Comments on: Imagined Communities

By: Susie Wong

Susie Wong — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:23:16 +0000

Thank you for the information. I have high respect for the solid works of these two prominent scholars Charnvit Kasetsiri and Benedict Anderson. I value their dedication. Professor Charnvit Kasetsiri’s latest proposal to change the country name back to Siam is so appropriate. I hope to see it happen soon. I also hope to see more historians like Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri who writes with integrity. There are so much work needed to be done about Siam political history. I am glad to see that recently the Pridi and Poonsuk Library was established. The history of Pridi’s period is crucial to the present day politics, both domestic politics as well as the international politics. Once we understand thoroughly about the history of that period we can understand the forces of the current conflict. For example, we can understand why they focus on attacking Jakrapob and Ji. All in all, I look forward to seeing more quality works in the tradition of true scholar….VeRiTas!

By: Somsak Jeamteerasakul

Somsak Jeamteerasakul — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:31:13 +0000

Susie Wong:
I have high respect of บริษัท เคล็ดไทย and Benedict Anderson, I simply would like the translation to be understandable.

First of all, as I said, I actually agree with you (perhaps for different reason?) that the present Thai title isn’t good or necessary, and ชุมชนจินตนาการ would do just fine.

FYI, Kled Thai had nothing to do with this Thai version (apart from technical aspect of distributions). The whole thing is done by Dr.Charnvit Kasetsiri and his team, in close consultation with Ben Anderson himself (Charnvit and Ben are very good friends as is well known).

By: Susie Wong

Susie Wong — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:58:01 +0000

I have high respect of บริษัท เคล็ดไทย and Benedict Anderson, I simply would like the translation to be understandable.

By: Somsak Jeamteerasakul

Somsak Jeamteerasakul — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:14:49 +0000

Susie Wong writes:
The translation of the title was in correct, it should be ชุมชนจินตนาการ or จินตนาการชุมชน.

FYI:
The Thai title was agreed upon by Ben Anderson himself.

I understand that it is meant, first, to avoid being misunderstood as ‘imaginary‘ (communities), and, second, supposedly to better render the past participle ‘imagined.

I personally think it’s unncessary, and ชุมชนจินตนาการ would do just fine.

By: Khlong Cowboy

Khlong Cowboy — Sun, 24 May 2009 12:12:28 +0000

I believe it is correct จินตกรรม is closer to ‘imagined’ than จินตนาการ which means ‘imagination’. We can wait for a Thai linguistics expert to explain it properly.

I’m confident the translator got the title right.

By: Susie Wong

Susie Wong — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:00:08 +0000

The translation of the title was in correct, it should be ชุมชนจินตนาการ or จินตนาการชุมชน.

By: Khlong Cowboy

Khlong Cowboy — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:44:29 +0000

Looking forward to reading this. An article in Bangkok Post’s ‘Outlook’ supplement back in February (Mon, Feb 23, 2009) addressed the various translations of Imagined Communities. Anderson noted that: “The Thai version… has been prepared by a team of progressive, critical professors, several of them former students of mine.” When Anderson discussed with the Thai translators that the book has a “republican spirit” and that monarchs are handled with “irony or hostility” the translators replied: “You don’t understand our traditions and our situations.” Anderson stated that he looked forward to “what may be taken as IC’s first royalist translation!” I too relish to unpack this theme in the new translation, although it is already obvious that the Thai royalist version will by its very nature have lost much of the original’s power.