Translation Methods for Chinese Personal Pronouns into Thai: Based on the Novel “Eternal Love of Dream”

Abstract

A Research of Translation Methods for Chinese Personal Pronouns into Thai: Based on the Novel “Eternal Love of Dream” aims to study and analyze the translation methods of Chinese pronouns into Thai, based on the original Chinese novel ‘Eternal Love of Dream’ written by Tang Qi Gong Zi, and Thai translation by Lin Mou, with a total of 24 pronouns. The research results show that the translation methods of Chinese personal pronouns into Thai can be divided into 4 types: 1) Direct translation by transferring pronunciation or using phonetic equivalence, 2) Direct translation by conveying the meaning, 3) Translation using other words to expand or convey a clearer meaning, and 4) Translation by omitting the meaning of the word. The most commonly encountered translation method is direct translation, which involves conveying the meaning. When translating directly by conveying the meaning, it is essential to choose appropriate Thai language terms based on the gender, age, and status of the speakers since the Thai language offers more choices for pronouns than Chinese. The selection of pronouns in Thai varies depending on the speakers' status, and if inappropriate terms are chosen, it can lead to miscommunication. Furthermore, it was also found that there are certain pronouns that can be translated using more than one method, ensuring clarity in the context without distorting the original meaning.