GRADUATION PAPER
STRATEGIES IN TRANSLATING PROPER NAMES FROM ENGLISH INTO VIETNAMESE
IN FANTASY LITERATURE: A CASE STUDY IN BOOK I OF THE GAME OF
THRONES SERIES
Supervisor: Trn Th Minh, M.A.
Student: Nguyn Hng Linh
TRNG I HC NGOI NG
KHOA S PHM TING ANH
KHÓA LUN TT NGHIP
CHIN LC DCH ANH – VIT TÊN RIÊNG TRONG VN HC K O: NGHIÊN CU TRNG HP
TP 1 TRÒ CHI VNG QUYN
Giáo viên hng dn: Thc s Trn Th Minh
Sinh viên: Nguyn Hng Linh
Khóa: QH2013
ACCEPTANCE
I hereby state that I: Nguyen Hong Linh from QH.2013.F1.E15, being
a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in English accept
the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use
of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper
deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of
study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions
established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of
the paper.
Signature
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This thesis would not have been possible without my beloved family,
as their great encouragement and support enabled me to complete
this work. So I would like to thank my mom, my dad, and my brother
for giving me strength and patience to begin and finish this
journey.
I am profoundly grateful to Ms. Tran Thi Minh, my supervisor, for
her enormous and persistent guidance. Her constructive feedback and
useful suggestions were essential during the formation of this
work. My gratitude also goes to Ms. Trieu Thu Hang, who gave me
helpful advice in the early stage of conducting the thesis.
I wish to offer my special thank to an editor at Alpha Books for
her spending valuable time to join in a meaningful interview with
me. Her kindness and cooperation made a significant contribution to
this study.
Last but not least, I would like to show my appreciation to any
future readers of this thesis. Thank you for taking interest in my
work and hope you can find useful references in this
material.
i
ABSTRACT
A multitude of studies has disproven the notion that proper names
are a mundane issue in translation and demonstrated this phenomenon
to be one of the greatest challenges faced by translators. Proper
names in fantasy literature, in particular, is a unique subject in
the realm of proper names given its multiple purposes, novel
creation, and far-reaching effects in translation. To further
investigation in the English – Vietnamese translation of proper
names in fantasy, the researcher has conducted a study on
“Strategies in translating proper names from English into
Vietnamese in fantasy literature: A case study in Book I of the
Game of Thrones series”. This study aims to identify strategies
employed in translating proper names in the case study as well as
to propose helpful implications in translating proper names from
English into Vietnamese in fantasy. Document analysis and personal
interview are the two main research instruments adopted in the
study. Based on the framework by Fernandes (2006), the thesis has
determined translation strategies of proper names in the selected
case, namely Rendition, Copy, Substitution, Recreation, Deletion,
Addition, and Transposition. Several translation patterns and
tendencies were also presented for each group of proper names. It
is hoped that this study will be beneficial for students and
translators dealing with the translation of proper names,
particularly those in fantasy literature.
ii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study
1
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study 3
1.3. Significance of the study 3
1.4. Scope of the study 4
1.5. Organization 4
2.1.2. The Game of Thrones series 8
2.2. Proper names 9
2.2.3. Proper names in fantasy literature 12
2.2.4. Proper names in the Game of Thrones series 14
2.3. Translation strategies of proper names in general 16
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.3. Research instruments 23
iii
4.1. Strategies employed in translating proper names from English
into
Vietnamese in Book I of the Game of Thrones series 26
4.1.1. Strategies used in translating proper names of people
26
4.1.2. Strategies used in translating proper names of places
32
4.1.3. Strategies used in translating other proper names 35
4.2. Justifications for the use of some translation strategies of
proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series 38
4.3. Implications 41
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
5.1. Summary of findings 43
5.2. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research
44
References 45
26
4.2
27
4.3
28
4.4
29
4.5
Single titles translated by the strategy of Rendition and
Deletion
29
4.6
30
4.7
Title + place translated by the strategy of Rendition and
Copy
30
4.8
Title + personal name translated by the strategy of Rendition and
Copy
31
4.9
31
4.10
32
4.11
32
4.12
33
4.13
Place names translated by the strategy of Rendition and Copy
33
4.14
35
4.15
Proper names for a group of people translated by the strategy of
Rendition
36
4.16
Proper names for a group of people translated by the strategy of
Rendition and Copy
36
4.17
Proper names of events, objects and languages translated by the
strategy of Rendition
37
4.18
38
v
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the first chapter is to provide the rationale and
objectives of the research, along with the research question,
significance, scope and organization of the thesis.
1.1. Statement of the problem
Among various facets of translation, proper names have always been
a matter of debate for linguists, scholars, and translators. Over
many decades, there have been different schools of thought
concerning proper names in general and the translation of proper
names in particular. The first significant view is that proper
names lack meaning and therefore do not need to be translated. This
opinion is shared by scholars like Mill (1882), who asserts: “The
only names of objects that connote nothing are proper names”(p.
43). Vendler (1975) also agrees with this view as he claims proper
names are labels attached to persons or objects and they are left
unchanged in translation.
However, scholars such as Searle (1975) and Strawson (1975) oppose
to the aforementioned ideas since they believe proper names can
carry senses. Tymoczko (cited in Fernandes 2006) also criticizes
the idea that proper names are unproblematic and should be kept
intact in translation, and he states: “Indeed, a naive or
inexperienced translator (…) may look forward to the proper names
in a text as islands of repose” (p. 44). Thus, the translation of
proper names cannot be neglected as it is one of the greatest
challenges that translators may encounter. Many researchers have
suggested various strategies to deal with translating proper names.
Hervey and Higgins (1992) present three strategies to translate
proper names namely exotism, transliteration, and cultural
transplantation. Meanwhile, Newmark (1988) suggests that proper
names can be treated through the process of transference,
translation or naturalization depending on the type of proper names
and their connotations. Other approaches have been proposed by
researchers such as Davies (2003), Nord (2003), and Fernandes
(2006), who continue to demonstrate translating proper names is a
challenging task.
Whereas the translation of proper names has gained significant
attention around the world, there have been only a few studies on
this matter in Vietnam. In 2013, Nguyen conducted one of the first
studies on the translation of proper names from English into
Vietnamese. However, it failed to answer the main research question
because the researcher chose proper names in the novel The old man
and the sea as the subject, which was unfortunately not typical
enough to illustrate her argument about cultural constraints in
translating proper names. Following Nguyen’s work, Pham (2015) and
Ngo (2015) carried out two comparative studies on translating
proper names. While Pham investigated the issue of domestication
and foreignization, Ngo focused on different strategies in
translating character names in children literature. All of these
aforementioned studies were respectable, but it can be seen that
there has not been a paper that provides an in-depth understanding
of strategies in translating proper names from English to
Vietnamese, especially with a large scale study. Hence, it is of
great significance to continue to explore this topic, particularly
by widening the scope and examining subjects in different genres of
literature.
To investigate strategies in translating proper names from English
into Vietnamese, this study centers on proper names in fantasy
literature. This genre of literary has always proved itself to be a
great source of proper names (Burelbach, 1982). In great fantasy
works such as The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or Harry
Potter, it is certainly not a surprise to count hundreds of proper
names, including names of characters, places, titles, objects and
so on. Proper names in fantasy novels not only carry identifying
functions, but they can also serve multiple purposes such as
"denoting characters, amusing the reader, imparting knowledge or
evoking emotions" (Coillie, 2006, p. 123). Therefore, careful
consideration and complex decision-making process are required for
any translators who work with proper names in this genre of
literary. The translation of proper names in fantasy literature can
be even more problematic as many proper names are coined by
authors, and they do not appear in dictionaries. For instance, J.K.
Rowling is well-known for her creation of numerous new words in the
Harry Potter series such as Muggle, Horcrux, Mudblood, and
Animagus, to name but a few. Newly invented words in fantasy books
like these ones certainly pose considerable challenges to
translators.
The Game of Thrones series (also known as A Song of Ice and Fire)
by George R. R. Martin was chosen as the case study in this thesis.
Belonged to the fantasy kingdom, with its major scope and depth,
Game of Thrones itself is a vast source for proper names. The
author George R. R. Martin once admits naming is a difficult task,
and in his books, there are names used with certain intentions such
as creating backstories or attempting to achieve a medieval
atmosphere (blinkbox Books, 2014). New proper names are also common
in Game of Thrones; for example, Septa, Khaleesi, Valyrian, and
Maester. With the typical features of a fantasy novel when it comes
to proper names, Game of Thrones is a suitable case study for this
research. The series was also chosen as it is considered a
phenomenon in literature and a modern classic in the realm of
fantasy. However, due to time constraint, the researcher was unable
to study all proper names in the series; hence, only proper names
in Book I were selected.
Due to all the above reasons, the researcher has decided to conduct
a study on “Strategies in translating proper names from English
into Vietnamese in fantasy literature: A case study in Book I of
the Game of Thrones series."
1.2. Research objectives and research question
This study is expected to determine strategies employed to
translate proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series. By
identifying and analyzing these strategies, the researcher hopes to
make useful implications about translating proper names from
English into Vietnamese in fantasy literature. In order to achieve
these objectives, the thesis attempts to answer the following
question:
What strategies are applied in translating proper names in Book I
of the Game of Thrones series?
1.3. Significance of the study
Firstly, the study will be beneficial for students and translators
who work with the translation of proper names, especially proper
names in fantasy books and novels. The results yielded from this
study will help them be more aware of various procedures and
approaches used to translate proper names in fantasy literature.
They can also learn and adopt the strategies investigated in this
paper to real-life context to produce the most appropriate
translations of proper names. As a result, this study will, to a
certain extent, help to facilitate the task of translating English
– Vietnamese proper names in fantasy.
Secondly, it is hoped that the study will make a modest
contribution to the existing body of research on this topic and be
a reference for further investigation. In the process of analyzing
the research subjects, it is expected that new translation
strategies of proper names can be identified. Nevertheless, the
study does not aim to establish any generalizations, but rather
offers an in-depth understanding of the case and gives preliminary
notes on the translation of proper names in fantasy. Thus, future
researchers studying related issues can find this paper as a
helpful foundation.
1.4. Scope of the study
This thesis investigates strategies in translating proper names
from English into Vietnamese in fantasy literature through Book I
of the Game of Thrones series. The sampling of this research
includes 697 proper names appearing in Book I and their
translations in the Vietnamese version.
1.5. Organization
Chapter 1: Introduction states the rationale, objective, question,
significance, scope, and organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review develops the theory for the thesis by
defining, reviewing and discussing relevant terms and frameworks,
including fantasy literature, proper names, and translation
strategies of proper names.
Chapter 3: Methodology includes a detailed description of the
research design, research instruments, data collection procedures,
and data analysis procedures.
Chapter 4: Results and discussion presents the findings of the
research and offers some implications for the translation of proper
names in fantasy.
Chapter 5: Conclusion answers the thesis research question,
indicates the limitations, and provides recommendations for future
studies.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter lays the theoretical foundation for the research by
critically reviewing literature about fantasy literature, proper
names and translation strategies of proper names.
2.1. Fantasy literature
2.1.1.1. Definition
Before discussing the definition of fantasy literature, it should
be noted that the terms “fantasy literature” and “fantasy” are
often used interchangeably (James & Mendlesohn, 2012;
Mendlesohn, 2013). The reason for this alternative use is that
fantasy literature refers to the body of written works which employ
the fantasy genre. Accordingly, fantasy books and novels mean books
and novels belong to the fantasy genre. Meanwhile, fantasy is
interpreted as a literary genre. However, the term “fantasy” is
also understood as a story itself, since Cambridge Dictionary
defines it as “a
story or type of literature that describes situations that
are very different from real life,
usually involving magic”. Because the exchangeable use of
“fantasy literature” and “fantasy” is generally accepted, this
paper uses both terms to indicate a genre of literature.
There is no single definition of fantasy literature, but many
critics have agreed that stories of this genre always incorporate
unreal elements (Grant & Clute, 1997; Armitt, 2005; Saricks,
2014). In other words, “a fantasy is any story in which at least
one element cannot be found in our human world” (McGowen, n.d).
These unreal elements can range from the creation of imaginative
worlds, the existence of mythical beasts to the use of magic, and
the appearance of supernatural phenomenon.
Although fantasy and science fiction both have unreal elements in
them, they have differences that worth noting. While science
fiction tends to look forward and the story often involves
technological and scientific advance, fantasy tends to look
backward and sets the narrative in a pre-industrial or medieval
societies. Another distinction is that science fiction depicts
events that readers can still regard possible, even in the distant
future, whereas fantasy describes events that are definitely
impossible in the real world (Long, n.d).
Another genre that is often associated with fantasy is fairy tales.
Although magical elements appear in both genres, fairy tales
endings are “comforting and predictable”, while fantasy may offer
various and less predictable conclusions (Bernardo & Murphy,
2006, p. 88). Additionally, fairy tales do not require such
extensive world building as fantasy; hence, the setting, language,
and characters in stories of this genre are identifiable and
familiar with the real world. On the other hand, fantasy takes
place in worlds of their own, leading to the creation of new worlds
with unique geographies, languages, and customs, etc. (Bernardo
& Murphy, 2006).
2.1.1.2 . Characteristics
There has been extensive discussion on the characteristics of
fantasy literature, but the list of features varies, depending on
the view of different scholars, writers, and linguists.
Nevertheless, world building has been one of the most largely
mentioned characteristics and considered an integral part of
fantasy (Bernardo & Murphy, 2006; Oppegaard, 2012; Ahmed, 2013;
Saricks, 2014; Ekman & Taylor, 2016). Given its vital role in
fantasy and its relevance to the subject of this study, the
researcher will focus on the feature of world building in this part
of the thesis.
World building can be simply understood as the practice of creating
another world, and authors of fantasy are often referred as “world
builders”(Saricks, 2014, p. 267). They not only introduce plots and
characters to readers, but they also have to construct entire new
worlds, many of which are presented with complete history,
geography, society, languages, and customs. Swails (cited in Dwyer
2016) comments on the challenging task of building fictional worlds
as:
Building a unique world for characters to live in is complex, even
more so when an author is writing fantasy and science fiction. An
author must juggle hundreds of details and facts […]. Those details
include—but are certainly not limited to—dates of historical
events, geography, languages, government, economics and currency,
and dietary habits of imaginary or long-forgotten tribes. (Swails,
cited in Dwyer 2016, p. 5).
These details and elements help frame the story and even make the
readers form a sense of meaningfulness from a realm or world that
is not real (Bernardo & Murphy, 2006; Saricks, 2014). This is
the reason why great fantasy writers always impress readers with
their elaborate fictional worlds such as Middle Earth (J. R. R.
Tolkien), Narnia (C. S. Lewis), Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), Oz (L.
Frank Baum), Earth-Sea (Ursula K. Le Guin), and Westeros
(George.R.R.Martin), etc. To enrich their worlds, these writers
might create unusual languages, names or complex social and
political structures. For instance, in The Lord of the Ring, J. R.
R. Tolkien was famous for inventing Elvish languages, including
Quenya and Sindarin, as well as for creating a fictive humanoid
race called Hobbit. Meanwhile, Lewis Carroll created Wonderland
with unique characters like animated playing cards (Queen of
Hearts, King of Hearts) and talking animals (White Rabbit,
Caterpillar, and Bill the Lizard).
2.1.2. The Game of Thrones series
Game of Thrones, also known as A Song of Ice and Fire, is a fantasy
series written by George.R.R.Martin. Like any great work of
fantasy, Game of Thrones holds its appeal in the art of world
building. Martin’s fictional world is set in the European Middle
Ages, and it has its own geography, government, society, and
religion, etc. The series takes place on the fictional
continents of Westeros and Essos – the otherworlds
created by its author. With his description and the use of
accompanied maps, the author delivers a detailed picture of the two
continents as each includes a number of cities, towns, citadels,
rivers, and mountains, etc. In terms of government, Westeros
follows the system of feudal monarchy, with a king ruling the Seven
Kingdoms and Lords leading noble houses. In addition, Martin also
creates invented languages, namely High Valyrian and Dothraki.
Although these languages are not as fully developed as those of J.
R. R. Tolkien, Martin’s board sketches of the tongues still give
the readers a better depiction of different cultures and societies
in his world. To be more specific, High Valyrian signifies a
civilized language of a noble and complex society, while Dothraki
is a simpler tongue meant for the Dothraki - a group of people with
a primitive and barbaric lifestyle (Yliopisto, 2015). New religions
such as the Faith of the Seven or the Lord of Light are also
introduced, helping to illustrate a very elaborate world.
Language and style have a major contribution to the process of
world building in the series (Yliopisto, 2015). To suggest his
novels are set in the past, Martin employs the style of archaisms,
which is defined as "words or constructions retained from an
earlier period of the language but no longer in general use"
(Mandala, cited in Yliopisto 2015, pp. 14-15). Archaisms appeared
in the books include archaic words (unman, wench, whence), phrases
(must needs, breaking their fast), and archaic address form (Your
Grace, Lord, my lord, my lady). Moreover, historical vocabulary is
used to foster a medieval atmosphere (Yliopisto, 2015). For
example, there are words linked to medieval warfare such as
longswords, crossbows, daggers, or medieval fashion like bodies,
breeches, and capes. Another aspect playing an important role in
the construction of a fictive world is proper names. When writing
the books, Martin has planned to have a large number of characters
and many different settings; thus, readers should not be surprised
to find thousands of proper names mentioned in the series. Personal
names and place names help set apart different peoples and regions,
and they even assist the writer in achieving "the flavor of
medieval England" (Yliopisto, 2015; blink Books, 2014). More
details on proper names in the series will be analyzed in the later
section.
2.2. Proper names
2.2.1. Definition of proper names
Many scholars have proposed their own definitions of proper names,
but it is a general consensus that proper names are used to
identify individual referents (Greenbaum & Quirk, 1990; Hardie,
1992; Matthews, 1997; Nord, 2003). Proper names and proper nouns
are sometimes used interchangeably. Alexander (1988), who makes no
distinction between the two terms, defines: “A proper noun
(sometimes called a “proper name”) is used for a particular person,
place, thing or idea which is, or is imagined to be, unique”(p.
38). In the Oxford Dictionary, the term “proper noun” and “proper
name” are also stated to be the same as: “A name used for an
individual person, place, or organization, spelled with an initial
capital letter”.
However, for the sake of clarity, it is necessary to identify the
differences between proper names and proper nouns. Vermes (2001)
differentiates these terms by pointing out that proper nouns such
as Jack or London are a subclass of nouns, while proper names can
be formed with words from any word classes. For instance, proper
names can be an adjective such as Grumpy in Snow White, Fluffy in
Harry Potter or noun phrases such as White Rabbit in Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland, Dark Tower in The Lord of The Ring.
In this thesis, when proper names are mentioned, they are
understood as the words refer to a particular person, animal,
place, or thing, etc., and they are formed from any word classes
and written with an initial capital letter.
2.2.2. Classification of proper names
Classification of proper names can be performed according to
various perspectives. From the function aspect, Hermans (cited in
Aixelà 1996) classifies proper names into "conventional" and
"loaded". Conventional proper names are seen as "unmotivated" for
translation, and they have no meaning other than the function of
identification. On the other hand, loaded proper names are
"motivated" and carry meaningful connotations, which can be
achieved when a part of a proper name is a common noun or has a
strong connotative meaning. However, this classification can be
problematic in practice since detecting a proper name is
conventional or loaded is no easy task, especially when all proper
names "are obviously not non-informative" (Nord, 2003, p. 183). A
proper name can tell us if a referent is a human, a pet or a place,
or it can deliver information about the sex, age, and geographical
origin of a person (Nord, 2003). Moreover, in literature, it is the
writer that decides the meaningful implication of proper names.
Thus, Hermans’s classification seems to be only justified if it is
carried out under a clear and detailed examination of the writer’s
intention.
Proper names can also be categorized on the basis of onomastics,
which is the science studying names (Crystal, cited in Alicja
2008). This discipline often divides proper names into two
subfields: anthroponym (personal names) and toponym (place names).
Traboulsi (cited in Alicja 2008) claims that anthroponym comprises
of personal names, surnames, clan names, nicknames, patronyms,
teknonyms, and ethnonyms, whereas toponym includes geographical
entities such as seas, mountains, rivers, lakes, and institutional
entities such as streets, roads, houses and bridges. The drawback
of this classification is that it is not comprehensive, as it
excludes many other categories of proper names (titles,
organizations, animals, objects, etc.). For that reason, this
classification is not appropriate for a study on proper names in
fantasy literature, in which naming is applied to other subjects
besides human and places.
Another classification is proposed by Newmark (1988, pp. 214-216).
He categorizes three types of proper names, namely people's names,
names of objects, and geographical terms. People's names are names
used for a person, and they contain first and surname. Names of
objects are proper names contain trademarks, brands, or
proprieties. Geographical terms are names attached to things that
possess geographical features and usually appear in atlases. With
this classification, Newmark also notes that people's first and
surnames are often taken into TT without translation, but names
having connotations in imaginative literature can be translated.
Meanwhile, translators can remain proper names of objects the same
as the original and add a classifier if the name is unlikely to be
known to the TL readers. Lastly, Newmark recommends that place
names should be treated according to the convention in each
country. In fact, a number of studies in proper names have shown a
certain degree of concurrence with Newmark's conclusion. For
instance, Alicja (2008) and Yulianto (2014), while studying proper
names in the novel Three Men On The Bummel and the film The Hobbit:
An Unexpected Journey respectively, find out that personal names
are copied directly from ST to TT. However, different ideas from
Newmark's are not rare; for example, Jonikait (2014) reveals that
translators could prefer to adapt personal names to TL form rather
than preserve them in the original form. Moreover, Alicja (2008)
points out that names of objects and places can sometimes actually
be translated, not transferred like Newmark's suggestion. This
various opinions on the treatment for each group of proper names
truly intrigue the researcher and pose the question: whether there
is any typical difference in the treatment of various classes of
proper names?
Therefore, in this thesis, the researcher adopts both Traboulsi’s
and Newmark’s classifications to develop a thorough categorization
for the sampling as well as to attempt to find a relation between
the classification and translation strategies of proper names.
Proper names in this study are categorized into three major groups:
(1) Proper names of people (including first names, last names,
epithets, nicknames, titles), (2) Proper names of places (including
geographical and institutional entities), (3) Other proper names
(including all proper names that are not fall into the other two
categories). It is hoped that this classification will help the
researcher examine if the conclusions mentioned by Newmark and
other studies can be applied in translating proper names from
English into Vietnamese.
2.2.3. Proper names in fantasy literature
As previously mentioned above, world building is an indispensable
feature in fantasy literature. Proper names, one of the many
language components in a fantasy novel, does have a significant
involvement and effect in the process of world building. The
essential part of proper names in this creative process is best
presented through the practice of nomenclature, since Bulreback
(1982) asserts: “If you were writing a fantasy novel, one of your
first concerns would be to select names for the places and
characters” (p. 131). The names of people, things, and places can
provide insights into the fantasy worlds and help readers shape a
vivid visualization of the story settings (Williams,
2010). Saricks (2014, p. 274) even declares that for readers
of this genre, having a long glossary of places or list of
characters is an indication that they are reading a “real” fantasy
novel. Hence, naming in general and the usage of proper names in
particular constitute a vital role in writing a fantasy.
Besides its contribution in world building, another characteristic
of proper names in fantasy is the ability to carry different
meanings. First of all, proper names in fantasy can have semantic
meanings as they can be used to convey the characteristics of a
character, a place or to develop a storyline (Fernandes, 2006). For
example, the name Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series denotes
the character’s personality as Draco in Latin means “snake” or
“dragon”, which are often seen as devious creatures. In addition,
Mal-foy means “bad faith” in French; thus, the name seems to evoke
a villainous and vicious sense. Unlike place names in real life,
which are often straightforward and not descriptive, place names in
fantasy literature can provide readers with a description of them,
such as Dark Tower, Blue Mountains in The Lord of The Rings. In
terms of narrative function, writers may use proper names to
indicate a background story or a future storyline. As an
illustration, the name Hodor in the Game of Thrones series is
derived from the phrase “Hold-the-door”, which is intended by the
author to imply an event in the character’s life. Generally, these
descriptive and imaginative proper names are common in fantasy, and
they tend to have high translatability since most of them derive
from common nouns, adjectives, or adverbs (Alqahtani, 2010).
Secondly, proper names in fantasy may act as the carriers of sound
symbolic meanings (Fernandes, 2006). They can imitate real-life
sounds; for instance, a horse in the Chronicles of Narnia is named
Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah to imitate the whining of a horse. In
other cases, proper names can be a sound or a sound cluster that
are connected with a meaning. As an example, the name of Salazar
Slytherin in Harry Potter has the initial cluster /sl/, which can
be found in words having negative connotations such as “slime”,
“slithery”, “slug”; therefore, it can depict the notorious
reputation of the character.
Thirdly, according to Fernandes (2006), from a semiotic view,
proper names in fantasy literature can also indicate gender, class,
nationality, religion, historical events, myths, and so on. For
instance, in terms of gender, proper names like Lyanna, Catelyn are
often female names, whereas Jon, Joffrey are male names. Class can
be identified through titles such as Ser, Lord (Ser Ilyn Payne,
Lord Renly Baratheon).
With the above characteristics, it can be seen that translating
proper names in fantasy literature is a no easy task. Li (2010)
claims that proper names are one of the major obstacles in
translating fantasy literature, given the fact that proper names in
fantasy novels are usually cultural-bound words. What is worth
noting here is that these words are not only grounded in the source
culture but also in the “book culture” (Kok, 2012, p. 29), which is
the imaginary culture developed by the writers. This foundation on
a fictive culture, combining with the various meaning proper names
can hold in fantasy literature, can make the loss of meaning an
inevitable part in translating these elements.
Additionally, since proper names made of coined words or
expressions are commonplace in fantasy novels, translators are
required to have a great amount of creativity (Hegedus, 2004). When
proper names are entirely the products of the writers’ imagination,
it may be impossible to find equivalents in the TL. As a result,
translators need creativity to invent new terms in the TT, which
still have to be faithful to the authors’ intention and induce the
same feeling in the target culture as the source culture.
Navrátil (2010) also emphasizes the long-term effect of proper
names in fantasy literature. Because fantasy literature books tend
to come in series that use the same world and the same terminology,
the correct and consistent translation of proper names is even more
eminent. As an example, the fantasy series Discworld by Terry
Pratchett has 41 books, which makes the translation of every
language aspects, including proper names, exert a far- reaching
impact.
To sum up, proper names in fantasy literature are not just
identifiers of different entities, but they also contribute to the
practice of world building and may hold various significance.
Accordingly, translators of this genre should consider the
translation of proper names a serious and critical task. It is
important that they are aware of the connection between proper
names and the fictive world, the possibility of loss meaning as
well as the extensive implication of their translation.
2.2.4. Proper names in the Game of Thrones series
When creating the series, George.R.R.Martin has intended to shape a
world with numerous characters and places. Thus, the series
contains an outstanding number of proper names, and if character
names are counted only, they can be up to around 2,000. This
enormous number itself can be a daunting and tremendous task for
any translator.
Proper names in Game of Thrones can reveal the origin of characters
or separate different parts of the setting (Yliopisto, 2015). This
explains why personal names used in Westeros are often English or
European names like Jon, Jaime, Brienne, whereas names in Essos are
more exotic and seem to come from fictional languages like
Daenerys, Qorgyle, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos. For these proper names,
translators may have to decide whether to keep the strangeness or
transform them to a more acceptable form in the target
language.
As the last section points out, proper names in fantasy literature
not only fulfill indicating function, but they also carry intended
meanings. For example, Martin devises many names or nicknames which
denote the personality or appearance of characters such as Aerys II
the Mad King, Argilac the Arrogant, Gregor the Mountain That Rides,
etc. Other proper names may constitute a backstory or allude to
real events such as Torrhen Stark the King Who Knelt, Jamie
Lannister the Kingslayer, or Viserys the Beggar King. Place names
like Shadow Lands, Mud Gate, and Jade Sea also give readers a hint
on the characteristics of these places. As a result, it is
essential for the translator to render these names correctly so
that their meanings can be retained corresponding to the writer’s
intention.
Another problem translators may face are coined proper names, which
are mainly in the form of titles, religious terms, or languages.
While a range of familiar titles is used in the series (King,
Queen, Lord, Prince, and Princess), Martin also formulates his own
titles such as Maester, Grand Maester, Septa, or Khalessi.
Similarly, religious terms such as The Faith of the Seven,
R'hllor or languages like Valyrian, Braavosi, and Dothraki, etc.
are entirely invented by the author. Since these proper names are
not listed in dictionaries, it would be difficult to find an
equivalence in the target language; hence, possibly posing great
challenges for translators.
2.3. Translation strategies of proper names in general
For the aforementioned reasons, it is no doubt that proper names
can be problematic in the act of translation. Newmark (1993, p. 15)
states that proper names are “a translation difficulty in any
text”. This idea is also shared by Vermes (2003), who claims:
[…]the translation of proper names is not a trivial issue but, on
the contrary, may involve a rather delicate decision-making
process, requiring on the part of the translator careful
consideration of the meanings the name has before deciding how best
to render it in the target language. (p. 90)
Given the complexity of this matter, over the years, many scholars
have discussed and proposed different strategies to translate
proper names. In his dissertation Proper names in translation: A
relevance-theoretic analysis, Vermes (2003) introduces four
strategies including transference, substitution, translation, and
modification. Vermes defines transference as the process of keeping
proper names in the original form. Substitution is replacing the SL
proper name by an equivalent existing in the TL. Translation means
rendering an entire or a part of SL proper name by a TL expression
which can produce the same implication in the TT. Finally,
modification is replacing a proper name with a TL one which is
unrelated or only partly related to the original. Although Vermes
considers omission, addition, and generalization as subcategories
of modification, he fails to give them a detailed description.
Additionally, no justified reason is mentioned in his dissertation
to explain the grouping of these strategies under the category of
modification.
Another approach to translation of proper names is proposed by
Davies (2003), who studies proper names as culture-specific items.
She proposes seven strategies, namely preservation, addition,
omission, globalization, localization, transformation, and
creation. Preservation occurs when a translator copies the SL item
without any modifications or translate it literally. Addition means
the original item is unchanged and is provided with extra
information. Omission is the opposite strategy to addition when
translators omit a problematic case. Globalization is replacing
culture-specific references with general ones. Localization
includes a phonological and grammatical adaptation of proper names,
and it occurs when translators attempt to make the translation
closer to the TL. Transformation is defined by Davies as
“alternation or distortion of the original” (p. 86), and the last
strategy – creation is creating an item which is not present in the
ST. Compared to Vermes’s approach, Davies’s is more detailed as she
clearly explains strategies such as addition and omission.
Nevertheless, Davies‘s strategy of transformation can be
problematic when being used in practice because it is not
well-defined and the scholar herself also states that its scope is
not clearly distinguished from the strategy of addition.
In 2006, Coillie presents another model of translating proper
names. He recommends ten strategies as follows: (1) non-translation
(reproduction or copying), (2) non-translation plus additional
explanation, (3) replacement of a personal name by a common noun,
(4) phonetic or morphological adaptation, (5) exonym, (6)
replacement by a more widely known name from the source culture or
an internationally known name with the same function, (7)
replacement by another name from the TL, (8) translation of names
with a particular connotation, (9) replacement by a name with
another or additional connotation, (10) deletion. Even though
Coillie’s model of strategies is developed in great detail, it is
only based on the study of character names. Hence, this model
cannot be employed in this study, whose sampling includes other
types of proper names besides personal names.
Based on Hermans (1988)’s ways to render proper names (copy,
transcription, substitution, and translation), Fernandes (2006)
offers a classification of ten strategies: (1) rendition, (2) copy,
(3) transcription, (4) substitution, (5) recreation, (6) deletion,
(7) addition, (8) transposition, (9) phonological replacement, (10)
conventionality. This set of strategies is appropriate for the
subjects of this thesis because it is built for all categories of
proper names. Furthermore, in comparison with other mentioned set
of strategies, the number of strategies labeled by Fernandes is the
most optional one. Despite mainly building on Hermans’ theory,
Fernandes’s strategies also include ideas of the aforementioned
scholars. For instance, Fernandes’s strategy of rendition is
similar with Vermes’s translation and Davies’s literal translation.
At the same time, Fernandes’s classification comprises of
strategies such as transposition and phonological replacement,
which are not discussed by other scholars. Thus, it is hoped that
Fernandes’s strategies would allow the researcher to trace and
analyze as many choices as possible made by the translator when
dealing with proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series.
Accordingly, the researcher has decided to adopt Fernandes’s
proposed strategies as the theoretical framework of translation
strategies in this thesis. Below is a description of Fernandes’s
strategies, and it is possible that the following strategies can be
combined to render proper names. Examples of each strategy are
selected by the researcher.
Rendition
This occurs when proper names in the SL are translated
literally.
White Rabbit Th Trng
Gryphon S T u Chim
Carroll, L. (1865). Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. London,
United Kingdom: Pan Macmillan.
Copy
This is a procedure in which proper names are reproduced in the TT
without any changes or modifications.
Aslan Aslan
Digory Kirke Digory Kirke
Lewis, C.S. (1950 – 1956). The Chronicles of Narnia. New York, NY:
HarperCollins.
Transcription
Transcription means transcribing a proper name in the nearest form
of the TL. To be more specific, proper names can be adapted at the
level of morphology, phonology, or grammar, etc.
Peter Bít-t
Potter, B. (1902).The Tale of Peter Rabbit. London, United Kingdom:
Frederick Warne & Co.
Rebeccah R Béc-ca
Potter, B. (1908).The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. London, United
Kingdom: Frederick Warne & Co.
Substitution
In this procedure, a proper name in the ST is replaced by an
unrelated proper name in the TT. The substitute and the original
can be different in terms of form and/or semantic meaning.
Michel Delving M C
Stoor i C
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1954). The Fellowship of the Ring. London, United
Kingdom: George Allen & Unwin.
Recreation
Recreation consists the procedure of recreating a proper name in
the ST into the TT so that the TL item can produce a similar effect
as the original. Recreation is different from substitution since
the recreated item in this strategy does not exist in the SL or
TL.
Horcrux Trng Sinh Linh Giá
The Pensieve Chu Tng Ký
Rowling, J.K. (1998 – 2007). Harry Potter series. New York, NY
:Arthur A. Levine Books.
Deletion
As the name suggests, this procedure includes the removing of an
entire or a part of a proper name in the TT.
Mad Hatter Ngi làm m
Carroll, L. (1865). Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. London,
United Kingdom: Pan Macmillan.
Howl’s Moving Castle Lâu ài Bit i
Jones, D.W. (1986). Howl’s Moving Castle. London, United Kingdom:
Methuen Publishing.
Addition
Addition is employed when the translator adds extra information to
the original name.
Dance of Dragons iu v rng thiêng
Sky Cng Tri
Martin, G.R.R. (2011). A Game of Thrones. New York, NY: Bantam
Books.
Transposition
This procedure involves replacing one word class with another
without changing the original meaning of the proper name.
Maegor the Cruel (adjective) Maegor Bo Chúa (noun)
Brandon the Burner (noun) Brandon Thiêu Tri (verb)
Martin, G.R.R. (2011). A Game of Thrones. New York, NY: Bantam
Books.
Phonological replacement
When this strategy is used, an ST proper name is replaced by a TT
one that imitates its phonological characteristics. While
transcription adopts a proper name to the TL phonology/morphology,
phonological replacement only changes the original item to a TL
proper name which is phonemically/graphologically similar to
it.
Tabitha Twitchit Tám Tíu Tít
Mittens Míp
Potter, B. (1907). The Tale of Tom Kitten. London, United Kningdom:
Frederick Warne & Co.
Conventionality
Conventionality is applied when there is a TL proper name typically
considered as the translation of an SL proper name. This strategy
can be seen in the names of historical figures or geographical
locations. The instance below is offered by the researcher:
Washington Hoa Thnh n
New York Nu c
It should be noted that although Fernandes’s proposed strategies
are used as the framework for this study, it is still possible that
this is not an exhausted list of translation strategies for proper
names. Therefore, the researcher hopes that through the analysis of
proper names in the sampling, more strategies, besides those
mentioned by Fernandes, can be identified.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methodology employed in the research,
including research design (case study and qualitative approach),
research subjects, research instruments, data collection
procedures, and data analysis procedures.
3.1. Research design
3.1.1. Case study
Case study is used as the research design in this research.
According to Yin (1994, p. 13), a case study is “an empirical
inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its
real-life context, especially when the boundaries between
phenomenon and context are not clearly evident”. Meanwhile, Merriam
(1988) defines a case study as “an intensive, holistic description
and analysis of a single instance, phenomenon or social unit” (p.
27). There are other definitions of case study, but many scholars
have agreed that one of the most outstanding features of case study
research is the object of study - the case (Johansson, 2003). Thus,
case study method allows researchers to concentrate on a single
entity and gain rich information about that individual.
Moreover, the merits of case study have been confirmed as Baxter
and Jack (2008) assert that this method is suitable for novice
researchers because it provides a great opportunity to gain
detailed insight into a case. Bell (2005) also claims that case
study enables in-depth study of a problem within a limit time
scale.
Given the advantages above and the aim of this paper, it is
believed that case study is an appropriate research design and can
help the researcher answer the proposed question of the
study.
The first book of the Game of Thrones series was selected as the
case of this research. The series itself was firstly chosen because
it represents the common characteristics of naming practice in
fantasy literature, which is the focus of this study. Proper names
in Game of Thrones are not only used as referents but many of them
also carry semantic meanings. Furthermore, proper names coined by
the author appear frequently in the books. Secondly, Game of
Thrones is considered one of the best fantasy books of all time as
well as a phenomenon in modern literature (Grossman, 2014). This
significant position of the series also intrigues the researcher
and acts as a motivation for the researcher to conduct this study.
However, due to time constraint, it is impossible to study proper
names in the entire series; therefore, the researcher only studies
proper names in Book I of the series. The first book is the
introduction to the world of Westeros and Esso, and many proper
names will be carried out in the other books of the series.
3.1.2. Qualitative approach
Since case study in this thesis is considered a research design
rather than a research method, it may either be qualitative or
quantitative or a combination of both approaches (Tight, 2017).
While data provided as numbers and statistical results are better
analyzed using a quantitative approach, data in the form of texts
and narratives are suitable for a qualitative approach (Litchman,
2006). According to Creswell (2014), the qualitative approach is
used to explore, explain and understand the meaning of individual
cases, whereas the quantitative approach aims to test hypotheses by
investigating the relation among variables.
Given the nature of the research is to describe translation
strategies in a particular case, it is believed that qualitative
research is the most appropriate approach. By adopting this
approach, the researcher will be able to analyze the data and
deliver an in-depth description on strategies used to translate
proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series.
3.2. Selection of subjects
In the first phase, purposive sampling was employed to select the
study subjects. As the objective of this thesis focused on proper
names in the first book of the Game of Thrones series, all 697
proper names and their translations were chosen purposively. The
original proper names were collected from the book A Game of
Thrones, which was published in 2011 by Bantam Books. The
translations were taken from the books Trò chi vng quyn 1a- Sói
tuyt thành Winterfell and Trò chi vng quyn 1b- Vua Phng Bc, which
were published in 2012 by Alpha Books.
In the second phase, to seek justifications for the use of some
translation strategies found in phase one, it was necessary to ask
for the participation of people engaging in the translating and
editing process of the Vietnamese version. Hence, The Translator
and The Editor were chosen purposively (The names of the translator
and the editor will not be mentioned to ensure their anonymity).
However, only The Editor was available for the study, since The
Translator was unable to participate because of her tight working
schedule. As a result, a mix of purposive and convenience sampling
was used in this phase, in which convenience sampling means
“drawing samples that are both easily accessible and willing to
participate in a study” (Teddie & Yu, 2007, p.78).
3.3. Research instruments
This research utilized document analysis as the research instrument
in phase one because this method is “particularly applicable to
qualitative case studies - intensive studies producing rich
descriptions of a single phenomenon, event, organisation, or
program” (Stake, cited in Bowen, 2009, p. 29). The researcher
carefully read the original English version of Book I of the Game
of Thrones series and its translation to gather proper names that
appear in the original and its translated text. After that,
translation strategies applied in proper names were
identified.
In the second phase, a face-to-face interview of semi-structured
type was used. A face-to-face interview would help produce
authentic and deep descriptions and encourage the free disclosure
of information from participants (Knox & Burkard, 2009).
Furthermore, the semi-structured type would allow the researcher to
ask not only pre-prepared questions but also other questions
emerging from the conversation with the interviewee. The interview
included both closed and open-ended questions and lasted
approximately 30 minutes.
3.4. Procedures of data collection
Stage 1: Document analysis
Step 1: Collect proper names
All proper names were collected from the original English text and
matched with the corresponding expressions in the Vietnamese
translation. For each proper name, only the first occurrence in the
text was recorded.
Step 2: Categorize proper names
The collected proper names were classified into 3 groups: Proper
names of people, Proper names of places, and Other proper
names.
Step 3: Build the database
697 proper names were listed alphabetically in each group and
presented in tables with their translations.
Stage 2: Interview
Step 1: Prepare the interview
Firstly, an invitation to participate in the interview was sent to
The Editor. Once the proposal was confirmed, the researcher
compiled a list of draft questions and sent to the supervisor for
feedback. Then, the draft of interview questions was sent to The
Editor in advance. Only when the interview questions were approved
by The Editor and the supervisor, did the researcher arrange the
official interview.
Step 2: Conduct the interview
The interview was conducted in Vietnamese in order for the
participant to freely and clearly express her opinions. The content
of the interview was recorded at the informant’s permission so that
all data would be collected fully and accurately. In addition,
note-taking was utilized during the interview to assist the
researcher in formulating new questions and checking for clarity
when necessary.
3.5. Procedures of data analysis
Data from document analysis
Step 1: Describe the translation strategy used in each proper
name
The researcher carefully examined each proper name to give an
accurate description of its translation strategy.
Step 2: Compare with the framework and identify translation
strategies
Compared with Fernandes (2006)’s theoretical framework, strategies
used to translate all proper names were figured out. It was also
expected that new strategies, which were not mentioned by
Fernandes, could be uncovered.
Step 3: Analyze and discuss the data
Subsequently, translation strategies applied for each group of
proper names were thoroughly discussed. Besides, special cases and
typical patterns were analyzed for further implications.
Data from the face-to-face interview
Step 1: Transcribe the interview
A full transcription of the interview was made so that the
researcher could perform a thorough and detailed analysis.
Step 2: Code and analyze information
The collected data was coded into different themes and analyzed
accordingly. The interpretation of the interview data was expected
to cast light on a number of findings from document analysis.
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the findings of the study. In the first part,
strategies applied in translating proper names of people, proper
names of places and other proper names are identified and analyzed.
The second part gives justifications for the use of some
translation strategies, and the last part gives further
implications from the findings.
4.1. Strategies employed in translating proper names from English
into Vietnamese in Book I of the Game of Thrones series
4.1.1. Strategies used in translating 474 proper names of
people
Data analysis showed that there were some recurring translation
patterns as the same procedures were applied for proper names
having similar characteristics or structures. Four major patterns
in translating proper names of people were identified.
In the first pattern, 200 proper names, including 113 first names,
8 last names, 70 full names (first name + surname) and 9
diminutives were kept unchanged in the TT, which matched the
strategy Copy in Fernandes’s framework. The table below gives some
examples of this translation strategy:
Type
ST
TT
Table 4.1. Personal names translated by the strategy of Copy
It can be seen that all of these proper names are character names,
and they neither hold any special meanings nor have any equivalents
in Vietnamese; thus, they cannot be translated. In addition, the
strategy of Copy could be a sensible choice since as mentioned in
section 2.2.4 (Chapter 2), different origins and settings can be
hinted by character names in Game of Thrones. By borrowing these
proper names from the original without any alterations, the
translator could retain their strangeness and sound effects,
possibly helping readers notice the differences between exotic
names such as Qotho, Jhiqui and ordinary English names like Robert
or Jamie.
The second noticeable pattern was seen in epithets, which usually
contains a personal name and an adjective or a noun phrase, and
they are used to describe people’ character or qualities. For this
structure, the translator showed a tendency to copy personal names
and literally translate the descriptive parts. Compared with
Fernandes’s set of strategies, this procedure was a combination of
Copy and Rendition strategies. 25 out of 32 epithets were
translated by this procedure, and some instances are provided in
table 4.2.
ST
TT
Serwyn Khiên Kính
Table 4.2. Epithets translated by the strategy of Copy and
Rendition
It is clear that the adjectives or nouns in this kind of proper
names often carry meaningful denotations. For example, Lann the
Clever denotes the wits of Lann – a legendary hero from the Age of
Heroes, and Barristan the Bold alludes to the bravery of the great
knight named Barristan Selmy. Hence, these proper names were
conveyed literally in most cases. While Copy was used in all
personal names of epithets, the adjectives or nouns were also
treated with Subsitution (2 instances) or Tranposition (4
instances). An example of Subsitution could be seen in the epithet
Aegon the Conqueror, which was translated into Aegon i . Conqueror,
according to CambridgeDictionary, means a person taking control of
a country or people. Meanwhile, following the Sino-Vietnamese
Dictionary by Nguyen Quoc Hung, i means the king of a great and
strong country. Tranposition was applied in cases such as Brandon
the Builder (noun) Brandon Kin Thit (verb) and Maegor the Cruel
(adjective) Maegor Bo Chúa (noun).
The third translation approach was observed in nicknames, which are
usually comprised of a single noun or a noun phrase. A total of 52
nicknames were identified, and the most dominant strategy was
literal translation, or according to Fernandes’s framework,
Rendition (31 instances). Some nicknames are shown in the table
below:
ST
TT
Dragonbane
Littlefinger
Table 4.3. Nicknames translated by the strategy of Rendition
One interesting case in this group of proper names was Sword of the
Morning, which had two different translations, namely Hip s Ánh
sáng and Thanh Kim Sáng. Substitution was employed in the former
translation, and the later was a literal rendition of the original.
While it seemed that both translations were acceptable, the
translator should have chosen one translation only to avoid
inconsistency and prevent confusion for readers.
It should be noted that other procedures were used to translate
nicknames. Particularly, when a nickname was paired with a
character name, the translator always preserved the character name
in its original forms, resulting in the couplet of Copy and
Rendition (e.g.: Arya Horseface Arya Mt Nga, Fat Tom Tom B, Old Nan
Già Nan).
Finally, the translator revealed some tendencies in dealing with
various forms of titles appearing in Book I of the series (190
instances). There were three structures of titles identified in
this study, including Single title, Title + place and Title +
personal name.
A total of 19 single titles were collected, and Rendition was the
most common approach, which was employed for proper names having
Vietnamese equivalents (7 occurrences). Table 4.5 presents examples
of this strategy:
ST
TT
King's Justice
Vng Pháp
Table 4.4. Single titles translated by the strategy of
Rendition
The second most used strategy to translate this kind of title was
the combination of Rendition and Deletion (6 occurrences). In these
cases, the translator omitted parts of proper names while rendering
them literally.
ST
TT
tng ch huy Ng Lâm Quân
Lord Commander of the Night's Watch
Tng ch huy ca i Tun êm
Sworn Brother
Sworn Brother of the White Swords
anh em chí ct ca i Bch ao
Table 4.5. Single titles translated by the strategy of
Rendition and Deletion
It can be seen that the word Lord in the first two examples were
excluded. According to the website A Wiki of Ice and Fire (n.d),
which is a part of the premier fan site for the series, Lord
Commander is a title held by the most senior member of various
organizations such as the Kingsguard, the Night's Watch or the City
Watch. The person holding this title has the highest authority and
oversees the entire organization. The website also mentions that
the word Lord may connote the noble origin or status of the leader;
as a result, the omission may make the translations lack this
connotation. Similarly, the word Sworn was deleted in the later two
instances. Sworn Brother is a title used in groups in which members
have to take an oath upon joining, and Sworn itself derives from
the verb “swear”, which means making a promise. However, the
Vietnamese translations seem to underrepresent this meaning because
ng hu only means people in the same group, class or age, whereas
chí ct signifies a close and intimate relationship. For this case,
the researcher would like to recommend the original Sworn Brother
to be translated literally into Anh Em Kt Ngha, which could perhaps
be a more accurate and sufficient translation.
Meanwhile, for High Septon, a single title that did not exist in
the SL, the translator opted for the strategy of Recreation by
using the term i T T in the TT. High Septon is the head of a
religion called the Faith of the Seven, and a male clergy of this
religion is called a Septon, whose duties include presiding
religious ceremonies. In the TL culture, T T indicates a person
with similar responsibilities. Therefore, it is assumed the
translator had considered the duties performed by the title while
recreating the SL item.
The next structure of title was the combination of a title and a
place (24 instances). Two major translation procedures were shown
in this category of title, namely Rendition and the couplet of
Rendition and Copy. While the former was used for titles paired
with place names having denotative meanings, the later was applied
for those went with locations not having such meanings. Some
examples are illustrated in Table 4.6 and Table 4.7:
ST
TT
Keeper of the Gates of the Moon
Ngi Gác Cng Trng
Vua o St
Table 4.6. Title + place translated by the strategy of
Rendition
ST
TT
Sealord of Braavos
Hi Vng Braavos
Table 4.7. Title + place translated by the strategy of Rendition
and Copy
However, for place names that can be literally translated in this
group of titles, inconsistency, particularly in word choice, was
detected. To cite an instance, when the title “Warden” was paired
with four regions of Westeros, the translator showed very different
ways of translation (Warden of the East Th Lnh X ông, Warden of the
North Th Lnh Phng Bc, Warden of the South Th Lnh Phng Nam, Warden
of the West Th Lnh Min Tây). In another case, the East was not
rendered into X ông, but into Phng ông (True Warden of the East Th
Lnh Thc S ca Phng ông).
The last form of title was a single title accompanied with a
personal name (133 instances). Personal names in this group can be
first names, last names or full names, and they were all treated
with the procedure of Copy. For the title parts, Rendition was used
if Vietnamese equivalents are available, resulting in the
combination of Rendition and Copy. Some titles with this treatment
are presented in the table below.
ST
TT
Table 4.8. Title + personal name translated by the strategy
of
Rendition and Copy
On the other hand, imaginative titles created by the author were
kept unchanged as the original. As a result, when these titles were
paired with personal names, the entire structures were copied into
the TT. Table 4.9 provides some instances of this strategy:
ST
TT
Ser Donnel Waynewood
Ser Donnel Waynewood
Table 4.9. Title + personal name translated by the strategy of
Copy
It should be pointed out that among titles that were copied from
the ST, a number of them were given extra information in the form
of footnotes. It was assumed that since imaginative titles such as
Ser, Magister or Khal, etc. emerged multiple times in the book, the
translator decided to only include footnotes to cases with the
first appearance of these titles. Table 4.10 shows invented titles
that were accompanied with footnotes.
Titles
Footnotes
Grand Maester Pycelle
Khal
Khal: i Hãn, th lnh b tc dân du mc Dothraki
Khal Drogo
Maester
Maester: Hc s, chc danh dành cho các hc gi, thy thuc, nhà khoa
hc
Maester Aemon
Magister: Hng s, ngi có quyn lc trong thành ph
Magister Illyrio
Ser Waymar Royce
4.1.2. Strategies used in translating 139 proper names of
places
Data analysis showed that Rendition (55 occurrences), Copy (52
occurrences), and the couplet of Rendition and Copy (17
occurrences) were the most adopted strategies to translate place
names in Book I of Game of Thrones.
For locations with descriptive and meaningful names, Rendition was
the selected technique. With the fact that the components of these
proper names do have equivalents in Vietnamese, it was possible for
the translator to render them literally. Table 4.11 illustrates
some proper names adopted this procedure:
ST
TT
Table 4.11. Place names translated by the strategy Rendition
Besides keeping the original meanings of the ST, the translator
also attempted to utilize Sino-Vietnamese words in a number of
translations (e.g. Castle Black Hc Thành, Great Keep i Vng Lâu,
Isle of Faces Din o, Mountains of the Moon dãy núi Nguyt, Small
Hall Tiu Snh). One reason to use Sino-Vietnamese in such cases was
perhaps the fact that Vietnamese words could make the translations
sound unnatural; for example, Thành en, o Mt, Núi Trng. In
addition, since archaic languages were frequently used in the
original (as mentioned in Chapter 2), it was likely that the
translator might try to represent this language style in the TT, by
avoiding contemporary words and employing Sino-Vietnamese
ones.
In contrast, Copy was mostly applied for places with no descriptive
meanings. Some examples of this strategy are given in the table
below:
ST
TT
Harrenhal
Harrenhal
Myr
Myr
Trident
Trident
Table 4.12. Place names translated by the strategy of Copy
The next common treatment for place names was the couplet of
Rendition and Copy. The proper names with this strategy often
carried two elements, including an element having a Vietnamese
equivalent and the other cannot be translated. There were also
cases that could be rendered literally as a whole (e.g. Bear
Island, Horn Hill, Street of the Sisters), but the translator still
opted for keeping parts of these place names unchanged, possibly
due to the awkwardness of a full literal translation.
ST
TT
Street of Steel
i Snh ca Winterfell
Table 4.13. Place names translated by the strategy of Rendition and
Copy
Apart from the aforementioned dominant strategies, other strategies
such as Substitution and Recreation were utilized to translate
proper names of places. One particular case of Substitution was the
name of a castle called Starfall, which was translated into Sao
Bng. It can be seen that while the original does not hold any
semantic meaning, the translated item denotes a variety of star.
The translator might produce this translation based on the history
of the castle. According to The World of Ice & Fire, a
companion book was co-written by George.G. R. Martin on the history
of Westeros, Starfall is the seat of House Dayne, and the castle
was constructed where the first ancestor of Dayne family found a
magic stone after following the path of a shooting star. Since
“shooting star” means “sao bng” in Vietnamese, this anecdote could
explain the translator’s choice of translation procedure.
Meanwhile, Recreation was utilized for a place name called High
Sept, in which Sept was a term coined by the author. The website A
Wiki of Ice and Fire described Sept as a place for followers of the
Faith of the Seven to practice their worship. Therefore, to
recreate this term, it was likely that the translator based on this
function of the location, producing the Vietnamese translation i
Thánh ng, in which Thánh ng means a place for gods worshiping and
ritual ceremonies in the TT language.
Footnotes (2 instances) were also found in the translation of place
names, particularly with copied ones. However, it seemed that the
translator used footnotes to further explain the context in which
place names were mentioned, rather than just to explain the proper
names themselves. In the first case, Fingers, a name given to a
group of islands, was accompanied with a footnote to better explain
why a character acquired the nickname Littlefinger:
Cha anh ã cht vài nm trc, vì th gi anh ta là Lãnh chúa Baelish,
nhng h vn gi anh là Ngón Út. (…) .Trang viên khiêm tn ca gia ình h
nm phn nh nht trên b bin Fingers*, và Petyr là ngi thp bé nh cân
nht.
* Nhng ngón tay
(Trò chi vng quyn 1A – Sói tuyt thành Winterfell, p. 248)
The second instance was observed in the conversation between
Littlefinger and Ned Stark. The translator gave extra information
about Valyria, the name of a ruined city, along with the reason why
the character referred to this city:
“Ngài có hoàn toàn tin ai trong ngn tháp này không?”
“Có,” Ned nói.
“Nu vy, tôi vô cùng mun bán cho ngài mt mnh t ti Valyria*” Ngón út
ci ma.
* Valyria: mt thành ph cht, tng là th ô ca mt i quc mang tên
Valyrian Freehold. Ý Ngón út mun nói nu Eddard Stark tin ngi thì ch
có nc cht.
(Trò chi vng quyn 1A – Sói tuyt thành Winterfell, pp.
385-386)
Lastly, inconsistency was also seen in 5 translations of place
names. The changing word usage in some cases might not affect
readers’ understanding (e.g: Cng vs. Bn), but the application of
different translation strategies for one ST could possibly cause
confusion since readers could interpret two TT as the names for two
distinct locations. Table 4.14 presents these instances:
ST
4.1.3. Strategies used in translating 84 other proper names
Data collected in this category includes four major subgroups,
namely proper names of a group of people (clans, organizations,
dynasties and noble houses), proper names of animals, and proper
names of events, objects, and languages.
Firstly, for proper names indicating a group of people, the
dominant translation strategies were Rendition and the couplet of
Rendition and Copy. While the former was applied to proper names
with Vietnamese equivalents, the later was employed for proper
names consisting of either a personal name or a name not holding
any meaning. Examples of these proper names can be seen in Table
4.15 and Table 4.16.
ST
TT
i Tun êm
Table 4.15. Proper names for a group of people translated by the
strategy of Rendition
ST
TT
Ngân hàng Iron ca Braavos
Table 4.16. Proper names for a group of people translated by the
strategy of Rendition and Copy
In addition, Substitution was the third popular strategy, and two
interesting cases were found among proper names treated with this
procedure. The first one was The Unsullied, a name given to slave
soldiers, which was translated into thái giám. It appeared that the
translator chose this TT item based on the fact that Unsullied
soldiers were castrated, a shared characteristic with “thái giám”.
Nevertheless, since thái giám often served in courts and palaces,
whereas the duty of the Unsullied was fighting in battles, this
translation seemed not to be an appropriate one.
The next intriguing case was observed in the Faith, which appeared
two times in the book and had two translations, namely con chiên
and Hi Tin Lành. In the original, the first occurrence of the Faith
was used to show that the character Catelyn Stark was a follower of
this religion: “She was of the Faith, like her father and
grandfather and his father before him”. The second appearance
referred to the Faith as a religious organization, whom Little
Finger had asked for help with the treasury of Westeros: “The Crown
is more than six million gold pieces in debt (…). Of late I’ve had
to turn to the Faith”. Looking at the Vietnamese translations, they
seemed to evoke the sense of Christianity. However, the Faith was
an imaginative religion created by George. G. R. Martin, and the
Faith was a short form for the Faith of the Seven. Therefore, it
appeared that the two TT had failed to deliver a faithful
translation and present the uniqueness of the coined religious
term. For this ST item, the researcher would like to propose the
translation Tht Din Giáo, given the fact that the Faith worship a
god with seven aspects of faces. Accordingly, a follower of this
religion should be called tín Tht Din Giáo in the TT.
Secondly, for proper names of animals, there were two clear
translation tendencies. Proper names without any descriptive
meanings were reproduced from the originals (e.g. Belerion
Belerion, Meraxes Meraxes, Nymeria Nymeria) whereas those conveying
denotative significance were rendered literally (e.g. . Grey Wind
Gió Xám, Storm Dancer V Công Bão, Summer Mùa Hè)
Thirdly, in respect to proper names of events, objects, and
languages, the most adopted strategy was Rendition.
ST
TT
Dawn
Mi Kim
Table 4.17. Proper names of events, objects and languages
translated by the strategy of Rendition
Besides, it was worth mentioning that Sino-Vietnamese words were
utilized to translate a number of proper names in this category
(e.g. Heartsbane Tâm c, Ice Bng ao, Kingsguard Ng Lâm Quân, The
Others Ngoi Nhân). Furthermore, the issue of inconsistent
translation was also detected. The following instances were found
to have two distinct translations in the book:
ST
Table 4.18. Other proper names with inconsistent translation
4.2. Justifications for the use of some translation strategies of
proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series
The data obtained from the interview with The Editor aim to give
explanation for a number of issues related to translation
strategies discovered in the previous section.
- Background information
The informant is a professional book editor, and she is the editor
for all Vietnamese books of the Game of Thrones series. Regarding
Book I, she was responsible for the editing process, which she
described as a task involves “(…) comparing with the original
version to see whether the translator translates correctly and if
sentences are coherent. It is required to have correct translation,
appropriate style, and easy-to-read sentences.”
- The use of Sino-Vietnamese words in the strategy Rendition
The majority of Sino-Vietnamese words were found in proper names
treated with the strategy Rendition. When asking about the reasons
to use Sino-Vietnamese words in such proper names (e.g.: Din o, i
Vng Lâu, Tâm c, Hc Thành), The Editor gave two reasons. Firstly,
she said the use of Vietnamese words would make the translation
sound awkward, so it was necessary to utilize Sino-Vietnamese ones.
This idea was concurrent with the assumption made by the
researcher. Chi also mentioned that Sino-Vietnamese words would
generate a translation with more “elegant” and “refined” sound.
Secondly, Sino-Vietnamese words could produce a literal translation
of the originals, as Chi noted that these words “enable us to
understand the meaning of the proper names”. The two justifications
given by The Editor show that Sino-Vietnamese words can be a
sensible solution in the case a translator wish to maintain the
literal meaning of a proper name as well as to produce a more
natural and elegant sounding effect. As a result, regarding the
English-Vietnamese translation of proper names, a translator can
consider the use of Sino-Vietnamese words when employing the
strategy Rendition in a real-life context.
Meanwhile, there were no answers confirming the researcher’s
assumption that Sino-Vietnamese words were used to demonstrate the
archaic language style in the source text.
- Translation strategies applied for coined proper names
Document analysis showed that two strategies were adopted in
dealing with coined proper names. One strategy was Recreation, and
the other was Copy accompanied with footnotes.
No detailed reasons were given by The Editor to explain the
application of the strategy Recreation in some cases. For example,
in the case of Great Sept, which was rendered into i Thánh ng, Chi
said the ST was translated because it was a placename and almost
all place names were translated in the book. “As I read [the book],
I understood the position or thing implied by the proper name”, she
said when being asked about how such translation was
produced.
For the treatment of Copy accompanied with footnotes (see Table
4.9), Chi emphasized that the footnotes did not serve as the
definitions of the proper names, but they only implied the
positions people held in the book. In terms of the reasons to
remain the proper names as the originals, two justifications were
mentioned. The first one seemed to be vague and unspecific as she
stated: “Copying [the proper names] was a tactful treatment, and I
was afraid that a translation would not sound good”. Another reason
is that the proper names could differentiate the class between
people. To illustrate, Chi noted the case of Septa, which was a
title for the female clergy of the Faith of the Seven:
“Septa does not have any meaning, but it implies a nun [s in
Vietnamese] in the book. (…). However, if it was translated into s,
it would sound ungracious, because Septa accompanied with personal
names refer to people with high rank among a group of female
clergy, not just ordinary nuns. That why I copied the structure
Septa coupled with personal names.”
- Inconsistency in translation strategies
While discussing the reasons for the application of some
translation strategies, The Editor admitted that inconsistent
translation was an issue with the first book (See Table 4.14 and
Table 4.18 for cases with inconsistent translations). She cited the
indecision in choosing translating strategies as the first cause of
inconsistent translations. This indecision resulted from two root
causes, namely the lack of context and information on a number of
proper names and the sounding effect of a translation. Chi asserted
that some proper names were just mentioned one or two times in the
first book without any detailed descriptions or specific context;
thus, she “was unable to have a clear picture of it, leading to the
inconsistency”. She gave an example, which interestingly revealed
that inconsistent translations seem to be a problem not only in
Book I, but also in the whole series:
“The more I read about it [The Unsullied] in the next books, the
more I know what this organization is. The first book merely
mentioned it, but the fourth or fifth book talked about it in great
details. So it should have not been translated into thái giám,
though all soldiers in that army are castrated. In the next books,
it was translated into Hi Thanh Sch.”
The above mentioned reason, in combination with the sound effect of
a literal translation, also posed a challenge to The Editor in
choosing an appropriate translation. Chi illustrated this matter
with the following examples:
“At first, we were wondering whether to translate or copy some
proper names because several translations may sound unpleasing. For
instance, the literal translation of the island named Fingers was
Nhng ngón tay, which sounded very awkward, but no Sino-Vietnamese
word could be used to translate it.”
“I was worried the literal translations of these proper names
[Summer Isles, White Harbor, Bear Island] might sound unpleasing.
(…). Summer Isles was originally translated into o Mùa Hè, but the
translation was changed in the final publication [o Summer]. (…).
Now I think we should have kept the original translation because
the island was described in an entire chapter in one of the next
books. It is an island of Summer, and the description in the book
was brilliant. In that case, o Summer would be an unclear
translation (…).”
The second justification for inconsistent translations, according
to Chi, was the fact that a number of proper names were missed in
the editing process. Indecision in choosing translating strategies
might cause one ST to have two different translations, but such
cases were subjected to correction in editing. However, Chi
acknowledged that some proper names might have been left out in
that process, resulting in inconsistency in the final
publication.
4.3. Implications
The findings in this study reveal a number of strategies and
techniques that translators can apply when dealing with proper
names in fantasy literature.
Initially, proper names with no descriptive meanings should be
reproduced from the originals. This strategy will preserve the
strangeness and exoticness of these items, emphasizing the
different features or origins of the name-bearers. With regard to
world building in fantasy, since many of these proper names do not
belong to the ST culture, but rather the “book culture”, the
reproduction of them may help stimulate a better sense of the new
world created by the author.
In addition, for proper names having descriptive meanings,
translators should attempt to convey these meanings fully and
faithfully in the TT. However, if a literal translation causes
unnaturalness in sounding and flow of the text, translators can
utilize Sino-Vietnamese words to produce a better sounding
translation. Another solution is to replace the ST item by a
different proper name, but it is necessary that the alternative is
based on the characteristics of the name’s bearer or the original
item itself.
The studied case also shows two possible procedures that
translators can adopt to render proper names coined by fantasy
writers. They can recreate the invented term by choosing a TT that
produces the same effects, and the TT can be formed after
translators consider the origins, features or functions of the ST
proper name. For example, a coined title can be recreated based on
the duties and responsibilities performed by the person holding
that title. The other option in translating coined proper names is
to transfer them without any modifications and provide further
explanation in the form of footnotes to facilitate readers’
understanding.
Finally, inconsistency in applying translation strategies appears
problematic in fantasy. The subject of this study has shown several
cases in which an ST was translated into two translations, or two
different ST were given the same translation. Since proper names in
fantasy work with multiple volumes like Game of Thrones can have a
long-term impact, this issue of inconsistency should be avoided to
prevent irritation and ambiguousness among readers. As a result,
consistency in the translation of proper names should be given
careful attention in the process of proofreading and editing
fantasy novels.
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
This final chapter summarizes and assesses the results of the
study, pinpoints the existing limitations and offers
recommendations for further research on proper names in fantasy
literature.
5.1. Summary of findings
Through studying 697 proper names and their Vietnamese
translations, the researcher has identified strategies used to
translate proper names in Book I of the Game of Thrones series. On
the whole, seven out of ten strategies proposed by Fernandes (2006)
were employed, namely Rendition, Copy, Substitution, Recreation,
Deletion, Addition, and Transposition. The combination of these
strategies was also utilized, in which the couplet of Rendition and
Copy was the most common. With regard to each group of proper names
(Proper names of people, Proper names of places, Other proper
names), several translation patterns and tendencies were
determined.
Firstly, analysis of proper names for people revealed that there
were four major translation patterns in this category. While Copy
was used for all personal names, epithets were mainly treated with
the combination of Rendition and Copy, and Rendition was the most
common procedure for nicknames. Titles were translated by three
main strategies (Copy, Rendition + Copy, Rendition + Deletion), and
the use of footnotes was a noticeable solution for imaginative
titles.
Secondly, the most adopted procedures for proper names of places
were Rendition, Copy, and the couplet of Rendition and Copy. While
Rendition was the chosen strategy for locations with descriptive
and meaningful names, Copy was mostly applied for places with no
descriptive meanings. Place names comprising two parts, one with a
Vietnamese equivalent and the other is an untranslatable element,
are treated with the combination of Rendition and Copy.
Lastly, other proper names found in the sampling contain four
subcategories, namely proper names of a group of people (clans,
organizations, dynasties, and noble houses), proper names of
animals, and proper names of events, objects, and languages. For
this group of proper names, Rendition and Copy were the two
dominant strategies.
5.2. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further
research
Despite careful preparation and considerable efforts, the
researcher is aware of the limitations and shortcomings of this
study.
Initially, owing to time and expertise constraint, only proper
names in the Book I of the Game of Thrones series were collected.
If proper names in the whole series were studied, more extensive
and insightful results could have been attained. In addition, since
this research was a case study on the Game of Thrones series, it
did not aim for any generalization. Future researchers, however, if
aim to deliver a better and more intensive picture on procedures
and strategies used to translate proper names in fantasy, can
expand their sampling scales.