Abstract:
The purpose of this independent study was to investigate the translating strategies used be two Thai translators who translated Aesop' s Fables from English into Thai. The samples of the study were five Aesop' s Fables, purposively selected for study, namely : (1) The Hart and the Hunter; (2) The Serpent and File; (3) The Man and His Two Wives; (4) The Two Fellows and the Bear; (5) The Goose with the Golden Eggs. Each to translator has translated these fables alike. The instrument used for collecting data was the translating strategies based on Sunchawee Saibua (1985 : 64-78) which divided translation into word and sentences levels. Word level included adding explanation, adding conjunction between phrases or sentences, using words that refer to a general meaning instead of words that refer to a specific meaning, omitting words or idioms. Sentence level included structure of words and structure of sentences. The statistical procedures used were frequency of occurrence and percentage of occurrence.
The translating findings were as follows :
1. The translating strategies used at word level the most were adding conjunction between phrases or sentences (average 49.95%) followed by omitting words or idioms (average 44.28%). Adding explanation and using words with general meaning instead of a specific meanings were not found. At.the sentence level, modifying structure of words was found to use the most (average 49.95%), followed by modifying structure of sentences
2. It was also found that both translators used both literal and free translation.