In this chapter, the researcher describes theories related to the topic used to analyze the translation of sentences containing culturally-bound words in novels
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” authorized by Joanne Kathleen Rowling and its Indonesian version and ”Harry Potter dan Pangeran Berdarah Campuran”
translated by Listiana Srisanti.
A. Theories on Translation
1. Definition of Translation
Translation, as a process, is always uni-directional, namely. It is always performed in a given direction from a source language henceforth abbreviated
as SL into a target language TL. Different writers define translation in different ways as follows.
a. Translation is the replacement of textual material in one language SL by
equivalent textual material in another language TL. Catford, 1969: 20
b. Translation is made possible by an equivalent of thought that lies behind
its different verbal expressions. Savory, 1969: 13
c. Translation consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest
natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.
Nida, 1969: 12
d. Translation is a process of finding a TL equivalent for an SL utterance.
Pinchuck, 1977: 38 e.
Translation is the rendering of source language SL text into the target language TL to ensure that a the surface meaning of the two will be
approximately similar and b the structures of the SL will be preserved as closely as possible but not so closely that the TL structures will be
seriously distorted.
Mc Guire, 1980: 2 f.
“It is said Tyler who wrote the first significant book on translation in 1970, stating that a good translation is one in which the merit of the original
work is so completely transfused into another language as to be as distinctly apprehended and as strongly felt by a native of the country to
which that language belongs as it by those who speak the language of the original work.” Newmark, 1970:4
He also said in his book Further Proposition on Translation 1974 that: “Translation is an exercise which consists in the attempt to replace a
written message in one language by the same message in another language.”
To sum up, based on the definitions above, it can be synthesized that translation is a process of replacingreproducingtransferring from the SL
written text materialconcept into its TL equivalent in such a way that it retains the meaning and style.
In addition, from the words underlined in the definitions above, it can be learnt that:
1. Catford, Savory, Nida, and Pinchuck use the word ‘equivalent’. While
Mc.Guire uses the word ‘similar’ which is synonymous to the word ‘equivalent’,
2. textual material Catford, SL text Mc.Guire, written message
Newmark and SL message Nida are synonymous, indicating something to be translated into TL, and
3. replacement Catford and reproducing Nida derive from ‘replace’ and
‘reproduce’, which are synonymous. Newmark uses the word ‘replace’.
Thus, equivalent, SL text message and replacement are the three important elements in translation. Some other elements include meaning,
style and process.
2. Types and Categories of Translation
