Publications
Publication details [#16935]
Publication type
Article in jnl/bk
Publication language
English
Keywords
Source language
Target language
Journal DOI
10.1075/babel
Abstract
This article explores the request speech acts in Thai and also examines the translation of requests from English in to Thai. The data from everyday conversations in Thai are analyzed in terms of linguistic structure and strategies of usage; the Thai ways of making a request can be either direct or indirect. In analyzing the translation of requests for English into Thai, the data from five novels are used. The study shows that to translate the request speech acts form the English source language into the Thai target language, the translator can very easily render the English imperatives into the Thai direct requests of imperatives. However, the final particles si, sii, ná, and nâ, which help soften the commanding effect of the English imperatives, are added. English interrogative forms of polite requests are translated into Thai by using het conventional indirect forms of yes-no question with het question markers dây măy or dây máy. And the polite final particles khá for females or khráp for males are sometimes added to match up with the varying degree of politeness of English interrogative form of request. As for the translation of the non-conventional requests in the declarative forms of hints or question-tags and in the question forms of pre-requests, the translator tasks lie first in an attempt to recognize the pragmatic vagueness of the forms and the importance of contextual and cultural variables need in the interpretation in the source language, and the proper linguistic forms are then chosen.
Source : Abstract in journal