Foreignization and domestication of culture-bound terms in the English translation of Ahmad Tohari`s ``Kind Looking Eyes``.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ABSTRACT
MAHARDIKENGRAT, AZIZTA LAKSA. Foreignization and Domestication of
Culture-Bound Terms in The English Translation of Ahmad Tohari's “Kind
Looking Eyes”. Yogyakarta; Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters,
Sanata Dharma University, 2016

Translation is needed to bridge communication between two languages. In
the process, translation also takes account each individual cultural value that a
language has. As such, cultural value is one element that needs to be considered
when translating a literary text. To cope with this, translation has two strategies;
foreignization and domestication. Foreignization is a translation strategy that
emphasizes SL cultural values. Domestication assimilates SL and Tl cultural
values. This thesis discusses the foreignization and domestication of culture-bound
terms found in Ahmad Tohari’s short story collection “Kind Looking Eyes”. This
book is translated by Tirsa Tanagara and both the Indonesian and English versions
are published by Gramedia.
There are two objectives in this research. The first objective is to find out
foreignization and domestication translation strategies in culture-bound terms. The
second objective is determining the translation ideology based on the ratio of

foreignized and domesticated culture-bound terms. The ratio is important in
determining translation ideology, whether it is biased toward SL or TL cultural
values.
This research applied library research and contrastive explicatory method.
The researcher acquired both English and Indonesian version of “kind looking
Eyes”. This thesis is a text based research and a qualitative study because it
analyzed the quality of translation and then compared the number of strategies used
to reveal the ideology of translation.
There are 5 categories of culture-bound terms in this thesis; those are related
to social structure (14 terms), food (3 terms), derogative words (3 terms), religion
(8 terms), and nickname (5 terms). The finding in this research reveal that from 33
data, 23 data (70%) used domestication strategy, and 10 data (30%) used
foreignization strategy. Thus from the ratio of 2.3:1, the translation of “Kind
Looking Eyes” is biased toward TL culture.
It is found out that the translator mostly applied domestication strategy to
rewrite the culture-bound terms in order that those terms can be assimilated in the
TL cultural values. The dominant use of domestication strategy rather than
foreignization is, indicates the translator’s tendency to culturally-guided the terms
into TL.

xiv

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ABSTRAK
MAHARDIKENGRAT, AZIZTA LAKSA. Foreignization and Domestication of
Culture-Bound Terms in The English Translation of Ahmad Tohari's “Kind
Looking Eyes”. Yogyakarta; Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas
Sanata Dharma, 2016.

Penerjemahan dibutuhkan untuk menjembatani dua bahasa yang berbeda.
Dalam prosesnya, penerjemahan memperhitungkan nilai budaya yang dipunyai
setiap bahasa. Karena itu, nilai budaya adalah salah satu elemen yang harus
diperhatikan ketika menerjemahkan teks sastra. Dalam hal ini, penerjemahan
mempunyai dua strategi; domestikasi (Domestication) dan pengasingan
(foreignization). Domestikasi adalah strategi yang meleburkan nilai budaya BSu
dan BSa. Sedangkan, pengasingan menonjolkan nilai budaya dari BSu. Skripsi ini
meneliti pengasingan dan domestikasi dari lema terikat budaya dari kumpulan
cerpen oleh Ahmad Tohari “Mata yang Enak Dipandang”. Versi bahasa inggris
diterjemahkan oleh Tirsa Tanagara. Kedua versi bahasa Indonesia dan inggris

dipublikasikan oleh Gramedia.
Ada dua tujuan di skripsi ini. Tujuan yang pertama adalah mengetahui
strategi yang digunakan pada lema terikat budaya yang ditemukan di objek studi.
Tujuan kedua adalah menentukan ideologi penerjemahan dari rasio jumlah strategi
yang digunakan, apakah menonjolkan Bsu atau BSa.
Skripsi ini menerapkan studi pustaka dan explicatory constrative method.
Peneliti mendapatkan kedua versi bahasa Indonesia dan Inggris dari “Mata yang
Enak Dipandang”. Penelitian ini berbasis teks dan melihat kualitas lema terkait
budaya dari strategis diatas dan menghitung rasio antara strategi domestikasi dan
pengasingan yang digunakan untuk menentukan ideologi terjemahan.
Dari analisis, terdapat 5 kategori lema terkait budaya, lema struktur social
(14), lema makanan (3), lema kata merendahkan (3), lema agama, dan lema nama
panggil (5). Hasil dari skripsi ini memperlihatkan dari 33 data, 23 data (70%)
mengunakan strategi domestikasi. Sedangkan 10 data (30%) menggunakan strategi
pengasingan. Dari rasio 7:3, ideologi penerjemahan berpihak terhadap nilai budaya
BSa.
Penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa penerjemah menerapkan strategi
domestikasi pada hampir semua lema terikat budaya agar bisa dileburkan dengan
nilai budaya BSa. Pengunaan dominan dari strategi domestikasi daripada
pengasingan mengindikasikan tendensi penerjemah untuk mengarahkan lema

terikat budaya ke BSa

xv

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

FOREIGNIZATION AND DOMESTICATION OF CULTUREBOUND TERMS IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF
AHMAD TOHARI'S “KIND LOOKING EYES”
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters

By
AZIZTA LAKSA MAHARDIKENGRAT
Student Number: 134214078

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017

i

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

FOREIGNIZATION AND DOMESTICATION OF CULTUREBOUND TERMS IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF
AHMAD TOHARI'S “KIND LOOKING EYES”
TITLE PAGE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters

By
AZIZTA LAKSA MAHARDIKENGRAT
Student Number: 134214078

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017

ii

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

MOTTO PAGE

I welcome you, Pain, my old friend.

vii

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

DEDICATION PAGE

To mom, mom, mom, and my dad.

viii

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I cannot thank enough for all people who have helped me in the writing of
this thesis and all of my friends for all these wonderful four years. Que sera sera,
for whatever happen after this, it will happen. I pray in my deepest hard that we will

see each other in brighter future.
Exceptional mention to my mom, mom, mom, and dad for supporting me in
my whole life. From all of that road stories you told to real life events, I learn who
I am as a Javanese. This thesis is the manifestation of how you teach me about
Javanese values that I hold dear. Also my gratitude to Nurul, whom I share my
deepest insecurity to prideful achievements, thank you for everything.
Special mention to my thesis advisor Harris Hermansyah Setiajid, S.S.,
M.Hum, as the one who has opened my eyes in the translation field and Dr. Francis
Borgias Alip, M.Pd, M.A as my co-advisor. To my fellow boarding house mates,
Dimas Mahardika, Krisdianto, Manggala, and Hendra, who I shared discussion with
about Javanese myths and saying.

Azizta Laksa Mahardikengrat

ix

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ........................................................................................................ ii

APPROVAL PAGE ............................................................................................. iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................ iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .................................................................... v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS ........................................................... vi
MOTTO PAGE ................................................................................................... vii
DEDICATION PAGE........................................................................................ viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................. ix
LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS ................................................................... xii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................... xiii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ xiv
ABSTRAK ........................................................................................................... xv
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1
A, Background of the Study ................................................................................ 1
B. Problem Formulation ...................................................................................... 3
C. Objective of the Study. ................................................................................... 4
D. Definition of Terms ........................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURES .................................................. 7
A. Review of Related Studies ........................................................................... 7
1. Sari’s “The Domesticated Translation of the Terms Related to Tools in

Toer’s This Earth of Mankind: A Study of Accuracy and Readability.”......... 7
2. Widiastuti’s “The Accuracy and Readability of Domesticated and
Foreignized Translation of Specific Words in Stephene Meyer’s Twilight into
Indonesian Translation Twilight” .................................................................... 8
3.

Durdurenau's “Translation of Cultural Terms: Possible or Impossible?” 9

B. Review of Related Theories............................................................................ 9
1.

Theories of Translation............................................................................. 9

2.

Foreignization and Domestication.......................................................... 11

3.

Ideology of translation............................................................................ 13

4.

Culture-bound term ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

B. Theoretical Framework .............................................................................. 15

x

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 17
A. Areas of Research ......................................................................................... 17
B. Object of the Study ....................................................................................... 17
C. Method of the Study ..................................................................................... 18
D. Research Procedure ...................................................................................... 18
1.

Types of Data ......................................................................................... 18

2.

Data Collection. ...................................................................................... 19

3.

Population and Sample ........................................................................... 20

4.

Data Analysis.......................................................................................... 21

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS....................... 23
A. The Translation Strategies Applied in The Culture-bound terms................. 24
1. Translation Strategies Applied in Social Structure Terms......................... 25
a. Applied Domestication Translation Strategy ......................................... 25
b. Applied Foreignization Translation Strategy ......................................... 31
2. The Translation Strategies in Food Related Terms ................................... 32
a. Applied Foreignization Translation Strategy ......................................... 33
3. The Translation Strategies in Derogative Terms ....................................... 34
a. Applied Domestication Translation Strategy ......................................... 34
4. Translation Strategies Applied in Religious Terms ................................... 36
a. Applied Domestication Translation Strategy ......................................... 36
b. Applied Foreignization Translation Strategy ......................................... 39
5. Translation Strategies Applied in Nickname Related Terms .................... 40
a. Applied Domestication Translation Strategy ......................................... 40
d. Applied Foreignization Translation Strategy ......................................... 41
B. The translation Ideology Seen from The Translation Strategies Applied .... 42
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 48
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................... 51

xi

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Table 1: Example of Data Management………………………….…….…….17
Table 2: The List of Title in the Object of Study…………………………….18
Table 3: The form of Presented Data ……………...………….…….……….20
Table 4: The Percentage of Applied Translation Strategy ………….……….22
Table 5: The Ratio of Applied Translation Strategy ………………………...42
Table 6: Diagram of Applied Translation Strategies …………………..........43
Table 7: Ratio of Reason Why Domestication as Dominant Ideology……....45

xii

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ST

: Source Text

TT

: Target Text

SL

: Source Language

TL

: Target Language

BSa

: Bahasa Sasaran

BSu

: Bahasa Sumber

xiii

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ABSTRACT
MAHARDIKENGRAT, AZIZTA LAKSA. Foreignization and Domestication of
Culture-Bound Terms in The English Translation of Ahmad Tohari's “Kind
Looking Eyes”. Yogyakarta; Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters,
Sanata Dharma University, 2016

Translation is needed to bridge communication between two languages. In
the process, translation also takes account each individual cultural value that a
language has. As such, cultural value is one element that needs to be considered
when translating a literary text. To cope with this, translation has two strategies;
foreignization and domestication. Foreignization is a translation strategy that
emphasizes SL cultural values. Domestication assimilates SL and Tl cultural
values. This thesis discusses the foreignization and domestication of culture-bound
terms found in Ahmad Tohari’s short story collection “Kind Looking Eyes”. This
book is translated by Tirsa Tanagara and both the Indonesian and English versions
are published by Gramedia.
There are two objectives in this research. The first objective is to find out
foreignization and domestication translation strategies in culture-bound terms. The
second objective is determining the translation ideology based on the ratio of
foreignized and domesticated culture-bound terms. The ratio is important in
determining translation ideology, whether it is biased toward SL or TL cultural
values.
This research applied library research and contrastive explicatory method.
The researcher acquired both English and Indonesian version of “kind looking
Eyes”. This thesis is a text based research and a qualitative study because it
analyzed the quality of translation and then compared the number of strategies used
to reveal the ideology of translation.
There are 5 categories of culture-bound terms in this thesis; those are related
to social structure (14 terms), food (3 terms), derogative words (3 terms), religion
(8 terms), and nickname (5 terms). The finding in this research reveal that from 33
data, 23 data (70%) used domestication strategy, and 10 data (30%) used
foreignization strategy. Thus from the ratio of 2.3:1, the translation of “Kind
Looking Eyes” is biased toward TL culture.
It is found out that the translator mostly applied domestication strategy to
rewrite the culture-bound terms in order that those terms can be assimilated in the
TL cultural values. The dominant use of domestication strategy rather than
foreignization is, indicates the translator’s tendency to culturally-guided the terms
into TL.

xiv

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ABSTRAK
MAHARDIKENGRAT, AZIZTA LAKSA. Foreignization and Domestication of
Culture-Bound Terms in The English Translation of Ahmad Tohari's “Kind
Looking Eyes”. Yogyakarta; Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas
Sanata Dharma, 2016.

Penerjemahan dibutuhkan untuk menjembatani dua bahasa yang berbeda.
Dalam prosesnya, penerjemahan memperhitungkan nilai budaya yang dipunyai
setiap bahasa. Karena itu, nilai budaya adalah salah satu elemen yang harus
diperhatikan ketika menerjemahkan teks sastra. Dalam hal ini, penerjemahan
mempunyai dua strategi; domestikasi (Domestication) dan pengasingan
(foreignization). Domestikasi adalah strategi yang meleburkan nilai budaya BSu
dan BSa. Sedangkan, pengasingan menonjolkan nilai budaya dari BSu. Skripsi ini
meneliti pengasingan dan domestikasi dari lema terikat budaya dari kumpulan
cerpen oleh Ahmad Tohari “Mata yang Enak Dipandang”. Versi bahasa inggris
diterjemahkan oleh Tirsa Tanagara. Kedua versi bahasa Indonesia dan inggris
dipublikasikan oleh Gramedia.
Ada dua tujuan di skripsi ini. Tujuan yang pertama adalah mengetahui
strategi yang digunakan pada lema terikat budaya yang ditemukan di objek studi.
Tujuan kedua adalah menentukan ideologi penerjemahan dari rasio jumlah strategi
yang digunakan, apakah menonjolkan Bsu atau BSa.
Skripsi ini menerapkan studi pustaka dan explicatory constrative method.
Peneliti mendapatkan kedua versi bahasa Indonesia dan Inggris dari “Mata yang
Enak Dipandang”. Penelitian ini berbasis teks dan melihat kualitas lema terkait
budaya dari strategis diatas dan menghitung rasio antara strategi domestikasi dan
pengasingan yang digunakan untuk menentukan ideologi terjemahan.
Dari analisis, terdapat 5 kategori lema terkait budaya, lema struktur social
(14), lema makanan (3), lema kata merendahkan (3), lema agama, dan lema nama
panggil (5). Hasil dari skripsi ini memperlihatkan dari 33 data, 23 data (70%)
mengunakan strategi domestikasi. Sedangkan 10 data (30%) menggunakan strategi
pengasingan. Dari rasio 7:3, ideologi penerjemahan berpihak terhadap nilai budaya
BSa.
Penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa penerjemah menerapkan strategi
domestikasi pada hampir semua lema terikat budaya agar bisa dileburkan dengan
nilai budaya BSa. Pengunaan dominan dari strategi domestikasi daripada
pengasingan mengindikasikan tendensi penerjemah untuk mengarahkan lema
terikat budaya ke BSa

xv

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A, Background of the Study
Language has important roles in human society. Not only as a tool to deliver
message and meaning to each other, language also shapes how people communicate
with each other. Trudgill (2000:2) states that the function of language is in
establishing social relationship and conveying information about the speaker.
Language affects society and vice versa. The social structure and value
system are different from one language to another. Trudgill (2000:8) writes that
different language has its own value system and structure that differ from one to
another.
The need of communication among people with different languages triggers
the need of multi-language people being able to communicate between sets of
language. To accommodate this need, translation is needed to bridge the
communication between languages.
Since its founding as a study, translation has been a subject of debate in
language research. Translation is not merely transferring language from one to
another but also the meaning behind the text. Translation further advances to much
more complex that not only related to language and meaning but also culture to
each language that being translated.

1

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
2

Translation is dealing with two languages and the cultural values behind
them. For example, the difference in culture resulted in difference of vocabulary.
Bassnett (2002:36) notices this problem when she observed the language of
southern Venezuela. She found it difficult to find satisfactory terms for the English
murder, stealing, lying, etc in TL equivalent term.
Translating Indonesian literature to English language poses its own
difficulties especially in culture bound terms. As the culture between Indonesia and
English are different, it needs extra attention to the difference in culture. For
example, the term “rice” in English is too general to describe the term of staple food
in Indonesia. In Indonesian language, we have “gabah”,”padi”,”nasi” to address the
above terms. The difference in vocabulary results from the cultural values in
Indonesia. Therefore, it is exclusive only in Indonesia.
Ahmad Tohari is an Indonesian author that plays a prominent role in
Indonesian literature. His works, such as Kubah, Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, and Di
kaki Bukit Cibala capture the Indonesian culture and portray Indonesian people
lives.
Translation also shapes the image of SL to TL by introducing SL cultural
values. How to form this image and its function in TL literature has been debated
ever since. Venutti from his book The Translator Invisibility (1995:1) implies that
translator has “invisible hands” in translating a text; domestication and
foreignization. Domestication is a translation strategy where translator makes the
TT to be fluent, to erase the trace of foreign culture and to adapt TL cultural values.
On the other hands, Foreignization emphasizes on foreign values brought by SL.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
3

This thesis is discussing “Kind Looking Eyes” which is a collection of short
stories ranging from the lives of beggars to religious problem such as afterlife.
Prostitution and family matters are also depicted in this collection of short stories.
“Kind Looking Eyes” can be said is the reflection of Indonesian cultural values.
In Ahmad Tohari’s short stories collection “Kind Looking Eyes”, the
translator used both strategies in translating the short stories. For example, the term
Tahi kucing! is translated as Rubbish! When translating this swear words,
Translator used domestication strategies because there is no direct equivalence
between them. To make it understandable for TL, Translator used common swear
words in TL culture to accommodate the meaning of SL although the meaning is
different from the SL intended to.
Domestication and Foreignization is translator’s tool to emphasize SL culture
of TL culture. Venutti in Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Application
(2001:146) writes that this method can be either assimilates between two cultures
or make each culture difference becomes more prominent.
This thesis focuses on foreignization and domestication of culture-bound
terms in “Kind Looking Eyes” by Ahmad Tohari which translated by Tirsa
Tanaraga.

B. Problem Formulation
In this thesis, the researcher formulates the questions which become the focus
of this research. The two problems are following,
1. What are translation strategies in culture-bound terms from Ahmad Tohari’s
“Kind Looking Eyes”?

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4

2. What translation ideology is reflected from culture-bound terms in Ahmad
Tohari’s “Kind Looking Eyes”?
C. Objective of the Study.
This thesis aims to reveal the foreignization and domestication translation
strategies when translating culture-bound terms in one of Ahmad Tohari’s short
stories collection “Kind Looking Eyes” which is translated to English version by
Tirsa Tanaraga
Firstly, this thesis focuses on revealing the translation strategies whether it
is foreignization or domestication in translating culture-bound terms in this work.
This thesis observes this phenomenon and identifies which strategy is used in
translating each culture-bound terms.
Secondly, this thesis also aims to find out the ideology of translating in
culture-bound terms “Kind Looking Eyes”. From understanding which translation
strategy is more prominent, researcher can understand translation ideology whether
it emphasizes SL culture or TL culture.

D. Definition of Terms
To avoid misinterpretation, the terms used in this thesis is defined as follows,
Culture-bound terms are defined as terms refers to “all the ideas and
assumptions about the nature of things and people that we learn when we become
members of social group” (Yule, 2010:267). To support this, Harvey defines
culture-bound terms as “the terms which refers to concepts, institution, and
personnel which are specific to the source language culture (2002:2)

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
5

Domestication is defined as translation strategy that reduce the foreignness
in the TT. Munday (2001:144) states that domestication is a style used in order to
minimize the foreignness of the TT. Venutti added that domestication is reduction
of SL values to accommodate TL values (1995:20).
Foreignization is defined as emphasization of SL values in the TT. (Venutti,
1998:242) writes that foreignization makes the SL culture values dominant.
Foreignization makes sure that the reader gets the sense of culture in the SL
(Munday, 2001:145).
A social structure is the distinctive, stable arrangement of institutions
whereby human beings in a society interact and live together (Form and Wilterdink,
2015). This term defines the interaction and organization within a society. For
example, the social structure in relation to the government organization, social
activity, and common metaphors.
A religious term is term which expresses religious practices. Greetz explains
that “Religion is a cultural system of behaviors and practices, world views, sacred
texts, holy places, ethics, and societal organization that relate humanity to what an
anthropologist has called "an order of existence" (Greetz 1993:87).
A derogative term is a term of insult expression or implying something
negative. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th edition,
Derogative is a word showing a critical attitude toward somebody. For example,
swearwords, insult, demeaning words.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
6

A food term is a term which expresses the naming of food and drink in a
society. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th edition, food is
things that people or animal eats. For example, staple food such as bread and rice.
A nickname is a substitute proper name of a familiar person, place or a thing.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th edition, nickname term is
“an informal often humorous, name for a person that is connected with their real
name, their personality, or appearance”. For example, Jum, Wahyu, Bagyo.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURES

Chapter II refines this thesis by adding the review of related studies and
theoretical ground that will be used in this study. The previous studies that are used
to compare and contrast with this thesis are from Aluysia Vicka Tunjung Sari and
Maria Agatha Rina Widiastuti. Those studies mentioned will be reviewed in
relation to this thesis to find out the similarities and the different perspectives used
by each thesis. Some theories will also be used to provide the foundation which this
thesis is based upon.
A. Review of Related Studies
1.

Sari’s “The Domesticated Translation of the Terms Related to Tools in
Toer’s This Earth of Mankind: A Study of Accuracy and Readability.”
Sari’s thesis is discussing the domesticated translation of tools terms in This

Earth of Mankind. Sari’s research found out that from the readability point of view,
domesticated translation enables the terms to be understood easily (85%). This
research also stressed that the use of domestication translation made the reader
comprehend the text easily and minimizing the strangeness of foreign text.
Sari’s research focuses on the readability and accuracy of the domesticated
tool terms. This focus provides basic insight where using domestication strategy
emphasized the reader capability to understand the text. Different from Sari’s
research, this thesis focuses on the both translation method domestication and
foreignization to reveal the ideology of translation used.

7

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
8

Sari’s research provides this thesis with the view how the domestication
strategy appeal to reader from its readability and accuracy point. Sari’s research
also points out the use of domesticated translation on how the readers understand a
translation product.
2.

Widiastuti’s “The Accuracy and Readability of Domesticated and
Foreignized Translation of Specific Words in Stephene Meyer’s Twilight
into Indonesian Translation Twilight”
Similar to Sari’s thesis, Widiastuti’s thesis also talks about the readability and

accuracy of a literary text. What makes them different is that Widiastuti’s research
also includes the foreignized terms into equation. In Widiastuti’s research, she
emphasizes on specific terms such as measurement, clothes, terms of address,
technological terms, colors, plants, food and drinks, idiomatic expressions, and
everyday expression.
In the end of her thesis, Widiastuti implies that foreignization strategy is used
because the translator cannot find the appropriate equivalent terms in the TL. She
also added that this strategy is part of publisher policy to add “exoticism” to the
text. In other words, the foreign word is intact to add the intimacy to ST culture.
Different from Widiastuti’s research, this thesis focuses on both
domestication and foreignization translation strategies to understand the translator
ideology in translating literary text.
Widiastuti’s research provides this thesis with the insight how foreignization
strategy affects a literary text. Her thesis states that foreignization is used to add
“exoticism” or intimacy toward ST culture.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
9

3.

Durdurenau's “Translation of Cultural Terms: Possible or Impossible?”
Durdurenau talks about the possibility and challenge in translating culture-

bound terms. She stresses that translation and culture are so entwined to each other
that translator cannot ignore the significance of cultural element in the text. She
quotes Peter Newmark for his definition of culture as “the way of life and its
manifestation that are particular to a community that uses a particular language as
its means of expression”. She examines the area of culture-bound terms that deeply
rooted in culture such as in time division, jobs, positions, professions, food, drinks
and notes that expressions above can differentiate a community from another. The
translation of such terms affects the cultural significance of a particular community.
In approaching the difference, translator has a great amount of translation
strategies and methods to achieve a certain degree of acceptability to TL audience.
Her paper provides this thesis with the insight how culture-bound terms affects the
works in the perception of TL reader and its possibility to be translated to TL
without compromising in its cultural significance.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories of Translation
Translation is not simply just alteration of the language from SL to TL in the
text. Translation is aimed to be acceptable and understood to TL reader. In order to
do that, meaning in SL must be transferred to TL in sense that TL reader can easily
understand.
Meaning is not exclusive and rigid. It is fluid and depends on a set of factors.
Some of them is the context, cultural background, history period behind the
meaning, Venutti writes,

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
10

As a result, a foreign text is the site of many different semantic possibilities
that are fixed only provisionally in any one translation, on the basis of varying
cultural assumptions and interpretive choices, in specific social situations, in
different historical periods. Meaning is a plural and contingent relation, not
an unchanging unified essence and therefore a concepts of semantic
equivalence one to one correspondence (1995:18).
Venutti writes that translation is a process of interchanging chain ST signifier
to TL signifier (1995:17). In relation to meaning, exist a way to establish common
ground and link in meaning from SL to TL. In this manner, the translator provides
the interpretation of meaning in SL to adhere the common sense in TL.
Meaning comes with form. In translation, form and meaning are integral unit
to communicate. Larson writes that this form is the surface structure such as words,
clauses, sentences, paragraphs (1998:3).
Because of the varying form and meaning, there could be one form that
represent varying meaning. Larson observes this phenomenon from the English
word “run” (1998: 7). This word has different lexical meaning, according to Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Horby, 2010:1031), “runs” can mean to move
using legs at a speed, participating in a race, or fleeing from a situation.
Translation deals with the meaning inside the ST and trying to produce the
same meaning in TT. In relation to meaning, form of meaning also takes notice.
Larson states that translation is a process where the form in SL change to TL. Form
in here means the actual words, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs, etc
(1998:3). The bridge that connect SL and TL in terms of form is semantics structure.
Larson writes,
Translation consists of transferring the meaning of the SL into the TL. This
is done by going from the form of the SL to the form of TL by way of semantic
structure. It is the meaning which is being transferred and must be held
constant. Only the form changes. (1998:3)

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
11

In short, translation deals with how meaning and form is transferred from SL
to TL. The difference in context, cultural background, history period affects how
the meaning revolves around translation. In relation to meaning, form also need to
be considered. The semantic structure between the forms in SL and TL is the
consideration when translating from SL to TL.
This means that a translation is a process of transferring meaning and form
from one language to another. When translating, meaning is important to be
considered. Translator must take notes on the cultural background, history periods
or the context of ST to translate it in TT.
2. Foreignization and Domestication
There is a significant amount of debate in transferring meaning from SL to
TL. It compromises the significance of culture values in either SL to TL
respectively. The discussion is revolved around the cultural significance of SL and
TL.
Translator is faced with two options in this case, either valorize the SL culture
or assimilate SL cultural values to TL cultural values. Schleiermarcher addresses
this issue saying that “ST meaning is couched in language that is very culture-bound
and to which the Tl can never fully correspond (Munday, 2001: 28)”
There are two main translation strategies in transferring meaning to TL,
Domestication and Foreignization. Domestication is the transfer of culture values
from SL to TL to reduce the foreignness. On the other hand, foreignization is a
method of making the SL cultural values more prominent and visible to TL reader
(Munday, 2001:145).

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
12

Domestication and foreignization is methods of translation that contribute to
translation visibility. This term refers to how the translator reproduces the ST to TT
fluently. Venutti writes in his book;
A translated text, whether prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, is judged
acceptable by most publishers, reviewers, and readers when it reads fluently,
when the absence of any linguistics or stylistic peculiarities makes it seem
transparent, giving the appearance that it reflects the foreign writer’s personality
or intention or the essential meaning of the foreign text – the appearance, in
other words, that the translation is not in fact a translation but the ‘original’
(Venutti, 1995:1)
Domestication strategy is a method to ensure that the TL reader is able to read
with ease. Venutti adds that domestication “entails translating in a transparent,
fluent, ‘invisible’ style in order to minimize the foreignness of the TT” (Munday,
2001:144).
Meanwhile, foreignization strategy is a method to ensure that the TL reader
get the sense of SL culture through reading the translation product. Munday, further
emphasizes “In a bid to make the translator ‘visible’ and to make the readers realize
they reading a translation of a work from a foreign culture” (Munday, 2001:145).
Domestication and Foreignization are closely tied to what Vennuti called as
the result of translator invisibility. He addresses this situation saying that the effects
of fluent or domesticated translation caused cultural marginality and economic
exploitation due to significant reduction in SL cultural values (Vennuti, 1995: 17).
He also adds that the dominancy of Anglo-American is prevalent as translators have
to resubmit the domesticated revision of translated foreign text.
Schleiermarcher also states that the main question about translating is the
movement of ST writer and TL audience (Munday, 2001: 29). Should the translator
moves the work closer to ST writer and loses understanding from TL audience or

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13

bring the work closer to TL audience and loses the cultural significance (Munday,
2001:29). Schleiermarcher prefers that translator moves the work closer to ST
writer because he valorizes the SL cultural values. He addresses that true translation
is like “A German reading the work in the original language” (Munday, 2001:29).
Venutti also supports the valorization of SL. In his book, translator’s
invisibility he quotes John Hookham Frere, “The absence of any syntactical and
lexical peculiarities produces the ‘illusion” that the translation is not a translation,
but the foreign text, reflecting the foreign writer’s intention (Venutti, 1995:77)”.
Foreignization and domestication has been long debated as to how the
translation should be. Venutti adds that translation should broaden its scope to
“value driven nature of the socio-cultural framework” (Munday, 2001:146). Both
methods are dealing with the question how the translation should be represented to
TL audience that have different values of culture. Lefevere also adds that SL selfimage is either preserved or changed according to translation strategy used
(Lefevere, 1992; 125)
3. Ideology of translation.
Because of the different set of culture values in SL and TL, translation tends
to have its own methods to deal with this difference. However, the choice of method
whether it is foreignization or domestication is heavily influenced by the ideology
of translation. Andre Lefevere in his collection of essay, Translation, Rewriting and
the Manipulation of Literary Fame (1992) focuses translation as rewriting. He
examined “the ‘very concrete factors’ that systematically controlled the acceptance
and rejection of literary texts; that is, issues, such as power, ideology, institution,
and manipulation” (1992; 2)

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
14

Lefevere then describes that the translation function is govern by three
components, professionals within the literary system, patronage outside the literary
system, the dominants poetics (Munday, 2001:126).
Lefevere gives an example in his book taken from Aristophanes’ lysistrata
about the sentence ‘en me dido ten cheira tes sathes age’ [lit. ’if he doesn’t give
you his hand, take him by the penis’] (Munday, 2001:128). The term ‘penis’ is
translated to English version as membrum virile, nose, leg, life-line and many other.
He states that this translation indicates the ideology dominant at that time in a
certain set of culture. He writes that if it translated as it is, TT audience cannot
understand the meaning behind it.
Ideology of translation is interested in uncovering the manipulation in TT that
may be indication of the translator ideology (Munday, 2001:137). There are factors
such as pressure from publishers, editor or other. The choice of using foreignization
or domestication method can be the indication of translator ideology, whether it is
biased to SL or TL culture.
4. Culture-bound term
Language influences society and vice versa. In the matter of society
influences language, Wardhaugh (2006:10) states that speaking, choice of words,
rules of conversing are influenced by certain social requirement. He adds the
example in how children speak differently with mature adults. In the matter of
language influences society, Wardhough (2006:315) writes that words such as
master-mistress,

bachelor-spinster

and

gentleman-lady

differentiation in the usage and meaning in the society.

creates

gender

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15

Language as a system is influenced by the culture and society structure. Peter
Bourdien states that
“language is a linguistic habitus which means that language is not only a
particular system of words and grammatical rules, but also a symbolic power of
a particular way of communication, with specific patterns for every community
(particular system of classification, specialized lexicon, metaphors, reference
forms, etc) (1952:52)”.
From Bourdien statement, a language has its own specialized lexicon based
on the its particular society structure. Therefore, a language has its own specialized
term called culture-bound terms. Duranti (1997:46) observes this phenomenon and
states that any act of language is a participation in a certain community. Yule
(2010:267) adds that culture-bound terms are “all the ideas and assumptions about
the nature of things and people that we learn when we become members of social
group”
Culture-bound term is specialized because the reference it used is exclusive
to a particular language. Harvey defines culture-bound terms as “the terms which
refers to concepts, institution, and personnel which are specific to the source
language culture (2002:2)”. For example, the Eskimo language has 30 words for
snow and Arabic language has 200 names for the synonym of word camel. From
the example, language realizes how a particular society views their surrounding and
culture, the Eskimos has various vocabulary because of their environment in snowy
condition and the Arabic for their familiarity with camel.
B. Theoretical Framework
This thesis focuses on how meaning is transferred from SL to TL.
Furthermore, it analyzes culture-bound terms that heavily in SL socio-cultural
framework. Theories of translation, foreignization and domestication, and ideology

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
16

of translation are needed to be the ground of this thesis. Sari, Widiastuti theses and
Durdurenau paper also provides basic insights on this thesis.
In order to understand the basic of translation we need to apply the theories
of translation. Larson and Venutti provides the basic foundation about what is a
translation and how meaning revolves around it. Foreignization and domestication
theories also play a role in understanding the translator intention. Finally, the
ideology of translation guided us on how the translator worked in a set of
ideological pressure, whether he/she is biased toward SL or TL culture values.
The first problem needs theories of translation, foreignization and
domestication, and culture-bound term to categorize the culture-bound terms in
Ahmad Tohari‘s “Kind Looking Eyes”.
The second problem needs the theory of translation ideology to be the ground
of deciding the ideology of translator when translating culture-bound terms in
Ahmad Tohari’s “Kind Looking Eyes”

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter elaborated how this research is done. In conducting this research,
there are steps that need to be taken to ensure the validity of research. Methodology
also ensured this thesis have the procedures to be applied. There are four parts in
this chapter. They are areas of research, object of study, methodology, and research
procedure.
A. Areas of Research
The area of this thesis is text analysis and translation. This area of research is
comparing the original work with its translation based on textual analysis. In text
analysis and translation, the focus can be syntactic, semantic, and stylistic feature
of the source text in comparison to its translation. The focus in this thesis is the
analysis of the communicative condition regarding to who, why, where, and what
the translation product intended to (Williams and Chesterman, 2002:6).
B. Object of the Study
The object of this study is culture-bound terms in Indonesian literary text that
translated to English. The reference used in this study is work by Ahmad Tohari’s
“Kind Looking Eyes” and its Indonesian version “Mata Yang Enak Dipandang”.
This short stories collection is about Indonesian way of lives. “Kind Looking Eyes”
is Ahmad Tohari’s works from 1983 to 1997 that had been published in various
media and publishers.

17

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
18

C. Method of the Study
The method taken by this research is library research and explicatory
constative method. Library research is a method of collecting data in the form of
articles, books, essays, and other that relevant to this study (George, 2008:6).
Library research is used when collecting theories, articles, and journal prior to
analyzing the data. Explicatory contrastive method is a method that entails a careful,
close, and focused examination of a single major text, or an element of a text
(George, 2008:6). This method is used to collect the data in the object of study. This
thesis requires the copies of both Indonesian and English versions from “King
Looking Eyes”. This study is a qualitative study which means generates result in
words rather than numbers to understand a specific quality (Bricki and Green,
2004:4). Then researcher compared the number of foreignized and domesticated
culture-bound terms in English and Indonesian versions found in the object of study
in order to reveal the translation ideology.
D. Research Procedure
1. Types of Data
The types of data in this research is objective data which are taken from ST
and TT as a written text material. Thus this research is text based analysis. The
source of data is from culture-bound terms in both Indonesian “Mata yang Enak
Dipandang” and English version “Kind Looking Eyes”. There are 15 short stories
in this work. Both Indonesian and English version was published by Gramedia in
2013 and 2015 respectively. ST has 215 pages and TT has 191 pages. TT is
translated by Tirsa Tanagara and edited by Rosemary Kesauly.

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
19

2. Data Collection.
The data in this thesis were collected from 15 stories in the object of study.
Text based collection is used in this study. First, researcher read both ST and TT to
understand the context of each titles. Second, culture-bound terms in ST are listed
out. Third, researcher compared the culture-bound terms in TT with finding found
in ST. The comparison is listed out in a table. Fourth, the researcher categorized the
data based on its title. Fifth, researcher coded the result for management. Lastly, the
data are presented in a table such as below.
Table 1: Example of Data Management
No

1

Culture-bound terms
Kind Looking eyes (KLE)/ Mata yang Enak Dipandang (MED)
Code ST ST Terms
Code TT
TT Terms
1/S/3/ST Memanggang
1/TT/KLE/1/ Left him on that
/9/MED Tirta diatas aspal
P.9
hot busy street
gili-gili

Transla
tion
Method
Domest
ication

In order to keep track of the data, it is coded in this manner:
1/S/3/ST/9/MED. The abbreviation is as follow,
1

: General Numbering

S

: Name of the cluster (social structure)

3

: Number of data in the cluster

ST

: Source Text

TT

: Target Text

9

: Number of page where the data is found

KLE / MED : Kind Looking Eyes/ Mata yang Enak Dipandang (The title)

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
20

Here is the list and codes of titles that can be found in the object of study;
Table 2: List of Title in the Object of Study
Indonesian version
Mata yang Enak Dipandang (MED)
Bila Jebris Ada di Rumah Kami (BJR)
Penipu yang Keempat (PYK)
Daruan (DRN)
Warung Penajem (WGP)
Paman Doblo Merobek LayangLayang (PDL)
Kang Sarpin Minta Dikebiri (KSD)
Akhirnya Menyeberang Jalan (AMJ)
Sayur Bleketupuk (SBK)
Rusmi Ingin Pulang (RIP)
Dawir, Turah, dan Totol (DTT)
Harta Gantungan (HGN)
Pemandangan Perut (PMP)
Salam dari Penyangga Langit (SPL)
Bulan Kuning
(BKT)

Sudah

Tenggelam

English Version
Kind Looking Eyes (KLE)
If Jebris Stays in Our House (IJS)
The Fourth Con Artist (TFC)
Daruan (DRU)
The Reward Shop (TRS)
Uncle Doblo Tore Up a Kite (UDT)