AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH-INDONESIAN TRANSLATION OF CULTURALTERMS IN KHALED HOSSEINI’S NOVEL “A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS”

AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH-INDONESIAN TRANSLATION OF CULTURALTERMS IN KHALED HOSSEINI ’S NOVEL “A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS” THESIS

Submitted as A Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for the Sarjana Degree in English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts

Sebelas Maret University BY: RAHMADI DANANG SUBAROTO

C0303043

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2009

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Research Background

Nowadays, there are many English books published in Indonesia. One of the books is novel. Sherlock Holmes, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Harry Potter are the examples of English literary works published in this country. Basically, the majority of Indonesian readers prefer the novel translation to the original one, since they meet difficulties in understanding foreign languages well.

Translating fiction books or novels is not an easy work. There are many requirements that a translator should fulfill in order to be able to make a good and understandable translation. A translator of any text should have adequate knowledge about the source language and the target language. He/she should also have intimate acquiantance, have complete knowledge about source language and target language, have intimate acquaintance with the subject matter and have complete knowledge of translation theory (Nida, 1964). The understanding of source language and target language cultures are additional requirements for novel translators, since novel is very close to source language culture

Language competence and cultural knowledge competence are needed by translators in order to find appropriate strategies to solve the problems of socio- cultural differences. For that reason, the researcher analyzes the cultural terms and their translation in the novel of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” to find the strategies Language competence and cultural knowledge competence are needed by translators in order to find appropriate strategies to solve the problems of socio- cultural differences. For that reason, the researcher analyzes the cultural terms and their translation in the novel of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” to find the strategies

1. - On the way there, Mariam saw herb shops and open-fronted cubby-

holes where shoppers bought oranges and pears, books, shawls, even

falcons. (2007, p. 37)

- Dalam perjalanan, Mariam melihat toko-toko obat, los-los terbuka tempat orang membeli jeruk dan pir, buku, kerudung bahkan elang (2007,

p. 49) The example above is one cultural term in the sub of material/artifact. The

translation can be considered inaccurate. It means that the message of cultural term in source text is accurately conveyed into the target text.

2. - He owned a cinema, which Mariam had never seen, but at her insistence Jalil had described it to her, and so she knew that façade was made of blue-and-tan terra-cotta tiles, that it had private balcony seats and a trellised ceiling. (2007, p.5)

- Dia memiliki sebuah gedung bioskop, yang tidak pernah dilihat oleh Mariam. Jalil menggambarkan tempat itu ketika Mariam mendesaknya dan karena itulah Mariam mengetahui tentang tembikar cokelatnya, balkon- balkon pribadinya, dan langit-langitnya yang terbuat dari jalinan kayu. (2007, p.18)

The example above belongs to cultural term in the sub of Material/Artifact. The translator does not render the meaning into target language. It can be considered unacceptable. It means that the translation of the cultural term does not sound natural at all and has many influences from the source language.

Facing with those phenomena, the researcher is interested in analyzing cultural terms in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” novel. The data source of this analysis is a novel entitled “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and its translation in the

same title by Berliani. M. Nugrahani.

B. Problem Statements

Based on the research background above, some problems statements are proposed as follows:

1. What types of cultural terms are found in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” novel?

2. What strategies are employed by the translator in translating the cultural terms in “A Thousand Splendid Suns “novel into Indonesian in the same title?

3. What is the impact of the strategies to the accuracy and acceptability of the cultural terms translation?

C. Research Objectives

Based on the formulation of the problems, the objectives below answer the problems, namely:

1. to find out the types cultural terms in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” novel.

2. to find out the translation strategies employed by translator in the cultural term in “A Thousand Splendid Suns “novel.

3. to find the impact of the translation strategies to accuracy and acceptability the cultural terms translation in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” novel.

D. Research Limitation

In translation research, the researcher can analyze many problems which have something to do with assessing quality. To avoid deviation of research problems, the researcher only focuses the accuracy and acceptability of the translation result

a nd the cultural terms which are found in Khaled Hosseini‟s novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and the Indonesian translation in the same title by Berliani M.

Nugrahani

E. Research Benefits

It is expected that this study will be beneficial to:

1. Students and other researchers This researcher is expected to be helpful for students of English Department and other researcher to increase their knowledge about translation of English cultural term.

2. Lecturers This research is useful for lectures as additional input and reference in teaching translation.

3. Translators This research can be used as and additional reference for translator in translating cultural terms.

F. Research Methodology

This research employs descriptive-qualitative method. Qualitative research is used since the data of this research are in the form of words and sentences. The method is used for describing the kinds of cultural terms found in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns , the strategies applied by the translator, and the impacts of the strategies on the quality of translation in terms of accuracy and acceptability. The descriptive qualitative research covers three stages, they are; collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusion. Further details explanation of research methodology will be given in Chapter III.

G. Thesis Organization

The thesis organization of this research is arranged as follows: CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION consisting of Research Background, Problem Statements, Research Limitation, Research Objectives, Research Benefits, Research Methodology, and Thesis Organization.

CHAPTER II : LITERATURE REVIEW consisting of Definition of Translation,

Translation Procedures, Definition and categorization of Cultural Term, Specific Problem in Finding Lexical Equivalences, Alternatives in Cultural Translation, Translation Acceptability and Accuracy, Rules for Translating a Prose Text and Novel

Review.

CHAPTER III : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY consisting of Research Method, Source of Data, Total Sampling Technique, Method of Data Collection, Research Procedures, Method of Data Collection, and Technique of Data Analysis,

CHAPTER IV : DATA ANALYSIS CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

This Chapter focuses on related theories as one of the basic requirements in solving the problems of the research. It consists of definition of translation, translation procedures, definition and categorization of cultural term, specific problems in finding lexical equivalents, alternatives in cultural translation, rules This Chapter focuses on related theories as one of the basic requirements in solving the problems of the research. It consists of definition of translation, translation procedures, definition and categorization of cultural term, specific problems in finding lexical equivalents, alternatives in cultural translation, rules

A. Definition of Translation

There are several definitions of translation proposed by some experts. Newmark (1988, p.5) in his book states that “Translation is rendering the meaning

of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text”. In this definition, the main purpose of translating is changing the meaning of the text into another language in line with the author‟s idea. In the other opinion, Larson (1984, p.2) defines that translation “is basically a change of form. In translation the form of the source language is replaced by the form of receptor (target) language.

From the definition above, it can be concluded that the objective of translation is to transfer the message or intent from source language into the target language. The translator should reproduce the text in the target language (TL) in such a way that it does not like a translation, and the meaning of the source language (SL) can be understood by the target readers.

B. Translation Process

Translation Process is the steps which are done by the translator in translating a text. Nababan (1999, p.25-28) has a concept about translation process. They are:

1. Analysis

The analysis of the source text is started with reading the text. The understanding of the text gives the conditions about linguistic elements and extra linguistic elements. Extra Linguistic element is related with socio-cultural of the text which can be separated from the language itself.

2. Transfer

In the transfer process, the analyzed material is transferred in the mind of the translator from language A (Source Language) to language B (Target

language).

3. Restructuring In restructuring process, the transferred material is structured in order to make the final message fully acceptable in the receptor language. Such a set of related procedures may be presented in the diagram below:

Process of Translation by Suryawinata (in Nababan, 1999: 25-28)

Analysis Psychological Process Restructuring

Source content content target Language

meaning, meaning, language Text message message text

Understanding

Evaluation and revision

Based on the diagram, it can be summarized that in the first step that the translator has to do in translating a text is analyzing the source language (SL) text. Secondly, he/she transfers the text into the target language. Finally, he/she should restructure the concept of the target language (TL) in order to make the final decision natural and acceptable for the target readers.

C. Definition and Categorization of Cultural Term

Newmark defines cultures as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a community that uses a particular language as its means of expression (1988, p.94). According to Edward Sapir (in Katan, 1999, p.16), culture is that Newmark defines cultures as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a community that uses a particular language as its means of expression (1988, p.94). According to Edward Sapir (in Katan, 1999, p.16), culture is that

In this definition, culture covers knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, customs, and other capabilities and habit acquired by human being in their society.

The translator is also called a cultural mediator. The idea of a translator as

a mediating agent however is not new, since many translation experts often use this term in their opinion. R. Taft (in Katan, 1999, p.12) defines the role of cultural mediator as follow:

“A cultural mediator is a person who facilitates communication, understanding and action between persons or groups who differ with respect to language and

culture. The role of mediator is performed by interpreting the expressions, intensions, percepting, and expectations of each cultural group to the other, that is, by establishing and balancing the communication between them. In order to serve as a link in this sense, the mediator must be able to participate to some extent in both cultures.”

From the definition above, it can be concluded that culture is the way of life as an evidence of intellectual development in human society that uses a particular language to express. Moreover, the cultural term is a term expressing the way of life as an evidence of intellectual development in human society.

In the relation to language as one of cultural factors, a translator who is closely concerned with language is consequently affected by culture. It means that the translator interprets the message of a text based on his/her own cultural background. Adapting Nida, Newmark (1988, p.95) categorizes the cultural term into different groups, as follows:

1. Ecology Ecology is the relationship between human beings and the environment. Ecology features include: animals, plants, local winds, mountains, and plains. The countries in the world may have the same or different ecology features. This depends on the geographical location of those countries. It leads to be problematic when translating the ecology features that do not exist in the target language. Examples: finches, chrysanthemums, cypress, etc.

2. Material Culture / Artifacts An Artifact always becomes a characteristic of its own culture. These include: foods, clothes, housing, transport, and communications. For examples: mosque ( masjid ), church ( gereja ).

3. Social Culture Social Culture includes work and leisure. For examples: servant, martyr, surfing, etc.

4. Organizations, customs, ideas (political, social, religious, artistic). Translating these features becomes a problem for translators because a country has its own terms, different with others.

5. Gesture and Habits are often described in „non-cultural‟ language. There are some gestures or habits which occur in some cultures and not in others.

E. Specific Problems in Finding Lexical Equivalents

For each translation procedure, there are some specific problems of finding lexical equivalents. According to Larson (1984, p.48) there are five factors of translation errors on lexical level when a word is translated into the target language, namely: (1) key words (2) symbolic words (3) word combination (4) false friend (5) implicit and explicit components of meaning.

1. Key words Key words are words which are used over and over in the text and crucial to the theme or topic under the discussion. Key words are most often words, which represent an essential or a basic concept of the text. The translator should give a special attention in finding the adequate lexical equivalence of the key words. If the key words are not translated in such a way to communicate the meaning clearly, the point of the whole text may be lost.

2. Symbolic words Symbolic words are key words which get symbolic value. They come to carry a figurative or a metaphorical meanings as well as the basic meaning of the words

As stated by Newmark: “In imaginative writing all key words acquire symbolical value, and become

potential metaphors grounded in the culture. Like key word in technology, they are suddenly forced to bear figurative meaning” (1988, p.57).

When such words are translated, they have to be supported with an attribute unless there is a strong cultural overlap between the source and the target language. The translator must provide attention to key words which are also symbolic words. Thus, the metaphorical intent of the source text is not

obscured. The Indonesian sentence „Engkaulah jantungku’ is an example of a obscured. The Indonesian sentence „Engkaulah jantungku’ is an example of a

3. Word combination and false literal translation Word combination is group of words which functions in the same way as a single word. Word combination is also called an idiom. The translator must be careful in translating word combination because the meaning of a combination as a whole cannot always be determined by the meaning of the individual constituent‟s parts. Sometimes a translator may also settle for literal translation

of a word combination because she/he does not know that there is more idiomatic form. Hence, when the translator makes a mistake in translating words combination, it will also result false perception. For example, the Indonesian word ‘kuli tinta’ is a word in idiomatic form. A translator must understand its meaning in the source language (SL), so that she/he can transfer the meaning of the idiomatic form into target language (TL).

4. False friend False friend may be defined as words in the source language which is bounded tidily like the words in the receptor language, since they are cognate with them, but in fact it means something different. For example, Indonesian word

„ambisi’ has a negative effect. While the word ‘ambition’ in English has a positive meaning. This phenomenon is called a false friend.

5. Implicit and explicit meaning The translator must identify the implicit and explicit meaning of the sentence. If the sentence has an explicit meaning in the source language (SL), it should be made explicitly in the target language (TL).

In translating a text, translator may face situation that the target language has no direct equivalent for a word which occurs in the source text. This situation is called non-equivalence at word level. The type and level of difficulty posed can vary tremendously depending on the nature of non-equivalence. Different kinds of non-equivalence require different strategies, some very straight forward, others more involved and difficult to be handled. Baker (1992, p.21) proposed some common types of non-equivalent at word level, namely:

1. Culture-specific concepts The concept of source language is totally unknown in the target culture. This concept can be in the form of both abstract and concrete. The word has some thing to do with a religious, belief, social custom, or even a type of food. An example of English culture concept which is difficult to translate into other languages is thanksgiving. This is English American concept which is difficult to understand by people for other cultures since thanksgiving is a cultural event which occurs only in United States.

2. The source-language concept is not lexicalized in the target language.

The source language concept is easily understood in the target culture, but simply not lexicalized or there is no direct target language to express it. For example, the word standard (an adjective word which means ordinary, as in standard range of product). Standard is a concept easy to be understood in the other languages, but it is difficult to directly translated. Translators or people use the word in their language as a loan word.

3. The source-language is semantically complex It means that a single morpheme can be expressed by a more complex set of meaning than a whole sentence. It becomes a translation problem, since the translator should explain the word in the target language in a long sentence or more. An example of such semantically complex word is facade . Facade means a part of the building which is located in front of the building, it functions as a shield of the building. The translator has to make an explanation following that word in order to make it clearer for the target reader in Indonesia.

4. The source and target languages have different distinctions in meaning The target language may have different distinctions in meaning but in the source language does not make any distinction of meaning. For example, Indonesian makes distinctions between going out in the rain without knowledge that is raining (kehujanan) and going out in the rain with knowledge that is raining (hujan-hujanan). Therefore, the Indonesian translator faces the difficulty in finding the equivalent for it since English 4. The source and target languages have different distinctions in meaning The target language may have different distinctions in meaning but in the source language does not make any distinction of meaning. For example, Indonesian makes distinctions between going out in the rain without knowledge that is raining (kehujanan) and going out in the rain with knowledge that is raining (hujan-hujanan). Therefore, the Indonesian translator faces the difficulty in finding the equivalent for it since English

5. The target language lacks a super ordinate Baker (1992, p.22) states “The target language may have specific words

(hyponyms) but no general word (super ordinate) to head the semantic field.” It means that the general word in the source text is hard to be

translated into the general word in the target text. It has to be translated into the specific word in the target text. For example, a Moslem who has expertise of Islamic knowledge in English is called Moslem scholar. In Indonesia, Moslem scholar term has many expressions of its hyponyms (Cendikiawan Muslim, Ulama, Ustadz, Mubaligh, Kyai), but it is difficult to find the equivalent term for it. The translator should render Moslem scholar into the more specific word in Indonesian, the closest meaning with the context of the source text.

6. The target language lacks of specific term (hyponyms) It is usual that a word has the general word but lacks of specific word (hyponyms). A specific word in the source language can be translated into the general word in the target language since there is no specific word for that word in the target language. English has many hyponyms under house for which it difficult to find an appropriate equivalent in other languages. For example, bungalow, villa, lodge, mansion. It is difficult to find the equivalent words of those English specific words in Indonesian. The easy 6. The target language lacks of specific term (hyponyms) It is usual that a word has the general word but lacks of specific word (hyponyms). A specific word in the source language can be translated into the general word in the target language since there is no specific word for that word in the target language. English has many hyponyms under house for which it difficult to find an appropriate equivalent in other languages. For example, bungalow, villa, lodge, mansion. It is difficult to find the equivalent words of those English specific words in Indonesian. The easy

7. Difference in physical or interpersonal perspective Baker (1992, p. 23) states “Physical perspective has something to do with where things or people are in relation to one another or to a place, as expressed in pair words such as come/go, take/bring, arrive/depart, and so on,. Physical or interpersonal perspective may also include the participants in the discourse (tenor).” It means that a physical perspective in one language can be more important than it is in others or it may have certain meaning than it is in others. For example, kissing right or left cheek in western countries is usual, when a person meets his/her friends (opposite gender). But it is not usual in Indonesia, it is considered impolite.

8. Differences in expressive meaning

A word may have the same proportional (true meaning) both in the source language and in the target language, but it may have different expressive meaning. This is often the case with items which relate to sensitive issues such as religion, politics, and sex. For example English has cohabitation as a term of living together between a man and a woman without any institutional engagement of marriage. Cohabitation is not a pejorative word in English. On the other hand, the equivalent expression in Indonesian, kumpul kebo, is considered as a pejorative word (less expressive meaning).

9. Differences in form

The source language and the target language may have differences in form, such as in certain suffixes, prefixes, reduplication forms, etc. Certain suffixes and prefixes which convey propositional and other types of meaning in English often have no direct equivalent in other languages. For example, there are many English couplets such as employers/employee, trainer/trainee , and payer/payee. Indonesian does not have those forms. Therefore, it recommends to translate those words into majikan/karyawan, pelatih/pemain, pembeli/penjual .

10. Differences in frequency and purpose of using specific forms Baker (1992, p.25) states “when a particular form does have a ready

equivalent in the target language, there may be a different in the frequency with which it is used or the purpose for which it is used”. For instance, the word who has already had equivalent siapa in Indonesian, but when who is used in adjective clause, the translation should be yang.

11. The use of loan words in the source text The use of loan words in the source text also becomes a problem in translation. It is used when there is no equivalent in the target language. For instance, in Britain, US or other western countries, high school students usually hold a farewell dancing party called prom night. In Indonesia there is no an event like that, so the translator keeps to use the source text.

F. Alternatives in Cultural Translation

The translator has to solve the problem in translating lexical equivalent in cultural translation. Soemarno (1988, p. 75) suggests three alternatives in translating those problems, namely (1) translating the idea of source language lexicon (2) changing the lexicon with its equivalents in the target language (3) using the lexicon in source language and adding a note.

1. Translating the idea of source language (SL) lexicon Translating the idea of source language (SL) strategy is used when there is no exact equivalent in the target language (TL) paraphrase. The translator may unpack the meaning of the source item and translate the idea of that lexicon in his/her own words.

For example: - He wakes up when the sky is still dark - Dia bangun saat shubuh

The translator renders still dark by translating the idea about it in the TL text.

The words still dark which means early morning, is changed into shubuh (Moslem early morning prayer that is known well by Indonesian people).

2. Changing the lexicon with its equivalent in target language (TL). Changing the lexicon with its equivalent in the target language (TL) is the way the translator replaces the source text with its equivalent in target language (TL). This replacement may not have exact meaning but the closest one. The benefit using this strategy is giving the readers of target language (TL) a 2. Changing the lexicon with its equivalent in target language (TL). Changing the lexicon with its equivalent in the target language (TL) is the way the translator replaces the source text with its equivalent in target language (TL). This replacement may not have exact meaning but the closest one. The benefit using this strategy is giving the readers of target language (TL) a

and Kabul fired back at the mountains, as Laila and the rest of city as helpless as Santiago watching sharks take bites out of his prize fish.

- Lalu, sajadah kembali dilipat, senjata kembali diangkat,dan pegunungan

kembali menyerang Kabul dan Kabul menyerang balik pegunungan, dan Laila beserta seluruh penduduk kota menyaksikan Santiago tua yang tak berdaya melihat hiu-hiu memperebutkan ikan kebanggaanya.

The translator renders rug by changing the lexicon with its equivalent in TL. Sajadah is the closest equivalent of this term. For Moslems especially in Indonesia, sajadah is very popular as a praying mat.

3. Using the lexicon in Source Language and adding note Using the lexicon in source language is common in dealing with translating lexicon from a different culture. The translator uses the lexicon in the source language (SL) with an explanation in the forms of a glossary, a footnote. It is very useful when the lexicon is repeated several times in the text. For example: - Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted

archway of the museum‟s Grand Gallery - Kurator terkenal Jacques Sauniere menatap jauh melintasi salasar berongga

Galeri Agung Meseum Louvre. * Kurator : ahli penilai seni di museum

The translator renders curator by changing the lexicon and adding footnote, since curator is not a familiar word in Indonesia and it is repeated several times in the novel.

A long with the problems which may occur above, Baker (1992, p.36) also proposes the strategies to be used in dealing with various types of non- equivalence, namely:

1. Translation by a more general word (super ordinate) Baker (1992, p.26) says, “This is commonest strategy for dealing with many types of non equivalence, particularly in the area of propositional meaning.” The translator translates a specific word in the source language

into a general word in the target language. It is because there is no specific word for that word in the target language. For example: - All the crews will stay in the motel. - Semua awak akan menginap di hotel. Motel is a hotel for motorist people. Indonesia has not specific term for that word, the translator renders motel into hotel, the general word for changing motel.

2. Translation by a more neutral/less expressive word This strategy is related with expressive meaning at word level. The translator renders a word in the source language into a word in the target language which has the propositional meaning but they have different expressive meaning. For instance: -They have not married yet, but they have cohabitation

-Mereka belum menikah, tapi mereka kumpul kebo The word cohabitation is rendered into kumpul kebo. They have the same propositional meaning, but the expressive meaning is different. Cohabitation is more expressive in English than kumpul kebo in Indonesian.

3. Translation by cultural substitution In this strategy, translator replaces a cultural specific item or expression with a target language item which dos not have the same propositional meaning but is likely to have a similar impact for the target reader. This helps the target readers identify such kind of source language item. For example: - Adam‟s family held a party for their second child. - Keluarga Adam mengadakan syukuran untuk kelahiran putra kedua

mereka. Party is rendered into syukuran (grateful occasion to God) since Indonesian people usually do not make a party for celebration but it is as a way for giving a grateful to God.

4. Translation using a loan word plus explanation Baker (1992, p.34) states, “this strategy is particularly common in dealing with culture- specific items, modern concepts, and buzz word.” The using of loan word and its explanation gives benefit when the word is repeated several times in the text. For example:

- The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel through the bars, directly at the painter. - Si albino, manusia berkulit putih, mencabut pistol dari jasnya, dam membidikkan moncongnya melewati jeruji, langsung kepada sang pelukis. The word albino is still used in the target language. The translator adds the explanation of the word “manusia berkulit putih” which means a man with skin (albino).

5. Translation by paraphrase using a related word Baker (1992, p.37) says, “This strategy tends to be used when the concept

expressed by the source item is lexicalized in the target language but in a different form.” The translator can make paraphrase using a related words

when the source language is lexicalized in the target language but should

be in the different form. For instance: - the king roles wisely. - Penguasa negara itu memrintah dengan bijaksana.

King is rendered into phrase “penguasa negara” since it is still related with the source language but in the different form.

6. Translation using unrelated word If the cultural concept of the source language can be lexicalized in the target language, the translator can render it by making a phrase with the unrelated word. For example:

- Adam's family held a barbeque party for their new child. - Keluarga Adam mengadakan acara syukuran atas kelahiran anak mereka.

Indonesian culture has no concept of barbeque party when a family get a new child, so the translator renders it into acara syukuran. This phrase is commonly used by Indonesian.

7. Translation by omission “This strategy may sound rather drastic, but in fact it does no harm to omit

translating a word or expression in some context” (Baker, 1992, p.41). For example:

- He owned a cinema, which Mariam had never seen, but at her insistence Jalil had described it to her, and so he knew that façade was made of blue and tan terracotta tiles , that it had private balcony seats and treiseled ceiling.

- Dia memiliki sebuah gedung bioskop, yang tidak pernah dilihat oleh Mariam, Jalil menggambarkan tempat itu ketika Mariam mendesaknya dan karena itulah Mariam mengetahui tentang tembikar cokelatnya, balkon- balkon pribadinya dan langit-langitnya yang terbuat dari jalinan kayu. Façade does not have equivalent in Indonesian. This word is omitted in the target language since the translator considers that it is not important to be translated.

8. Translation by illustration Baker (1992, p.42) states, “This is a useful option if the word which lacks

an equivalent in the target language refers to a physical entity which can

be illustrated. Particularly if there is restriction on the space and if the text must remain short, concise and to the points.” For instance:

- This icon is formally known as the blade, and it represents aggression and manhood. - Ikon ini resmi dikenal sebagai bilah pedang, dan itu mewakili agresi dan dunia lelaki. ▲ Blade is the point of a sword. Besides translating blade into bilah pedang, the translator adds a picture of blade to convey the readers what the form of a blade.

G. Rules for Translator in Translating a Prose text

Belloc (in Basnett) proposes six general rules for the translator in translating a prose text, namely:

1. The translator should not “plod on”, word-by-word or sentence by sentence, but should always „block out‟ his work. By „block out‟, the translator should consider the works as an integral unit and translate in sections, asking himself “before each what the whole sense is she/he has to

change.

2. The translator should render idiom by idiom and idiom by their nature demand translation into another form from that of original.”

3. The translator must render „intension by intension‟, bearing in mind that „the intension of the phrase or it may e more emphatic‟. By „intension‟,

Belloc seems to be talking about the weight a given expression may have in particular context in source language (SL) that would be disproportionate if translated literally in the target language (TL).

4. Belloc warns against les faux amix, those words or structure that may appear to correspond in both source language (SL) and target language (TL), but actually it goes reversely, e.g. demander- to ask, translated wrongly as to demand.

5. The translator is advised to „transmute boldly‟ and Belloc suggests that the essence of translating is “the resurrection of a weird thing in a native body”.

6. The translator should never embellish. (1980, p.12)

From the six principals above, Belloc wants to give stress for the translator in translating a prose text. A translator should look at the text as one structural unit. Belloc also considers that styles and sentence structures are also important in translating a pros text. She/he has a right to add or decrease the words in the source text so that the product will be suitable with idiomatic rules in the source language (SL). It can be concluded that the important aspects in translating a prose text are the meaning and then the style.

H. Translation Accuracy and Acceptability

Accuracy and acceptability are the important factors in determining the quality of translation. A translator is demanded to produce a good quality translation. Newmark (1988, p.192) states that a good translation can fulfill its Accuracy and acceptability are the important factors in determining the quality of translation. A translator is demanded to produce a good quality translation. Newmark (1988, p.192) states that a good translation can fulfill its

There are many features regarding requirements of qualified translation. Larson (1984, p.529) asserts three main points in testing a translation, namely accuracy, clarity, and naturalness. The accuracy is about the meaning or message of source text that should be fully transferred into the target text without any omission. The clarity means that the translation should be communicative to the people using it. The naturalness means that the translation should not only be accurate and communicative but also be natural in the receptor. The composition of the translation should be natural and original in the receptor language.

Accuracy is one of the aspects of translation quality assessment. The word accuracy can be defined as 'the state of being correct or exact and without error, especially as a result of careful effort' (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 1995, p.9). Dealing accuracy, Shuttleworth and Cowie state that:

Accuracy is a term used in translation evaluation to refer to the extent to which a translation matches its original. While it is usually refers to preservation of the information content of ST to TT, with an accurate translation being generally literal rather than free, its actual meaning in the content of a given translation must depend on the type of equivalence. (1997, p.3).

The quotation above refers to the matching point between the ST and the original. It points out on the preservation of information content of ST in TT. Based on the understanding above, it can be concluded that accuracy in translation deals with the message or content of the SL into the TL. A translation product can be stated as an accurate translation when it can transfer the whole message from SL to the TL

Acceptability of a text refers to the natural “feel” of the translation. A translation which leans toward acceptability can thus be thought as fulfilling the requirement of “reading as an original” written in target language rather than that of “reading as the original” (Shuttleworth and Cowie, 1997, p. 2-3).

A translator should be able to produce translation which is natural according to the target language system and culture. Larson suggests naturalness test to see if the form of the translation is natural and the style appropriate (1984, p.542)

J. Novel Review

The novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns" had been published firstly in the US in 2007 by Riverhead Books. The story is set in Afghanistan. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a breathtaking story sets against the volatile events in

Afghanistan‟s last thirty years-from the Soviet invasions to the reign of The Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding-that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of

this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought strongly jarringly together by sweep of war, where personal lives-the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness-are inextricable from history playing out around them.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Research Method

This research employs a descriptive qualitative method and applies single embedded case study. It means that the researcher focuses on one case and the conclusion focuses on that case. In a qualitative research, the quality of data is more important than the quantity. It does not include any calculation or enumeration. The research describes the existing phenomenon (in this case the translation of cultural term). Creswell (1998, p.15) states that:

“Qualitative research is an inquiry process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of inquiry that explore a social or human

problem. The researcher builds a complex, holistic picture, analyzes words, reports detail views of informants, and conducts the study in natural setting”

This research uses this method since the data are in the form of words which have meaning rather than numbers. Sutopo states that in a qualitative research, “the data collected are in the form of words, sentences, or pictures which have meaning rather than numbers or frequencies” (2002, p.35).

In a descriptive research, the researcher only describes the object without any intention to draw conclusion in general (Hadi, 1983). It means that descriptive research method is concerned not only gathering but also identifying and predicting relationship within and between variables without drawing any hypothesis.

From the definition above, it can be concluded that a descriptive method studies or identifies data to solve the problems based on an accurate and adequate description.

B. Source of Data

Data source is the object from which the data are selected for the research. Data source has an important role in giving information needed by the researcher. The data of the research were taken from two sources; the documents and the informants.

1. Document Document is a written data source. The data sources of this research are the novel entitled A Thousand Splendid Suns and the translation version in In donesian in the same title. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” was written by Khaled Hosseini and first published in 2007 by River Head Books, a division Pinguin Group, Inc, New York, and Indonesian version was published in 2007 by Qanita, Bandung. The researcher took the data source from that novel because of the following reasons:

1. both the source text (English) and the target text (Indonesian) are provided.

2. it was the one of the best seller novels in 2007 by New York Times version.

3. there are many cultural terms found in that novel.

2. Informant The other data sources are informants or the raters who rate the accuracy and acceptability of the cultural terms translation. They have significant role to check the accuracy and acceptability. They are selected on the basis of the following criteria:

1. the informant should master both English and Indonesian.

2. the informant must graduate from English Department.

3. the informant should have knowledge of translation.

4. the informant should have practical experience in translation.

5. the informant should be willing to take a part in this study. The data of this study are the sentences containing the cultural terms and their translation and the result or the score that are given by the raters, concerning with accuracy and acceptability of the translation to each datum.

C. Total Sampling Technique

In this research, the researcher employs total sampling technique. It means that the researcher takes all 109 data of cultural terms can be found in the novel.

D. Research Procedure

Research Procedures are the stages of activities done by the researcher in implementing his investigation. The procedures that are applied in this research as follows:

1. Reading the original text and Indonesian version.

2. Collecting the data from the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns and their 2. Collecting the data from the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns and their

3. Giving number and code to each datum. For example: 01/SATSS.13/TASS.20

01 : the number of the taken data STASS : the first cultural term is taken from the source text in A Thousand Splendid Suns page 13 TTASS : the second cultural term is taken from the target text A Thousand Splendid Suns in page 20

4. Making a list of data in the form of questionnaire and finding three rates who

are capable in assessing the accuracy of the data.

5. Collecting the scores given by the raters.

6. Classifying the data based on the types of cultural terms.

7. Classifying the data based on the translation strategies.

8. Classifying the data based on the accuracy acceptability given by the raters.

9. Making statistical calculation of the classified data in accordance with the strategies of each classification and presenting it in the form of table.

10. Discussing the finding by relating them to the theoretical context of the study.

11. Drawing the conclusions and proposing suggestions.

E. Method of Data Collection

There are two data in this research, the first data and the second data. The first data is collected by selecting all the cultural terms in A thousand Splendid Suns and their Indonesian translation.

The second data are collected from the raters that rate the accuracy and acceptability in content of the translation of cultural terms. The raters are given a questionnaire containing the first data and asked to give the score on the accuracy and the acceptability of the translation. The research provides the raters with scales to measure the accuracy and acceptability of the translation. It is based on the scale 1 to 4 and 1 to 3 as explained as follows: Accuracy rating instrument:

Score Category

Description

The message of the cultural term in the source text

4 Accurate is accurately conveyed into the target text and no rewriting is needed The message of the cultural term in the source text

3 Less Accurate is accurately conveyed into the target text of cultural term, but some rewriting and some changing are needed The message of the cultural term in the source text

2 Not Accurate is not accurately conveyed to target text. There are some reductions or deviations of meaning in the translation The message of the cultural term in the source text

1 Not Very is not translated at all into the target tetx, i.e it is Accurate

omitted or deleted

Acceptability rating instrument:

Scale Category Description

The translation of the cultural term is natural, does

3 Acceptable not sound like a translation work and compatible with Indonesian language The translation of the cultural term is less natural,

2 Less Acceptable sounds like a translation work and is still influenced by English language or culture.

The translation of the cultural term does not sound

1 Not acceptable natural at all and have many influences of English language or culture.

In addition to determine whether the translations of those cultural term are accurate and acceptable or not, the researcher also examines the strategies used by

the translator in translating the cultural terms in “A Thousand Splendid Suns”.

F. Technique of Data Analysis

In analyzing data, the researcher uses these following procedures:

1. analyzing the cultural terms in the novel and their Indonesian translation.

2. the level of accuracy of the translation is determined by the raters. They rate the accuracy of the translation by filling in the questionnaire.

3. the classified datum is coded as follows:

A.1

A indicating that the datum belongs to classification A

1 indicating the accuracy score of the translation given by the raters.

4. making statistical calculation of the scores given by the raters.

5. drawing conclusion of the result analysis.