LINGUISTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF CHINESE CULTURE IN THE TRANSLATED XIANXIA NOVEL “TILL THE END OF THE MOON”

Abstract

This research article, entitled Linguistic Representations of Chinese Culture in the Translated Xianxia Novel “Till the End of the Moon”, is part of a Master of Arts thesis in the Department of Thai, Faculty of Humanities, Kasetsart University. The objective of this study was to examine the linguistic characteristics that reflect Chinese culture as portrayed in the translated Xianxia novel Till the End of the Moon. This study used qualitative research with content analysis as the main research method. The sample consisted of the Thai translation of Till the End of the Moon, a four-volume novel originally written by Teng Luo Wei Zhi and translated into Thai by Mennoi, published in 2023. The research tools included data recording forms based on language and cultural concepts developed by Chamnong Thongprasert (2004) and faculty scholars from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (2008). Data collection was conducted through close reading to identify words, phrases, and sentences that reflected cultural meanings. The data were then grouped and analyzed descriptively according to qualitative research methods.

      The findings indicated that the linguistic characteristics reflecting Chinese culture in this novel can be classified into four categories. These include: 1) language reflecting moral and belief-based values, represented through expressions related to beliefs, philosophy, and religion; 2) language reflecting social norms and governance, represented through expressions concerning administration and traditional customs; 3) language reflecting social relationships, represented through terms indicating social status, poetry, and traditional folk games; and 4) language reflecting material culture, represented through expressions related to utensils, ornaments, musical instruments, food, and clothing. The analysis and synthesis of the data further revealed that language reflecting moral and belief-based values was the most prominent category. This is because xianxia novels, as intellectual literary creations, employ language as the principal medium for integrating Chinese belief systems and philosophical concepts into the lives of fictional characters, thereby creating a sense of cultural authenticity within an imaginative world.