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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.