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AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YUNITA WULANSARI
Student Number: 014214105
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
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long process of this undergraduate thesis writing. I would also like to thank my mother, who prays every night and day for me, my patient and supportive father, and my sister, who is always there to listen to all of my problems.
I am very grateful to my advisor Bu Venti for helping me doing my undergraduate thesis with her advice, guidance, and patience for almost three semesters. My gratitude also goes to Pak Harris for giving me many corrections for my undergraduate thesis. I would also like to thank the Faculty of Letters secretariat staff for helping me a lot during this process, especially for passing my drafts to Bu Venti very often.
Many thanks must also be given to all students of English Letters 2001, my best friends: Inul, Inem, Pusiati, Nono, Maman, Opit, Dina, Yekti, Adek, Dewi “Dora”, and Aryani (I share many good and bad times with all of them), Yeni and Lia (thanks for helping me in finding books in S2 library), Mas Miswanto (who is willing to fix my computer although he is very busy), the “Petung 19F” girls: Una, Dian, Mbak Arti, Jeng Sri, “Pildacil” Wahyu and Dita, Lina, and Sasa. Lastly, I would like to express many thanks to all people who have helped me during my study in Sanata Dharma University who are too many to mention.
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ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iii
MOTTO PAGE ... iv
DEDICATION PAGE ... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii
ABSTRACT ... xi
ABSTRAK ... x
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION... 1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 4
C. Objective of the Study ... 4
D. Definition of Terms ... 4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW... 6
A. Review on Related Theories ... 6
1. Definition of Translation ... 6
2. Translation Methods... 6
3. Translation Procedures ... 8
4. Problems in Translation... 9
5. Equivalence ... 10
a. Equivalence at Word Level... 11
b. Equivalence above Word Level... 12
c. Grammatical Equivalence... 13
d. Textual Equivalence... 14
e. Pragmatic Equivalence ... 15
6. Translation Strategies ... 16
a. Translation Strategies for Non-Equivalence at Word Level ... 16
b. Translation Strategies for Idioms ... 18
7. Culture... 19
8. Dynamic Equivalence and Adjustment ... 20
9. The Translation of Prose... 21
10. Contrastive Analysis... 22
B. Theoretical Framework ... 22
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY... 24
A. Object of the Study ... 24
B. Method of Study ... 25
C. Data Collecting... 25
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1. Translation by a More General Word (Superordinate) ... ... 39
2. Translation by Cultural Substitution ... 41
3. Translation Using a Loan Word plus Explanation ... 44
4. Translation by Paraphrase Using a Related Word ... ... 50
5. Translation by Paraphrase Using Unrelated Word ... 51
6. Translation by Omission ... ... 55
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION... 57
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 62
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This undergraduate thesis is about the strategies used in The Weaverbirds, the English translation of Burung-Burung Manyar, a novel by Y.B. Mangunwijaya. This work was written with Javanese culture as the background. There are many Javanese expressions in this work which have no English equivalence. However they need to be translated so that the target text readers will understand the whole context in the story as the source text readers do. Besides, the translations of these expressions are also needed to introduce Javanese culture to the target text readers. The translator has to find a way to translate each expression so that the messages in the original can be delivered. In this case, translation strategies can help the translator in his job.
There are two problems that will be analyzed in this undergraduate thesis. The first problem is what Javanese expressions in Burung Burung Manyar which are culturally problematic to translate, and the second is how they are translated inThe Weaverbirds.
The method used in this study was contrastive because the Javanese expressions inBurung-Burung Manyarwere contrasted to their translation inThe Weaverbirds. This was done to find out how the Javanese expressions were translated and what strategies applied in the translation product.
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Skripsi ini membahas tentang strategi-strategi yang digunakan dalam The Weaverbirds, terjemahan bahasa Inggris dari novelBurung-Burung Manyar karya Y.B. Mangunwijaya. Karya sastra ini ditulis dengan latar belakang budaya Jawa. Dalam novel ini terdapat banyak ungkapan yang bermuatan budaya Jawa yang tidak memiliki padanan dalam bahasa Inggris. Bagaimanapun, ungkapan-ungkapan tersebut tetap harus diterjemahkan agar pembaca teks sasaran dapat memahami keseluruhan konteks cerita seperti halnya pembaca teks asli. Selain itu, ungkapan-ungkapan ini juga perlu diterjemahkan untuk memperkenalkan budaya Jawa kepada pembaca teks sasaran. Penerjemah harus mencari cara untuk menerjemahkan setiap ungkapan sehingga pesan-pesan yang disampaikan teks asli bisa sampai pada pembaca. Dalam hal ini, strategi penerjemahan dapat membantu penerjemah dalam melaksanakan tugasnya.
Terdapat dua masalah yang akan dibahas dalam skripsi ini. Masalah pertama adalah ungkapan apa saja dalam novelBurung-Burung Manyaryang sulit diterjemahkan karena bermuatan budaya Jawa, dan kedua yaitu bagaimana ungkapan-ungkapan tersebut diterjemahkan dalamThe Weaverbirds.
Metode yang digunakan digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pembandingan, karena ungkapan-ungkapan yang bermuatan budaya Jawa dalam novel Burung-Burung Manyar dibandingkan dengan terjemahannya dalam The Weaverbirds. Metode ini dilakukan untuk menemukan bagaimana ungkapan-ungkapan tersebut diterjemahkan dan strategi penerjemahan apa saja yang diterapkan dalam hasil terjemahan.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The translation activities have been done for a very long time. Translation became an important factor of the culture development in Europe thousands years ago. The Romans’ highly civilized culture was more or less the imitation of the Greek’s. The Grecian culture then spread throughout Europe through the invasion of the Romans to other European areas. Of course, the cultural value brought by the Romans could not be passed on without the activity of translation (Newmark, 1981: 3).
Today translation is widely done. The whole world appears to be united along with the growth of transportation and communication system. People are curious of what happened outside their own areas and they want their culture to be known and appreciated by other people. Nevertheless, they often stumbled at language differences. In this case translation holds an important role for communication. People can exchange information with other societies who have different cultures and languages.
all people, literature which is created by arranging words can only be enjoyed by people who speak the language. This work of art should be translated into other languages so that other societies can enjoy and appreciate it.
Translation is obviously needed everywhere especially in developing countries like ours. We need to learn from developed countries about technology, economics, politics, and other subjects to make a better system and situation in our country. Reading is one of the ways of learning. To support this effort, texts in foreign languages must be translated into Indonesian to help those who do not speak the languages. On the other hand, Indonesia has valuable texts especially in literature that are worthy enough to translate into foreign languages, so that these texts can be read, enjoyed, and appreciated by people outside the country. This is important to get people’s respect considering the political issues reported by the news that can give bad impression toward our country.
However, some problems start to arise in the practice of translation. One of them is cultural differences (Larson, 1984: 137). Each language is influenced by the culture in the place where it is spoken. The Javanese word onde-onde, kromo and Pahing for example, cannot be easily translated into English. English has no equivalence for those words because there is no need for English speakers to name those objects. The absence of words in the target language is just one of the problems in the practice of translation. Translators will face many other problems in translating literary works.
target language (TL). This knowledge should also be supported by sensitivity to catch the message that the original author want to deliver, and ability to reproduce the message in the TL. The result of the message reproduction should be acceptable for people who speak the TL.
There is no translation that is absolutely perfect, but certain strategies may be used to translate the SL when there are some problems related to the cultural differences so the translation can be accepted without difficulties by the TL readers with the minimum loss of meaning implied in the SL. In researching the translation strategies that can be applied to overcome the cultural problems, an Indonesian novel Burung Burung Manyar and its English translation, The Weaverbirds, are chosen as the objects of the research.Burung Burung Manyar was written by Y.B. Mangunwijaya and translated into English by Thomas M Hunter who had been involved in the study of Indonesian culture since 1970.
love, and Arjunais the symbol of a “lady killer” man. Some of them are familiar to Javanese speakers, but not to the foreigners. These terms, although have been translated into English, may be confusing for those who have different culture.
B. Problem Formulation
1. What Javanese expressions inBurung Burung Manyarare culturally problematic to translate?
2. How are the culturally problematic Javanese expressions in Burung Burung Manyartranslated inThe Weaverbirds?
C. Objective of the Study
The aims of this research are to find out the Javanese expressions in Burung Burung Manyar which are culturally problematic to translate and how they are translated inThe Weaverbirds.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Cultural problem
by translator that is caused by cultural differences between two languages that he deals with.
2. Translation strategy
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review on Related Theories
1. Definition of Translation
Maurits D.S. Simatupang in his book, Pengantar Teori Terjemahan stated that translating is transferring the meaning existing in the SL to the TL, and make it as natural as possible along with the rules of the TL (2000: 3). A translation should transfer meaning, not form, for example the Indonesian utterance terimakasih kembali(the response of terimakasih) is not translated intothank you in return, but don’t mention it.This is done to reach the naturalness of the translation.
A translation should not read as a translation. Besides, it should carry the same meaning without any addition and omission (2000: 3). However, making an ideal translation which fulfils those requirements is not easy. Jean Paul Viney as quoted by Simatupang states that in translation, there is always something missing from the original message (2000: 3).
2. Translation Methods
According to Peter Newmark in Rochayah Machali’s bookPedoman bagi Penerjemah, there are eight kinds of translation methods that can be classified into
ST, while TL emphasis methods try to result the same impact toward readers that the author of the ST want to create.
The methods in SL emphasis include: 1. word-for-word translation
In this method, usually the TL words are put below the SL words in the text. These words are translated one by one without considering the context. This method is commonly used in pre-translation process to comprehend a difficult text. 2. literal translation
The SL words are translated without considering the context, but the grammatical construction is converted into the closest TL equivalent.
3. faithful translation
Faithful translation tries to reproduce the contextual meaning of the SL words within the constraint of the SL grammatical structure. Cultural words are transferred into TL, but the errors in grammar and choice of words are not yet corrected.
4. semantic translation
Semantic translation is more natural and flexible than faithful translation. It should consider the aesthetic value and naturalness of the ST.
While the methods in TL emphasis include: 1. adaptation
2. free translation
The priority of free translation method is the content without considering the form. Usually it is a paraphrase which may longer or shorter than the original. 3. idiomatic translation
Idiomatic translation reproduces the message in SL text using idiomatic expressions that do not exist in the original to give intimate sense.
4. communicative translation
Communicative translation attempts to reproduce the contextual meaning of the original in such a way, that both content and language are comprehensible for the reader without difficulty.
3. Translation Procedures
The difference between translation methods and translation procedures lay on the unit they deal with. Translation methods deal with the whole text, while translation procedures deal with the sentences and the smaller units such as clauses, phrases, and words. Some translation procedures as suggested by Peter Newmark in Aproaches to Translation(1981: 30-32) are:
1. Transcription (‘loan words’, adoption, transfer)
This procedure is usually used in SL institutional or cultural words to provide authenticity or local colour respectively.
2. One-to-one translation
3. Lexical synonymy
Lexical synonymy is a procedure of translation by a close TL equivalent although provides less accuracy.
4. Componential analysis
The SL word is translated using the components of meaning. 5. Transposition
Transposition is the replacement of one grammatical unit by another. 6. Modulation or variation in point of view
In this procedure, the translator produces the message from different view. 7. Compensation
The loss of meaning in one part of sentence is compensated in another part of the text.
8. Cultural equivalence
Cultural equivalence is a procedure of substituting an SL cultural word with a TL cultural word which is different in meaning but has similar quality.
9. Definition
This procedure usually recasts as a descriptive noun-phrase or adjectival clause 10. Paraphrase
Paraphrase is a free rendering of the meaning of a sentence: the translation last option.
11. Expansion and contraction or grammatical reduction
4. Problems in Translation
J.C. Catford in A Linguistic Theory of Translation mention a translation problem namely untranslatability. Untranslatability or translation fails occurs when it is impossible to build functionally relevant features of the situation into the contextual meaning of the TL text (1974:94). There are two categories of untranslatability, linguistic and cultural untranslatability. Linguistic untranslatability is caused by the failure to find a TL equivalent which is due to differences between the source and the TL. In cultural untranslatability, the failure is due to the absence of the situational feature which is relevant in the SL culture in the TL culture.
In his essay, A Framework for the Analysis and Evaluation of Theories of Translation that is compiled by Sakri in Ikhwal Menerjemahkan, Nida also mentions two kinds of problems in transferring message, namely problems of content and problems of form. The circumstantial setting of the ST can give a serious problem for the translator to provide the most equivalent text. Every culture has its own characteristic that might be considered weird by other cultures. This is called the problems of content. In such cases the translator may be forced to choose between the less comprehensible cultural setting of the SL and the more intelligible but anachronistic setting of the receptor language (Sakri, 1985:71)
(1976:72). It is easier to analyse and describe the cognitive equivalences of content then to find the formal equivalences of language.
5. Equivalence
Mona Baker in her book In Other Words: A Course Book on Translation divided equivalence in translation into five categories according to the level of complexity. They are equivalence at word level, equivalence above word level, grammatical equivalence, textual equivalence, and pragmatic equivalence (1992: 5)
a. Equivalence at Word Level
Equivalence at word level is gained by exploring the meaning of a single word in the ST and replacing it with a TL word which expresses the same meaning as the word in the SL does. The problem in translating a ST can arise from non-equivalence at word level. “Non-equivalence at word level means the TL has no direct equivalent for a word which occurs in the ST.” (1992:20). There is some common non-equivalence at word level as mentioned by Baker (1992:20-25), such as:
1) Culture-specific concepts
Certain word occuring in the ST may express a concept which is totally unknown in the target culture. The concept may be a concrete object such as a type of food or abstract such as a concept related to religious belief and social custom.
A single word in the SL which consists of one morpheme can sometimes express a complex set of meanings. The example is a Brazilian word arruaçāo, which means ‘clearing ground under coffee trees of rubbish and piling it in the middle of the row in order to aid in the recovery of beans dropped during harvesting’.
3) The TL lacks a superordinate
The TL may have specific words (hyponyms), but no general word (superordinate) to head the semantic field.
4) The TL lacks a specific term (hyponym)
The TL often has superordinate but lacks of specific words. 5) Differences in expressive meaning
A TL may have the word with the same proportional meaning as the SL word, but the expressive meaning is not definitely yet the same. This often happen in translating a text related to sensitive issues such as religion, politics, and sex. The example is the English word “homosexuality”. This word has a neutral meaning in English, but a pejorative meaning in Arabic.
6) The use of loan words in the ST
b. Equivalence Above Word Level
The second type of equivalence is equivalence above word level. Equivalence above word level is gained by exploring the meaning of the combination of words and phrases. This type of equivalence covers collocation, idiom and fixed expression.
Collocation means “the tendency of certain words to co-occur regularly in a given language” (1992:285), for example: break rules, wasting time, and pay a visit. It is not common to say break regulations, perform a visit, or squandering time. The meaning of a word in a collocation often depends on its association with certain collocates. Like individual words, collocational patterns carry meaning and can be culture-specific. A collocation may point to concept which is not easily accessible to the target reader.
Unlike the collocation, an idiom such as “bury the hatchet”, allows no variation in form under normal circumstances. Fixed expression also allows little or no variation in form. Although they behave the same, the meaning of idiom cannot be easily seen from the words that form it while the meaning of fixed expression is transparent. An idiom or fixed expression may have no equivalent in the TL, or have a similar counterpart but different in the context of use. An idiom can also be used in the ST in both its literal and idiomatic senses at the same time.
c. Grammatical Equivalence
translation (1992:86). Difference in grammatical structures that raise problems for translator may be deal with (1992:167-172):
1) Number
English distinguish between one (singular) and more than one (plural) while Arabic, Eskimos, and some Slavonic languages formally distinguish one (singular), two (dual), and more than two (plural).
2) Gender
Languages have differences in classifying nouns and pronouns into masculine or feminine. In translating you into Arabic, a translator has to choose betweenanta(masculine) oranti(feminine).
3) Person
Some languages have different forms of pronoun which are used to express different level of familiarity or deference in interaction with several addressees, such as Frenchvousandtu.
4) Tense and Aspect
Some languages have formal category of tense and aspect, while some others do not.
5) Voice
d. Textual Equivalence
Cohesion becomes the most highlighted aspect in this level (1992:80). Cohesion is the relations that provide links between various parts of a text. Halliday and Hasan identify five main cohesive devices in English (Baker, 1992:182-208), they are:
1) Reference
Example: Mrs. Thatcher has resigned. She announced her decision this morning.→ she refers to Mrs. Thatcher
2) Substitution
Example: I like movies. And I do→ do substitutes like movies 3) Ellipsis
Example: Joan brought some carnations, and Catherine some sweet peas. → the verb of the second clause is also brought, and it is not mentioned again because the first clause has already mentioned it.
4) Conjunction
Example: and, but, although, however, ect. 5) Lexical cohesion
Lexical cohesion refers to the role played by the selection of vocabulary in organizing relation within a text
e. Pragmatic Equivalence
is more complicated. It refers to the network of conceptual relations which underlie the surface text. The example is the conversation below:
A: Shall we go for a walk? B: It’s raining.
The B’s answer can mean ‘No, because it is raining’ or ‘Yes, we both like walking in the rain’. The meaning of the response depends on the context.
6. Translation Strategies
a. Translation Strategies for Non-Equivalence at Word Level
Baker suggests some translation strategies in dealing with the non-equivalence at word level (1992:26-42) as follows:
1) Translation by a more general word (superordinate)
When TL has no words which has the same proportional meaning as the SL word, a translator may “go up one level” by giving a word from the higher semantic field, in other word, a more general word.
2) Translation by a more neutral/ less expressive word
The example is the word “exotic” in the phrase “this exotic lily”. There is a problem in translating this phrase into Chinese since this language has no equivalent for the word “exotic” because this word is used by western people to refer to unusual and interesting things that comes from distant countries such as China. This phrase is then back-translated from Chinese into “this strange-unique lily flower”.
This strategy is performed by substituting cultural-specific items or expressions occur in the ST with a TL items which have different proportional meaning, but is likely to have the same impact on the target reader.
4) Translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation
This strategy is often used to deal with culture-specific items, modern concepts, and buzz words. This strategy is effective when the word is mentioned frequently in the text. Once explained, the word can be mentioned repeatedly without explanation.
5) Translation by paraphrase using a related word
This strategy is used when the concept expressed by the source item is lexicalized in the TL, but in a different form. It is also used to avoid repetition of certain word that results on unnaturalness of the TT.
6) Translation by paraphrase using unrelated word
When a concept expressed by the source item is not lexicalized at all in the TL, the paraphrase strategy can still be used in some context. Paraphrasing may be based on modifying a superordinate or unpacking the meaning of the source item.
7) Translation by omission
This strategy is used when the meaning carried by a particular item or expression is not vital enough to the development of the text.
8) Translation by illustration
b. Translation Strategies for Idioms
Baker suggests some strategies that may help in translating idioms after the meanings of the idioms in the ST are discovered (1992:72-78).
1) Using an idiom of similar meaning and form
To translate the idiom occurs in the ST, idiom in the TL which conveys roughly the same meaning is used. The lexical items consisted in the TL idiom are the equivalent of the lexical items in the SL idiom.
2) Using an idiom of similar meaning but dissimilar form
Translator can use an idiom in the TL which has the same meaning as the SL idiom although the form is different from it. The example is the Indonesian idiom “rumahku istanaku” which is translated into “home sweet home” in English.
3) Translation by paraphrase
When the translator cannot find any idiomatic form in the TL, he/he may paraphrase the idiom occurs in the ST.
4) Translation by omission
An idiom may be omitted because it has no close match in the TL or cannot be easily paraphrased.
conversion of metaphor to sense, deletion, and same metaphor combined with sense.
7. Culture
Mildred L. Larson in Meaning-Based Translation stated that “culture is a complex of belief, attitudes, values, and rules which a group of people share” (1984: 431). Language is also part of culture. Therefore, a translator should be a person who has not only knowledge of SL and TL structure, but also adequate knowledge of both SL and TL culture. Culture differences between SL and TL become a difficult problem for a translator. Some SL concepts may have no lexical equivalence in TL because of differences in geography, customs, beliefs, worldview, and various other factors (1984:163). Culture in a certain area influences the vocabulary of the language spoken there.
Beekman and Callow proposed three basic alternative ways to find an equivalent expression in the receptor language as quoted by Larson (1984: 163-172) a. Modifying a generic word with a descriptive phrase
he can decide whether to include the form, function, or both. The translator’s decision will depend on which component will be significant in the context.
b. Modifying a loan word
A loan word refers to a word from another language and unknown for most receptor language speakers. Loan words are commonly used for the names of people, places, geographical area, ect (1984: 169). Loan word can be used in translation by modifying it with a classifier or with a description of form, function, or both form and function.
c. Cultural substitute
Certain SL concept can be translated using a concept which is not exactly the same but occurs in the TL. Cultural substitution strategy cannot be performed in translating historical event or a narrative of an actual happening.
8. Dynamic Equivalence and Adjustment
The response of the receptors to the translated message should become the focus in communicative translation. Nida offers dynamic equivalence to bridge the gap between the two languages as summarized by Hatim (2001:19). Dynamic equivalence is suitable to achieve the reader response to the translation more or less similar to the original reader. Dynamic equivalence procedures include:
In making a dynamically equivalent translation, some adjustments including a set of modification techniques aimed at upholding translation equivalence and ensuring the accessibility of the TL version are used, such as (2001:20):
a. Adding or taking away information b. Altering the material
c. Providing footnote
d. Generally modifying the ST by removing any element likely to be perceived as alien, if not totally incomprehensible, to the target audience.
9. The Translation of Prose
Hilaire Belloc in Susan Bassnett’s book Translation Studieslaid down six general rules for the translator of prose texts (1991: 116):
a. The translator should consider the work as an integral unit and translate it in sections.
b. The translator should render idiom by idiom. Idioms of their nature require translation into another form from the original.
c. The translator should render ‘intention by intention’. A given expression in the ST may be disproportionate if translated literally into the TL.
d. Some words or structures may appear to correspond in both SL and TL, but actually do not.
f. the translator should never embellish.
10. Contrastive Analysis
Contrastive analysis includes comparing and contrasting two or more languages at various levels of linguistic description. Contrastive analysis provides explanations for and solutions to problems encountered in translation practice. It also in turn received from translation a range of theoretical and practical insights, as well as actual data and specific information (Hatim, 2001:81).
To play such an important role, contrastive analysis has had to be broaden its scope, taking in pragmatics, text linguistics, discourse analysis, rhetoric (2001:81). The translation data used has taken many forms, such as naturally occurring, fabricated or translated by analyst. Its levels are also varied considerably: from word and lexico-grammatical features, to pieces of texts, entire interactions and communicative events.
B. Theoretical Framework
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The works analysed in this thesis are Burung-burung Manyar and The Weaverbirds. Burung-Burung Manyar was written by Y.B. Mangunwijaya and
published The Weaverbirds was published by by Penerbit Djambatan Jakarta in 1981. This novel was awarded “The South East Asia Write Award” in 1983. This work consists of 261 pages. Burung-Burung Manyar took place mostly in Java and pictured the situation that Javanese people had to face during the early independence era and their view on it. Some Javanese cultural value is also introduced in this novel.
Burung-Burung Manyar was translated into English by Thomas M. Hunter. The translation was entitled The Weaverbirds and published by The Lontar Foundation Jakarta in 1991. This English version consists of 309 pages with 6 introduction pages from the translator and 6 pages of glossary.
B. Method of Study
The method used in this study was contrastive, because the Javanese expressions in Burung-Burung Manyar were contrasted to their translation inThe Weaverbirds. This was done to find out how the Javanese expressions were
translated and the translation strategies that were reflected by the translation product.
The library survey was held firstly to find the theories of translation needed for the study and secondly to find the meaning of the Javanese expressions in Burung-burung Manyar from dictionaries. More detailed information needed about the Javanese expressions was gained from encyclopaedias and related internet links.
C. Data Collecting
The data was the non-equivalence at word level found in the ST that was included as culture-specific concept that was stated by Mona Baker in In Other Words. The data was Javanese expressions which were culturally problematic to
D. Technique of Analysis
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. Problematic Words and Phrases
The words and phrases in the data below express concepts which are totally unknown in the target culture. As stated by Mona Baker, the concept may be a concrete object or abstract. The words and phrases that contain unknown concepts have no one-to-one equivalence in the in the TL. Thus, certain strategies are needed in translating these expressions that TL reader can understand concepts that are new for them for the understanding of the whole text.
1. Concrete Object
a. Species that is not common in the target language environment
1) Nun di kala itu, di Widura Kandang negeri NGAMARTA, tumbuhlah si gadis gesit bagaikan burung prenjak; rajin dan cerdas. (p.V)
These problematic words may be caused by geographical differences as seen in the data above. The species prenjak is common in the SL environment. Even so the same species cannot be easily found in the TL environment, that it has no words refer to the same species.
Prenjak in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia is defined as a small bird which has a loud sound, believed as the sign of the coming visitor (my own translation, 1990: 700). The Latin name of this bird isPrinia Familiaris Horsfield.
This species is common in Sumatra, Java, and Bali
The word prenjakhere is used by Mangunwijaya as a simile to characterize a little girl. The characteristic that is emphasized in the ST is nimble (gesit).
b. Types of food.
9) …onde-onde ceplus yang sedang mereka goreng. (p.11)
17) … dan kue cucur atau jenang delimaneneknya tidak mampu menghiburnya. (p.18)
24) ... sayuran sambal goreng taoco… (p.35) 46) Nyamikan emping yang tradisional… (p.215)
Onde-ondeis a kind of cake which shape is round like a ball, made of sticky rice or cassava flour with palm sugar inside.Kue cucur is explained in the footnote as a sweet cake made of rice flour.Jenang delimais also explained in the footnote, it is a kind of pudding made of cassava with granules which looks like pomegranate seeds. Taoco is foodstuff made of fermented soybean, used as flavoring. Empingis food made ofgnetum gnemon fruit or various kinds of seeds which are pounded, flattened, and shaped into rounds, then dried and fried like chips. They are Indonesian foods that cannot be found in other areas. Most of TL readers never see or know about these kinds of food. The unavailability of the same food in the TL results on the absence in vocabulary.
c. Building
The wordpringgitanabove according to the footnote ofBurung-Burung Manyarmeans a place in the palace in which puppet shadow performance is held. The room which has such function can only be found in Javanese palaces. The TL culture has no special room in palaces which function is only to held puppet shadow performances.
d. Tool
7) Betapa sangat paham beliau tentangprimbon-primbonJawa… (p.7) 30) … dikumpulkan dengan kentongan. (p.105)
The wordprimbon andkentongan are tools used by Javanese traditional society. Primbon is a fortune-telling book. This book is a tool that traditional Javanese people use to know their luck according to their birthday.Kentonganis a traditional communication instrument usually used in villages in Indonesia. Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia defines kentongan as an instrument made of wood or bamboo with a hollow space, sounded by striking it with a stick, function as an alarm of time or danger, or as a call for the mass to gather (my own translation, 1989:419).
e. Traditional clothes
42) … dengansurjanwarna-warni … (p.195) 43) … danblangkonkepala … (p.195)
Surjan, blangkon, andkebaya are traditional clothes worn by SL people. These traditional clothes have special designs that are different from other clothes. Kebaya is a kind of blouse worn by women, usually combined with sarong. Surjan is a kind of long-sleeved jacket worn by men.Blangkon means male batik headdress.
2. Abstract Concepts
a. Javanese calendar system.
3) Atau lebih tepat para penjual sapi yang setiap hari Pahing pergi ke pasar sapi Mertoyudan. (p.5)
28) Tetapi di hari pasaran Pon berikut masih banyak juga perempuan yang toh pergi ke pasar, jauh dibawah sana di tepi jalan raya aspal. (p.104)
31) … tengkorak-tengkorak itu setiap malam Jum’at Kliwon bertelur uang dan peluru. (p.106)
Jum’at Kliwon (Kliwon-Friday) and Selasa Kliwon (Kliwon-Tuesday) are associated to supernatural powers, thus they give frightening sense.
b. Nobility title
4) Sebab ia loitenant dan Raden Mas dari keluarga raja Mangkunegara. (p.6) Raden Masis nobility title for a male king’s descendant. Although the target culture also has nobility titles, it is not easy to find a TL nobility title which is equal to this Javanese nobility title.
c. Children traditional games
20) Dan pernah sesudah menang curang gobag sodor ia memaksakan hadiah ciuman. (p.23)
21) … Atik sanggup untuk memberi kecik sawo (biji sawo) tiga biji yang sering dibutuhkan Teto untuk adu kecik sawo… (p.23)
Gobag sodorandadu kecik sawoare children traditional games played in the environment of the SL. Since they are not played in the TL environment, they are not known in the TL.
d. Traditional art
26) … seperti penari serimpi tangan-kanannya melambai dalam gerak tari, … (p.56)
19) Tak mengira burung-burung sehitam itu bisa begitu luwes seperti penari serimpi kalau sedangkiprahdan membuat gerak melingkar. (p. 20)
The phrase penari serimpi means serimpi dancer. Serimpi is one of Javanese traditional dances. Penari serimpi is used by the author as a simile to give the sense of gracefulness.Pacak-guluis defined in the footnote of the ST. It means smooth movement of the head without moving the shoulders. Pacak-gulu is a common movement in Javanese dances. However, this movement is totally unknown for most TL readers except they see the movement by themselves. 35) Negeri ini subur dan gending-gending sinden-sinden mengalunkan kedamaian (p.141)
Gendingis Javanese song, andsinden is the female singer that sings it. Thesindensingsgendingwith music played using a set of gamelan. Gending and sindenin this part of the text are used to illustrate peacefulness in Indonesia.
e. Javanese language levels
23) … orang-orang Sungai Brantas sana tidak pernah suka berbahasa kromo. (p.26)
32) Langsung ia berbahasa ngoko kepadanya, seperti bicara kepada jongos. (p.106)
f. Words related to belief and superstition 8) Semua cewek itu anakwewe. (p.9)
45) Ia mulai melawak bahwa gunung berapi jaman sekarang sudah jadi semacam sekatenmodel baru. (p.197)
41) Setiap tahun pada waktunyadran sebelum bulan Puasa mereka selalu datang membersihkan makam Pak Antana dan berdoa. (p.193)
The wordwewemeans a female ghost with long hair who likes to steal babies. The expressionwewein the novel is uttered by an adolescent boy to curse girls of his age who have disappointed him, so the purpose of this word is to express anger. Other concept, sekaten and nyadran, are customs that are performed by the society of the SL. Sekaten in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia means fair held in Yogyakarta and Surakarta in the month of Maulud (one of the months in Islamic calendar) to celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. In the novel, the author reveals an idea that there is similarity between sekaten and erupting volcanoes. Both of them look very bright at night and interesting to see. Nyadran inBausastra Djawa-Indonesia means the activity of cleaning the graves in the month of Syaban (the eighth month of Islamic calendar; the month before fasting month) to honour the deceased ancestors. This activity is an annual habit done by Javanese Moslem society.
g. Names of puppet shadow and folktale character
6) Siapa pemilik istana? Bukan Gusti Raja Mangkunegara melainkan Dewi Sri. (p.6)
Dewi Sri is known in Javanese as rice goddess that protects the soil fertility. Data number 29 shows that Dewi Sri is much respected, even has higher position than a Javanese king. In data number 30, the nameSri from a bird name srigunting, is considered beautiful because it is the name of the rice goddess.
Javanese traditional people, especially farmers respectDewi Sribecause rice is the staple food in Java. In other areas which do not depend so much on rice, the appreciation toward a rice goddess is not as strong as in Java.
10) Bayi Raden Ayu Hendraningrat perempuan, mengapa mengambil lakon “Kakrasana-Narayana lahir.” Seharusnya kan mengambil riwayat “Kelahiran Sembodro”. (p.11)
The underlined expressions above are two titles of stories played in puppet shadow performance. The context of the data shows that “Kelahiran Sembodro” is more appropriate to be performed compared to “Kakrasana-Narayana lahir.” in the occasion of welcoming a baby girl. For reader who is familiar to puppet shadow theatre, it is not difficult to understand the reason why one play is more appropriate than another simply by knowing that Kakrasanaand Narayana are male, while Sembodro is female. However, other reader needs explanation for this utterance.
11) Saya sudah mengalami sendiri, apa artinya kawin dengan jenis Arjuna.” (p.12) 12) Akan tetapi bukankah enam tujuh tahun hidup bersama dengan seorang Arjuna sudah tergolong ketiban ndaru, artinya dijatuhi anugerah kemujuran hidup? (p.12)
superiority to attract women. He is easy to fall in love, and is also loved by a lot of women although having many wives. This source mentions thatArjuna has forty-one wives (1999: 141). Although using the same object as symbol, Arjuna in the two data have different meaning. Data number 32 contains a disappointment tone of a woman when talking about Arjuna.Arjuna here implicitly shows the negative things of a man disliked by the narrator. On the other hand, data number 33 shows “positive sides” of an Arjuna. In this data, Arjuna is a symbol of an ideal man dreamt by most women.
13) Memang setiap orang punya segi Pendawa maupun Kurawanya. (p.12)
Pandawa andKurawa, two clans that become enemies in the story of Mahabharata, are well known for Javanese, so they can easily guess the meaning
of the symbols shown in this part of the novel. SL readers with their background knowledge will know that Pandawarefers to goodness andKurawa refers to evil. On the other hand the reader of the TL who does not have the same background knowledge will not understand the meaning of the sentence.
14) Kalau dibanding dengan suami Mbok Naya sendiri yang bentuknya seperti Togogloakan itu,… (p.12)
According to Ensiklopedi Wayang Indonesia 5, Togog in Indonesian puppet shadow theatre is pictured as a short and fat clown with his eyes bulged out. He has a flat nose and a very wide mouth. He is the servant of evil knights (1999:1349).Togog in the data is a simile used by the narrator to illustrate her husband who has an ugly appearance.
The puppet shadow character Batara Kamajaya is the love god. His wife is a goddess, Dewi Ratih. Batara KamajayaandDewi Ratih that are simply called Kama andRatih are the symbol of true love in Javanese mythology. This symbol appears in data number 37. In data number 36, the narrator uses these characters as codes in a conversation about a personal topic with her friend. Batara Kamajayais the code for ‘your husband’ andDewi Ratihfor ‘you’.
36) Atik tak merasa punya watak Srikandi. (p.143)
37) Tetapi dapat dibayangkan betapa malunya Resi Bisma ketika harus berhadapan dengan lawan perempuan Srikandi. (p.143)
38) Ataukah ada kekuatan Ambika yang melayang di udara dan mengalahkan Bisma, … (p.143)
Srikandi is known as a strong woman warrior in puppet shadow theatre. She fights in the great Bharatawar with men warriors.Watak Srikandi in the data is the symbol of woman instinct to fight for her will.Resi Bisma is the character of Mahabharata who in the Bharata war is defeated by Srikandi. Ambika is Bisma’s ex-lover who was accidentally killed by Bisma. Her ghost swears to take revenge, and in Bharatawar she helps Srikandi to defeat Bisma. These names are used by the author to illustrate the conflict faced by the two central characters in the novel, Teto and Atik who belong to two opposite sides although they are best friends. Resi Bisma represents Teto, while Srikandi represents Atik. Ambika symbolizes Teto’s pride that makes him feels unable to oppose Atik directly.
Sugriwa is the monkey general in the story of Ramayana. Data number 41 tells about a little boy who mocks a little girl by making his face like a monkey’s. Sugriwa is used by the narrator to describe the mocking face made by the little boy. Larasati is a woman character of puppet shadow whose name is similar to the little girl in the novel. Thus, the narrator imagines herself as Larasati, the beautiful woman, and the little boy asSugriwa, the monkey face.
39) Tetapi siapa lelaki tulen yang mau jadi Ande-Ande Lumut? (p.144) 48) … Si Teto juga bukan Ande Ande Lumut. (p.225)
47) Atik adalah tipe wanita Keleting Kuning. Ngunggah-unggahi ia tidak gentar… (p. 225)
Ande-ande Lumut is a folktale about an ugly girl named Keleting Kuningwho competes against her beautiful sisters for the love of a handsome man named Ande-Ande Lumut. The narrator rejects to be a man like Ande-Ande Lumut as seen in data number 42 and 43. The narrator views Ande-Ande Lumut as a passive man because it is his woman that has to struggle for their love and finally proposes to him.Keleting Kuningis a symbol for a woman who will not wait for a man who will ask her to marry.
h. Terms refer to government officials
29) Kamitua,tamping, dan seluruh pamong desa dikumpulkan ... (p.105) 33) Terdengar berita,carikdanulu-uludesa Bawongan dibunuh Samsu. (p.109) 40) … aku terpaksa harus menginap di tempat PakDukuh… (p.192)
SL and TL environment have different administration. Some official position in the SL may be similar to the TL, but some others may be not available at all. The word ulu-ulu is known in the SL environment especially in villages which villagers are mostly farmers who work in rice-fields. The duty ofulu-uluis organizing irrigation system for rice-fields. The wordcarik, kamitua andtamping are described in the footnote of Burung-Burung Manyar. Kamitua is defined as the village chief’s first helper, while tamping is described as local representative of the village chief.Carikis a village official whose duty is to make records. The other position, dukuh, means the leader of an administrative area under village that also calleddukuh. A big village is usually split into somedukuh. The area of dukuhcan be considered as small village.
i. Traditional health treatment
16) Atau kalau sedang minta dikeroki. (p.14)
j. Skin colour
2) Dan kulit mamiku kulit putih langsep mulus. (p.3)
The word putih langsep or kuning langsep or lansat yellow is an ideal skin colour of Javanese women. Although the ST explicitly only shows the skin colour of that character, the reader still can sense the beauty of the character. In the target text, the reader will not get the same sense if there is no additional information about that implicit information. The reader of the target language has different culture, in this case, different standard of beauty on women. They do not considerlansat yellowas a beautiful skin colour.
B. Translation Strategies Revealed from the Translation Product
1. Translation by a More General Word (Superordinate)
26) SL: … seperti penari serimpi tangan-kanannya melambai dalam gerak tari, … (p.56)
TL: she would execute the graceful arm movements of a classical Javanese dancer, … (p.71)
19) SL: Tak mengira burung-burung sehitam itu bisa begitu luwes seperti penari serimpi kalau sedangkiprahdan membuat gerak melingkar. (p. 20)
TL: It was hard to believe that such a dark-colored bird could move with such fluidity and grace, almost like a court dancer who to the spectator appears to be a circle of arms and cloth, floating disembodied in the air. (p.30)
35) SL: Negeri ini subur dan gending-gending sinden-sinden mengalunkan kedamaian (p.141)
TL: Java’s soil was fertile, and the melodious songs of its many singers captured the peace… (p.176)
Javanese dancer are the superordinate of the terms penari serimpi or serimpi dancer. These terms are used to illustrate the gracefulness of the flying scissor-tails and of a woman’s body language. The superordinates can transfer the narrators’ feeling of admiration because the movement of a dancer is usually beautiful and interesting to see.
Gending andsindenhere are not used in their literal sense. They are used to illustrate a harmonious land in Javanese style. Gending and sinden are translated into their superordinates,songsand singers. Bothsongand gendingare made of well-arranged musical notes that pleasant for the hearer. The adjective melodious gives the sense of pleasure felt by the narrator. Thus, the expression melodious songscan illustrate a land which is comfortable to live in because of its peacefulness as well asgending.
29) SL: Kamitua,tamping, dan seluruh pamong desa dikumpulkan ... (p.105) TL: … an appeal for the chief’s helpers and the village elders to gather. (p.135)
Kamitua andtampingare village officials, both of them works under the village chief. The translator uses the term chief helpers as the superordinate of kamitua and tamping. In chief helpers, not only kamitua and tamping that is included but also all of the pamong desa. The information about the duties or particular fields managed by these officials is not introduced to TT reader. However, the superordinate that is used makes the sentence shorter and easy to understand.
The wordblouse is used to translatekebaya. Both blouseandkebayaare women upper cloth. There are wide varieties of blouse, and kebaya can be included into it. Though, information about the cloth uniqueness that shows that it is a Javanese traditional cloth that cannot be found in other places is not introduced. The information about the cloth uniqueness can be added by translating kebaya into traditional blouse or blouse that is worn with sarong. There is no complete information in the suggested translation, but the reader will know that it is not a usual blouse.
2. Translation by Cultural Substitution
1) SL: Nun di kala itu, di Widura Kandang negeri NGAMARTA, tumbuhlah si gadis gesit bagaikan burung prenjak; rajin dan cerdas. (p.V)
TL: … a little girl was born who was as nimble and quick as the sparrow, and as industrious and clever. (p.5)
Prenjak in is translated into sparrow, a different species that is more common in the target culture.Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current Englishdefines sparrow as a small brownish bird, very common in many parts of the world. The Latin name of sparrow is Prunella Modularis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrow). Sparrow is a kind of small bird that is easily found living freely in the nature. This bird looks lively because of its quick movement and chirping. From the bird’s characteristic, sparrow can present an image of a nimble little girl that the ST author illustrates by using prenjak as simile.
Wewe is translated into witches. Although wewe is literally different from witch, these two words have similar purpose as they are spoken in this context. The purpose of these two words is to curse someone, usually female who has a wicked personality. Moreover the wordwitchis more common in the TL to swear at women.
16) SL: Atau kalau sedang minta dikeroki. (p.14)
TL: … asking Mbok Ranu to massage her back … (p.23)
The word massageis used to substitutekerok. Bothkerokand massage are simple health treatment. The context of this part of the text shows that one of the characters is waiting for a situation in which she can ask her best friend a personal question about her love, and according to her, the perfect time is when her friend asks her to give this treatment. While doing this activity, two persons can talk in a private and relax situation. In this case,massagecan substitutekerok because both of them create the same situation.
20) SL: Dan pernah sesudah menang curanggobag sodor ia memaksakan hadiah ciuman. (p.23)
TL: Once he had cheated to win a game of hide-and-seek and had forced a kiss from Atik as his reward. (p.33)
Gobag sodor that is unknown in the target culture is translated into hide and seek that is known well by TT reader. Hide-and-seek is different from gobag sodor, but both of them are games played by a group of children.
40) SL: … aku terpaksa harus menginap di tempat PakDukuh… (p.192) TL: … forcing me to stay over night at the village chief’s home… (p.229)
region located in rural area. Village chief is the government official in the target culture which has the closest characteristics asDukuh.
42) SL: … dengansurjanwarna-warni … (p.195) TL: … with their many-colored overjackets … (p.233)
Surjanand overjacketare clothes with high collar and long sleeves, but still they are different clothes.Surjanis worn only by men in formal occasion like traditional ceremonies and receptions. Surjan can be substituted better by coat. Coat is worn in formal occasions in the target culture.
33) SL: Terdengar berita, carik dan ulu-ulu desa Bawongan dibunuh Samsu. (p.109)
TL: Then the news was heard that Samsu had executed the clerk and the waterworks overseer in the nearby village of Bawongan. (p.139)
The duty of a carik is to make records.Clerk that is used to substitute carikhas the same duty. Bothcarikandclerk are government official whose duty is to make records. Thus,clerkis a good translation forcarik.
3. Translation Using a Loan Word plus Explanation
34) SL: Tetapi pada malam menjelang Selasa Kliwon Mbah Glati meninggal. (p.111)
TL: … died on the eve ofKliwon-Tuesday.Kliwonis the third day of the ancient Javanese calendar and for the superstitious, on the evening before Kliwon and Tuesday coincide the powers of the unseen rise to their very height. (p.141)
in the Javanese calendar. To transfer the frightening sense carried by Kliwon-Tuesday, the translator gives reference about the superstition believed by Javanese people related to Kliwon-Tuesday. Thus, the implicit information is explicated. This strategy is efficient enough translate Selasa Kliwonthat appears several time in the part of the story because in the next appearance Selasa Kliwon can be borrowed without explanation and the mystical effect felt by ST reader can be understood by TT reader.
10) SL: Bayi Raden Ayu Hendraningrat perempuan, mengapa mengambil lakon “Kakrasana-Narayana lahir.” Seharusnya kan mengambil riwayat “Kelahiran Sembodro”. (p.11)
TL: Raden Ayu Hendraningrat’s had a girl, so why did they pick The Birth of Kakrasana and Narayana? Wouldn’tThe Birth of Sumbhadrahave been better, or something with a female lead. (p.21)
The explanation about The Birth of Sumbhadra, the underlined ‘or something with a female lead’, automatically gives information that the puppet
shadow character Sumbhadra is a female, while Kakrasana and Narayana are male. This leads to the idea that The Birth of Sumbhadrais more appropriate than The Birth of Kakrasana and Narayanato be performed to celebrate the birth of a baby girl. Further information such as what the stories are about is not added. Without adding further information, the main point in the part of the text that the host has chosen an inappropriate play, can be transferred.
6) SL: Siapa pemilik istana? Bukan Gusti Raja Mangkunegara melainkan Dewi Sri. (p.6)
TL: The real owner is Dewi Sri, goddess and protector of the land. (p.13)
18) SL: “Kau jangan nakal, ya srigunting! Namamu sudah seindah itu: Sri. Dan ekormu aksi juga, mengapa tabiatmu begitu?” (p.19)
Dewi Sriis much respected as shown in data number 29. To transfer the ‘respected’ sense,Dewi Sri not described as a rice goddess as widely known. She is described as ‘goddess and protector of the land’. This description is not really too far from her role which is to protect the land fertility. This expression conveys a better appreciation than ‘rice goddess’ in target culture in which rice is not the staple food. In data number 30, the nameSri needs an explanation about why it is considered beautiful. The translator gives information that the name is similar to the rice goddess’ name, and an additional sense through the word ‘beautiful’, in the translation, as a proof thatSriis a beautiful name in the source culture.
15) SL: Nu, dulu Batara Kamajaya kerap berkunjung menemui Dewi Ratih? (p.13)
TL: Did the love god Kamajaya frequently call on Dewi Ratih, the goddess of passion? (p.22)
25) SL: … getaran-getaran halus nikmat pengejawantahan Kama dan Ratih. (p.42)
TL: … the subtle vibrations of rapture, the incarnation in this world of the love god Kama and his passionate mistress Ratih. (p. 57)
22) SL: Sekali lagi lidah keluar dan wajah Sugriwa menakut-nakuti Larasati … (p.23)
TL: Once again came out the tongue, making Teto look for all the world like Sugriwa, the monkey general, when he frightened Arjuna’s wife Larasati. (p.34)
explanation Arjuna’s wife in translating Larasati is too complex. The narrator who is a little girl simply imagines herself as a good girl likeLarasati. The writer suggests using another explanation to express the goodness of Larasati. The expression ‘the beautiful Larasati’ for example, can represent a child’s imagination better. Further information aboutLarasatican be put in the glossary.
Batara Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih that role as codes in a personal conversation in data number 36 become too long and not natural. To make it shorter, it is possible to preserve the names Batara Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih without adding information in the target text. The information needed about these puppet shadow characters’ and the speaker’s purpose of saying so can be added in the footnote.
In data number 37, Kama and Ratih illustrate an intimate relationship between a man and a woman. The illustration is well translated in the TT. The explanation about the identity ofKama, ‘the love god’ andRatih‘his mistress’ not only introduces the general information about the two puppet shadow characters to TT reader, but also gives the sense of intimacy toward the illustration in the TT. The translator chooses mistress rather thanwife which shows that Ratih is loved so much by Kama. The additional word passionate that shows Ratih’s characteristic also strengthens the sense of intimacy in the TT.
37) SL: Tetapi dapat dibayangkan betapa malunya Resi Bisma ketika harus berhadapan dengan lawan perempuan Srikandi. (p.143)
TL: … the shame the great warrior Resi Bisma must have felt when he was forced to face Srikandi in battle. (p.177)
38) SL: Ataukah ada kekuatan Ambikayang melayang di udara dan mengalahkan Bisma, … (p.143)
Rather than a great warrior,Resi Bismais known better as the teacher of Pandawaand Kurawabrothers. The context of the data requires reason whyResi Bismahas to feel ashamed when he had to face a woman. The data reveals an idea that it is shameful for a man to fight a woman because he is physically stronger. Resi Bisma is not introduced to the TT as a teacher but the great warrior. The ‘shameful’ sense in the ST can be transferred because a great warrior is not supposed to fight a woman that is considered as weak creature.
Ambika is another symbol taken from puppet shadow stories. The translator preserves this name and gives little explanation about Ambika’s relation to Bisma that help the reader to understand the context. As explained before, Ambika is Bisma’s ex-lover who was killed by him and the ghost of her haunts Bisma. Ambika in the novel represents the man’s fear of being defeated by a woman because of his pride. This feeling is compared to ghost that haunts men by the narrator, and that ‘ghost’ is symbolized by Ambika. The information that AmbikaisBisma ex-lover is not really significant for reader to reveal the meaning of the symbol. The important point that must be delivered is that Ambika haunts Bisma. The explanation thatAmbikaisBisma’s eternal foe provides logical reason why the ghost of her did so. Although the information presented is not complete, this translation helps TT reader in discovering the meaning of the symbol.
13) SL: Memang setiap orang punya segi Pendawa maupun Kurawanya. (p.12) TL: Everyone has within them a little of the Pandawa and a little of the Kurawa, a little good and a little evil. (p.22)
symbol of goodness and evil. These expressions are preserved in the TT and given their figurative meaning. This strategy of giving the meaning of the terms when they function as symbols rather than their actual meaning is efficient because the reader does not need to know the story ofPandawa andKurawain understanding the context in the novel.
12) SL: Akan tetapi bukankah enam tujuh tahun hidup bersama dengan seorang Arjuna sudah tergolong ketiban ndaru, artinya dijatuhi anugerah kemujuran hidup? (p.12)
TL: But wasn’t living with her gentle Arjuna-like man for six or seven years to be counted among God’s blessings and a sure sign of a good fate in this life? (p.22)
The context of the data shows that the narrator thinks that having an Arjuna as a husband is a blessing from God. Readers who do not know about Arjuna will need reason why an Arjunais considered as a blessing. The positive tone towardArjuna is transferred by highlightingArjuna’s positive characteristics loved by women that also become the explanation for TT reader. In the translation, it can be seen by the addition of the word gentleto describe Arjuna. Thus TT reader can also felt that Arjuna is a kind of man wanted by most women. 48) SL: … Si Teto juga bukan Ande Ande Lumut. (p.225)
TL: I was no Ande Ande Lumut, a man willing to let the woman lead. (p.267) 39) SL: Tetapi siapa lelaki tulen yang mau jadi Ande-Ande Lumut? (p.144) TL: … story of Ande-Ande Lumut. What a great story, for a man to be proposed to by his future wife. But in the real world, was there a man like that? (p.178) 47) SL: Atik adalah tipe wanita Keleting Kuning. Ngunggah-unggahi ia tidak gentar… (p. 225)
TL: She was more the Keleting Kuning type, a woman who would not hesitate to propose to a man... (p.267)
to by his future wifeand a man willing to let the woman leadafter the loan word. The same strategy is performed in translatingKeleting Kuning that is much easier because the author has already given a clueNgunggah-unggahi ia tidak gentar, so the translator didn’t need to add extra information.
36) SL: Atik tak merasa punya watak Srikandi. (p.143)
TL: Atik had never felt herself to have a woman warrior spirit. She was no Srikandi, willing to march on a battlefield. (p.177)
The expression watak Srikandi which role is a symbol is translated into its symbolic meaning, a woman warrior spirit. This translation is already clear enough for TT reader for watak Srikandiandwoman warrior spirithave the same meaning. Though, this translation has not mentioned the name Srikandi yet, whereas, this name is needed as the continuation of the text.Srikandireappears in the following sentences. The expressionSrikandiis explained in separate sentence by adding willing to march on a battlefield to emphasize the warrior spirit she owns. By introducing Srikandi, there will be no problems when this name reappears in the following sentences.
4. Translation by Paraphrase Using a Related Word
17) SL: … dan kue cucur atau jenang delima neneknya tidak mampu menghiburnya. (p.18)
TL: … and it had taken her grandmother’s rice cakes and tapioca pudding to cheer her up. (p.28)
2) SL: Dan kulit mamiku kulit putih langsep mulus. (p.3)
TL: She was fair, that’s true, but her skin had a tawny hue, very much like the color of the lansat fruit, held up as the perfect “native” complexion. (p.9)
The colour of putih langsep is paraphrased with the expressions fair, tawny hue, andthe colour of the lansat fruit. For the readers who are not familiar
to lansat fruit, the descriptionfair and tawny hue is helpful to visualize the skin colour. The translator gives additional informationheld up as the perfect “native” complexion to explicate the implicit information so the sense of beauty that can only felt by the SL reader can also be understood by the reader of the TL.
21) SL: … Atik sanggup untuk memberi kecik sawo (biji sawo) tiga biji yang sering dibutuhkan Teto untuk adu kecik sawo… (p.23)
TL: ... she would give him two sapodilla seeds. Sapodilla seeds were important for boys, who use them as marbles to see who could shoot the farthest. (p.33)
The traditional children game adu kecik sawo is paraphrased by explaining the function ofkecik sawoorsapodilla seedsas toys. How the game is played is made visible in this paraphrase. Thus, the reader will understand this traditional game and how it is played although the translator only explains about the function of the sapodilla seeds.
5. Translation by Paraphrase Using Unrelated Word
9) SL: … onde-onde ceplusyang sedang mereka goreng. (p.11)
TL: … sweet rice balls she and Mbok Ranu were just about to deep-fry. (p.20) 46) SL: Nyamikan emping yang tradisional… (p.215)
TL: … gnetum-nut chips. These traditional chips… (p.255) 24) SL: ... sayuran sambal goreng taoco… (p.35)
Types of food as seen in the data above are paraphrased using the information about their taste, ingredients, and form. The taste ofonde-onde ceplus is sweet; its form is round like ball and made of sticky rice. Emping is thin and crispy like chips and it made of gnetum-nut. Sambal is made of chillies. The expression soy paste that is used to translatetaoco shows the ingredient and the form of the food. This paraphrases help reader to visualize the food using their imagination based on the information given.
4) SL: Sebab ia loitenant dan Raden Mas dari keluarga raja Mangkunegara. (p.6) TL: … he was a lieutenant and a minor prince of the Mangkunegaran court… (p.12)
7) SL: Betapa sangat paham beliau tentangprimbon-primbonJawa… (p.7) TL: … how skilled she was in reading the future in old divining manuals… (p.14)
These concepts are paraphrased by modifying a general word and additional information for each. Princeand manual are the general word used in the data. The word prince shows that the man being talked about is a member of the royal family, while minorshows that this man has little importance. The word minor from minor prince shows the prince mentioned in the data has little importance. The general word manualsin data number 7 shows that primbonis a kind of book containing instructions or guides for doing something. Divining is the activity which techniques are instructed inprimbon. The word oldshows that primbon is already used by older generations; it is part of Javanese tradition. The expressions minor prince and old divining manuals have provided the needed information for TT reader without too much explanation.
43) SL: … danblangkonkepala … (p.195)
30) SL: … dikumpulkan dengan kentongan. (p.105)
TL: … the wooden alarm gong sounded an appeal … (p.135)
A general word is also modified for each concept above, hat for blangkon and gong for kentongan. The Javanese concept blangkon is described using the expression elaborately folded batik to show how it is made and the material that makes it, and distinctive to show the concept’s characteristics that this kind of hat is different from others. In translating kentongan, woodenshows the substance that makes the tool andalarmshows its function.
5) SL: Papi mengajakku memasuki ruang keramat di belakang pringgitan istana yang disebutdalem. (p.6)
TL: Papa took me along with him to the palace and led me to a room which he said was called the dalem. The room was located directly behind the room in which shadow plays were staged for the entertainment of the inner court circle.(p.12)
45) SL: Ia mulai melawak bahwa gunung berapi jaman sekarang sudah jadi semacamsekatenmodel baru. (p.197)
TL: He joked that volcanoes were coming to be as great an attraction these days as the annual celebration in honor of the Prophet’s birthday in Yogyakarta. (p.234)
