Thai-English Translation Strategies in the Bilingual Book ‘A Constitution for Living: Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life’
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
A review of the literature indicates that Pali-based Theravada Buddhist texts, particularly those from Thailand, remain underexplored in translation studies, particularly regarding structural translation strategies. This qualitative study, therefore, examined word- and structural-level translation strategies from Thai into English in the bilingual Theravada Buddhist text ‘A Constitution for Living: Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life’, written by Phra Brahmagunabhorn (P.A. Payutto) and translated by Bruce Evans (Payutto, 2007). For word-level analysis, Baker’s (2018) translation strategies were used as the analytical framework. However, additional strategies that emerged beyond this framework were also identified and analyzed. For the analysis of structural-level translation strategies, thematic analysis was employed. The findings revealed eight word-level translation strategies, with loanwords (with or without explanation) being the most frequent. At the structural level, five strategies were identified, with noun phrase restructuring being the most common. Arguably, these findings help extend research on the translation of Buddhist texts and provide practical insights for translators and educators.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
ข้อความรู้ใดๆ ตลอดจนข้อคิดเห็นใดๆ เป็นของผู้เขียนแต่ละท่านโดยเฉพาะ คณะมนุษยศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยนเรศวร และกองบรรณาธิการวารสารมนุษยศาสตร์ฯ ไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นพ้องด้วย
References
Al-Harahsheh, A. (2013). Translation of Islamic texts and ideology. Arab World English Journal, Special Issues on Translation, (2), 107-117. https://awej.org/translation-of-islamic-texts-and-ideology/
Angsuwan, W. (2017). Translation strategies and Thai identities in the English translated versions of Thai Buddhist books: The case study of ‘Good kids stories with V. Vachiramedhi. SSRN. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2980639
Baker, M. (1992). In other words: A coursebook on translation. Routledge.
Baker, M. (2006). Translation and conflict: A narrative account. Routledge.
Baker, M. (2011). In other words: A coursebook on translation (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Baker, M. (2018). In other words: A coursebook on translation (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Braun, E. (2013). The birth of insight: Meditation, modern Buddhism, and the Burmese monk Ledi Sayadaw. University of Chicago Press.
Chateau Health & Wellness. (2025, September 4). How to improve mental clarity: 10 techniques for a calmer, sharper mind. https://www.chateaurecovery.com/what-is-mental-clarity-discover-the-hidden-secrets
Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131644600200010
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
Crosby, K. (2013). Theravada Buddhism: Continuity, diversity and identity. Wiley-Blackwell.
Davies, E. E. (2003). A goblin or a dirty nose? The treatment of culture-specific references in translations of the Harry Potter books. The Translator, 9(1), 65-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2003.10799146
Gaffney, S. (2000). Do the Tibetan translations of Indian Buddhist texts provide guidelines for contemporary translators?. SOAS Literary Review, 2, 1-15.
Gray, K. M., Namgyal, D., Purcell, J., Samphel, T., Sonam, T., Tenzin, K., Tsering, D., Worthman C. M., & Eisen, A. (2020). Found in translation: Collaborative contemplations of Tibetan Buddhism and Western science. Frontiers in Communication, 4, Article 76. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00076
Guest, G., MacQueen, K. M., & Namey, E. E. (2012). Applied thematic analysis. SAGE Publications.
Gombrich, R. (2009). What the Buddha thought. Equinox Publishing.
Kapur-Fic, A.R. (1998). Thailand: Buddhism, society, and women. Abhinav Publications.
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). An application of hierarchical kappa-type statistics in the assessment of majority agreement among multiple observers. Biometrics, 33(2), 363-374. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/884196/
Larson, M. L. (1984). Meaning-based translation: A guide to cross-language equivalence. University Press of America.
McCarty, S. (2023). Translation issues in the rapid transmission of esoteric Buddhism from India to China to Japan. Gyankosh Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 1-4.
Munday, J. (2016). Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications (4th ed.). Routledge.
Naudé, J. A. (2020). Translations of sacred texts and the shaping, reshaping and circulation of religious knowledge in monotheistic religions with written traditions: A South African perspective. Journal for Semitics, 29(1), 1-45. https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/8005
Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice Hall.
Nida, E. A. (1964). Toward a science of translating: With special reference to principles and procedures involved in Bible translating. E. J. Brill.
Payutto, P. A. (2007). A constitution for living: Buddhist principles for a fruitful and harmonious life. Buddhist Publication Society. https://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp620s_Payutto_A-Constitution-For-Living.pdf
Payutto, P. A. (2015). Dictionary of Buddhism. Dhammatan Kusoljit Foundation.
Premjit, P, & Takam, N. (2025, May 15). Thai society’s religious diversity celebrated through landmarks, festivals. Bangkok Post. https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/3026400
Riangsiri, P. (2018). The translation strategies of Buddhist terms from Thai into English in Dhutanga: What to do? Where? What for? by P.A. Payutto. In the Proceedings of the 2nd National and International Research Conference 2018: NIRC 11 2018 (pp. 617-628). Buriram Rajabhat University.
Saldana J. M. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Sawangwarorot, B. (1987). Translation of Buddhist principles. Pasaa Paritat Journal, 8(Special Issue), 38-51.
Suwannatrai, B., & Yanapalo, P. T. (2023). Transcending boundaries: English language communication in contemporary Buddhist contexts. Journal of Dhamma for Life, 29(3), 250-267. https://so08.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/dhammalife/article/view/2165
Swearer, D. K. (2010). The Buddhist world of Southeast Asia. SUNY Press.
Tamang, K. (2025). Translation and its features: Insight into Buddhist aspects. Journal of Buddhist Studies (TU), 2(2), 67-84. https://doi.org/10.3126/jbuddhists.v2i2.84093
Thawornwong, C. (2003). An analysis of translation strategies for constructing meaning equivalence at the word level in a selected Buddhist translation test: A case study of the mode of practice of Venerable Acharn Mun Bhuridatta Thera [Master’s thesis]. Burapha University. https://digital_collect.lib.buu.ac.th/dcms/files/41911453.pdf
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator’s invisibility: A history of translation. Routledge.
Wongseree, T. (2021). Translation of Thai culture-specific words into English in digital environment: Translators’ strategies and use of technology. REFLections, 28(3), 334-356. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v28i3.254613
Yan, L., & Ren, D. (2026). A quantitative analysis of translators of Buddhist sutras into Chinese: Composition and structural determinants. Perspectives, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2026.2641814
