TẠP I

Session 14
Instructor: Hồ Lê Vũ

1
 OVERVIEW
• Translation:
– HUMOR
– SOCIOLOGY

2
 ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

• Article: Difference Between American and British Humor →

watch a typical sample of British Humor

3
 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Americans are more “down the line.” They don’t hide their
hopes and fears.
– in the future [N] vs. down the line | down the road [I] vs.
hereafter [F]
• The judge said compensation would be considered
further down the road.
• We don't know what will happen hereafter.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• We like to bring authority down a peg or two. Just for the hell of
it.
– take | bring down a peg [I] vs. denigrate [more F]
• Something deep in our psyche takes delight in hearing of
the rich and powerful being taken down a peg.
• Their obvious delight in denigrating these two prominent
citizens made me feel sick.
– I decided to dye my hair bright green, just for the heck of it
[I].
• heck [I, less offensive] < hell [I] → watch sample clips

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• We don’t want to celebrate anything too soon. Failure and
disappointment lurk around every corner.
– After the riot, police were stationed on | at every corner.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next
president of the United States.
vs. I hate to bring this up but you still owe me $50.
– mention [N] vs. bring up [more I] vs. note [F]
• The report mentions that the cost is higher than expected.
• The growth of trade was noted in the last chapter.
→ watch sample clips

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
→ watch sample clips
• get the ringside seat
• I ain't blind to your flaws.
– be not | have not [N] vs. ain’t [S]
– Well, it's obvious, ain't it? | They ain't got no kids.
• I didn't raise you to be thinking you're not good enough.
– raise [N] vs. bring up [more I] vs. rear [more O]
• She reared six children. | I was reared in east Texas.
– sinh ra và lớn lên?
• I was born and raised brought up in Hanoi.
• You have an opinion about everything

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
→ watch sample clips
• I just hate feeling like I always have to put on a face for you.
• I know you're angry. You might as well say what you have to
now and get it out of your system.
• I guess I get it from you.
– inherit [N] vs. get from [I] vs. genetically receive [more A]
• The boys inherited Derek’s good looks.
• She got her beauty from her mom.
• My dad was Irish and my mother was German. I had
genetically received the German sense of humor and the
Irish sense of order.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• A perceived wicked streak is somewhat frowned upon.
– Heaven will frown upon | on such acts of terrorism.
vs. Heaven didn't smile on the new president.
– on [N] vs. upon [F, L]
• We all were put on vs. upon this earth for a purpose.
• My whole future depends on vs. upon this one test.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• There’s a received wisdom in the U.K. that Americans don’t get
irony.
– conventional wisdom [N] vs. received wisdom [F]
• The study challenges the conventional wisdom that
exercise is good for you.
• [IELTS tips] Traditionally, the received opinion was that, in
the event of a divorce, the mother should get custody of
the children.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• We mercilessly take the piss out of [I, BR] people we like or
dislike and ourselves.
– I was made fun of because I was fat.
→ watch a sample clip and see how they make fun of the
Prime Minister. Do they like or dislike him?
• It’s play fighting. It’s almost a sign of affection if we like you.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-
deprecation.
– laden with guilt | laden with debt
– She's one of those girls who uses self-deprecation as a
defense mechanism.
– She told the story of her life with
self-deprecating humor.

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 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
• to self-deprecate [positive] vs. to feign modesty [negative]
– I can’t say it out loud. Modesty forbids. → PVO?

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• This is our license to hand it out.
– freedom [N] vs. a pass [more I] vs. license [F, negative] to do
something
• Going to an event doesn't give you freedom to eat like
there's no tomorrow.
• Just because you subscribed to my channel, doesn't give
you a pass to harass me. | Social distancing doesn't give
you a pass to self-destruct. Don't do something you'll
regret just because you're lonely.
• Being angry doesn’t give you license to treat others so
rudely.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• As a famous comedian, I also want a strict door policy on my
club.
– Our club has a strict door policy. No slippers/sandals, shorts
and singlets. If you don’t follow the dress code, you won’t get
in, no matter how much you spend.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Not everyone will like what I say or find it funny. And I wouldn’t
have it any other way.
– allow [N] vs. let [more I] vs. not have [I, negative form] vs.
permit [more F] vs. grant [F]
• He'd eat chocolate all day long if I let him. | Alice’s mum
won’t let her come with us.
• Visitors are not permitted to take photographs.
• They were granted a meeting. | She was granted a
divorce.
• She wanted to be alone. They wouldn't have it. | I'm not
having any of that nonsense. → watch sample clips

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 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
• let < allow < permit [formality]
• e.g., offering help
– Permit me to offer you some advice.
– "Allow me," he said, taking the tray from her.
– Let me help you with that.
• e.g., discussing permission
– About this "extreme" haircut, the school does not permit, my
parents do not allow but my brother let me.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Comedy is your conscience taking a day off.
táng tận lương tâm?
• What morally bankrupt monster am I taking down?
lương tâm trong sạch?
• sleep | vote with a clear conscience

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• There’s no line to be drawn in comedy.
– Cosmo is all about having fun, but we draw the line at
anything that could put your health at risk.
→ watch sample clips
• (it’s a) Long story… [I]
• This is the last straw [that broke the camel's back].
• You always do everything you can to come between me
and any woman I'm serious about.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• You can make jokes about race without any race being the butt
of the joke.
= He is still the brunt of cruel jokes about his small town
origins.
vs. Well, the joke is on [I] you.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• For the record I’m a romantic. → watch sample clips
– [duly] noted [more F] vs. got it [I]
– What brings you in? | What brings you by? [I]
vs. To what do I owe the pleasure | honor [of this visit]? [O,
H, sarcastic inversion]

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• For me, love and friendship always triumph.
• win [N] vs. come out on top [I] vs. prevail [F] vs. triumph [more
L]
– In most boardroom disputes he tends to come out on top.
– In the end, the Chinese view prevailed. | The Italian team
eventually prevailed over Russia 5-3.
– Good triumphs over evil in the end. | France triumphed 3–0
in the final.
vs. They stood atop the mountain in triumph.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• win [N] vs. come out on top [I] vs. prevail [F] vs. triumph [more
L]
• lose [N] vs. drop [more I] vs. undergo defeat [more F]
– The tennis star has yet to drop a set. | The team dropped
three games in a row.
– Humphrey was nominated and underwent defeat by Richard
Nixon. | In the second game, Check couldn't work a miracle
and underwent defeat.
– grumpy | sore | bad loser
vs. Mrs. Oliver, though a bad bridge player, was a sporting
I good loser. She paid up cheerfully.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• win [N] vs. come out on top [I] vs. prevail [F] vs. triumph [more
L]
• lose [N] vs. drop [more I] vs. undergo defeat [more F]
• draw | tie vs. be even steven | stephen [I, rhyming]
vs. have an equal score [more F]
– The game ended in a draw. | Holland and Ireland drew 1-1.
– Their record was 3 wins, 6 losses and a tie. | We tied with
Spain in third place.
– At the end of the game the two teams were even Stephen. |
The result was an even-steven first half with both sides
missing chances to grab themselves a lead.
– In accordance with USPGA recommendations, if players
have an equal score the following count-back system will be
applied.
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 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
• draw [mainly BR] vs. tie
– draw can only be used to refer to the score at the end of a
game, whereas tie can be used at any other time as well.
– Americans seldom use draw for sports. They do use it in
several other cases, e.g., chess, boxing and card games.
• gỡ hòa?
– With seconds left on the clock Japan level [N] vs. evened out
[more I] vs. equalized [more F] the score to 2-2.

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 ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION
• Extra reading: You just don’t understand (cont.)

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 MEN vs. WOMEN
• ADVICE vs. UNDERSTANDING (cont.)

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 MEN vs. WOMEN
• INFORMATION VS. FEELINGS

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• They level angry charges of selfishness and obstinacy at each
other.
– He leveled bitter criticism against the US.
• We cannot lump all men or all women into fixed categories.
– Friends lumped with foes in foreign oil debate. → watch
sample clips

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
→ watch sample clips
• Ow. That hurts.
– painful [N] vs. something hurts [I] vs. achy [S] vs. afflictive [F]
• I feel achy all over.
• I was under assault by afflictive emotions—anger, fear
and panic. | the afflictive disease known as shingles is a
reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox
• He pulled my daughter's hair.
• Whoever made our son cry has messed with the wrong moms.
– You don’t know who you were messing with.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• There might be an element of one-upmanship [negative].
– engaged in a round of verbal one-upmanship
– My brother always tries to one-up me.
• outdo [N, neutral] vs. one-up [I, negative] someone
– The kids were trying to outdo each other at math.
• không muốn thua chị kém em?
– Not to be outdone, the opposition came up with a
proposal of their own.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• A conversation is often a contest, either to achieve the upper
hand or to prevent other people from pushing them around.
– The host team had the upper hand for the first 10 minutes.
• He needs to give her space.
 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Stuart has had practice in keeping his innermost thoughts to
himself.
– innermost feelings | innermost secrets [figurative]
vs. the innermost [literal] part of the cave
• Sometimes she just wants a sympathetic ear.
vs. Claire's always one to lend a sympathetic ear if you
have problems.
• I'll save you the trouble.

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 GROUP ACTIVITY
• Để dịch các cụm từ sau đây, chúng ta cần dùng những cấu trúc
nào đã học ngày hôm nay trong lớp? (chỉ được phép có một
đáp án cho mỗi cụm từ)
– cây trĩu quả
– bị người đời cười chê
– tớ ứ chịu đâu
– yêu thì củ ấu cũng tròn
– mình thích thì mình làm thôi

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 ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION
• Extra reading: The locked room

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• The police, guns at the ready, force their way into the
apartment.
• You know this backwards [I].
– biết rõ như lòng bàn tay?
• The tour guide knows his hometown like the back of his
hand [I].
• They take to their heels.
– escape | flee [N] vs. get away [I] vs. take to one’s heels [L]
vs. abscond [F]
• Police caught up with one of the gang, but the other three
fled.
• He was put into jail but absconded within a few days.

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 IMPORTANT STRUCTURES
• Malms and Moren can't possibly know what's in store for them.
– lie ahead [N] vs. be in store for [I] vs. await [F]
• A lot of surprises were in store for us.
• There may be some nasty surprises lying ahead.
• I wonder what surprises await us today.
• The tear-gas specialist hurled two grenades in quick
succession through the door.
– Maradona scored three goals in quick succession, leading
Argentina to victory.
vs. They have won the Championship four times in
succession.

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 HOMEWORK
• Session 15
– EDUCATION

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• More British humor…

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 REVIEW
• chĩa mũi dùi (chỉ trích)
– level (criticism) at
• đánh đồng
– lump with | together
• đau, đau đớn
– painful vs. something hurts vs. achy vs. afflictive
• túm tóc
– pull somene's hair
• mày chưa biết là mày giây vào ai đâu
– you don’t know who you are messing with

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 REVIEW
• chơi trội
– to one-up someone | one-upmanship
• thi chém gió
– to engage in verbal one-upmanship
• làm tốt hơn
– to outdo someone
• không muốn thua chị kém em
– not to be outdone
• (chiếm) tiên cơ, thế thượng phong
– (gain | have) the upper hand
• đội chủ nhà
– the host team

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 REVIEW
• để cho ai yên, để cho ai tự do một mình
– give somebody space
• (ý nghĩ, bí mật) thầm kín nhất
– innermost (thought, secret)
• (cần) sự thông cảm, một người biết cảm thông
– (need) a sympathetic ear
• lắng nghe và thông cảm
– lend a sympathetic ear
• để cho (ai) khỏi mất công
– save somebody the trouble

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 REVIEW
• trong tương lai, sau này
– in the future vs. down the line | down the road vs. hereafter
• làm bẽ mặt, hạ bệ
– bring | take down a peg vs. denigrate
• chẳng vì một lý do cụ thể nào cả
– just for the hell | heck of it
• nói trước bước ko qua
– do not want to celebrate too soon
• mọi nơi, khắp chốn
– on | at every corner

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 REVIEW
• nhắc tới
– mention vs. bring up vs. note
• nuôi lớn
– raise vs. bring up vs. rear
• sinh ra và lớn lên
– born and raised
• chỗ ngồi hàng đầu, sát sân khấu
– ringside seat
• không nhìn ra được nhược điểm
– blind to one’s flaws
• cái gì cũng có ý kiến được
– have an opinion about everything
• giữ thể diện (trước mặt ai)
– to put on a face (for someone) 45
 REVIEW
• xả cho bằng hết (để sau này khỏi cần nghĩ ngợi thêm)
– get something out of one’s system
• thừa hưởng (đức tính, đặc điểm gì từ ai)
– inherit vs. get from vs. genetically receive
• bị người khác chỉ trích, chê cười
– be frowned upon | on
• Trời không dung
– Heaven will frown upon
• Trời không phù hộ
– Heaven didn't smile on

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 REVIEW
• quan điểm, ý kiến được số đông chấp nhận
– conventional wisdom vs. received wisdom
• được nuôi con (sau khi ly dị)
– get custody of (the children)
• đưa ra làm trò cười
– make fun of | take the piss out of
• (đánh) đùa
– play fighting

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 REVIEW
• đầy (cảm giác tội lỗi), ngập (nợ)
– laden with (guilt | debt)
• khiêm tốn, hạ mình nhún nhường
– self-deprecation
• giả vờ khiêm tốn
– to feign modesty
• vì khiêm tốn nên không nói được
– modesty forbids

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 REVIEW
• được tự do, thoải mái làm gì
– freedom vs. a pass vs. license to do something
• quy định khi vào quán hay một tụ điểm công cộng
– the door policy
• không quần đùi, áo may ô/ba lỗ và dép lê
– No slippers/sandals, shorts and singlets
• quy định về trang phục
– the dress code

49
 REVIEW
• không cho phép, không chấp nhận
– allow vs. let vs. not have [it] vs. permit vs. grant
• thiếu lương tâm, không đếm xỉa đến đạo đức
– conscience taking a day off
• táng tận lương tâm
– morally bankrupt
• với lương tâm trong sạch
– with a clear conscience
• đặt giới hạn (để không đi vượt quá)
– draw the line at
• chuyện kể ra thì dài lắm…
– (it’s a) long story…

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 REVIEW
• giọt nước tràn cốc
– the last straw [that broke the camel's back]
• xen vào (chuyện tình yêu), ngáng đường
– come between
• đối tượng bị trêu chọc
– the butt | brunt of the joke
• ai mới là người đáng bị cười trong chuyện gì
– the joke is on somebody
• nên nhớ rằng
– for the record
• (trả lời) đã nhớ
– [duly] noted vs. got it
• cơn gió nào đưa anh đến đây
– What brings you in? | What brings you by? vs. To what do I owe the
pleasure | honor [of this visit]? 51
 REVIEW
• quan trọng hơn, được đề cao hơn, chiến thắng
– win vs. come out on top vs. prevail vs. triumph
• (một cách) đắc thắng
– in triumph
• thua, thất bại
– lose vs. drop vs. undergo defeat
• người thua hay cay cú, hay kêu ca phàn nàn
– grumpy | sore | bad loser
• người thua trên tinh thần thượng võ
– sporting | good loser
• hòa
– draw vs. tie vs. be even steven | stephen vs. have an equal score
• gỡ hòa
– level vs. even out vs. equalize the score
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 REVIEW
• súng lăm lăm trong tay, đạn đã lên nòng
– guns at the ready
• biết rõ (như lòng bàn tay), biết rõ mồn một
– know something backwards | know something like the back of one’s
hand
• trốn, tẩu thoát, cao chạy xa bay, đào tẩu
– escape | flee vs. get away vs. take to one’s heels vs. abscond
• (bất ngờ) đang chờ phía trước
– (surprise) lie ahead vs. be in store for vs. await
• thành một chuỗi liên tiếp
– in quick succession
• (nhiều lần) liên tục
– (times) in succession

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