ศาลาชุมนุม

[David and Bui]

From Friday’s Matichon Weekend:

“. . . ยังไม่สามารถคำตอบหรือทางออกยังไม่ลงตัว ปัญหาเศรษฐกิจเหมือนไฟสุมขอนรอลมพัดผ่าน”

“. . . unable to provide an answer or a way out which does not leave loose ends. The problems with the economy are like a conflagration just waiting to happen.”

1. The meaning of the metaphor “ไม่ลงตัว” is not clear. The base definition seems to be mathematical, meaning “divisible into an integer without a remainder.” If there is a remainder, i.e., “ไม่ลงตัว”, does this imply the similar English term, “loose ends”?

2. The metaphor: “ไฟสุมขอนรอลมพัดผ่าน” was a bit difficult to find. The only source I found for the first portion of this phrase was in the Matichon dictionary as follows:

“ไฟสุมขอน – อารมณ์ร้อนนี่คุกรุ่นอยู่ภายใน” “emotional heat which smolders internally”

The literal words are: ไฟ for fire; สุม for pile up or accumulate; ขอน for a log.

The literal meaning of the entire metaphor seems to be, “a small, smoldering file awaiting a passing gust of wind [to create a conflagration].” This is not dissimilar to the English metaphore of "a conflagration just waiting to happen." Is this a correct interpretation?

[Nan]

David,

I think the first Thai sentence is not correct, there is something missing which make it not easy to translate correctly.

For your question;

1. I would translate "ทางออกยังไม่ลงตัว" as " the solution hasn't been settled yet.
"ลงตัว" in this case means settle (resolve or reach an agreement or decision about (an argument or problem).

2. You got it right. For this context it means “a small, smoldering fire awaiting a passing gust of wind [to create a conflagration].”

The economic problem in Thailand right now is like a small smoldering fire, if they could find a good solution to solve the problem, then this smoldering fire might be died out. But with the bad decision (a passing gust of wind), it is possible that it would turn out to be conflagration.

[David and Bui]

You are correct; I took only a portion of the original paragraph. Here it is in its entirety:

"ขณะที่ไฟการเมืองกำลังร้อนแรง ประกอบกับปัญหาใครจะมาเป็น ผบ.ทบ.คนต่อไป งบลับพันล้านบาทที่ถูกเบิกไปหลังปฏิวัติจะเคลียร์กันอย่างไร เพราะกฎหมายใหม่ซึ่งที่แก้ไขสมัยรัฐบาลชวน หลีกภัย คนเบิกงบลับต้องสำแดงภารกิจ ยังไม่สามารถคำตอบหรือทางออกยังไม่ลงตัว ปัญหาเศรษฐกิจเหมือนไฟสุมขอนรอลมพัดผ่าน"

The paragraph contains several additional questions and interesting points:

1. The paragraph beghins with the "fire" metaphor: "ไฟการเมือง" which is neatly followed by the "ไฟสุมขอน" in the final sentence. This is thoughtful and almost poetic writing.

2. I could not find the term "งบลับ"; does this mean a "secret or hidden budget"? How does this fit into the meaning of the paragraph?

3. Is the term "สำแดงภารกิจ" a special use term? I see from "Thai Langugage" A-Word-a-Day" that the word "สำแดง" is Cambodian for "แสดง" but the book does not have the entire phrase. Does the full phrase, in context, mean to "demonstrate a justification for the expenditure"?

4. Finally, the phrase "ยังไม่สามารถคำตอบ" is difficult. Does this mean "ยังไม่สามารถตอบคำถาม"?

Thanks so much. I kreng-jai you.

[Nan]

1. The word 'fire' in "ไฟการเมือง" is used because of the heat of the political situation.

2. "งบลับ" means secret budget. I think only The Ministry of Defence has this secret budget but not so sure, which they claim that it has to be secret due to the security issue. But after doing this coup, the coup leader had made a requisition for this budget ( one thousand million baht) from the government, but couldn't demonstrate the justification for the expenditure or couldn't make it clear to public which against the law, corrected in Chuan Leekpai's government. The new law address that one who make the requisition for the secret budget has to show the duty plan.

3. "สำแดงภารกิจ" is a law term. สำแดง is from แสดง as you know. It means to exhibit, to display, to show, to explain. ภารกิจ means task , duty or responsibility.

4. ยังไม่สามารถคำตอบ must be an error. The correct one should be "ยังไม่สามารถหาคำตอบ" which mean ""ยังไม่สามารถตอบคำถาม" as you understand.

ยังไม่สามารถหาคำตอบ หรือทางออกยังไม่ลงตัว means can't give the answer or find out a solution for this problem.

Again, I feel it's not complete yet or just being a bad writing as it shown in some part of this entire article you quoted. To analyze the writing, sometimes it needs the whole story to make the meaning clear. Don't you think so?

David, no need to feel greng jai.

[David and Bui]

Nan,

I agree with you completely. Some writers of English have a lot of difficulty writing clear, concise English with simple syntax. This is sometimes true even of academic papers written at universities.

Often, complex, difficult sentences mask unclear thinking. Maybe this is as true in Thai as it is in English. Can we call this "ไร้ความโปร่งใส"?

Thanks for your explanations.