Influence of Cultural and Linguistic Distance on Specific Terminology Equivalent Translation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/bej.2023.15Keywords:
cultural Influence, linguistic distance, food terminology, Thai, Lao, English, ChineseAbstract
The present study investigated the cultural and linguistic distance influences on specific terminology equivalent translation. Specific terminology in this research is food terminology. This is because food tradition is an important aspect of human and closed relates to human culture. The languages included in this study are Thai, Lao, and English, and Chinese Languages. The research procedure consists of conducting focus group in order to identify specific food terms of four ethnic community in a province in Thailand, named Ratchaburi Province, equivalent translation procedure, and questionnaire evaluation methods. The focus group method consisted of two groups of participants as ten representatives of ethnic community in the research area and the nine translators, who are native speakers of Lao, English, and Chinese Languages. Then, translation from Thai food terms to Lao, and English, and Chinese Languages by translators, who are native speakers of Lao, English, and Chinese Languages was conducted. Questionnaire evaluation was employed in two groups of subjects: nine translators and thirty bachelor’s degree students in translation course to study translation difficulties and 20 native speakers of each Lao, English, either Chinese language who read translation words obtained from translation procedure. The results revealed that translation and understanding difficulties from Thai to Lao was rated at being extremely easy, followed by from Thai to Chinese, and finally, from Thai to English was rated at being difficult. The causes of difficulties were explained in terms of specific cultural and linguistic distance influence. The paper also illustrates the examples of translation items to reveal the influence of cultural and linguistic distance on translation of specific terminology.
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