Background

Many of you have wondered why we ask questions before accepting an English document to be translated into Vietnamese.

To translate into any language, it is crucial to understand the heritage and language of the intended reader, as well as where he or she now lives.

To give you some insight on how we perform translations and why we ask, before accepting a project, let me explain some recent Vietnamese history and how that affects the translation of documents.

The Vietnam War spanning three decades from 1945 to 1975 was a bloody, tragic and controversial conflict, involving people from North Vietnam to South Vietnam and its ally the United States. Regardless of the political division, at the conclusion of the war in April of 1975 with the capture of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, many indelible scars remained. The South collapsed providing free reign for the North to unite the country but leaving thankfully, its spirit intact.

Since 1975, Vietnam has gone through dramatic transformations including in social, cultural, linguistic and monetary areas...
As with any change, some are perceived to be positive and some, negative.

In the area of language, the grammar, vocabulary, semantic... were changed/altered as new vocabulary and idioms are introduced.
A large number of words and objects are pronounced and written differently since the unification of 1975. Some people call it the “communist” language.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese people who have immigrated in other countries around the world still speak the Vietnamese language used prior to 1975. It is referred to as the “freedom” language.

Vietnamese living in the States (and abroad) has very strong feelings against the government in Vietnam. They reject the new language, feeling that it was intentionally and randomly changed in an attempt to destroy their history and culture...

So: "Why two languages...?"
The answer lies in the history of America itself: English and Irish people came to America 500 years ago, and spoke an older English. Over the generations, the language gradually became American (English) and new waves of English and Irish people keep immigrate to America, but they never look back, adopt the language of their new country and speak American.

The bottom line

The language and terminology should be different for a document used by Vietnamese living in Vietnam or abroad.

A company could miss out on a substantial market both in Vietnam and around the world, if they are not to appear sensitive to differences in the current languages used by Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese living outside of Vietnam (mostly in the States, Europe and Australia) would potentially reject a marketing campaign that contained an abundance of “communist” Vietnamese terms. On the other hand, a document containing “freedom” Vietnamese terms would be difficult to understand for Vietnamese currently living in Vietnam, especially for those born after the unification of 1975.

If you have an English document targeted for a specific market, you might want to consider using its own semantics to accomodate your reader.

You might also want to consider the services of a Vietnamese linguist living abroad (outside of Vietnam), because he or she would be better positioned to understand the problem on both sides, while a person living inside Vietnam might NOT be aware of this situation, thus not able to handle translation project(s) for U.S. readers.

Finally and most importantly, a translated document should be edited and/or reviewed by a person who could understand the specific market. If you ever require back-translation, your linguist should also have similar skill and knowledge (see "Back Translation Revisited" by Richard S. Paegelow.)

Conclusion

We have neutral stand with regards to the unification process that has been evolving since 1975. We frequently travel to Vietnam to ensure that our knowledge of the language and other technical skills are current, with the ever-changing environment within our country.

We are capable of translating for the Vietnamese market in the States as well as in Vietnam. We accurately translate a major product to its intended readers without the risk of offending them.

Should you have any other questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call us.
Please, feel free to forward this note to your end-customers.


        H a i . L e m i n h

(Note: This letter was written back in January 05, 1998 to Translation Companies, shortly after President Clinton signed a Trade Agreement with Vietnam. As trade and travel between the two countries accelerate and communication improves, the language barrier might lessen.)