A Study of the Translation Strategies for Cultural Terms in the Novel Khiao Suea Fai from Thai into English

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to analyze micro translation strategies applied when translating Thai cultural terms into English across the 15 chapters of the novel Khiao Suea Fai (or The Fang of the Fire Tiger) and 2) to examine the two translators’ macro translation strategies in transferring these cultural terms. To achieve these goals, Aixelá’s (1996) and Venuti’s (1995) frameworks were applied to investigate 454 cultural terms. The findings displayed the use of 10 micro-level translation strategies: 1) linguistic (non-cultural) translation, 2) synonymy, 3) absolute universalization, 4) orthographic adaptation, 5) deletion, 6) intratextual gloss, 7) limited universalization, 8) naturalization, 9) combined strategies, and 10) extratextual gloss. However, repetition and autonomous creation were not used in the research. At the macro level, it was found that both translators predominantly favored domestication as reflected in the micro translation strategies employed. This suggests that the translators prioritized the target readers, aiming to make Thai cultural terms more familiar and accessible to the target culture.