UNIT 1 MEMORY
Language to focus: Culture and Language
INTRODUCTION TO MEMORY
Questions to consider: Why does an interpreter need memory?
A. Types of memory:
Short-term memory (STM)
- used for sentence-by-sentence interpreting (dialogue, conversation)
- working in a straightforward manner
- items in STM decay quickly
Long-term memory (LTM)
- primary function for the interpreter because all items stored have passed through
STM
- working as an active database providing the interpreter with information,
knowledge, helpful for the first step of interpreting process: understanding
- help the interpreter accumulate more information, knowledge in this database
B. Stages of memory
- Encoding: putting something in the memory, through either a visual or acoustic code (in a
way that one can understand)
- Storage: maintaining something in the memory (usually with limit to capacity called
memory span)
- Retrieval: recovering something the memory, operating through sequentiality, hampered
by interference from other thoughts, involving displacement sometimes (when too much
information presented at the same time; new ideas displace the previous one and the
interpreter can end up interpreting only what is said at the end → Don’t let the party talk too
much, especially in sentence-by-sentence mode without note-taking)
C. Causes of memory failure
- Interference : audio, visual, mental
- Displacement
- Emotional factors (stress, anxiety, pressure)
D.Memory techniques
- Using semantic categorization – Giving it meaning!
- Visualization – Have a picture in your mind!
- Attention to key words
- Expanding knowledge base – Use knowledge!
Practice: Listen to the following short talks, use different techniques to remember the
information and do the interpretation.
1. Handshaking: In Brazil, when people meet, they shake hands. The handshake often lasts
a long time. People shake hands when they say ‘hello’ and they say ‘goodbye’. It’s
important to have eye contact with the person when you shake hands. Also, it’s
important to shake the hand of everyone in a room. In Brazil touching other people is OK.
People touch other people’s arms, elbows, and backs. Also, it’s OK to interrupt during a
conversation. It shows that you’re interested.
2. Valentine’s Day: On 14th February, St. Valentine’s Day, a lot of people send a card to the
one they love or someone whom they have fallen in love with. People usually do not sign
these cards and a lot time is spent trying to guess who has sent them.
3. CHRISTMAS: 25th December is the most important festival of the year. It combines the
Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter. On the
Sunday before Christmas, many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are
sung. Sometimes you can hear a carol singers singing on the streets as they collect money
for charity. Most families decorate their houses with coloured Christmas decorations and
they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room, glittering with coloured
lights and decorations. People put their gifts at the bottom of the Christmas tree.
PRE-INTERPRETING
Study the following words and phrases, and find the Vietnamese equivalents to them.
-proper manners -connected with ghosts
-discourage eye contact -dress up in strange costumes
-rude behavior -witches
-cut horrible faces in pumpkins
-disrespect
-a bucket of water
-Christmas decorations -dressed in white sheets
-wrap up their gifts -“trick” or “treat”
-a big turkey dinner -spilling flour on your front doorstep
-Christmas pudding -fancy dress parties
-delivers her traditional Christmas message -horror of the supernatural
-the United Kingdom and the -Gothic Rock bands
-go trick or treating
Commonwealth
-Halloween lanterns
-a hot mince pie -apple harvest
-Boxing Day -keeps evils away
-Vaupes River in South America -a spirit
-Vaupes River Indians -Day of the Death
-First foot -graveyard
-holy evening
1.1 ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE INTERPRETING
Listen to the following pieces of talks about cultural issues. Before you listen, discuss
the idea for each talk using the words and phrases given. Use memorizing techniques
to rephrase the ideas of the talk, and then interpret into Vietnamese.
1.1.1 CULTURAL DIFFERENCE
- to be considered normal/ strange or
unacceptable
- western cultures / eastern cultures
- eye contact
- proper manners
- to discourage eye contact
- to be viewed as rude behavior
- disrespect
1.1.2 NEW YEAR DAY
a. Karen: - soft bread
- not so much New Year day - coal for warmth
- the evening before, New Year Eve -to make sure everything was special and
- the cleaning ready
- the bell - to let the New Year in
- the first foot - bring new luck
b. John:
- Chinese New Year
- a special calendar
- follow the moon
- has a special meaning
- Chinese mushrooms, delicious
sweets
- little red envelopes of money
1.1.3 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES
- The Chirstmas season - the Queen on television
- Christmas decorations - delivers her traditional Christmas message
- Christmas cards and gifts - the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth
- to decorate their houses - have room for even more food
- traditions connected with - Christmas cake /a hot mince pie
Christmas - a public holiday - Boxing Day
- the giving of presents
- wrap up their gifts
- leave a long sock or stocking
- Father Christmas
- the chimney
- presents, fruits and nuts
- a big turkey dinner
- Christmas pudding
1.1.4 HALLOWEEN
a. - holy evening
- connected with ghosts
- dress up in strange costumes
- pretend they are witches
- cut horrible faces in pumpkins
- put a candle inside
- shines through the eyes.
- difficult games
- eat an apple from a bucket of water
- dressed in white sheets
- knock on doors at Halloween
- a “trick” or “treat”
- play a trick on you
- making a lot of noise
- spilling flour on your front doorstep
b.
- fancy dress parties - wear scary costumes
- the theme of this party - Halloween lanterns with candles
- horror of the supernatural inside
- Restaurants and pubs / special - the apple harvest
events - different beliefs about Halloween
- the Halloween theme - keeps evils away
- horror films - the candle goes out suddenly
- Gothic Rock bands - a spirit
- “go trick or treating” - see and talk to
- a festival called the Day of the Death
- go to the local graveyard
1.1.5 MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE
- to learn and use more than one
language
- some parts of the USA (like Florida)
- speak Spanish as their mother
tongue
- the world’s best language learners
- the Vaupes River Indians
- South America
- the Amazon
- completely different languages
- Tukano
- have in common
- teenagers and adults
1.1.6 JAPANESE TRADITIONAL THEATRE
- Japanese traditional theatres
- Nok, Kabuki and Bunraku
- dating back to the 14th century
- the higher social classes
- Gods/ warriors/ supernatural beings
- the leading characters
- masks
- a very monotonous way - the wooden stage
- a chorus - a roof supported by four columns
- traditional drums and flutest - a single pine tree as scenery
- has a large cast - elaborate and exaggerated
- the origin goes back to - several gadgets like revolving sets
- popular culture and trapped doors
- ordinary people - the Kabuki stage
- acted in Kabuki plays - footbridge, the hanamichi
- the make-up - dramatic entrances and exits
- traditional Japanese puppet theatre
- has its orgin in the Edo period
- emotional conflicts
- to commit suicide
- manipulated by three people
- the puppeteer
- traditional formal dress
- assistants
- an instrument called a samisen
1.2 VIETNAMESE – ENGLISH INTERPRETING
Listen to the following pieces of news in Vietnamese. Rephrase the news in your own
words using your memory, and then do the interpretation into English.
1.2.1 Tối 5/10 tại Nhà hát lớn Hà nội diễn ra lễ khai mạc Những Ngày Văn hóa Nga tại Việt
Nam. Đây là dịp để khán giả Việt Nam có cơ hội thưởng thức các giá trị văn hóa Nga vốn
rất đặc sắc, phong phú mà cũng gần gũi với người Việt Nam. Sự kiện này cũng là minh
chứng cho thấy hai dân tộc luôn quan tâm đến văn hóa của nhau.
(http:/m.baomoi.com/ 06/10/2017)
Russian Culture Days Russian cultural values
1.2.2 Một số hoạt động đáng chú ý trong sự kiện này bao gồm triển lãm với chủ đề Thiên
nhiên miền bắc nước Nga, và chương trình hòa nhạc của các nghệ sĩ thính phòng nổi
tiếng. Những Ngày Văn hóa Nga tại Việt Nam sẽ diễn ra tại Hà nội và thành phố Hồ Chí
Minh từ ngày 5 đến ngày 10/10.
Displays/ exhibitions Nature in Northern Russia
Opera singer
1.2.3 Lễ hội hoa anh đào là lễ hội truyền thống của Nhật Bản với tên gọi hanami thường
diễn ra vào cuối tháng 3 hàng năm. Đây là một trong những lễ hội lâu đời nhất ở Nhật và
là một nét đẹp không thể thiếu trong văn hóa của người Nhật. Hanami trong tiếng Nhật
có nghĩa là ngắm, thưởng lãm hoa. Hoa anh đào là quốc hoa của đất nước mặt trời mọc
tượng trưng cho sự thanh khiết, mong manh.
(Wikipedia)
peach blossom festival flower viewing
national flower putiry and impermanence of beauty
1.2.4 Đã thành thông lệ, sáng ngày 2/9 hàng năm, sông Hương đoạn chảy qua thành phố
Huế lại trở nên nhộn nhịp với Hội đua thuyền truyền thống chào mừng ngày Tết Độc
lập của dân tộc. Năm nay, Hội đua thuyền truyền thống tỉnh Thừa Thiên Huế lần thứ 29
diễn ra sôi nổi với sự cổ vũ nhiệt tình của hành ngàn khán giả. Hội đua thuyền trên sông
Hương đã trở thành một nét đẹp văn hóa độc đáo từ bao đời nay của người dân vùng
sông nước, đem lại niềm vui trong dịp Quốc khánh hàng năm.
(http://vtv.vn/vtv8/soi-noi-hoi-dua-thuyen-truyen-thong-tren-song-huong-tp-hue-
20170902103052964.htm)
Traditional Boat Racing Festival to celebrate the Independence Day
enthusiastic cheering/ encouragement unique cultural feature/ cultural
uniqueness
1.2.5. Lễ hội ẩm thực Châu Á 2018 lần đầu tiên sẽ được tổ chức tại Việt Nam tại Hà Nội và
Quảng Ninh trong tháng 4 năm 2018. Trong các ngày diễn ra lễ hội, sẽ có khoảng 100 gian
hàng giới thiệu các món ngon nổi tiếng của các quốc gia như Nhật, Hàn Quốc, Singgapore,
Myanmar, Champuchia, Lào . Bên cạn đó, còn có các màn biểu diễn nấu ăn của các đầu
bếp và các chương trình biểu diễn nghệ thuật của Việt Nam và các nước châu Á.
(http://dantri.com.vn
12/04/2018)
Asian Food and Culture Festival 2018 food stalls
cooking demonstrations art performances
FURTHER PRACTICE
- Search for more practice of listening and interpreting from the following website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/10120
9_6min_tea_page.shtml
- Practise interpreting the talk on The Meaning of Colour from Huong Dan Ky Thuat Phien
Dich Anh-Viet, Viet-Anh (2007) by Nguyen Quoc Hung, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House.
