18 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The term figurative refers to language which differs from everyday, non literal usage. The
purpose is to make a text more entertaining by adding aesthetic values. Larson (1984: 250)
claims that metaphors or similes are hard to understand and cannot be translated literally. First of
all, the image used in the metaphor or simile may be unknown in the receptor language (p.251).
The fact that the topic of the metaphor or simile is not always clearly stated may also pose a
problem for the reader (p.250). To overcome this problem, the researcher uses Peter Newmark‟s models to translate metaphor found and Pierini‟s for similes found in the text.
A. Definition of Translation
Translation acquires ability to render meaning from source language to target language. Nida and Taber state that “translating consists in producing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent to the SL message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style” (1982:12). It is important to maintain the intention of the author on the target language.
Therefore, it can be challenging for translator to preserve the equivalence of the translation and
also produce natural translation for target readers as both of them are necessary in the process of
translation. In addition, Newmark (1981:7) affirms that “translation is a craft consisting in the
attempt to replace a written message and/or statement in one language by the same message and/or statement in another language”. It highlights the importance of creativity in the process of translation to add aesthetic values in the text. Those can be found in the correct interpretation of
19 B. Previous Studies Related to the Translation of Metaphor and Simile
This paper is consistent to previous research by Evert H. Hilman, Kristina Ardiyanti, and Bena Yusuf Pelawi entitled Translation of similes in F.Scott Fitzgerald‟s novel “The Great Gatsby”. The research is aimed in identifying translation strategies which are employed to solve the
problems in translating similes from English into Indonesian in F. Scott Fitzgerald‟s novel “The Great Gatsby” and finding out the problems that may occur in translating similes from English into Bahasa. The researchers above used translation strategies proposed by Pierini and those
strategies will be applied on this paper as well.
C. The Translation of Metaphor
According to Newmark (1981), metaphor used as an ornament, as a figure of speech or trope, as
the process of implying a resemblance between one object and another as a poetic device. In a simile the comparison is straightforward, usually using a word such as „like‟ or „as‟. Meanwhile metaphors have been widely debated among the discipline of Translation Studies, especially in
terms of translatability and transfer methods. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) stated that metaphor is
a device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish. According to them, metaphors can
be useful to explain complex and abstract concepts into more understandable and concrete
notions. Based on Newmark‟s Approaches to Translation there are seven procedures for
translating metaphor:
1. Reproducing the same image in the TL
This procedure is used for universal sense. The target reader of TL understands the terms in ST.
This is the best way to translate one-word metaphors, most frequently, idioms.
Example: Play with fire. We use this expression when someone does something that leads to
negative result.
2. Replacing the image in the SL with a standard TL image
It is used when there is no image that corresponds exactly to the one in the SL and it has to be
understandable in TL culture.
20 In Indonesia language, it is uncommon to say someone is the apple of their eyes. Therefore to
make it natural, the translator changes it to biji mata which is more familiar in Bahasa to refer to
someone who is precious.
3. Translating metaphor by simile. This strategy modifies an emotive metaphorical expression to
suit the TL, particularly if the TL text is not emotive in the SL.
Example: The road is a snake (Jalan itu seperti ular). It compares road with snake because both
of objects have similar meaning which is dangerous.
4. Translation of metaphor (or simile) by simile plus sense
Combining communicative and semantic translation in case there is a risk of the metaphor
translation will not be understood by target readers.
Example: You are as white as snow.
It is obvious that snow is white or vice versa but to make the meaning clearer it is completed
with the characteristic of snow itself.
5. Conversion of metaphor to sense
This is a strategy where the image of the SL is reduced to its sense and rewritten to suit the TL.
Example: There is storm in the meeting room (Ada debat di ruang pertemuan).
The storm is figurative word to express a chaos or riot. To make it more natural, the figurative
word is changed into its literal meaning which is a debate.
6. Deletion
This procedure is used if the metaphor is excessive for the context.
Example: My passion is red, burning like fire My passion burns like fire. To avoid lengthy
explanation, red is omitted. It only can be applied if the adjective shares similar characteristic with the object and doesn‟t change the meaning of the sentence.
21 This suggests an addition of a gloss or an explanation to improve the understanding of target
readers. In addition to this strategy, the research finds the similarity between this strategy by Newmark and Larson‟s (1984). A metaphor of the receptor language which has the same meaning may be substituted; metaphor is added with some explanations. The translator may
substitute a different metaphor in the receptor language, one that carries the same meaning as the
metaphor in the source language. As long as the nonfigurative meaning of the metaphor is not
lost, or distorted, a metaphor from the receptor language might well be substituted.
Example: Tongue is fire. Fire is destructive. Therefore we need to think before say anything.
D. The Translation of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech which involves a comparison. Similes compare two different
objects that share the same point of similarity. Similes must be translated appropriately, or else
the meaning implies nothing. Mary Oliver (1994) adds that the simile uses the words “like” or “as” in its construction and the simile is an explicit, stated comparison. According to Pierini (2007), there are six potential strategies in translating similes to consider by translators.
1. Literal translation (retention of the same vehicle/image)
This strategy allows the translator to render meaning of simile from TL to SL in the point if
similarity is universal to produce natural simile translation.
2. Replacement of the image with a different image
When the image of the simile does not clash with the TL culture, the translator may replace the
image in the SL with a standard TL image. (Newmark, 1981). This strategy allows the translator
to subtitute a different simile in the SL to another that carries similar meaning.
Example: My aunt held baby shower party yesterday (Bibiku menggelar acara tujuh bulanan
22 The translator changes baby shower to tujuh bulanan. In Bahasa, baby shower doesn‟t make any sense, so it is better to use more familiar words for target readers without changing the actual
meaning.
3. Reduction of the simile, if idiomatic, to its sense
This strategy reduces the idiomatic meaning of simile and renders the literal meaning of the simile. Additionally, this strategy can be justified only if the simile‟s function is being fulfilled elsewhere in the text.
Example: The assignment was a piece of cake. I finished it very fast. (Tugasnya mudah sekali.
Aku menyelesaikannya dengan sangat cepat)
The translator reduces the idiomatic words of a piece of cake into its literal meaning.
4. Retention of the same image plus explicitation of similarity feature(s)
This strategy keeps the simile in ST in the TT to retain the meaning because both have similar
features (can be in terms of physical appearance or behaviors).
Example: He has hawk eyes. (Dia memiliki mata setajam burung elang)
It is already obvious that hawk eyes means very good eyesight, but to make it clearer, the translator put “setajam” as the characteristic of hawk-eyed.
5. Replacement of the image with a gloss
This strategy can be applied by adding a gloss or explanation to makes the image more
understandable in the TL.
Example: She will clean her room when pigs fly. (Dia baru akan membersihkan kamarnya ketika
babi terbang. Namun, apakah kau pernah melihat babi bisa terbang?)
Can pigs fly? It is impossible. So it means, she will never clean her room.
23 A simile is omitted to avoid an unnatural translation. This strategy allows the translator to delete
simile only if it is considered unnecessary. However, the context has to retain the meaning of the
SL.
Additionally, Pierini (2007) divides a tripartite structure consisting of “topic” or comparandum, (the entity described by the simile), “vehicle/image” or comparatum (the entity to which the topic is compared) and “similarity feature(s)” (the properties shared by topic and vehicle/image). The simile “You are beautiful like a flower” has tripartite as follows:
Topic: you
Vehicle/image: a flower
Similarity feature: beautiful
