ABSTRACT The research aims to apply the functional-pragmatic model by House 2015 in assessing the English-Vietnamese literary translation quality of the text containing spelling, punctua
STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND RATIONALES FOR THE
Translation is the process of converting words from one language to another while preserving their meaning, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary This ancient profession, which dates back around ten thousand years, plays a vital role in the exchange of knowledge and culture, remaining essential in today's globalized world (Munday, 2000).
Literary translation is often regarded as the most challenging form of translation due to its unique text characteristics, making it difficult to distinguish from other genres (Munday, 2000; House, 1977; Nida, 1964; Hermans, 2007) Despite these challenges, it plays a crucial role in sharing and preserving knowledge, as well as various social and cultural elements Recently, a specific type of literature has gained attention in Asian media, exemplified by works like "Flower for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon These texts share a distinctive feature of incorporating intentional errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, highlighting the complexities of literary translation.
Dr Strauss advises that I should write down my thoughts and experiences moving forward The intentional errors in these narratives serve to illustrate the author's aim of portraying the challenges faced by autistic or disabled characters in communication and writing, highlighting their distinct perspectives and situations Notably, there is a lack of unique literary works that effectively utilize spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes to reflect the experiences of autistic individuals.
The translations of works featuring disabled characters often fail to capture their unique communication challenges, resulting in a lack of attention from both linguists and readers This oversight compromises the quality of these texts' translations into Vietnamese.
Translation quality assessment (TQA) has led to the development of various frameworks, including psycho-social, response-based, and text and discourse-oriented approaches Psycho-social approaches often overlook the relationship between the original text, the translation, and its readers, focusing instead on the translator's subjective interpretation influenced by intuition and experience (House, 2015; Hằng, 2017) In contrast, response-based approaches (Nida, 1964; Nida & Taber, 1969) assess translation quality by comparing reader responses to both the translated text and the original work Text and discourse-oriented approaches encompass descriptive, philosophical, socio-cultural, socio-political, and linguistically focused methods Among these, House’s translation quality assessment model (1977, 1997, 2015) is widely recognized for its effectiveness in evaluating translations across various language pairs, including Vietnamese-English and English-Vietnamese, due to its credibility and versatility in handling different text types.
Creating an effective literary translation presents numerous challenges, particularly when dealing with texts that contain unique, error-filled features Often, translators rely solely on their cultural knowledge and intuition due to the lack of proper guidelines This research aims to offer valuable insights into the complexities of translating and evaluating texts with spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors into Vietnamese, benefiting translators, linguists, educators, and researchers in the field.
1.2 RESEARCH AIMS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study evaluates the Vietnamese translation of Daniel Keyes's novel "Flowers for Algernon," translated by Lê Khánh Toàn, using House's TQA model (2015) to determine its adherence to translation standards The research aims to identify whether the translation is overt or covert and to explore the challenges posed by cultural differences in translating the error-laden text Additionally, the study seeks to provide recommendations for improving the translation process to address these difficulties.
This research was carried out to answer these questions:
(1) To what extent does the Vietnamese translation of the novel “Flower for Algernon” meet the standard of House's TQA model (2015)?
(2) What are the unconventional errors and problems in translating the error-filled text that represents the autistic main character in the “Flower for Algernon” novel?
The research findings suggest several implications for enhancing the Vietnamese translation of the novel "Flower for Algernon" and similar literary works in the future Firstly, it is essential to prioritize cultural context and linguistic nuances to ensure that the emotional depth and themes of the original text are preserved Secondly, incorporating feedback from native speakers can improve the authenticity and relatability of the translation Lastly, ongoing training for translators in both literary techniques and cultural sensitivity will contribute to more effective and impactful translations in the future.
This research analyzes the original text and its Vietnamese translation from the novel "Flowers for Algernon," focusing on the spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors made by the autistic main character, Charlie Gordon The study specifically examines the sections from "Progress Report 1 March 3" (page 1) to "Progress Report 9" (page 59) and "Progress Report 17" dated November 1.
The analysis compared the original novel "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes with its Vietnamese translation "Hoa trên mộ Algernon" by Lê Khánh Toàn, focusing on specific text sections from both works Utilizing House’s theoretical framework (2015), the study evaluated the quality of translation, examining aspects such as style and grammar This comprehensive comparison highlights the fidelity and effectiveness of the translation in conveying the original narrative's meaning and tone.
The spelling and punctuation in selected chapters illustrate the main character's mental development, necessitating that the translation of these chapters mirrors this growth This analysis aims to determine the appropriateness and acceptability of the translated text according to House's TQA model (2015).
This paper examines the error-filled text in the novel "Flowers for Algernon," aiming to offer valuable insights into literary translation assessment, particularly regarding texts with errors The study's findings are expected to be beneficial for translators, students, and syllabus designers, among others.
This study evaluates the quality of translations, specifically focusing on Lê Khánh Toàn's work on 'Flower for Algernon' It aims to help translators identify their mistakes and enhance their skills for future translations The findings are expected to be beneficial in addressing challenges related to peculiar texts that contain spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, as well as unconventional literary styles.
This study provides valuable insights for educators and syllabus designers regarding translation quality assessment, particularly through the evaluation of error-filled texts Such texts can serve as effective assignments to gauge students' translation skills without the influence of machine translation Given the limitations of auto-translate tools, which often rely on auto-correct features, these peculiar texts necessitate human translation and a deep understanding of cultural context By incorporating this approach, educators can better evaluate their students' abilities, reduce dependence on modern technology, and ultimately enhance the quality of translation programs.
The research aims to enhance students' awareness of their translation skills and cultural knowledge, while also serving as a valuable resource for researchers in the field.
1.2 RESEARCH AIMS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2 1.3 SCOPE OF STUDY 3 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY 5
KEY CONCEPTS AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS 6 1 Translation 6 2 Translation Equivalence 7 3 Translation Quality Assessment 8 2.2 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK 10 2.3 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES 12 2.4 RESEARCH GAPS 14
Translation is commonly understood as the process of transferring text from one language to another or as an exchange of messages between different languages However, these general perceptions are diverse and often inadequate for the field of translation studies Consequently, linguists have refined and elaborated on the definition of translation, leading to more precise interpretations.
Catford (1965) defines translation as a process that involves substituting a text in one language for a text in another, emphasizing its role as an operation performed on languages As a functional linguist, he views translation as a unidirectional process that replaces equivalent textual material from the source language (SL) to the target language (TL).
Nida (1964) views translation as an art form, defining it as "the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style" (p.12) He emphasizes that the goal of translation is to evoke the same response in readers of the translated text as that experienced by readers of the original work.
Translation, as defined by Newmark (1988), involves conveying the meaning of a work into a different language while preserving the author's intended message He highlights the importance of text analysis, asserting that understanding the text's meaning and the author's intentions are fundamental to the translation process.
House (1977), quite contrary to Catford (1965), believes in the two- directional, sometimes, symmetrical relations between source text (ST) and
Translation involves replacing a text in the source language with a semantically and pragmatically equivalent text in the target language, emphasizing the concept of equivalence.
Translation encompasses various interpretations and perspectives, emphasizing key aspects such as the replacement of textual material, the reproduction of meaning and style, and the importance of cultural context Despite differing approaches—whether focusing on the author or the reader—all definitions converge on the central concept of equivalence in translation.
‘Equivalence’ is obviously the key concept in translation and the fundamental criterion of translation quality
Catford (1965) defines textual translation equivalence as any target language (TL) form that corresponds to a specific source language (SL) form, highlighting that changes in the SL text will only affect the corresponding portion of the TL text This definition emphasizes the concept of linguistic equivalence, which pertains to the relationship between elements of two languages that can be considered 'equivalent' in meaning.
Nida (1964) asserts that translation must communicate the "same meaning" as the original text while utilizing appropriate and comprehensible language for the target culture He identifies two primary types of equivalence: formal equivalence, which focuses on the linguistic structure, and dynamic equivalence, which emphasizes the message's impact on the audience Nida's framework highlights the importance of considering both linguistic elements and cultural contexts in translation, ensuring that the final product resonates with its intended audience Achieving a balance between formal and dynamic equivalence is essential for effective translation.
8 can the translator preserve the essential meaning and impact of the source text while producing a translation that is natural, meaningful, and effective for the target audience
House's (1977, 2015) concept of equivalence highlights that a direct one-to-one correspondence between source and target languages is often unattainable It emphasizes the significance of cultural and pragmatic factors in achieving translation equivalence, acknowledging that languages and cultures express ideas differently This perspective reinforces the idea that effective translation may necessitate adaptation and creative approaches to accurately convey the original text's intended meaning and impact within the target language and culture.
Koller (1979) identifies five types of equivalence in translation, as outlined in his work "Introduction to Translation Science." The first type, denotative equivalence, focuses on the extralinguistic content and lexicon of a text The second type, connotative equivalence, emphasizes the connotations associated with lexical choices The third, text-normative equivalence, pertains to text types and language norms The fourth type, pragmatic equivalence, considers the audience's interpretation of the text or translation Lastly, formal equivalence addresses the form and aesthetic aspects of the source text (Koller, 1979, as cited in Panou, 2013).
Equivalence is a fundamental concept in translation theory and forms the basis for evaluating translation quality Consequently, varying interpretations of equivalence result in diverse methods for assessing the quality of translations.
Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) is the evaluation process that measures the accuracy and equivalence of a translated text compared to its source Numerous theorists have dedicated their efforts to addressing the complexities involved in this assessment.
9 with the evaluation of translation by proposing different criteria for a ‘high- quality’ translation
Forster (1958) defines a good translation as one that serves the same purpose in the target language as the original, but assessing its success cannot rely solely on reader responses or the translation's fidelity Newmark (1988) emphasizes that the standard of perfection in translation, akin to arts and crafts, is best determined through informed discussions among experts or knowledgeable individuals He identifies Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) as the crucial link between translation theory and practice, essential for comparative literature studies and professional translation courses, providing a framework for criticism and discussion.
Nida and Taber (1982) proposed three criteria for evaluating translation quality: the accuracy of the message understood by the audience, the ease of comprehension, and the emotional engagement resulting from the translation's form While these criteria are theoretically relevant for assessing translation quality, they lack the specificity needed for practical application in real-world scenarios.
House (2015) emphasizes the importance of shifting from a macro-analytical to a micro-analytical approach when evaluating translations This method requires assessors to consider factors such as ideology, function, genre, register, and the communicative value of individual terms, highlighting the nuanced aspects of translation assessment.
RESEARCH DESIGN 16
This research utilized a qualitative descriptive method to gain an in-depth understanding of Daniel Keyes's novel "Flower for Algernon." Qualitative research, as defined by Creswell (2014), involves detailed inquiry into a specific context, making it suitable for this study's aim of analyzing the Vietnamese translation of the novel The approach is rooted in naturalistic inquiry, focusing on the phenomenon in its authentic state (Lambert & Lambert, 2012) Additionally, this study employed an embedded case study design, as defined by Yin (2009), which investigates a specific case within its real-life context to achieve a holistic understanding By applying House’s TQA framework (2015), the research assessed the quality of the translation, allowing for analytic generalizations based on established theories.
RESEARCH SUBJECT 16
In this case study research design, both the novel and its translation are analyzed through a detailed description of the case and its contextual conditions, following the analytic approach outlined by Yin (2009).
The novel "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes serves as the focal point of this research study Initially published as a short story in 1958, it was later expanded into a full-length novel in 1959, showcasing Keyes' exploration of themes related to intelligence and human experience.
"17" is a celebrated novel by Daniel Keyes, first published in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and is recognized as one of his most successful works, earning numerous prestigious awards The novel has been adapted into various film and media formats, including "Charly" (1968), "Flowers for Algernon" (2000), and "Algernon" (2022) Presented as a series of progress reports by Charlie Gordon, the first human subject to undergo brain-enhancing surgery, the narrative delves into the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding the treatment of individuals with mental disabilities The story commences with Charlie's initial progress report dated March 3rd, marking his acceptance to participate in the groundbreaking experiment.
The novel chronicles Dr Strauss's discontinuous reports up to November 21, detailing the fluctuations in his emotional and cognitive abilities throughout the experiment This journey is metaphorically depicted as a process of "going into the light" and "coming out of the light," drawing inspiration from Plato's The Republic (as cited in Keyes, 1966).
The novel, translated into Vietnamese as "Hoa trên mộ Algernon" by Lê Khánh Toàn, was first published in paperback by Hanoi Publishing House in 2010 It was republished in 2022 by Nhã Nam Culture and Communication Joint Stock Corporation, with the latest edition closely mirroring the original This 2022 version is the primary source referenced in this research.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND PROCEDURES 17 1 Data collection methods 17 2 Data collection procedures 18
The research utilized purposive sampling to select informants from the text of "Flowers for Algernon" and its Vietnamese translation, focusing on instances of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors This method, also known as judgment sampling, involves recruiting participants based on specific preselected criteria to ensure the collection of information-rich cases for comprehensive analysis (Lopez & Whitehead, 2013).
This sampling strategy was implemented to determine if Lê Khánh Toàn's translation accurately reflects the protagonist's mental evolution and decline The selected data included instances of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors found in both the beginning and concluding sections of the novel For example, the original text states, “I dont think I passd the raw shok test” (Keyes, 1966, p.3), which translates to “Tui ngĩ là mình không qua được cuộc kiểm cha xốc xơ bộ” (Toàn, 2020, p.13).
The researcher employed several procedures to gather data and information, including conducting book reviews of both the source text (ST) and target text (TT) to identify spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors Additionally, the researcher explored TQA models, focusing on House's (2015) framework, and sought relevant research while taking detailed notes Acknowledging the challenges of analyzing the entire novel, the researcher will selectively choose specific reports, yet will incorporate examples from earlier chapters to illustrate the universal applicability of the findings when appropriate.
DATA ANALYSIS METHODS AND PROCEDURES 18 1 Data analysis methods 18 2 Data analysis procedures 18
This descriptive qualitative research employed simultaneous data collection and analysis, focusing on an in-depth exploration of the novel "Flowers for Algernon" and its translation The study utilized comparative and thematic analysis methods to continuously compare and contrast the source text (ST) and target text (TT), aiming to evaluate the quality of the translation.
This research employs House’s (2015) model to compare the source text (ST) and target text (TT) by meticulously analyzing error-filled texts on both a lexical and syntactic level A comprehensive profile of the original novel "Flowers for Algernon" was developed, focusing on its key textual elements: Field, Tenor, and Mode.
The analysis began with a functional statement outlining the ideational and interpersonal aspects of the novel's purpose This was followed by a similar descriptive evaluation of the target text (TT), "Hoa trên mộ." A comparative analysis of the TT and source text (ST) profiles revealed various errors, which were classified into 'covertly erroneous errors' (dimensional errors) and 'overtly erroneous errors' (denotative mismatches and target system errors), based on the situational dimensions of Register and Genre as defined by House (1997) The final step involved reviewing this comparison to formulate a 'statement of quality' for the translation, ultimately categorizing the translation of "Flower for Algernon" as either 'covert translation' or 'overt translation.'
This chapter discusses the findings from applying House's (2015) model to analyze and compare the source text (ST) and target text (TT) It begins with an analysis of the ST, outlining its intended function Next, it compares the ST and TT, focusing on both covert and overt errors Finally, it concludes with an assessment of the overall quality of the texts.
4.1 ANALYSIS OF THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH TEXT
The term 'field,' as defined by House (2015), pertains to the subjects, topics, and concepts explored in a text In the novel 'Flowers for Algernon,' this field includes the implications of cognitive enhancement, the importance of empathy, the treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities, and the ethical dilemmas associated with scientific research.
The novel delves into Charlie's mental development, highlighting how his increased intelligence affects his professional life, personal relationships, and self-image Through Charlie's progress reports, the author critiques the societal mistreatment of vulnerable individuals, emphasizing the need for compassion and understanding.
Spelling errors play a significant role in the novel, particularly at the beginning and end, reflecting Charlie's mindset—a man with an IQ of 68 who struggles to remember the spelling of basic words, such as "shoud."
(should), rite (write), happins (happens)á importint (important), becaus (because), werk (work), yeres (years), brithday (birthday), no (know), mabye (maybe), and so on
Punctuation errors are prevalent in the early part of the story, particularly before the report on April 6 (p.38), where Charlie consistently misuses punctuation marks and symbols, except for the period (.) These mistakes, such as "dont," "didnt," "thats," "whats," "its," and "wasnt," effectively highlight Charlie's lack of education.
Grammatical errors often occur with word form, word choice, and collocation, as seen in examples like “I don’t remember so good,” “it don’t make no sense,” “I didn’t see nothing,” and “I couldn’t see no pictures.”
The use of these spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors can be found in
The "Progress Report 1 March 3" to "Progress Report 9" documents Charlie's intellectual development as he engages with a grammar book Initially, the reports reflect significant advancements in his cognitive abilities, but by the April 8 entry in "Progress Report 9," there is a noticeable decline in the clarity and coherence of his writing, ultimately leading to a complete deterioration of his intellectual progress.
“I tolld dr Strauss and perfesser Nemur I cant rite good but he says it dont matter he says I shud rite just like I talk and like I rite compushishens in Miss
Kinnians class at the beekmin collidge center for retarted adults where I go to lern 3 times a week on my time off.” (p.1)
Dr Strauss encourages me to write extensively about my thoughts and experiences, but I'm struggling to find anything to say As a result, I feel unable to continue writing today Sincerely, Charlie Gordon.
The spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors are various and yet, still understandable, which contribute to Keyes’s unique writing style and the outstanding arts of the work
In her literary work, Keyes employs various figures of speech and slang to authentically portray the informal writing style of the mentally disabled protagonist, Charlie Struggling with language, Charlie often dislikes writing, resulting in his text reflecting everyday spoken language, incorporating informal terms like "gonna" instead of "going to" and the non-standard spelling "tho."
‘though’), got to (gotta - short form of ‘have got to’), Boy (exclamation – ‘oh boy,’), mom, dad (informal for ‘mother’, ‘father’), dope (slang of a silly person)
In which, “gonna”, and “got to” (gotta) are used in higher frequency in the beginning of the story than others (See more in Appendix)
In the novel, the mentally disabled main character exhibits a notable tendency toward repetition, which highlights his child-like perspective For instance, the word “long” is emphasized in the sentence, “I dint see my mother or father or my littel sister Norma for a long long long time” (p.4), illustrating the prolonged separation from his family Additionally, the frequent use of the word “lies” in the phrase, “The said make beleeve but I tolld her thats lies I never tell lies any,” underscores his struggle with truth and deception.
22 more because when I was a kid I made lies and I always got hit.” (p.5) to describe Charlie’s low mental age from his simple way of thinking
The concept of 'tenor' emphasizes the relationships among participants, highlighting their roles, statuses, and social dynamics It is essential to consider the social context and power dynamics that exist between the speaker and the audience, taking into account the author's temporal, geographical, and social background.
“Flower for Algernon” is unmarked concerning the author’s regional, social and temporal provenance b Author’s personal (emotional and intellectual) stance
In his memoir "Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer’s Journey" (1999), Keyes draws inspiration from Aristotle's poetics, which suggests that tragedy is reserved for the highborn, as it involves a significant fall from grace This philosophical foundation shapes the character of Charlie, who begins his journey as an individual of considerable potential.