Transcending cultural barriers in Thai mythology: Unveiling the intercultural dynamics through the “Home Sweet Home” video game’s translation

Abstract

This study examines the translation strategies employed for culture-specific terms from Thai to English in episodes 1 and 2 of the video game "Home Sweet Home" (2017–2023). Applying a thematic approach and textual analysis, the source language data were categorized into six groups: ghosts, humans, ritual and religious acts, abstract religious concepts, items, and places. The findings indicate that the most frequently used strategy was absolute universalization (41.5%), followed by linguistic (non-cultural) translation (27.7%), limited universalization (16.2%), deletion (11.5%), orthographic adaptation (2.3%), and intratextual gloss (0.8%). However, no instances of repetition, extratextual gloss, synonymy, or autonomous creation strategies were identified. The discussion explores why different strategies were used for various phrasal tokens. The study also highlights five major topics concerning video game translation: universalization versus preservation, translatability and untranslatability, language limitations, cultural barriers in the target language, and the game's future translations. It can be concluded that a comprehensive understanding of the language and culture used in the game and its translation is critical for the game's success and effectiveness for both players and creators. Furthermore, in the digital era, where postmodern imaginations and reinterpretation of Thai folk beliefs and superstitions can boost the economy, numerous opportunities for creative soft powers are always available.