Translation Accuracy Theoretical Review
The 8
th
edi tion of Oxford Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary defines
accuracy as ―the state of being exact or correct; the ability to do something skillfully without making mistakes‖ Hornby, 2010: 10. Therefore, translation
accuracy can be interpreted as the correctness of the message rendered from source text to target text.
Accuracy is defined by Rahimi 2004 as cited in Anari Bouali 2009: 80
as ―the suitable and detailed explanation of the source message and the transmission of that message as exactly as possible‖. Inaccuracy is indicated by
addition in information and wrong analysis of the text meaning. Meanwhile, Farahani 2005 in Anari Bouali 2009: 80
states that accuracy refers to ―the extent to which the writer translates a text accurately and precisely‖.
Accuracy is written twice in the assessment criteria created by The Institute of Linguists‘ IoL Diploma in Translation as cited in Munday 2001:
30. They define accuracy as the correct transfer of information and evidence of complete comprehension and put it as the first criterion. The second accuracy is
accuracy in technical aspects of punctuation. In addition, in Unesco‘s Guidelines for Translator, accuracy is also the
first requirement in translating a text Munday, 2001: 31. In this book, achieving accuracy is defined as conveying the exact intention of the author in order to
attract the same impression of source language readers from target readers. Nababan et al. 2012: 44 state that translation accuracy is the condition
whether a translation is equivalent to its source text. In this case, the term equivalent refers to the level of rendering of meaning. Accordingly, all attempts
that possibly intensify or diminish the meaning of a text should be avoided at all cost because these possibilities could lead translator to betray the intention of the
author as well as deliver falsehood to the target readers. Conveying the exact meaning in translation is very important. Many
scholars emphasize that transferring meaning is the top priority in translation, such as Nida and Taber in chapter two of their book Nida and Taber, 1982: 13,
Newmark in his criterion for translation evaluation as cited in Munday, 2001: 45, and also the definitions of translation from several experts as written under
the sub-heading Definitions of Translation in the beginning of this chapter. These knowledge infers that accuracy is translator
‘s top priority in translating a text.