ng 3 th× ph¶i ho·n l¹i sau
mét lo¹t tÊn c«ng cña bän khñng bè ë Israel. ¤ng Netanyahu, mét
nh©n vËt cøng r¾n ®-îc bÇu lµm thñ t-íng vµo th¸ng 5 võa qua,
®· tr× ho·n viÖc tiÕp tôc rót qu©n, vµ næ lùc b¶o ®¶m an ninh
cho 500 c- d©n ®ang sèng trong thÞ trÊn cña 130.000 ng-êi ¶
rËp.
Ng-êi Palestin tõ chèi viÖc nèi l¹i c¸c cuéc ®µm ph¸n vµ yªu
cÇu Israel tiÕp tôc rót qu©n nh- ®· cam kÕt trong b¶n HiÖp -íc
vÒ quyÒn tù trÞ ®· ®-îc ký kÕt.
Vµo ngµy Chñ NhËt t¹i Hebron, qu©n ®éi ®· v©y b¾t kho¶ng 100
ng-êi Palestin sau khi ®· cã kÎ nÐm 2 qu¶ bom vµo l·nh thæ cña
ng-êi Do Th¸i nh-ng kh«ng cã ng-êi nµo bÞ th-¬ng. Hä bÞ qu©n
®éi chÜa sóng thÈm tra vµ b¾t gi÷ trong vßng nöa giê nh-ng sau
®ã phÇn lín ®· ®-îc th¶ ra. Ph¸t ng«n viªn cña qu©n ®éi nãi
r»ng nhiÒu ng-êi Pale stin vÉn ®ang cßn bÞ b¾t gi÷.
Mét ng-êi Pale stin ®ang ®i ngang qua vïng l·nh thæ Beit Hada
ssah th× bÞ mét c¸i thang lµm b»ng kim lo¹i r¬i hoÆc ai ®ã nÐm
tõ m¸i nhµ xuèng lµm bÞ th-¬ng; ng-êi nµy ®· ®-îc ®-a ®Õn bÖnh
viªn thµnh phè ®Ó ch÷a trÞ
2. TP Hå ChÝ Minh - Sè l-îng du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi ®Õn Viet Nam
ngµy cµng t¨ng. Theo sè liÖu thèng kª gÇn ®©y cña Tæng Côc Du
LÞch ViÖt Nam th× l-îng du kh¸ch t¨ng b×nh qu©n h»ng n¨m lµ
30%.
MÆc dï l-îng du kahchs t¨ng, nh-ng t×nh tr¹ng kh¸ch ë l¹i
kh¸ch s¹n gi¶m ®¸ng kÓ so víi nh÷ng n¨m võa råi. H¬n 6 n¨m
qua,, c¸c kh¸ch s¹n liªn doanh vµ c¸c nhµ kh¸ch chØ khai th¸c
 104

®-îc tõ 85-90% sè phßng hiÖn cã. HiÖn giê chØ cßn ®¹t ë møc
60%, thÊp h¬n nhiÒu so víi c¸c kh¸ch s¹n cña nhµ n-íc vµ nhµ
kh¸ch t- nh©n.
Mét trong nh÷ng nguyªn nh©n chÝnh cña sù tôt gi¶m l-îng kh¸ch
lµ do kh¸ch s¹n liªn doanh mäc lªn nh- nÊm, ®iÒu nµy dÉn ®Õn
viÖc c¹nh tranh khèc liÖt vÒ gi¸ phßng vµ gi¸ dÞch vô.
NhiÒu kh¸ch s¹n cã tæng doanh thu thÊp trong khi l¹i chÞu møc
thuÕ cao, ®ang trë thµnh g¸nh nÆng cho c¸c «ng chñ vµ cã nhiÒu
kh¸ch s¹n s¾p söa buéc ph¶i ®ãng cöa.
§a sè du kh¸ch n-íc ngoµi h¨m hë ®Õn ViÖt Nam ®Ó t×m mét c¸i
g× ®ã míi mÎ vµ muèn ®i ®Õn nh÷ng vïng cã vÎ ®Ñp tù nhiªn vµ
hoang d· trong thêi gian l-u l¹i cña hä. V× lý do nµy, du lÞch
ViÖt Nam cÇn tæ chøc l¹i viÖc qu¶n lý vµ ®Æt ra nh÷ng môc tiªu
nh»m tháa m·n nhu cÇu hiÖn nay cña du kh¸ch.
MÆc dï l-îng du kh¸ch vÉn t¨ng trong nh÷ng n¨m qua nh-ng sè du
kh¸ch trë l¹i ViÖt nam lÇn thø hai rÊt Ýt. Râ rµng r»ng ngµnh
du lÞch ViÖt Nam vÉn ch-a ®ñ søc hÊp dÉn du kh¸ch. Thªm vµo ®ã,
c¸c ®iÓm du lÞch vµ c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn ¨n ë ®i l¹i ch-a ®¹t ®Õn
tiªu chuÈn quèc tÕ. ViÖt nam hiÖn cã kho¶ng 22 tØnh vµ thµnh
phè ®ang hoµn tÊt nh÷ng kÕ ho¹ch tæng thÓ chi tiÕt ®Ó x©y dùng
c¸c khu nghØ m¸t cho du kh¸ch.
Tuy nhiªn nh÷ng ®Ò ¸n nµy vÉn ch-a ®-îc triÓn khai, vÉn ®ang
cßn ®ang ®-îc th¶o luËn.
MÆc dï h»ng n¨m chÝnh phñ ®· chi h»ng chôc tØ ®ång ®Ó n©ng cÊp
c¸c di tÝch lÞch sö quèc gia vµ c¸c khu nghØ m¸t, nh-ng do sù
yÕu kÐm vÒ chuyªn m«n qu¶n lý nªn nh÷ng n¬i nµy vÉn ch-a cã thÓ
thóc ®Èy sù ph¸t triÓn cña ngµnh du lÞch n-íc nhµ. §Ó c¶i thiÖn
chÊt l-îng cña c¸c nhµ nghØ vµ t¨ng c-êng ho¹t ®éng cña kh¸ch
s¹n, ngµnh du lÞch ViÖt nam cÇn chÝnh phñ ®Çu t- nhiÒu h¬n n÷a.

Translate the following text into English

More and more Vietnamese people are seeking study abroad at. their own expense. While the
number of people who have already done so is relatively small - 2970 from mid 1992 to May
this year - the numbers are expected to increase within the next. few years a: the Vietnamese
economy strengthens and the government streamlines the procedures to make it. easier. But t
he biggest boost to Vietnamese people courageously investing their money for themselves or
their children to gain an international standard education has come through the staging of a
special overseas education exhibition held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi over the past two
months. Called "Edukasia", the. exhibition featured universities, vocational schools and
school equipment suppliers from Great Britain, France, Australia, The United States and
Switzerland. The exhibition sought to establish what training or education private Vietnamese
 105

students were seeking and the overseas institutions companies explained what they could
offer. Courses in telecommunications, machine building. the hotel industry, tourism and
cooking wt-re particularly featured. Up until now, most Vietnamese students have been going
abroad for further study as recipients of international scholarship or funding from foreign
government. Vietnam has been annually sending about 77 students and 160 senior level
experts abroad through such officially sponsored scheme. Most of the private students have
been going to Russia. Some to eastern European countries and a trickle to the Netherlands.
Belgium, the USA, Denmark and Thailand. But. in April this year, a temporary halt has been
put. on private places being offered to foreign students in Russia and Eastern Europe. While
these existing avenues for Vietnamese students have required secondary school graduation
and intensive courses in the relevant foreign language and computers, often these schemes
were deficient in anticipating the problems foreign private students may encounter,
particularly regarding duration and the level of the courses being offered. There has been an
avoidable waste of time and money, and an attrition rate.

At "Edukasia", the courses on offer are delivered abroad it Vietnam by correspondence or

distant training. Those student who want to go abroad for study must first of all be able to
speak English which is an indispensable condition for initial contact: and assimilation of
knowledge:

Educational standards are also set, such as marks obtained it each subject and health
condition. A number of schools give priority to students with high marks in intelligence tests
and offer them scholarship. But 90% of tested students have to pay education fees.

According to Mr. Charles Wilmot, the director of Edukasia, the fees are high, depending on
the institution and the courses. But they are reasonably calculated. The lowest level is 2500
USD/year; while the most reputed USA schools and purses generally demand 3000 USD/year
to 6000 USD/year. Fees for remote training are less, about 300 USD/year, and graduation
diplomat are also recognized as equivalent to the regular training diplomas These institutions
are ready to receive Vietnamese students and to facilitate entry visas. The remaining question
depends upon a decision by the Vietnamese government. Mr. Wilmot stressed that in general,
the accommodation and studying conditions of students in countries where there were
Vietnamese students were very good. In Great Britain especially, there are organizations
specialized in helping foreign students. Most Vietnamese studying abroad begin their training
at the age of 18 to 19, the lowest allowed aged is 13. There is no limit for a maximum age
studying abroad depends now only on these students willing to receive an advanced
knowledge of the world.

ASSIGNMENT 12:
Translate the following text into English
Poor people often have larger families than middle class and upper class people. And people
in underdeveloped countries have more children than people in developed countries. More and
 106

more experts in population growth see the strong relationship between family size and
economic development.
In some areas, government family planning services may not be available to poor people due
to geographic location. For example, people in rural areas may live too far away from family
planning services. Therefore, they don't receive information about ways to control family size.
In general, people in urban areas have much more information available to them than people
living in rural areas. Urban people have help with family planning, and they have smaller
families. So we can say that geography where people live - plays a part in determining family
size: Urban families are smaller than rural families.
What are the other reasons? Economic development of families and, on a larger scale, of
nations, is an important factor in determining family size. People with a lot of money have
fewer children. On the other hand, poor people in underdeveloped countries choose to have
many children. Why? Because they have to depend upon their children to take care of them in
their old age. They have no insurance, pensions, or government help. When they grow old,
where can they get help? The answer is simple. They can and will turn to their children. Their
children will be adults then, and they will be working. The children can all share the costs and
other responsibilities of taking care of their parents. For many poor people, a large family is a
way of planning and preparing for the future. We could say that a large family is insurance for
old age in some societies.

ASSIGNMENT 13:
Translate the following text into English
China's powerful exporters are training their sights on, Vietnam, seeing their southern
neighbour as ripe for a boost in purchases of consumer goods and machinery, Chinese
executives said here Thursday.
But Vietnam has a long way to go before it sees its exports to China grow as few products are
likely to break into the more developed Chinese market, the executives said at the opening of
a trade fair here.
Some 60 firms from Beijing are showing off their wares ranging from cheap plastic toys and
ornaments to off - road vehicles at the fair in Hanoi in what is the first exhibition of Chinese
goods here since the two countries began patching up their relations.
Beijing Jeep, a Sino - American auto manufacturer, is hoping to squeeze into Vietnam's
growing car market but is facing stiff competition from Japanese firms already entrenched
here, said Beijing Automotive Import Export Corp. (BAIEC) vice president Guo Fengli.
"The market here is opening up quite quickly for our products, particularly as we are very
competitive in pricing with our rivals," Guo said.
BAIEC is looking to set up barter deals with Vietnam but is facing problems finding suitable
moods to trade although Guo thinks he may have found the answer in the humble sweet
potato.
The Chinese firm is planning to trade cars for foodstuffs that will be sold in southern China
but would prefer to exchange higher value goods.
 107

"We don't know much about what Vietnam has to offer, "said Guo, a point repeated by other
traders who were more eager to sell than buy.
Cross border trade has boomed since the frontier was reopened in 1991.
Officially, two - way trade stands at around 500 million US dollars although the illegal
frontier trade is believed to b! much higher, with China enjoying a massive surplus.
During a visit to China last week, Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai called for both sides
to replace the cross border trade with official agreements between trading companies and
manufacturers that would boost sales of Vietnamese products.,
Vietnam wants to step up exports of coal and oil to southern China's booming manufacturing
centres, which are thousands of kilometres (miles) from China's own sources of energy.
Khai also called for more sales of rice and other food products and for Vietnam to import
more manufacturing machinery and other technology from China.

ASSIGNMENT 14:
Translate the following text into English
Saudi Arabia has about 8.,853,000 people. Almost all of these people are Arab Muslims. In
other words, they are followers of the Islamic religion. Saudi Arabia is a religious nation. The
king of Saudi Arabia is both the political leader and one of the religious leaders of the country.
The government laws are Islamic law (Muslim religious law), and the national language is
Arabic.
The Islamic religion is very important in the Saudi educational system. Before 1950 almost all
education in Saudi Arabia was religious education. Students studied the Koran, the Islamic
holy book. They tried to memorize as much as possible from this book. There were no
colleges or universities before 1949 and only a few elementary and secondary schools.
In 1953, the Saudi government established the Ministry of Education. This was really the
beginning of the modern educational system in Saudi Arabia. When engineers discovered oil
in Saudi Arabia, the country started to become very wealthy. Saudi leaders realized that
Western technology was necessary for the country to develop. The leaders still believed that
religious education was very important, but a modern country could not develop
technologically with only a traditional, religious educational system. They decided to add
other subjects to the educational system. They wanted to combine traditional religious
education with modern technological education from the West.
Religion is still an important part of Saudi education. Now, however, Saudi students study all
kinds of other subjects too: languages (especially English), history, science, mathematics,
computer technology, etc. Before 1950, there were about 20,000 students in Saudi Arabia. In
1982, there were 1,780,000 students. The educational system has grown faster in Saudi Arabia
than in almost any other country in the world. All schools in Saudi Arabia are free.

ASSIGNMENT 15:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
 108

Sau khi ®Æt nhiÒu hi väng vµo viÖc khoan tróng c¸c má dÇu khÝ
ë ngoµi kh¬i ViÖt Nam, c¸c c«ng ty dÇu má khæng lå trªn thÕ
giíi ®· nhËn ra nh÷ng rñi ro. C¸i gi¸ ®Çu t- khæng lå nh-ng l¹i
nhËn ®-îc mät kho¶n lîi nhuËn cßm câi. T©m tr¹ng ®ã ®· gi¶m ®i
trong sè nh÷ng c«ng ty n-íc ngoµi tham gia triÓn l·m tr-ng bµy
c¸c mÆt hµng cña ngµnh c«ng nghÖ t¹i cuéc TriÓn l·m Dçu vµ khÝ
®èt Quèc tÕ lÇn thø hai ë Hµ Néi.
¤ng Melchior de Matharel, Vô Tr-ëng §«ng Nam ¸ cña h·ng Total
Ph¸p ®· ph¸t biÓu : ‘‘ KÕt qu¶ kh«ng ph¶i lµ tÖ, nh-ng kh«ng
lín nh- mét sè ng-êi ®· hy väng.’’
NÕu sù chó ý b©y giê lµ ‘‘khÈu hiÖu’’ ®· lµm thÊt väng c¸c c«ng
ty dÇu löa n-íc ngoµi cã thÓ t¹o nguån an ñi tõ nh÷ng kh¸m ph¸
®Çy khÝch lÖ võa qua vÒ dÇu do c«ng ty Mitsubishi vµ c«ng ty
dÇu Petrornas Cairigali cña Malaisia, vµ vÒ khÝ ®èt cña BP, ë
ngoµi bê biÓn nam ViÖt Nam.
ViÖc th¨m dß dÇu khÝ ë thÒm lôc ®Þa ViÖt nam lµ hÕt søc khã
kh¨n. Tuy nhiªn, «ng Matherel nãi r»ng thÒm lôc ®Þa ViÖt Nam lµ
mét n¬i chøa dÇu. Sù nhiÖt t×nh cña nh÷ng ng-êi th¨m dß ®ét
nhiªn suy gi¶m vµo th¸ng 5 tr-íc khi c«ng ty dÇu BHP cña óc
th«ng b¸o tr÷ l-îng dÇu ë vÞ trÝ má §¹i Hïng, 375 c©y sè ë §«ng
nam thµnh phè HCM lµ Ýt ái h¬n so víi dù trï.
T¹i vÞ trÝ nµy, BHP -íc tÝnh s¬ khëi lµ tr÷ l-îng ë ®©y
kho¶ng tõ 700 ®Õn 800 triÖu thïng dÇu, nh-ng hiÖn nay con sè Êy
®· xuèng ë 100 ®Õn 200 triÖu thïng.
ViÖc s¶n xuÊt ®-îc dù kiÕn b¾t ®Çu vµo th¸ng tíi, ë møc khiªm
nh-êng lµ 25000 thïng mét ngµy.
§iÒu ®ã lµ ‘‘mét ®ßn gi¸ng m¹nh’’ cho BHP, mét c«ng ty ®· ®Çu
t- ®Õn 240 triÖu ®« la ë ViÖt Nam vµ mét nöa cña kinh phÝ nµy
®· ®-îc sö dông cho dù ¸n §¹i Hïng.
BHP ®øn ®µu mét hiÖp héi quèc tÕ bÇu chän vµo th¸ng 4/1993 cã
tr¸ch nhiÖm triÓn khai tæng kinh phÝ 1,5 tû ®« trong lÜnh vùc
nµy. BHP chiÕm 43,75% tæng sã vèn cña HiÖp häi, Petronas chiÕm
20%, c«ng ty quèc doanh Petro-Vietnam chiÕm 15%. PhÇn 21,25%
cßn l¹i chia ®Òu cho c«ng ty Total (Ph¸p) vµ c«ng ty Sumitomo
cña NhËt.
Vµo thêi ®iÓm ®ã, chÝnh NhËt B¶n lµ kh¸ch mua hµng chÝnh cña
dÇu th« ViÖt Nam, ®· lé diÖn ®Ó cã ®-îc mät c¬ may tèt nhÊt.
 109

C«ng ty DÇu KhÝ ViÖt nam- NhËt b¶n (JVPC), mét chi nh¸nh cña
tËp ®oµn dÇu khÝ Mitsubishi ®· th«ng b¸o trong th¸ng 6 lµ ®· cã
mét sù kh¸m ph¸ rÊt høa hÑn t¹i vÞ trÝ R¹ng §«ng.
Theo kÕt qu¶ ghi nhËn ®-îc tõ mét tõ mét giÕng dÇu th¨m dß,
khu vùc khai th¸c cã thÓ cã cïng chÊt l-îng nh- vÞ trÝ má B¹ch
Hæ ë gÇn mét ®Þa ®iÓm duy nhÊt hiÖn giê ®ang ®-îc kinh doanh
khai th¸c ë ViÖt Nam. Tr÷ l-îng cña B¹ch Hæ -íc tÝnh ë møc cao
nhÊt lµ 3000 triÖu thïng.
Nh-ng Ýt nhÊt cÇn ph¶i mét n¨m n÷a vµ cÇn ®Õn viÖc khoan dß
n÷a th× míi cã thÓ x¸c ®Þnh chÝnh x¸c ®-îc môc tiªu viÖc th¨m
dß cña c«ng ty NhËt.
Nh÷ng ng-êi bi quan th× cho r»ng cÇn ®Õn kho¶ng 5 n¨m míi ®¸nh
gi¸ ®óng vµ ®Çy ®ñ tr÷ l-îng dÇu cña ViÖt Nam.
ViÖc th¨m dß vµ khai th¸c khÝ ®èt còng chøng tá ®ã lµ mät dÞch
vô ®ang gÆp khã kh¨n, dï c¬ may ®· mØm c-êi víi víi c«ng ty BP
Anh, mét ®¬n vÞ mµ trong th¸ng 9 ®· th«ng b¸o lµ ®· ph¸t hiÖn
ra hai tói dÇu khÝ, -íc tÝnh ®¹t ®-îc 57 tû mÐt khèi ë Nam C«n
S¬n, phÝa nam thµnh phè HCM.
C«ng ty BHP vµ c«ng ty Quèc gia Na Uy Statoil ®· mua l¹i c¸c
phÇn ®Æc nh-îng cña c«ng ty khÝ ®èt vµ dÇu khÝ quèc gia Ên §é
(ONGC) vµo n¨m 1992.
Liªn hiÖp, víi ONGC n¾m 55% cæ phÇn, BP 30% vµ Statoil 5% ®·
tiÕn hµnh th¨m dß vµ thö nghiÖm theo mét hîp ®ång ph©n chia s¶n
phÈm víi ViÖt Nam, mét ®¬n vÞ lÇn l-ît nhËn 5% tiÒn gãp vµo,
c¨n cø trªn quyÒn lîi cña mçi ®èi t¸c Ch©u ¢u.

Translate the following text into English

The failure of a space shuttle steering jet Wednesday forced NASA to suspend a radar survey
of Earth as Endeavour's 10 day environmental research flight passed the halfway mark.
The problem was a hindrance to the $384 million space Radar Laboratory but not a danger to
the astronauts, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.
Officials said a fuel temperature sensor failed, disabling a leak detection system in the suspect
thruster and triggering a shutdown of five others, called verniers, which are needed to
fine-tune the shuttle's orbital path and precisely point cargo bay instruments at targets on the
planet.
Mission commentator Kelly Humphries late Wednesday called the scientific hiatus
"temporary pause" while ground engineers hastily devised a way for shuttle computers to
ignore the broken sensor.
 110

Maneuvering Endeavour with its 38 larger thrusters would consume too much full and
eliminate hope of extending the natural disasters around the globe, according to flight director
Rich Jackson.
Late Wednesday the shuttle was flying on autopilot and the crew, which has been working in
two shifts around the clock since Friday's liftoff from Florida, was enjoying an unexpected
time-out., Jackson predicted the software patch would be ready by Thursday afternoon, about
24 hours after the malfunction occurred.
"The payloads community and the flight control team are working very hard to regain venire
control and minimise the impact. in the intervening time period". Jackson told reporters at
Mission Control in Houston.
Scientists said the problem would not harm the images but that it would take up to five times
longer to process the radar data in their computers.

ASSIGNMENT 16:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
N-íc Anh ®-îc chia lµm 651 khu vùc bÇu cö ng-êi d©n ë mçi khu
vùc chän ra mét ng-êi ®¹i diÖn cho m×nh ë h¹ viÖn. ë Anh hÖ
thèng bÇu cö ®¬n gi¶n ®-îc sö dông trong c¸c cuéc bÇu cö quèc
héi theo ph-¬ng thøc bá phiÕu kÝn. HiÖn nay, hÖ thèng nµy cã
nh÷ng ®iÒu chØnh ®Ó ngµy cµng trë nªn tèi -u h¬n.
ViÖc bÇu cö lµ hoµn toµn tù nguþªn. mäi ng-êi d©n Anh tõ 18
tuæi trë nªn kh«ng bÞ t-íc quyÒn bÇu cö do ph¹m ph¸p, ®Òu cã
thÓ bá phiÕu bÇu cö.
Nh÷ng ng-êi kh«ng cã quyÒn bÇu cö bao gåm: thµnh viªn cña
hoµng gia, c¸c nhµ quý téc lµ thµnh viªn cña th-îng nghÞ viÖn
hoÆc lµ c- d©n n-íc ngoµi. Ngoµi ra cßn cã bÖnh nh©n n»m viÖn
do cã vÊn ®Ò vÒ t©m thÇn ph¹m nh©n ®ang thi hµnh ¸n vµ nh÷ng
ng-êi bÞ kÕt ¸n, trong vßng n¨m n¨m tr-íc ®ã vÒ téi tham nhòng.
øng cö viªn:
BÊt cø ai trªn 21 tuæi lµ c«ng d©n n-íc Anh c¸c n-íc trong
khèi thÞnh v-îng chung hoÆc lµ n-íc céng hoµ Ai Len, cã ®ñ t-
c¸ch th× ®Òu cã thÓ øng cö vµo quèc héi, nh÷ng ng-êi kh«ng cã
quyÒn øng cö lµ thµnh viªn cña th-îng nghÞ viÖn, t¨ng l÷, gi¸o
sÜ thuéc gi¸o héi Anh, gi¸o héi Ai Len, gi¸o héi ScètLan vµ
gi¸o héi Thiªn chóa gi¸o La M·, nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ ph¸ s¶n, ng-êi
lµm dÞch vô c«ng céng vµ nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ kÕt ¸n tï tõ 1 n¨m trë
lªn còng kh«ng ®-îc tham gia tranh cö.
C¸c øng cö viªn trong mét khu vùc bÇu cö ph¶i tr¶ mét kho¶ng
tiÒn 1000 b¶ng nh- lµ mét kho¶ng tiÒn ®Æt cäc. NÕu dµnh ®-îc Ýt
nhÊt 5% phiÕu bÇu cö th× hä sÏ ®-îc nhËn l¹i sè tiÒn ®ã.
Tæng bÇu cö:
 111

Theo nguyªn t¾c, bÇu cö h¹ nghÞ viÖn ®-îc tæ chøc 5 n¨m mét
lÇn.
Nh-ng c¸c cuéc bÇu cö th-êng ®-îc tæ chøc tr-íc khi kÕt thóc
mét nhiÖm k× 5 n¨m. Thñ t-íng lµ ng-êi cã quyÒn quyÕt ®Þnh thêi
gian tæ chøc tæng bÇu cö. N÷ Hoµng cã thÓ gi¶i t¸n Quèc héi vµ
kªu gäi mét cuéc bÇu cö ®Ó lËp nªn quèc héi míi.
N-íc Anh ®-îc chia thµnh c¸c vïng gäi lµ khu vùc bÇu cö dùa
trªn sè l-îng d©n c- xÊp xØ nhau. Tæng bÇu cö th-êng ®-îc tæ
chøc vµo thø 5 vµ mäi ng-êi vÉn ®i lµm nh- th-êng lÖ. Do ®ã,
thêi gian bÇu cö rÊt linh ®éng kÐo dµi tõ 7h ®Õn 22h ®Ó cho tÊt
c¶ mäi ng-êi ®Òu cã thÓ ®Õn bá phiÕu. T¹i c¸c ®Þa ®iÓm bá
phiÕu, cö tri ®-îc ph¸t phiÕu bÇu cã in tªn c¸c øng cö viªn ë
khu vùc bÇu cö ®ã, danh s¸ch th-êng s¾p xÕp theo thø tù anphabe
®«i khi cßn cã mét b¶n tãm t¾t vÒ tiÓu sö øng cö viªn vµ ®¶ng
cña hä ®-îc ®i kÌm víi l¸ phiÕu.
Sau ®ã, c¸c phiÕu kh«ng hîp lÖ sÏ bÞ lo¹i vµ ng-êi ta sÏ tiÕn
hµnh kiÓm phiÕu ®èi víi sè phiÕu hîp lÖ vµ øng cö viªn nµo nhËn
®-îc nhiÒu phiÕu ñng hé nhÊt sÏ lµ ng-êi th¾ng cuéc vµ trë
thµnh thµnh viªn Quèc héi ®¹i diÖn cho khu vùc cña m×nh.
ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö:
ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö diÔn ra trong vßng 3 tuÇn tr-íc ngµy tæng
bÇu cö. ChiÕn dÞch tranh cö diÔn ra ë mäi khu vùc bÇu cö trªn
toµn quèc. C¸c øng cö viªn sö dông mäi lo¹i ph-¬ng tiÖn, s¸ch
l-îc ®Ó thu hót sù ñng hé cña ng-êi d©n.
VËn ®éng tranh cö:
VËn ®éng tranh cö cã nghÜa lµ nh©n viªn cña §¶ng ë ®Þa ph-¬ng
®i ®Õn tõng gia ®×nh vµ hái ng-êi d©n vÒ ý ®Þnh cña hä, xem thö
lµ hä ®Þnh bÇu ai. B»ng c¸ch nµy, c¸c øng cö viªn cã thÓ biÕt
®-îc ý ®Þnh còng nh- th¸i ®é cña ng-êi d©n, tõ ®ã hä cã thÓ
®iÒu chØnh c¸c chiÕn l-îc cña m×nh. Ngoµi ra nh©n viªn ®ã sÏ
quay trë l¹i nh÷ng gia ®×nh cã ng-êi ®· høa lµ sÏ ñng hé §¶ng
cña hä ®Ó thóc giôc hä bá phiÕu cho ng-êi cña §¶ng m×nh trong
ngµy bÇu cö.
MÝt tin:
øng cö viªn cã thÓ tæ chøc mÝt tin bÊt cø n¬i nµo bÊt cø n¬i
®©u cã thÓ trong suèt chiÕn dÞch bÇu cö. Kh¸ch mêi cña hä bao
gåm nh÷ng ng-êi cã tÇm ¶nh h-ëng lín ttrong ®¶ng, nh÷ng ng-êi
næi tiÕng ñng hé hä nh- nµh v¨n, diÔn viªn ®Ó g©y ¶nh h-ëng ®èi
víi cö tri. Nh÷ng cuéc mÝt tin nh- thÕ th-êng ®-îc ®-a trän vÑn
lªn c¸c ph-¬ng tiÖn th«ng tin ®¹i chóng.
Th«ng tin ®¹i chóng:
Do b¸o vµ t¹p chÝ ë Anh th-êng lµ thuéc së h÷u t- nh©n vµ ®éc
lËp vÒ mÆt tµi chÝnh ®èi víi c¸c ®¶ng ph¸i chÝnh trÞ nªn ng-êi
chñ bót hoÆc ng-êi biªn tËp cã thÓ ñng hé bÊt cø ai hä muèn.
 112

Tuy nhiªn, ®µi ph¸t thanh vµ ®µi truyÒn h×nh th× kh¸c lu«n
lu«n c«ng b»ng, kh«ng thiªn vÞ. Ch-¬ng tr×nh tin tøc ®-a tin vÒ
mäi mÆt cña chiÕn dÞch tranh cö cña c¸c §¶ng. Trong thêi gian
nµy, c¸c øng cö viªn xuÊt hiÖn trªn ®µi vµ tivi suèt ngµy ®ªm,
ta cã thÓ thÊy hä ë nhµ m¸y, xÝ nghiÖp, tr-êng häc, trung t©m
thanh niªn vµ ë c¶ c¸c n«ng tr¹i. Hä ph¸t biÓu c¸c chÝnh s¸ch
cña ®¶ng m×nh.
Ch-¬ng tr×nh ®èi tho¹i trùc tiÕp trªn ®· cho phÐp mäi ng-êi
®Æt c©u hái cho c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o chÝnh trÞ. Bªn c¹nh ®ã, c¸c
bµi t-êng thuËt, bµi b×nh luËn do c¸c phãng viªn ghi l¹i trong
c¸c cuéc pháng vÊn víi c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña c¸c ®¶ng còng ®-îc
ph¸t sãng.
B¶n tuyªn ng«n:
C¸c ®¶ng lín cho xuÊt b¶n b¶n tuyªn ng«n cña ®¶ng m×nh trong
suèt chiÕn dÞch bÇu cö. Mçi ®¶ng ®Òu ®-a ra b¶n tuyªn ng«n cña
®¶ng m×nh nh- lµ mét Ên phÈm tham kh¶o. Nã cung cÊp cho ng-êi
d©n nh÷ng th«ng tin vÒ chÝnh s¸ch cña ®¶ng, vÒ nh÷ng g× hä sÏ
lµm nÕu hä ®¾c cö.
C¸c b¶n tuyªn ng«n cßn bao gåm nh÷ng thµnh c«ng tr-íc ®©y cña
®¶ng. Ngoµi ra ®«i khi nã cßn chøa ®ùng sù c«ng kÝch cña ®¶ng
nµy ®èi víi ®¶ng ®èi lËp.

ASSIGNMENT 17:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Hµ Néi ®ang cè g¾ng t¨ng gÊp ®«i GDP lªn 1100 ®«la MÜ trong
vßng 5 n¨m tíi.
KÕ ho¹ch ®Çy tham väng nµy ®-îc ®-a ra trªn c¬ së 11,9% tØ lÖ
t¨ng GDP h»ng n¨m cña thµnh phè.
T¹i §¹i héi §¹i biÓu §¶ng Bé thµnh phè Hµ Néi ®-îc tæ chøc
võa qua, c¸c ®¹i biÓu ®· ®-îc th«ng b¸o: nÕu tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng
vÉn tiÕp tôc nh- dù tÝnh th× GDP sÏ ®¹t kho¶ng 15% vµo ®Çu thÕ
kØ.
§iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ GDP ®· t¨ng gÊp ®«i.
§¹i héi còng ®Ò cËp ®Õn vÊn ®Ò c¬ së CN nhá truyÒn thèng cña
nÒn kinh tÕ thñ ®« t¨ng nhanh bÞ thay thÕ bëi c¸c ho¹t ®éng CN
vµ nghµnh c«ng nghiÖp dÞch vô-th-¬ng m¹i. Ngoµi ra ®¹i héi cßn
®-îc b¸o c¸o lµ kho¶ng 19% sè hé gia ®×nh ë Hµ Néi cã thÓ xÕp
vµo diÖn hé giµu.
Møc GDP b×nh qu©n n¨m ngo¸i cña thµnh phè ®-îc -íc tÝnh lµ
kho¶ng 650 ®«la. Cao h¬n so víi 470 ®«la n¨m 1991 (tèc ®é t¨ng
tr-ëng m¹nh mÏ).
Sù t¨ng tr-ëng nµy lµ kÕt qu¶ cña hµng lo¹t c¸c dù ¸n ®Çu t-
trong n-íc vµ n-íc ngoµi -íc tÝnh vµo kho¶ng 32,570VND (kho¶ng
3.275 triÖu USD).
 113

Phã chñ tÞch héi ®ång Nh©n D©n thµnh phè Hµ Néi, «ng Lª Xu©n
Hïng b¸o c¸o víi ®¹i héi r»ng:
Mét phÇn cña sè vèn ®Çu t- ®· ®-îc sö dông cho qu¸ tr×nh
chuyÓn giao c«ng nghÖ, ®æi míi thiÕt bÞ trong nghµnh CN. PhÇn
lín sè vèn ®Çu t- cßn l¹i ®-îc dïng vµo viÖc thiÕt lËp c«ng ty
liªn doanh víi ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi.
Vµo cuèi n¨m 1995 cã ®Õn h¬n 210 dù ¸n ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi ®·
®-îc cÊp giÊy phÐp kinh doanh trªn ®Þa bµn thµnh phè Hµ Néi víi
tæng sè tiÒn lªn tíi 3,3 tØ ®«la. ¤ng Tïng nãi trong sè ®ã lµ 1
phÇn 3 tØ ®«la ®· ®-îc sö dông.
§iÒu nµy ®· gióp Hµ Néi trong viÖc lùa chän h-íng c¬ cÊu l¹i
c¬ së kinh tÕ theo h-íng CN-DV thay cho c¬ cÊu cñ víi vai trß
trô cét cña CN nhá vµ n«ng nghiÖp truyÒn thèng.
Theo lêi «ng Tïng, tØ lÖ s¶n phÈm CN, th-¬ng m¹i, dÞch vô
trong ®ã tæng s¶n phÈm quèc néi cña thµnh phè Hµ Néi giai ®o¹n
1991-1995 t¨ng lªn ®Õn 33,1% ®èi víi c«ng nghiÖp vµ 61,6% ®èi
víi th-¬ng m¹i vµ dÞch vô.
Trong khi ®ã tØ lÖ n«ng nghiÖp l¹i gi¶m xuèng cßn 5,3% trong
tæng GDP.
¤ng Tïng cßn nãi sö thay ®æi cña bé mÆt kinh tÕ Hµ Néi cßn nhê
vµo sù t¨ng vät cña tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng h»ng n¨m cña 5 n¨m tr-íc.
¤ng nãi tØ lÖ t¨ng tr-ëng 11,9% hµng n¨m cµng ®-îc ®¶m b¶o
ch¾c ch¾n, con sè nµy cao h¬n gÊp ®«i so víi tØ lÖ ®Ò ra n¨m
1991.
¤ng Tïng b¸o c¸o víi c¸c ®¹i biÓu r»ng vµo n¨m 2000 tØ lÖ t¨ng
tr-ëng cña thµnh phè sÏ ®¹t 15% 1 n¨m. GDP -íc tÝnh ®¹t kho¶ng
1000 ®« la.
Vµo thêi ®iÓm ®ã tØ lÖ s¶n phÈm c«ng nghiÖp tæng sè GDP cña
thµnh phè Hµ Néi sÏ ®¹t 40% t¨ng 7% so víi hiÖn t¹i.
N¨m ngµnh c«ng nghiÖp ®· ®¹t ®-îc môc ®Ých trë thµnh ngµnh
c«ng nghiÖp then chèt cña thµnh phè bao gåm: ngµnh s¶n xuÊt
thiÕt bÞ ®iÖn, m¸y mãc, c¬ khÝ; ngµnh dÖt; chÕ biÕn thùc phÈm;
®iÖn tö; vËt liÖu x©y dùng.
Trong 5 n¨m tíi Hµ Néi cÇn kho¶ng 9 tØ USD ®Ó ®Çu t- x©y dùng
ph¸t triÓn nh÷ng khu c«ng nghiÖp míi, ®æi míi c¸c khu c«ng
nghiÖp cñ, x©y dùng c¸c toµ nhµ lín ë trung t©m thµnh phè ®Ó
lµm c¸c v¨n phßng ®¹i diÖn, khu th-¬ng m¹i, khu vui ch¬i gi¶i
trÝ, Hµ Néi ®· cã kho¶ng 10 khu c«ng nghiÖp vµ 5 c¸i kh¸c ®ang
®-îc x©y dùng.
NhiÒu khu c«ng nghiÖp hiÖn nay cÇn nh÷ng kho¶ng ®Çu t- theo
chiÒu s©u ®Ó thay thÕ c¸c kÜ thuËt cñ, më réng x©y dùng nhiÒu
nhµ m¸y h¬n n÷a.
 114

Tuy nhiªn phã bÝ th- §¶ng uû thµnh phè Hµ Néi cÇn nh¾c nhë c¸c
®¹i biÓu r»ng cÇn ph¶i næ lùc h¬n n÷a ®Ó gi÷ v÷ng sù ph¸t triÓn
theo h-íng ‘‘nÒn kinh tÕ thÞ tr-êng’’ theo ®Þnh h-íng x· héi
chñ nghÜa.
¤ng cßn nãi ‘‘chÝnh quyÒn thµnh phè Hµ Néi ®· thÊt b¹i trong
viÖc x©y dùng sù ®oµn kÕt c¸c quan hÖ s¶n xuÊt kinh doanh x·
héi chñ nghÜa’’. Trong khi bé m¸y hµnh chÝnh c¸c cÊp cßn yÕu vµ
‘‘vai trß cña §¶ng trong c¸c tæ chøc kinh tÕ x· héi kh¸c nhau
vÉn cßn h¹n chÕ’’.
Nh÷ng tham vÊn cña «ng Tïng cßn ®-îc Tæng bÝ th- §æ M-êi còng
cè thªm, «ng Tïng chØ ph¸t biÓu víi ®¹i héi r»ng:
Bªn c¹nh nh÷ng thµnh c«ng ban ®Çu Hµ Néi cßn chó ý ®Õn viÖc
ph¸t triÓn kinh tÕ vµ x©y dùng nguån nh©n lùc.
§ång chÝ nãi 6% nh©n d©n thµnh phè Hµ Néi thÊt nghiÖp lµ mét
th¸ch thøc mµ thµnh phè cÇn ph¶i gi¶i quyÕt.
Cã thÓ lµ b»ng c¸ch lËp nªn c¸c nhãm s¶n xuÊt ®Ó tõ ®ã h×nh
thµnh c¸c c¬ së c«ng nghiÖp nhá vµ ph¸t triÓn c«ng nghiÖp dÞch
vô.
§ång chÝ phã bÝ th- Lª Xu©n Tïng nãi r»ng: trong giai ®o¹n
1991-1995 sè l-îng c¸c gia ®×nh giµu t¨ng lªn gÇn 19%. Sè hé
nghÌo gi¶m xuèng chØ cßn kho¶ng 2%.

ASSIGNMENT 18:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Lµm v-ên lµ mét nghÒ truyÒn thèng ë ViÖt Nam, nã xuÊt hiÖn
®ång thêi hay sím h¬n nghÒ trång lóa n-íc. Nh-ng VAC ( viÕt t¾t
cña v-ên, ao, chuång) lµ mét m« h×nh kinh tÕ hiÖn ®¹i míi ®-îc
®-a vµo hoat ®éng c¸ch ®©y 10 n¨m.
Ng-êi n-íc ngoµi ®Õn ViÖt Nam ®Ó nghiªn cøu m« h×nh VAC ë ®©y
nãi r»ng: Tuy nã kh«ng cã hiÖu qu¶ cao trong viÖc thùc hiÖn qui
m« s¶n xuÊt nh-ng lµ mét m« h×nh s¶n xuÊt ®ång bé mang l¹i lîi
Ých kinh tÕ lÉn lîi Ých vÒ m«i tr-êng.Tõ nh÷ng ngµy ®Çu tiªn
cña qu¸ tr×nh ho¹t ®éng, m« h×nh VAC lu«n g¾n chÆt vai trß cña
m×nh trong sù ph¸t triÓn cña nÒn kinh tÕ quèc d©n.
HiÖn nay VAC cã mÆt trªn kh¾p 53 tØnh víi h¬n 10 triÖu chñ
n«ng hé sö dông m« h×nh nµy. Trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y VAC ®· vµ
®ang ®-îc ph¸t triÓn trªn hÇu hÕt c¸c vïng kh¾p c¶ n-íc. Víi
hµng chôc ngµn hecta ®Êt canh t¸c ë c¸c tØnh Trung du vµ miÒn
nói, v-ên c©y ¨n qu¶ ®· më réng tõ 350,000 ®Õn 400,000 hecta
 115

M« h×nh VAC ®-îc ¸p dông ®· trá thµnh nguån cung cÊp rau qu¶
chÝnh cho c¶ n-íc, ®ång thêi còng ®¸p øng cho nhu cÇu xuÊt
khÈu..Theo FAO ( Tæ chøc L-¬ng N«ng ThÕ Giíi) th× s¶n l-îng rau
qu¶ ViÖt Nam ®¹t xÊp xØ 4 triÖu tÊn mçi n¨m. S¶n l-îng rau qu¶
b×nh qu©n ®Çu ng-êi trªn thÕ giíi lµ 65 Ki l«, ch©u ¸-Th¸i B×nh
D-¬ng lµ 31 kg vµ ViÖt nam lµ 61 kg.
HiÖn nay VAC cã mét ý nghÜa quan träng trong viÖc xãa ®ãi gi¶m
nghÌo ®èi víi c¸c n-íc chËm ph¸t triÓn, tæ chøc ho¹t ®éng t¹i
chç ®Ó ng¨n ch¨n suy dinh d-ìng, t¹o dùng c¸c v-ên c©y hay ®ån
®iÒn trªn khu ®Êt trèng ®åi nói träc, t¹o ra sù ph¸t triÓn mét
nÒn n«ng nghiÖp l©u dµi vµ æn ®Þnh.møc sèng cña c¸c hé n«ng d©n
thùc hiÖn m« h×nh VAC ®· ®-îc c¶i thiÖn ®¸ng kÓ víi møc thu
nhËp h»ng n¨m tõ ho¹t ®éng VAC ®¹t 60% tæng thu nhËp. Gi¸ trÞ
s¶n phÈm VAC chiÕm 1/3 gi¸ trÞ tæng s¶n phÈm vµ sÏ t¨ng h¬n
n÷a.
MÆc dï m« h×nh VAC ®· ph¸t triÓn nhanh trong vßng 10 n¨m qua,
nh-ng nã ch-a ®-îc thùc hiÖn ®ång lo¹t ë tÊt c¶ c¸c vïng n«ng
th«n. NÕu tËp trung më réng th©m canh vµ chuyªn m«n hãa c¸c
lo¹i c©y trång tren kh¾p c¶ n-íc, th× s¶n l-îng rau qu¶ ViÖt
nam cã thÓ ®¹t ®-îc 8 triÖu tÊn mçi n¨m ë thÕ kû 21.
VAC nªn ®-îc xem nh- lµ mét ch-¬ng tr×nh n«ng nghiÖp quèc gia.
NÕu VAC ®-îc khuyÕn khÝch ®Ó ph¸t huy hÕt mäi tiÒm n¨ng cña nã
th× ch¾c ch¾n sÏ ®¹t ®-îc hiÖu qu¶ cao, gãp phÇn vµo viÖc ph¸t
triÓn n-íc nhµ vµ gãp phÇn vµo viÖc b¶o vÖ m«i tr-êng.
 116

ASSIGNMENT 19:
Translate the following text into English
Researchers said on Monday they had conclusive evidence an experimental AIDS treatment
using plasma transfusions delays the onset of the disease in HIV positive patients and
prolongs the lives of AIDS sufferers.
DR. Abraham Karpas of the University of Cambridge's department of haematology said,
however, that although Passive Immune Therapy (PIT) was "breakthrough" in treating AIDS
and had no known side effects it should not be described as a cure.
"It is definitely not a cure. There is no cure in sight, but it looks as if it is the best form of
treatment," he said in his presentation to a London conference.
Karpas said U.S. and French studies on PIT released at the conference confirmed his original
research.
"Their double - blind, placebo - controlled studies showed that this treatment benefits AIDS
patients and prolonged their sure, survival,'' he stated in a telephone interview.
He said the studies, conducted by the Hemacare Corporation of California and two Paris
hospitals, also showed that PIT helped to delay the onset of full - blown AIDS (Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in people tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes the
deadly disease.
Under PIT, patients receive a monthly transfusion of half a litre of plasma taken from healthy
HIV - positive individuals. The blood has the red and white cells removes and is free of HIV
but has high levels of neutralising antibodies that kill the virus.
Karpas said he first discovered in 1985 that people with HIV who were otherwise healthy had
high levels of these antibodies in their blood while AIDS patients lost these neutralising
antibodies and their ability to fight infections.
Four patients in Cambridge were the first to receive the treatment and subsequently small
scale trials were carried out in London in 1988 and 1989. But Karpras said he has failed to
receive funding for his research in Britain and studies had therefore been set up in the US and
France.
The Hemancare trial studied the effect of PIT on 220 AIDS patients over 3 years. It found that
in the first 12 months the mortality rate was greatly reduced in the group who received the
plasma transfusion while those in the control group, where no treatment was given, had a
death rate of five time higher.
The treated group had one death in 21 people while the placebo group had six deaths in 30.
Moreover, the number of AIDS - linked infections was far lower in the treated group and the
blood donors themselves also appeared to benefit. The researchers said donating blood
appeared to stimulate the production of neutralising antibodies in the blood of HIV - positive
patients.
The French studies produced similar results, Karpas said he said the U.S. and French studies
represented the "first conclusive evidence that PIT is an effective AIDS treatment".
 117

ASSIGNMENT 20:
Translate the following text into English
Another day she said she knew a priest who woke one night to find a fellow he didn't
recognize leaning over the end of his bed. The priest was a bit frightened -naturally enough -
but he asked the fellow what he wanted, and the fellow said in a deep, husky voice that he
wanted to go to confession. The priest said it was an awkward time and wouldn't it do in the
morning, but the fellow said that last time he went to confession, there was one sin he kept
back, being ashamed to mention it, and now it was always on his mind. Then the priest knew
it was a bad case, because the fellow was after making a bad confession and committing a
mortal sin. He got up to dress, and just then the cock crew in the yard outside, and to and
behold! When the priest looked round there was no sign of the fellow, only a smell of burning
timber, and when the priest looked at his bed didn't he see the print of two hands burned in it!
That was because the fellow had made a bad confession. This story made a shocking
impression on me.
But the worst of all was when she showed us how to examine our conscience. Did we take the
name of the Lord, our God, in vain? Did we honour our father and our mother? (I asked her
did this include grandmothers and she said it did.) Did we love our neighbours as ourselves?
Did we cover our neighbour's goods? (I thought of the way I felt about the penny that Nora got
every Friday.) I decided that, between one thing and another, I must have broken the whole ten
commandments, all on account of that old woman, and so far as I could see-,, 9-n long ac, he
remained in the house, I had no hope of ever doing anything else.
I was scared to death of confession. The day the whole class went I let on to have a toothache,
hoping my absence wouldn't be noticed; but at three o'clock, just as I was feeling safe, along
comes a chap with a message from Mrs. Ryan that I was to go to confession myself on
Saturday and be at the chapel for communion with the rest. To make it worse, Mother couldn't
come with me and sent Nora instead.
Now, that girl had ways of tormenting me that Mother never knew of. She held my hands as
we went down the hill, smiling sadly and saying how sorry she was for me, as if she were
bringing me to the hospital for an operation.
"Oh, God, help us!" she moaned. "Isn't it a terrible pity you weren't a good boy? Oh Jackie,
my heart bleeds for you! How will you ever think of all your sins? Don't forget you have to
tell him about the time you kicked Gran on the shin."
"Let me go!" I said, trying to drag myself free of her, "I don't want to go to confession at all."
"But sure, you'll have to go to confession, Jackie," she replied in the same regretful tone.
"Sure, if you didn't, the parish priest would be up to the house, looking for you. Isn‟t God
knows, that I'm not sorry for you. Do you remember the time you tried to kill me with the
bread knife under the table? And the language you used to me? I don't know what he'll do with
you at all, Jackie. He might have to send you up to the bishop."
I remember thinking bitterly that she didn't know the half of what I had to tell - if I told it. I
knew I couldn't tell it, and understood perfectly why the fellow in Mrs. Ryan's story made a
bad confession, it seemed to me a great shame that people wouldn't stop criticizing him. I
remember that steep hill down to the church, and the sunlit hillsides beyond the valley of the
river, which I saw in the gaps between the houses like Adam's last glimpse of Paradise.
 118

Then, when she had maneuvered me down the long flight of steps to the chapel yard, Nora
suddenly changed her tone. She became the raging malicious devil she really was.
"There you are!" she said with a yelp of triumph, hunting me through the church door." And I
hope he'll give you the penitential psalins, you dirty little baffler.'
I knew then I was lost, given up to eternal justice. The door with the coloured-glass panels
swung shut behind me, the sunlight went out and gave place to deep shadow, and the wind
whistled outside so that the silence within seemed to crackle like ice under my feet. Nora sat
in front of me by

ASSIGNMENT 21:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
1. Nh×n chung sau mét thêi gian ho¹t ®éng tr× trÖ, nÒn c«ng
nghiÖp dÖt thªu t- nh©n cña Thµnh phè Hå ChÝ Minh ®· ®-îc kh«i
phôc vµ ph¸t triÓn ë møc ®é nhÊt ®Þnh kÓ tõ n¨m 1991.Tuy nhiªn
sù ph¸t triÓn kh«ng æn ®Þnh bëi v× hÇu hÕt c«ng viÖc cña c¸c xÝ
nghiÖp t- nh©n ®Òu phô thuéc vµo ®¬n ®Æt hµng cña n-íc ngoµi.Do
vËy, hä kh«ng thÓ kiÓm so¸t ®-îc kÕ ho¹ch s¶n xuÊt, vµ gi¸ lao
®éng cho s¶n phÈm may mÆt bÞ c¸c ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi qui ®Þnh
rÊt thÊp ( tiÒn c«ng lao ®éng n¨m 1995 chØ b»ng 65%-70% so víi
c¸c n¨m 1991 vµ 1992.).Do tÝnh ®Æc thï cña ngµnh nµy, nªn l-¬ng
trung b×nh cña c«ng nh©n trong ngµnh may-thªu chØ kho¶ng
400.000 ®ång/th¸ng. Víi sù c¹nh tranh gay g¾t hiÖn nay, b¶o
hiÓm x· héi chiÕm ®Õn 15% vµ b¶o hiÓm y tÕ lµ 2% trong tæng sè
l-¬ng mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp ph¶i ®ãng, vµ nÕu nh- kÕ ho¹ch dù
kiÕn cña b¶o hiÓm x· héi ®-îc phª duyÖt, th× gi¸ thµnh s¶n xuÊt
sÏ rÊt cao g©y khã kh¨n cho c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt ViÖt Nam trong
vieec c¹nh tranh cã hiÖu qu¶ vµ chiÕm lÜnh thÞ tr-êng.
§Ó gióp c¸c doanh nghiÖp thªu-may t- nh©n sèng cßn, «ng Nam ®·
®Ò nghÞ nhµ n-íc nªn söa ®æi tû lÖ ®ãng gãp cña c¸c doanh
nghiÖp ngoµi quèc doanh ®èi víi chÝnh s¸ch b¶o hiÓm x· héi nh-
sau:

- B¶o hiÓm x· héi: 10% ®èi víi doanh nghiÖp vµ 3% ®èi víi c«ng
nh©n

- B¶o hiÓm y tÕ : 1% ®èi víi doanh nghiÖp vµ 1% ®èi víi

c«ng nh©n
Nhµ n-íc còng nªn ban hµnh mét qui ®Þnh cã liªn quan ®Õn ng-êi
lao ®éng ®· ®-îc c¸c doanh nghiÖp tuyÓn dông vµ ®µo t¹o buéc
ph¶i lµm viÖc tèi thiÓu lµ 2 n¨m. C¸c c«ng nh©n lµm viÖc trong
 119

c¸c doanh nghiÖp ngoµi quèc doanh cÇn ph¶i ®-îc cÊp thÎ lµm
viÖc. NÕu mét c«ng nh©n nµo ®ã muèn th«i viÖc th× ph¶i ®-îc
doanh nghiÖp cñ qu¶n ®ång ý.
TÊt c¶ mäi thµnh viªn cña c¸c c«ng ty may-thªu ë Thµnh phè Hå
ChÝ Minh ®Òu ®ång ý thùc hiÖn ®Çy ®ñ viÖc ®ãng gãp mét phÇn
l-¬ng vµo b¶o hiÓm x· héi vµ y tÕ, thÓ theo ®óng qui ®Þnh cña
luËt lao ®éng.
2. C¸c chñ doanh nghiÖp cña c¸c c«ng ty lín ë TP Hå ChÝ Minh
®· nªu ra nh÷ng khã kh¨n mµ hä ph¶i ®-¬ng ®Çu trong viÖc c¹nh
tranh gay g¾t víi c¸c c«ng ty n-íc ngoµi, ®Æc biÖt lµ víi c¸c
c«ng ty khæng lå thÕ giíi.
T¹i mét cuéc häp bµn vÒ : Lµm thÕ nµo ®Ó khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t-
n-íc ngoµi vµ ®¶m b¶o s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc ®-îc tæ chøc t¹i TP
Hå ChÝ minh tuÇn qua, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt cña c¸c c«ng ty bét giÆt
Tico vµ Lux, Mü phÈm P/S, n-íc gi¶i kh¸t Tribeco, dÖt ViÖt
Th¾ng, bia Sµi gßn vµ c«ng ty gia cÇm vËt nu«i TP Hå ChÝ Minh
®Òu thèng nhÊt mét ý kiÕn lµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc kh«ng
c©n søc trong viÖc c¹nh tranh víi c¸c ®èi t¸c n-íc ngoµi v× hä
kh«ng ®-îc h-ëng chÝnh s¸ch -u ®·i thuÕ nh- c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã
vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi.
ChØ 1 n¨m sau khi lÖnh cÊm vËn cña Mü ®-îc b·i bá, c¸c c«ng ty
n-íc gi¶i kh¸t khæng lå nh- Coca-cola, Pep si- Cola ®-îc h-ëng
-u ®·i vÒ vèn, chÝnh s¸ch tiÕp thÞ vµ c¸c -u ®·i kh¸c theo luËt
§Çu T- N-íc Ngoµi, nªn c¸c c«ng ty nµy ®· dÇn dÇn th©m nhËp thÞ
phÇn cña c¸c nahf s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc. C¸c s¶n phÈm kh¸c còng
r¬i vµo hoµn c¶nh t-¬ng tù. Bia Sµi Gßn ph¶i c¹nh tranh quyÕt
liÖt víi c¸c c«ng ty bia liªn doanh víi n-íc ngoµi. C¸c nhµ s¶n
xuÊt bét giÆt trong n-íc, mÆc dï cã thÓ ®¸p øng nhu cÇu trong
n-íc ®Õn n¨m 2000, nh-ng l¹i bÞ c¸c c«ng ty khæng lå nh-
Procter & Gamble vµ Unilever dån vµo thÕ bÝ.
§Ó b¶o vÖ viÖc s¶n xuÊt trong n-íc, c¸c nhµ s¶n xuÊt trong
n-íc ®· ®Ò nghÞ víi chÝnh phñ mét sè biÖn ph¸p. Thø nhÊt, nhµ
n-íc nªn cã kÕ ho¹ch ph¸t triÓn dµnh riªng cho viÖc ®Çu t- n-íc
ngoµi vÒ l·nh vùc kinh doanh vµ ph©n bè theo vïng ®Þa lý vµ
kh«ng nªn khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi vµo viÖc s¶n xuÊt ra
c¸c s¶n phÈm mµ c¸c doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc cã kh¶ n¨ng s¶n
xuÊt ®-îc nh- n-íc gi¶i kh¸t, bét giÆt, giÊy vµ thuèc l¸. Thø
hai, viÖc cÊp giÊy phÐp nªn ®-îc ¸p dông cho c¸c c«ng ty liªn
 120

doanh hay c¸c doanh nghiÖp cã 100% vèn ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi tham
gia vµo c¸c dù ¸n ®ßi hái cã nhiÒu vèn, c«ng nghÖ cao hay s¶n
xuÊt c¸c mÆt hµng xuÊt khÈu. Thø ba, lµ nªn cã mét ®¹o luËt
chèng ®èi viÖc c¹nh tranh kh«ng lµnh m¹nh cã thÓ dÉn ®éc quyÒn
kinh doanh, ph¸ gi¸ lµm h¹i ng-êi tiªu dïng. Thø t- nªn cã
chÝnh s¸ch khuyÕn khÝch ®Çu t- trong n-íc vµ cho c¸c doanh
nghiÖp trong n-íc ®-îc h-ëng chÝnh s¸ch -u ®·i thuÕ nh- c¸c nhµ
®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi. Thø n¨m, nªn ph¸t ®éng mét chiÕn dÞch ®éng
viªn ng-êi ViÖt Nam dïng hµng néi ®Þa, t¹o ®iÒu kiÖn cho c¸c
doanh nghiÖp trong n-íc ph¸t triÓn.

ASSIGNMENT 22:
Translate the following text into English
Poor people often have larger families than middle class and upper class people. And people
in underdeveloped countries have more children than people in developed countries. More and
more experts in population growth see the strong relationship between family size and
economic development.
In some areas, government family planning services may not be available to poor people due
to geographic location. For example, people in rural areas may live too far away from family
planning services. Therefore, they don't receive information about ways to control family size.
In general, people in urban areas have much more information available to them than people
living in rural areas. Urban people have help with family planning, and they have smaller
families. So we can say that geography where people live - plays a part in determining family
size: Urban families are smaller than rural families.
What are the other reasons? Economic development of families and, on a larger scale, of
nations, is an important factor in determining family size. People with a lot of money have
fewer children. On the other hand, poor people in underdeveloped countries choose to have
many children. Why? Because they have to depend upon their children to take care of them in
their old age. They have no insurance, pensions, or government help. When they grow old,
where can they get help? The answer is simple. They can and will turn to their children. Their
children will be adults then, and they will be working. The children can all share the costs and
other responsibilities of taking care of their parents. For many poor people, a large family is a
way of planning and preparing for the future. We could say that a large family is insurance for
old age in some societies.

ASSIGNMENT 23:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
Hai c¬ quan l-¬ng thùc cña Liªn Hîp quèc ngµy h«m qua ®· cho
r»ng Indonesia sÏ ®èi mÆt víi sù thiÕu hôt l-¬ng thùc trÇm
 121

träng trong n¨m nay. §ã lµ hËu qu¶ cña nh÷ng vô mïa thÊt thu vµ
cña cuéc khñng ho¶ng tµi chÝnh ®· lµm t¨ng gi¸ nhËp khÈu.
Trong mét b¶n b¸o c¸o chung, tæ chøc L-¬ng N«ng thÕ giíi (FAO)
vµ Ch-¬ng Tr×nh L-¬ng Thùc ThÕ Giíi (WFP) cho r»ng viÖc gióp ®ì
cña thÕ giíi lµ cÇn thiÕt ®Ó gi¶i quyÕt viÖc thiÕu hôt g¹o t¹m
thêi, nguån l-¬ng thùc chÝnh cña ®Êt n-íc.
B¶n b¸o c¸o chung cña hai tæ chøc cã v¨n phßng ®Æt t¹i Rome
th× hai tæ chøc FAO vµ WFP thóc giôc c¸c n-íc tµi trî gióp
Indonesia gi¶i quyÕt c¸c vÊn ®Ò liªn quan ®Õn h¹n h¸n vµ khñng
ho¶ng tµi chÝnh. B¶n b¸o c¸o nãi thªm r»ng gi¸ l-¬ng thùc ngµy
cµng t¨ng cao, sè ng-êi thÊt nghiÖp ngµy cµng ®«ng lµm t¨ng
thªm sè ng-êi sèng d-íi møc nghÌo ®ãi. Mét b¶n b¸o c¸o vÒ mét
n-íc ®«ng d©n thø t- trªn thÕ giíi mµ nÒn kinh tÕ ®· bÞ tµn ph¸
cho r»ng :’’ Vµo kho¶ng 7,5 triÖu ng-êi Indonesia nghÌo khæ ë
15 tØnh cã thÓ ph¶i sèng thiÕu ¨n trong mïa kh«’’. B¶n b¸o c¸o
dùa trªn nh÷ng cø liÖu do mét nhãm c«ng t¸c gåm 11 thµnh viªn
cña hai tæ chøc nµy. Nhãm nµy ®· ®Õn Indonesia tõ ngµy 9
th¸ng 3 ®Õn 1 th¸ng 4 n¨m 1998. S¶n l-îng n¨m nay chØ -íc ®¹t
47,5 triÖu tÊn, thÊp h¬n 3,6% so víi n¨m ngo¸i. Sù tôt gi¶m nµy
do mét trong nh÷ng ®ît h¹n h¸n nghiªm träng nhÊt ë Indonesia
trong thÕ kû nµy g©y nªn. B¶n b¸o c¸o cßn cho biÕt mÆc dï chÝnh
phñ Indonesia dù ®Þnh nhËp khÈu 1,5 triÖu tÊn g¹o tõ th¸ng 4
®Õn th¸ng 9, nh-ng n-íc nµy vÉn cßn thiÕu 2 triÖu tÊn n÷a.
Kho¶n thiÕu hôt nµy sÏ ®-îc céng ®ång quèc tÕ gióp ®ì ®Ó nh»m
cøu v·n nÒn kinh tÕ ®ang l©m vµo c¶nh khèn cïng. B¶n b¸o c¸o
cho biÕt th¸ch thøc chÝnh mµ ®Êt n-íc nµy ®ang ®èi mÆt lµ b¶o
®¶m cung cÊp ®ñ l-¬ng thùc cho 7,5 triÖu ng-êi nghÌo ®ãi v× gi¸
g¹o vµ c¸c lo¹i l-¬ng thùc kh¸c t¨ng 50% trong vßng 12 th¸ng
qua.

ASSIGNMENT 24:
Translate the following text into Vietnamese
H«m thø t-, ViÖt Nam tuyªn bè lµ sÏ gia nhËp HiÖp Héi c¸c n-íc
§«ng Nam ¸, nh»m xua ®i pháng ®o¸n lµ Hµ Néi muèn lÇn l÷a viÖc
trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cho ®Õn khi chuÈn bÞ tèt mäi ®iÒu
kiÖn.
‘‘ ViÖt Nam hiÖn giê ®ang tÝch cùc chuÈn bÞ mäi ®iÒu kiÖn cÇn
thiÕt ®Ó trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cña ASEAN vµo n¨m tíi.’’
Phã Thñ T-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i ®· tuyªn bè nh- vËy víi c¸c doanh
nh©n t¹i mét b÷a ¨n tr-a do DiÔn ®µn Kinh tÕ thÕ giíi (WEF) -
 122

trô së ®Æt t¹i Thôy SÜ- tæ chøc. WEF lµ c¬ quan ®øng ra duy tr×
cuéc häp kÐo dµi 3 ngµy ë ®©y.
Phã Thñ T-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cho biÕt ViÖt Nam còng muèn tham
gia vµo DiÔn §µn Hîp T¸c Kinh TÕ Ch©u ¸- Th¸i B×nh D-¬ng (
APEC) víi 17 thµnh viªn. khi cã ®ñ ®iÒu kiÖn. T¹i Jakarta, Thø
tr-ëng ngo¹i giao ViÖt Nam Vò Khoan nãi r»ng n-íc «ng sÏ ®Ö ®¬n
xin trë thµnh héi viªn A SEAN vßa cuèi th¸ng nµy hay ®Çu th¸ng
11.
Thø tr-ëng Vò Khoan, sau khi gÆp «ng A Jit Singh Tæng th- ký A
SEAN- v¨n phßng ®Æt t¹i JaKarta, ®· ph¸t biÓu r»ng «ng kh«ng
muèn cã mét trë ng¹i nµo trong qu¸ tr×nh gia nhËp A SEAN. Th«ng
tÊn x· Antara ®· trÝch dÉn lêi tuyªn bè cña «ng.
C¸c thµnh viªn APEC bao gåm c¸c quèc gia thuéc A SEAN- Brun©y,
Indonesia, Malaisia, Phillipine, Xingapore vµ Th¸i Lan- cïng
c¸c n-íc Mü, Canada, NhËt vµ Trung Quèc. Mét cuéc häp kh«ng
chÝnh thøc cña c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o c¸c n-íc tham giaAPEC sÏ ®-îc
tæ chøc t¹i Indonesia vµo th¸ng tíi.
ViÖt nam ®· ®¹t ®-îc kÕt qu¶ lµ trë thµnh quan s¸t viªn ASEAN
trong cuéc héi nghÞ cña khèi nµy vµo n¨m 1992, ®· tuyªn bè lµ
thiÕt tha mong muèn trë thµnh héi viªn chÝnh thøc cña tæ chøc
nµy, ®· cã nh÷ng ch-¬ng tr×nh víi nhiÒu hoµi b¶o vÒ sù hîp t¸c,
bao gåm c¶ viÖc ph¸t ®éng khu vùc tù do mËu dÞch A SEAN trong
vßng 10 n¨m.
C¸c viªn chøc ASEAN còng ®· hy väng lµ ViÖt Nam cã lÏ sÏ gia
nhËp A SEAN tr-íc khi c¸c nhµ l·nh ®¹o cña 6 quèc gia thµnh
viªn tham dù cuéc häp th-îng ®Ønh tæ chøc t¹i Th¸i Lan vµo
th¸ng 12 n¨m 1995.
‘‘ §· s½n cã nh÷ng qui ®Þnh vÒ viÖc hîp t¸c trong khèi A SEAN.
Mét khi chóng t«i lµ héi viªn th× chóng t«i sÏ tu©n theo mäi
qui ®Þnh. Phã Thñ T-íng nãi thªm r»ng Hµ Néi sÏ lµm viÖc víi
c¸c n-íc kh¸c t¹i §ong Nam ¸ ®Ó b¶o ®¶m nÒn an ninh khu vùc. ’’
Phã Thñ t-íng Phan V¨n Kh¶i cho biÕt chÝnh phñ cña «ng sÏ ®Èy
m¹nh c¸c næ lùc b»ng nh÷ng viÖc c¶i c¸ch ®Ó hoµn thiÖn c¸c ®iÒu
kiÖn cho sù ®Çu t- n-íc ngoµi qua sù h×nh thµnh mét c¬ cÊu luËt
ph¸p míi vµ c¸c thñ tôc hµnh ch¸nh thÝch hîp h¬n.
Phã Thñ t-íng nãi: ‘‘ Chóng t«i hiÓu ®-îc lµ ViÖt Nam ®ang ®èi
phã víi nh÷ng thö th¸ch lín lao cña sù c¹nh tranh kinh tÕ toµn
cÇu vµ nh- thÕ chóng t«i ph¶i cè g¾ng thËt tÝch cùc ®Ó g¹t bá
®i mèi nguy c¬ tôt hËu ®»ng sau c¸c n-íc l¸ng giÒng.’’

ASSIGNMENT 25:
Translate the following texts into English
 123

1. The manufacturing sector expanded significantly during the post-World War II

reconstruction of the Philippine economy. Government controls on imports promoted the
development of light industries that produced consumer goods for the domestic market. In the
1970s the government created four special economic zones designed to stimulate
manufacturing for the export market. Industries in these export-processing zones receive
incentives to produce traditional exports. The zones have helped to stimulate foreign
investment in the Philippine economy, in part because they are exempt from certain taxes and
restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses. The success of these zones has led to the
creation of other types of special economic zones, such as large industrial estates. Businesses
receive tax exemptions and other incentives in these zones. The former U.S. naval base at
Subic Bay, for example, is now a huge industrial-commercial zone in Manila. Its modern
facilities and duty-free economic zone have attracted new export-focused industries and
foreign investment
2. Vietnam has sought to maintain socio-politic stability, develop economic and diplomatic
establishment in recent years. The positive legal changes have had a tremendous influence on
the production, financial and commercial situations. Vietnam ranked as the world‟s second-
largest rice exporter to Thailand because its agriculture responded dramatically to free market.
In manufacturing and service activities the rapid growth and change occurred in and around
HCM City. Much economic expansion was partially driven by an influx of investment and
technology from some 2 million overseas Vietnamese in many different countries worldwide,
most of whom had returned to Vietnam for their investment and contacts with their relatives.

Only a year after the US embargo was lifted, soft drink giants such as Coca Cola and Pepsi
Cola, which have enjoyed superior advantages in capital, marketing policies and preferences
under the Foreign Investment Law, have gradually eaten into the market shares of local
producers. Other products are also in the same situation. Saigon Beer has to compete fiercely
with breweries of foreign Joint-ventures. Local detergent producers, although capable of
meeting domestic demand to the year 2005, have driven into the corner by giants such as
Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

3. To protect domestic production, local producers have proposed several measures to the
Government. First, the State should devise specific development plans for foreign investment
in terms of business field and geographical area and should not encourage foreign investment
in products which local enterprises can produce such as soft drink, detergent, paper and
cigarettes. Second, licenses should be granted only to JVs or foreign-owned enterprises which
involve in projects requiring large capital, advanced technology or producing goods for
export. Third, a law should be enacted against unfair competition that can lead to monopoly,
dumping or price inflation that does not benefit consumers.

4. In Vietnamese the word “nuoc” carry a double meaning of “country” and “water”, a
linguistic association recognizable after a journey to the most fertile land in Vietnam- the
Mekong Delta. The silt from the Mekong River helps to bring an ample granary representing
the whole country source of food as well as the local inhabitants‟ riverside lifestyle. For
tourists, the Mekong Delta is one of the most fascinating tourist destinations in South-east
Asia. It offers the marvel of the glittering waters coupled with the gaiety of a culture
demonstrated by the local lifestyle and commercial activities. The big cities such as Can Tho,
 124

My Tho and Long Xuyen provide a vantage for the nine provinces of the Mekong Delta while
the immense network of rivers and canals is regarded as the great boon second to none in this
region. The exciting life in this region is not very similar to that in HCM City. However, it
does not suggest any difficulty in reaching the Mekong Delta to escape the excitement of the
greatest city in Southern Vietnam. It takes only a three-hour drive( by bus, though) on the
National Highway Number 1 to get to My Tho, the capital of Tien giang & an ideal departure
point for exploring this delta region.
 125

REFERENCES

Bolinger, Dwight. 1977. Meaning and Form. Longman, London, UK.

Catford, J.C. 1985. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Oxford University Press, London,
UK.

Halliday, M.K.A. 1976. Cohesion in English. Longmans, London, UK.

Larson, Mildred L. 1998. Meaning-based Translation.University Press of America. Maryland,

USA.

Newmark, Peter. 1989. A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall International, Hertfordside,

USA

Palmer, F.R. 1981. Semantics. Cambridge University Press, London, UK.

Reyburn, D. 1979. Cultural Equivalences in Translation. Oxford University Press, London,

UK.

Rose, Marilyn. 1982. Translation Spectrum. State University of NY Press, New York, USA

Steiner, G. 1985. Aspects of Language and Translation. Oxford University Press, London,
UK.

Tosh, Wayne. 1975. Syntactic Translation. The Hague, Mouton, USA

 CONTENTS

Introduction 1
Chapter 1: THEORY OF TRANSLATION 2
Lesson 1: Form and Meaning 2
Lesson 2: Kinds of Translation 11
Lesson 3: Steps in a Translation Project 21
Lesson 4: Strategies for Translators 27
Lesson 5: Patterns and Sources of Errors 34
Chapter 2: ASSIGNMENTS 49
Assignment 1 49
Assignment 2 51
Assignment 3 54
Assignment 4 55
Assignment 5 57
Assignment 6 58
Assignment 7 59
Assignment 8 60
Assignment 9 61
Assignment 10 62
Assignment 11 63
Assignment 12 65
Assignment 13 66
Assignment 14 67
Assignment 15 68
Assignment 16 70
Assignment 17 71
Assignment 18 73
Assignment 19 73
Assignment 20 74
Assignment 21 76
Assignment 22 77
Assignment 23 78
Assignment 24 78
Assignment 25 79
Chapter 2: ASSIGNMENT KEYS 81
Assignment 1 81
Assignment 2 82
Assignment 3 84
Assignment 4 85
Assignment 5 86
Assignment 6 87
Assignment 7 89
Assignment 8 90
Assignment 8 90
 Assignment 10 91
Assignment 11 92
Assignment 12 94
Assignment 13 95
Assignment 14 96
Assignment 15 98
Assignment 16 100
Assignment 17 101
Assignment 18 102
Assignment 19 103
Assignment 20 104
Assignment 21 105
Assignment 22 106
Assignment 23 106
Assignment 24 107
Assignment 25 107
References 109
Thông tin về tác giả của giáo trình:
- Họ và tên: Nguyễn Văn Tuấn
- Sinh năm: 1963
- Cơ quan công tác: Tổ Biên-phiên dịch, Khoa Tiếng Anh, Trường Đại học Ngoại
Ngữ Huế
- Địa chỉ email: tuannguyen11863@yahoo.com

Phạm vi và đối tượng sử dụng giáo trình:

- Giáo trình Translation 1&2 chủ yếu sử dụng để dạy cho sinh viên ngành Tiếng
Anh, chuyên ngành Biên phiên dịch. Giáo trình này còn có thể dùng để dạy hoặc
dùng như nguồn tham khảo cho sinh viên ngành Quốc tế học, Việt Nam học.
- Giáo trình có thể dùng cho các trường Đại học ngoại ngữ, Đại học sư phạm ngoại
ngữ, Học viện quan hệ quốc tế.
- Yêu cầu kiến thức trước lúc học môn này:
Để học tốt môn này, người học cần phải có kiến thức cơ bản về ngữ nghĩa, ngữ
dụng và diễn ngôn. Ngoài ra người học cần có kinh nghiệm ít nhiều về công tác
biên-phiên dịch hoặc là đang tham gia công việc này hoặc là sinh viên đang học
các môn biên-phiên dịch thực hành
- Các từ khóa để tra cứu:
Source language, Target language, Meaning-based translation, Literal translation,
Translation errors, Exegesis, Translation evaluation, Strategies for translators,
Paraphrase, The 4 T's in translation
- Đã xuất bản năm 2001 tại NXB Đại học Huế, tái bản năm 2006 tại NXB Đà Nẵng