CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS

4.1. VOCABULARY
During the translation process, I encountered many difficult words and
phrases, so using a dictionary will be very helpful and necessary for the
translator. However, if only their common meanings are used, there will be
some words or phrases that are not translated correctly. Thus, I had to look at all
the meanings in the dictionary and found the most suitable one to choose from.
In addition, there would be some cases where some English words or phrases
used in the original text do not have the same meaning in Vietnamese. In this
case, we need to consider the context of the sentence and the paragraph to
choose the right meaning. Or we can translate sentences by free translation
method. Therefore, the following sentences are selected from the book "The Ex
Vows" for analysis so that we can clearly see the difficulties in the translation
process.
4.1.1. Words with Multiple meaning
Multi-meaning words are words that have many different meanings and
have different contexts in the dictionary. This also make it easy for the translator
to get into trouble and easily chose the wrong meaning if the context of the
sentence is not clearly understood. Sometimes, I also have difficulty choosing
the correct meaning for these words.
Example 1: "But with Jamie gone, I do it every night: flip the hallway
light on right away, then the kitchen light, the living room lamps." [P7]
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “flip” in [P7] has many
meanings:
[1] to turn over quickly so that the other side is on top
[2] to move (something) with a quick, sudden movement
[3] to press a switch to turn something on or off
[4] to suddenly change to an opposite feeling or opinion
In this context, the third meaning (to press a switch to turn something
on) is the most appropriate. However, it's worth noting that this usage combines
the quick, sudden movement implied in the second meaning with the specific
action of turning on a light.
The Vietnamese equivalent that might capture this usage could be "bật"
or "bật lên", which specifically means to turn on or switch on.
 Suggested version: Nhưng khi Jamie đã đi, tôi làm điều đó mỗi tối: lập

tức bật đèn hành lang, sau đó là đèn bếp, đèn phòng khách.
Example 2: “To the untrained eye, this text probably looks like a joke, or
the beginning of one of those chain emails our elders get duped into
forwarding to twenty of their nearest and dearest, lest they inherit
multigenerational bad luck”[P1]
In the Cambridge Dictionary, “untrained” is defined:
[1] never having been taught the skills for a particular job or activity
[2] to someone without the skill or knowledge to judge what they see
[3] an untrained animal has not been taught the habits or skills it needs
to live with or help humans
We can see that the second meaning is suited to the content of this text.
In this sentence, I think the second meaning is best appropriate to the context
with the equivalent word is “không quen”.
 Suggested version: Với những người không quen, tin nhắn này có lẽ

trông như một trò đùa, hoặc là phần mở đầu của một trong những loạt email mà
các bậc cao niên thường bị lừa gửi cho hai mươi người thân yêu của họ hoặc họ
sẽ phải gánh chịu vận xui qua nhiều thế hệ.
Example 3: “And the one that nearly got me to believe- their wedding
planner quit three months ago because his Bernedoodle had amassed such a
following on social media that he was making triple his salary as her manager.”
[P2]
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word “quit” in [P2] has many
meanings:
[1] to stop doing something or leave a job or a place
[2] to leave a job or a place, or to stop doing something
 [3] to leave your job
[4] to leave a place or stop an activity
[5] to close a program on a computer
I think that the first meaning and the second meaning are quite similar
but not suitable for the content of this text. The fourth and fifth meanings are
completely out of the context. So I think the third meaning is best appropriate to
the context with the equivalent word is “bỏ việc”.
 Suggested version: Và điều đó gần như khiến tôi tin rằng nhà tổ chức

đám cưới của họ đã bỏ việc cách đây ba tháng vì con chó Bernedoodle của anh
ấy đã thu hút được rất nhiều người theo dõi trên mạng xã hội, đến nỗi giờ anh ấy
kiếm được gấp ba lần số tiền lương trước đây khi làm quản lý cho nó.
4.1.2. Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or two particles. These
particles can be prepositions or adverbs. However, when these particles are
added later, the meaning of the phrasal verb will be different from the verb that
make it up. Therefore, it is necessary to select the most suitable meaning in the
dictionary to translate that phrase with the most correct meaning.
Example 4: “Luckily, I'm used to dealing with the messes in my life
alone.” [P7]
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the phrasal verb “deal with”
means:
[1] to take action to do something, especially to solve a problem
[2] to be about a particular subject
[3] to do business with someone or give them official attention
Reading the given sentence carefully, we can see that the first definition
is the most appropriate in this context.
Therefore, I would choose the first definition for translation purposes. In
Vietnamese, suitable translations could be "xử lý" or "giải quyết.".
 Suggested version: May mắn thay, tôi đã quen với việc tự mình xử lý
những mớ hỗn độn trong cuộc sống.
 Example 5: “A bubble immediately pops up, disappears, reappears, then
stops again” [P1]
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the phrasal verb “pops up” has
some meanings:
[1] to move quickly and suddenly from a closed or flat position to a
vertical one
[2] to appear or happen, especially suddenly or unexpectedly
It seems that the second meaning is the most suitable. Hence, I decided
to translate this phrasal verb “xuất hiện”.
 Suggested version: Một bong bóng chat ngay lập tức xuất hiện, biến

mất, rồi lại xuất hiện, rồi dừng lại.

4.2. Structures
4.2.1. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is a sentence that has at least two independent
clauses that are related in terms of meaning. These clauses can be joined by a
semicolon, or by a comma and a conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or,
yet, so). I have selected compound sentences with different conjunctions for
analysis.
Example 6: “"Adam is the brother I never had and I'm truly honored to be
along for the ride on his wedding journey.”.[P1]
There are two independent clauses in this sentence. The first independent
clause is “Adam is the brother I never had”, the second is “I'm truly honored to
be along for the ride on his wedding journey”. Two independent clauses are
connected by the conjunction “and”. After analyzing this sentence, I decided to
translate it as follows.
 Suggested version: Adam là người anh mà tôi chưa bao giờ được biết

đến và tôi cảm thấy rất vinh dự khi được đồng hành trên hành trình chuẩn bị
cho đám cưới của anh.
Example 7: “No, I'm not leaving. And you've done nothing wrong, before
you ask.” [P5]
 Like the above example, this sentence also has two independent clauses.
The first independent clause is “No, I'm not leaving”. The second is “you've
done nothing wrong, before you ask”. Two independent clauses are tied by the
conjunction “and”. After analyzing, I found that I could translate this sentence
as follows.
 Suggested version: Không, tôi sẽ không đi đâu cả. Và cô không làm gì
sai cả, trước khi cô hỏi.
Example 8: “It's not a good face, but I don't think this is about me.” [P4]
There are two independent clauses in this compound sentence “It's not a
good face” and “I don't think this is about me”. Two independent clauses are
joined by the conjunction “but” with a comma. After analyzing the sentence, I
chose the following translated version.
 Suggested version: Đây không phải là một vẻ mặt tốt, nhưng tôi không

nghĩ chuyện này liên quan đến tôi.

4.2.2. Complex Sentences
 A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause
and one or more dependent clauses. In which, independent clauses and
dependent clauses are connected with each other by dependent conjunctions
(Although, After, Since, While, When, If, Because,....) and relative clauses. I
have selected and analyzed three types of complex sentences: complex sentences
with noun clause, complex sentence with adjective clause and complex sentence
with adverbial clause.
4.2.2.1. Complex Sentences with Adjective Clause
Adverbial clause is dependent clause which functions as an adverb and
gives an information about verb, adjective, or adverb. Adverbial clause gives
additional information about independent clause to answer the questions, for
example: how, when, where, why, or to what degree. Adverbial clause is related
with subordinating conjunctions; for example, when, after, because, though, etc.
These words are used to combine dependent with independent clause.
 There are many kinds of adverbial clause: adverbial clause of time,
place, cause & effect, purpose & result, condition, contrast/concession, manner
and reason.
Example 9: “For Adam, whose natural temperament hovers somewhere
near live wire, it's been a constant test of his sanity.” [P2]
 Subordinating conjunction: whose
 Adjective clause: whose natural temperament hovers somewhere
near live wire.
 Independent clause: it's been a constant test of his sanity.
 Suggested version: Đối với Adam, tính cách của anh ấy luôn bốc đồng
và khó kiểm soát , đây là một thử thách lớn đối với sự bình tĩnh của anh ấy.
Example 10: “My time in Seattle only made it more obvious, and I hate
that there's no checklist that'll pivot me off this path.” [P3]
 Subordinating conjunction: that
 Adjective clause: that'll pivot me off this path
 Independent clause: My time in Seattle only made it more obvious,
and I hate that there's no checklist.
 Suggested version: Thời gian ở Seattle chỉ càng làm rõ ràng thêm điều
này, và tôi ghét việc không có một danh sách nào có thể giúp tôi thay đổi con
đường mà tôi đang đi.
Example 11: “As is being knee-deep in my best friend's wedding
festivities, knowing that in ten days I have to stand beside --- My phone buzzes.”
[P3]
 Subordinating conjunction: that
 Adjective clause of cause: in ten days I have to stand beside ---
 Independent clause: As is being knee-deep in my best friend's
wedding festivities, My phone buzzes.
 Suggested version: Khi đang đắm chìm trong lễ cưới của bạn thân, biết
rằng trong mười ngày nữa tôi phải đứng cạnh --- Điện thoại của tôi rung lên.
 Example 12: “Being handed the opportunity to lead recruitment in Seattle
and the sense of accomplishment I felt when I left a thriving team there.” [P6]
 Subordinating conjunction: when
 Adjective clause: I left a thriving team there
 Independent clause: Being handed the opportunity to lead
recruitment in Seattle and the sense of accomplishment I felt
 Suggested version: “Cơ hội được dẫn dắt đội tuyển tuyển dụng ở Seattle
và cảm giác thành công khi tôi rời đi với một đội ngũ phát triển mạnh mẽ.”
4.2.2.2. Complex Sentences with Noun Clause
Example 13: “I focus on Nia, who isn't wearing her mistake face.” [P4]
 Subordinating conjunction: who
 Noun clause: who isn't wearing her mistake face.
 Independent clause: I focus on Nia

My suggested version: “Tôi tập trung vào Nia, người không đeo vẻ mặt
lỗi lầm của mình.” [P4]
Example 14: “You know that our Seattle office has been massively
growing, considering you're responsible for filling at least half those seats.”
[P5]
 Subordinating conjunction: that
 Noun clause: that our Seattle office has been massively growing
 Independent clause: You know

My suggested version: “Cô biết đó văn phòng của chúng ta ở Seattle

đang phát triển mạnh mẽ, vì cô là người chịu trách nhiệm lấp đầy ít nhất một
nửa số ghế ở đó.” [P5]
Example 15: “I can't wrap my head around a life-changing move with
everything else going on, which means I can push Seattle away and deal with it
when the wedding is over.” [P8]
 Subordinating conjunction: which
 Noun clause: which means I can push Seattle away and deal with
it when the wedding is over
 Independent clause: I can't wrap my head around a life-changing
 move with everything else going on

My suggested version: “Tôi không thể đối mặt với quyết định thay đổi
cuộc đời khi còn quá nhiều chuyện đang diễn ra, nghĩa là tôi có thể tạm gác lại
Seattle và lo liệu sau khi đám cưới kết thúc.” [P8]
4.2.2.3. Complex Sentences with Relative Clause
A relative clause is a clause that follows a noun, and has the function of
modifying nouns. Relative clause begin with relative pronouns: who, whom,
which, that, whose or relative adverbs: why, where, when.
Example 16: “Sometimes I swear adulthood is staring at your phone and
wondering which of your friends has enough time to deal with your latest
emotional meltdown, then realizing none of them do.” [P6]
This sentence has a relative clause “which of your friends has enough
time to deal with your latest emotional meltdown,”. The pronoun “which” is
replaced for “your friends.”.
 Suggested version: Đôi khi tôi cảm thấy trưởng thành chỉ đơn giản là
nhìn chằm chằm vào điện thoại và tự hỏi liệu có người bạn nào đủ thời gian để
nghe bạn xả hết những cảm xúc rối ren, rồi nhận ra chẳng ai có thời gian cả.
Example 17: “Even Grace, who's brutally chill, the perfect emotional foil
for Adam, has been fraying.” [P2]
This sentence has a relative clause “who's brutally chill, the perfect
emotional foil for Adam”. The pronoun “who” is replaced for “Grace”.
 Suggested version: Ngay cả Grace, người
 vốn rất điềm tĩnh và là điểm cân bằng cảm xúc lý tưởng cho Adam,
cũng bắt đầu cảm thấy căng thẳng.
4.2.2.3. Complex Sentence with Adverbial Clause
Example 18: “They quiet my mind and untangle my emotions so that I stay
cool, calm, and compartmentalized.” [P2]
 Subordinating conjunction: so that
 Adverbial clause of purpose: So that I stay cool, calm, and
compartmentalized.
  Independent clause: They quiet my mind and untangle my
emotions
 Suggested version: Chúng làm yên tâm trí tôi và giúp tôi xử lý cảm xúc
để tôi giữ được sự bình tĩnh và tổ chức
Example 19: “When I grab it, there's a FaceTime request from Adam.”
[P8]
 Subordinating conjunction: when
 Adverbial clause of time: When I grab it
 Independent clause: There's a FaceTime request from Adam
 Suggested version: Khi cầm lên, tôi thấy một cuộc gọi FaceTime từ
Adam.
Example 20: “My getting-home routine in Seattle was a dance I never
thought I'd have to replicate once I returned to San Francisco.” [P7]
 Subordinating conjunction: once
 Adverbial clause of time: once I returned to San Francisco
 Independent clause: My getting-home routine in Seattle was a
dance
Suggested version: Thói quen về nhà ở Seattle của tôi giống như một vũ
điệu mà tôi chưa bao giờ nghĩ rằng mình sẽ phải tái hiện khi trở lại San
Francisco
4.2.3. Compound – Complex Sentences
A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent
clauses, and at least one dependent clause.
Example 21: “I have to go, but let's grab lunch when you've settled in,
okay?” [P4]
There are two independent clauses: “I have to go” and “let's grab
lunch”. Also one dependent clauses is “when you've settled in, okay”.This is
a compound - complex sentence with two Independent Clauses, so I decided to
translate this sentence as following.
  Suggested translation: Tôi phải đi, nhưng khi cô đã ổn, chúng ta hãy đi
ăn trưa nhé?
Example 22: “For Adam, whose natural temperament hovers
somewhere near live wire, it's been a constant test of his sanity. Even Grace,
who's brutally chill, the perfect emotional foil for Adam, has been fraying.” [P2]
There are two independent clauses: “For Adam, it's been a constant
test of his sanity” and “Even Grace has been fraying”. Also two dependent
clauses is “whose natural temperament hovers somewhere near live wire”
and "who's brutally chill, the perfect emotional foil for Adam".This is a
compound - complex sentence with two Independent Clauses, so I decided to
translate this sentence as following.
 Suggested translation: Đối với Adam, người có tính cách luôn bốc đồng
và khó kiểm soát , đây là một thử thách lớn đối với sự bình tĩnh của anh
ấy. Ngay cả Grace, người vốn rất điềm tĩnh và là điểm cân bằng cảm xúc
lý tưởng cho Adam, cũng bắt đầu cảm thấy căng thẳng.

Example 23: But had sixth-grade Georgia anticipated I'd be fielding

forty-seven daily texts from my more-unhinged-by-the-minute best friend, I
would've thought twice about complimenting his Hannah Montana shirt the day
we met.” [P1]
There are two independent clauses: "I would've thought twice about
complimenting his Hannah Montana shirt the day we met"and “But I
didn't anticipate this” and . Also one dependent clauses is “had sixth-grade
Georgia anticipated I'd be fielding forty-seven daily texts from my more-
unhinged-by-the-minute best friend”.This is a compound - complex
sentence with two Independent Clauses, so I decided to translate this sentence
as following.
 Suggested translation: Nhưng nếu một học sinh lớp sáu như Georgia
có thể đoán tôi sẽ nhận được bốn mươi bảy tin nhắn mỗi ngày từ người bạn tốt
nhất của tôi, thì có lẽ tôi phải nghĩ lại về việc khen chiếc áo Hannah Montana
của anh vào ngày chúng tôi gặp nhau.