English
Tiếng Việt
The Word “STRATEGY” and Its Vietnamese Equivalents
Posted date 06/10/2016
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Posted date 06/10/2016
20.717 view
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When learning English, we Vietnamese, especially in the early stages of learning, cannot avoid translating words and phrases from English to Vietnamese. And to learn or check the meaning of words, of course, learners cannot avoid using an English-Vietnamese dictionary.
I. Problem statement .png)
When learning English, we Vietnamese, especially in the early stages of learning, cannot avoid translating words and phrases from English to Vietnamese. And to learn or check the meaning of words, of course, learners cannot help but use an English-Vietnamese dictionary. For the word strategy , in the English-Vietnamese Dictionary published by the Institute of Linguistics in 1993, this word has 3 meanings: 1/ (art) planning and commanding an operation in war or campaign, strategy, 2/ (talent) planning or managing a business, running a good job; 3/ Plan or policy for a certain purpose, strategy (p.1694). In the Vietnamese-English Dictionary of the Institute of Linguistics (2007, p.213), the English word with the equivalent meaning of strategy is strategy and strategy seems to not be used in any other entry. In other words, in those two dictionaries, strategy almost only means strategy. However, in reality, while learning and translating English, we encounter many phrases with the word strategy , for example: the strategy to win a game, reading strategies , cooking strategy, babysitting strategies , etc. Learners feel confused, not knowing how to understand and translate the meaning of those phrases into Vietnamese correctly. Because, we Vietnamese certainly do not say, for example, * cooking strategy or *babysitting strategies..png)
II. The word strategy in English and its equivalent meaning in Vietnamese
The Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners (2010, p.1742) explains the meaning of the word strategy : 1) a planned series of actions for achieving something, 2) the skill of planning the movements of armies in a war, 3) skillful planning.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (1995, p.1179), strategy has two meanings: 1.a) a plan designed for a particular purpose, b) the process of planning something or carrying out a plan in a skilful way, 2) the art of planning and directing military activity in a battle or war.
Through the two English-English dictionaries mentioned above, we can see that the main meaning of the word strategy is plan or planning .
However, in the Longman Dictionary of the English Language (1988, p.1481) , strategy has several meanings: 1a1) the science and art of employing all the resources of a nation or group of nations to carry out agreed policies in peace or war, 2) the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under dangerous conditions > tactics, b) a variety of or instance of the use of strategy, 2a) a careful plan or method, b) the art of devising or employing plans towards achieving a goal. Thus, in this dictionary, the word strategy has the second meaning of method (2a). This meaning is reaffirmed, because the word plan, also in this dictionary, is defined as : a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that have been considered carefully and in detail (p.1321). Thus, it can be inferred that the second meaning (2a) of strategy is basically the same as the meaning explained by the word way in the Thesaurus entry (p.1100) of the Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners published in 2010 ( way: a set of actions that you use in order to do something).
Furthermore, Roget's International Thesaurus edited by Robert L. Chapman (1992, p.304) entry 382 when talking about the word plan , indicates that plan can be synonymous with method, way or procedure. In particular, also in the Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners (2010, p.1742), in the thesaurus entry of 8 synonyms, strategy is compared with method, way, means, approach, technique, tactics, mode, (p.1100), in which the word way (how to do something) is an informal word often used in everyday speech, the word mehod (method of doing something) is more formal: a way of doing something, especially one that is well-known and often used, for example: experimental method (method of experiment) and the word strategy : a set of carefully planned methods for achieving something that is difficult and may take a long time.
Through the above evidence, it can be seen that the word strategy has many meanings but some main meanings. That is:
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (1995, p.1179), strategy has two meanings: 1.a) a plan designed for a particular purpose, b) the process of planning something or carrying out a plan in a skilful way, 2) the art of planning and directing military activity in a battle or war.
Through the two English-English dictionaries mentioned above, we can see that the main meaning of the word strategy is plan or planning .
However, in the Longman Dictionary of the English Language (1988, p.1481) , strategy has several meanings: 1a1) the science and art of employing all the resources of a nation or group of nations to carry out agreed policies in peace or war, 2) the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under dangerous conditions > tactics, b) a variety of or instance of the use of strategy, 2a) a careful plan or method, b) the art of devising or employing plans towards achieving a goal. Thus, in this dictionary, the word strategy has the second meaning of method (2a). This meaning is reaffirmed, because the word plan, also in this dictionary, is defined as : a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that have been considered carefully and in detail (p.1321). Thus, it can be inferred that the second meaning (2a) of strategy is basically the same as the meaning explained by the word way in the Thesaurus entry (p.1100) of the Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners published in 2010 ( way: a set of actions that you use in order to do something).
Furthermore, Roget's International Thesaurus edited by Robert L. Chapman (1992, p.304) entry 382 when talking about the word plan , indicates that plan can be synonymous with method, way or procedure. In particular, also in the Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners (2010, p.1742), in the thesaurus entry of 8 synonyms, strategy is compared with method, way, means, approach, technique, tactics, mode, (p.1100), in which the word way (how to do something) is an informal word often used in everyday speech, the word mehod (method of doing something) is more formal: a way of doing something, especially one that is well-known and often used, for example: experimental method (method of experiment) and the word strategy : a set of carefully planned methods for achieving something that is difficult and may take a long time.
Through the above evidence, it can be seen that the word strategy has many meanings but some main meanings. That is:
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1. Is a plan that includes a series of tasks to be performed to achieve results,2. Strategy : the skill/science/art of planning to mobilize multiple resources to implement policies.
3. Way/method of doing something.
Here are some examples of the main meanings of the word strategy :
debt payoff strategies , production strategies, greeting strategies, thinking strategies , management strategies , scoring strategies , 10 strategies for making a good impression, learning strategies , 7 thinking strategies .
III. The difference in the meaning of the words strategy and method
In our opinion, when translated into Vietnamese, although strategy and method both mean method , they have some different meanings . The word method (method) refers to the method WHEN you do something, the way of doing it . For example, the communicative method, this is the method/way of learning a foreign language, WHEN you practice communication activities in different situations in a foreign language (mainly speaking or writing), you will learn that foreign language. However, strategy (method) is the method IF you want or have a plan to do something, this work is often difficult, must be carried out over a long period of time, including initial steps and final results/ plans . For example, communication strategies is the method/plan IF you want to develop communication skills, accordingly you must practice, practice a series of communication activities to achieve the goal.
In other words, method ( method ), which is practical and general, refers to a proven way of working. On the contrary, strategy ( strategy ) is a plan, specific, and may be new to the listener or reader. This is a way of doing things that is considered and guides how to do certain things in certain circumstances to achieve work goals. Accordingly, if you WANT / HAVE a PLAN to do something, you must carry out the accompanying activities, only then will you achieve results. With this meaning, the word strategy can be used in the plural form with a general meaning, or can be used with a count when it has a specific meaning ( way, technique, method, tactic, etc. ).
IV. Conclusion
Human thinking among ethnic groups is the same, but language and culture are different. Therefore, when translating English into Vietnamese (English-Vietnamese) in general and translating strategy in particular, the translator must understand the intention of the speaker or writer, and what to translate and how to translate must be based on the language and culture of the Vietnamese people, trying to translate the word the Vietnamese people use. Therefore, if strategy in English is used equivalently to the meaning of strategy in Vietnamese, then we should use that meaning. If not, depending on the specific situation, based on the mother tongue, we can flexibly use equivalent meanings: way, method, tactic, method, etc. Because the purpose of our translation is for Vietnamese people who do not know English to understand, not for Vietnamese people who know English or English people to learn Vietnamese!
References
1. Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners (2010), Pearson Education Limited, 3rd impression
2. Longman Dictionary of the English Language (1988), Longman Group, UK
3. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (1995), Oxford University Press
4. Robert L. Chapman (Ed.).(1992), Roget's International Thesaurus, HarperCollins Publishers, NY
5. Institute of Linguistics, (2007), Vietnamese-English Dictionary, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House
6. Institute of Linguistics, (2007), Vietnamese-English Dictionary, Encyclopedia Publishing House
Human thinking among ethnic groups is the same, but language and culture are different. Therefore, when translating English into Vietnamese (English-Vietnamese) in general and translating strategy in particular, the translator must understand the intention of the speaker or writer, and what to translate and how to translate must be based on the language and culture of the Vietnamese people, trying to translate the word the Vietnamese people use. Therefore, if strategy in English is used equivalently to the meaning of strategy in Vietnamese, then we should use that meaning. If not, depending on the specific situation, based on the mother tongue, we can flexibly use equivalent meanings: way, method, tactic, method, etc. Because the purpose of our translation is for Vietnamese people who do not know English to understand, not for Vietnamese people who know English or English people to learn Vietnamese!
References
1. Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners (2010), Pearson Education Limited, 3rd impression
2. Longman Dictionary of the English Language (1988), Longman Group, UK
3. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (1995), Oxford University Press
4. Robert L. Chapman (Ed.).(1992), Roget's International Thesaurus, HarperCollins Publishers, NY
5. Institute of Linguistics, (2007), Vietnamese-English Dictionary, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House
6. Institute of Linguistics, (2007), Vietnamese-English Dictionary, Encyclopedia Publishing House
Dr. Dang Ngoc Huong – Faculty of Foreign Languages
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