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Toi:

thueng namtok siethii   chak mueay khaa laew si
 

¶Ö§¹éÓµ¡àÊÕ·Õ
ªÑ¡àÁ×èÍ¢ÒáÅéÇÊÔ

Here we are at the waterfall, at last. My legs are stiff.

Yuth:

rao ja phak kan thiinii sak khruu khrap

 

àÃҨоѡ·Õè¹Õè¡Ñ¹ÊÑ¡¤ÃÙè¤ÃѺ

We’re going to rest here for a while.

Fred:

thiinii tonmai suung yai thangnan na khrap

 

·Õè¹Õèµé¹äÁéÊÙ§ãË­è·Ñé§¹Ñ鹹ФÃѺ

All the trees here are tall and huge.

 

mii bai khiew talawt pii chaimai khrap

 

ÁÕãºà¢ÕÂǵÅÍ´»ÕãªèäËÁ¤ÃѺ

They’re green all year round, aren’t they?

Yuth:

khrap  tonmai kheytrawn ja mai plat bai

 

¤ÃѺ µé¹äÁéࢵÃé͹
¨ÐäÁè¼ÅÑ´ãº

Right. Tropical trees don’t shed leaves,

 

jueng thamhai aakaat yen sabaai talawt pii

 

¨Ö§·ÓãËé
ÍÒ¡ÒÈàÂç¹ÊºÒµÅÍ´»Õ

making the weather nice and cool all year round.

Toi:

namtok kaw tham hai yen sabaai duay   mai chai rue kha

 

¹éÓµ¡¡ç·ÓãËéàÂç¹ÊºÒ´éÇÂ
äÁèãªèËÃ×ͤÐ

The waterfall also makes it cool, right?

Yuth:

ja phuut chen nan kaw dai khrap   tae thaethiijing laew...

 

¨Ð¾Ù´àªè¹¹Ñ鹡çä´é¤ÃѺ
áµèá·é·Õè¨ÃÔ§áÅéÇ...

You can  say that, but in reality...

 

paa thamhai koet saainam rue namtok

 

»èÒ·ÓãËéà¡Ô´ÊÒ¹éÓ
ËÃ×͹éÓµ¡

(it’s) the forest (that) gives birth to streams and waterfalls.

 

phroh waa   welaa fon tok long ma paa ja kan fon wai...

 

à¾ÃÐÇèÒàÇÅÒ½¹µ¡Å§ÁÒ
»èҨСÑé¹½¹äÇé ...

This is so because when rain falls, the forest breaks it up...

 

thamhai taek krajaai pen foy ...

 

·ÓãËéᵡ¡ÃШÒÂà»ç¹½ÍÂ...

and disperses it into a soft shower...

 

lae lai suu phuendin yaang chaa chaa

 

áÅÐäËÅÊÙè¾×é¹´Ô¹ÍÂèÒ§ªéÒæ

that flows slowly down to the ground.

Fred:

raakmai ja duutsap nam wai duay chaimai khrap

 

ÃÒ¡äÁé¨Ð´Ù´«Ñº¹éÓäÇé´éÇÂ
ãªèäËÁ¤ÃѺ

Roots also absorb the rainwater, right?

Yuth:

khrap   muea duut jon imtua laew jueng ploy awk maa

 

¤ÃѺ àÁ×èÍ´Ù´¨¹ÍÔèÁµÑÇáÅéÇ
¨Ö§»ÅèÍÂÍÍ¡ÁÒ

Right, and when they’re fully soaked, they release the excess water.

 

nam thiiluea kaw ja khoy khoy lai pen thaw prapaa taidin...

 

¹éÓ·ÕèàËÅ×Í¡ç¨Ð¤èÍÂæ äËÅ
à»ç¹·èÍ»ÃлÒãµé´Ô¹...

The excess forms an underground water system...

 

muea ruamtua kan kaw klaaipen lamthaan rue namtok

 

àÁ×èÍÃÇÁµÑǡѹ¡ç¡ÅÒÂà»ç¹
ÅÓ¸ÒÃËÃ×͹éÓµ¡

which gathers to become streams or waterfalls.

Toi:

paa jueng samkhan maak na kha   mai mii paamai kaw mai mii nam

 

»èÒ¨Ö§ÊӤѭÁÒ¡¹Ð¤Ð
äÁèÁÕ»èÒ¡çäÁèÁÕ¹éÓ

So the forest is very important — no trees, no water.

Fred:

satpaa kaw mai mii thii aasai   mai mii aahaan kin

 

ÊѵÇì»èÒ¡çäÁèÁÕ·ÕèÍÒÈÑÂ
äÁèÁÕÍÒËÒáԹ

Wild animals have no place to live and nothing to eat.

Yuth:

khrap   paa yang pen sathaanthii phakphawn khawng khon duay

 

¤ÃѺ »èÒÂѧà»ç¹
ʶҹ·Õè¾Ñ¡¼è͹¢Í§¤¹´éÇÂ

That’s right. And the forest is the recreational area for people, too.

Toi:

khon maa thiew thiinii yoe mai kha   dichan pen huang

 

¤¹ÁÒà·ÕèÂÇ·Õè¹ÕèàÂÍÐäËÁ¤Ð
´Ô©Ñ¹à»ç¹Ëèǧ

Do many people come here? I’m worried.

 

suanmaak   thiinai thii khon thiew yoe khaya ja yoe

 

ÊèǹÁÒ¡ ·Õèä˹·Õ褹à·ÕèÂÇàÂÍÐ
¢ÂШÐàÂÍÐ

Normally, where there are lots of visitors, there is lots of garbage.

Yuth:

kaw phaw somkhuan khrap   thaang uttayaan ja rawang maak

 

¡ç¾ÍÊÁ¤ÇäÃѺ
·Ò§ÍØ·ÂÒ¹¨ÐÃÐÇѧÁÒ¡

There are many. The park is very much aware of that.

 

rao jueng tit paai ‘karunaa thing khaya long thang’ wai thua

 

àÃÒ¨Ö§µÔ´»éÒÂ
‘¡ÃسҷÔé§¢ÂÐŧ¶Ñ§’ äÇé·ÑèÇ

We’ve posted ‘Please put litter in the bin.’ notices all over the park.

 

chuang lang nii dii khoen yoe khrap   khon thing khaya noy long

 

ªèǧËÅѧ¹Õè´Õ¢Öé¹àÂÍФÃѺ
¤¹·Ôé§¢ÂйéÍÂŧ

This has gotten better lately. People litter less.

Toi:

aao   Freyt   tham arai roe

 

ÍéÒÇ à¿Ã´ ·ÓÍÐäÃàËÃÍ

Hey, Fred, what are you doing?

Fred:

kep khuat plaastik lae klawng foom

 

à¡çº¢Ç´¾ÅÒʵԡáÅСÅèͧâ¿Á

Collecting plastic bottles and styrofoam containers.

Yuth:

khawpkhun khrap   rao khoey sie luuk muupaa pai tua nueng

 

¢Íº¤Ø³¤ÃѺ àÃÒà¤ÂàÊÕÂ
ÅÙ¡ËÁÙ»èÒ仵ÑÇ˹Öè§

Thanks a lot. We once lost a wild piglet.

 

thawngsie phroh kin seyt aahaan thii thing wai nai klawng foom

 

·éͧàÊÕÂà¾ÃÒСԹàÈÉÍÒËÒÃ
·Õè·Ôé§äÇé㹡Åèͧâ¿Á

He had diarrhea by eating food leftover from a styrofoam container.

Toi:

ooy!   yae jing loey   mai naa mak-ngaai

 

âÍê áÂè¨Ñ§àÅ äÁè¹èÒÁÑ¡§èÒÂ

Aah, that’s terrible. So negligent!

 

aao   phuakrao   chuay kan kep khaya rawp rawp namtok noy   reo

 

àÍéÒ ¾Ç¡àÃÒ ªèÇ¡ѹà¡çº¢ÂÐ
ÃÍºæ ¹éÓµ¡Ë¹èÍ àÃéÇ!

Come on, everybody, let’s help collect garbage around the waterfall. Quick!


  • 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 15, 2003
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  • Vocabulary check:

    Match these

    1. chak mueay

    a. all year round

    2. talawt pii

    b. excess water

    3. kheytrawn

    c. fully soaked

    4. plat bai

    d. in reality

    5. yen sabaai

    e. nice and cool

    6. thaethiijing

    f. please put litter in the bin

    7. tham hai koet

    g. to absorb

    8. taek krajaai pen foy

    h. to get stiff

    9. lai suu phuendin

    i. to disperse it into a shower

    10. duutsap

    j. to flow down to the ground

    11. imtua

    k. to give birth to

    12. excess water

    m. to shed leaves

    13. thaw prapaa

    n. tropical

    14. taidin

    o. underground

    15. karunaa thing khaya long thang

    p. water system

    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.

    ñö thanwaakhom òõôö  ( 16 December, 2003)     

    karunaa thing khaya long thang

    Toi and Fred have been part of a trekking group on a nature trail with Nath, a park ranger. They’ve reached the waterfall where they’re taking a short rest. Nath spends this time detailing how people benefit from the forest and how we can help preserve this priceless product of Mother Nature.