Did you guys know that I've done a lot of translation work in Vietnam?
Since my students all know that I speak Vietnamese,
they often ask me to translate Vietnamese words into English.
Sometimes, they ask me about really easy words that I know off the top of my head.
Teacher, what's "cơm" (cooked rice)?
What's "gạo" (uncooked rice).
What's "lúa" (rice on the stalk)?
Sometimes, they ask me about really strange words that I've never heard before.
Teacher, what's "ngoằn ngoèo?"
And some other times, they ask me about some complicated word in Vietnamese:
Teacher, what's "nông nghiệp bền vững?"
And when I answer,
they act all confused, because a word that's complicated in Vietnamse is, you know,
complicated in English, too.
And one final situation is when students ask me about a Vietnamese word that I've known for a long time,
and which I understand very precisely,
but which I feel like I still can't translate into English.
What I mean is that if I translated that word into English according to its exact meaning,
then it would be completely unnatural.
And if I translated according to natural English style,
then an important nuance of the Vietnamese word would be lost.
What's a guy to do?
I'd like to show you guys a few of these words
so that you guys can learn more about English,
and about Vietnamese, too.
Lots of people have asked me what "phượt" is in English.
I don't know!
Even though I've "phượt-ed" in Hà Giang, Bắc Kạn, Tây Nguyên, and Khánh Hoà,
I still don't know how to say "đi phượt" in English.
"Đi phượt" is an adventurous trip by motorbike,
where you eat and sleep on the cheap,
maybe you don't have a fixed schedule,
and the trip isn't super organized.
So how do you say that in English?
No, no one says that.
No, "trekking" means hiking in the mountains.
No. If you say that, people picture a really long trip on a bike that's big and expensive.
If I had plans to "đi phượt," and I wanted to let my mom know —
Mom, I'm gonna go "phượt-ing" with my friends—
I'd say:
Not very exact, is it?
Nevertheless, I don't think there's any better way to say it.
Let's define the word "bánh," okay?
Let's take a look at a few examples, first.
This is "bánh."
And this, too, is "bánh."
So . . . what's "bánh?"
It's a kind of food made from flour or grains that are kneaded together into a new shape, and then cooked.
And if we want to say "bánh" in English?
No.
I find it very funny when Vietnamese people use "cake" for every kind of "bánh."
In English, "cake" is just "bánh ga-tô" and varieties similar to it,
so this thing is cake,
but this one most certainly is not.
The fact is that "bánh" is a type of food that simply doesn't exist in English.
From the perspective of native speakers,
these two types of "bánh" are two completely different things.
To sum up, don't try to translate "bánh cuốn" as "rolled cake,"
or "bánh gối" as "pillow cake."
Translating like that doesn't help native speakers understand what you're talking about.
When speaking English, go ahead and call every kind of "bánh" by its Vietnamese name,
and if the other person doesn't know what "bánh cuốn" or "bánh gối" is, then show them some pictures,
or better yet, show them first-hand.
I only encounter the word "tệ nạn" in the phrase "tệ nạn xã hội,"
and my students always want to translate that phrase as "social evils.
No. Although that's a very exact way of translating "tẹ nạn xã hội,"
no one says "social evils."
It's an extremely old-sounding phrase, like a communist politican's rhetoric in the early 20th century.
For a lot of "tệ nạn xã hội," like prostitution, drug trafficking, and violence,
we could just use the word "crimes."
But "crimes" can't entirely replace "tệ nạn xã hội."
For example, you guys would agree that alcoholism is a type of "tệ nạn xã hội," right?
But selling and drinking alcohol isn't illegal, so it's not a crime.
We might call alcoholism a type of social problem, but that phrase can't replace "tệ nạn xã hội", either.
For example, below-standard education in poor areas is another type of social problem,
but it's not a "tệ nạn xã hội."
So when you guys want to say "tệ nạn xã hội" in English, what should you say?
I don't know. You guys have just got to find a different way of expressing it.
I know what "đa tình" means.
It describes someone who . . . has a lot of "affection."
That is, someone who easily has feelings for others, and is easily attracted to others.
One time my girlfriend called me "đa tình."
But I truly don't know how to say "đa tình" in English.
This dictionary translates it as "sentimental."
No, that word means "maudlin."
Or "amorous."
No, that's another old word. Even a lot of native speakers don't know what it means.
So what should we say?
No, that describes people who flirt a lot, but it doesn't really mean they often have feelings for others.
No. Too long, and not natural.
No, that's a bit too strong.
I'm stumped.
Do you think the reason Vietnamese has the word "đa tình" and English doesn't
is just that Vietnam has more "đa tình" people?
As I understand, "thương" means something like "love," but carries an additional quality with it.
"Thương" doesn't just mean you love someone,
but that you want to care for them and protect them,
and want them to be happy and healthy forever and ever!
So how should we say it in English?
No, not detailed enough.
This dictionary translates "thương" as "to love tenderly."
"Anh thương em."
Too cheesy to stand.
Maybe we native speakers ought to adopt "thương" into English.
We've already adopted lots of foreign words,
such as "noodle" from German,
"novel" from Italian.
and "tycoon" from Japanese.
Why not adopt "thương" from Vietnamese, too?
I think we got it!
No need to translate anymore.
I still laughed.
Do it again, do it again.