Journal of Letters
Publication Date
2024-12-26
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate various translation challenges and methodologies inherent in the translation of Thai rice dish names into Chinese from a lexical semantics perspective, focusing on Chapter 2 of the recipe book Mae Krua Hua Pa as a case study. The researcher translated 44 Thai rice dish names into Chinese, dividing them into rice dishes and desserts. The research findings indicate two main principles: 1. The dish names whose lexical surface structure directly reflects the cooking method and main ingredients can be translated literally. 2. The food names whose meanings may be unclear can be divided into four sub-types: (a) dish names with semantic fuzziness, which lack clarity regarding the nature of the dish,
(b) dish names with phonetic borrowings, which may incorporate loanwords from other languages, necessitating additional investigation, (c) dish names with semantic generalization, which do not encapsulate the specific details of the dish beyond its general category, and (d) dessert names, which often employ rhetoric and may lack specific ingredient information, requiring examination of preparation methods or consultation of relevant literature for an accurate understanding of the dish names. When translating these dish names into Chinese, a combination of translation strategies is typically employed. Additional information may be incorporated into the dish name to emphasize the main ingredient or flavor. Simultaneously, efforts should be made to faithfully convey the significant semantic features from the original dish names to maintain consistency.
First Page
25
Last Page
47
Recommended Citation
Zumin, Yao; Likhidcharoentham, Siriwan; and Numtong, Kanokporn
(2024)
"Translation of Thai Rice Dishes’ Names into Chinese from a Lexical Semantics Perspective: A Case Study of Chapter 2 in the Recipe Book Mae Krua Hua Pa,"
Journal of Letters: Vol. 53:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/jletters/vol53/iss2/3