A METHODOLOGY FOR TRANSLATION OF FIGURATIVE SENSES IN IKAN-IKAN

YANG TERDAMPAR AND IN STRANDED FISH

YUNITA GLORIA TOLOLIU

1780111052

MASTER OF LINGUISTICS PROGRAM

UDAYANA UNIVERSITY

2018
A METHODOLOGY FOR TRANSLATION OF FIGURATIVE SENSES IN IKAN-IKAN

YANG TERDAMPAR AND IN STRANDED FISH

I. INTRODUCTION

Language is a means of communications used by people to communicate with each other.

This is a way used by them to communicate and establish the relationship with other people.

Without a language people do not know the meaning of something and will miss the

communication which appears among each other. It also happens in translation, language is an

important thing because language can convey a meaning in the source language to the target

language. Translation is a process of transferring a text from a language to another. It can be done

by keeping the form (text-focused) or changing the form (meaning-focused). According to Larson

(1984:12), the purpose of translation is to transfer the meaning of a source language text into a

target language text. The result of the translation also should be related to the accuracy, clarity,

readability and naturalness of the meaning, ideas or messages of the translation. In the process of

translation, the meaning is very important and should be kept by a translator because the purpose

of the translation itself is to make the target readers understand what the text talks about. The

meaning of the ST should be understood by the translator so, he can transfer or deliver the

appropriate meaning to the TT.

A figurative language may exist not only in a daily life conversation but also in a literary

work as like novel, poem, and song’s lyrics. A figurative language is a language that uses words

or expression with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation

(grammar.yourdictionary.com). There are many types of figurative language such as: metaphor,

simile, symbols, hyperbola, irony, etc. The figurative language can be found in the novel, poetry,
song and many others but mostly we can find lots of figurative language in poetry. In translation,

the translator transfers the meaning of figurative language using procedure that already proposed

by the experts. These procedures help the translator to deliver or transfer the meaning from the SL

to the TL therefore, the target text will understand about the text. According to Vinay and

Darbelnet, the procedure of translation divided into two types, they are direct translation procedure

which consists of borrowing, calque and literal translation. Meanwhile, in the second one is oblique

translation procedure which consists of transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation.

Here, there are some of figurative language found in the text Ikan-ikan yang terdampar and its

translation in which the translator used these two types of procedures to transfer the meaning.

II. PROBLEMS OF THE STUDY

2.1.What procedures used in translating the text Ikan-ikan yang terdampar into its translation?

2.2.What method used in translating the text Ikan-ikan yang terdampar into its translation?

III. THEORY AND ANALYSIS

3.1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

3.1.1. Procedures of Translation

Translation procedure is a way of coping with matters pertaining to equivalents and it is

applied when the translating activity is going on. It can be observed overtly through the translation

product. Vinnay and Dalbernet (2004:128) classified the translation orientations product in two:

1. Direct Translation is based on parallel categories, in which case we can speak of parallelism

categories. It consists of:

a. Borrowing is keeping the SL foreign terms to introduce the TL reader the flavor of the SL

culture.
 b. Calque is a special kind of borrowing whereby a language borrows an expression form of

another, but then translate literally each of each elements. It can be divided into: (i) lexical

calque. It respects the syntactic structure of the TL, whilst introducing a new mode of

expression; or, (ii) structural calque. It introduces a new construction into a language.

c. Literal Translation as word for word, it is the direct transfer of a SL text into a

grammatically and idiomatically appropriate TL text.

2. Oblique Translation is based on parallel concepts, which are the result of metalinguistics

parallelism. It consists of:

a. Transposition is replacing one word class with another without changing the meaning of

the message.

b. Modulation is a variation of the form of the message which is obtained by a change of point

of view.

c. Equivalence is using completely different style and structural methods in rendering two

expressions of the two texts in a certain situation.

d. Adaptation is used as a situational equivalence where the type of situation being referred

to by the SL message is unknown in the TL culture.

3.1.2. Methods of Translation

Newmark (1981:22) adds that there are two best methods translations. They are (1)

Communicative translation, in which the attempts is to produce the same effect on the target

language readers, and (2) Semantic translation, in which the translation attempts within the bare

syntactic and semantic constraints of the target language, to reproduce the precise contextual

meaning of the author. He goes on to refer to the following methods of translation:

 a. Word-for-word translation: in which the SL word order is preserved and the words

translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context.

b. Literal translation: in which the SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest

TL equivalents, but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context.

c. Faithful translation: it attempts to produce the precise contextual meaning of the original

within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures.

d. Semantic translation: which differs from 'faithful translation' only in as far as it must take

more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text.

e. Adaptation: which is the freest form of translation, and is used mainly for plays (comedies)

and poetry; the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture is converted

to the TL culture and the text is rewritten.

f. Free translation: it produces the TL text without the style, form, or content of the original.

g. Idiomatic translation: it reproduces the 'message' of the original but tends to distort nuances

of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original.

h. Communicative translation: it attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the

original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and

comprehensible to the readership (1988b: 45-47).

3.2. ANALYSIS

3.2.1. Procedures of Translation

3.2.1.1 Direct Translation Procedure

Direct translation procedures are used when structural and conceptual elements of the

source language can be transposed into target language. Direct translation procedures by Vinay

and Darbelnet, consist of three types, they are borrowing, calque and literal translation. In the text
entitled ikan-ikan yang terdampar and its transalation found that the translator used this procedure

to transfer the meaning of these figurative language than can be seen below:

a. Literal Translation

Literal translation is the translation of text from one language to another "word-for-word",

rather than giving the sense of the original. Literal translation or also called straight translation

(linear translation). In the process of translation, the translator seeks a grammatical of SL

construction that is commensurate or close to the TL. This literal translation can be said regardless

of context.

a. SL : … Idul Fitri tak tahu lagi dimana pentingnya embun yang bergantungan di dedaunan

atau rerumputan pagi hari.

TL : … Idul fitri no longer sees what the importance is of dew hanging from morning

leaves and grass.

b. SL : Engkau adalah obor untuk hidupku yang gelap-gulita ini.

TL : You’re the torch in this pitch-dark life of mine.

c. SL : Lapar yang menghancurkan kegiranganku sehari-hari.

TL : Hunger that destroys my happiness day by day.

In example (a) and (c) they are categorized as the personification. Personification is a

statement attributes human qualities to non-human entities, such as objects or animals. People say

the wind howls or opportunity knocks, for instance. Neither the wind nor opportunity can do these

things, but these personifications vividly convey a particular idea. As the evidence, the example

(a) in the SL can be seen embun yang bergantungan and (c) lapar yang menghancurkan in

which the word of embun and lapar classified into non-human entities that have human

characteristics like (a) bergantungan and (c) menghancurkan. In example (b) it categorized as
the metaphor which means a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t

literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. It can be seen in the (b) the SL is

engkau adalah obor untuk hidupku yang gelap-gulita ini which is not literally true but it is the

expression of someone’s admiration.

In translating the figurative language, the translator used the literal translation as the

appropriate procedure to transfer or deliver the SL text to the TL. In example (a) embun yang

bergantungan, (b) engkau adalah obor untuk hidupku yang gelap-gulita ini and (c) lapar

yang menghancurkan literally or word-for-word translated into (a) dew hanging, (b) you’re the

torch in this pitch-dark life of mine and (c) hunger that destroys. The translator used literal

translation in which they translated literally or transferring the word directly and grammatically

from the SL to TL so, resulting in a translation that can be acceptable and the important thing is

the readers can read easily and get the meaning. This translation is done like word translation, but

the translator then adjusts the wording according to the grammatical of the TL.

3.2.1.2.Oblique Translation Procedure

Oblique translation procedures by Vinay and Darbelnet, consist of four types, they are

transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation. Oblique Translation are used when the

structural or conceptual elements of the source language cannot be directly translated without

altering meaning or upsetting the grammatical and stylistics elements of the target language. In the

text entited Ikan-ikan yang terdampar and its translation, there found three procedures used by the

translator to deliver the SL text that can be seen below:

b. Transposition

This procedure is the translating process which involves replacing one word class with

another without changing the meaning of the message in which a change of grammatical categories
are done. Such technique are also recognized as shift, which can be classified into structural shift,

unit shift and category shift. In this procedure, there is unit shift used by the translator.

a. SL : Juga tak tahu lagi ia dimana manisnya awan merah yang melembayang di atas

kepala.

TL : Nor does he know wherein lies the sweetness of the red clouds fanning into purple

overhead.

b. SL : Delapan jam kerja. Keringat kaya hujan dan dia bilang seenaknya sendiri…

TL : Eight hours of work. Sweat pouring down like rain…

c. SL : Pengalaman yang hebat-hebat kemarinlah yang memayahkan rohani dan

jasmaninya sendiri yang sangat dicintainya.

TL : it was yesterday’s harrowing experiences that had exhausted his spirit and that body of

his that he so loved.

In example (a) it is classified as the personification which means it gives human characteristics

to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. This can really affect the way the reader imagines things.

The SL is manisnya awan merah yang melembayang di atas kepala. In example (b) keringat

kaya hujan, it categorized as the simile that means a figure of speech that makes a comparison,

showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance

with the help of the words “like” or “as” and the word kaya in the example (b) is a simile. The last

one is (c) yang memayahkan rohani dan jasmaninya that classified to the irony which means

a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different

from the actual meaning of the words.

In translating those figurative languages, the translator tended to use the procedure of

transposition especially unit shift. Unit shift is from different amounts of meaning components
between SL and the TL. In English there are constituents that include discourse, sentence, clause,

phrase, word, morpheme and phoneme and called as the component’s rank so, when there is a

transfer or shift in one component, it called unit shift. It can be divided into two: (1) from low to

high units, and (2) from high to low units.

The bold words (a) kepala (b) keringat and (c) jasmaninya are categorized as the

component of word meanwhile they experienced the shift so that, in the TL the form of the word

is changing in which they become (a) purple overhead (b) sweat pouring down and (c) that

body of his that categorized as the component of phrase. As the explanation about constituent

above, word is lower than phrase so, it can be concluded that those three examples are from low

to high unit. The unit shift from a low to high results from the fact that the TL has more meaning

components than the SL.

b. Modulation

This procedure is the translating process in which there is a variation of form of the message.

It makes the translation having different point of view without forgetting the meaning that have to

be transferred.

a. SL : Dan perhatian yang dipusatkan itu membuat ia lupa daratan.

TL : And that concentration made him forget himself.

b. SL : Dan aku tak sampai hati membiarkan engkau menggerutu…

TL : And I could not bring myself to let you grumble on for three or four hours.

c. SL : Makian takkan memarahkan hatinya

TL : curses won’t anger or even offended him

 These three examples (a) lupa daratan (b) tak sampai hati and (c) memarahkan hatinya

are classified into irony that refers to words with an implification opposite to their usual meaning.

The character of the text tended to use irony as her expression when she something in her life. It

used by the translator to cover the real situation that happened in that time.

Modulation is the appropriate procedure used by the translator to transfer the SL text into

the TL. The concept of this procedure is the different point of view of both languages. It can be

seen in the example (a) lupa daratan and (b) tak sampai hati contain V and N meanwhile, (c)

memarahkan hatinya V and N=Possessive. In the TL the form of the SL changed in which (a)

forget himself and (b) could not bring myself are V and P then, the example (c) anger or even

offended him is V and P. As the result of the translation, it makes two different point of view

because of both languages in which it translated based on the culture of them and without forgetting

the meaning that would be transferred. So that, the target reader could understand and comprehend

about the situation happened in the text.

c. Adaptation

This procedure is used where the situation being referred to by the SL message is unknown

in the TL culture and the translator changes the content and form of the source language in a way

that conforms to the rules of the target language and culture. In general, this procedure is used to

deal with culturally-bound words or expressions, metaphors and images in translation

a. SL : Namun mencoba hati kawannya

TL : However, probing his companion’s mood

b. SL : Dan selayak ayah yang cintai anaknya ia berkata meminta hati.

TL : And like a loving father to his child, he says with deep concern.
c. SL : Dengan satu kali kemenangan kita tak usah hidup gentayangan lagi seperti ini.

TL : With even one victory we would not need to live this homeless life anymore.

In the example (a) mencoba hati kawannya and (b) meminta hati, the figurative sense is

paradox. Paradox is a term in rhetoric for a situation or statement that is or seems self-contradictor

and even absurd. The phrases (a) mencoba hati and (b) meminta hati are absurd and because the

word hati cannot be asked or tasted by someone, but there are two meaning of hati, they are liver

and about the feeling. Both of them exactly cannot be used when we want something to be asked

or tasted. In the example (b) hidup gentayangan is irony because the phrase contains implification

to their usual meaning. Here, the word gentayangan means someone who always go everywhere

in which she/he does not have fixed place.

In adaptation, the SL term changes to the content that conforms to the rules of the TL and

culture. It means the SL term adjusting to the TL term. The example (a) mencoba hati kawannya

and (b) meminta hati in Indonesian is acceptable but, if it translated literally to English it will not

appropriate because of the different culture so, the translated tend to adapt or adjust to the TL term

and they become (a) probing his companion’s mood and (b) he says with deep concern.

Meanwhile, in the example (c) hidup gentayangan is an expression of someone who does not

have clear place to go. If it translated in literal, it will not make sense because live cannot be

haunted therefore, the translator tended to use the phrase homeless life to translate hidup

gentayangan because it means someone who does not have destination or fixed place to go and

always everywhere and it is similar with homeless that does not have a house to live in which

she/he always moves.

3.2.2. Methods of Translation

3.2.2.1. Semantic Translation

Semantic translation attempts to render, as closely as the semantic and syntactic structures

of the second language allows, the exact contextual meaning of the original.

a. SL : Masa berbulan-bulan yang berdansa-dansa diatas tiga asnya itu meberikan

pikiran baru padanya…

TL : This period of month dancing on their three axes gives him new idea…

The data shows that the sentence above categorized as literal translation. This kind of

translation attempts to produce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints

of the TL grammatical structures. That sentence literally translated by the translator so the SL text

Masa berbulan-bulan yang berdansa-dansa diatas tiga asnya becomes This period of month

dancing on their three axes. The translator tended to translate it literally even though that

sentence is just the expression of the character at that time.

3.2.2.2.Communicative Translation

Communicative translation attempts to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible

to that obtained on the original.

a. SL : Dengan satu kali kemenangan kita tak usah hidup gentayangan lagi seperti ini.

TL : With even one victory we would not need to live this homeless life anymore.

b. SL : Namun mencoba hati kawannya

TL : However, probing his companion’s mood

 The data categorized as the adaptation which means the SL culture is converted to the TL

culture and it is a way to achieve the equivalence which is accordance with the culture of the target

language and the opportunity to create new terms. Here, the translator tended to make the

translation freest of translation as can be seen the SL text hidup gentayangan becomes to live

this homeless life and mencoba hati kawannya into probing his companion’s mood. It proves

that the translation is the reader-focused in which it adjusted to the TL term.

CONCLUSION

. Translation is a process of transferring a text from a language to another. It can be done by

keeping the form (text-focused) or changing the form (meaning-focused). According to Larson

(1984:12), the purpose of translation is to transfer the meaning of a source language text into a

target language text. The result of the translation also should be related to the accuracy, clarity,

readability and naturalness of the meaning, ideas or messages of the translation.

In the analysis, it can found that the translator used oblique translation procedure and

communicative translation method more than direct translation procedure and semantic method. It

can be proved that, there were 6 data of oblique translation procedure and 2 data of communicative

method as the representative of all data that used and translated by the translator.

REFERENCES

Brata, Frans. 2014. The Theory and Application of Translation.

Hatim, B. 2001. Teaching and Researching Translation. London and New York: Longman
Newmark, P. 1988. A Textbook of Translation. New York: Prentice-Hall International.
Vinay, Jean-Paul dan Jean Darbelnet.2004. A Methodology for Translation. In The Translation
Studies Reader. Edited by Lawrence Venuti. London and New York:Routledge