UNIT 3.

NOUN PHRASES

Vocabulary: Mid-autumn festival, Tet holiday, culturally bound expressions

Background knowledge: Socio-cultural events
Skills:
Recognise the use of noun phrases in a text
Differentiate the typical noun phrase formations in English and Vietnamese
Use strategies to translate culture-specific noun phrases

i th i m
Theo truy n th i Trung thu,
i Vi t s t ch ng tr ng

b m nhi u em nh n
c c a t
di n nh pm
nl
l y may m n.

ng r ng dao, b t m ng. T i
nh
i t i nhau nh ng l
Tr m t i nh m t ch c Trung
thu, ng t i hay ng m ph t Trung
thu c a tr

a
m gi

Exercise 1. Individual work

Find as many English equivalents as possible for each of the following phrases.
Vietnamese phrases English equivalents
1. T t Trung thu
2. L h i truy n th ng
3. Phong t i
4. gian

Translation 1 Page 16
 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. ng
10. o
11.
12. i
13. a
14. Trung thu
15.
16. Ch H ng
17. Th Ng c
18. M t n gi y b i
19. n r ng
20. m th
21. Nh
22. u xanh tr ng mu i
23. ng th p c m
24.

VIETNAMESE AND ENGLISH NOUN PHRASES

1. Head + Post-modification => Pre-modification + Head
Noun modifier + noun
An ninh c => food security
Adjective + noun
Th c ph m ng => fresh food
V-ed + noun
Th c ph m bi i gen => genetically modified food
2. Head + Post-modification => Head + Post-modification
Noun + prepositional phrase/relative clause/non-finite clause
Gi o => a basket with wine, cookies and other treats
3. Head + Post-modification => Pre-modification + Head + Post-modification
ki n => a French-
overlooking the Opera house

Translation 1 Page 17
 STRATEGIES TO TRANSLATE CULTURE-SPECIFIC NOUN PHRASES
Using loan word/loan word plus explanation
Xoan => Xoan singing
Paraphrasing using related words
=> steamed sticky rice cake
Paraphrasing using related words
square sticky rice cake with mung bean and pork
Cultural substitution
Ti n m ng tu i => Lucky money

Exercise 2. Pair/Group work

Compare your translations to Exercise 1 and put them into the groups below.
(Some phrases can be translated in different ways.)
Noun + noun Adj + noun V-ed + noun Noun phrase + clause

Loan word Paraphrasing Cultural replacement

Exercise 3. Individual work

Identify and underline noun phrases in the following sentences.
1. T n th
o...
2. chu n b cho v s n xu ph i chu n b s n khung
n kho i mang ra s
d ng.
3. a so ,
it

Translation 1 Page 18
4. T c bi t v iT
g.
5. m
m.
6. Vi t to l n c
c.
7. Gi p s ng h i h , nh n, nh ph , ch ng
m r n vang.
8. t ho ng ngh thu ng ph trong nh ng d p l h i l
cs thi u c i Vi t Nam.
9. ng b i s chu n b k ng c
linh
10. nh nh ng chi ng b ng gi truy n th ng,
ng chi a ch y b ng pin.

Exercise 4. Pairwork
A. Translate the following phrases into English. Consider their meanings in context
(in Exercise 3).
Source language Target language
1. n th ng

2. v s n xu
3.

4. gi

5.
6. T

7. m
8. n c

9.
10. r n vang

11. m t ho ng ngh thu ng

ph

12. m cs

Translation 1 Page 19
 th thi u
13. linh

14. nh ng chi ng b ng gi y
truy n th ng
15. nh ng chi a ch y b ng
pin.

B. Translate the following phrases into English.

Source language Target language
1.
truy n th ng
2. chu n b s y

3. s a so
4.
5.

C. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Vi t to l n c
c.
.........................................................................................................................................
.........
2. Gi p s ng h i h , nh n, , ch ng
m pn r n vang.
.........................................................................................................................................
...............................................................
3. t ho ng ngh thu ng ph trong nh ng d p l h i l
cs thi u c i Vi t Nam.
.........................................................................................................................................
.........
4. ng b i s chu n b k ng c
linh

Translation 1 Page 20
 .........
..........................................................................................
5. nh nh ng chi ng b ng gi truy n th ng,
ng chi a ch y b ng pin.
..............................................................................................................
.........

Exercise 5. Homework
Read the following text, highlight the use of noun phrases, then translate the text into
Vietnamese.

Tet, the Vietnamese New Year

Vietnam is a country in the Eastern Hemisphere that was influenced by China for many
years. Therefore, the Chinese New Year and Tet, the Vietnamese New Year have many
similarities. Tet is the abbreviation of Tet Nguyen Dan which means the first morning of
the first day of the new period. Tet marks the beginning of a new year on the lunar
calendar, and the beginning of Spring. Tet is a huge celebration lasting three days.
Families save money, store food, and plan far in advance for Tet, major holiday in
Vietnam. The Vietnamese take extreme care
to start the New Year out right. They buy new
clothes, paint and clean their homes, cook
three days worth of food, pay off all debts and
make amends to rid themselves of all bad
feelings. Cleaning is frowned on during Tet
because one would not want to sweep out any
good luck. Digging and drawing water is also
not allowed so the ground and water can
enjoy the holiday.
Tet is a time for visits from family and friends. The first visitor to a home is very
important. If the first footer is rich, prestigious, or happy then the family will have good
fortune that year. Usually this visitor is a relative, but sometimes the family will invite a
special guest that they feel will bring them good luck. The first day of Tet is reserved for
visiting family and relatives. The second day is set aside for special guests and close
friends to visit, and the third day is for teachers and business associates to make a visit.
Negative talk and arguments are taboo. Visitors end their visit with a farewell wish for
the family such as, "I wish that money will flow into your house like water, and out like a
turtle."
The Vietnamese believe that their deceased ancestors will visit the family for the holiday.
Altars are decorated in the homes with incense, flowers, and photographs of deceased
relatives. A tray full of fruit, coins, and a tall vase of blossoms are placed in front of the

Translation 1 Page 21
altar symbolizing good luck and prosperity. The third day is also a day to visit the graves
of deceased relatives. The graves are decorated with incense, flowers, and candles. Many
Buddhists go to their favorite Pagoda to pray for a good year. The Catholics go to a pre-
midnight mass.
Food plays a major role in the Tet celebration.
Tet is a time of excess, one does not enjoy Tet,
one "eats" Tet. On the first day, a feast of boiled
male virgin chicken, sticky rice, a special soup
made with clear vermicelli and bamboo shoots,
boiled pork, and 3 or 5 duck eggs is offered to
ancestors who have returned to their homes.
Sticky rice and salt are also offered in the streets
to any hungry ghosts who might be wandering in
the neighborhood. A traditional food is Earth cake, a square cake made with rice, beans
and pork. When a watermelon is cut they believe that the redder the watermelon the more
luck for the family. Several different desserts and dishes are made with coconut. On the
third day, another feast of virgin chicken is served to say farewell to ancestors returning
to their ethereal abodes.

Translation 1 Page 22