DIRECT REFUSAL ACTS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE BASED ON THE NOVEL “GONE WITH THE WIND” AND ITS TRANSLATED VERSION “CUỐN THEO CHIỀU GIÓ”

Tóm tắt

The article explores direct refusals in English and their Vietnamese equivalents through a comparative analysis of the direct refusals in the novel “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell and the Vietnamese translated version “Cuốn theo chiều gió” by Vũ Kim Thư. The study’s primary aim is to examine how refusals are expressed in English and how these expressions are translated into Vietnamese, considering linguistic differences. In order to achieve the set aims and objectives, descriptive and comparative methods are employed and supported by qualitative and quantitative methods with data including 87 direct refusals. The findings suggest that the core component that plays a central role in the structure representing direct refusals includes negative words and words with negative connotations. In terms of constructive methods, both languages commonly use negative words such as no, not, never, nothing, no interest ... in English and không, thôi, ... in Vietnamese. Besides, no data for the direct refusal acts with the nuclear as performative verbs were found. This research also provides valuable insights for language teachers, learners, and scholars interested in the intersection of language, culture, and communication.