Questions From ฉันคืออารี่

[kokesaat]

"หรือว่าเบื้องบนลิขิตให้เราจะต้องเข้ามาย่ำกรายอยู่ในวงการชีวิตกลางคืน

or was it heaven's will that led us into nightlife circle."

I was thinking along those lines......but tried to think along 'eastern/karma' lines. In the end, it's pretty much the same thing.

Can anyone offer a suggestion for หรือว่าเราหนีไม่พันอาชีพนี้คิดไปต่างๆ นานา?

The last two pages of that chapter (p. 59-61) are unlike the first 58 pages......much more difficult to understand, but I think I've worked my way through them.

[bhoydy]

หรือว่าเราหนีไม่พ้นอาชีพนี้ - or is it an inevitability of us doing this kind of work?

it's พ้น not พัน

คิดไปต่างๆ นานา i'm not sure about this but it's coming at the end of her talking about the various possibilities of why she's ended up like this so maybe something like 'to ponder over the various (scenarios)' which in a translation would probably fit best at the start of that paragraph.

Perhaps "I've been thinking about things and i can't get it out of my head about why i ended up like this, hanging around with these nightcrawlers all the time. Was i partly destined to be in these close knit nightlife circles or is it an inevitability of us doing this kind of work?

[kokesaat]

"I've been thinking about things and i can't get it out of my head about why i ended up like this, hanging around with these nightcrawlers all the time. Was i partly destined to be in these close knit nightlife circles or is it an inevitability of us doing this kind of work?"

I like your style of translation......I try put things into 'everyday speak', but it doesn't always work. I'll add 'nightcrawlers' to my list.

Thanks everyone.

[mangkorn]

Words that she employs with great frequency throughout the book are: ค่อนข้าง and หนำซ้ำ. The first is generally used when describing someone's character or personality, the second usually when narrating someone's actions.

I'm just wondering how common those are in everyday speech (particularly the second one)? Thanks.

[kokesaat]

In one of my นิทานพื้บ้านอีสาน stories, I came across มิหนำซ้ำ.....'moreover'. I can't remember how นำซ้ำ is used in this story, but I assumed it was just a shorted version of มิหนำซ้ำ

Likewise I ran across ค่อนข้าง in some of the Thomas Gething Intermediate reader series and some of the นิทานพื้บ้านอีสาน stories I read. I've seen it enough in print that I remember it, but can't recall ever using it in something I've said.

[kokesaat]

On page 70, เอรี่ says:

ฉันคิดเสมอว่า ยิ่งฉันลำบากแค่ไหน ผู้หญิงไทยในฮองกงก็ลำบากเหมือนฉันกันทั้งนั้น

My translation: I always tell myself that no matter how difficult it is for me (being a prostitute), all the Thai girls in Hong Kong are going through the same hardship.

I'm a little thrown by how ยิ่ง fits into the ยิ่งฉันลำบากแค่ไหน pattern.

Do I have the right idea? or is there a better way to word the translation?

[mangkorn]

For you few fans of this extraordinary storytelling, and lovely plain-style prose, she has just published the second installment of her memoirs. It carries the same title, with the subtitle: กับประสบการณ์ท้องคุก The cover photo is different, too. SE-ED now has both displayed together (store clerks say they're flying off the shelves...) Enjoy.

[Joosesis]

Okay....this book is waaaay above my fourth grade reading level, but I thought I'd give it a try. I read a paragraph a day and make flash cards of the words I don't know. It's progressing nicely and am already on page 12! (haha...the book starts on page 11 )

I have a question... ป๊านากายาม่า must be a Japanese loan word, but I can't figure out what it is: ฉันก็ถูกป๊านากายาม่าเจ้านายของฉันที่เป็นยากูซ่าซ้อม

[eric67]

I think it's actually 2 words: ป๊า is a Thai word and นากายาม่า is a Japanese name.

This is what usually trips me up too when reading Thai, names of people and places

[kokesaat]

"I have a question... ป๊านากายาม่า must be a Japanese loan word, but I can't figure out what it is: ฉันก็ถูกป๊านากายาม่าเจ้านายของฉันที่เป็นยากูซ่าซ้อม"

ป๊านากายาม่า is the name of the Japanese ยากูซ่า who bought her out and 'adopted her like a daughter'. เอรี่ refers to him as ป๊า.

I suspect you're reading the second book in this series....as the first book pages 12/13 don't refer to ป๊า. The second book is the one on the right in the photo.

In either case, stick with it.....my reading level is about like yours......I try to do a page or two a day. it certainly hasn't been easy, but it's sort of an interesting read and more captivating that Aesops tales (been there done that)

[Joosesis]

Ah! Good to know...yes, I am reading the second book in the series. I didn't realize it was the second book. Hmmm.... well, I shouldn't worry too much about missing plot. Since I read at such a slow place, I don't think it will matter too much. I'm not back in Thailand until November, but I'll try and get the first book then.

Thanks for the help on the name of the yakuza guy!

[a51mas]

ป๊า is a borrowed Chinese word means "daddy".

ฉันก็ถูกป๊านากายาม่าเจ้านายของฉันที่เป็นยากูซ่าซ้อม - I was rough up by my master daddy Nagayama, he is a member of of the yakusa.:jap:

[Gaccha]

ป๊า is a borrowed Chinese word means "daddy".

ฉันก็ถูกป๊านากายาม่าเจ้านายของฉันที่เป็นยากูซ่าซ้อม - I was rough up by my master daddy Nagayama, he is a member of of the yakusa.:jap:

Nagayama

Nakayama

...why do Thais translate the distinct 'k' sound of Japanese as a 'g'.......

[mangkorn]

Whenever she refers to gold, she uses the word บาท - presumably, a weight/value measure. How much does 1 บาท correspond to in other terms?

Thanks.

[a51mas]

Whenever she refers to gold, she uses the word บาท - presumably, a weight/value measure. How much does 1 บาท correspond to in other terms?

Thanks.

15 grams.

[kokesaat]

I'd like to know the difference between ฉันทำไม่ลง and ฉันทำไม่ได้. On p.148 (volume 1), the author talks about her Thai boyfriend พี่พี and the boyfriend's wife กบ. When กบ welcomes เอรี่ to live with her and her husband (despite the fact that she is a prostitute), เอรี่ decides she can't agree to do it, because กบ is such a good person.

The passage in question ฉันก็เสียใจ และทำไม่ลง

Here's my interpretation:

A friend asks me to go with him to steal a car. I tell him ฉันทำไม่ได้ (I can't do it.......it's not right).

A friend asks me to go with him to steal a car. I tell him I'll do it. But later (after considering the ramifications) I tell him, ฉ้นทำไม่ลง (I've changed my mind......I can't agree to do it).

Am I on the right track?

SIDE NOTE: When considering the benefits of learning to read (Thai), I can't recall anyone mentioning how reading gives the learner much deeper insight into the Thai way of thinking. There are several examples of this in this particular book, but the example on p.148 of a Thai wife welcoming a 'mia noi' to come live with her and her husband boggles my western mind...and I've been married to a Thai woman for 38 years.

Back on topic.....looking for the difference between ทำไม่ได้ and ทำไม่ลง. All help appreciated.

[Peppy]

ทำไม่ได้ I can't (couldn't, wouldn't be able to) do it. (Broad meaning--perhaps I'm actually incapable, or perhaps simply unwilling.)

ทำไม่ลง I can't (couldn't, wouldn't be able to) bring myself to do it. (More specific--I'm probably capable of doing it, but I'm not willing to.)

[kokesaat]

"I can't bring myself to do it."

Thanks!

[kokesaat]

เอรี่ refers to a friend of hers as: พี่เบียร์ก็เป็นแม่บุญทุ่มตัวโยง (top of page 172)

A Thai friend of mine says แม่บุญทุ่ม would be roughly the opposite of a sugar daddy. I'm not sure how the ตัวโยง plays into the meaning. Any ideas?