L ANGUAGE AND M EAT : P ROBLEMS IN T RANSLATING P OETRY Martha Lincoln COTSEAL Conference University of Wisconsin-Madison 7/17/2009

N GÔN NG V À TH T ( L ĨNH Đ INH CHICH KHOAI, 2007 ) Ngôn ng xut phát t tht. Không tht, không ngôn ng. Điêu này quá hin nhiên. Nhng t như bùi, dai hay rn chc, chng hn, Đu vô nghĩa nu không có phn mm có th, Bc xương. Nhng t như cht, cao ráo, đp, Hc hác, đ hay đã chưa? Hơn na, Ngôn ng bình dân luôn luôn đy p tht: Mày đng xuyên tc tht tao, mày! Tht em như vy mà nó không ưa! Tht má mày là tht ch chiu!

L ANGUAGE AND F LESH ( VERSION 1) Ngôn ng xu t phát t th t. Không th t, không ngôn ng.. Đi u này quá hi n nhiên. Nh ng t nh ư bùi, dai hay r n ch c, ch ng h n, Đ u vô nghĩa n u không có ph n m m có th, B c x ươ ng. Nh ng t nh ư ch t, cao ráo, đ p, H c hác, đ hay đ ã ch ư a? H ơ n n a, Ngôn ng bình dân luôn luôn đ y p th t: Mày đ ng xuyên t c th t tao, mày! Th t em nh ư v y mà nó không ư a! Th t má mày là th t ch chi u! Language is emanated from meat. No meat, no language. This fact is so obvious. Some words are buttery tasting, tough, or sinewy, for example, Their meanings dont have software (?) and sinews, A bundle of bones. Words like dead, high and dry, beautiful, Exhausted, born or ready yet? Moreover, Peoples language is always full of meat: Hey you, dont go carving up on my meat! My meat is like that, and he doesnt even like it! Your mothers meat is from the afternoon market. Suspicious areas underlined

TRANSLATION PROBLEM 1: D ECODE /R ECODE Most basically, translation = understanding (decoding) and restating (recoding). Question: What is the propositional content of a statement? Goal: Functional equivalency in meaning Approach: Word by word/phrase by phrase. Example: Traduire est trahir = to translate / is / to betray.

T RANSLATION P ROBLEM 2: F ORM (A R OUGH G UIDE TO V IETNAMESE ) 1) Cô y bit nói ting Pháp. She know speak language French. She knows how to speak French. Khách sn y tt. Hotel that good. That hotel is good.

T RANSLATION P ROBLEM 3: C ONNOTATION Tht em như vy mà nó không ưa! My meat is as such, and he doesnt even like it! (An observation.) Describing something as như vy = as such, or like that, implies Something is so good, and yet no one cares for it, uses it, etc. Retranslation: My meat is so good, and he doesnt even like it. (A complaint.)

T RANSLATION P ROBLEM 4: T HE ( NEARLY ) UNTRANSLATABLE Mày đng xuyên tc tht tao, mày! There is no English equivalent for these pronouns, which index 1) an unequal status relationship between speaker and listener; and/or 2) an intimate or pejorative disposition on the part of the speaker. Roughly: Hey you, dont go slandering my meat!

T RANSLATION P ROBLEM 5: M EANING Tht má mày là tht ch chiu! meat mother you to be meat market afternoon!

L ANGUAGE AND F LESH (F INAL VERSION ) Ngôn ng xu t phát t th t. Không th t, không ngôn ng.. Đi u này quá hi n nhiên. Nh ng t nh ư bùi, dai hay r n ch c, ch ng h n, Đ u vô nghĩa n u không có ph n m m có th, B c x ươ ng. Nh ng t nh ư ch t, cao ráo, đ p, H c hác, đ hay đ ã ch ư a? H ơ n n a, Ngôn ng bình dân luôn luôn đ y p th t: Mày đ ng xuyên t c th t tao, mày! Th t em nh ư v y mà nó không ư a! Th t má mày là th t ch chi u! Language comes from flesh. No flesh, no language. This fact is so obvious. Words are nutty, chewy or firm: They are all meaningless if they dont have the soft part containing sinews, Covering bones. Words like dead, dapper, beautiful, Haggard, born or satisfied yet? Moreover, Earthy language is always full of flesh: Hey you, dont go slandering my meat! Such is my meat, and he doesnt like it! Your mothers flesh is meat from the end of the day.