THE TRANSLATION OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS IN THE
INDONESIAN VERSION OF ROBERT KIRKMAN’S THE
WALKING DEAD: RISE OF THE GOVERNOR
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
By:
DINA WAHYUNI TANJUNG
NIM 2121220004
ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
DECLARATION
Except where appropriately acknowledge, this thesis is my own work, has
been expressed in my own words and has not previously been submitted for
assessment.
I understand that this thesis may be screened electronically or otherwise
for plagiarism.
Medan, September 2016
i
ABSTRACT
Tanjung, Dina Wahyuni. 2121220004. The Translation of Cultural Expressions in the Indonesian Version of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor. A Thesis. Faculty of Languages and Arts. State University of Medan. 2016.
The study entitled The Translation of Cultural Expressions in the Indonesian Version of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor. The objectives of the study were to find out the types of the cultural expressions found in the original and Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor and to find out the translation procedures used to transfer the cultural expressions from English into Indonesian. The study was conducted by applying descriptive qualitative design. The data of the study were cultural words and phrases found both in the original and the Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor novel, and there were 117 words and phrases found in the novel. Newmark’s theory which deals with types of cultural words and translation procedures were applies to analyze the data. The findings of the study showed that the types of cultural expression were realized in the novel with the ratio: 50 items of material culture, 27 items of ecology, 22 items of organizations, customs, activities, procedures, and concepts, 17 items of social culture, and 1 item of gestures and habits. Moreover, it was found that 10 translation procedures were used to translate the expressions with the ratio: 58 items of transference, 21 items of expansion, 9 items of through-translation, 8 items of couplets, 7 items of naturalisation, 6 items of cultural equivalent, 4 items of functional equivalent, 2 items of synonymy, 1 item of componential analysis, and 1 item of paraphrase.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, the writer would like to thanks to Allah SWT and the Prophet Muhammad SAW for the blessings during her academic year at English and Literature Department Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) State University of Medan in completing the thesis. The writer is also very grateful to the following people:
Prof. Dr. Syawal Gultom, M.Pd., Rector of State University of Medan. Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M.Hum., the Dean of Faculty of Languages and
Arts (FBS) State University of Medan, who has sincerely given advice and guidance during her study.
Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M.Pd., the Head of English and Literature Department as well as the examiner of the writer, and Dra. Meisuri, M.A., the Secretary of English and Literature Department, who have always helped and guided her during the completion of the study.
Syamsul Bahri, S.S., M.Hum., the Head of English Literature Study Program and Nora Ronita, S.Pd., S.S., M.Hum., the Head of English Education Program for their advices and encouragement to complete the thesis.
Her beloved parents, Jusman Tanjung and Lailan Safina Lubis and her beloved brother, Dede Wahyudi Tanjung who have sincerely given great affection, encouragement, financial support and have become her main motivation to complete the study.
Dra. Masitowarni Siregar, M.Ed., her Consultant, who has patiently given advice, motivation, suggestion, and correction during the completion of her thesis, and also for Drs. Lidiman Sahat Martua Sinaga, M.Hum., as her Consultant and Academic Advisor for guiding and supervising her during the study.
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All the Lecturers of English and Literature Department who have taught and guided her during the academic year.
Eis Sri Wahyuningsih, M.Pd., the Administration Staff of English Department, who has given advice and helped her during the fulfillment of her thesis.
Her beloved friends since 2009, Dian Novita Sari, Siti Wahyu Aliyah, and Ria Astuti, who have become great friends and never stop to give support to fulfill her thesis,
Her beloved group, Homograph that consists of Yeni Novita Sari, Dian Sukma Lestari, Basyariah, Cindy Putri, Dina Febriana, and Yumi Saniah Lubis, for a great friendship and all experiences that have been gone through together.
Her beloved friend, Rekha Khairunisa, who has struggled together and accomponied her to go through the time during the completition of this thesis
Her beloved classmates in English Literature A 2012 for the extraordinary four years during the academic year.
Her boarding house mates, Almira Nuramalia, Dini Dayana, etc, who never stop giving her encouragement and always be there whenever she needs help.
Mayesa Hafsah Kirana, for being a cute moodbooster during the bad situation of completing the thesis.
Medan, September 2016
The writer
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E. The Significance of the Study... 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A.Theoretical Framework ... 6
1. The Overview of Translation Theory ... 6
2. Cultural Expressions in Translation... 8
3. Untranslatability ... 11
a. Linguistic Untranslatability ... 11
b. Cultural Untranslatability ... 12
4. Types of Cultural Expressions ... 14
a. Ecology ... 14
b. Material Culture ... 15
c. Social Culture... 16
d. Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, Concepts... 17
1) Political and Administrative ... 17
2) Historical Terms ... 17
3) International Terms ... 18
4) Religious Terms... 18
5) Artistic Terms ... 19
e. Gestures and Habits ... 19
5. Translation Procedures of Cultural Expressions ... 19
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g. Through Translation ... 24
h. Shift or Transpositions ... 26
i. Modulation ... 27
j. Recognised Translation ... 27
k. Translation label ... 28
l. Compensation ... 28
m.Componential Analysis ... 28
n. Reduction and Expansion ... 29
o. Paraphrase ... 29
p. Other Procedures ... 30
q. Couplets ... 30
r. Notes, additions, glosses ... 31
6. Description of The Novel “The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor” . 32 B.Relevant Studies ... 34
C.Conceptual Framework ... 37
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHOD A.Research Design ... 39
B.Data and Source of the Data ... 39
C.Technique of Collecting the data ... 40
D.Technique of Analyzing the data ... 40
CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS A.The Data ... 42
B.The Data Analysis ... 42
1. The Analysis of the Types of Cultural Expressions ... 42
a. Ecology ... 45
b. Material Culture ... 48
c. Social Culture ... 50
d. Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, Concepts ... 53
e. Gestures and Habits ... 55
2. The Analysis of the Translation Procedures ... 56
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h. Expansion ... 69
i. Paraphrase ... 71
j. Couplets ... 71
C. Research Findings ... 73
D. Discussion... 74
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions ... 76
B. Suggestions ... 77
REFERENCES ... 78
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LIST OF TABLES
Pages
Table 4.1 The Number and Percentage of the Types of Cultural
Expression Found in The Walking Dead: Rise of the
Governor ... 43
Table 4.2 The Representation of Ecology ... 45
Table 4.3 The Representation of Material Culture ... 48
Table 4.4 The Representation of Social Culture ... 51
Table 4.5 The Representation of Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, and Concept ... 53
Table 4.6 The Example of Gestures and Habits ... 55
Table 4.7 The number and Percentage of the Translation Procedures Used in The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor ... 57
Table 4.8 The Representation of Transference ... 58
Table 4.9 The Representation of Naturalisation ... 60
Table 4.10 The Representation of Cultural Equivalent ... 62
Table 4.11 The Representation of Functional Equivalent ... 64
Table 4.12 The Examples of Synonymy ... 66
Table 4.13 The Representation of Through-Translation ... 67
Table 4.14 The Example of Componential Analysis ... 69
Table 4.15 The Representation of Expansion ... 69
Table 4.16 The Example of Paraphrase ... 71
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of the Study
The existence of language in human civilization has made the language
itself have a very significant role especially in communication. When people do
communication, it is language which delivers what they intend to say as well as
the responses conveyed by the interlocutors. Language can be simply called as a
means of communication and self-expression. In its use, a large number of
languages in the world certainly raises a question of how a person using a certain
language can communicate fluently to the one using a different language from
him. When this problem obstructs the communication, the term “translation” is
one way which will effectively and efficiently solve this communication problem.
Larson (1984:3) states that translation consists of transferring the meaning of the
source language into the receptor language. In line with the preceding statement,
Catford (1965:20) defines translation as the replacement of textual material in one
language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL).
Translation as a mediator between one language to another has a function
to help a person understand, respond, and even talk fluently when communicating
to the one using a different language. In this case, someone can be called as a
qualified translator or interpreter when he is not only able to comprehend the
concept of translation, but also able to apply it properly in interlingual
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highlighted that becoming a translator is not an easy task since there must be some
obstacles that obstruct the translator in doing translation activity.
One important point that should be paid attention to by a translator is the
correlation between culture and language as proposed by Newmark (1988:94) who
defines culture as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a
community that uses a particular language as its means of expression. In addition,
Nida (1964:91) states that words are fundamentally symbols for features of the
culture. The two statements vividly show that language and culture have a very
close relationship. The language used by a group of people will usually reflect
their own culture since language is the product of culture and it will develop along
with the culture of the society.
In connection with the fact that culture and language have a close linked
system, a translator needs to be aware of the existence of cultural aspect in
translation process. The difference of cultural concept between source language
and target language makes the translator a bit harder to find the equivalent in the
target language to transfer cultural expression found in the source language.
Therefore, the translator is demanded to comprehend and has a broad insight
about the cultural concept either in source language or target language and also
understand about the translation procedures especially in translating cultural
expressions.
As one of phenomenon in translation, the writer was interested in making
a study about the translation of cultural expressions in a novel. In translating a
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of how to translate the cultural expressions found in the original novel into
another language due to the difference of cultural concept between a source
language and a target language. In this case, the English novel of “The Walking
Dead: Rise of the Governor” which is written by Robert Kirkman and translated
into Indonesian by Maria Lubis will be the object of the study.
In the translation process of the novel from English into Indonesian, it can
be found that the novel contains the cultural expression in the forms of words and
phrases that difinitely influence the translation process. For instance, the phrase
“macramé bracelets” in the original novel is one of the cultural expression
because this kind of bracelets is a typical accessory in USA. Macramé (
MAC-ruh-may) is actually the art or craft of tying cordage into knots in such a way that they
form a useful or decorative shape. This was a very popular craft in the 1970s in
the USA that is now being revived in the form of jute jewelry and knotted purses.
Therefore, the translator transferred this cultural expression by applying one of the
translation procedures, i.e. functional equivalent (finding the neutral or general
equivalent in the target language); thus “macramé bracelets” was translated as “Gelang anyaman benang”. Overall, the study would be designed to find, to
classify, and to analyze the expressions as well as the translation procedures used
to translate the cultural expressions in the novel based on the theory of Newmark.
This kind of study is actually expected to show the quality of translated novel
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B. The Problems of the Study
The problems of the study were formulated in the following questions:
1. What types of the cultural expressions were found in the original and
Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor?
2. What translation procedures were used to translate the cultural
expressions into the Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of
the Governor?
C. The Objectives of the Study
In relation to the problem of the study as stated above, the objectives of the
study are:
1. To find out the types of the cultural expressions found in the original and
Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor
2. To find out and describe the translation procedures used to transfer the
cultural expressions into the Indonesian version of The Walking Dead:
Rise of the Governor.
D. The Scope of the Study
To avoid an overlapping and misleading discussion, the study would be
focused on analyzing the cultural expressions found in the original and the
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E. The Significance of the Study
The study is expected to give valuable contribution theoretically and
practically. Theoretically, the findings of the study are expected to contribute on
the development of translation study, especially on how translation is applied in
transferring cultural expressions in literary work, especially translated novel.
Meanwhile, practically the findings of the study are supposed to be useful for the
following people:
1. The translators may use this study as a reference to them in translating
the English novel into the Indonesian version, so that they can produce
the better quality of Indonesian literary works.
2. The students and readers can use the study as a guidance to learn about
the translation of cultural expressions in literary works, especially
translated novel.
3. The other reseachers can use the study as one of the relevant studies and
guide them in making the translation of cultural expressions in literary
76 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
A. Conclusions
Based on the result of the study dealing with the analysis of the types of
cultural expressions and the translation procedures used in both the original and
the Indonesian version of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor novel, there
are some main points that can be considered as the conclusions of the study, they
are:
1. Based on the 117 cultural words and phrases which have been collected and
analyzed, it was found that the fifth types of cultural expressions proposed
by Newmark were realized in the novel with the number of 50 items
(42,74%) for material culture, 27 items (23,08%) for ecology, 22 items
(18,80%) for organizations, customs, activities, procedures, and concepts,
17 items (14,53%) for social culture, and 1 item (0,85%) for gestures and
habits.
2. Based on the 117 cultural words and phrases which have been collected and
analyzed, it was found that from the 18 translations procedures proposed by
Newmark, there were only 10 of them which were applied to translate the
cultural words and phrases from English into Indonesian, they are 58 items
(49,57%) for transference, 21 items (17, 95%) for expansion, 9 items
(7,69%) for through-translation, 8 items (6,84%) for couplets, 7 items
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4 items (3,42%) functional equivalent, 2 items (1,71%) for synonymy, 1
item (0,85%) for componential analysis,and 1 items (0,85%) for paraphrase.
B. Suggestions
In relation to the conclusions, some suggestions are given as following:
1. The students of English Department are expected to explore and learn more
about the role of culture in translation studies to broaden their insight.
2. The translators that focus on translating literary works are expected to learn
and have deeper understanding about the role of culture and the translation
procedures used to translate cultural aspects in order that they can produce
the better quality of translated literary works.
3. The other researcher is expected to conduct further studies about the role of
culture in translation studies as the contribution to the education field and as
78
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