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Tim:

aao  phom phrawm ja doen taw laew khrap

 

àÍéÒ ¼Á¾ÃéÍÁ¨Ðà´Ô¹µèÍáÅéǤÃѺ

Well. I’m ready to get back on the trail.

Pum:

khaw iik paep nueng  chan yaak ja thaam rueang tonmai ton nan noy

 

¢ÍÍÕ¡á»êºË¹Öè§ ©Ñ¹ÍÂÒ¡¨Ð
¶ÒÁàÃ×èͧµé¹äÁéµé¹¹Ñé¹Ë¹èÍÂ

Uhh, just a minute. I wanted to ask about that tree over there.

Tim:

nae  nii ja thuang welaa taw chaimai la  phom ruu na

 

á¹èÐ ¹Õè¨Ð¶èǧàÇÅÒµèÍ
ãªèäËÁÅèÐ ¼ÁÃÙé¹Ð

Heh! You’re just stalling because you want to rest longer – I know you!

Pum:

mae  maichai sak noy  khun duu si  ton thii khoon yaimaak maak na

 

áËÁ äÁèãªèÊѡ˹èÍÂ
¤Ø³´ÙÊÔ µé¹·Õè⤹ãË­èÁÒ¡æ ¹èÐ

Come on. It’s not that. Look, the one with the really large part around the base.

Nath:

ngan  rao pai duu klai klai kan thoe

 

§Ñé¹ àÃÒä»´Ùã¡Åéæ ¡Ñ¹à¶ÍÐ

Let’s go over and take a closer look.

 

suan rawp khoon nii riek waa  puu pawn

 

ÊèǹÃͺ⤹¹ÕèàÃÕ¡ÇèÒ ¾Ù¾Í¹

The part around the bottom is called puu pawn  (a ‘buttress’).

Pum:

eh  nii pen rook tonmai rue plao kha

 

àÍêÐ! ¹Õèà»ç¹âäµé¹äÁéËÃ×Íà»ÅèÒ¤Ð

Is that some kind of disease on the tree?

Nath:

mai chai rawk khrap  an nii pen rabop raak thii yai maak

 

äÁèãªèËÃÍ¡¤ÃѺ Íѹ¹Õéà»ç¹
ÃкºÃÒ¡·ÕèãË­èÁÒ¡

No, it’s an enlarged root system.

 

raak ja chuay phayung tonmai yai yai hai yuenton yuu dai

 

ÃÒ¡¨ÐªèÇÂ¾ÂØ§
µé¹äÁéãË­èæ ãËéÂ×¹ÍÂÙèä´é

Those roots help to hold really huge trees upright.

 

lae yang chuay hai nam lae aahaan khoen pai lieng bai dai maak khoen duay

 

áÅÐÂѧªèÇÂãËé¹éÓáÅÐÍÒËÒÃ
¢Öé¹ä»àÅÕé§ãºä´éÁÒ¡¢Öé¹´éÇÂ

It also allows more flow of water and nutrients to the leaves of the tree.

Tim:

phom chak ja hiw laew la  pai taw kan dii khwaa khrap

 

¼ÁªÑ¡¨ÐËÔÇáÅéÇÅèÐ
仡ѹµèÍ´Õ¡ÇèÒ¤ÃѺ

I’m getting hungry, can we please get going.

 

phom yak hai thueng raan aahaan reo reo jang loey

 

¼ÁÍÂÒ¡ãËé¶Ö§ÃéÒ¹ÍÒËÒÃ
àÃçÇæ ¨Ñ§àÅÂ

I can hardly wait to get to the food shop.

Pum:

ookey  pai kan thoe khun Nath  diew ja mii khon penlom

 

âÍठ仡ѹà¶ÍФس³Ñ°
à´ÕëÂǨÐÁÕ¤¹à»ç¹ÅÁ

Okay, Khun Nath, let’s move before somebody faints.

Nath:

rawaang thaang pai raan-aahaan  mii chaiphaa siidaa suay maak

 

ÃÐËÇèÒ§·Ò§ä»ÃéÒ¹ÍÒËÒÃ
ÁÕªÒ¼éÒÊÕ´ÒÊÇÂÁÒ¡

On the way to the food shop there is a queen staghorn. Really beautiful.

Pum:

roe  chan khoey hen tae nai ruup  maikhoey hen khawngjing

 

àËÃÍ ©Ñ¹à¤ÂàËç¹áµèã¹ÃÙ»
äÁèà¤ÂàË繢ͧ¨ÃÔ§

Really? I’ve only seen them in pictures. I’ve never seen one for real.

Tim:

man pen arai roe

 

Áѹà»ç¹ÍÐäÃàËÃÍ

What is it?

Nath:

pen kaafaak chanit nueng  khoen yuu taam tonmai

 

à»ç¹¡Ò½Ò¡ª¹Ô´Ë¹Öè§
¢Öé¹ÍÂÙèµÒÁµé¹äÁé

(It’s) a kind of epiphytes. They grow on trees.

 

prapheyt diew kap kluaymai rue foen

 

»ÃÐàÀ·à´ÕÂǡѺ
¡ÅéÇÂäÁéËÃ×Íà¿ÔÃì¹

(It’s) the same plant type as orchids or ferns.

Pum:

kaafaak nii mii laai chanit maichai roe kha

 

¡Ò½Ò¡¹ÕèÁÕËÅÒª¹Ô´
äÁèãªèàËÃͤÐ

There are many kinds of epiphytes, aren’t there?

Nath:

khrap  lawng sangkeyt duu taam tonmai si khrap

 

¤ÃѺ ÅͧÊѧࡵ´ÙµÒÁ
µé¹äÁéÊÔ¤ÃѺ

Yes, try to look for some on the trees.

Tim:

nan chai mai khrap  muean foen bai yai yai

 

¹Ñè¹ãªèäËÁ¤ÃѺ
àËÁ×͹à¿ÔÃì¹ãºãË­èæ

Is that one? The one that looks like a big fern.

Nath:

chai khrap  annii pen chanit thii phophen kan thua thua pai

 

ãªè¤ÃѺ Íѹ¹Õéà»ç¹
ª¹Ô´·Õ辺àË繡ѹ·ÑèÇä» ....

Right. That kind is quite commonly seen.

 

nii ngai khrap  chaaiphaa siidaa  ton nii ngaam maak

 

¹Õè䧤ÃѺ ªÒ¼éÒÊÕ´Ò
µé¹¹Õé§ÒÁÁÒ¡

This is the queen staghorn. This one is very healthy.

Pum:

duu jaak ruup mai nuek waa ja yai khanaat nii

 

´Ù¨Ò¡ÃÙ»äÁè¹Ö¡ÇèÒ
¨ÐãË­èä´é¢¹Ò´¹Õé

From pictures, I didn’t think they were this big.

Tim:

aah  suay jing jing sadaeng waa paa yang somboon yuu

 

ÍÒ ÊǨÃÔ§æ
áÊ´§ÇèÒ»èÒÂѧÊÁºÙóìÍÂÙè

Ah, really beautiful. This indicates that the forest is still unspoiled.

Nath:

khrap  chaaiphaa siidaa pen dua wat khwaamsomboon khawng paa yaang nueng

 

¤ÃѺ ªÒ¼éÒÊÕ´Òà»ç¹
µÑÇÇÑ´¤ÇÒÁÊÁºÙóì
¢Í§»èÒÍÂèҧ˹Öè§

Yes, a queen staghorn is an indicator of the total health of the forest.

Tim:

hey  khaangnaa nan khong pen raan-aahaan na  hiw jing jing

 

àÎé ¢éҧ˹éÒ¹Ñ蹤§à»ç¹
ÃéÒ¹ÍÒËÒùРËÔǨÃÔ§æ

Hey, that must be the food shop ahead. I’m starving!


  • This lesson was prepared by Acharn Sunee Siidao, Educational Specialist.

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    | Comments to Ajaan Sunee at suneec@bangkokpost.co.th |
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    All rights reserved 2003

    Last modified: December 1, 2003
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  • Language watch:

    I’m sure you’ve noticed that Thais always add a small particle like, na, nii, si, at the end of a sentence or a question. I went into detail with many of these particles in the issue of 7 October 2003 . Today there are two more.

    At the end of a negative statement:

    rawk  (low tone) softening a negative response

    = mai chai rawk khrap (No, it isn’t.)
    =
    mai pen rai rawk  (That’s all right.)
    = chan mai chuea rawk
     (I don’t believe that.)

    But if a speaker raises the voice to a high tone with a blunt end — rock, this becomes a threat.
    = diew kaw doon rock!
      (Stop / Don’t) or else!

    At the end of an imperative:

    thoe  (low tone) suggesting persuasiveness

    = rao pai duu klai klai kan thoe (Let’s go over and take a closer look.)
    =pai thoe diew ja saai
     (Go now before it gets late.)

    Expression check: Match these

    1. … I don’t think …
    2. … It’s not that
    3. … I’ve never seen one for real.
    4. … This one is very healthy.

    5. … This is the queen staghorn.
    6. a. nii ngai khrap chaaiphaa siidaa
      b. mai khoey hen khawng jing
      c. ton nii ngaam maak
      d. mai chai sak noy
      e. mai nuek waa

       

    Phuut Phaasaa Thai gives you useful topical and seasonal Thai words and phrases used in daily-life conversations. The column will give you some instant Thai language to help you out in common situations.

    ò thanwaakhom òõôö  ( 2 December, 2003)     

    doen paa 2

    Pum and her friend Tim have been resting in the middle of a guided park tour. Nath the park ranger is explaining some of the distinctive plants around the spot.