MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DUY TAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION

THESIS

LE THI KHANH NGOC

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUGGESTED TRANSLATION
OF CHAPTER 15 FROM THE BOOK “BORN A
CRIME” BY TREVOR NOAH, 2016

GRADUATION THESIS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND
HUMANITIES

DA NANG – May 2021


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DUY TAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION THESIS
LE THI KHANH NGOC

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUGGESTED
TRANSLATION OF CHAPTER 15 FROM THE
BOOK “BORN A CRIME” BY TREVOR NOAH, 2016
Major : English for Translation and Interpretation

Code : 701

SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI BAO YEN, M.A

DA NANG - May 2021


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


To teachers at Duy Tan university!
To my supervisor – Ms. Yen, M.A!
First of all, I would like to send the deep gratitude to all the teachers of the
Faculty of English in general and the teachers who directly taught me in particular.
Because of a huge fund of knowledge from them for the past four years. For me,
there is no success that is not associated with support or assistance by others,
whether more or less, directly or indirectly. During the time at the university, I
collected lots of knowledges related to foreign languages, especially English. All of
those things help me to be able to complete this graduation thesis.
Secondly, in order to complete this thesis, I would like to express my deep
thanks to Ms Yen – my supervisor, who has been wholeheartedly guided during my
internship and read up for my graduation paper in preparing for my graduation.
Thirdly, I also sincerely thank to all my classmates and teammates who cooperated with me for finalizing my project within the limited time.
Finally, I look forward to receiving the advices and comments from the

teachers so that I can have more conditions to complete my graduation paper.
I wish all of you good health and success!
Yours sincerely!

Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP


To the best of my knowledge, the thesis contains no material previously
published or written by other people except where the reference is made in the
thesis itself.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the
thesis or extracted in the whole or in part from a thesis by which have qualified for
or been awarded another degree or diploma.
Any source of references is cited and acknowlefged in the REFERENCES.
This thesis has not been submitted for award of any degree or diploma in any
other tertiary institution.
Da Nang, May 2021

Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

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ABSTRACT


This paper is a suggested translation of Chapter 15 from the book “Born A
Crime” by Trevor Noah who is better known as a comedian and actor. The comedic
memoir was first published in November 2016. It received mostly favorable critical
reviews, and it also became a New York Times best-seller.
First, I am going to translate the English version of chapter 15 into the
Vietnamese version. Next, I analyse complex vocabulary and structures in the
translation and come to the suggested translation version. The disadvantages in the
translation process and some essential solutions are proposed at the end of the
graduation paper. Political speeches in English and Vietnamese are a ‘fertile land’
where this study can investigate and discover the basic characteristics of argumentation
power of antithesis and stylistic features of rhetorical devices in antithesis. Based on
the analysis result of the achieved statistical information detected from the embedded
cultural elements, argumentation as well as politics, this study will (a) explain some
concepts involved, (b) point out argumentation power of antithesis and stylistic features

of rhetorical devices in antithesis in English political speeches and then in Vietnamese
political speeches (c) discover the similarities and differences of these features in
political speeches between the two languages.

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ABBREVIATIONS


SL : Source Language (English)
TL : Target Language (Vietnamese)
P
: Paragraph
P
: Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PAGE

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
In South Africa, nearly everywhere black existence itself was against the law of
the invader - white South Africans, who comprise only 5 percent of the population,
had appropriated 87 percent of the land mass to themselves, including all major
cities, permitting South African blacks, who comprise 95 percent of the total
population, only small parcels of arid soil for black "homelands," compulsory
reservations. Under the apartheid system, series of laws made it technically for
blacks to appear anywhere else at all.

Trevor Noah unlikely path from Apartheid to the desk of The Daily Show began
with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black
Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison.
In the book “Born A Crime”, Noah described Apartheid as “institutionalized
racism”. By turns alarming, sad and funny, his book provided a harrowing look,
through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid and
the country’s lurching entry into a postapartheid era in the 1990s. “Racism exists
and people are getting hurt. Just because it’s not happening to you doesn’t mean it’s
not happening”. The stories in this book was anecdotes of Trevor's from growing up
and living under the restrictive laws of Apartheid.
Since the earliest days of colonial South Africa, black people were forced to
take a European name “that white people could pronounce”. Black South Africans
really had no idea who Hitler was at this point in time, and mostly thought of him as
someone so powerful that he almost made the Allies lose their war and South
Africans wanted to seem tough, so they named their children “Hitler”. Trevor spent
this chapter to tell the story of his friend whose name was Hitler. That was the
reason why I chose chapter 15 of this book.

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1.2. Aims and Objections

1.2.1. Aims
Doing this thesis, I has reflected on my own abilities in the last 4 years of
university within support, advice and instruction of teacher and friends at Duy Tan
University. Besides, this translated version helps readers understand the content and
meaning that the original conveys. Moreover, I avoid some small mistakes and
disadvantages for my final translation.
1.2.2. Objectives
•

Improving and applying theories, skills and techniques in translation.

• Learning about foreign cultures and understanding main content of the
original text.
•

Translating from original into Vietnamese version easily and naturally.

• Analyzing difficult phrases, complex sentences and structures which easily make
misunderstand for readers.

1.3. Scope of the Study
1.3.1. The Text Features
The book Born a Crime – Stories from a South African childhood (2016) was
written by Trevor Noah in November 5th , and published in the United State by
Spieg. Until now, it had 14 published editions and became the New York Times
Bestseller. In addition to being funny, this book offers interesting facts that are
related to each chapter’s content. A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born A
Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man
as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supported to exist.
1.3.2. The Text Length

There are 3 parts within 18 chapters and 304 pages in this book. I am going
to translate the Chapter 15 called “Hitler!” with total 4800 words. This chapter talk
about the childhood of the writer – Trevor Noah and his close friends.

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1.3.4. The Text Source
The text is chapter 15 from the book “Born A Crime” by Trevor Noah,
published

in

2016.

I

got

this

book


by

accessing

to

the

web

/>
1.4. Method of the Study
- Reading (scanning and skimming) the whole document to get the key points.
- Reading the chapter to obtain details.
- Translating the language and taking notes on complicated terminologies,
phrases, and text structures.
- Discussing vocabularies, phrases, and structures with the administrator,
coworkers, and relatives, and linking to such terminologies, expressions, and
structures on the Internet.
- Finishing the text and presenting a proposed edition.

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CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1. Definition of Translation
There are many translation definitions. Here are a few theories that are
defined by some professors.
Foster (1958) said that translation is a mental activity in which a meaning of
given linguistic discourse is rendered from one language to another. It is the act of
transferring the linguistic entities from one language in to their equivalents in to
another language. Translation is an act through which the content of a text is
transfered from the source language in to the target language. The language to be
translated is called the source language (SL), whereas the language to be translated
into or arrived at is called the target language (TL).
According to Ghazala (1995), translation is generally used to refer to all the
process and methods used to convey the meaning of SL into TL.
Catford (1995) defines that translation is the replacement of textual material
in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL).

2.2. Types of Categories
Types of categories of translation may be defined in terms of extent, levels,
rank of translation. There are many methods to translate; however, my graduation
paper only used some types among them.
2.2.1 Full vs Partial Translation
Translation according to extent.
According to Catford Translation Theory:
- Full translation is the entire text is submitted to the translation process.
Every part of SL is replaced by TL text material.
Example 1: In full translation:
He is a good-looking guy.



Translated version: Anh ta trông cũng đẹp trai.
In the example above, it can clearly be recognized that the texts are fully
translated, semantically and culturally.
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- In partial translation, some part or parts of the SL text are left
untranslated: they are simply transferred to and incorporated in the TL text. In
literary translation it is not uncommon for some SL lexical items to be treated in
this way, either because they are regarded as ‘untranslatable’or for the deliberate
purpose of introducing ‘local color’ into the TL text.
Example 2: In partial translation:
I were born in Da Nang city.


Translated version: Tôi sinh ra tại thành phố Đà Nẵng.
In the translated version, there still retains the word ‘Da Nang’ because Da
Nang is the unique name of a city and cannot be found in the English dictionary.
Therefore, it should be remained when we translate.
2.2.2 Total vs Restricted Translation

In the opinion of Catford,
- Total translation: is replacement of SL grammar and lexis with consequential

replacement

of

SL

phonology/graphology

by

(non-equivalent)

TL

phonology/graphology.
Example 1: In total translation:
He kept looking at the baby, and Mama asked him to hold his little sister while
she went to get a diaper.


Translated version: Cậu ln nhìn em bé, và rồi mẹ nhờ cậu giữ cô em gái bé
nhỏ một lúc để mẹ đi lấy tã cho em.
- Restricted translation is replacement of SL textual material by equialent TL
textual material, at only one level. In restricted translation, translation is
performed only at the phonological, graphological, grammatical or lexical
level.
Example 2: In restricted translation:

In America, they eat what they can, and they can what they can’t

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Translated version: Ở Mỹ, họ ăn những gì ăn được và đóng hộp những gì

họ khơng ăn được.
2.2.3 Phonological Translation
In phonological translation, SL phonology is replaced by equivalent TL
phonology, but there are no other replacements except such grammatical or lexical
changes as may result accidentally from phinological translation.
Example: Singapore → Sing-ga-po
Paris → Pa-ri
2.2.4 Graphological Translation
In graphological translation SL graphology is replaced by equivalent TL
graphology, with no other replacements, except, again, accidental changes of
grammar and lexis.
Example: Australia → Ốt-trây-li-a
2.2.5 Transliteration

Based on Cambridge Dictionary, transliteration means that the act or process
of writing words using a different alphabet.
Example: raise → /raIz/
2.2.6 Free, Literal and Word-for-word Translation
A “free” translation is always unbounded while “word-for-word translation
generally means what it says. There is no difference between "literal translation"
and "word -for-word translation." Both terms describe what we might call "direct
translation," meaning that each word in one language is translated exactly into its
counterpart in another language.
Example: I got my eye on you
Tôi có mắt của tôi trên bạn → Word-for-word translation.
Mắt tôi trên người bạn → Literal translation.
Tơi đang nhìn bạn → Free translation.

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2.3. Methods, Principles and Rules of Translation
2.3.1. Methods Translation
According to Peter Newmark translation theory, there are eight types of
translation.
2.3.2. Word-for-word Translation

This is often demonstrated interlinear translation, with the TL below the SL
word. The SL word-order is preserved and the word translated singly by their most
common meanings, out of context. Cultural words are translated literally. The main
use of word-for-word translation is either to understand the mechanics of the source
language or as a pre-translation process.
Example: Love you to the moon and back.
Translated version: Yêu anh đến mặt trăng và phía sau.
2.3.3. Literal Translation
The SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL
equivalent but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context. As a pretranslation process, this indicates the problem to be solved.
Example: He is deaf to all her device.
Translated version:. Anh ta lơ đi hết tất cả lời khuyên của cô ấy.
2.3.4. Faithful Translation
It attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within
the constraints of the TL grammatical structures. It transfers cultural words and
preserves the degree of grammatical and lexical deviation from SL norms. It
attempts to be completely faithful to the intentions and the text-realization of the SL
writer.
Example: Mary has done well.
Translated version: Mary đã làm rất tốt.
2.3.5. Semantic Translation
It differs from faithful translation only in as far as it must take more account
of the aesthetic value of the SL text, compromising on ‘meaning’ where appropriate
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so that no assonance, word play or repetition jars in the finished version. It does not
rely on cultural equivalence and makes very small concessions to the readership.
While faithful translation is dogmatic, semantic translation is more flexible.
Example: Right in the Hanoi, Hoan Kiem is an enchanting of body of water,
a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Translated version: Tọa lạc tại trái tim thủ đơ, hồ Hồn Kiếm là quang cảnh
đẹp mê hồn như một ốc đảo tách biệt với sự tấp nập thường thấy của thành phố.
2.3.6. Adaptation Translation
This is the ‘freest’ form of translation. It is used mainly for plays (comedies
and poetry) the themes, characters, plots, are usually preserved, the SL culture
converted to the TL culture and the text rewritten.
Example: The Giver
Translated version: Người truyền kí ức (tên tiểu thuyết)
2.3.7. Communicative Translation
It attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a
way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to
the readership.
Example: No Parking.
Translated version: Cấm đỗ xe.
2.3.8. Free Translation
This translation reproduces the matter without the manner, or the content
without the form of the original. Usually it is a paraphrase much longer than the
original, a so-called ‘intralingual translation’, often prolix and pretentious, and not
translation at all.
Example: Today it’s raining cats and dogs
Translated version: Hôm nay mưa tầm tã.


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2.3.9. Idiomatic Translation
This translation reproduces the ‘message’ of the original but tend to distort
nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not
exist in the original.
Example: miss the boat
Translated version: Mất cơ hội.
2.3.10. Principles of Translation
2.3.10.1. Meaning
The translation should reflect accurately the meaning of the original text.
Nothing should be arbitrarily added or removed, though occasionally part of the
meaning can be transposed.
2.3.10.2. Form
The order of words and ideas in the translation should match that in the
original as closely as possible. This is particularly important in translating legal
documents, guarantees, contracts, etc. But differences in language structure often
require changes in the form and order of words. When in doubt, underline in the
original text the words on which the main stress falls.
2.3.10.3. Register

Languages often differ greatly in their levels of formality in a given context,
for example, the business letter. To resolve these differences, the translator must
distinguish between formal or fixed expressions and personal expressions, in which
the writer or speaker sets the tone.
2.3.10.4. Source Language Influence
One of the most frequent criticism of translation is that it does not sound
natural. This is because the translator's thoughts and choice of words are too
strongly moulded by the original text. A good way of shaking off the source
language influence is to set the text aside and translate a few sentences aloud, from
memory. This will suggest natural patterns of thought in the first language, which
may not come to mind when the eye is fixed on the source language text.
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2.3.10.5. Idioms
Idiomatic expressions are notoriously untranslatable. These include similes,
metaphors, proverbs and sayings, jargon, slang, and colloquialisms and (in English)
phrasal verbs. If the expressions cannot be directly translated, try any of the
followings:
a. retain the original word, in inverted commas.
b. retain the original expression, with a literal explanation in brackets.
c. use a close equivalent.

d. use a non-idiomatic or plain prose translation.
The golden rule is: if the idiom does not work in the L1, do not force it into
the translation.
2.3.10.6. Style and Clarity
The translator should not change the style of the original. But if the text is
sloppily written, or full of tedious repetitions, the translator may, for the reader's
sake, correct the defects.
2.3.11. Rules of Translation:
* The rule of Proximity
When modifying any item of language, the modifier must be placed closest
to that item even though the modifier is a single word, a phrase or clause.
Example:
Only Mary bought her hat with 10$.
=> Chỉ có Mary mua mũ với giá 10$.
Mary only bought her hat with 10$.
=> Mary mua được cái mũ chỉ với giá 10$.
Mary bought her only hat with 10$.
=> Mary mua cái mũ duy nhất của cô ta giá 10$.
* The rule of Parallelism
The speech element of the same grammatical function must be performed in
an only similar structure form.
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Similar structural form may be a single word, a P-group, V-ing/ed group, Infgroup, or a S-group (clause).
More specifically, when sentence elements have the same grammatical
function, a Noun must be parallel to Noun, an Adjective parallel to an Adjective.
Example:
In my free time, I often watching films, listening to music or drawing.
* The Rule of Conjunctions of Coordinating Form
The rule of parallelism is strictly used when we are expressing a series of
similar ideas in which we have to use conjunctions “AND” and “OR”.
Example:
1. I work quickly and carefully.
2. Sue likes to go to the movie, hearing chamber music, and play.
* The Rule and Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are those such as BOTH…AND, EITHER…OR,
NEITHER…NOR, NOT ONLY…BUT ALSO, etc.
Example:
1. We’ll have both the chocolate and the passion mousse.
2. I want either the chocolate or the passion mousse.
3. You want neither the chocolate nor the passion mousse?

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CHAPTER 3: SUGGESTED TRANSLATION
Original Version

Suggested Version

BORN A CRIME

BẢN ÁN DA MÀU

HITLER!

HITLER!

[P1] When I was in grade nine, three [P1] Năm lớp chín, ba đứa trẻ Trung Quốc
Chinese kids transferred to Sandringham: chuyển đến trường Sandringham, đó là:
Bolo, Bruce Lee, and John. They were the Bolo, Bruce Lee và John. Họ là những đứa
only Chinese kids in the school, out of a trẻ Trung Quốc duy nhất trong tổng số một
thousand pupils. Bolo got his nickname nghìn học sinh của trường. Đầu tiên nói về
because he looked like Bolo Yeung from Bolo, cậu ấy có cái tên này vì vẻ ngồi
the

Jean-Claude, Van

Damme

movie trơng giống Bolo Yeung - diễn viên đóng

Bloodsport. Bruce Lee’s name really was vai Van Damme trong tựa phim Bloodsport.

Bruce Lee, which made our lives. Here was Còn nhắc đến Bruce Lee, cậu ta thực sự
this Chinese guy, quiet, goodlooking, in chính là Lý Tiểu Long, cái tên đã tạo nên
great shape, and his name was Bruce Lee. cuộc sống của chúng tôi. Anh chàng Trung
We were like, This is magic. Thank you, Quốc trầm mặc, gương mặt ưa nhìn cùng
Jesus, for bringing us Bruce Lee. John was một vóc dáng tuyệt vời, tên cậu ta là Bruce
just John, which was weird because of the Lee. Điều đó như thể một phép màu vậy .
other two.

Tạ ơn Chúa đã mang Lý Tiểu Long đến với
cuộc sống của chúng tơi. Và cũng bởi vì hai
người bạn kia mà người cuối cùng – John trở thành cậu bé kỳ quặc nhất, John chỉ là
John thôi.

[P2] I got to know Bolo because he was one [P2] Tơi quen biết Bolo vì cậu ta là một
of my tuck-shop clients. Bolo’s parents trong số khách hàng đến tiệm đồ ăn vặt của
were professional pirates. They pirated tôi. Cha mẹ của Bolo là những tay buôn lậu
videogames and sold them at flea markets. chuyên nghiệp. Họ in lậu các trò chơi điện
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As the son of pirates, Bolo did the same tử và rao bán tại các chợ đen. Là con trai
thing—he


started

selling

bootleg của tay buôn, Bolo cũng làm điều tương tự

PlayStation games around school. Kids - cậu ta bắt đầu kiếm lời bằng việc bán các
would give him their PlayStation, and he’d trò chơi điện tử trong phạm vi trường học.
bring it back a few days later with a chip in Cậu ta lấy máy chơi điện tử của đám học
it that enabled them to play pirated games, sinh và bán lại chúng vài ngày sau đó cùng
which he would then sell them. Bolo was với một thẻ nhớ bên trong máy để chứa các
friends with this white kid and fellow pirate trò chơi bất hợp pháp. Bolo làm bạn với
named Andrew, who traded in bootleg CDs. một tay bán băng đĩa bất hợp pháp người da
Andrew was two grades above me and a trắng tên Andrew, anh ta hơn tôi hai tuổi và
real computer geek; he even had a CD là một lập trình viên thực thụ; Andrew thậm
writer at home, back when nobody had CD chí cịn có hẳn một đầu ghi đĩa CD, ở thời
writers.

điểm đó có mấy ai sở hữu được đầu đĩa như
vậy.

[P3] One day on my tuck-shop rounds, I [P3] Một lần nọ ở cửa hàng mình, tơi tình
overheard Andrew and Bolo complaining cờ nghe được Andrew và Bolo than vãn về
about the black kids at school. They’d đám trẻ da đen ở trường. Bọn trẻ thấy rằng
realized that they could take Andrew’s and có thể mua hàng của Andrew và Bolo, nhắn
Bolo’s merchandise, say “I’ll pay you "Lần sau trả”, rồi khơng trả tiền bất cứ món
later,” and then not pay, because Andrew nào cả bởi Andrew và Bolo đã mệt mỏi với
and Bolo were too scared of black people to những lần đám trẻ da đen quay lại xin xóa
go back to ask for the money. I leaned in to nợ. Theo cuộc trị chuyện của họ, tơi động

their conversation and said, “Listen, you viên: “Nghe này, các cậu đừng khó chịu,
shouldn’t get upset. Black people don’t người da đen rất thiếu thốn, vì vậy việc
have any money, so trying to get more stuff chúng ta cần làm là bán các món đồ với giá
for less money is just what we do. But let rẻ hơn. Nhưng để tôi giúp cho, tôi sẽ là
me help. I’ll be your middleman. You give người trung gian, bán những thứ mà các
me the merchandise and I’ll sell it, and then bạn giao, việc thu tiền cứ để tôi. Đổi lại, tôi
Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691


Graduation Paper

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Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Bao Yen, M.A

I’ll handle getting the money. In return, you được nhận hoa hồng. Họ ngay lập tức thích
give me a cut of the sale.” They liked the ý tưởng đó rồi chúng tơi trở thành đối tác
idea right away, and we became partners.

làm ăn.

[P4] As the tuck-shop guy, I was perfectly
positioned. I had my network set up. All I [P4] Cơng việc đó hồn hảo với vị trí của
had to do was tap into it. With the money I một người bán thức ăn vặt là tôi. Tôi đã
made selling CDs and videogames, I was thiết lập cho mình một mạng lưới và tất cả
able to save up and add new components những gì phải làm là khai thác nó. Với số
and more memory to my own computer. tiền tiết kiệm được từ việc bán đĩa CD và
Andrew the computer geek showed me how trò chơi điện tử, tơi đã có thể thêm các bộ

to do it, where to buy the cheapest parts, phận mới cũng như nhiều bộ nhớ hơn vào
how to assemble them, how to repair them. máy tính của mình. Lập trình viên máy tính
He showed me how his business worked, Andrew đã hướng dẫn tơi làm việc đó, nơi
too, how to download music, where to get mua linh kiện rẻ, cách lắp đặt, sửa chữa.
rewritable CDs in bulk. The only thing I Anh ấy cũng cho tôi biết cách anh ấy vận
was missing was my own CD writer, hành việc kinh doanh, cách tải nhạc xuống,
because

it

was

the

most

expensive nguồn chứa hàng loạt các đĩa CD. Thứ duy

component. At the time a CD writer cost as nhất tơi cịn thiếu là đầu ghi đĩa CD riêng,
much as the rest of the computer, nearly bởi nó là phần đắt tiền nhất. Vào thời điểm
2,000 rand.

đó, giá ổ đĩa là 2000 rand, tương đương với
phần còn lại của máy tính.

[P5] I worked as a middleman for Bolo and [P5] Một năm kể từ khi tôi làm bán hàng
Andrew for a year. Then Bolo left school; trung gian cho Bolo và Andrew, sau đó
the rumor was that his parents got arrested. Bolo đã rời trường học. Có tin đồn rằng cha
From that point on I worked for Andrew, mẹ cậu đã bị bắt. Từ lúc đó, tơi đã làm việc
and then as he was about to matriculate he cho Andrew, đến khi sắp trúng tuyển, anh

decided to quit the game. “Trevor,” he told ấy quyết định bỏ trò chơi điện tử. “Trevor”
Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691


Graduation Paper

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Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Bao Yen, M.A

me, “you’ve been a loyal partner.” And, as anh ấy nói với tơi, “Em đã là một đối tác
thanks, he bequeathed unto me his CD trung thành.” Như một lời cảm ơn, anh ấy
writer. At the time, black people barely had đã để lại cho tôi ổ đĩa CD của anh ấy. Vào
access to computers, let’s start there. But a thời đó, người da đen gần như không được
CD writer? That was the stuff of lore. It was quyền truy cập vào máy tính, hãy bắt đầu
mythical. The day Andrew gave it to me, he bằng việc đó. Nhưng một đầu đọc CD? Nó
changed my life. Thanks to him, I now là món đồ huyền thoại. Thật hoang đường.
controlled production, sales, distribution - I Ngày Andrew trao lại ổ đĩa đó, anh ấy đã
had everything I needed to lock down the thay đổi cuộc đời tơi . Giờ đây tơi đã kiểm
bootleg business.

sốt được việc sản xuất, bán hàng, phân
phối - tơi đã có mọi thứ cần thiết để nắm
giữ việc kinh doanh buôn lậu.

[P6] I was a natural capitalist. I loved [P6] Tôi bẩm sinh đã là một nhà tư bản. Tôi
selling stuff, and I was selling something thích bn bán, và tơi bán thứ mà mọi
that everybody wanted and nobody else người đều muốn mà khơng ai khác có thể

could provide. I sold my discs for 30 rand, cung cấp. Tôi đã bán đĩa của mình với giá
around $3. A regular CD in the store cost 30 rand, khoảng 3 đô la. Một đĩa CD thông
100 to 150 rand. Once people started thường ở cửa hàng giá giao động 100 đến
buying from me, they wouldn’t buy real 150 rand. Khi đã mua hàng từ tôi, họ sẽ
CDs ever again - the deal was too good. I khơng mua đĩa chính hãng nữa - một cái giá
had an instinct for business, but at the time quá hời. Mặc dù kinh doanh là bản năng
I knew nothing about music, which was odd nhưng vào thời điểm đó tơi khơng có kiến
for someone running a music -pirating thức về âm nhạc, điều này thật kỳ quặc đối
business. The only music I knew, still, was với một người đang kinh doanh âm nhạc vi
Christian music from church, the only phạm bản quyền. Thứ âm nhạc duy nhất mà
music allowed in my mother’s house. The tôi biết là nhạc Cơ đốc từ nhà thờ, cũng là
CD writer Andrew gave me was a 1x CD thứ âm nhạc duy nhất được phép phát ra
writer, which meant it copied at the speed it trong nhà mẹ tôi. Ổ đĩa CD mà Andrew đưa
Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691


Graduation Paper

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Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Bao Yen, M.A

played. Every day I’d leave school, go to cho tôi là máy ổ đĩa 1x, có nghĩa tốc độ sao
my room, and sit for five to six hours, chép cùng lúc với tốc độ phát. Mỗi ngày
copying CDs. I had my own surround - sau giờ học, tơi về phịng và giành từ 5 đến
sound system built with old car speakers I’d 6 tiếng để sao chép đĩa CD. Tơi đã có hệ
salvaged from the junkers Abel kept in the thống âm thanh vòm của riêng mình được
yard, and I strung them up around the room. xây dựng bằng những chiếc loa ô tô cũ mà

Even though I had to sit there while each tôi đã nhặt từ đống phế liệu bên sân nhà
CD played, for a long time I didn’t really Abel, sau đó tơi xâu chúng quanh phịng.
listen to them. I knew it was against the Mặc dù phải ngồi chờ trong khi phát từng
dealer’s code: Never get high on your own đĩa CD, nhưng tôi đã không thực sự nghe
supply.

lắng nghe chúng trong một khoảng thời
gian. Tơi biết điều đó đã đi ngược lại quy
tắc giao dịch: Đừng bao giờ lấy quá nhiều
nguồn cung của chính bạn.

[P7] Thanks to the Internet, I could get [P7] Tơi có thể tìm được mọi thứ trên
anyone anything. I never judged anyone’s Internet. Bản thân tôi chưa bao giờ đánh giá
taste in music. You wanted the new thị hiếu âm nhạc của bất kỳ ai. Bạn muốn
Nirvana, I got you the new Nirvana. You nghe bài hát mới của nhóm Nirvana, tơi mở
wanted the new DMX, I got you the new cho bạn nghe. Bạn muốn bản thu mới của
DMX. Local South African music was big, DMX, tơi cũng có thể tìm thấy. Âm nhạc
but black American music was what people địa phương của Nam Phi rất đa dạng,
were desperate for, hip-hop and R&B. nhưng âm nhạc của người Mỹ da đen mới
Jagged Edge was huge. 112 was huge. I là thứ mà mọi người khao khát, đó là hipsold a lot of Montell Jordan. So much hop và R&B. Âm nhạc của Jagged Edge rất
Montell Jordan. When I started, I had a đồ sộ, album của nhóm 112 thì rất thịnh
dial-up connection and a 24k modem. It hành, đĩa nhạc của Montell Jordan cực kì
would take a day to download an album. đắt hàng, rất đắt hàng. Từ lúc bắt đầu kinh
But technology kept evolving, and I kept doanh, tơi đã có một kết nối quay số và một
Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691


Graduation Paper


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Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Bao Yen, M.A

reinvesting in the business. I upgraded to a modem 24k. Sẽ mất cả ngày để tải được
56k modem. I got faster CD writers, một album. Công nghệ ngày càng phát triển
multiple CD writers. I started downloading và tôi tiếp tục việc tái đầu tư vào kinh
more, copying more, selling more. That’s doanh. Tôi đã nâng cấp lên modem 56k. Tôi
when I got two middlemen of my own, my mua cả ổ đĩa tốc độ cao, ổ đĩa đa dụng. Tôi
friend Tom, who went to Northview, and bắt đầu tải nhạc xuống nhiều hơn, sao chép
my friend Bongani, who lived in Alex.

nhiều hơn, bán ra được nhiều hơn. Và đó là
lúc tơi có thêm hai nhân viên trung gian cho
mình, một người đã chuyển đến Northview,
Tom và bạn tôi sống ở Alex, Bongani.

[P8] One day Bongani came to me and [P8] Một ngày nọ, Bongani đến gặp tôi để
said, “You know what would make a lot of trao đổi, “Cậu biết thứ gì hái ra tiền cho
money? Instead of copying whole albums, chúng ta không? Thay vì sao chép tồn bộ
why don’t you put the best tracks of album, sao cậu không thử mang các bản
different albums onto one CD, because nhạc hay nhất từ các album khác nhau vào
people only wanna hear the songs they một đĩa CD, vì mọi người chỉ muốn nghe
like.” That sounded like a great idea, so I những bài hát họ u thích. “ Có vẻ đó là
started making mix CDs. Those sold well. một ý tưởng tuyệt vời, vậy nên tôi bắt đầu
Then a few weeks later Bongani came back làm các đĩa nhạc tổng hợp. Thật sự rất đắt
and said, “Can you make the tracks fade hàng. Sau đó vài tuần, Bongani quay lại và
into one another so the music moves from nói, “Cậu có thể phối các bản nhạc với
track one to track two without a break and nhau để giai điệu chuyển từ bài hát trước

the beat carries on? It’ll be like a DJ sang bài tiếp theo mà không ngắt quãng và
playing a complete set the whole night.” liền nhịp? Nó như một DJ chơi một bản
That sounded like a great idea, too. I nhạc hồn chỉnh suốt đêm. " Đó cũng là
downloaded a program called BPM, “beats một ý hay. Tôi đã tải xuống một ứng dụng
per minute.” It had a graphical interface tên là BPM, “beat per minute”. Giao diện
that looked like two vinyl records side by đồ họa của nó giống như hai đĩa than đặt
Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691


Graduation Paper

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Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Bao Yen, M.A

side, and I could mix and fade between cạnh nhau và tơi có thể trộn đồng thời
songs, basically everything a DJ can do chuyển đổi giai điệu giữa các bài hát, về cơ
live.

bản là mọi thứ mà một DJ có thể trực tiếp
thực hiện.
[P9] Tôi bắt đầu làm những đĩa nhạc tiệc

[P9] I started making party CDs, and those tùng và những đĩa đó cũng trở nên đắt như
started selling like hotcakes, too. — tôm tươi. – Kinh doanh khởi phát. Sau khi
Business was booming. By matric, I was tốt nghiệp, tôi trở nên phung, phí mức thu
balling, making 500 rand a week. To put nhập của tơi là 500 rand hằng tuần. Nói
that in perspective, there are maids in South cách khác, nghề giúp việc ở Nam Phi ngày

Africa who still earn less than that today. nay chưa hẳn đã có được mức thu nhập như
It’s a shit salary if you’re trying to support a vậy. Một mức lương tồi để nuôi sống một
family, but as a sixteenyear-old living at gia đình, nhưng với một đứa trẻ 16 tuổi chỉ
home with no real expenses, I was living quanh quẩn trong nhà, chưa có nghề nghiệp
the dream. For the first time in my life I had ổn định như tơi thì cuộc đời như là mơ. Lần
money, and it was the most liberating thing đầu tiên trong đời tơi có tiền, và nó là thứ tự
in the world. The first thing I learned about do nhất trên thế giới. Thứ đầu tiên tôi học
having money was that it gives you choices. được từ lúc có tiền là nó cho bạn nhiều lựa
People don’t want to be rich. They want to chọn. Con người không cần quá giàu, họ
be able to choose. The richer you are, the muốn quyền lựa chọn. Bạn càng giàu, bạn
more choices you have. That is the freedom càng có nhiều sự chọn lựa. Đó chính là tự
of money. With money, I experienced do tài chính. Với số tiền đó, tơi đã trải
freedom on a whole new level: I went to nghiệm sự tự do ở một cấp độ hoàn toàn
McDonald’s. People in America don’t mới: đến McDonald’s. Người dân mỹ
understand, but when an American chain không hiểu rằng khi một chuỗi cửa hàng
opens in a third-world country, people go Mỹ xuất hiện tại một quốc gia thuộc thế
crazy. That’s true to this day.

giới thứ ba, mọi người sẽ phát điên. Điều
đó vẫn đúng cho đến nay.

Student: Le Thi Khanh Ngoc

Code:2320310691