Terminology question: Chủ trương, đường lối, chính sách

From: Sidel, Mark <mark-sidel@uiowa.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: "vsg@u.washington.edu" <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 7:32 AM

Dear VSGers,

How would you translate the difference between chính sách and chủ trương when they appear together (as in "chủ trương, đường lỗi, chính sách của Đảng")? chủ trương = programme or guidelines or guiding principles and chính sách = policy? A number of dictionaries do not differentiate quite that clearly.

Sorry if diacritics etc. do not show up as sent.

Thank you!

Mark Sidel

mark-sidel@uiowa.edu

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From: Hoang NgoHuu <hhoang161@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 8:17 AM

"Guiidelines" for "chu truong" and "duong loi" is ok and another term, in my own opinion. is "approach". In general. "chu truong" is the things which are thought to be done, to be "approached". When those things are "materialized", "concretized", they become "chinh sach". (policy). Let's imagine "chu truong" and "chich sach" are the TWO SIDES of a COIN.

Hope it helps.

Hoang Ngo

Department of Asian Studies

UT at Austin

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From: Hue-Tam Ho Tai <hhtai@fas.harvard.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 7:42 AM

An interesting question. I think the problem lies more with the English than with the Vietnamese! Chinh sach refers more to a political policy. In other words, I would not say use chinh sach to refer to my policies regarding grading exams or parenting. Chu truong refers to guiding principles and can also be used as a transitive verb. "Toi chu truong..."

Đường lối (acute accent, not the nga which means "error"--interesting typo!) would be more like a platform or program.

Hoping others chime in. And Happy Tet to all!

Hue-Tam Ho Tai

Harvard

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From: T. Nguyen <nguyenthanhbl@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 11:51 AM

Please check them in "Tu Dien Tieng Viet" compiled by Vietlex and published by Da Nang Publisher in 2007. This dictionary provides you with precise and clear definitions of these words.

Best,

Thanh Nguyen, Ph.D

Instructor, Vietnamese Language and Culture

Mission College

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From: Hoang t. Dieu-Hien <dieuhien@u.washington.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 11:59 AM

Mark,

I completely agree with chi Hue-Tam. I prefer <guiding principles> for chu truong than guidelines, which are more specific.

Would love to hear other thoughts also.

Hien

--

Hoang t. Dieu-Hien

Country Project Manager

International Training & Education Center on HIV (I-TECH)

University of Washington

901 Boren Ave, Suite 1100

Seattle, WA 98104-3508

Tel.: 206-543-3151

Fax: 206-221-4945

www.go2itech.org

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From: William Turley <wturley@siu.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 12:23 PM

Interesting indeed. I would have translated the complete phrase as "program, lines and policies of the Party" in a blink, "duong loi" being the word, in my non-native/non-linguist understanding of these things, that the Party has always used for the Marxist-Leninist notion of "line."

Bill Turley

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From: Sidel, Mark <mark-sidel@uiowa.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 12:22 PM

Attachments: winmail.dat

Many thanks to all. I think that the replies, both on- and off-line, have coalesced around some agreement....

Best wishes. MS

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