Journal of Letters

An Analysis of the Thai Translations of Symbolic and Iconic Hybridity in Beloved and Things Falls Apart

Narongdej Phanthaphoommee — 2021-12-29

The objective of this study is to investigate Thai translations of postcolonial and African-American literature that contain linguistic hybridity as one of their main characteristics. The study applies Klinger’s (2015) concepts of symbolic and iconic hybridity in narration to explanations of the writers’ and translators’ intention to abrogate English writing norms by using non-standard language. The findings reveal that the Thai translators were unable to maintain the linguistic hybridity found in the source texts due to their use of additional cushioning and grammatically correct Thai language. Hence, the intention of the source texts to abrogate standard English disappears from the target texts. However, the translators and other translation agents might not have perceived the source texts’ linguistic hybridity as a translation problem, and therefore chosen to present the gist of the story rather than such a linguistic feature.

Some notes on language in the Chinese Versions of the Saddharma Puṇḍdarīka Sūtra

อภิวัฒน์ คุ้มภัย — 2021-12-29

The purpose of this article is to compare versions of the Saddharma Puṇḍdarīka Sūtra in Chinese. The study found that the Saddharma Puṇḍdarīka Sūtra has been translated into many Chinese versions, three of which exist in the present: Dharmarakṣa’s, Kumārajīva’s, and Jnanagupta & Dharmagupta’s version: this last being a supplemented version of Kumārajīva’s and therefore not a new translation. Among the Chinese versions mentioned above, Kumārajīva’s is the most popular. A comparison between Dharmarakṣa’s and Kumārajīva’s version reveals many differences, particularly in numeral usage, transliteration of proper names, use of religious terms, four-character phrases, continuous reduplication, precise description, use of colloquial sentences instead of archaic ones and descriptions of certain narratives. Kumārajīva’s version compiled in the Great Piṭaka of Emperor Qianlong, the Northern Piṭaka of Emperor Yongle, the Korean Great Piṭaka and the Taisho Great Piṭaka are slightly different. As for word usage, there are two main differences: use of the same word with different writing and use of different words with different meanings. As for the context of the sutra, it is found that certain verses of Chapter Twenty Three of The Former Deeds of Bodhisattva Medicine King in the Korean Great Piṭaka and the Taisho Great Piṭaka do not exist in Kumārajīva’s versions in the Great Piṭaka of Emperor Qianlong and the Northern Piṭaka of Emperor Yongle. It is assumed that these verses may have been later supplemented. The comparison between the Chinese versions of the Saddharma Puṇḍdarīka Sūtra not only contributes to the study of the sutra but also to the study of Chinese used in the Chinese version of the Saddharma Puṇḍdarīka Sūtra.

Assessing Scholarly Debates on the Significance of the Deity Xiwangmu in Han Dynasty Tomb Art

Pattira Thaithosaeng — 2021-12-29

This paper discusses differing representations of Xiwangmu in Han art and texts. While these representations share some characteristics that indicate the same deity, Han artists’ created a wide variety pictures of Xiwangmu in tomb murals. Many leading scholars have produced excellent pieces of scholarship regarding Xiwangmu as depicted in Han art. The Han period was a significant time for the transformation of Xiwangmu. Various descriptions of her were recorded in pre-Han texts, and she gradually became a deity representing yin during the Han dynasty. However, Han texts do not provide a clear explanation for this change. We believe that Han funerary art could offer evidence to fill this gap. Her images in tomb art are different in each area and each period. Scholars also interpret this archaeological evidence differently. Thus, the process of transformation may be difficult to unravel as there is no unified view concerning the image of Xiwangmu during the Han dynasty. We hope to offer insights regarding the evolution of Xiwangmu on the basis of scholarly debate.

Documenting Events:

Naya Sucha-xaya — 2021-12-29

Before Thai archival management was influenced by Western concepts, the Thai word for archives, jotmaihet, referred to the documentation of events. This definition differs from that of modern archives, which emphasizes the keeping of records with ongoing value. This article studies the roots of Thai archival practice, investigating the evolution of documentation in Thai society as well as its underlying principles. The research employs content analysis of various Thai archives and interviews with Thai national archivists and experts in documentation. The findings confirm that documentation is foundational to Thai archival practice, typically having been performed by scribes or archivists who themselves witnessed the events they documented. This practice may have been influenced by the Chinese tradition, and has been adapted until the present day in the National Archives of Thailand. At the same time, documentation of events has also been practiced by various civic groups to pass on knowledge and memories. Documentation has increasingly regained an important role in contemporary society, in which people have the power to document and manage archives themselves. Thus, it is recommended that a participatory approach should be pursued to widen and diversify documentation practices through technological connectivity.

The Use of First- and Second-Person Pronouns in German

Wilita Sriuranpong — 2021-12-29

First- and second-person pronouns are important for effective communication in many languages including German. Thus, learners and users of German as a foreign language have to be capable of using these address pronouns appropriately in various contexts and situations. This paper explores the usage of these pronouns in various contexts and with various meanings, arguing that there are many factors determining the use of these pronouns, especially du and Sie in contemporary German, such as age, social status, relationship between interlocutors and context of use. Therefore, in order to select appropriate address pronouns, learners and users of German need to possess sociopragmatic competence in addition to grammatical competence.

The impact of BTS Skytrain on Communities in Bangna District

Warunya Bamrongpong — 2021-12-29

Bangkok’s is growing rapidly, and developing both economically and socially, Therefore, there is increased demand for economic activity spaces. The city’s constant expansion puts strain on its public transportation system, including roads. As a result, Bangkok has a heavy traffic problem. To solve the problem, the first mass transportation system, the BTS Skytrain, was constructed and opened in 1999. The BTS Skytrain gives improved accessibility to the areas around its stations, which in turn affects the surrounding communities. This research explores the effects of the BTS Skytrain service on communities in the Bangna district. In–depth interviews were conducted with members of 22 communities within 1.6 kilometers of the BTS line. Results shows that the BTS Skytrain affects communities in the area in a variety of ways, include economically, socially, and environmentally. The positive effects included more convenient travel, increased income and increased land prices. At the same time there were several negative effects such as increased rent, expensive BTS tickets, the dust from the BTS and condominium construction, and drainage problems in the areas adjacent to condominiums.

When the Dark Shadow of Virtual Reality Intrudes into the Real World

Siriporn Sriwarakan — 2021-12-29

This paper studies Ursula Poznanski’s Erebos (2010), a German young adult novel, in terms of the concerns it raises about the dangers of and solutions to computer game addiction among young adults. The novel shows the dominance of the computer game “Erebos,” which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to process the interests and desires of its players. These players are shown attaching themselves to their virtual selves so much that they deny their real-world selves, and are then manipulated by the Erebos AI to commit acts of violence. On the other hand, the novel reveals that such obsession can be solved when the protagonist, one of the addicted gamers, learns to recognize the violence caused by this computer game after he comes across a violent incident in which some addicted players attack Erebos’ enemies in the real world. Such presentation shows that the novel has a hopeful view towards computer game dominance, that the problem can be solved through the perception of violent experience resulting from domination of a computer game, and through learning that one should not resort to violence to solve problems.

Female Characters and Suffering from Sexual Violence in Saowari’s Literary Works

Supalak Homchuen — 2021-12-29

This article aims to study the sexual violence inflicted on female characters in Saowari’s works, both in terms of the impact on the characters and criticizing social myths. The result shows that the significant effect on female characters is suffering haunting of the past. Moreover, such psychological effects resulted in the female characters losing their sense of mother. In addition, society is traumatizing the female characters who are sexually abused, by using the value of a good woman, a pure woman, to judge and evaluate them. While justice from men’s view treats victim's body as tangible evidence without any emotional dimension, thus, the demanding justice becomes inflicting pain on women. For criticizing the social myths, Saowari’s uses literary elements as an important tool, namely victim-criminal characters and time and place which are different from the stereotype of sexual violent event in the society.

Front Matter

Kanya Wattanagun — 2021-12-29