泰国曼谷市中心语言景观音译使用不规范及解决方法

Abstract

本文在充分肯定音译法作为基本翻译方法之一的前提下，深入分析了音译在曼谷市中心语言景观标牌中的使用现状，特别是其中存在的翻译不规范现象。音译法作为一种将外语词汇按照发音转写成目标语言的翻译方法，应用于多语种环境中，例如： 公共标识、商业广告和文化交流场所。音译法在跨文化传播中具有重要作用，但在实际应用过程中，由于语言差异、文化认知不同以及翻译标准不统一等因素，曼谷市中心的语言景观中的音译使用往往存在一定的偏差。为了更全面了解音译在曼谷市中心的使用情况，本文通过实地调查，系统总结了曼谷市中心官方和非官方语言景观中音译不规范的具体表现。研究发现，官方标识和非官方标识在音译的准确性、规范性和文化适配性等方面存在显著差异。例如，部分官方机构和商店的标识使用了不规范音译现象，未遵循标准的音译规范。具体表现为：未参考词典或国家总理办公室公告的汉语和印地语音译规则、未从语音发音系统角度进行翻译（包括元音适配、音节结构适配、声调匹配、长短音适配等方面）、忽视音译中的对等原则，以及偏离语言文化内涵等，导致发音和泰语原音差异较大。在此情况下 导致音译后的外来词语不仅无法准确传达原义，甚至可能造成误解。此外，非官方标识中的音译使用较为随意，缺乏统一性，未能充分考虑到各项音译原则，这种现象在一定程度上增加了游客或外国人在曼谷的文化适应难度。

This paper fully acknowledges transliteration as one of the fundamental translation methods while providing an in-depth analysis of its current usage in the linguistic landscape. Particularly focusing on non-standard translation phenomena in the center of Bangkok. Transliteration is a method that converts foreign words into the target language based on pronunciation. It is widely applied in multilingual environments, such as public signs, commercial advertisements, and cultural exchange venues. Although transliteration plays a significant role in cross-cultural communication, its practical application in Bangkok's linguistic landscape often exhibits deviations. This can be attributed to factors such as linguistic differences, varying cultural perceptions, and inconsistent translation standards. To gain a comprehensive understanding of transliteration usage in the center of Bangkok, a field study was conducted. This study included field investigations and systematically summarized the specific manifestations of non-standard transliteration in both official and unofficial linguistic landscapes. The research found significant differences between official and unofficial signs in terms of transliteration accuracy, standardization, and cultural adaptability. For instance, some official institutions and store signs exhibit non-standard transliteration practices, failing to adhere to established transliteration norms. Specific issues include not referencing dictionary standards or the Thai Prime Minister's Office guidelines for Chinese and Hindi transliteration, neglecting phonetic adaptation (such as vowel matching, syllable structure adaptation, tone alignment, and long/short vowel correspondence), disregarding equivalence principles in transliteration, and deviating from linguistic and cultural connotations. As a result, the pronunciation of transliterated foreign words often significantly differs from the original Thai, leading to inaccurate meaning conveyance or even misunderstandings. Furthermore, transliteration in unofficial signs tends to be more arbitrary and lacks consistency, often failing to consider key transliteration principles. This phenomenon, to some extent, increases the cultural adaptation challenges for tourists or foreigners in Bangkok.