Full and Partial Translation

When doing translating, almost all translators have to face up two big problems as follows: trying to convert everything, or leaving some untranslated. According to J.C. Carford ,translation falls into two categories: full and partial.

(i) In a full translation, the entire text is submitted to the translation process: that is, the TL material replaces every part of the SL.

(ii) In a partial translation, some part or parts of the SL are left untranslated: they are simply transferred to and incorporated into the TL. In literary translation, it is not uncommon for some SL lexical items to be translated this way either because they are regarded as ‘untranslatable’ or for the deliberate purpose of introducing ‘local colour’ to the TL.

Example 1: In full translation:

In all my life I witnessed you fight against God. In the end you are loved. In all you have lost. And me, sometimes I want you, sometimes I want God. In all my mistakes, the worst is that I never make a choice…of love. My love…half for you, half for God. But in fact all was for my ambition.

Translated version: Cả cuộc đời anh, anh đã chứng kiến cuộc chiến đấu của em chống lại chúa. Nhưng cuối cùng em vẫn được yêu. Trong tất cả những điều em mất, chưa bao giờ em mất tình yêu. Còn anh, lúc thì anh muốn có em, lúc thì anh muốn có Chúa. Trong tất cả những lỗi lầm, điều tồi tệ nhất là chưa bao giờ anh lựa chọn…tình yêu. Tình yêu của anh…nửa dành cho em, nửa dành cho Chúa. Nhưng thực ra tất cả là dành cho tham vọng của anh.

Example 2:

The race ended and ended the hopes too. What La Liga has is just the name of Real Madrid. Barca has been left behind.

Translated version: Chấm dứt những hy vọng, cuộc đua đã khép lại. La Liga vẫn chỉ còn mỗi cái tên Real Madrid. Barca đã bị bỏ lại phía sau lưng.

In the example above, itcan clearly be recognized that the texts are fully translated, semantically and culturally.

Example 3: In partial translation:

“Áo dài” là một trong những trang phục truyền thống của phụ nữ Việt Nam

In English translation version, we have:

à “ Ao dai” is one of the traditional costumes of Vietnamese women.

In the translated version, there still remains the word “Ao dai”. No equivalence of this word can be found in English because it belongs to the cultural term; therefore, it should be retained when rendered into English.

Total and restricted translation

Besides the two categories of translation brought up above, there are other two types that have the nearly-similar features; which also create numerous problems for the translators, more or less the same.

This distinction relates to the levels of language involved in translation.

(i) Total translation is usually meant by ‘translation’ most of the time; that is, translation in which all levels of the SL text are replaced by TL material. Strictly speaking, “total” translation is a misleading term, since, though total replacement is involved, it is not the replacement by equivalents at all levels.

According to Catford, in “total” translation, SL grammar and lexis are replaced by equivalent TL grammar and lexis. This replacement entails the replacement of SL phonology/graphology by TL phonology/graphology, but this is not normally replaced by TL equivalents, hence there is no translation at that level.

For use as a technical term, Total Translation may best be defined as:

Replacement of SL grammar and lexis by equivalent TL grammar and lexis with consequential replacement of SL phonology/graphology by(non-equivalent) TL phonology/graphology

(ii) Restricted translation is the replacement of SL textual material by equivalent TL textual material, at only one level, that is translation performed only at the phonological or at the graphological level, or at only one of the two levels of grammar and lexis

Example 1: (Total translation)

There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth.

à Có một truyền thuyết về một con chim chỉ hót một lần trong đời, nhưng nó hót ngọt ngào hơn bất cứ loại chim nào trên trái đất này.

Example 2: (Total translation)

Một bàn thắng, nhưng đằng sau nó là cả thiên đường và địa ngục, và điều đó nói lên sự quyết liệt của V-League

à A goal with both the heaven and the hell behind proves the drastic

competition of V-League

It seems that this kind of translation is quite easy to realize, especially in the example above; the translation versions can help readers to be able to understand easily due to its fully clear content.

Example 3: (Restricted translation)

In America, they eat what they can, and they can what they can’t

à Ở Mỹ, họ ăn những gì ăn được và đóng hộp những gì họ không ăn được.

As the example above, definitely it is impposible to completely translate the puns of using the homophone “can” in English, which means either (1) able to do something (eat what they can) or (2) put something in a sealed container (can what they can’t); these in turn can be semantically translated into Vietnamese as (1) những gì ăn được and (2) đóng hộp; however, the pun that makes the saying ironic and colorful cannot be transformed.

Example 4 : (Restricted translation)

“Khi mới bước chân về làm dâu, con sợ thày lắm”.

à At the time to be your daughter-in-law, I was afraid of you, father!

In this example, the word “thày” cannot be transferred from Vietnamese into English because it is limited by cultural meaning. The word “thày” is widely used by the Northern people in Vietnam to address their male parent; it can be understood that is a/one way of calling Father or dad, with a distinctive feature of a specific dialect.

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