Something To Read

[tgeezer]

ก่อนอื่นต้องขอออกตัวไว้ก่อนคะว่ามารับหน้าที่ผู้ควบคุมกิจการห้องนวดฯ เท่านั้นยังไม่ได้รับเป็นพนักงานนวด เพราะมีหลาย ๆ ท่านแวะมาแซวกันบอย ๆ ว่าย้ายมาเป็นพนักงานนวดแล้วหรือจึงขอใช้โอกาสนี้ชี้แจงไห้ทราบโดยทั่วกันค่ะ แต่ถ้าเปลียนใจแล้วจะแจ้งให้ทราบ...

Written by a 'lady soldier' 'roy to' in charge of the massage at the Army golf course. I like it especially the last bit which is a good retort to people being over familiar since they may be senior in rank. " if I change my mind I will let you know." It shows how uncomplicated everyday communication can be.

[DavidHouston]

Geezer,

Please provide a translation for us. I am having trouble understanding the syntax of the sentences and hence how the phrases fit together as a comprehensive story. Sorry for being so thick. I look forward to your translation. Thanks

[meadish_sweetball]

Can I have a go?

ก่อนอื่นต้องขอออกตัวไว้ก่อนคะว่า มารับหน้าที่ผู้ควบคุมกิจการห้องนวดฯ เท่านั้น ยังไม่ได้รับเป็นพนักงานนวด เพราะมีหลาย ๆ ท่านแวะมาแซวกันบอย ๆ ว่า ย้ายมาเป็นพนักงานนวดแล้วหรือ จึงขอใช้โอกาสนี้ชี้แจงไห้ทราบโดยทั่วกันค่ะ แต่ถ้าเปลียนใจแล้วจะแจ้งให้ทราบ...

Freely:

First, I would like to clarify that I have only accepted the position of overseeing the spa business and not (yet) as a masseuse; because several of you have come by and asked me in jest 'So you've transferred to become a masseuse, have you?'. Therefore I'd like to seize this opportunity to inform you all [that this is not so] - but if I change my mind I will let you know.

I had to look up the meaning of ออกตัว and thai2english.com gives two sets of meaning:

[ V ] be newly sold ; be newly promoted ; be new distributed

[ V ] defend ; protect ; shield ; plead ; alibi

The second set being more likely in this case - i.e. something along the lines of she wants to 'plead her case' or 'defend herself against accusations'. I chose to translate with 'clarify'. Even though it does not seem to be an exact cognate of the word, it works well in the English context... I thought.

แซว - speak in jest; joke (my own definitions)

ชี้แจงไห้ทราบโดยทั่ว - let everybody know [point out/indicate for everybody to know/for public knowledge]

[aanon]

good job meadish.

[tgeezer]

Can I have a go?

ก่อนอื่นต้องขอออกตัวไว้ก่อนคะว่า มารับหน้าที่ผู้ควบคุมกิจการห้องนวดฯ เท่านั้น ยังไม่ได้รับเป็นพนักงานนวด เพราะมีหลาย ๆ ท่านแวะมาแซวกันบอย ๆ ว่า ย้ายมาเป็นพนักงานนวดแล้วหรือ จึงขอใช้โอกาสนี้ชี้แจงไห้ทราบโดยทั่วกันค่ะ แต่ถ้าเปลียนใจแล้วจะแจ้งให้ทราบ...

Freely:

First, I would like to clarify that I have only accepted the position of overseeing the spa business and not (yet) as a masseuse; because several of you have come by and asked me in jest 'So you've transferred to become a masseuse, have you?'. Therefore I'd like to seize this opportunity to inform you all [that this is not so] - but if I change my mind I will let you know.

I had to look up the meaning of ออกตัว and thai2english.com gives two sets of meaning:

[ V ] be newly sold ; be newly promoted ; be new distributed

[ V ] defend ; protect ; shield ; plead ; alibi

The second set being more likely in this case - i.e. something along the lines of she wants to 'plead her case' or 'defend herself against accusations'. I chose to translate with 'clarify'. Even though it does not seem to be an exact cognate of the word, it works well in the English context... I thought.

แซว - speak in jest; joke (my own definitions)

ชี้แจงไห้ทราบโดยทั่ว - let everybody know [point out/indicate for everybody to know/for public knowledge]

Close enough but in the army context she did not accept it she was assigned so she says,

" Since many of you have come in and kidded me about moving to became a masseur, before I say anything else I would like to take this opportunity of making it clear that I am in charge of the massage shop only but if I change my mind I will let you know."

Only she knows what she meant and being ex-military I have put my slant on it, meeting the lady would put another slant on it maybe, for instance if she was pretty the offer of letting us know if she changes her mind would be more significant than if not. The fact that people have enjoyed kidding her probably means she is worth flattery. I should have made the context clearer, the opportunity to which she refers is the fact that the newsletter is a periodical to which each department contributes, this is a preamble, and is followed by her report. The club is run by a full general who will doubtless read this and it gives her the oportunity to show what a 'good egg' she is and how well she handles the 'boys'.

[tgeezer]

I think if she is a 'fox' the better word would be 'teaze'

One of my ใม้ is ไม้: thank's for pointing it out David but I think it is more value left in, I tried to reply to your mail using a previous mail you sent me and your name was not recognised so I haven't figured our how to go further.

Edited February 10, 2008 by tgeezer

[meadish_sweetball]

In terms of style, I am impressed with your rearrangement of the sentence - much better flow and stringency than my version (and the original) - and take your point about 'transferred' as well.

I did not attempt any clause rearrangements myself as I wanted to make the relation to the Thai text clearer for anyone who tries to decipher what I did.

One of my ใม้ is ไม้: thank's for pointing it out David but I think it is more value left in

ํYou mean the spelling of ให้, right?

[tgeezer]

In terms of style, I am impressed with your rearrangement of the sentence - much better flow and stringency than my version (and the original) - and take your point about 'transferred' as well.

I did not attempt any clause rearrangements myself as I wanted to make the relation to the Thai text clearer for anyone who tries to decipher what I did.

One of my ใม้ is ไม้: thank's for pointing it out David but I think it is more value left in

ํYou mean the spelling of ให้, right?

That is very kind of you. You are absolutely right if people can't get the hang of it from the dictionary, it saved me the trouble of trying to do it which I probably couldn't anyway. I went to find her yesterday to see, but she was not in there. The point is I was happy to read it and thrilled when I finally got it after reading it over and over, at first I took it as a threat that she could report them for misbehavior, because I thought of แจ้ง in the only real context I had seen (police) and until your post I had not realized that the หลายๆ was referring visitors not to the staff. That may sound stupid I haven't got the copy here but definitely remember thinking that. In the end of course it doesn't make a hel_l of a lot of difference the gist of it would still be ok. For my level it is enough though not for a school, I wont be writing or speaking any original Thai.

yes to ให้ typing errors can be helpful although I didn't intend it that time.

Edited February 12, 2008 by tgeezer