อับจน

[DavidHouston]

One of the definitions of the word "อับจน" in Lexitron is "[V] be at the end of one's rope; be driven to the wall; have no way out; be in an impasse". Lexitron also shows the following related words: "Synonyms. จนหนทาง, หมดหนทาง Antonyms. มีทางไป, มีหนทาง." The following sentence is the sample:

การขาดความเชื่อมั่นดังกล่าวกำลังนำมนุษยชาติไปสู่ความสิ้นหวัง และอับจนต่อการเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ในปัจจุบัน

Which of the following two English sentences do you think best reflects the meaning that the author is trying to convey? Or, please offer an alternative interpretation to better understand what the author is saying. My question involves both the Thai vocabulary and the syntax employed.

"This lack of confidence is bringing hopelessness and despair to mankind and a feeling of being at an impasse in trying to cope with the current crisis."

"This lack of confidence conveys hopelessness and despair to mankind and, in the current environment, people feel that they have no means to deal with any crisis they may face."

Thanks for your assistance.

Edited November 1, 2008 by DavidHouston

[tgeezer]

One of the definitions of the word "อับจน" in Lexitron is "[V] be at the end of one's rope; be driven to the wall; have no way out; be in an impasse". Lexitron also shows the following related words: "Synonyms. จนหนทาง, หมดหนทาง Antonyms. มีทางไป, มีหนทาง." The following sentence is the sample:

การขาดความเชื่อมั่นดังกล่าวกำลังนำมนุษยชาติไปสู่ความสิ้นหวัง และอับจนต่อการเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ในปัจจุบัน

I think that สู้ is the principle verb and there are two objects one a noun 'hopelessness' and the other อับจน is described as a คำวิศษณ์ not a verb, but if a verb it needs to be made a noun, unless like the English 'despair' it is both. Perhaps it is just rotten prose and we shouldn't try. Soooo,

'there is a lack of confidence somewhere which makes mankind confront hopelessness and despair when faced with a current crisis.

Questions:

' การเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ Does it all mean crisis or just the second word?

Can anyone translate หัวเลียวหัวต่อ ? Which is in the definition. It has the feeling of being a critical situation don't you think?

[DavidHouston]

Questions:

' การเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ Does it all mean crisis or just the second word?

Can anyone translate หัวเลียวหัวต่อ ? Which is in the definition. It has the feeling of being a critical situation don't you think?

การเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ means "confronting a crisis"

Lexitron: เผชิญ [V] to confront; face; brave; meet

Per Lexitron: หัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อ [N] turning point; critical point; transition

[bannork]

One of the definitions of the word "อับจน" in Lexitron is "[V] be at the end of one's rope; be driven to the wall; have no way out; be in an impasse". Lexitron also shows the following related words: "Synonyms. จนหนทาง, หมดหนทาง Antonyms. มีทางไป, มีหนทาง." The following sentence is the sample:

การขาดความเชื่อมั่นดังกล่าวกำลังนำมนุษยชาติไปสู่ความสิ้นหวัง และอับจนต่อการเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ในปัจจุบัน

Which of the following two English sentences do you think best reflects the meaning that the author is trying to convey? Or, please offer an alternative interpretation to better understand what the author is saying. My question involves both the Thai vocabulary and the syntax employed.

"This lack of confidence is bringing hopelessness and despair to mankind and a feeling of being at an impasse in trying to cope with the current crisis."

"This lack of confidence conveys hopelessness and despair to mankind and, in the current environment, people feel that they have no means to deal with any crisis they may face."

Thanks for your assistance.

David, I think you should change 'bring' to 'lead' ie-

This absence of confidence is leading the people to despair and a sense of no way out in the current crisis.

[aanon]

One of the definitions of the word "อับจน" in Lexitron is "[V] be at the end of one's rope; be driven to the wall; have no way out; be in an impasse". Lexitron also shows the following related words: "Synonyms. จนหนทาง, หมดหนทาง Antonyms. มีทางไป, มีหนทาง." The following sentence is the sample:

การขาดความเชื่อมั่นดังกล่าวกำลังนำมนุษยชาติไปสู่ความสิ้นหวัง และอับจนต่อการเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ในปัจจุบัน

Which of the following two English sentences do you think best reflects the meaning that the author is trying to convey? Or, please offer an alternative interpretation to better understand what the author is saying. My question involves both the Thai vocabulary and the syntax employed.

"This lack of confidence is bringing hopelessness and despair to mankind and a feeling of being at an impasse in trying to cope with the current crisis."

"This lack of confidence conveys hopelessness and despair to mankind and, in the current environment, people feel that they have no means to deal with any crisis they may face."

Thanks for your assistance.

David, I think you should change 'bring' to 'lead' ie-

This absence of confidence is leading the people to despair and a sense of no way out in the current crisis.

for อับจน here, I'd translate it as 'at a loss to' or 'incapable of' [coping with current crises] rather than feeling at a loss or feeling at an impasse etc.

all the best.

[DavidHouston]

Thank you, Khun Bannork and Khun Aanon for those suggestions. In addition, I received the following suggestion by PM for

" การขาดความเชื่อมั่นดังกล่าวกำลังนำมนุษยชาติไปสู่ความสิ้นหวัง และอับจนต่อการเผชิญวิกฤติการณ์ในปัจจุบัน"

from one of our Thai respondents:

" This lack of confidence is causing mankind to feel hopeless and to be at their wit's end in trying to cope with the current crisis."

This version treats the sentence as a single clause with two verb phrases in the predicate, just as the Thai version does.

Thanks again.

[bannork]

' To be at their wits' end' อับจน- that's a great translation phrase here.

[tgeezer]

' To be at their wits' end' อับจน- that's a great translation phrase here.

Normally I am not in to translation, but is is อับจน possibly the wrong word then, we are talking here about 'mankind' the species of man, to be at their wits end is more applicable to a housewife not knowing where the next shilling for the gas meter is coming from. Just a thought.

[bannork]

' To be at their wits' end' อับจน- that's a great translation phrase here.

Normally I am not in to translation, but is is อับจน possibly the wrong word then, we are talking here about 'mankind' the species of man, to be at their wits end is more applicable to a housewife not knowing where the next shilling for the gas meter is coming from. Just a thought.

This shows the problem of translating from extracts, I didn't translate it as mankind here as it seemed too grand, because what is the 'problem'? Is it Thai politics, global warming or what? That's why I went for 'people' (no Thai script here)

But I think 'at their wits' end' is appropriate as it implies their own ability to solve the crisis has failed, not that the crisis is unsolvable, and surely we can use this phrase even with scientists looking for breakthroughs, not only housewives!

[tgeezer]

' To be at their wits' end' อับจน- that's a great translation phrase here.

Normally I am not in to translation, but is is อับจน possibly the wrong word then, we are talking here about 'mankind' the species of man, to be at their wits end is more applicable to a housewife not knowing where the next shilling for the gas meter is coming from. Just a thought.

This shows the problem of translating from extracts, I didn't translate it as mankind here as it seemed too grand, because what is the 'problem'? Is it Thai politics, global warming or what? That's why I went for 'people' (no Thai script here)

But I think 'at their wits' end' is appropriate as it implies their own ability to solve the crisis has failed, not that the crisis is unsolvable, and surely we can use this phrase even with scientists looking for breakthroughs, not only housewives!

And so it seemed to me, but there it was 'Mankind'. I think it probably means everybody and I also suspect that it is a preamble to explaining the existence of religion.