Hello and welcome to VOV’s Letter Box, our weekly feature dedicated to our listeners throughout the world. We are Mai Phuong and Phuong Khanh.
A: First, we’d like to welcome Madan Barupal of India to our program. Sending New Year wishes to VOV, Madan Barupal called VOV’s English programs very good and said he liked the programs very much.
B: Thank you, Madan Barupal, for tuning in to our programs. We hope to hear more from you. You can also check out our website at www.vovworld.vn to listen to our programs again or for the streaming of our English 24/7 program that we broadcast from 6AM to 12PM, Vietnam time.
A: In an email to VOV this week, SB Sharma of India wrote: “On January 20, I listened to VOV at 1600 UTC on 7220 khz with good reception. The 12th National Party Congress is widely covered in all news and current affairs. The report on the congress was very elaborative. I’m eager to listen to later programs on policies and governance of Vietnam, Vietnam’s external policy and the welfare of Vietnamese people”.
Vietnam's 12th National Party Congress was a success |
B: Thank you, SB Sharma, for your report. Today, January 27th, the 12th National Party Congress has elected 200 members to the 12th Party Central Committee, which comprises 180 official members and 20 alternate members.
A: 100 members of the 11th Party Central Committee were re-elected, including seven Politburo members: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Vice Chairwomen Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Tong Thi Phong, Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Dinh The Huynh, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan.
B: For more information about the outcomes of the Congress and Vietnam’s future orientations, please keep tuning in to our broadcasts.
A: Philip Brennan of Australia sent us a reception report from Darwin Australia. He wrote: “Your English language program was received here this evening between the hours of 1000 - 1020 UTC on 12020 khz. Reception was very good showing 10+ on my signal meter. I am using a CommRadio CR1 receiver running off two EWE antennas oriented north east and north west. Thank you for continuing to broadcast in shortwave. I enjoy receiving your broadcasts and have a particular interest in Vietnam, having traveled there for one month in 2009. It is a beautiful country with very charming people. Happy New Year!”
B: Thank you, Philip, for your report. We wish you all the best for the New Year. Sending reception reports to VOV’s broadcasts on January 13th, 15th, and 19th, on the frequencies of 7280 and 5955 khz, Farid Rami of Algeria wrote: “Greetings and peace. I’m very pleased to send you my reception report. I want to thank you for the programs and I hope you will have more progress. I’m following your radio on shortwave and visit your website several times each week. I have a question: Who are the best writers in the history of Vietnam”.
A: Well, it’s not an easy question. In each historical period, we have had prominent literary works and outstanding writers. Today, we will just tell you about Nguyen Du, Vietnam’s most prominent poet and a World Cultural Figured recognized by UNESCO.
The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du |
B: Nguyen Du, who was born in 1765 and died in 1820, wrote many valuable works, the most famous being The Tale of Kieu. This masterpiece has been now translated into more than 20 languages and is cherished for its creativity, independent thinking, and distillation of Vietnamese culture. For 2 centuries, critics have been discussing and analyzing the work from many different angles.
A: The Tale of Kieu was written in Chu Nom, a logographic script formerly used to write the Vietnamese language and comprises 3,254 verses in six-eight word form. The plot reflects Vietnamese society in the 19th century through the life of Vuong Thuy Kieu, a woman living out a cruel fate.
B: Throughout his writing, Nguyen Du ponders love and the human heart. The Tale of Kieu is filled with the pain of human life and the desire for happiness, freedom and justice, while denouncing the atrocity of the regime. The story is viewed as the pinnacle of Vietnamese literature because of its humanity and the perfect beauty of its language.
A: According to Dr. Ngo Van Gia, a lecturer at Hanoi University of Culture, Nguyen Du left a huge legacy of ideology, content and artistic value. He contributed in a major way to Vietnam’s national literature and cultural heritage. He beautified and enriched the Vietnamese language. It is said that the Tale of Kieu elevated Vietnamese and made it a language of literature and culture. Nguyen Du showed great passion and extraordinary creativity. He was one of the personalities Vietnam is most proud of.
B: The Tale of Kieu is included in today’s school curricula and has been adapted for theater and cinema. Many Vietnamese learn the tale by heart and recite verses to describe specific circumstances in their lives. The story’s characters are often involved to praise good deeds or criticize vices. The Tale of Kieu is even used to tell a person’s fortune.
A: An Association of The Tale of Kieu Studies has been established in Vietnam. Nguyen Du’s epic poem has global influence. During his visit to Vietnam in 2000, former US President Bill Clinton recited a verse that goes: “Lotus fades, chrysanthemums blossom”.
B: On the sidelines of a UNESCO meeting which honored poet Nguyen Du, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam National UNESCO Commission, called the tribute a proud moment for Vietnam. The poet was praised for his patriotism and national pride. He used that strength to create master works in his own language, overcoming the strong influence that Chinese characters had on Vietnamese for thousands of years.
A: That’s a brief on Vietnam’s prominent poet Nguyen Du. Today we’d like to acknowledge letters and emails from Jaisakthivel and Ratan Kumar Paul of India, Mizanur Raman and Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh. We have sent you QSL cards to confirm your reports.
B: We welcome your feedback at: English section, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time.