Mui Poopoksakul
Mui Poopoksakul is a Thai translator and writer. A Bangkok native, she left for schooling in the United States at the age of twelve. She lived New England in the US for two decades and practiced law in New York City before becoming a translator of Thai literary works to English.[1] She did so because, "There’s so little out there in English, and it would be a meaningful way for me to 'return' to my native country and mother tongue."[2]
Mui received her MA in translation from the American University of Paris. She had previously studied literature as an undergraduate at Harvard.[3] As of 2019[update], she lives in Berlin.[2]
Mui on translating Thai to English[edit]
In articles, Mui frequently comments about the mechanics of translating Thai. Her translation of Prabda Yoon's short story collection The Sad Part Was, even includes an afterword by Mui that examines the challenges posed by Thai word play and the difficulties Thai poses to the translator.[4] In it, she explains that "any given language is a game with its own internal logic—a challenge for the translator, who attempts to recreate his moves in a language where the rules are different."[4] "Much more than English, Thai tolerates, even embraces, a certain degree of repetition or even repetitiousness. The more stylized variety is done for the sound—in Thai, we sometimes string two or more synonyms together, especially if they rhyme or are alliterative, and the effect isn't to create additional meaning."[5]
Mui also points out the subtleties of dealing with Thai honorifics:
The Thai language is absolutely immediate in its indication of the speaker and addressee's places in the society and their relationship to each other. Thai has honorifics as well as what I like to call 'dishonorifics': it has a multitude of pronouns that are extremely nuanced—for example, there are so many ways to say 'I', and most of them already indicate the speaker's gender and often their age and societal standing relative to the person they are speaking to. On top of all that, Thai also has particles you tag on to the end of sentences to inject a level of politeness, playfulness, rudeness, intimacy. Of course I didn't have these to work with in English, but you can still make the tone come through in other ways, for example, by controlling the register of the words and phrases you use, adding swear words (in jest among friends or otherwise), referring to someone as 'sir' or 'ma'am', or adding Mr./Ms/Mrs to characters' names.[6]
Works[edit]
- Yoon, Prabda (2017). The Sad Part Was. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul (Print ed.). London: Tilted Axis Press. ISBN 978-1-911284-06-2. Retrieved 2019-04-05. Search this book on
- Yoon, Prabda (2018). Moving Parts. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul (Print ed.). London: Tilted Axis Press. ISBN 978-1-911284-18-5. Retrieved 2019-04-05. Search this book on
- Pimwana, Duanwad (April 2019). Arid Dreams. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul (Paper ed.). Feminist Press. ISBN 978-1-936932-56-6. Retrieved 6 April 2019. Search this book on
- Pimwana, Duanwad (April 2019). Bright. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul (Paper ed.). Two Lines Press. ISBN 978-1-931883-80-1. Retrieved 6 April 2019. Search this book on
- Pimwana, Duanwad (Spring 2019). Translated by Mui Poopoksakul. "The Attendant" (Short story). Two Lines. Center for the Art of Translation (30). ISSN 1525-5204. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- Yoon, Prabda (Fall 2015). Translated by Mui Poopoksakul. "Found" (Short story). Two Lines. Center for the Art of Translation (23). ISSN 1525-5204. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- Poopoksakul, Mui (15 December 2014). "The Prabda Yoon Interview". The Quarterly Conversation. Winter 2015 (38). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Mui Poopoksakul". Tilted Axis Press. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Esa, Jessica. "Meet the Translator: Mui Poopoksakul (Thai to English)". Books and Bao. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ↑ "Mui Poopoksakul". Asian Literary Review. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Scholes, Lucy (2017-03-09). "Book review: The Sad Part Was – Mui Poopoksakul's witty translation opens a new world of short stories from Thailand". The National. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ↑ Scrima, Andrea (April 2019). "Duanwad Pimwana and Mui Poopoksakul with Andrea Scrima". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ↑ Semel, Lindsay (2018-10-15). "In Conversation: Mui Poopoksakul". Asymptote. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
External links[edit]
- Leser, Simon. "20 Translators Under 40: Mui Poopoksakul". Culture Trip.
- Panel discussion of translators including Mui (video)
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