Definition of Translation A BRIEF OUTLINE ABOUT TRANSLATION

CHAPTER II A BRIEF OUTLINE ABOUT TRANSLATION

2.1 Definition of Translation

The nature of translation studies has multiplied theories of translation. Many theorists describe what translation is in different ways. They have their own explanation about translation. Shuttleworth 1997: 181 says, “Translation is an incredible broad notion which can be understood in many different ways”. For example, one may talk of translation as a process or a product, and identity such as literary translation while more typically it just refers to the transfer of written texts. Translation is frequently characterized metaphorically, and has been compared to playing a game or making a map. Each of these analogies however is only intended to capture one particular facet of translation. Sadtono 1985:9 defines, “Menerjemahkan ialah menyampaikan berita yang terkandung dalam bahasa sumber ke dalam bahasa penerima supaya isinya benar-benar mendekati aslinya”. It means there are two different languages in translation; they are source language and target language. Translation is purposed to transfer message from source language into target language and the message have to correspondence between two languages. A translator should try to produce a translation that has the same meaning with the original text and it does not a translation that imitates the original form of language. In another words, the things that emphasized in translation is how the message put on into target language and do not defend on original form of Universitas Sumatera Utara language. It is showing that a radical change is important in forming translated sentences. In addition Newmark 1988:5 gives definition as follows, “Translation is rendering the meaning of a text the author intended the text”. Common sense tells that this ought to be simple, as one ought to be able to say something as well in one language as in another. He also states that translation as a means of communication is used for multilingual notices, which have at last appeared conspicuous increasingly in public places. Catford 1965:20 in Snell’s book defines, “Translation is the replacement of textual material in one language SL by equivalent textual material in another language TL”. Moreover, he even maintains, “The central problem of translation practice is that of finding target language translation equivalent”. A central task of translation theory is that of defining the nature and conditions of translation equivalence. The other definition of translation proposed by Larson 1984:3 who says, “Translation is basically a changing of form”. When speak of the form of language, it refers to the actual words, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraph which are spoken or written. These forms are referred to as the surface structure of a language. It is the structural part of language, which is actually seen in print or heard in speech. Translation is the process of changing the form of the source language as well as possible so that the result will approximate the form of the source language, while the meaning is still constant. From those definitions, I conclude that translation is the process of transferring the meaning or the messages from source language into target one, for Universitas Sumatera Utara example, from English into Indonesian. The translator must be careful in transferring the meaning because meaning is very important thing in translation activity. If the translator cannot get the right meaning from the source language, the result of the translation will be dangerous. Moreover, Simatupang 1999:88 says, “Dengan adanya perbedaan aturan dan bentuk untuk mengungkapkan makna diantara berbagai bahasa, maka terlihat adanya pergeseran yang terjadi dalam terjemahan; pergeseran dalam tataran morfem, tataran sintaksis, kategori kata dan pergeseran pada tataran semantik”. It means there are shifts that occured in translation and it has many kinds of shifts. Each kind of it has own process in translation shifts from source language into target language. For example, the morphemic shifts in translation consist of two, shifts from morpheme into word and shifts from morpheme into phrase. Shifts from morpheme into word means there are changes of form from morpheme in source language into word in target language. For examples: Source Language Target Language chairs ‘kursi-kursi’ useless ‘tidak berguna’ Example 1: chair + -s → chairs ‘kursi-kursi’. The word chairs is a plural noun which is derived from singular chair + suffix –s to show that the word is a plural form. Chair is translated into TT to become kursi and with attachment of suffix –s it is translated to become kursi-kursi. In another word the translation of Universitas Sumatera Utara suffix –s is total reduplication. It means the repeating of the base form to kursi- kursi. Example 2: use + -less → useless ‘tidak berguna’. The word useless is an adjective which is derived from noun use + suffix –less to show that the word is an adjective. Use is translated into TT to become berguna and with attachment of suffix –less it is translated to become tidak berguna. It another word the translation of suffix –less is to state the meaning without. Shifts from morpheme into phrase means there are changes of form from morpheme in SL into phrase in TL. For examples: Source Language Target Language He drives the car slowly. ‘Dia mengemudikan mobil itu dengan perlahan- perlahan’. His advice is meaningfull. ‘Nasehatnya penuh dengan arti’. Example 1: slow + -ly → slowly ‘dengan perlahan- perlahan’. The word slowly is an adverb which is derived from adjective slow + suffix –ly to show that the word is an adverb. Slow is translated into TT to become perlahan and with attachment of suffix –ly it is translated to become dengan perlahan- perlahan. In another word the translation of suffix –ly is to show the regular occurence of adjective by using adverb phrase dengan perlahan- perlahan. Example 2: meaning + -ful → meaningful ‘penuh dengan arti’. The word meaningful is an adjective which is derived from noun meaning + suffix –ful to show that the word is an adjective. Meaning is translated into TT to become arti Universitas Sumatera Utara and with attachment of suffix -ful it is translated to become penuh dengan arti. In another word the translation of suffix –ful is to state the meaning full of by using adjective phrase penuh dengan arti.

2.2 Function of Translation