1. Word-for-word Translation

This method is used to transfer SL word order as well as the primary meanings of all words, normally effective for brief simple neutral sentences. The SL word-order is preserved, and the words translated singly by their most common meanings. Cultural words are translated literally. The main use of this method is either to understand the mechanics of the source language or construe a difficult text as a pre-translation process. 

For example: English: The end of the battle

Vietnamese: Kết thúc của cuộc chiến.

2. Literal Translation

The SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest equivalents in TL, normally the same unit of language in SL, but the lexical words are translated singly, out of context. Literal translation is considered as the basic translation step, both in communicative and semantic translation. 

For example: English: My father put all whole his life - working in this company

Vietnamese: Cha tôi đã dành cả cuộc đời mình để làm việc trong công ty này

3. Faithful Translation

This is uncompromising and dogmatic. A faithful translation is used when translators want to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures. It attempts to be completely faithful to the intentions and the text-realization of the SL writer.  

For example: Vietnamese: Sông Hương

English: Perfume River

4. Semantic Translation

This is aesthetic value, compromising on meaning, flexible or creative. Semantic translation differs from faithful translation only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value. It may translate less important cultural words by culturally neutral third or functional terms but not by cultural equivalents 

For example: English: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Vietnamese: Bộ trưởng bộ ngoại giao.

5. Adaption 

SL culture converted to TL culture. It is used mainly for plays (comedies and poetry); the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture converted to the TL culture and the text rewritten. The deplorable practice of having a play or poem literally translated and then rewritten by an established dramatist or poet has produced many poor adaptations, but other adaptations have “rescued” period plays. 

For example: English: Wuthering heights

Vietnamese: Đồi gió hú (by Dương Tường)

6. Free Translation

This is prolix or paraphrastic translation: Free translation reproduces the matter without the manner, or the content without the form of the original. Usually it is a paraphrase much longer than the original, a so-called “intralingual translation”, often prolix and pretentious, and not translation at all. 

For example:English: The Thorn Birds

Vietnamese: Tiếng chim hót trong bụi mận gai (by Phạm Mạnh Hùng)

                            Or Những con chim ẩn mình chờ chết (by Trung Dũng)

7. Idiomatic Translation

Idiomatic translation reproduces the “message” of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original. They are concerned with communicating the meaning of the source text using the natural grammatical and lexical items of the target language. 

Example 1: English: To tell a white lie

Vietnamese: Nói dối trắng trợn

Example 2: English: Man proposes, God disposes

Vietnamese: Mưu sự tại nhân, hành sự tại thiên

8. Communicative Translation 

For communicative purposes, acceptable and comprehensible to the readership: Communicative translation attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership. 

For example: How do you do! => Xin chào!

Among the above methods, communicative and semantic translations are recommended as the two broadest methods:

 From his view of point, “communicative translation attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership” (Newmark, 1988, p.47)

On the other hand, semantic translation attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures in a flexible way.

Example: An toàn là bạn, tai nạn là thù 

- Semantic translation: Safety is a friend, accident is an enemy. 

- Communicative method: Safety first.

Regarding the difference between translation methods and translation procedures, Newmark (1988) also mentioned “While translation methods relate to whole the texts, translation procedures are used for sentences and the smaller units of language”.

 

-The end-