TRANSLATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J. K. Rowling, chapter 1

Harry Potter is a childrens book series of immense worldwide popularity, and it has also become
a household name in Vietnam through the work of translator L Lan. The books success in
Vietnam depended a great deal on the translators ability to preserve the original content and
style, while adjusting it for the target culture and readership. In this essay, from the viewpoint of
a reader and translation major, I intend to assess L Lans translation of the first chapter of the
first book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone on its coherence with the source text,
connection with the target culture and certain translation issues. The very first chapter has been
chosen as it roughly represents the translation style of the rest of the book, and plays an
important part in readers first impressions of the entire story.
First of all, I feel that L Lan has succeeded in transferring aspects of the novel across languages.
The translated content follows the original quite closely, keeping main ideas and developments
as well as most details intact. Thus, Vietnamese readers will not miss out on the story or major
features of the Harry Potter world. Comprehensibility, naturalness and clarity of expression are
also maintained.
Most notable, however, is the stylistic equivalence between the translation and original. L Lans
smart choice of words has allowed her to reproduce the storytelling style, feelings and impacts
intended by J. K. Rowling. For a start, she has retained the novels comical tone, which is visible
from the opening paragraph. Readers are addressed as b con, a creative translation from the
neutral English you, setting a friendly, informal atmosphere. This is followed by expressive,
exaggerated word choices such as v i for very large, m nhom for thin, and wordplay
exclusive to the translation such as ci b mt b ai bt m. Whats more, the translation is
able to deliver the authors implications about the characters being introduced. The Dursleys, for
example, appear through Rowlings storytelling not just as any normal English family, but quite
an obnoxious and haughty one. In chapter 1, to strengthen this impression, L Lan translated the
same phrase small boy as qu t for Dudley Dursley, and a con trai nh for Harry
Potter. The word qu t bears a sarcastic implication that the Dursleys dote on their child to
the point of spoiling him, whereas a con trai nh is more neutral, possibly even evoking
endearment. In this way, the translators wording and tone allow readers to notice different
character traits, thereby conveying the authors intention.
As a northern Vietnamese reader, I would also like to note from a personal perspective that L
Lans southern dialect seems to fit the novels style quite well. Not only does the dialect carry
humor and charm the characteristic tone of Harry Potter but it also creates a sense of
strangeness for non-speakers. To some extent, this matches the eccentricity of the British people

and particularly of the wizard community in the book. Altogether, the translations dialect
presents a unique, peculiar and comical atmosphere that stands out and appeals to readers in a
very specific manner. Overall, this is a hugely successful delivery of the original novels content
and style.
A second noteworthy feature of Harry Potters Vietnamese version is that it has been tailored for
the target culture and readership. Various strategies were used to translate elements that are
unfamiliar to readers from the Vietnamese culture. British geographical names, for instance, were
omitted and generalized in translating a news report, from Viewers as far apart as Kent,
Yorkshire, and Dundee into Nhiu quan st vin cc vng khc nhau. In a more recent
translation, these foreign names may be transferred to the target text as modern-day Vietnamese
people are accustomed to similar cases. However, this book was translated in 2000, when
globalization was not as strong, Vietnam had less access to Western cultures and the
naturalization of foreign words was a tendency. Considering these factors, L Lans choice to
generalize these geographical names reduced the strain of unfamiliar cultural elements on
contemporary Vietnamese readers while hardly affecting the translations content. The inclusion
of less recognized items in the translation was also avoided by reproducing the meaning without
the form. In an example, she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair, the high chair is
a type of chair designed for feeding young children, commonly used in Western countries but not
in Vietnam, especially around the early 2000s. Rather than explaining the term, L Lan rewrote
the phrase as vt ln vi cu qu t Dudley ang go khc vng vy, khng chu ngi n sng
t t. Despite the difference in form of expression, the scenario evoked by this translation is
both close to the original and immediately understandable by the target reader. It is easier for a
Vietnamese reader to relate to children not sitting still during meals than imagining an item
hardly associated with their practices. Thus, this is another instance of bridging the cultural gap
between the original and the translation.
Regarding the translations consideration for target readers, it is also important to note that the
Harry Potter novels are aimed mainly at a younger readership. The aforementioned strategies of
processing foreign elements play a role in supporting these young readers, as a more naturalized
translation demands less cultural knowledge. Additionally, in this chapter, the translator has
broken down certain parts into smaller ideas. For instance, the original describes Mr. Dursleys
trip to work and day at work in three paragraphs, but the translation reorganizes the ideas into
seven paragraphs. This new division with reduced paragraph length is relatively easier to read,
more appealing and appropriate for young readers, once again illustrating the translations
attention to target readership.
On the other hand, there remain certain errors in the Vietnamese version of this Harry Potter
chapter that can lead to information misrepresentation or confusion. Misunderstanding of the
source text is one case, as can be seen from the following part: A fine thing it would be if, on
the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us
all. This sentence carries a sarcastic meaning, criticizing wizards who celebrate too loudly and

risk being discovered by ordinary people (Muggles) right after the disappearance of the Dark
Lord (You-Know-Who). However, when translated as Gi m khi K-M-Ai-Cng-Bit-L-Aiy bin i hn, ngi Muggle mi pht hin ra chng ta th hay bit my, the tone of the
sentence becomes positive and expectant, as if being discovered by Muggles was desirable. This
may lead to readers confusion or miscomprehension of the intended meaning. Another
questionable case involves mistranslation: Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to do
with...you know...her crowd. Her crowd, or Lily Potters crowd in this context, refers to wizards
and witches in general. Translating her crowd as d n, indicating Lily Potter only, clearly
changes the implication of the possible person behind the incident. A second issue lies in the
word d n, a familiar Vietnamese way of addressing a sister-in-law. Although the use of this
word creates cultural naturalness, considering the Dursleys resentment of the Potters and refusal
to acknowledge them as relatives, this is perhaps too intimate a term. It does not correctly reflect
the relationship between the characters. Such mistranslations, along with others throughout the
translation, may affect reader comprehension of details, though not significant ones.
As this is the first chapter of not only the book but also the entire series, a third problem related
to terminology arises from the translation. Specifically, translation of proper names or terms
invented by the author, which will make recurring appearances later in the series, is not
satisfactory due to an initial lack of context. For example, L Lan used ci tt-la for the term
Put-Outer in chapter 1, but used different phrases such as bt tt la or tt sng in later
books. This inconsistency may confuse readers and is generally inadvisable regarding
terminology. Another case is the name Sirius Black, translated as Sirius en, where the word
Black seems to be interpreted as a nickname related to the color black. However, this requires
correction as Black is the characters actual surname, as to be used in the names of other
characters from the same family. This mistake was later revised in the republished editions of the
translation.
Overall, L Lans translation of Harry Potter, as represented by chapter 1, does a commendable
job in its equivalence to the source novel in various aspects, as well as cultural and formal
adaptations for Vietnamese readers. In several parts, translation problems remain to be addressed
for a more fulfilling book in coherence with the entire translated series. Nevertheless, it can be
said that L Lans translation has successfully seized a lasting and unforgettable position in the
heart of Vietnamese readers and Harry Potter fans.

References:
Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the philosophers stone. London: Bloomsbury
Publishing.
Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter v hn ph thy [Harry Potter and the philosophers
stone]. (Ly Lan, Trans.). Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam: Tre Publishing House. (Original
work published 1997)