Vietnamese & Western Culture

1. Characteristics of Vnmese culture

- Have wet rice civilization and culture

- Highly appreciate their relatives -> “ Một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã”

- Use words to show relationship in family to address each other: cô, bác, em….

- Want to set up close relationship and friendship with neighbours -> “ bán anh em xa, mua láng giếng gần”,..

- Love saving face. They love polite and indirect communication

- Love getting to know their listeners in communication

Characteristics of Western culture

- Highly appreciate privacy and punctuality

- Their system of greetings based on parts of day: Good morning, afternoon..

- Avoid personal questions that are common in Vnmese culture like “ anh đi đâu đấy? Bác làm gì đấy?..

2. The influence of culture on translation

1. At word level:

- bed: stay in bed ( bed includes mattress, springs, sheet.. in western countries), stay on bed ( VN)

- space:

• close space: in the sky, in the tree..in W;

• vertical direction: on the sky, on the tree.. in VN

- how is your Christmas? ( W) = how is your lunar New year? ( VN)

- a small potato( W)= thảo dân, người có địa vị thấp ( VN)

2. At phrase level

1. Idioms

- Apprearance:

• As thin as a stick = gầy như que củi

• As strong as a horse= khỏe như trâu

- Characteristics:

• As jealious as Othello= ghen như Hoạn Thư

• As stupid as a donkey= ngu như bò

- Colours:

• As black as a skillet = tối như bưng

• As red as a beetroot= đỏ như gấc

• As red as a cherry= đỏ như son

2. Metaphoric idioms

• Cup of tea= sở thích

• Storm in a tea cup= chuyện bé xé ra to

• A second bite at the cherry= cơ hội lần 2

3. Other ( a k nhớ rõ tiêu đề)

1. Ways of emphasis in English

- Use “ DO”

- Use “ It’s….that”

- Emphasizing pronoun: yourself, himself,..

-...