The Non-equivalence and the Strategies of Translation at Word Level

3.2 Translation by a more/ less expressive word

3.2.3 Differences in expressive meaning

(12) ST: Ya ampun Cinta. Ha, apa gue nggak salah dengar nih? Loe pergi sama Rangga? Loe, bukannya loe sebel sama dia?

TL: My goodness, Cinta! Am I hearing you correctly? You went out

with Rangga? I thought you hated him.

Sebel sebal) ( , as defined by Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, means “irritate (because disappointed, dislike, etc to sth/sb)” while hate , according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, means “dislike sb/sth intensely.”

In this context, Cinta who becomes one of bulletin board members of her school, needs to cover Rangga’s profile who won the poetry competition but

he refuses. He says that he is not the winner as he never entered the competition. It then makes Cinta feels irritated to him. Seeing the context, it is more suitable to use word sebel rather than benci (hate) because it has an insignificant level of disappointment. Both sebal and benci (hate ) actually has the same proportional meaning i.e. dislike sb/sth,

however adverb intensely makes the element of hate feels stronger than sebal . Perhaps benci is caused by very deep disappointment or anger over a fatal mistake done by someone or others.

Perhaps, word irritate which is defined by Oxford Advance’s Learner Dictionary as “to make somebody angry, annoyed or impatient” could bring a

closer meaning then hate . So, the strategy applied here is seemingly less appropriate.

(13) SL: Tangan kita terikat, lidah kita menyatu maka setiap apa yang terucap adalah sabda pandita ratu.

TL: Our hands join, our lips form in unison, every word we say is the command of the high priest.

Sabda , according to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia , means “statement (of God, prophet, king, etc)” while command , as defined by Oxford

Advanced Learner’s Dictionary , is “an authoritative order”. Although both sabda and command are said by exalted people, they convey different sense. Command is an order, so it needs to be fulfilled by those being ordered while sabda is an utterance which should be believed.

Above is a poetry line read by Cinta . In the context, word sabda follows religious term; pandita ratu (high priest). As it is commonly used in religious term, in a holy book for instance, it sounds more sacred that is why when it is used in non-religious term, it would rather weird. For example; Pak Taufik bersabda bahwa Rangga berhak menjadi pemenang lomba puisi .

However, word command s ounds more general and can be used both in religious and non-religious term. For example; (1) Mengasihi sesama merupakan salah satu perintah Tuhan and (2) Ia datang lebih awal karena perintah atasannya . The first sentence is a religious context while the second one is not.

If we try to find a direct equivalent word to translate word sabda , utterance might be the correct one. However, it is not suitable in this context because utterance does not convey religious sense. It is less expressive than sabda . In contrary, word command is more expressive and strong than sabda . In If we try to find a direct equivalent word to translate word sabda , utterance might be the correct one. However, it is not suitable in this context because utterance does not convey religious sense. It is less expressive than sabda . In contrary, word command is more expressive and strong than sabda . In

(14) ST: Nak, taksinya untuk ibu bisa nggak nak ya? Ibu kemaleman.

Bisa ya?

TT: I’m sorry son, can I take this taxi? It’s really late, please? The dialogue is spoken by a stranger to Rangga when he tries to get a

taxi to take him home. The woman uses kinship term ibu as the first person pronoun even though they have no kinship at all.

Kinship terms are usually used in informal conversation to show intimacy. The term ibu in the dialogue is actually can be replaced by first pronoun saya but it will erodes the intimacy sense. So, ibu is seemingly the best to term to use in this context because it will be easier to win a negotiation when the interlocutor feels confortable.

In the TL, the kinship term ibu is altered by a more neutral pronoun

i.e. I because if term ibu is translated literary, it sounds somewhat weird unless the term ibu is used by the addressee’s mother so the translated would be “ Can Mom take this taxi” And if the term ibu refers to someone else, not the addressee’s mother, as seen in the dialogue above, it is translated literary as madam which sounds less neutral if it used in the context above as in I’m sorry son, can Madam take this taxi? It’s really late, please? So, the strategy applied in the TL is seemingly appropriate even though it erodes the intimacy sense.

(15) Bosan aku dengan penat, enyah saja kau pekat I’m bored with being tired, I want to get rid of you , darkness

Kenapa tak kau goyangkan saja loncengnya biar terdera Why not just swing the bell until it winces!

Above are some lines of poem found in the movie. Pronoun kau is

used to refer the second person instead of the others second person pronoun such as kamu . To replace the pronoun kau , the translator uses a more neutral word i.e. you .

Pronoun kau is now used only in literary and poetic styles, and sometimes occurs with a plural meaning (Comrie, 2009). In the case above, the pronoun kau is used to arouse poetic nuance. In English, the pronoun which has similar impact is essentially available, that is thou. Thou is an old English pronoun which nowadays is no longer used in daily conversation. However, as stated by Roselani (1991:155), pronoun thou is still used in prayer and poetry.

So, the strategy used in this case, which is translation with a more neutral word, is seemingly less appropriate because it erodes the poetic nuance. The pronoun thou is probably better to used since it still commonly used in poetry.

3.3 Translation by cultural substitution

3.3.1 Culture-specific Concepts

(16) ST: Lho, masak saya suruh manggil-manggil neng Cinta kayak cowok kelas tiga aja?

TT: Excuse me, I don’t like to tease Miss Cinta like the Class III boys do.

The dialogue is spoken by Pak Wardiman, the school guard, while the interlocutor is Cinta. In the case above, the speaker uses term neng before the

interlocutor’s surname. Neng (eneng) is a Sundanese term used to address (1) a girl who is

younger than the addresser, (2) an unmarried female addressee who has higher social status then the speaker, (3) a female addressee who the speaker just met, and (4) as a familiar name from family to a girl .

Besides to bring intimacy sense in informal conversation, the term neng also makes the hearer feels honour. As it is a cultural term, the translator applied cultural substitution strategy by translating neng into miss . Miss , as noted in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is (1) a title used with the name of woman who is not married, or kept by married woman, e.g. for professional reason, (2) used as a polite form of address to a young woman, e.g. by the driver of a bus or by a hotel staff, miss with last name in education without differentiate whether they are married or not.

In the case above, Pak Wardiman uses term neng because Cinta is

younger than him and the social status level of Cinta is higher than him as well.

Comparing the function of the both terms, it can be concluded that miss is suitable to substitute neng because it brings the same impact in the TL (audience) culture. In other words, the strategy applied in this case is seemingly appropriate.

(17) ST: Eh Ta, loe makan deh bakso tuh enak banget, elo tau nggak?

TT: Cinta, don’t forget that meatball soup. It’s really delicious.

Bakso is a loan word from Chinese. The Chinese loanwords are usually concerned with cuisine, trade or often just exclusively things Chinese (Leo 1975:3). However, Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia defines bakso as “kind of Indonesian food made from meat, shrimp and fish that is hacked and poured with starch es flour and protein, usually in round shape”. It is commonly translated as meatball soup .

Meatball can be found in some countries which is not the same one and another. In Indonesia, it is usually served in a bowl, like soup, with noodles, bean curd (tofu), egg, siomay/steamed meat dumpling, and crispy while in another country, in India for instance, it is normally cooked in a spicy curry and sometimes with whole pre-boiled eggs.

The difference of the culture causes different point of views. People from other countries who have never seen Indonesian meatball are probably

difficult to imagine how bakso looks like. When it is translated as meatball

soup , they would imagine the meatball soup which exists in their culture. However, because it is almost possible to render cultural concept perfectly, soup , they would imagine the meatball soup which exists in their culture. However, because it is almost possible to render cultural concept perfectly,

(18) ST: Rese’! Apa dia itu super star?

TT: What a jerk! He acts like he’s a super star!

The strategy used in this case is categorized into translation with cultural substitution because swear words are usually different in each place, depends on the culture or habit existing at that place.

Rese’! is an Indonesian slang using to express anger. It conveys various meaning depends on the context. Generally, it is defined as bothering others by doing something not desired. However, in this context, it tends to refer to irritating act of Rangga who does not want to be interviewed for his winning in poetry competition. As it is hard to claim the exact meaning of rese’ , the equivalent word in the SL is also difficult to find.

What a jerk! is the alternative expression chosen by the translator to alter Rese’! Merriam Webster defines jerk as “an unlikable person, esp; one who is cruel, rude, small minded”. For the similarity in meaning, what a jerk! is seemingly the best alternative to substitute Rese’! It gives the same impact to the audience. In other words, the strategy used in this case is appropriate.

3.4 Translation using a loan word

3.4.1 Culture-specific Concepts

(19) ST: Pak Wardiman! Lho, Pak Wardiman kok cuek sih sama saya. TT: Pak Wardiman, why are you ignoring me? The dialogue is said by Cinta to her school guard, pak Wardiman. She uses kinship term pak to show honorific because the interlocutor is older then her.

The kinship term pak can be used between them who have both kinship and non-kinship. Kinship term between them who have no kinship is usually followed by personal name, as seen in the dialogue.

In this case, the translator maintains the form pak whereas in the TL, the equivalent word is available, i.e. Mr . The reason to maintain the original form is seemingly because the title pak is considered one form with the surname so it does need to be translated.

In addition, if it is translated into Mr. Wardiman , it seems less appropriate because generally, Mr. is used to addres a teacher, lecturer, or certain people who have respectable positions. If they already know each other, they call the addressee by name even thought the addressee is older. In brief, the strategy used in this case, namely translation with a loan word, is seemingly appropriate.

3.5 Translation using a loan word plus explanation

3.5.1 Culture-specific Concept

(20) ST: Anak-anak, tujuan lomba menulis puisi yang setiap taun telah kita adakan adalah agar kita tetap sadar bahwa kita memiliki satu kekayaan yang tidak ternilai harganya, yaitu bahasa

Indonesia.

TL: Everyone! The purpose of the poetry competition that is held each year is to keep us aware that we have a treasure the value of which cannot be measured. And that is our national language-

Bahasa Indonesia.

On the dialogue above, the translator maintains the form bahasa

Indonesia in the TL to refer Indonesian language. Actually, it is familiar to say

Indonesian language but the translator prefer to use the official form; bahasa

Indonesia . To make it clearer, the translator adds some explanations by inserting our national language .

The term of Bahasa Indonesia is occasionally found in English. English speakers also use “ Bahasa ” to refer to both the standard languages of Indonesia and of Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. So, to avoid confusion, it is important to add some explanations as seen on the dialogue. In conclusion, this strategy is seemingly appropriate in this case.

3.6 Translation by paraphrase using a related word

3.6.1 The SL and the TL makes different distincion in meaning

(21) ST: Eh, kalau kau suka puisi - puisinya Chairil Anwar yang lainnya ada. Tuh di toko buku langganan saya.

TT: If you like Chairil Anwar and other poetry you can find them at a bookstore that I visit regularly.

Noun langganan according to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia means “people who buy (or use) thing regularly”. However, besides referring to the

people who buy thing, word langganan can also refer to the people who provide thing, as seen in the dialogue above.

Word langganan in “... Tuh di toko buku langganan saya.” refers to the book shop but in another context, word langganan can be used to refer to the buyer . For example, the book shop owner said, “ Rangga adalah langganan saya ”

(Rangga is my customer); in this context, the one who acts as langganan is the buyer.

In the TL, the word customer cannot be used to refer the both sides, the buyer and the provider. It merely refers to the buyer instead. For example , the book shop owner could say , Rangga is my customer. However , Rangga cannot say, This is my customer book shop .

For this reason, it would be difficult for the TL translator to render word langganan if the context is not explained as they make different meaning in the TL. So, the strategy applied here is appropriate to overcome the problem.

3.6.2 The TL lacks a specific term

(22) ST: Oh ini? Kemarin, waktu turun di bus Bulak Rante, trus ada tawuran. Trus, dikeroyokin kayak gini.

TT: Yesterday I got off a bus in Bulak Ranti and there were two school gangs fighting . Then they ganged up on me.

Tawuran , according to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, means “a fighting between groups”. This, for instance, involves two different schools,

football supporters, etc.

In the dialogue above, the translator uses a more general word i.e. fighting , which actually cannot replace tawuran directly because fighting might involve only two persons or more while tawuran , obviously involves more than

two persons. In addition, tawuran only refers to physical fighting while fighting could be both physical and non-physical fighting. In other words, fighting is more general than tawuran .

To make it clear, the translator adds two school gangs preceding the word fighting although there is no direct detail in the source language dialogue showing that the fighting occurs between two schools. However it makes sense to put two school gangs considering that the speaker is a student.

Actually, there are some words in the TL which are used to refer to a fighting between groups such as war . However, this word cannot be used in this context because it uses military force and occurs between nations. In brief, the TL Actually, there are some words in the TL which are used to refer to a fighting between groups such as war . However, this word cannot be used in this context because it uses military force and occurs between nations. In brief, the TL

3.6.3 Differences in form

(23) ST: Tapi satu, nggak usah ada maaf-maafan lagi. Saya setuju kita nggak usah berhubungan lagi.

TT: But one thing is sure. We should stop apologizing each other.

I agree, we don’t have to see each other again.

Maaf-maafan is a partial reduplication formed by doubling the stem, which is maaf , and followed by suffix – an . Reduplication in the case above changes the word-class. Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia categorizes maaf as a noun which means “an exemption of someone from punishment (prosecution, fine, etc) because a mistake ”. It is also defined as (1) “an expression of apologize or regret ” and (2) “an expression of requesting for permission to do something”. When it changes into reduplication with suffix – an , the word-class, as listed in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia , changes to a verb.

Suffix –an conveys various meaning depends on the context. In the context above, the reduplication conveys the sense of reciprocity or shows act of apology from both side involved; the addressor and the addressee. The change of

the form brings a new meaning that causes difficulty in finding the direct equivalent word in the TL unless in a paraphrase form, apologizing each other. For this reason, the strategy applied here is seemingly appropriate.

(24) ST: Seperti berjelaga jika ku sendiri

TT: I feel covered with soot if I am alone.

Berjelaga is formed from a stem word jelaga and prefix ber - . Jelaga is translated into English soot , which is defined by Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as “black powder in the smoke of wood, coal, etc.” , while prefix ber - changes the class of word from noun into adjective. As it is difficult to find the direct equivalent for adjective berjelaga , is then paraphrased into covered with soot. As it uses word soot in the paraphrase, it is consider as paraphrase using a related word.

Actually, the direct equivalent of berjelaga could be formed in English by adding suffix – ty so that the noun soot changes into adjective sooty . However, in this case, the translator seemingly tries to avoid ambiguity because sooty , as defined by Merriam Webster , conveys two different meanings; (1) “relating to, or producing soot” and (2) “soiled with soot”. Amongst the definitions, “soiled with soot” is seemingly the meaning referred in the context above. All in all,

paraphrase using a related word is apparently the best strategy to overcome the problem.

(25) ST: Ketika tunas ini tumbuh serupa tubuh yang mengakar TT: When this bud grows like a body taking root. Mengakar is formed from stem word akar and prefix meng - which changes the class word from noun into verb. The direct equivalent of the noun is available in the TL i.e. root but it is absent when it is changed into verb. For this (25) ST: Ketika tunas ini tumbuh serupa tubuh yang mengakar TT: When this bud grows like a body taking root. Mengakar is formed from stem word akar and prefix meng - which changes the class word from noun into verb. The direct equivalent of the noun is available in the TL i.e. root but it is absent when it is changed into verb. For this

It is considered as paraphrase using a related word because it uses word root in the paraphrase. As paraphrase could bring the same meaning with the SL, it is considered as the best strategy to apply in this case.

3.7 Translation by paraphrase using unrelated words

3.7.1 The TL lacks a specific term

(26) ST: Kamu entar, kalau misalnya mandi, trus ada macan, kamu buka celana kamu. Kamu nungging, ngomong macan-macan.

TL: So when you stand you take off your pants like this, and you wiggle your butt !

Nungging ( tungging) , as defined by Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, means “bending head down and rise butt up” while wiggle , according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, means “move or make something move (in this case is butt), from side to side with rapid short movements”. Considering the

definition, the word wiggle of course could not represent nungging because they are two different activities. Actually, there are some words in English which nearly show the same action as nungging ; bow for instance . However , in this context, these words are not suitable to replace nungging . Bow , as noted in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary means (1) to bend the head or body as a sign of respect or

as greeting and (2) to cause something to bend. Referring the first meaning, nungging and bow have a different purpose. Nungging in this case is done to as greeting and (2) to cause something to bend. Referring the first meaning, nungging and bow have a different purpose. Nungging in this case is done to

However, by seeing the action shows by the speaker when saying the

dialogue, “wiggle your butt” is still acceptable to replace the word nungging

because the speaker also wiggle her butt. so, the strategy applied here is still acceptable.

(27) ST: Diem loe berdua! Giliran gue ngomong sekarang. Gue tau, gue paling tulalit. Loe semua nganggep gue badut, terserah!

TT: Stop it, you two! It’s my turn to talk! I know I’m not that

bright. You all think I’m a clown. I don’t care.

Tulalit is an Indonesian slang describing someone who always takes longer time to understand something than others. This word is adopted from the sound of a phone when the number being called is inactive. Any message cannot

be delivered when the phone is disconnected. This concept is then adapted to term tulalit . The dialogue above is spoken by Milly, the member of Cinta’s gang. Among the gang, Milly is the most tulalit one because she is the one who understands everything late after the others. For instance, in the movie, the girls

are talking about Rangga’s arrogance. They said he deserve to be categorized into “the must avoid boy”. They all agree about that, including Milly. But, in the end, Milly asks, Emang kita lagi ngomongin siapa, sih ? (Who are we talking about are talking about Rangga’s arrogance. They said he deserve to be categorized into “the must avoid boy”. They all agree about that, including Milly. But, in the end, Milly asks, Emang kita lagi ngomongin siapa, sih ? (Who are we talking about

In the SL, the late response called tulalit which seems difficult to find the exact word brings the same impact. Word stupid , for instance, seemingly sounds harsher while not that bright , as seen in the TL, is considered as euphemism or softener that makes it more polite. However the strategy applied here is seemingly appropriate even though the effect is not the same as they are different in the expressive meaning.

(28) SL: Elo nggak ada acara?

TL: Don’t you have anything to do tonight?

Acara , as noted in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia , has various meaning such as “agenda, program, judicial procedure and jurisdiction”.

However, in this context, acara refers to program which is according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary means “a plan of future events, activities, etc” . In the TL, the translator uses paraphrase using unrelated word anything to do instead of using the similar word such as program to make it sounds more natural. If word program is used in this context, the translation will sound somewhat formal. Therefore, for daily conversation as in the situation above, it is more suitable to use such paraphrase as long as it conveys the same impact to the TL audience.

3.7.2 Differences in form

(29) ST: Aduh, sori Ta. Barusan gue kelepasan. TT: I’m sorry Ta, I didn’t mean it that way .

Kelepasan is formed by word lepas and infix ke - and – an , which conveys the sense of unintentionality. So, words that are attached by that infix

show accidental actions as seen in the dialogue above. On the dialogue, the speaker, which is Maura, asks for an apology from Cinta because she has said something ruthless that hurts Cinta. She actually does not want to hurt Cinta by saying such words but her madness drives her out of control. Gone too far in saying something or saying something that cannot be undone is called kelepasan .

The concept is quite familiar in the TL but its direct equivalent word is difficult to find in the TL. It is usually formed in paraphrase using words that could bring the similar meaning like what has been written in the TL above. So, the strategy applied here is seemingly appropriate to overcome the problem.

(30) SL: Gue bawa bungkus CD buat baca contekan TL: Look, I brought this CD cover. I can sing along with the

band.

The dialogue above is said by Mamet in a band concert. Usually, in a concert, the audiences sing along with the band. To avoid forgetting the lyrics, Mamet brings the CD cover providing the lyrics. The CD cover here is considered as contekan . According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia , contekan The dialogue above is said by Mamet in a band concert. Usually, in a concert, the audiences sing along with the band. To avoid forgetting the lyrics, Mamet brings the CD cover providing the lyrics. The CD cover here is considered as contekan . According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia , contekan

Noun contekan is not lexicalized in the TL. Hence, the translator applies paraphrase that could bring the similar message with the SL. This strategy is seemingly the best way to overcome the problem.

3.7.3 The use of loanwords in the ST

(31) ST: Udahlah Ta. Kalo ngomongin soal hikmah, tindakan bodoh gue ini mulanya dari nyokap gue.

TT: Don’t worry, Ta. Look at it from the bright side . My foolish action has convinced my Mum.

Hikmah is a one of loan words from Arabic i.e. Ar-hikma . The loanwords from Arabic are mainly concerned with religion, in particular with Islam. Ar-hikma is defined as “supernatural power or magical” (Wehr, 1961:196) while Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia describes it as “deeper meaning”. As the absence of the direct equivalent, the translator applies paraphrase that could represent the meaning of hikmah , i.e. the bright side. It is seemingly the best strategy to overcome the problem even though the religious sense of hikmah is stronger than the bright side .

3.8 Translation by omission

3.8.1 Culture-specific Concepts

ST: Tolong tenang dulu… pemenangnya adalah Rangga , siswa kelas III IPA A.

TT: Quiet please! The winner is Rangga, a student in class IIIA In the SL culture, high school level covers three years of education;

year I, II, and III which are nowadays called as year 10, 11, and 12. In year 10, the students should take all of the subjects but when they already in class 11 and

12, they are divided into three disciplines: Natural Sciences (IPA) Social Sciences (IPS), and Languages (Bahasa). The purpose of this classification is to help the student to determine which university department to enter after graduating from the high school. Due to the huge number of the students, each program is usually divided again to some classes which are signed by numeral or alphabet. It would be, for instance, IPA A, IPA B, or IPS 1, IPS 2, etc.

In the dialogue above, the translator does not deliver the whole information explaining Rangga’s class. The major where Rangga belongs to,

which is IPA (natural sciences), is absent in the translation. This problem is probably caused by the difference of education system between the SL and the TL culture. In Australia for instance, high school starts from year 8 to year 12. In year 8 until year 10, students should take all of the subject lessons. Those years are compulsory while year 11 and 12 are optional. When the students are in their last 2 years of school, they will choose the subjects depending on the career they intend to pursue. So, there is no classification into Science, Social, or

Language program as in Indonesian culture. For that reason, the omission strategy used in this case seems acceptable in order to adjust the target audience culture.

(33) ST: (marah) Rese’! Apa dia itu super star? Sekalian aja g ue wawancara Duta Sheila On 7 atau konsernya Dewa kek.Gila, nyebelin banget, tau nggak loe?

TT: What a jerk! He acts like he’s a super star! When all I wanted

to do was interview him. Crazy! What a stupid idiot!

There are some information being omitted in the TL; Duta Sheila On

7 and konsernya Dewa which both are the names of Indonesian outstanding bands in „90s. Omitting information is not allowed in translation unless, as states by Baker (1992 : 40), “the word or expression is not vital enough to the development of the text”.

Considering this, it seems that the strategy is less appropriate to be applied in this case since the words being omitted have important rule in the context. Beside the fact that necessary information should be delivered to the TL audience, the information also could emphasis that Rangga, the one who become the referent in the dialogue, is no one compared to those people. The speaker wants to show that she could even interview famous people if necessary.

3.7.4 The TL lacks a specific term

(34) SL: Saya Cuma pingin baca pikiran anak-anak gaul kayak kamu dan teman-teman kamu.

TL: I am just trying to figure out the way you and your crowd think

Gaul (bergaul) as defines by Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia means “socialize”. So , anak gaul can be defined as “young people who have good Gaul (bergaul) as defines by Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia means “socialize”. So , anak gaul can be defined as “young people who have good

It is apparently difficult to find the equivalent words conveying the same meaning as anak-anak gaul , therefore it is omitted in the TL. In consequent, the nuance of the TL is little bit eroded since word anak-anak gaul brings information about what kind of person the addressee is.

In addition, by saying “… anak-anak gaul kayak kamu dan teman- teman kamu”, the speaker wants to contrast himself with the interlocutor. In other

words, he is not a fashionable rich kid like the addressee. So, the strategy used in this context is seemingly appropriate.