Chapter 2.

THE ANALYSIS OF A TEXT

1. Reading the Text
- Read generally to understand the overall meaning
- Read closely to analyze words in and out of context
- Look up words that don't make sense in context
- Check common words for alternate meanings
- Look up neologisms, acronyms, figures, names
- Compare translating to an iceberg - most work is unseen
2. Intention of the Text
- Intention is the author's attitude towards the subject matter
- Look for modal words indicating point of view
- Summary of real-life situation may show intention
- Translator must understand and translate the intention
3. Intention of the Translator
- Usually matches the author's intention
- May be to demonstrate SL text features to a client
- May adapt text for different readership
4. Text Styles
- Narrative - dynamic events, emphasis on verbs
- Description - static, emphasis on linking verbs, adjectives
- Discussion - ideas, abstract nouns, logical argument
- Dialogue - colloquialisms and phatic language
5. Readership
- Assess education level, class, age, gender
- Consider if readers are motivated, familiar with topic, comfortable with language variety
- Decide if translating for same or different readership
- Poems may require little consideration of target readers
6. Stylistic Scales
- Scales of formality - officialese to slang
- Scales of difficulty - simple to opaque technical
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 - Scales of emotion - intense to understatement
- Formality correlates with emotional tone
7. Attitude
- Assess if writer's standards are absolute, general, or arbitrary
- Positive/negative meaning depends on context
- Word connotations differ across languages
8. Setting
- Determine likely publication source
- Consider if title, headings, paragraphs must change
- Assess if readership is expert, layman, uninformed
- Consider implications for translation
9. Quality of Writing
- Assess if writing fits author's intention and subject matter
- Well-written texts require close translation
- Informational texts may require improved style
- Authority derives from good writing or writer's status
10. Connotations and Denotations
- All texts have connotations and 'underlife'
- In non-literary texts, denotation precedes connotation
- In literary texts, connotations take precedence
- More language resources make a text harder to translate
11. Last Reading
- Note cultural words, metaphors, neologisms
- Underline 'untranslatable' words with no ready equivalent
- Study words in and out of context to determine meaning range
- Link between meanings may be obscure but must exist
12. Conclusion
- Analysis is first stage of translation and basis for criticism
- Underlining words shows awareness of difficulties
- Relates translation theory to practice
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 - Sample analysis establishes text properties
- Compared translations illuminate differences
Task 1: Choose the correct answer
1. What are the two main purposes of reading the original text?
A. To analyze it linguistically and critically.
B. To understand the content and translate it.
C. To understand the context and intention.
D. To understand what it is about and analyze it from a translator's perspective.
2. When reading closely, which words would a translator look up?
A. Common words and phrases. B. Words that make sense in context.
C. Words beginning with capital letters. D. Words that don't make good sense in context.
3. What does the iceberg analogy refer to?
A. The depth of meaning in the source text.
B. The extensive background research required.
C. The large amount of unseen work done by translators.
D. The fact that most of an iceberg is underwater.
4. Where is the intention or purpose of the text most likely to be found?
A. In the title and headings. B. Through background research.
C. In modal words like "unfortunately." D. By summarizing the real-life situation.
5. What is usually the intention of the translator?
A. To demonstrate language features. B. To adapt the text for a different readership.
C. The same as the author's intention. D. To provide a literal translation.
6. Which text style focuses on events and verbs?
A. Description B. Narrative
C. Discussion D. Dialogue
7. What does the translator try to assess about the readership?
A. Their motivation and background knowledge. B. Their age, gender, and interests.
C. Their level of education and social class. D. All of the above.
8. What does the scale of formality range from?
A. Slang to officialese B. Simple to technical
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C. Intense to understated D. Spoken to written
9. What does the scale of difficulty refer to?
A. The complexity of vocabulary and syntax.
B. The amount of background knowledge required.
C. The level of formality used.
D. The emotional tone of the text.
10. What affects the choice of translation method?
A. The intention of the author B. The quality of the writing
C. The authority of the text D. All of the above
11. In a non-literary text, what takes precedence over connotations?
A. Denotations B. Figurative meanings
C. Cultural associations D. Context
12. What is a distinguishing feature of a literary text?
A. Use of technical language B. Attention to denotative meaning
C. Precedence of connotations D. Objective style
13. What does the translator look for in the last reading of the text?
A. Spelling and grammar errors B. Cultural words and metaphors
C. Statistical data D. Abbreviations
14. Why are words studied in and out of context?
A. To find equivalents in the target language B. To identify spelling variations
C. To determine their range of meaning D. To check their connotations
15. What is the purpose of underlining certain words in the text?
A. To show awareness of potential difficulties B. To mark them for deletion
C. To highlight important ideas D. To compare them with the translation
16. What is the first stage of translation according to the passage?
A. Drafting the translation B. Analyzing the source text
C. Reading background materials D. Identifying the intended audience
17. The concept of translation criticism is mentioned in relation to what?
A. The translator's intention B. The quality of the writing
C. The analysis of the source text D. The cultural aspects
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18. What does the analysis allow the translator to do?
A. Improve the style of the writing B. Adapt the text for a different audience
C. Relate theory to practice D. Judge the authority of the text
19. What does a professional translator not need to do?
A. Produce a written analysis B. Establish the text's properties
C. Translate closely D. Sample the text
20. The underlined words serve what purpose for a translation critic?
A. To show mistakes in the original text B. To mark words for deletion
C. To indicate points for detailed comparison D. To highlight differences in writing style
21. What are the two main purposes of reading the text mentioned in the passage?
A. To analyze linguistically and to summarize critically
B. To comprehend the content and examine from a translator's perspective
C. To determine context and grasp the intention
D. To interpret figurative meanings and assess technical terms
22. What does the iceberg analogy refer to?
A. The depth of culture-specific references.
B. The extensive research done by translators.
C. The large amount of unseen work translators do.
D. The hidden meanings beneath the surface.
23. Where would a translator look for clues about the writer's point of view?
A. In the table of contents B. In modal verbs like "could" and "might"
C. In the appendix D. In the bibliography
24. What scale ranges from officialese to slang?
A. Difficulty B. Complexity
C. Formality D. Specificity
25. What is one factor that affects the choice of translation method?
A. The publication date B. The writer's status
C. The language variety D. The quality of the writing
26. What takes priority in translating literary versus non-literary texts?
A. Connotations versus denotations B. Figurativeness versus literalness
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C. Explicitness versus objectivity D. Subjectivity versus factuality
27. Why study words in and out of context?
A. To find equivalents in the target language B. To fully grasp multiple meanings
C. To check for spelling variations D. To identify key technical terms
28. The purpose of underlining words in the original text is to:
A. Highlight important ideas B. Note potential translation difficulties
C. Improve the writing style D. Delete unwanted content
29. According to the passage, what is the first step in translation?
A. Researching background information B. Analyzing the source text
C. Identifying the target audience D. Developing the translator's intention
30. The concept of translation criticism relates to:
A. The cultural aspects of the text B. The quality of the writing
C. Analysis of the source text D. The translator's ideology
31. What does analyzing a text allow a translator to do?
A. Judge the authority of the writer B. Adapt the text for a different audience
C. Improve the style of the writing D. Connect theory to practice
32. A professional translator may not need to:
A. Establish the text's overall properties B. Produce a written analysis
C. Read the text closely D. Sample portions of the text
33. For a translation critic, underlined words serve to:
A. Highlight style differences B. Mark mistakes in the original
C. Indicate points for comparison D. Show words needing deletion
34. What are the two main purposes for reading the original text?
A. To comprehend overall and analyze closely
B. To determine context and cultural aspects
C. To identify intention and interpret meaning
D. To summarize content and critique style
35. The iceberg analogy refers to the:
A. Difficulty in translating cultural references
B. Work translators do that remains unseen
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C. Hidden meanings below the textual surface
D. Amount of research needed for terminology
36. Where might indicators of the writer's point of view be found?
A. In the preface or foreword B. In headings and chapter titles
C. In modal verbs and sentence structure D. In the table of contents and footnotes
37. What does the scale of formality range from?
A. Complex to simple language B. Spoken to written style
C. Slang to officialese D. General to specific details
38. What does the scale of difficulty refer to?
A. The complexity of ideas B. The use of technical terminology
C. The amount of background knowledge needed D. The complexity of vocabulary and syntax
39. What are two factors affecting translation method?
A. Publication date and text length B. Writer's status and language variety
C. Quality of writing and authority of text D. Difficulty level and target audience
40. In a non-literary text, what takes precedence over connotations?
A. Figurative meanings B. The context
C. Cultural associations D. Denotative meanings
41. What distinguishes a literary from a non-literary text?
A. Use of objective language B. Attention to literal meanings
C. Precedence of connotative meanings D. Use of specialized terminology
42. In the last reading, a translator would note:
A. Spelling and grammar errors B. Cultural references and metaphors
C. Technical terms and statistics D. Abbreviations and acronyms
43. Why study words in and out of context?
A. To find target language equivalents B. To determine their meaning range
C. To identify spelling variations D. To check their definitions
44. Underlining words in the text serves to:
A. Highlight important ideas B. Show awareness of potential difficulties
C. Improve the writing style D. Delete unwanted content
45. The first stage of translation is:
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A. Drafting the translation B. Analyzing the source text
C. Identifying the target audience D. Establishing the purpose
47. Translation criticism relates to analysis of the:
A. Cultural aspects B. Quality of writing
C. Source text D. Translator's ideology
48. Analyzing a text allows a translator to:
A. Adapt the text for a different audience B. Relate theory to practice
C. Judge the writer's authority D. Improve the writing style
49. A professional translator may not need to:
A. Closely read the text B. Sample portions of the text
C. Produce a written analysis D. Establish the text's properties
50. For a translation critic, underlined words:
A. Highlight style differences B. Indicate points for comparison
C. Show mistakes in the original D. Mark words for deletion
51. The main purposes of reading the original are to:
A. Determine context and summarize content B. Analyze linguistically and interpret critically
C. Comprehend overall and examine closely D. Identify intention and evaluate style
TASK 2: True/ False statement
N0 Content Statement
True (T) False (F)
1 The two main purposes of reading the original text are to analyze it
linguistically and critically.
2 When reading closely, a translator would look up words that make
sense in context.
3 The iceberg analogy refers to the depth of meaning in the source text.
4 The intention of the text can be found through summarizing the real-
life situation described.
5 The translator's intention is usually to provide a literal translation.
6 In a non-literary text, connotations take precedence over denotations.

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 7 In the last reading, the translator looks for spelling and grammar
errors.
8 Studying words in and out of context is to find equivalents in the
target language.
9 The analysis allows the translator to improve the style of the writing.
10 A professional translator needs to produce a written analysis of the
text.
Task 3: Read the task below, then do as directed
Vào ngày 15/3, cảnh sát nhận được tin báo về vụ trộm cắp xảy ra tại cửa hàng điện thoại di động ở
đường Nguyễn Du. Theo lời khai của chủ cửa hàng, vào khoảng 2h sáng cùng ngày, anh ta nghe
thấy tiếng động lạ phát ra từ phía cửa ra vào. Khi chạy ra xem thì phát hiện có 2 đối tượng đang cạy
cửa vào cửa hàng. Bị phát hiện, 2 đối tượng liền bỏ chạy ra ngoài và leo lên 1 chiếc xe máy đang
chờ sẵn. Mặc dù chủ cửa hàng đuổi theo nhưng không kịp. Kiểm tra lại, anh phát hiện bị mất 5 chiếc
điện thoại di động mới trưng bày ở quầy tính tiền. Ngay sau đó, cảnh sát đã có mặt tại hiện trường,
lấy lời khai nhân chứng và trích xuất camera an ninh. Qua điều tra, cảnh sát xác định được biển số
chiếc xe máy mà 2 đối tượng sử dụng để tẩu thoát. Hai nghi can chính là Đ.T.V (25 tuổi) và N.V.L
(22 tuổi), cả hai đều có tiền án về tội trộm cắp. Ngày 18/3, sau khi bị vây bắt, cả V và L đều thừa
nhận hành vi phạm tội của mình. Cả hai khai nhận do không có tiền tiêu xài nên đã cùng nhau đi
trộm cắp tại cửa hàng điện thoại. Hiện vụ án đang được điều tra thêm.
Identify the contents from 1-9
1. The intention of the text: ………………………………………………………………………
2. The intention of the translator: …………………………………………………………………
3. Text styles: …………………………………………………………………………………….
4. The readership: …………………………………………………………………………………
5. Stylistic scales: …………………………………………………………………………………
6. Attitude: ………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. Setting: …………………………………………………………………………………………
8. The quality of the writing: ………………………………………………………………………
9. Connotations and denotations: ………………………………………………………………….
Translate into English
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