I'm trying to understand the following. The part in blue I cannot begin to make sense of, except a fairly wild guess from context, marked in red. I'm also unsure of how to understand the เมื่อ in the first clause, which I've rendered as 'With' rather than 'when'.

Any help or comments much appreciated.

เมื่อแก้วแรกเริ่ม เรื่องสนทนาว่าด้วยเรื่องสารทุกข์สุกดิบของแต่ละคน ผลัดกันถามผลัดกันตอบ ดื่มเหล้าไปคนละอึกสองอึกเลยเรื่อยไปถึงคนละแก้วสองแก้ว ตามอัตราการดื่มที่ไม่เคยติดมาตรวัด อาศัยความสบายส่วนตัวเป็นที่ตั้ง"

With the first drink, the conversation turned to how each had been. They took it in turns to ask and answer questions, and a few swigs turned into a few glasses, not paying any attention to how much they drank, but indulging themselves as they pleased.'

Edited December 7, 200916 yr by SoftWater

I have replied in more detail but my left hand hit something and there was a friendly ding-dong and I had lost it all, it is infuriating. Short version.

I think that you have done a good job, we all know the situation so there is really no need to work it out but here goes:

I have translated อาศัย as อาศัยที่ = เนื่องจาก because I think it needs a conjuction.

The rate of drinking determined by individual happiness without reference to measure was how it was.

edit:I see that you also thought 'but' was required, so maybe you will agree with me. I wonder if leaving the ที่ out of อาศัยที่ is any worse than adding วัด to มาตร

Edited December 8, 200916 yr by tgeezer

I think you have the gist right. For a 'straight' translation, I'd suggest:

...ตามอัตราการดื่มที่ไม่เคยติดมาตรวัด อาศัยความสบายส่วนตัวเป็นที่ตั้ง

...at a rate or drinking never measured [but instead] based on [each person's] personal comfort.

I'm choosing to translate อัตรา as 'rate' rather than 'quantity' but of course one leads to the other in a situation like the one described.

Feel free to ask if there are any specific words or parts causing confusion.

aanon

Thanks very much tgeezer and aanon. I think I see now how the words 'add up' to the meaning. There's just one niggling worry I have here which is the ที่ตั้ง at the end:

...ตามอัตราการดื่มที่ไม่เคยติดมาตรวัด อาศัยความสบายส่วนตัวเป็นที่ตั้ง

I'm familiar with this word as meaning either

'to set up' or 'establish' and as

'to intend', where I normally see it as ตั้งใจ

I'm not sure how to understand it here, in one of these ways or neither? Would the sentence be grammatically complete and equivalent in meaning if เป็นที่ตั้ง were left off? (I guess I mean: is it just a stylistic flourish or is it essential to the meaning? If essential, what is the meaning or sense that it contributes?).

Edited December 8, 200916 yr by SoftWater

Sounds like a sentence out of Mad Dogs & Co. - is it?

Sounds like a sentence out of Mad Dogs & Co. - is it?

Well spotted.

I'd say that เป็นที่ตั้ง in this case means 'as the basis' or 'as the guiding factor' [for each person's approach to their drinking]. เป็นหลัก is often used in this way too.

Thanks very much tgeezer and aanon. I think I see now how the words 'add up' to the meaning. There's just one niggling worry I have here which is the ที่ตั้ง at the end:

...ตามอัตราการดื่มที่ไม่เคยติดมาตรวัด อาศัยความสบายส่วนตัวเป็นที่ตั้ง

I'm familiar with this word as meaning either

'to set up' or 'establish' and as

'to intend', where I normally see it as ตั้งใจ

I'm not sure how to understand it here, in one of these ways or neither? Would the sentence be grammatically complete and equivalent in meaning if เป็นที่ตั้ง were left off? (I guess I mean: is it just a stylistic flourish or is it essential to the meaning? If essential, what is the meaning or sense that it contributes?).

เป็น is the verb, all before เป็น equates to ที่ตั้ง so I translated it as 'the way it was'. Closer to your ตั้งใจ would be how they decided to do it but I am assuming that they are inebriated by this stage, or is it not that bad?

I'm not sure how to understand it here, in one of these ways or neither? Would the sentence be grammatically complete and equivalent in meaning if เป็นที่ตั้ง were left off? (I guess I mean: is it just a stylistic flourish or is it essential to the meaning? If essential, what is the meaning or sense that it contributes?).

It isn't a stylistic flourish, อาศัยความสบายส่วนตัวเป็นที่ตั้ง is the complete thought, using Anon's answer อ้างถึงความสบายส่วนตัว เป็น หลัก

referring to individual contentment as the guiding principle. All the other stuff; one gulp two..one glass two.. without measure etc. is justified by this isn't it? I think that the meaning is often in the tail.