characteristics that make reading books so much fun, often get lost in translations. Therefore, a research project about the translation of
wordplay, a form of humor which is considered as a proper object of linguistic study, captures my interest.
1.2. Research Questions
Based on the statements above, two questions are addressed:
1. What are the types and significance of wordplay found in Roald Dahl’s
books for children? 2.
What are the translation strategies and their impact on the equivalence degree of the translated wordplay in the translation of Roald Dahl’s
books into Indonesian?
1.3. Objectives of the Study
Based on the research problems, this study has two objectives: 1. To describe the types and significance of wordplay found in Roald
Dahl’s books for children.
2. To describe the translation strategies applied to the wordplay translations in
Roald Dahl’s books into Indonesian and their impact on the translated wordplay’s equivalence.
1.4. Scope and Significance of the Study
This study sought to investigate wordplays found in the 7 out of 12 children books written by Roald Dahl which had been translated into
Indonesian, namely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and
the Great Glass Elevator, translated by Ade Dina Sigarlaki; The BFG, Danny the Champion of the World, and James and the Giant Peach,
translated by Poppy Damayanti; The Witches, translated by Diniarty Pandi and Mathilda, translated by Agus Setiadi. Those seven books are
considered as Dahl’s most popular works. With Delabastita’s 1993: 102 typology of wordplay as a frame of reference, I would classify and then
analyze what types of wordplay employed by Roald Dahl in delivering his quirky-witty-adventurous stories. Then, it concentrates on how wordplays
are retained in the Indonesian translations based on Delabastita’s translation strategies for wordplay
Translation studies are relatively new compared to other disciplines. Chiaro 2005: 135 states that ‘scholars of translation studies
have, however, dedicated little energy to the subject of humour ’. It is
hardly surprising that there is not much works done in the field of wordplay translation, including in Indonesia. Theoretically, this work will
enrich the knowledge of translation studies within the field of humour especially wordplay, no matter how small it is. Practically, the outcome of
this study will be expected to give useful hints for improving the translation of wordplay.
1.5. Writing Organization
