CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter deals with introduction that consists of background of the

study, problem of the study, objective of the study, significance of the study,

scope and limitation of the study, and the definitions of key terms.

A. Background of Study

Translation is a rendering the meaning of a text into another language in

the way that the author intended the text. It is the replacement of textual

material in one language (Source Language) by equivalent textual material in

another language (Target Language)1. So, it is the activity of translating text or

word.2 It is very important for the process of changing information and

inventive yield. Without translation we could be passé, even we could not

follow the development of science, moreover, if we could not read foreign

language. That is why, translation not only needs for the developing country,

but also for the developed country. One of the needs is to translate books.

Translation is an activity which needs the knowledge of Source

Language and Target Language. It is very useful because it needs the

understanding of those languages to get accurate meaning because they have

different structure. Because of it, if someone wants to translate something, he

has to have the ability between those languages.

1
Drs. Sabrony Rachmadie, M. A. Materi Pokok Translation (Jakarta: Penerbit Karunika Jakarta,
1988), 1.2.
2
A S Hornby. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Fifth Edition (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1995), 1270.

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Besides mastering Source Language and Target Language, the

translator has to pay attention to translation principles and translation

procedures. In translation principles, the words, the idea, the style, and other

points should come as possible to the original or the Source Language. So, if

someone wants to translate, he has to make the meaning of the Target

Language as close as the meaning of the Source Language. While in translation

procedures, there are some ways to transfer the meaning of one language into

another language. They are adding, subtracting structural or lexical elements,

and adapting the content of the message between the Target Language and

Source Language. Therefore, to get accurate meaning the translator has to

master those two languages and pay attention to translation principles and

translation procedures.

Translation is taught at school. It can be in the rank of word for word,

phrase for phrase, sentence for sentence and so on3. It also needs some

linguistic theories to know what to do and not to do in translation. So, by

knowing the theories well, the translation will be more accurate and readable in

terms of the contents.

To translate word for word would is less difficult, but to translate

phrase for phrase and sentence for sentence, it is more difficult because

students need an understanding about lexical and grammatical equivalence.

The knowledge of lexical and grammatical equivalence is needed to do the

translation which needs an adjustment between Source Language and Target

Language. The adjustment is used to get accurate and readable meaning from
3
Rachmadie, M. A. Materi Pokok Translation, 1.9.
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Source Language into Target Language. So, the target language will be as close

as possible to the intent of source language and will give similar effect.

To translate sentence for sentence, grammar and lexis play an important

role. So, students must have the knowledge about grammar and lexis to do

translation. Grammar and lexis are used in all skills in English, not only in

translation, but also in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In translation,

they are used to adjust the structure and message between Source Language

and Target Language which are different. By making grammatical adjustment

and lexical equivalence between those two languages, the students’ translation

will be understandable and come as close as possible to the Source Language

message. By knowing this fact, the students need to master grammar and lexis

which they have got from their experience and their teachers’ explanation.

Therefore, in this research the researcher choses MAN 3 Kediri as the Subject

of this research. The researcher wants to know the ability of the students of

MAN 3 Kediri in translating sentence for sentence which needs the knowledge

of lexical and grammatical adjustment which they have.

MAN 3 Kediri is one of state Islamic schools in Kediri. Since MAN 3

passed into PGAN Kediri, exactly in July 1992, this school has undergone

many improvements and progress very rapidly. The development in MAN 3

Kediri has now deliberately progress. We can see it from the facilities in

teaching learning process, the school programs, and schools and student

achievement in various events at local, regional, national and even international

levels.
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MAN 3 Kediri consists of three grades. They are the first, the second,

and the third grade. The first level does not have department because the

students still study in general. Meanwhile, the second and the third level have

two departments; they are science and social program. But, in this research, the

researcher focuses on the science program of the second grade because almost

70% of the student in the second grade choose science program this year.

This school has RMBI status since 2010. Of course, they use English in

the teaching-learning process and the students also use it in their speaking and

writing activity. Therefore, this research is conducted at MAN 3 Kediri

because it is a school which has good achievement. Because of it, it becomes

school of reference for state schools and private schools around Kediri.

The other reason why this research is conducted because there is a fact

that the phenomenon of students’ mistakes often happen in class when there is

writing lesson, especially when the students translate sentence for sentence

because it needs grammatical and lexical knowledge. The students still get

difficulty in adjusting grammar and lexis between Source and Target

Language. Therefore, the researcher wants to know the students’ ability in

translation deeply. The researcher asks them to translate sentences from

Indonesian into English. So, by doing the test, the writer will know whether the

students’ ability in translation is good or not.

This research is focused on the implementation in translation sentence

for sentence. It is focused on some Indonesian sentences which are translated

into English which are tested on the second grade of the science program. The
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students’ translation will be measured by using 4 categories. They are

grammatical adjustment, lexical adjustment, addition, and adaptation. Those

categories are important to measure the students’ ability because they will

make the students’ translation will be as close as possible to the intent of

Source Language message and give similar impact. Because of that, each

sentence on each number of the test consists of those categories. Therefore, by

using those categories, the researcher will know the students’ ability to

translate Indonesian sentences into English. Based on the background above,

the researcher is interested in conducting the research entitled: “The

Translation Ability of The Students of Class XI Science Program of MAN

Kota Kediri 3”.

B. Problem of Study

Based on the background of the study, the problem of the research is

to what extend in the translation ability of the students of Class XI Science

Program of MAN Kota Kediri 3. It is “How is the students’ ability in

translating sentence for sentence?”

C. Objectives of Study

Based on the problem of the study above, this research is aimed at finding out

whether the students of MAN Kota Kediri 3 have good ability in translation,

especially in translating sentence for sentence.

D. Significance of The Study

Hopefully, this research is useful for students to understand the

concepts of translation well. So, the students can translate easily.

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For teachers, by knowing the result of this research, the teachers can

improve their teaching method in translation. So, the students can be more

understand how to translate sentence for sentence well.

It is hoped that this study will be useful for education, especially in

learning English. By knowing the students’ difficulty in learning translation,

we can improve the method of teaching which is used in English, especially in

translation. If we can find a good method in teaching translation, we will be

easier to explain the method to the students and they can accept the subject

fluently. Finally, the goal of the teaching-learning will be successful.

E. The Limitation of the Study

To make this research more effective, the researcher makes the

limitation of the problem. The limitation of the study is the translation of some

sentences from Indonesian into English, which consists of 25 questions. The

translation is tested to the students in the second grade of MAN 3 Kediri,

especially in science program which consists of 4 classes. And every class has

different number of students. Science 2 has 34 students, Science 4 has 39

students, Science 5 has 38 students, and Science 6 has 26 students. So, the total

number of the students is 137 students. Then, the students’ translation will be

measured by using grammatical adjustment, lexical adjustment, addition, and

adaptation.

F. The Definition of the Key Terms

Key terms are defined to help and clarify the attempted study. To avoid

misunderstanding, they are defined as follows:

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- Translation Ability

Translation ability is the ability to replace one language into another

language. In this research, translation ability means the student’s ability in

translating sentences that consist of 25 sentences from Indonesian into

English and 137 students of Class XI Science 2, 4, 5, and 6. The students’

translation will be measured by using score after they do the test of translating

sentences from Indonesian into English. Then, the researcher scores the

students’ translation by using grammatical adjustment, lexical adjustment,

addition, and adaptation on each sentence to know their ability in translation.