influences of vietnamese and british culture on english-vietnamese translation by the third year students of english at hanoi open university

The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
Table of contents
Part A: Introduction
I. Rationale
Nowadays, English is the most popular language all over the world.
Being considered as a bridge to make every countries closer, English is used
in many fields such as economic, diplomatic, politic, science, technology etc.
English provides us with an effective tool to have a deep understanding about
the culture, people, traditional, lifestyle and custom of other countries.
However, there are usually much sophistication in learning and using a
foreign language in general and English in particular. When learning a foreign
language, learners should concentrate on not only its grammar, structure,
vocabulary, pronunciation but also its own cultural factors. Obviously,
learners often have subjective thinking because of their unawareness of
cultural differences. Therefore, they often impose their cultural characteristics
or their mother tongue on the foreign language.
As the matter of fact, there are many Vietnamese learners of English
especially the third-year students of English at Hanoi Open University still
have difficulties when dealing with English-Vietnamese translation. It is no
fully right to think that they can be good at translation if they have broad
sense of grammar. Moreover, large amount of cultural vocabulary is also the
major factors which help translators to translate appropriately and effectively.
With the hope of helping the third-year students of English at Hanoi
Open University translate texts from English into Vietnamese better, the
author has decided to choose the theme"Influences of Vietnamese and British
culture on English-Vietnamese translation by the third year students of
English at Hanoi Open University” for her graduation paper study.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
II. Aims of the study
With this graduation paper, the author hopes to help Vietnamese learners
of English overcome cultural barriers in order to translate from English into
Vietnamese more effectively. Therefore, the aims of the study are:
- To find out the similarities and differences between Vietnamese and
English culture.
- To point out the relation between language and culture, which
influences English-Vietnamese translation.
- To search for background of British and Vietnamese culture which
influence on the use of language.
- To indicate some common mistakes in translating from English into
Vietnamese caused by the third-year students of English at Hanoi Open
University and suggest some solutions to overcome them.
III. Methods of the study
In the graduation paper, the author tries to search for the differences of
Vietnamese and British culture as well as its influences on English-
Vietnamese translation. In order to make clear about the theme, the author has
done the paper basing on:
- Collecting many documents and reference books referring to the topic
from many sources such as library, Internet.
- Consulting the supervisor for her guidance.
- Discussing with friends.
- Analyzing and interpreting all the information following the data and
instructions of supervisor.
IV. Scope of the study
Both culture and language are sophisticated areas for research. Because
of the shortage of time and limitation of knowledge, the whole field of the

cultural influences study can not covered in the graduation paper. I would like
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
to pay attention to the differences of Vietnamese-British cultural factors which
affect English-Vietnamese translation. I also attempt to do research some
mistakes which are connected with cultural characteristics and some
suggestions to avoid the mistakes of the third year students of English at
Hanoi Open University in translating from English into Vietnamese. The
author hopes that will help them improve their skills in translating from
English into Vietnamese.
V. Design of study
The paper is divided into three main parts:
Part A: INTRODUCTION
This part includes rationale, aims of study, scope of study methods of
study and design of study.
Part B: DEVELOPMENT
The main part of the study contains 2 chapters:
Chapter 1: is the literature review on: definition of culture, language, and
translation, relation between language and cultures andVietnamese culture the
British one is also referred in this chapter.
Chapter 2: is the findings in the survey and some cultural influences on
English - Vietnamese translation
Chapter 3: gives some suggested solutions to overcome negative
influences of culture on English - Vietnamese translation.
Part C: CONCLUSION
Summarizes all the main points in the whole graduation paper.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
Part B: Develop ment
Chapter I: literature review
1.1. Overview of translation
Nowadays, translation plays an importance role in our modern society so
it has become a profession. Its topic range from literature to every type of
information with great emphasis to science and technology. Translation
includes contact translation, freelancers, staff translation and pre and post
editors in machine translation. The command of understanding and
communicating foreign languages in every field of life as well as in global
integration makes translation important. Furthermore, the developments of the
number of international organizations, the recognition of minority language
groups on almost countries in the world and international trade have given
translation bigger prominence.
It is easy to find translation everywhere. It has moved away from books
to contracts, reports, instructors, magazines and newspapers, advertisements
and brochures. This proves that translation has been the favorites subject of
not only linguists, amateur and professional translation and language teachers
but also engineers, producers and sciencetists. Many books, articles have been
published to introduce this area of human knowledge. However, we should
consider the definition of translation. Here are some definitions of translation
studies.
"Translation is the replacement of a representative of text in one
language by a representative of another equivalent text in a second language".
(Hartman and Stock 1972: 713)
"Translation is a procedure that leads from a written source language text
to on optimally equivalent target language text and which requires the

syntactic, semantic, stylistic and text pragmatic comprehension by the
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
translation of the original text".
(Van, Hoang Van cited in Wills 1982 a: 112)
''Translation, as the process of conveying message across linguistic and
cultural barriers, is an eminently communicative activity…''
(Tudor, cited in Duff 1989: 5)
"Translation is the expression in another language (or target language) of
what has been expressed in another language (source language).
(Dubois 1973, cited in Bell 1991: 5)
As can be seen definition on translation are different and contradictory.
In order to discuss more current views on translation, I would like to introduce
the theories of cat ford, Hakim and Mason, and Bell.
a. Catford.
In "A linguistic theory of translation (1965) Catford defined translation
as: "The replacement of textual material of one language (source language) by
equivalent textual material in another language (target language) (page20)
Two important points need to be discussed are textual material and
equivalence. Textual material is used more popular than text to cater for the
fact that normally it is not the linguistic entirely of a source language text
which is translated, that is, replaced by target language equivalence. Simple
replacement by target language material may be taken place at one or more
levels of language. About "equivalence", Catford distinguishes between it as
empirical factors and a theoretical consideration. He said that, equivalence is
discovered by comparing source language and target language by way of not
only informants but also con mutation and observation, and theoretically we

are keen on identifying the conditions or justification of translation
equivalence.
b. Hatim and Mason
According to "Discourse and the translation "(1990) by Hatim and
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
Mason, translation is not a simple problem. A text can have more than one
translation, the translator's work is a difficult course of decision to be taken.
Hatim and Mason believed that translation is a process. They defined
translation as a "communicative process which takes place within a social
context" (p3). In their opinion, the translation's role is a "mediator between a
source language text and its author and the target language reader ''(p 223)
They also indicated that translators do not translate words, phrases or even
sentences, but they translate texts. Therefore, the translation must understand
not only the literary but also implicit meaning of the text.
c. Bell
In "translation and Translating: Theory and Practice" (1991) Bell wrote a
number of theoretical and practical problems about translation such as
translation theory, translation's knowledge and skills, word meaning, etc.
Also, he emphasized three main points: a focus an model, a focus on meaning
and a focus on memory.
Focusing on model, Bell distinguished translation as process with
translation as product. Then he suggested the building of the model of
translating process taking into account several issues such as the knowledge
and skills of translation, the necessary task that translators should have when
translating atext.
In terms of meaning, he places sentence meaning, and traditional word,

semantic sense and communicative value within a systematic functional
model of language and linked them with text.
Last but not least, an emphasis to memory expresses two basically
factors of information: theory and knowledge which are great importances to
any understanding of the translation process.
1.1.1. Type of translation
In the opinion of Catford in "A linguistic theory translation"(1965) ,there
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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are 3 types of translation:
a. Full and partial translation
Full translation relates to the translation of a whole passage. On the other
hands, partial translation refers to translation of each part of the passage.
b. Total and restricted translation
While total translation means the translation at all levels of language,
restricted translation refers to the translation at limited level of language.
c. Unbounded and rank bounded
Unbounded translation relates to the translation which consists of
translation removing of the source language and target language with the same
meanings hunt up and down ranks scale. Meanwhile rank bounded translation
includes a careful selection of translation equivalents at corresponding levels
on translating one work, the translator questions about the kind of the text, the
writer's aims, etc to decide the kind of translation which she/ he believes the
best.
1.1.2.Translation vs interpreting
There are some differences between translation and interpreting. While
translation means shifting an idea from one language to another expressed in

writing, interpreting means shifting ideas expressed in speaking or using body
language.
Even though interpreting is thought to be a small part of translation,in
regard to the analysis of the processes involved (translation studies).In
practice,both translation and interpreting activities are not separated.
1.1.3.Translation process
The translation process includes:
- Decoding the meaning of the source text.
- Re-encoding the meaning in the target language.
First, in order to decode the meaning of the source text the translators
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
have to find out its part "translation units" that means the paragraphs of the text
should be considered as a cognitive unit. Translation unit can be a word, a phrase or
some sentences. Although this procedure is easy to understand, the cognitive
operation is sophisticated and difficult. Translators have to interpret and
analyze all the source text. This operation requests translators to understand
deeply and correctly the syntax, semantic, idioms, phrasal verbs of the source
language, also the culture of its language. Translators also should have deep
knowledge of culture in order to re-encode the meaning of the target
language. As the matter of fact, translator’s understanding of the source
language is less important than their understanding of the target language.
Therefore, almost translators translate a sourse language into a target
language which is their mother-tongue. As Nida - one of the famous theorist
as well as practitioner, wrote in "Language structure and translation" (1975 :
80) about a three-stage process of translating. He further stated that a
deliberate analysis of what exactly happens in translation process has

expressed that instead of analyzing immediately from one set of surface
grammar to other, a translation naturally has a process with three stages:
Analysis, Transfer and Restructuring. According to him, at first, the translator
has to analyze the content of the source language into its easiest understanding
and clearest form, shift these information in his mind from the source
language into the target language that is the most appropriate for the reader
who he/ she is going to reach.
Here is the diagram of Nida 's model:
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SL text
analysis
TL text
Restructuring
Transfer
The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
(Fig 1) Nida 's process of translating (1965,p.80)
1.1.4.The success of translation
As the matter of fact, translation is a complicated and careful activity.
The translator needs to be not only an expert reader in one language but also
active writer in another one.
There are only two kinds of translation, one being to direct to the original
text while the other paying attention to translate a wonderful translation that
precisely indirect on the original. In fact, there is neither translation that
precisely independ on the original text nor any that tries to imitate the original
in another language completely.
If direct translation means to reproduce exactly by copying original text,
it can not have a beautiful product. It is worth mentioning that culture in the

source language and the target language should be well-observed so that
translation is carried out successfully.
In fact, differences in culture cause many more severe complications
than they do in language and structures. The translator needs to have an in-
depth knowledge of the various aspects of his or her culture because most
texts are nomally colured with cultural elements such as: idioms, proverbs,
metaphors and other cultural features. As a matter of fact, all languages and
culture have their cultural sensitives, but share with each other only few of
them.Besides, it is not very common to find equivelentt proverbs.
An invented example may illustrate this point is the following English
proverb: "diamond cut diamond". Another cultural specific element such as:
"bread and butter", "John Bull" "Shove Tuesday", etc. It seems to be difficult
to transfer their complete meaning in a simple word.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
Further more, cultural differences are always major causes of mistakes in
translating. The translator has to resolve the barrier between different cultures
in order to translate successfully.
1.1.5 Principles of translation
According to Savory (1968: 50) there are some contradictory principles.
1. A Translation must give the words of the original.
2. A Translation must give the ideas of the original.
3. A Translation should read like on original work.
4. A Translation should read like a travel lotion.
5. A Translation should reflect the style of the original.
6. A Translation should possess the style of the translation.
7. A Translation should read as a contemporary of the original

8. A Translation should read as a con tem portray of the translation.
9. A Translation may add to or omit from the original.
10. A Translation of verse should be in prose.
11. A Translation of prose should be in verse.
1.2.Overview of culture
Culture is seemed to be a sophisticated, popular term in our life. In fact,
culture relates to the value about material and spiritual of human activities.The
definition of culture is defined by many authors.
The anthropologist Alfred Kroeber and Clybe Kluckholn said,"Culture
consists of pattern, explicit of behavior aqquired and transmitted by symbol
constituting the distinctive achievement of human group. The essential care of
culture consists of traditional ideas especially their attached values, culture
system may on the other hands, be considered as production of action and on
the other as conditioning element of further action" (1952: 181).
Culture is defined by Scollon as "Culture is any of the customs, world
view, language, kinship system, social organization, and other regular
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
practices of a people which set that group a part as a distinctive group" (1995 :
126).
According to a Vietnamese expert on culture, professor TrÇn Quèc V-
îng, "Culture is the spiritual product of people 's creativity and it was born
with the appearance of human beings on Earth." (1998:17).
Another definition of culture given by Phïng Quý Nh©m is that culture is
the system of spiritual and material values mankind has in the historic process
(1975: 7).
Meanwhile Proffessor TrÇn Ngäc Thªm asserted that:'' Culture is an

organic system of material and spiritual values that mankind has accumulated
and created in the process of practical activities, in the interaction between
man and his natural and social environment.'' (1997:27).
In brief, culture is a mean which helps us distinguish one society to
another. It consists of many aspects of a society such as: behaviors, standard
and models of social interactions which has been inherited from one
generation to another.
1.2.1.Characteristic of culture
According to Richard E Porter and Larry A. Samovar (1994: 12) there are
6 characteristics of culture:
a. Culture is learned.
b. Culture is transmissible.
c. Culture is dynamic.
d. Culture is selective.
e. Culture is interrelated.
f. Culture is ethnocentric.
1.2.1.1. Culture is learned
People must learn culture because they don't have it immediately when
they were born. As the matter of fact, the numbers of people who learn their
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
patterns of behaviors and ways of thinking until they have become
internalized is very high. For example, in most of societies, the young
generation learn culture from the old generation. People must learn to write
and read their own language, and to follow the rule of their society. In many
societies, people must learn to do a job well which they then use in their lives.
This evolution is named enculturation or cultural transmission by the

anthropologists.
Enculturation is an evolution which need much time to carry out. .As the
human language concern, which is a main part of enculturation, lasts many
years. Naturally, every family often protect and enculturation children in their
households at least eighteen years or more. At this period, children can leave
and establish their own households.
Not only human but also another species learn behaviors which are very
sophisticated. For instance, people may make distinction between one group
of chimpanzees and another by the way they find food or the way they use
common tools in working. However, the behaviors of some species are smaller
than great culture of human being. Because the chimpanzees don't have
speech, they have many difficulties in exchanging information and teaching
another what they know.
1.2.1.2. Culture is transmissible
Culture is mainly result of communication and understanding the
symbols. Thanks to symbols, people may think more complicatedly A
symbol can connect or not connect to the things which it relates. For example,
many people in the United States think when the colors: red, white and blue
combine, is very meaningful about their patriotism, this is the color of their
national flag.However, these colors doesn't mean anything if we let them
alone.
In order to transfer new information, people immediately find new
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
symbols, for example chemical formulas or physical formulas. Furthermore,
people can use only one symbol, for example a picture or a single word to
refer to many objects, behaviors or feelings. Also, symbols supply a simple

way for people to exchange sophisticated information with another. For
instance architects, engineers and construction workers can interchange the
useful information to build a high building or a bridge.
Basically, human being is able to communicate through symbols when
they were born only by using language. Scientists believes that children have
elementary structure of language - a kind of grammar in their minds - children
are led to study the language spoken by people around them.
It is language that people are supplied to interchange and communicate
great numbers of information. Nonhuman animals can be able to have them.
According to a research, people taught American language for some
chimpanzees with picture - based language and American language. As a
result, some could develop vocabulary of nearly hundred words: However,
they find difficulty in using words to communicate with each other.
Moreover, differences from nonhuman animals, human's vocal tract is
able to make and pronounce clearly a large a mount of sounds which help
people to create millions of words. As a matter of fact, only human's brain
consists of an area which includes the production and interpretation of speech.
Also, human can find easy to communicate with each other by using symbols
1.2.1.3. Culture is dynamic
Communication as well as culture is change continuously, they rarely
remain constant. Because both ideas and products develop, step by step, within
culture, they can change through the system of "diffusion" and "invention".
"Invention" is known as the creation of new information, objects or definitions
that everyone in this culture agree with. For example, in North America, both
the civil rights movement and the invention of television are good mirrors of
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University

the inventions construct the culture.
"Diffusion" is the way which causes change in culture. Learning and
understanding of what is borrowed speeds up when culture appears in direct
communication with another. For instance, when Japan and the United States
share more commerce, it is believed that the United States learns and
understands Japanese business management in practice and the Japanese
cooperate the United States marketing skills.
1.2.1.4. Culture is selective
Each culture expresses a typical characteristic of behaviors from the
specialization of human experience in each society .Basing on the elementary
assumptions and value conceptions, this selection is made to each culture
meaningfully. In brief, culture is defined on the boundaries of different
societies.
1.2.1.5. Culture is interrelated
As Richard E. Porter and Larry A. Samovar inserts that: "You touch a
culture in one place and every thing else is affected". (Richard E. Porter and
1994: 13). From the characteristics of culture, culture likes a sophisticated
mechanism.
1.2.1.6. Culture is ethnocentric
According to Keesing about the characteristic of culture, "universal
tendency for any people to put its own culture and society in central position
priority and worth" (Richard E. Porter and Larry A.S. Samovar, 1994:13).
Most of countries in the world highly appreciates this characteristic of culture,
because it can help people be better citizen
1.2.2. The cultural background of Vietnam and the Great Britain
As we all know, every country in the world has their own culture which
affect to language. In fact, language and culture are related tightly with each
other. Therefore, we ought to pay attention to the cultural peculiarity of each
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
country. Thus, I would like to present amount of information about the Great
Britain's cultural background and Vietnam's one.
1.2.2.1. Great Britain 's cultural background
The Great Britain is a western country, therefore, its culture consists of
all specific western cultural characteristics. One of the most important cultural
features of British is that it was mixed by many countries' culture. This
sophisticated culture witnessed many memorable periods in history such
as:rural period, industrial period, imperial period, suburban period, tourist
period, and multi-cultural one. It was set up by nomad which tended to action.
Because of its trend, the culture has changed fast. When almost Eastern
countries tends to develop agricultural trend. Britain had moved to industry for
a long time. This change comes across economical stage. The nomadic life
with the period of moving from one place to another which let them know
about the differences in price, is very useful lifestyle. Therefore, they find a
new way to coordinate between nomads with commerce.
While the production were plentiful, the nomadic brought them to sell.
After that, people must live in a stable place in order to interchange goods and
to have got a place to keep goods.Finally, market was set up and developed in
urban so that people had got enough goods to interchange and apply the
commands of the urban. Then, step by step, an industrial society was created.
Based on the typical and important characteristics, British culture is the
result of the coordination of many different cultural factors from many
origins. One of the most specific traits of British culture is that every
individual can be independent.
They respect the private life of other people. Thus, we can say British
culture means individualism.
According to researchers, the specific British traits in old days were

sincere, high responsible, brave but conservative, stubborn, discretionary.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
John Bull was considered as a typical English man who owned most of the
above characteristics. Today, the British feels free to express their own
feelings.
People from other countries should know the differences between British
formal and informal behaviors. This is a friendly way in Britain to show that
you are not bothering with the formalities. When the British is sympathy and
respectful with you, it means you are considered as their friends .British only
have formal behaviors when meeting a stranger or an acquaintance (but not a
friend) after a long time.
British also highly appreciate private life. Each people has right to keep
his/ her information about himself/ herself privacy. It is considered a rude
behavior when asking British "personal questions" (for example: about their
salary ,their families or their sex life) of you don not know them very well.
British government is democratic which has grown over the centuries,
and is made up of hundreds of Parliamentary Acts. This constitution has taken
away power from the monarch, so today Queen does not have political power
But the British people still respect the Royal family as they used to do.
Britain is a very cold area with dry climate. It is not suitable for planting
tree except for immense meadows. As a result, British breed mainly sheep,
goat, cow. The forefront of British agriculture is dairy farming. British diary
cattle are well-known in the world. The raising of beef, too, is one of the most
important farming activities everywhere in Britain. Nearly a third of the area is
in purpose to do farming consists of hill pastures where sheep - the animal
provides both wool and meat flourish in a land can graze.

The major crops is cereal such as wheat, corn, barley, appropriate with
dry cold climate in Britain.
1.2.2.2. Cultural background of Vietnam
Situating in Asia, Vietnam has all cultural characteristics of an Orient
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
country. This country is in hot region. Its climate is humid tropical. Therefore
it rains very much and many big rivers and fertile delta regions were made.
This is the reason why Vietnamese changed from tree planting into rice
planting in about the fifth century BC. As a result, an agriculture-rooted
culture existed quite soon. As the matter of facts, an agriculture rooted culture
which is a sophisticated of a wet-rice culture with 3 components:
mountainous, delta and coastal culture. Nowadays, major of Vietnamese
people live on agriculture which depends much on weather conditions.
Vietnamese government is the Socialist Republic type which is led by
parliament.
The traits of Vietnamese culture created for thousands year in which
many elements originated from old wet rice cultivation, the specific
geography, the natural environment, the society and the long history of
defense against foreign invaders. One of the most prominent features of
Vietnamese culture is patriotism. The principle rule of the construction and
development of Vietnamese nation is to strengthen the nation's position and
protect the construction and defense has become the symbol of the patriotism
of Vietnam helped the Vietnamese people gain the victory in many wars
against foreigner invaders such as Chinese feudal, French colony and
American imperial. The process of national construction and defense was
formed and developed in the framework of Vietnamese traditional society,

illustrated as family-village, country, and based on the socio-economic
foundation with 3 elements: countryside-agriculture- farmer. Because of these
factors, the patriotism of Vietnamese people was set up with its particular
features. In brief, it is undeniable that patriotism is a guide to Vietnamese
people's behavior. It is easy for us to find it in every field of cultural spiritual
life in Vietnam.
In addition, the community spirit is another important cultural,
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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Open University
characteristic of Vietnamese. This is the result of the wet rice cultivation of
Vietnamese people, forcing its members live in coordination with other, which
set up family, generations and closed village as well. The community spirit
has formed a kind of principle emotional orientation. As a result, this principle
lead to the respective toward human dignity, literature and woman
1.2.3.1. Similarities between British culture and Vietnamese one
The most similarity between English and Vietnamese culture are
humanity. Both two cultures are the things which people made. They has
humanitarian characteristics.
1.2.3.2. Differences between British culture and Vietnamese one
As the matter of fact, every culture has their own characteristic in each
culture.People can express their thought, feeling, opinions in different ways in
different cultures in every field.
The climate where the Vietnamese communities lived was very hot.
Thus, it rained very much, and many big rivers with fertile delta regions were
made. As a result, an agriculture originated culture was formed. Britain was a
cold region with dry climate which is suitable for planting trees. There were
only immense meadows, and the British people earned their living by

breeding. They lived in a nomadic life and went from one place to other
places. As a result, a nomadic rooted culture was formed. While the
agricultural cultural opinion how to building a stable life. The nomadic
cultural opinion is how to travel fast.
Due to the natural environment, two contrary opinions were created. The
Eastern people depend on nature. So they highly appreciated nature and work
ship natural genies. The nomadic did not was to stay at a fixed place.
Therefore, they not only look down on nature but also want to subdue it.
Vietnamese has synthetic thought which brings about dialectics
behaviors. They often care for the relation between them. Vietnamese live in
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
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harmony with another, respect the emotional ties which leads up to look up
good characteristics ,knowledge and woman. The British think of equality and
justice due to the commercial life. The nomadic respect talent, strength, and
men.They do not highly appreciate woman and knowledge.
In conclusion, Vietnam and Britain owned two opposite cultures. While
English culture represented by the analysis thinking and the physical manner
is the center of England culture; Vietnamese culture represented by the
synthetic thinking with dialectic behaviors. Therefore, we should be cautious
when studying the influence of cultural elements caused by these differences.
1.3. Overview of language
Human being is considered the most numerous and the most powerful
living things in our planet. In fact, some species of animals are able to do the
things which mankind can not. For example, birds can fly far away and come
back to the some places every year, owls can see in dark, etc. But we are
different.It is the language that distinguish us with another animals. Only

human being can communicate with one another by using our spoken
language.
Language is one of the most important inventions of human being. In
order to understand clearly about language, let's take some definition.
According to L. Donald and W. Harry (1956) "Language is the means by
which men and women reach searching finger toward one another, understand
one another, conduct as members off is prime vehicle of our conduct as
member of a human society, it is the basic of our writing and the instrument of
our literature.
The America Heritage Dictionary of the English language gave out
another definition that: "a communication of thought and feeling through a
system of arbitrary signal such as voice sounds, gesture or written symbol,
such a system including its rules for combining its component such as: words
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
used by a nation people, or other distinct community, often contrasted with
dialect".
While Tadeuze asserted that: "language is a product in that it can survive
ages without essential changing despite social upheavals (1973:3).
In brief, language is considered as a mean of human being’s
communication. It is created from linguistic unit such as: morphemes, words,
renitence, etc. Also, by using language, people can interchange information,
express their feeling, keep the social relation between each members.
1.3.1 Function of language
We can see many classifications by many linguists. Exactly, the most
popular function that most language learners and researchers can recognize is
the function as a mean of communication.

In terms of this problem, Holliday (1930 : 1985) indicated that language
has three functions:
The first function is named ideational function. This function serves for
the expression of "content" that is of the speaker's experience of the real world
including the inner of his awareness. There are 2 subtypes in this function: the
experiential function and the logical function.
The second function is the interpersonal function. This function serves to
establish and maintain social relation for the expression of social roles formed
by language itself, for example, the tasks of questioner or respondent, which
we take for getting things done, by ways of interaction between one person
and another.
The last function is the textual function, is concerned with providing
connections with language itself and with the features of the case in which it
is used. It helps writer or speaker construct texts, or connect passages of
discourse that is situated by relevant, and help the reader or listener, to make
distinction between a text and a random set of sentence.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
1.3.2. Characteristics of language
When people understand the characteristics of language they can have a
profound view toward translation and culture-related issues. There are three
major characteristics of language.
The first characteristic is the sophistication. It is proved by the fact that
nowadays it is impossible to translate mechanically from one language to
another with really satisfactory results. The best program med computer still
cannot translate perfectly. The mistake is not in the computer but in the
unsuccess to provide it with sufficiently accurate instructions, because we can

not handle this vastly complex system. It has been estimated that if the brain
used some of the methods of computting language, it would take several
minutes to produce or to understand a single short sentence.
Secondly, language is productive. We can produce uncountable sentences
that we have never heard before. It is true that we have some kinds of sestence
- producing mechanism - that sentences are produced new every time and not
merely imitated. One role of grammatical theory is to explain this quite
noticeable fact.
Last, language is arbitrary. There is no one–to- one relation between
sound and meaning. This account for the fact that languages differ most of all
in their grammatical structure.
1.3.3. The interrelation between language and culture
The issues of language and culture relationship has drawn the concern of
many linguistics and other inter branch's attention. Nowadays, these issues
have been given under the light of new theories coping with the command of
the widen of linguistic, culture logy and other socio - human sciences. Most of
theorists asserts about the sophisticated relation of culture and language.
When a person wants to learn another culture, he/she has to learn its language
because language is a bridge to connect him/her to the culture and understand
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
it. In turn, culture gets rich its language and make the dominant characteristic
of the country which owns the language. The language and the culture
combine so tightly that learning one obviously relates learning another. To
sum up, the relation between language and culture is interrelated and
inseparable. They are two parts of a whole which is never separated.
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
Chapter 2: Findings and discussion
2.1. Survey text
2.1.1. Aim of the survey text
The survey aims at finding some common mistakes made by the third
year students of English at Hanoi Open University when translating from
English into Vietnamese .
2.1.2. General description of the survey
The survey is divided into three main sections :
Section A: Participants were asked to translate the 13 examples with
great attention paid to the underlined words or phrases. Basing on the
translation version,their knowledge of British culture and Vietnamese one
would be shown.
Section B : Participants were requested to choose the better choice of
three translation versions to the given compliment of an English person to a
newly-born baby.
Basing on the result of the two sections, difficulties cause by cultural
influences in terms of value definition, traditional customs and habit,
conveyance and constitution have been shown.
Section C: Participants were requested to choose the most suitable
preposition in each of seven sentences. Through this section, we can see how
the way of thinking toward space division influences on English- Vietnamese
translation.
2.1.3. Target of the survey
The target of the survey are 60 third year students of English faculty at
Hanoi Open University. The reason for my choice of target is that I would like
to find out how the cultural knowledge might cause mistakes when translating

from English into Vietnamese.
2.2. Data analysis
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
After collecting back 60 sheets distributed, I have analyzed the
data.Participants were asked to complete the survey individually in forty - five
minute without using dictionary.The final result from effect of cultural
differences still exist.
Here is the final result:
Part A:Choose the best translation with great attemtion to the underlined
words or phrases.
1. I have been loving him from the bottom of my heart.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Tôi yêu anh ta bằng cả trái tim mình. 34 56.6%
Tôi yêu anh ta bằng cả tấm lòng. 26 43.3%
2. If you want to be a successive businessman, you must be aggressive
and not worry about people feeling.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Nếu bạn muốn là một thơng nhân giỏi, bạn
cần xông xáo và không nghĩ tới cảm xúc ngời
khác.

18 30%
Nếu bạn muốn là một thơng nhân giỏi, bạn
cần hiếu chiến và không nghĩ tới cảm xúc của
ngời khác.
42 70%
3. He is a real John Bull.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Ông ta là một ngời dũng cảm. 10 16.6%
Ông ta đúng là một quý ông kiểu Anh. 21 35%
Ông ta đúng là một John Bull. 29 48.3%
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The influences of Vietnamese and English culture
On English - Vietnamese translation by the third-year of English at Hanoi
Open University
4. She really has the Queen's heart.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Cô ấy quả thật có trái tim của một nữ hoàng. 52 86.6%
Cô ấy hiền nh cô tấm. 8 13.5%
5. Uncompromised methods were given out to deal with the problem.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage

Những biện pháp cứng nhắc đã đợc đa ra để
giải quyết vấn đề.
19 31.6%
Những biện pháp không khoan nhợng đã đợc
đa ra để giải quyết vấn đề.
43 71.6%
6. He is very clever.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Anh ta rất khôn ranh. 7 11.6%
Anh ta rất khéo léo. 31 51.6%
Anh ta rất nhanh nhẹn. 22% 36.6%
7. She is as flat as pancake .
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Cô ấy gầy nh một cái bánh kếp. 45 75%
Cô ấy gầy nh cá mắm. 15 25%
8. We staged strikes not on political but on bread and butter issue.
Version
Number of
approval
Percentage
Chúng tôi đình công không phải là vì vấn đề
chính trị mà là vì vấn đề lơng thực.
46 76.6%
Chúng tôi đình công không phải là vì vấn đề 14 23,3%

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