How to translate some of the metaphors in Harry potter Books (book 3 and book 7) into Vietnamese

Acknowledgements
The completion of this graduation research owns the help of people who have
enthusiastically contributed in different ways.
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Mr.
Nguyen Duc Thang, M.A. for his enthusiastic and usual guidance and
encouragement. His valuable suggestions, and careful and critical comments have
been vital to the completion of this research.
I would like to give my thanks to teachers of Foreign Language Department, Hung
Vuong University, for their useful lectures providing me with basic background of
translation studies and metaphors in linguistic terms
My gratitude also goes to students in Foreign Language Department for their
great encouragement and provision of valuable documents.
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AbStract
The title of this research is “ How to translate some of the metaphors in Harry
potter Books ( book 3 and book 7 ) into Vietnamese”. This topic is chosen due to
the difficulty of translating metaphors, particularly in literary translation. The
language in Harry Potter’s books must be smoothly rendered so that it is both
expressive to the readership and faithful to the authors’ intention. The major
purpose of this research is to study the fundamentals of translation studies and
different ways to translate metaphors through professional translation of
metaphors in two Harry Potter’s books, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The results of the analysis of professional translation shows that metaphors
could be translated in five different ways: reserving metaphors of the source
language, translating as similes, using target language equivalent metaphors,
reserving metaphors and giving explanations, and removing metaphorical imagery.
Secondly, semantic and communicative translation methods are equally effective
in translating metaphors, while literal translation is likely to lead to wrong
metaphoric translation. Thirdly, to successfully convey the meaning of a metaphor,
understanding its context and good knowledge of English grammar and semantics

are of great importance. Lastly, the translator should acknowledge his readership
to produce the finest, as natural as possible translation.
In the final part, the research suggests some techniques in translating
metaphors. Hopefully the research could be useful for students of translation and
those who are interested in the topic of metaphor translation.
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Table of contents
Acknowledgement……………………………………………….…… 1
Abstract……………………………………………………………….…… 2
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
I.1. Topic: ………………………………………………..………………....…5
I.2. Rationale: …………………………………………………………...…....5
I.3. Over view of the research: ………………………….…………………….6
I.4.The purpose: …………………………………………..…………………...6
I.5.The main points: ………………………………………..………………….7
1.6. Research duties and methods: ………………………..…………………...8
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
II.1Translation: ………………………………………………..……….………9
II.1.1. Definition: ……………………………………………………….…..9
II.1.2. Translation process and the translator: ……………………………..10
II.1.2.1. Modeling translation process: ……………….…………... 10
II.1.2.2. Translator: ……………………………………..…………..12
II.1.2.2.1.What is a translator? …………………….…….. 12
II.1.2.2.2. Translator competence: ………………….……..13
II.1.3. Equivalence in translation: …………………………………………14
II.1.3.1. Definitions of equivalence in translation: …………..……..14
II.1.3.2. Types of equivalence: ……………………………….…….14
II.1.4. Translation methods: ……………………………………..………..16
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II.2 Metaphor: ……………………………………………………..………….18

II.2.1. Definition: ……………………………………………….………...18
II.2.2 Types of metaphors: ……………………………………….……….19
II.2.3. Recognizing a metaphor: ……………………………………….....21
II.2.3.1. Metaphor and similes: ……………………………………....21
II.2.3.2. Metaphor and idioms: …………………………….…………21
II.2.3.3. Analyzing a metaphor: ……………………………………...23
II.2.3.4 Problems in understanding and translating metaphors:... 25……
II.3. Translating metaphors: ……………………………………………...27
CHAPTER III: TRANSLATION OF METAPHORS IN HARRY
POTTER BOOKS (BOOK 3 AND BOOK 7)
III.1.Reason for choosing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: ……………………………………..….…..32
III.2. Translation of dead metaphors in Harry Potter books 33…………………
III.3. Translation of live metaphors in Harry Potter books ………………….34
III.3.1. Reserving a metaphor: ………………………………………...39
III.3.2. Using target language equivalent metaphors and removing
metaphoric imagery: ……………………………………………..………..40
CHAPTERIV: CONCLUSION
IV.1.Recapitulation: ………………………………………………….……....43
IV.2.Implications : ………………………………………………….….……..43
IV.3.Limitations : ………………………………………………………..…...45
IV.4.Recommendations for the further research: ………………………..…...45
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References: …………………………………………………………...…47
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
I.1. Topic
How to translate some of the metaphors in Harry Potter Books ( book 3 and
book 7 ) into Vietnamese
I.2. Rationale
In occasion of doing the graduation research, I decided to study in depth the

subject of metaphor translation for general readers, especially for children for the
following reasons :
First, books in general and translated works in particular contribute greatly to the
improvement of Vietnamese readers’ knowledge, cognition, critical thinking and
emotion. In the context of the national intergration into the world community,
translated publications are even more necessary as by reading them, children have an
opportunity to better their understanding of different cultures, and they learn to
appreciate precious humane and moral values.
Second, the innocence and naivety of children make translation for challenge for
themselves but rewarding. It is not easy for an adult translator to smoothly transfer
messages by a foreign author into language of children. On the other hand, natural
translation can leave children with strong and vivid impressions that may remain
forever in their mind. Therefore, translation quality is absolutely worth being
considered.
Third, metaphors have long been making numerous difficulties to translators, i.e.
how to recognize a metaphor, how to understand correctly its semantic implication,
how to re-express it into the target language while reserving the original meaning,
etc. In addition, linguistic and cultural gaps frequently challenge language skills of
the translator. A research on “How to translate some of the metaphors in Harry potter
Books (book 3 and book 7) into Vietnamese” thus should be scientifically conducted.
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Finally, the research is conducted with a view to examining how Vietnamese
professional translator in Harry Potter’s books (children’s books ) have translated
metaphors. Some drawn findings and conclusions are hopefully useful for students of
Foreign Language Department and those who are interested in the topic of research.
I.3. Overview of the research
In the world as well as in Vietnam, there have been many linguistics, translators
and researchers studying translation process aspect, metaphors aspect, and both of
aspects in combination, such as : Baker, Mona, Catford, Peter, Nguyen Hoa, Trung
Tanh, … Some of books or links mention to the importance of translation; some

mention detail to types of metaphor, such as: fishing metaphor, cooking metaphors,
weather metaphors,… in order to show that : metaphors are vivid, anominous. Giving
these metaphors in translation is interesting but difficult. There appeared some
methods, some solutions which many authors found. However, they are in general
and scrattered.
Furthermore, Harry Potter series are famous and well-known with readers,
especially with children. Its languages are vitally remarkable to study. However,
there’re few researcher find that Harry Potter’s books are the golden store of
metaphors. In comperation with professional translator, Lý Lan, those metaphors are
turned into interesting, vivid and precious picture.
So, the research on “How to translate some of the metaphors in Harry Potter
Books (book 3 and book 7) into Vietnamese ” is an attemption to convey these hidden
things. It is the first research in Foreign Language Department of Hung Vuong
University.
I.4.The purpose of research
With this topic, my research is conducted with the following purposes:
First, researching metaphors in semantics and translation theory terms and finding
the way to apply theory to practice.
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Second, discussing the way to translate some of metaphors in Harry Potter books
(book 3 and book 7) to illustrate the theory.
Third, finding the best way to translate some of metaphors in Harry Potter books
( book 3 and book 7 ) into Vietnamese and techniques for translation.
Therefore, the research questions are as followed:
• How is a metaphor recognized and its hidden meaning understood?
• In term of translation theory, what are the possible ways to translate an English
metaphor into Vietnamese?
• How have English metaphors actually been translated in Harry Potter books
(book 3 and book 7 ) in written English ?
• What conclusions could be drawn to help students of Foreign Language

Department?
I.5.The main points of the research
I.5.1. Introduction
I.5.2. Literature review
I.5.2.1. Translation
I.5.2.2. Metaphor
I.5.3. Translation of metaphors in Harry Potter books ( book 3 and book 7 )
I.5.3.1. Reason for choosing Harry Potter books ( book 3 and book 7)
I.5.3.2. Translation of metaphors
I.5.4. Conclusion
I.5.4.1. Recapitulation
I.5.4.2. Implications
I.5.4.3. Limitations
I.5.4.4. Recommendations for the further research
I.6. Research duties and methods
I.6.1. Research duties
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With the drawn main points, the research must be conducted with view to
-formulating the theoretical framework of translation and metaphor of English and
Vietnamese; suggesting the way to apply theory is to practice;
- giving illustration of translation’s professional translator of metaphor in Harry
potter books ( book 3 and book 7 )
- drawing conclusion to help students to translate metaphors in general and
particularly in Harry Potter books ( book 3 and book 7 )
I.6.2. Research methods
With the duties mentioned above, this research will be methodologically conducted
by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data on metaphoric cases in translation
textbooks and the selected literary publications.
In addition, to get the good results for this research, asking specialist’ idea method
was conducted in order that these instruments would clarify and illustrate theories on

English – Vietnamese translation of metaphors, so that readers of this research
could have a sense of how to translate a metaphor into Vietnamese in a natural way.
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CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
II.1. Translation
II .1 . 1.Definition
Translation is widely recognized as an occupation of long history, dating back
thousands of years ago, and of great importance to human cross- cultural
communication, knowledge exchange and economic development
The first trace of translation dates from 3000 B.C, during the Egyptian Old
Kingdom, the area of the First Cataract, Elephantine, where in descriptions in two
languages have been found. It became a significant factor in the West in 3000 BC.
Luther’s Bible translation in 1552 laid the foundations of modern Ger man. However,
as the last century witnessed the rapid-than-ever progress of natural science and
technology, translation subjects were no longer bound by literary texts, but have been
varied by every aspect of life, from technical issues to health, medicine, law and
administration.
Until the last half of the 20th century (the age of translation) did the very first
translation studies emerge to academically define what translation was. Though
scholars have stated various definitions with different points of view, almost all of
them regard translation as a process and product, and the nature of equivalence is
frequently mentioned.
In Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice (1991) Bell introduces
Meetham and Hudson’s general view on the notion of translation:
Translation is the replacement of a text in one language by a
representation of an equivalent text in a second language (p.713)
Munday (2001) goes further with more details:
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The term translation itself has several meanings: it can refer to the
general subject field, the product (the text that has been translated) or

the process ( the act of producing the translation, otherwise known as
translating). The process of translation between two different languages
involves the translator changing an original written text ( the source text
) in the original verbal language ( the source language) into a written
text ( the target text) in a different verbal language ( the target language)
(p.4- p.5)
Newmark also introduces a very clear and comprehensive concept of translation:
Translation is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in
the way that the author intended the text (p.5)
According to him, translation seems to be simple: as one ought to be able to say
something as well in one language as in another. It is nevertheless as complicated,
artificial and fraudulent, since by using another language, you are pretending to be
someone you are not.
By acknowledging two sides of the translation process and implying translation
evaluation (“the way the author intended the text”), the explanation by Newmark is
supposed to be one of the most satisfactory definitions of translation. Needless to say,
it is impossible to come to a perfect definition covering all aspects of such a vast
notion of translation, as Bell (1991) admits that it can be either an art or a science.
II.1.2. Translation process and the translator
II.1.2.1. Modeling translation process
According to Newmark (1995), translation process or translating involves four levels
“more or less consciously in mind” (p.19), namely:
 The source language text level: the level of language
 The referential level : visualizing and building up objects and events, an
essential part of comprehension and reproduction process
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 The cohesive level : encompassing both comprehension and reproduction,
presenting an overall picture.
 The level of naturalness : constituting a band within which the translator
works, concerning only reproduction

In addition, Bell (1991) and Larson (1984) illustrate translation as a process to
achieve the final product in a clear way by two translation models as followed:


Figure 1: Bell’s translation model (1991, p.21)

Figure 2: Larson’s translation model (1984, p.4)
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Memory
Target
language
text
Semantic
representation
Synthesis
Analysis
Source
language
text
Translation
Text to be
translated

MEANING
11

Both models emphasize two major steps of translation process:
 First, the translator analyzes the source language text to discover its meaning,
or the semantic representation and the author’s intention and implication.
 Then, all these factors are synthesized and re-expressed into the target

language.
Obviously if the source text is wrongly analyzed, the translation will fail to render the
author’s intention. Therefore, reading comprehension of the source text is vitally
important for the success of a translation, particularly in translating metaphoric texts,
where the meaning is normally hidden.
In further discussion, there’re three major stages of translation process , as
syntactic, semantic and pragmatic processing. Although scholars introduced some
other models of translation process, still the two presented above are considered as
the core of translation process.
II.1.2.2. Translator
II.1.2.2.1. What is a translator?
It is not the truth that a person knowing at least a foreign language could be a
translator. That a language learner may be proficient at that language does not always
mean he could render smoothly the meaning of a written or spoken text into his
mother tongue. In addition to conveying the lexical meaning, translation requires the
translator to respect other important factors such as the author’s implication and
literary style. In other words, as humorously stated by Newmark
(1969, p.85) “any fool can learn a language but it takes an intelligent person to…
become a translator”
So a translator, is a billingual mediating agent between monolingual
communication participants in two different language communities (Bell, 1991).
More clearly, translator was explained that: it decoded messages transmitted in one
language and re-encodes them in another.
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II.1.2.2.2 Translator competence
So far the general concept of translation and the work of a translator have been
discussed. Accordingly what is the competence required to be a professional
translator?
Newmark (1995) assumes that “a translator has to have a flair and a feel for his
own language or in other words, a translator has to sixth sense , compounded of” “ ”

intelligence, sensitivity, intuition, and knowledge. In his point, in translating process,
these factors directly affect translation methods and procedures applied by the
translator, and therefore, determine translation quality.
Knowledge of the subject area is so vast and no translator could know all topics from
science, technology, socio-economic, political issues, to literary and philosophical
works. However, it is admitted that a good language learner can translate a scientific
document better than a scientist with poor language knowledge.
Consisting with his previous explanation of a translator, Bell (1991, p.37) adds to the
stated translator’s knowledge-base the decoding skills of reading and the encoding
skills of writing. He comes to a condensed conclusion that a translator must know:
 How propositions are structured ( syntactic knowledge)
 How clauses can be synthesized to carry propositional content and analyzed to
retrieve the content embedded in them ( semantic knowledge)
 How the clause can be realized as information-bearing text and the text
decomposed into the clause (pragmatic knowledge).
All these views on translator competence have had great and useful contribution to
translators of any language. In addition, it is undeniable that practice and experience
in translation are also important to success of any translator, particularly to
newcomers.
II.1.3. Equivalence in translation
II.1.3.1. Definitions of equivalence in translation
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As mentioned above, equivalence is considered the central concept of translation
studies, yet theorists’ approaches to equivalence are so different. Such scholars as
Catford (1965), Nida and Taber (1969) claim that translation bases itself on
equivalence relation, hence, equivalence is the necessary condition for translation:
“translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural
equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in
terms of style” (Nida and Taber,1969/1982,p.12). On the contrary, Snell- Hornby
(1988) and Gentzler (1993) regard equivalence as irrelevant to or damaging

translation, even as an obstacle to translation. The middle- course representative is
Baker (1992) to whom equivalence is a useful category for describing translation.
In spite of different approaches, almost all theorists share agreement that there is no
such thing as absolute equivalence in translation due to differences in grammatical
rules, forms, expressions, etc. between two languages. Therefore, there are many
ways to define what kind of equivalence should be aimed at in order to achieve the
best equivalent effect.
II.1.3.2. Types of equivalence
Basing on text meaning, Koller ( 1995) classifies equivalence in translation in five
categories :
1. Denotative equivalence: source language and target language words refer to the
same thing in the real world.
For example:
- Tomato (a soft fruit with a lot of juice and shinny red skin that is
eaten as a vegetable either raw or cooked)
- Cµ chua ( mét lo¹i qu¶ mÒm, nhiÒu níc, vá bãng ®á, cã thÓ ¨n sèng
hoÆc nÊu chÝn)
2. Connotative equivalence: in addition to denotative value, source and target
language words should produce the same communicative values in the mind of native
speakers of the two languages.
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For example:
- Your Majesty.
- Mu«n t©u BÖ H¹!
3. Text- normative equivalence: source and target language words use the same or
similar text types in their respective languages.
For example:
- Your faithfully,
- KÝnh th,
4. Pragmatic equivalence: source and target language words have the same effect on

the reader or mainly aiming at the receiver to whom the translation is directed.
For example:
- She’s a cunning fox.
- Mô giµ quû quyÖt.
5. Formal equivalence: source and target language words have the same formal
aesthetic features, orthographic or phonological features
For example:
- To be, or not to be: that’s the question (Shakespeare, Hamlet)
- Sèng hay kh«ng sèng-®ã lµ vÊn ®Ò
Nida and Taber (1982) views equivalence as merely two types:
• Formal correspondence: focuses attention on the message itself, in both form
and content.
• Dynamic equivalence: based on “ the principle of equivalent effect”
Meanwhile, Baker (1992) identifies equivalence in translation more
comprehensively as equivalence at and above word level; grammatical equivalence;
textual equivalence; and pragmatic equivalence
Though from theorists’ point of view equivalence could be categorized in different
ways, it is the translator to decide when priority should be given to either form and
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meaning of the text to translate. This matter also concerns translation methods and
procedures, which are discussed right in the next part.
II.1.4. Translation methods
Translation, as mentioned, is viewed as a process and a product. Translation
methods provide translators with a theoretical background of how to translate in the
most appropriate way. In other words, the final products are certainly different from
each other in form, style, meaning and value. It is apparently the translator to have his
own option among these methods so as to achieve the most satisfied final translation.
In translation studies, the translation methods suggested by Newmark( 1985, p.45-
53) are highly appreciated. He introduces eight methods in the form of a flattened V
diagram:

Source language emphasis Target language emphasis
Word-for–word translation Adaptation
Literal translation Free translation
Faithful translation Idiomatic translation
Semantic translation Communicative translation
Newmark explains word-for -word translation is “the interlinear translation” where
“ the source language word-order is preserved and the words translated singly by
their most common meanings, out of context” ( p.45-46). As for literal translation,
“the source language grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest target
language equivalents but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context”
(p.46). Faithful translation “attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of
the original within the constraints of the target language grammatical structures”
(p.46). In other words, it transfers cultural words but preserves lexical and
grammatical abnormality.
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In the right wing emphasizing the target language, adaptation is “ the freest form of
translation” (p.46), mostly used for plays, poetry and songs. Free translation by
nature could be regared as in trailingual translation since it is usually a paraphrase
much longer than the original text. Idiomatic translation also reproduces the message
of the original text but “tends to distorts nuances of meaning by preferring
colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original” (p.47)
Among these eight translation methods, semantic translation and communicative
translation fulfill the two main aims of translation, which are, first, accuracy, and
second, economy “(19995,p.47). Besides, they “treat the following items similarly :
stock and dead metaphors, normal collocations, technical terms, slangs,
colloquialisms, standard notices, phaticism, ordinary language”
However, there are clear differences between semantic and communicative
translation. Semantic translation emphasizes the source language while
communicative translation the target language. Hence, semantic translation is author-
oriented, written at the author’s linguistic level and is used for “expensive” texts. . In

semantic translation, the translator “follows the thought process of the author” , i.e
being faithful to the author’s style, word choice, expression, etc
Meanwhile, communicative translation is reader-oriented, written at readers’
linguistic level and is used for “informative” and “vocative” texts. In communicative
translation, author’s status is not significant. The importance lies in information
conveyed and whether readers could understand it. The translator, therefore, is
allowed to edit or correct the source language text if necessary, so that his translation
is not only accurate but also comprehensible to general readers.
Bearing in mind characteristics of each translation methods could be very helpful for
translators, particularly I the phase of synthesizing semantic meaning and re-
expressing it into the target language.
II.2. Metaphor
II.2.1. Definitions
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Metaphor is one of the literary devices, belong to figurative language. The
longman Dictionary of Contemporary English says that: “when a word or phrase is
used in a figurative way, it is used about something different from what it normally
refers to, to give you a picture in your mind” ( Ldoce.1995, p.515) . So, in other
words, metaphor or the figurative language is an imaginative comparison between
two unlike object or is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects.
In the simplest case, this take the form : “ The [ first subject] is a [ second subject] “.
More generally, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope that describes a first subject as being
or equal to a second subject in some way.
According to An introduction to literary study written by Nguyen Trung
Tanh, metaphor is the figure of speech expressing indirectly ( by implication not
using as or like ) a resemblance in one or more points of an object in one class to an
object of another class ( in general figurative language broadly ).
In linguistics, metaphor is one of the most conventional notions frequently
mentioned with metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, litotes and irony, metaphor is
traditionally defined as the hidden comparison, the transference of meaning, “ the

transfer of a word or phrase to an anomalous context” or “ the transfer of concepts
between domains or semantic fields” ( Backman 1991 ).
In the light of translation studies, Larson defines metaphors as grammatical
forms which represent two propositions in the semantic structure, as any figurative
expression: the transferred sense of physical word, the personification of an
abstraction, the application of a word or collocation to what it does not literally
denote.
In conclusion, metaphor is defined as the figurative language, which is an
imaginative comparison between two unlike object
,
in which the characteristics of
quanlities of one object are applied to the other

or contrast them to one another,
without using as or like .
For examples
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