A Comparative Study Of The Translation Of Similes In The Novel “The Old Man And The Sea” Into Indonesian
THE NOVEL “THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA” INTO INDONESIAN THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for the Sarjana Sastra Degree at the English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
By: CHANDRA SETYAWATI K C0308024 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2012
commit to user
commit to user
commit to user
PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : CHANDRA SETYAWATI K NIM : C0308024
This research entitled “A Comparative Study of the Translation of Similes in
the Novel “The Old Man and the Sea” into Indonesian” is originally made by the researcher. It is whole – heartedly stated that this research is neither a plagiarism nor made by others. Things relating to other people works are written in quotations and the sources are listed in bibliography. The researcher is ready to take the responsibility if it is then proved that the researcher cheats.
Surakarta, Juli 2012
The Researcher (Chandra Setyawati K)
commit to user
MOTTO
“When you fall down, God’s hands will always raise you up in time”
“Experience is the best teacher”
“What you think and believe is what will happen in your life”
“Success is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspirations”
(Thomas Alfa Edison)
“Have a high dream because impossible is nothing”
commit to user
DEDICATION
This research is whole heartedly dedicated to:
My Beloved Mother and Father who always love me & My Love, Honey Bear who makes my life more colorful
Thank you so much for your prayer and support
commit to user
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As the author of this thesis, I firstly want to give big thanks to my Lord, Jesus Christ for His love, bless, and guidance including in the process of composing and completing this thesis. However, this thesis will not be completed without any support and encourage from many people. Therefore, I also would like to give special thanks to:
1. The Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed, Ph.D for approving this thesis.
2. The Head of English Department, Drs. Agus Hari Wibowo, MA, Ph.D for giving permission to compose this thesis.
3. Prof. Drs. M.R. Nababan, M.Ed, MA, Ph.D. as my thesis supervisor, thank you very much for your patience, guidance, and advice in completing this thesis.
4. All of lectures in English Department who have given me a lot of valuable knowledge and lessons.
5. Sumardiono, Herianto Nababan, Fenti Kusumastuti, Iwan Hendriko, Ani Aprianti, and Visca Permata Handoko as the raters of this research, thank you for giving time, ideas, and contributions in completing this thesis. Especially for my friend and sister, Visca Permata Handoko, thanks for your support in completing this thesis by sending me a lot of messages.
6. Ikke Dewi Pratama and Udiana Puspa Dewi for giving me a lot of important information relating to this thesis.
7. My beloved Mother, Father, and my love Honey Bear for loving and supporting me so much.
commit to user
accompanying me in the same kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, senior high school, university, and even the same consultation room with the same thesis supervisor , Nadia Natalia (Nud) for being my partner in almost all translation assignments and I will always remember the time we have ever done a lot of homework and presentations together, Gia Valina (Gie) for having fun together especially in bullying Rhema Nyux, and Liberty Minggus (Didiet) for giving me a lot of advices related to Holy Bible and encouraging me to go back to church.
9. My big family ED 08, you are my friends and family in English Department. I will never forget you. Don’t forget to invite me in every reunion of ED 08 and
even in your wedding parties.
The Researcher
Chandra Setyawati K C0308024
commit to user
ABSTRACT
Chandra Setyawati K.
A Comparative Study of the Translation of Similes in
the Novel “The Old Man and the Sea” into Indonesian. Thesis: English Department. Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. Sebelas Maret University.
This research is intended to analyze the translation of similes of Ernest Hemingway’s novel entitled “The Old Man and the Sea” since there are two
different translation versions of the novel conducted by Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat. The objectives of this research are to find out the translation techniques used by the two translators and the effects of the application of the techniques on the translation quality in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability.
It is a descriptive – qualitative research. The data of this research are the similes in English and the two different translation versions in Indonesian. The methods of data collection for this research are document analysis and interview. The document analysis method is applied to analyze the techniques used by the two translators in translating the similes. The interview method is applied to analyze the effects of the application of the techniques on the translation quality in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability. Some questionnaires are also used to help the researcher and the raters in the interview process.
The research findings show that both translators use five types of translation techniques. They are (1) keeping the image of the simile of the source language, (2) using other image which is familiar in the target language, (3) translating the simile by addition, (4) translating the simile by reduction, and (5) translating the simile without comparison. The technique of keeping the image of the simile of the source language seems to be the most dominant technique used by both translators. The interview results show that both translation versions are accurate and acceptable. However, they are less readable.
In conclusion, the techniques used by Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat in translating the similes result in accurate, acceptable, but less readable simile translations. It is suggested for the translators to use simple and familiar dictions in their translation so that the readers can find it easy to understand it. The translators are also supposed to give additional information about some special terms since there are a lot of special terms contained in the novel including the sentences which contain similes. The lack of information about the special terms makes the translation less readable.
commit to user
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Research Background
Reading novels is actually one of interesting hobbies for most people and it is shifting to be a new trend recently. Nowadays, a lot of people from different ages, genders, educational backgrounds, and etc enjoy reading various novels produced widely in the market. Everyone in this world has probably ever read a novel at least once in their lives. Therefore, reading novels seems to be a part of
people’s life. Novels are very popular almost in every country in the world including in
Indonesia. Many novels in Indonesia come from foreign countries. The stories of the foreign novels have their own unique characteristics. Their emergence in Indonesia can give a new color for literary work readers. The foreign novels are usually written in English. This condition actually creates a lot of problems for those who are unable to understand English well while they wish to enjoy the foreign novels. Therefore, novel translators are very needed to overcome these problems.
Novel translators are the bridges to link the novels and the people. They translate the foreign novels from the source language to the target language. Through this way, Indonesian people who are unable to understand the novel from its original language, English, turn to encounter no difficulty in enjoying it. It is because they can understand the story by reading the novel in Indonesian version.
commit to user
conveyed in the source language into the target language but also considering the styles used in the novels. Nida and Taber state that “translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural [equivalence] of the source language message, [firstly] in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style” (1974:14). Therefore, it is crucial for the novel translators to pay attention on the styles used in the novels which they translate. They are demanded to not only transfer the messages conveyed in the novels accurately but also maintain the styles used in the original novels when they compose them into the new versions.
The authors often use figurative expressions in their novels. The figurative expressions can be idioms, metaphors, similes, and etc. They are the styles used in the novels. Novel translators have to find some techniques to translate the figurative expressions because the expressions sometimes have no exact equivalent translation in the target language. However, they can not just abandon the figurative expressions since they are the original styles used by the authors as one of important aspects of the novels.
This research aims at analyzing the translation of similes found in the novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea into Indonesian. The novel has actually been translated by some different translators into Indonesian. However, the translation versions conducted by Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat were chosen since they were published in 2008. It is a comparative study because the researcher compared the similes translation results to find the translation techniques used by the translators to translate the similes
commit to user
accuracy, readability, and acceptability. These are three comparative examples which show the effects of the techniques used by the two translators in translating the similes in terms of accuracy, readability, and acceptability. Example 1:
But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in
a fishless desert. 2/SL/10
Tak ada luka baru . Parut luka itu sama tuanya dengan pengikisan di daerah kering tanpa kehidupan.
2/TL/A/4
Tapi tak ada satu pun bekas luka baru . Luka – luka itu telah setua
kikisan pada gurun yang tak berikan. 2/TL/B/8
From the example above, it can be seen that both of the translators tend to translate the English simile using different Indonesianwords. However, the dictions affect the translation quality. The first translation or Dian’s translation is actually acceptable, readable, but less accurate. Dian replaces the word “desert” which means “padang gurun / gurun pasir” into “daerah kering”. The translation “daerah kering” refers to some general places or areas. It is not specified. On the other hand, the second trans lation or Yuni’s translation sounds better. It is accurate, acceptable, and readable. There is no change in the aspects of simile.
Example 2:
I can remember you throwing me into the bow where the wet coiled lines were and feeling the whole boat shiver and the noise of you clubbing him like chopping a tree down and the sweet blood smell all over me.
3/SL/13
commit to user
– gulung tali basah diletakkan. Aku merasa seluruh bagian perahu bergetar dan suara berisik terdengar ketika Bapak memukul jatuh ikan itu seperti menumbangkan sebatang pohon, lalu bau amis darah tercium di seluruh badanku .
3/TL/A/7 Aku ingat kau melemparkanku ke haluan tempat gulungan tali - tali
basah , terasa seluruh bagian perahu bergetar dan keributan yang
kaubuat saat memukul ikan itu terdengar seperti kau menebang
roboh sebatang pohon besar. Bau darah tercium dari seluruh badanku .
3/TL/B/12 Different from the previous example, both the first translation and the second one are accurate and acceptable even though they are translated into
different Indonesian words. However, the first diction is more readable than the second one. The reason can be seen in the phrase of “chopping a tree down”
which is tra nslated into “menumbangkan sebatang pohon” by Dian and “menebang roboh sebatang pohon besar” by Yuni. The raters say that Yuni’s
translation is awkward and hard to understand. Example 3:
But these poisonings from agua mala came quickly and struck like
a whiplash. 13/SL/39-40
Tapi racun dari agua mala ini muncul dengan cepat , menyambar seperti lecutan cemeti.
13/TL/A/33 Namun , racun agua mala ini datang sangat cepat dan menyambar
pedih seperti cambuk . 13/TL/B/40
This example can show that both translators are able to translate the simile accurately, acceptably, and readably into Indonesian even though they use some
different dictions. The dictions “lecutan cemeti” and “cambuk” create the same
commit to user
perception in the readers’ minds. Therefore, the target readers encounter no difficulty in understanding the meaning of the simile.
Considering the three examples above, it is clear that one novel which is translated by two different translators can bear a lot of different translations with different techniques and effects. Therefore, the researcher is interested to analyze the different translation versions of the novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea as
a comparative study to find out the translation techniques used by the translators to translate the similes and the effects of the techniques on the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability.
B. Research Limitation
This comparative study is limited to analyze similes found in the novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea written by Ernest Hemingway and the
translation conducted by Dian Vita Ellyati’s and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat. The focus of this analysis includes the translation techniques
used by the translators to translate the similes and the effects of the techniques to the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability.
C. Problem Statements
Considering the research background, the problems are formulated as follows:
1. What are the techniques used by the translators, Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat in translating the similes found in the novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea into Indonesian?
commit to user
terms of accuracy, readability, and acceptability?
D. Research Objectives
The objectives of this study are as follows:
1. To find out the techniques used by the translators, Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat in translating the similes found in the novel entitled The Old Man and the Sea into Indonesian.
2. To find out the effects of the techniques to the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy, readability, and acceptability.
E. Research Benefits
It is expected that the study will be beneficial for:
1. Translators Since translating similes is not such an easy job to do, hopefully, many translators will get additional inputs so that they will pay more attention and be more careful in translating similes.
2. Students The researcher hopes this analysis can be one of beneficial references to gain more information related to translation study especially in translating similes.
3. Other researchers Conducting this research is an interesting activity for the researcher herself. Therefore, it is expected that other researchers will be inspired to conduct a further research on translation of similes and take this research as an input or a reference.
commit to user
Frankly, the researcher gets limited knowledge about how to translate similes in the class. Hopefully, there will be a further explanation about how to translate them in the class and this research can be some additional information for the lecturers to teach their students.
F. Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters. The thesis organization is as follows: The first chapter of this thesis is INTRODUCTION. It consists of Research Background, Research Limitation, Problem Statements, Research Objectives, Research Objectives, and Thesis Organization.
The second chapter of this thesis is LITERATURE REVIEW. It consists of Definition of Translation, Translation Process, Similes, and Translation Techniques in Translating Similes, and Translation Quality.
The third chapter of this thesis is RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. It consists of Research Type and Design, Data and Source of Data, Sampling Technique, Method of Data Collection, Technique of Data Analysis, and Research Procedures.
The fourth chapter of this thesis is RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. It consists of Research Findings and Discussions. The fifth chapter of this thesis is CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION. It contains conclusion, critics, and recommendation related to the object of the study.
commit to user
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Definition of Translation
Translation, according to Newmark (1981:7), is “a craft consisting in the attempt to replace a written message and / or statement in one language by the
same message and / or statement in another language.” This definition is also in line with the definition given by Nababan (1999:18). He states that translation is a
process of transferring messages. From the two definitions above, it can be said that translation is focused on the process of transferring messages form one language (source language) to another language (target language).
In addition, Toury in James (2000:1) states “translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions.”
From the additional statement above, it is clear that translation always deals with at least two different languages and cultures. Translators are demanded not only to transfer the messages from the source language text to the target language text accurately but also consider the cultural acceptability of the translation itself.
Other translation experts, Nida and Taber state that “translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural [equivalence] of the source language message, [firstly] in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style” (1974:14). Considering the statement above, it is crucial for translators to pay attention to the styles used in the source language text which they translate. They are demanded to be able to transfer the messages conveyed in the source
commit to user
when they have to compose them into the new versions. Despite a lot of various translation definitions stated above, the core of translation still refers to one definition that is the transferring meaning from one language to another language with awareness to maintain the style of the source language text.
B. Translation Process
Nida states that there are three steps of translation process such as 1) analysis, 2) transferring, and 3) restructuring (1975:80). This is the diagram that can represent the three steps of translation process.
Diagram 1 Three steps of translation process
From the diagram above, we can see three important steps of translation process. They are analysis, transferring message process, and restructuring. The steps have their own difficulties. In analysis step, translators are demanded to be able to understand the meaning of the words in source language and absorb the real meaning / message contained in the words. After that, the translators must be able to transfer the message and restructure it into new different words in target
commit to user
be perfect in all steps. One mistake even in only one step can give big negative impacts that mislead the translation result.
C. Similes
According to http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/simile,
simile is “a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, use d to make a description more emphatic or vivid”. It is
line with the definition stated in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simile that it is “a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing
the words like or as”. This definition is also in line with Kennedy (1991:587) who states that simile is “a comparison of two things, indicated by some connectives, usually like, as, than, or a verb such as resembles”. Moreover, Pardede (2008:22) also has the same idea and defines that “a simile is generally the comparison of
two things essentially unlike, on the basis of a resemblance in one aspect. It is a figure in which a similarity between two objects directly expressed”.
Simile and metaphor are similar. However, Holman and Harmon (1995:44) state that simile is different from metaphor. In the website, Holman, and Harmon state that the difference between simile and metaphor is on the existence of connective. Simile usually uses the linking words / connectives LIKE, AS, SUCH AS, AS IF, and SEEM. Whereas, metaphor uses the auxiliary BE. For examples:
He is like a frog
→ a simile
He is a frog
→ a metaphor
commit to user
cited in Mayasari (2007). The parts are as follows:
a. Topic is the item / the object which is described by the simile.
b. Image is the item in terms of which the object is described.
c. Point of similarity is the item which shows in what particular aspects the object and the image are similar.
For examples: Her eyes are blue and calm as the ocean. Topic
: her eyes
Image
: the ocean
Point of similarity
: blue and calm
Furthermore, there are two types of similes according to Fromilhague
(1995) as cited in http://www.academicjournals.org/ijel. They are explicit and implicit similes. In explicit similes, the point of similarity is stated directly.
Sentences which contain explicit similes mostly use the connective “as … as”. Meanwhile, implicit simile is the one of which sense is not stated directly and leaves the onus of interpretation to the reader. Most sentences which contain
implicit similes mostly use the connective “like”. For examples:
1. His body is as cold as an ice → an explicit simile
2. The kid runs like a horse
→ an implicit simile
The first simile is an explici t one. The topic is “his body” which is compared to “an ice” as the image. The point of similarity between the topic and
commit to user
the image is about the temperature of them. In this case, the temperature “his body” seems to be as cold as “an ice”. This sentence is called an explicit simile
because the point of similarity is stated directly in it. On the other hand, the second simile is an implicit one. The topic is “the kid” which is compared to “a horse” as the image. The point of similarity is about
the running sp eed of the kid and a horse. In this case, “the kid” can be compared to “a horse” because he may run as fast as a horse. The point of similarity of this
simile is not stated directly in the sentence. Therefore, the second example is called an implicit simile.
English sentences which contain similes are translated into Indonesian using the words seperti, bagai, bagaikan, bak, laksana, seumpama, and so on. For examples:
1. SL: The woman looks as beautiful as a princess. TL: Wanita itu telihat secantik seorang putri.
2. SL: Life is so mysterious like a puzzle.
TL: Hidup itu sangat misterius seperti sebuah teka - teki.
D. Translation Techniques in Translating Similes
Translating simile from one language into another language is not easy to do. As simile is a part of figurative expression, translators must have a lot of consideration in doing their job. Literal translation technique cannot be fully applied in translating simile. Cultural differences between one society and another also play a big role in determining the correct translation of a simile.
commit to user
SL: The young boy is charming as a ham. TL: Pria muda itu menawan bagaikan daging asap. The example above shows that the translator uses literal translation
technique in translating the English simile “the young boy is charming as a ham”. The original topic and the image of the simile are translated literally. However,
the translation becomes inaccurate, unacceptable and unreadable because the point of similarity cannot be conveyed well. It also sounds awkwar d. “Ham” as the image of the simile means a kind of meat. If the translator uses literal translation
technique to translate it, the translation will be “pria muda itu menawan bagaikan daging asap ”. In this case, literal translation technique cannot be applied because
the image “daging asap” in Indonesian is not the same as the image “ham” in English. “Ham” in English has a connotative meaning as someone who becomes the center of attention.
The translator must change the image “ham” with another image that has the same point of similarity because “daging asap” has no connotative meaning in Indonesian. It will be better if the simile is translated into “pria muda itu menawan bagaikan seorang bintang ”. The diction “seorang bintang” means someone who is so charming and becomes the center of attention. Therefore, this translation is more accurate, acceptable and readable in Indonesian.
The example above can prove that translating simile is not easy and needs some specific techniques. There are six techniques to translate simile composed by Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari (2007) which are also in
commit to user
idioms-similes-and-metaphors-in-spanish-translation.htm. However, the website adds one more technique. Therefore, there are seven techniques that can be composed in this chapter. They are as follows:
1. Keeping the image of the simile of the source language
It is similar to literal translation technique. The topic, image, and point of similarity are translated literally with no changing. The important point is the image of the source language is kept as long as it can convey the sense or the point of similarity of the simile. This technique can be applied if the contexts, the objects, or the concepts of the comparison are permitted and accepted in the target society. (Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari, 2007:18) For example:
SL:
The boy is like a diamond for his family. TL: Anak lelaki itu seperti berlian bagi keluarganya. In Indonesian society, it is fine if a son or a daughter is compared to a
diamond. It is because most Indonesian people think that a child is everything and very valuable for his / her parents. The image “a diamond” can be kept into
“berlian” because it can convey the sense or the point of similarity of the simile correctly. Therefore the simile “the boy is like a diamond” can be directly translated literally into “anak lelaki itu seperti berlian” in Indonesian.
2. Using other image which is familiar in the target language
When the image of the simile does not exist or seems unfamiliar to the target society, translators can change the original image into the familiar one. It is
commit to user
into another language. However, translators must be selective to choose the new image. It must be able to represent the same point of similarity as appropriately as the original image. In other words, the new image is supposed to be as similar as the original one. (Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari, 2007:19) For example:
SL: When you have a dinner in the new restaurant, you will feel a unique atmosphere which is like a Halloween party. TL: Saat Anda menikmati santap malam di rumah makan baru itu, Anda akan
merasakan suasana unik seperti berada di sebuah pesta kostum . The term “Halloween”, according to http://www.halloweenhistory.org/, is
a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. There some traditional activities on the day such as trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted houses", and carving jack-o- lanterns. While “pesta kostum” in Indonesian culture is only a costume party which can be held anytime like a birthday party, a farewell party, a graduation party, and so on.
Even though “Halloween party” and “pesta kostum” have different basic concepts, they have a similarity about dressing or costume party however. Both of
them deal with a party which obligates people to wear certain costumes. Therefore, translators can change “Halloween party” as the original image of the simile into “pesta kostum” as the new image. The image “pesta kostum” can represent the same point of similarity as “Halloween party”. It is intended to make the target readers find it easy in understanding the sense of the simile above.
commit to user
It is the technique to retain the simile with the same meaning / idea from the source language into the target language plus some additional words or phrases. The additions attached can be an explanation for purposes of comparison or others which can make the translation of the simile easier to understand. This technique can also be applied if the context, the objects, or the concept of the comparison is permitted and accepted in the target society. (Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari, 2007: 20) For example:
SL:
He runs like a horse. TL: Dia berlari sangat cepat seperti seekor kuda. The simile “he runs like a horse” in the source language can be just
translated into the simile “dia berlari seperti seekor kuda” in the target language. However, it can bear some ambiguities about what is exactly like a horse, whether the speed of his running or the voice produced by his feet when he runs. Therefore, the translation “dia berlari sangat cepat seperti seekor kuda” is better because the explanation using additional words “sangat cepat” can make the
readers understand that the speed when he runs is the similar to the speed of a running horse.
4. Translating the simile by reduction
This technique means the simile in the source language is not fully translated into the target language. There are some parts or contents which are just ignored or deleted. However, if all contents of the simile are totally deleted, it will
commit to user
2007:20) For example:
SL:
His body is very stiff as a rigor corpse. TL: Tubuhnya sangat kaku bagaikan mayat.
For this example, it can be seen that the image “a rigor corpse” is not fully trans lated into “mayat yang kaku”. It is reduced and translated only into “mayat”. The reduction is probably intended to make the translation more efficient with no
repetition word “kaku”. However, this technique sometimes makes the translation moves farther and farther from the original not only in terms of the meaning but
also the style. In this case, the reduction has no problem because the translation can still convey the point of similarity of the simile. In some cases, too many reductions or deletions can make the sentence lose its original figurative style. Therefore, translators are supposed to avoid using this reduction / deletion technique too frequently in translating similes.
5. Translating the simile without comparison
This technique is different from reduction technique. In the reduction technique, the simile is not fully translated so that the sense of the comparison cannot be conveyed in the translation. On the other hand, translating simile without comparison means the comparison is not translated but the sense or the point of the similarity is still conveyed in the translation. This technique is applied when the simile is not familiar in the target society. (Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari, 2007:21)
commit to user
SL:
No man is like an island. TL: Tak ada manusia yang diasingkan dari orang lain. (Mayasari, 2007:21)
From the example above, we can see that the simile “no man is like an island” is translated into “tak ada manusia yang diasingkan dari orang lain”. The comparison between “man” and “an island” is not literally translated. If it is literally translated into “tak ada manusia yang seperti pulau”, the target readers will find it so difficult to understand it because this simile expression is not familiar for them.
6. Changing the simile into a metaphor
This technique means translators change the simile into metaphor. It is not very difficult because the difference between simile and metaphor is about the existence of connectives such as LIKE, AS, SUCH AS, AS IF, SEEM, etc. Therefore, changing the simile into a metaphor can be done by deleting the linking words / the connectives. (Newmark, Larson, and Blight as cited in Mayasari, 2007:22) For example:
SL:
The boy is like a diamond for his family. TL: Anak lelaki itu adalah berlian bagi keluarganya.
As what has been explained in the first technique, it is no problem to compare a child as a diamond. Therefore, changing the simile “the boy is like a
diamond” in the source language into a metaphor “anak lelaki itu adalah berlian”
commit to user
technique can be chosen in order to avoid using too many connectives words such as “seperti”, “bagaikan”, “seumpama”, or “laksana”, and so on as the translation of the words “like’ or “as” , etc in simile. It is because those connectives are not
needed in forming a metaphor.
7. Selecting a different simile altogether in the target language
This technique can be applied when the original simile in the source language is not familiar in the target language. It may be better than translating the simile without comparison because the beauty of the figurative expression contained in the comparison of the source sentence can be conveyed well although it is in the form of different simile altogether in the target language. (http://www.bbspanish.com/techniques-to-handle-idioms-similes-and-metaphors- in-spanish-translation.htm) For example:
SL:
The whore was as a big wet hen. TL: Wanita itu seperti kebakaran jenggot.
The meaning of “the whore was as a big wet hen” is actually about a prostitute who got very angry. However, if the simile is translated literally into
“pelacur itu seperti seekor ayam betina besar yang basah”, the readers of the target society will not understand the meaning conveyed in the simile and it
sounds very rude and taboo. It is because someone who is very angry cannot be compared to “a big wet hen” in Indonesian society while the term “whore” sounds
taboo in Indonesian. Therefore, the translation is inaccurate, unacceptable, and
commit to user
unreadable for Indonesian people. On the other hand, the translation “wanita itu seperti kebakaran jenggot ” is more accurate, acceptable, and readable for Indonesian people because “kebakaran jenggot” is commonly used to describe and represent someone who is very angry in Indonesian society. Besides, the diction “wanita itu” also sounds more acceptable than “pelacur itu” in Indonesian.
E. Quality Assessment
Translation quality assessment touches three aspects. They are accuracy, acceptability, and readability. Accuracy assessment is the assessment aspect whether the messages conveyed in the source language text can be transferred accurately in the target language or not.
Acceptability assessment is the aspect to asses whether the translators can create a natural atmosphere into their translation. In this point, the translators must consider the differences of cultures between the source language society and the target language society.
Readability assessment is about the difficulty level for the target readers in understanding the translation. The easier the readers understand it, the more readable the translation is. However, Nababan declares not only the ability of the translators and the readers but also the appearance and content of the text influence the readability level of the translation itself (1999: 64-78).
F. Previous Studies
This research is inspired from a previous study conducted by Rosida Mayasari in 2007 entitled Translation analysis of simile from English into
commit to user
she uses an English novel which is translated into Indonesian. She limits her research in analyzing similes contained in the novel and their translations. The objectives of her research are to find out the techniques used by the translator in translating the simile and analyze the effects of the techniques used on the translation quality in terms of accuracy and readability.
The researcher is challenged to conduct a similar research as what Mayasari has done. However, the researcher wants to conduct a deeper and more challenging research since Mayasari only conducts a single embedded study without analyzing the effects of the techniques used on the translation quality in terms of acceptability. Therefore, the researcher conducts a comparative study of the translation of similes in an English novel which is translated into Indonesian by two different translators. Moreover, the researcher also analyzes the effects of the techniques used on the translation quality completely in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability.
commit to user
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Research Type and Design
This study is a qualitative research. Creswell (1998: 15) defines a qualitative research as a research of an inquiry process conducted to solve a social or human problem by analyzing words as the data of the research and reporting detailed views of the contained information. He also states that the researchers are not allowed to establish any prediction or generalization of findings in qualitative researches. Therefore, the researcher does not generalize the result of this research.
Bogdan and Biklen (1982:28) state that one feature of qualitative research is that it is descriptive. Therefore, in this research, the researcher applies a descriptive method. In addition, Rakhmad (1984:24) states that a descriptive research only describes situations or events. In line with the definition above, Bogdan and Biklen (as cited in Creswell, 1994: 171) define descriptive method is
a method to collect the qualitative data, analyze them, and then write the result of the analysis. In other words, the researcher only describes a phenomenon by collecting, classifying, analyzing, and drawing a conclusion based on the condition or the characteristic of the data. Even though it is a qualitative research, the researcher uses some numbers in order to be able to the measure of the quality the simile translation easily.
commit to user
B. Data and Source of Data
This research has two kinds of sources of data. They are the documents and informants.
1. Document Document is a written source of data. It is in the form of a list of the similes written in English and their translation in Indonesian. The similes are taken from the English novel entitled “The Old Man and the Sea” written by Ernest Hemingway. The novel itself has been translated by two different translators, Dian Vita Ellyati’s and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat.
Therefore, one simile has two different translation versions.
2. Informants In this research, informants or raters are considered as one of sources of data due to their important role as information providers that take part and give some significant contributions to this research. There are three raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy and acceptability and three more raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of readability. The raters chosen to assess the readability of the similes translations do not have to fulfill some specific criteria since the novel which is actually addressed for teenagers can be also read by commoners. However, the raters chosen to assess the accuracy and acceptability of the simile translations have to fulfill some criteria below:
a. Having abilities and mastering both English and Indonesian.
b. Having deep knowledge about translation.
commit to user
d. Having good willingness to take part in this research. These are the three raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy and acceptability and the three raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of readability:
a. Three raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of accuracy and acceptability: RATER 1 Name
: Sumardiono
Education
: S1 Majoring in Translation Study
S2 Majoring in Translation
Occupation : A teacher and a translator in Sebelas Maret University
(UNS) Surakarta
RATER 2 Name
: Herianto Nababan
Education
: S1 Majoring in Translation Study
S2 Majoring in Translation
Occupation : A teacher and a translator in Sebelas Maret University
(UNS) Surakarta
RATER 3 Name
: Fenti Kusumastuti
Education
: S1 Majoring in English Letters
S2 Majoring in Translation
commit to user
b. Three raters assessing the quality of the translation in terms of readability: RATER 1 Name
: Iwan Hendriko
Occupation : A student of S1 Visual Communication Design Study Program of Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Surakarta RATER 2 Name
: Ani Aprianti
Occupation : A student of S1 Agriculture Faculty of Sebelas Maret
University (UNS) Surakarta
RATER 3 Name
: Visca Permata Handoko
Occupation : A student of D3 St. Pignatelli Foreign Language Academy
(ABA) Surakarta
Firstly, the researcher took the data by taking all similes found in the novel
e ntitled “The Old Man and the Sea”. Secondly, the researcher discussed the quality of the simile translations in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability with the chosen raters. In doing this research, the researcher was also helped by some questionnaires. The questionnaires were composed in the forms of scores and documents which were then distributed to the raters. After the questionnaires had been assessed by the raters, the researcher collected them. After checking the raters’ assessments, the researcher interviewed the raters to discuss and gain more information about the reasons the raters assess so. Next, the
commit to user
Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat, in translating the similes found in the novel into Indonesian and the effects of the techniques used on the accuracy, acceptability, and readability of the translation.
C. Sampling Technique
Sutopo (2002: 36) says that the researcher has to select source of data (documents and informants) that can give important information about the problems of the research. In this research, the researcher used the total sampling technique. The technique is used to collect the data of all similes found in the
novel entitled “The Old Man and the Sea” and their different translation versions conducted by two different translators, Dian Vita Ellyati and Yuni Kristianingsih Pramudhaningrat. Besides, the researcher also collected the other data given by the rates in forms of scores and comments.
D. Method of Data Collection
The researcher employs two methods in collecting the data such as:
1. Document analysis In this research, the researcher firstly read the original novel written in English and the two different Indonesian versions of the novel. Secondly, the researcher collected all similes found in the novel and the translation of the similes as one of the data of this research. After that the researcher analyzed the list of the similes of the source language and the two translation versions in the target language.
commit to user
The researcher used the method of interview in composing the analysis of the translation quality of the similes. The interview process was helped by some questionnaires. Firstly, the researcher composed the list of the similes as the questionnaires to help her in doing this research. The questionnaires were composed into two different formats, the closed and open formats. The closed format was in the form of scaled questionnaire while the open format was in the form of columns for the raters’ comments. The questionnaires were then distributed to the raters. After the questionnaires had been assessed by the raters, the researcher collected them and had an interview with the raters to discuss about the assessment results. The interview process was intended to discuss and gain more information about the reasons the raters assess so.
In doing this research, the researcher also composed some scales to assess the quality the quality of the simile translations in terms of accuracy, acceptability, and readability. The scales are adapted from Nababan’s theory of
the quality assessment in his paper (2010). They are as follows:
Table 1 The Scale to Asses the Accuracy of the Simile Translations
Scale Level
Description
3 Accurate Sentences which contain similes have been already translated accurately in the target language; there is no distortion of their meanings.
commit to user
2 Less Accurate
Sentences which contain similes are mostly translated accurately in the target language. However there are some distortions, ambiguities of their meanings or some deleted words or phrases which can mislead their real meanings.
1 Inaccurate Sentences which contain similes are not translated accurately in the target language or deleted.
Table 2 The Scale to Asses the Acceptability of the Simile Translations
3 Acceptable Sentences which contain similes sound natural. They are also translated using familiar dictions and follow the using rules of the target language.
2 Less Acceptable
Generally, sentences which contain similes sound natural. However, there are some grammatical mistakes, some unfamiliar dictions, or troubles in some technical terms.
1 Unacceptable Sentences which contain similes sound unnatural. There are inappropriate or unfamiliar dictions which disobey the using rules of the target language.
Table 3 The Scale to Asses the Readability of the Simile Translations
Scale Level
Description
3 Readable The target readers find it easy to understand the simile
translations.
2 Less Readable
Generally, the target readers find it easy to understand the translation of the similes. However, sometimes they need more time to think and understand some parts of the translations.
1 Unreadable The target audiences find it hard to understand the
translation of the similes.
commit to user
E. Technique of Data Analysis
The researcher took some steps in analyzing the data. They are as follows:
1. Analyzing the translation techniques The researcher analyzed the techniques applied by each translator in translating the similes found in the novel.
2. Distributing questionnaires to the raters The researcher distributed questionnaires to the chosen raters. The raters were asked to asses the quality of the simile translations through the questionnaires based on the provided scales. Besides, the raters were also asked to give comments about the reasons they assess so.
3. Interviewing the raters After the researcher recollected the assessed questionnaires, she had an interview with the raters to discuss about the assessment results. The intervie process is intended to discuss and gain more information about the reasons the raters assess so.
4. Determining the final assessment Since the questionnaires were only tools to help the researcher in doing her
research, the results of raters’ assessments cannot be just directly followed. The researcher had to determine the final assessments on every datum of simile