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Table 2.1 List of Score Category
Score Category
80-100 very good A
70-79 good B
56-69 sufficient C
50-55 insufficient D
≤ 49 poor E
Based on the list above, if the students’ scores are below the minimum standard of mastery, it means that they still have difficulties in translating relative
clauses and they have not mastered the relative clauses.
2. Translation Theory
This study focuses on the students’ translation result of relative clauses from Indonesian into English. Hence, the elucidation of the translation theory
underlined the study should be presented here. Here, the writer elaborates the definition of translation, kinds of translation, and criteria of a good translation.
a. Definition of Translation
In defining translation, Bassnett 1991 states: translation involves the transfer of ‘meaning’ contained in one set of
language signs into another set of language signs through competent use of the dictionary and grammar, the process involves a whole set of extra-
linguistic criteria also.
Meanwhile, Catford 1974 defines translation as the replacement of textual material in one language SL by equivalent textual material in another language
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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the theory that it is possible to abstract the meaning of a text from its forms and reproduce that meaning with the very different forms of a second language”.
Koller as cited in Hatim 2001 defines translation as “the result of a text- processing activity, by means of which a source-language text is transposed into a
target-language text”. Further, he states that between the resultant text in L2 the target-language text and the source text in L1 the source-language text there
exist a relationship, which can be designated as a translational, or equivalence relation.
Nida and Taber 1974 add that translation “consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message,
first in terms of meaning and second in terms of style.” There are many similar definition of translation proposed by linguists around the globe. As a conclusion,
translation is reproducing the message of the text from source language into target language without changing the meaning of the text. In this study, the source
language is Indonesian and the target language is English.
b. Kinds of Translation
Larson 1984 classifies translation into two types, i.e. form-based translations and meaning-based translations. Form-based translations make every
effort to follow the form of the source language. It is also called as literal translations. Meaning-based translations attempt to communicate the meaning of
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unduly free
idiomatic near
idiomatic inconsistent
mixture modified
literal literal
very literal
the source language text in the natural forms of the receptor language. This kind of translations is called idiomatic translations.
Larson 1984 suggests good translations are often a mixture of literal translation of the grammatical units and the idiomatic translation of the meaning
of the text. Moreover, Larson proposed a set of translation continuum as seen in the figure below:
Figure 2.1 Continuum Stages of Translation According to Larson 1984
From the figure above, translators’ goal is to achieve idiomatic stage. In this stage, the result is idiomatic translation, in which the meaning in the source language
text does not change in the target language text. This stage also produces a natural translation in the target language style. Unduly free translation is not considered to
be acceptable translation for most purposes because this kind of translation often omits and adds the content of the text during the translation from the source
language into the target language, hence often changes the meaning.
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c. Criteria of a Good Translation
