CHAPTER 8:

TRANSLATING TEXTS OF BUSINESS AND SERVICES

8.1 Introduction
Translating texts of Business and Services has grown as a result of globalization.
Companies require translation for in-house purposes as well as for communicating with
customers and partners. Common texts of Business and Services that are often translated
include:
• Company reports and financial reports, banking and accounting documents
• Business, finance and economics texts
• Business correspondence
• Presentation and promotion materials
The different types of texts suggest that documents of the theme Business and
Services vary in writing styles. However, the English language in documents of Business
and Services belong to the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and can be considered as a
variant of international English. Therefore, Business English has common characteristics.
First, sentences are shorter and have simpler structures than those in legal/governmental
documents. Second, Business English uses active voice and avoids first person point of
view and nominalizing verbs.
For these characteristics, in translation of business-related texts into English,
translators need to consider these tips:
• Use clear language – short, simple sentences that do not confuse readers or waste
their time.
• Write from the point of view of the company.
• Avoid using discriminatory and disagreeable language.
8.2 Building vocabulary for translating texts of Business and Services
The language of business is often described as polite and diplomatic language, and thus it
varies in the expression styles. The users of business language often choose carefully the
phrases to use in their communication to have good impact on the outcome of their
business. As English is the global language of business, there is special vocabulary as well
as idiomatic expressions. This language is, therefore, difficult for non-English speakers
sometimes as they hardly make sense of a certain expression if their language does not
have an equivalent. Building your field-specific vocabulary remains a vital skill that will
help you communicate more clearly. In English for Business and Services, in particular,
vocabulary is a valuable tool that facilitates the understanding of documents. Therefore,
translators will be required to have a good command of business-related words that are
usually not covered in the textbooks of standard English as a Foreign Language courses.
 One of these business-related vocabulary sets is about the terms describing the
organization of a business, the transaction in the business world; others are known in
English as office jargon.
The best way to build your vocabulary is to stay up-to-date on relevant business
documents, but it is necessary to facilitate students with basic terms in Business and
Services for the purpose of the course. In the following tasks, you will be exposed to some
terms widely used in Business English and helpful for your translation.
Task 1: Complete the crossword puzzle with words or phrases related to
entertainment (adapted from English Club).

Across
1 All the workers in a company
4 Short for “money order”
5 How many - - - - - did our sales staff get today?
7 A manager’s job is to - - - a company.
8 Computer keyboard skill
11 A person who runs a company
Down
1 Money paid to a worker
2 Quantity, or a sum of money
3 Our company is looking - - - a new manager.
4 “I can’t talk now. I’m in a - - - - - - -.”
6 This person works in the music business.
9 Japanese money
10 Short for “general manager”
 Task 2: Fill in each of the blanks in the text below with one of the following words.
There are two words that you do not need.
trade record money died deal amount transaction
trader efficient split raised value broker negotiating
Prince William and Prince Harry recently took to the trading floor where they
registered a world record 25-billion-euro deal for charity. They spent around an hour
negotiating deals at the BGC Partners brokerage in London’s Docklands during the firm’s
annual charity day to raise (1).......... in memory of its 658 employees who (2).......... in the
9/11 attacks on the World (3).......... Centre in New York.
The last and biggest (4).......... the brothers made was for 25 billion euros, a deal
which broke a world (5).......... for a forward foreign exchange. A BGC (6)........... mentored
Harry through the deal he made alongside William. The brothers switched from desk to
desk (7).......... deals with firms including Barclays and Citi. Prince Harry egged on brokers
to raise the (8).......... of deals, calling out figures and lifting his hand to indicate the
(9).......... needed to be higher. Prince William was also very (10).........., making enough
efforts to concentrate on the (11).......... despite the noise around him.
The money (12).......... by each charity day is divided among several charities in the
UK and abroad. The Princes were raising money for SkillForce, of which William is patron,
and WellChild, where Harry is patron.
(extracted from Learn English Today)
Task 3: Match a business term in column A with a description in column B, then
provide a Vietnamese equivalent for each term.
1 Headquarter A an office established by a company or a legal entity to
conduct marketing and other non-transactional
operations, generally in a foreign country where a
branch office or subsidiary is not warranted
2 Joint Stock B someone who holds shares of stock in a corporation
Company
3 Joint Venture C a contract between two or more persons who agree to
Company pool talent and money and share profits or losses
4 Representative D The connected chain of all of the business entities, both
Office internal and external to the company, that perform or
support the logistics function
5 Human Resources E the total amount of money that needs to be spent by a
Management business
6 shareholder F the office that serves as the administrative center of an
enterprise
7 supply chain G wealth in the form of money or property owned by a
person or business and human resources of economic
value
8 revenue H maintaining policies, plans, and procedures for the
effective management of employees
9 partnership I a business entity in which shares of the company's
stock can be bought and sold by shareholders
10 cost J A group of people elected by the stockholders of a
corporation to set the policies for the corporation.
11 capital K a business entity created by two or more parties,
generally characterized by shared ownership, shared
returns and risks, and shared governance
12 Board of Directors L the entire amount of income before any deductions are
made
8.3 Translation Practice
Text 9
Activity 1: Read the compiled text below and answer the questions.
1. What is the text about?
2. What source is the text probably taken from?
3. What is the purpose of the text?

“CUỘC CHIẾN” GIỮA CÁC HÃNG TAXI

Cuộc chiến giá cả đã nổ ra trên toàn thế giới giữa các hãng taxi. Có một sự cạnh
tranh hành khách ngày càng lớn vì có nhiều ứng dụng công nghệ khác nhau cho
phép đặt taxi giá rẻ. Một số hãng taxi đã cắt giảm giá vé hơn một nửa để đánh
bại các công ty đối thủ.
Ứng dụng đặt taxi lớn nhất thế giới là Uber, được thành lập vào năm
2009 và hoạt động ở khoảng 200 thành phố trên toàn cầu. Có nhiều tranh cãi
xung quanh hoạt động của các công ty công nghệ ở nhiều nước trên thế giới
như Anh, Pháp và Singapore. Ở Thái Lan, cuộc chiến căng thẳng giữa Uber và
taxi truyền thống dẫn đến việc Chính phủ Thái Lan đã ban hành lệnh cấm xe cá
nhân chạy Uber, GrabCar.
Ở Việt Nam, sự xuất hiện của taxi công nghệ như Grab, Uber cũng tạo
ra sự phản đối mạnh mẽ từ các hãng taxi truyền thống. Để chấm dứt cuộc chiến
kéo dài trong suốt nhiều năm qua, Chính phủ đã ban hành Nghị định
10/2020/NĐ-CP về điều kiện kinh doanh vận tải bằng xe ô tô, chính thức có
hiệu lực từ ngày 1/4/2020.
 Activity 2: Translate the text into English
Language Note
As business activities are usually connected with the regulations of a country’s government
and laws, there are certain legal terms and expressions that you need to use precisely. In
this text, the following words and expressions require the exact use.
Ban hành lệnh cấm: to impose a ban on something
Nghị định: decree (n.)
Ban hành nghị định: to issue a decree
Có hiệu lực từ (+ngày tháng): to become effective from (+date);
to take effect (from +date);
to come into force from (+date)
Text 10
Activity 1: Read the letter below and answer the questions before translating it.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the purpose of the text?
3. What is the relationship between the letter writer and the recipient?

LASELL, INC.
676 Keenan Dr.
Fort Worth, Texas 76035
Dear customer,
As you may be well aware, Lasell has routinely received commendations
for our commitment to product safety. Every item that is sold under the Lasell
name is subject to rigorous product testing. When design flaws are detected, the
model is revised to eliminate the problem. In addition, our products are built
from the strongest plastics to ensure that you never have a problem with a Lasell
product.
In the unlikely event that products are released with previously
undetected flaws, great steps are taken to ensure that every flawed item is
removed from the market and replaced for customers.
Late last week, our exceptional quality assurance team identified a
previously undetected minor flaw in the air filters in our 6000X model. Because
our records show that you have recently purchased a 6000X vacuum cleaner,
 we want to inform you of this flaw and of your right to return the product for a
new one. Please be assured that there is absolutely no safety risk to you or any
operators of the machine. However, to ensure that you are satisfied with the
quality of our products, we would like to ask you to contact the Lasell store
nearest to you. The store will arrange to pick up your machine at your home at
a time that is convenient for you.
Our customers’ satisfaction is foremost on our mind, and we want to
make sure that you are not inconvenienced in any manner. A replacement
vacuum cleaner will be delivered at the time of the pickup. Furthermore,
customers who share in the exchange will receive a free gift in appreciation of
their business.
Sincerely,
Joe Glidden
Director,
Customer Satisfaction Department,
Lasell, Inc.

(extracted from a sample for TOEIC test, EnglishPost.org)

Activity 2: Translate the text into Vietnamese. Pay attention to appropriate terms
for the first and the second person in this text.
Language Note
For Vietnamese translators, the difficulty they face is more than a lack of an equivalent of
a business expression in Vietnamese. One of the problems they encounter is the asymmetry
in the first and the second person pronouns between the two languages. In English,
formality is indicated through the use of words, phrases, nominalization, and politeness-
associated sentence structures rather than through person pronouns. In Vietnamese, on the
other hand, your choice of person pronouns indicates your social hierarchy compared with
that of your partner, and the respect you show to him/her.
In business language, you do not speak from your point of view, but rather, on behalf
of the company. Your audience is not a specific person, but different groups. Therefore, a
good way to deal with the word choice is to use honorifics, which is often created by adding
‘Quý’ before a general noun describing the group of audience (e.g., quý độc giả, quý
khách). When there is no such general noun, the second person ‘you’ in English should be
translated as ‘quý vị’.
Text 11
Activity 1: Read the text below and answer the questions.
1. What is the purpose of the text?
2. Where do you probably find this text?
3. What is the relationship between the text writer and the text recipient?

Kính chào quý khách hàng của Ngân hàng ABC,

Chúng tôi xin gửi đến quý vị thông tin về thẻ ATM/Debit mới của
quý vị. Xin vui lòng đọc kĩ. Thông tin này sẽ giúp bảo vệ quý vị không bị kẻ
xấu lợi dụng thẻ của mình. Một số hướng dẫn liên quan tới thẻ đính kèm như
sau:
• Nếu thẻ ngân hàng ABC đính kèm ở đây dùng thay thế cho thẻ sắp
hết hạn, chỉ cần kí vào mặt sau của thẻ mới và dùng như bình thường.
Số PIN bí mật vẫn là số PIN quý vị đang dùng.
• Trong những trường hợp khác, vui lòng mang thẻ đến chi nhánh ngân
hàng ABC gần nhất để kí xác thực thẻ mới và chọn số PIN mới. Ngân
hàng ABC khuyến nghị quý khách không dùng ngày tháng năm sinh
làm số PIN. Xin lưu ý mang theo hai loại giấy tờ tùy thân, như hộ
chiếu, chứng minh thư, thẻ sinh viên, giấy phép lái xe hoặc thẻ tín
dụng do ngân hàng ABC cấp.
Nếu thẻ ngân hàng của quý vị bị thất lạc, đánh cắp hay hư hỏng, xin
vui lòng gọi đường dây hỗ trợ của ngân hàng ABC, hoạt động 24 giờ mỗi
ngày. Số điện thoại đường dây hỗ trợ có ở mặt sau của thẻ. Chúng tôi khuyến
nghị quý vị ghi chú số điện thoại này và lưu giữ cẩn thận. Xin lưu ý, vui lòng
hủy thẻ cũ của quý vị.
Xin quý vị đừng ngần ngại đến bất kì chi nhánh nào của chúng tôi bất
cứ khi nào quý vị có thắc mắc về ngân hàng ABC cũng như các dịch vụ của
chúng tôi.
Trân trọng,
Ngân hàng ABC

(adapted from Taylor & Malarcher, 2007)

 Activity 2: Translate the text into Vietnamese. Make sure it reads well for the target
audience.
Language Note
Addition and Omission in translating
As the two languages belong to two different linguistic families, we cannot deliberately
avoid adding or omitting certain words while translating texts between English and
Vietnamese as a result of the linguistic mismatch that exists between the SL and the TL.
Addition and omission arise from a lack of equivalents or a redundancy of meaning in the
TT.
Addition and omission are inevitable and accepted as techniques in translation at
the lexical, contextual, or structural levels. Bielsa and Bassnett (2009) argue that “the
information that passes between cultures [...] is not only translated in the interlingual sense,
it is reshaped, edited, synthesized and transformed for the consumption of a new set of
readers” (p.2).
There are many untranslatable or unnecessary words in Vietnamese that are often
omitted, such as the copulas ‘thì, mà là’ and particles ‘cái, con’. In addition, there are
correlative conjunctions that only need a single conjunction equivalent in English;
otherwise, it leads to the grammatical errors, such as ‘vì ... nên ...’ and ‘mặc dù ... nhưng
...’. These cannot be translated into English as ‘because ... so ...’ and ‘although ..., but ...’
and thus, one must be omitted. In English–Vietnamese translation, these words should be
added in Vietnamese target texts to sound fine to the ears of the Vietnamese audience.
In text 11, PIN is a borrowed word from an English acronym, which includes the
word ‘number’ in itself. Meanwhile, Vietnamese speakers cannot say PIN on its own right
because they have the habit of using particle before nouns. The word ‘số’ is, therefore, used
before PIN as a particle. In translating into English, this word ‘số’ must be omitted.
On the other hand, there must be some additions in the English text to ensure
grammaticality. For example, sentences like ‘Xin vui lòng đọc kĩ’ and ‘Chúng tôi khuyến
nghị quý vị ghi chú số điện thoại này và lưu giữ cẩn thận’ need the addition of an object
after the verb ‘đọc’ and ‘lưu giữ’. For the former sentence, the verb ‘read’ requires the
object ‘it’ (or ‘information’ that is mentioned in the preceding sentence), and for the latter,
the verb ‘keep’ (or ‘save’) needs ‘it’ (or ‘this number’ in the previous clause).

Text 12
Activity 1: Read the text below and answer the questions.
1. What is the purpose of the text?
2. Where do you probably find this text?
3. What is the relationship between the text writer and the text recipient?
 BLIXEN MEMORIAL THEATER
Annual Fundraising Event
January 19

Dear Friend of Blixen Memorial Theater,

As a non-profit performing art organization, we rely on membership and
fundraising efforts to support our operating cost. Every year at this time we hold a
drawing to help raise funds to meet a portion of our budget.
This is your chance to help Blixen Memorial Theater. Each individual who
donates $20 to the theater at this time will be eligible for a special prize. On May
20, we will select one name at random to receive this year’s prize – 4 tickets to each
of the 10 Blixen Memorial Theater performances for the upcoming year. (The
winner needs not to be present.) That’s 40 tickets, a $3,000 values!
To participate in this year’s drawing, simply complete the entry form and
mail it with your payment. We will send you a confirmation number for each $20
donation upon receipt. Every $20 you donate increases your chances of winning a
whole year’s worth of exciting performances. And even if your name is not
selected, you’ll still win by helping Blixen Memorial Theater offer high-quality
programs.
For further information, call the office at (507) 555-8826, ext. 908.
Sincerely,
Ann Kesler
Executive Director

Activity 2: Translate the text into Vietnamese. Make sure it reads well with the target
audience.

Language Note
Business formality
Most of the documents in Business and Services come in the form of letters or emails which
require specific language, layout, and etiquette that is impossible to cover within the scope
of this course material. However, to successfully translate business documents, translators
do need to know all these conventions. It is advisable, therefore, that you self-equip the
essentials for Business English in the following page:
https://www.businessenglishresources.com/learn-english-for-business/student-section/