NATURALNESS AND UNNATURALNESS IN ENGLISH VERSION TEXT OF KID STORY OIL PALM THE SOURCE OF OIL.

NATIJn.ALNESS AND l'"NATUR.LIi:~S

OF

lN ENGLISH VERSION TFXT

\'?1(iit¥ OIL PALltf TilE SOUR(:E OF OIL

A THESIS

Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Progr'ltm In
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the D~ret
Magister Humaniora

:'TATE

OF
UNlVEHS~T

:w

MlOA~

ACKNOWI.EDGEMENT

Bismillahirahmanirrahim

In the name of Allah SWT, Most Gracious and Most Merciful, praise be to
Allah, the Almighty God who has granted, countless blessing, knowledge, and
opportunity to the writer so that she has been finally able to accomplish her thesis.
Peace and prayers be presented upon His last Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad
SAW.
This thesis could have completed because of the guidance, encouragement,
suggestions, and comments from several people, for which she would like to
extend her sincere and special thanks.
On this occasion, she would like to express her sincere gratitude to Prof.

Amrin Saragih, M.A, Ph.D, her first adviser, who has spent time to give guidance
and advice. Her deepest gratitude is also expressed to Dr. Eddy Setia, M.Ed,
TESP, her second adviser, who has kindly assisted her in giving advice and
guidance to make this thesis complete.

Her great appreciation is addressed to Prof. Dr. Busmin Guming, M.Pd,
the head of English Applied Linguistics Study, and to Prof. Dr. Lince Sihombing,
M.Pd, the secretary of English Applied Linguistics Study for their administrative
assistance.
She also would like to address her gratitude to Prof. M Butar-Butar, Ph.D,
Prof. Dr. Lince Sihombing, M.Pd, and to Dr. Sri Minda Murni, M.Pd, for being

iii

her reviewers and examiners for the worthy inputs to be including in this thesis.
She is also intellectual debt to all lecturers of English Applied Linguistics Study
Program who have been her inspiration during the academic years and also during
the completion of this thesis.
Finally, she is grateful to her beloved parents, Supendi and Sugini and also
her lovely friends Ayu Indari, Bro Herman, Sis Sisil, Ade, Ayu Asrul, Meida,
Rini, Minar, Yudi, Sarah, Lis, Afifah, Mam Yati, Mr. lndra and all friends in

intake XV class for their friendship and cooperation and for attention, support,
and encouragement given to her during the academic years.
Thank you so much.

May Allah bless us.
August 2011
The writer

Medan,

DEWI NURMALA
Registration Number: 082188330106

..

iv

ABSTRACT

Nurmala, DewL 082188330106. Naturalness and Unnaturalness in English
Version Text of Kid Story Oil Palm the Source of Oil. A Thesis.
English Applied Linguistic Study Program, State University of
Medan.lOll
This thesis is the result of research of naturalness in translation. The objectives of

this study are to observe and ascertain the naturalness and the unnaturalness in
translation in the kid story book. Furthermore, this research is also eager to find
out the factors influence the naturalness and the unnaturalness in translation. The
instrument of this study is a docwnent-that is the kid story book in bilingual;
Indonesian to English. It is in Indonesian version in which it is written by
Indonesian. The method used in this study is qualitative research method where
the data collected are in the form of words and sentences. The source of the data is
the bilingual kid story book. The data are taken from the story of the kid story
book. Having analyzed the data, it is gained that there are 52 sentences that is
natural and the unnatural one is 28. The percentage is 65% and 35%. The
naturalness is influenced by linguistic factor (15%) and personal factor is (50%).
The uiifuitur.iliiess is iiifluenced by lliiguiStic factOr tliat numbers 3 3. 7% arid
cultural factor is 1.3% in this kid story book. Linguistic factor in naturalness
covers the use of an appropriate grammar and lexical items in the target language
(English) while the unnaturalness in translation does not use the appropriate
grammar and lexical items. The personal factor in naturalness covers the
personality of the translator in translating a text in the target language and the
cultural one in unnaturalness in translation relates to the culture of the source and
the target language. The main focus is in the choice of lexical items in the target
language. Then, the dominant factor that influences the naturalness is personal

factor (500/o) and the dominant factor that im1uences the unnaturalness is
linguistic factor (33.7%).

,.
ABSTRAK
Nurmala, Dewi. 082188330106. Naturalness and Unnaturalness in English
Version Text of Kid Story OU Palm the Source of OU. Thesis.
Linguistik Terapan Bahasa baggris. Universitas .Negeri Medan.
2011
Tesis ini merupakan basil penelitian dari kealamian dalam terjemahan. Tujuan
penelitian ini adalah untuk mengamati dan mengetahui dengan pasti kealamian
dan ketidakalamian dalam terjemahan di buku cerita anak. Selanjutnya, penelitian
ini juga ingin mengetahui faktor yang mempengaruhi kealamian dan
ketidakalamian dalam terjemahan. Instrumen penelitian ini adalah dokumen-yang
cerita anak buku bilingual, dari bahasa Indonesia ke lnggris. Terjemahan ini
dalam versi bahasa Indonesia yang ditulis oleh penulis Indonesia. Metode yang
digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian kualitatif dimana data
dikumpulkan dalam bentuk kata dan kalimat. Sumber data adalah buku anak
bilingual cerita. Data diambil dari kisah buku cerita anak ini. Setelah menganalisis
data, diperoleh bahwa ada 52 kalimat yang alami dan 28 kalimat yang tidak alami.

Persentasenya 65% dan 35%. Kealamian dipengaruhi oleh faktor linguistik (15%)
dan kepribadian (50%) dari penulis dalam menerjemahkan sedangkan
ketidakalamian dipengaruhi oleh faktor linguistik (33,?0..11) dan budaya (1,3%)
dalam buku cerita anak ini. Faktor linguistik mencakup penggunaan tata bahasa
dan penggunaan kata-kata yang tepat dalam bahasa target (bahasa Inggris)
sementara ketidakalamian dalam terjemahan tidak menggunakan tata bahasa dan
penggunaan kata-kata yang tepat . Sementara faktor pribadi meliputi kepribadian
penerjemah dalam menerjemabkan teks dalam bahasa target dan faktor budaya
dalam terjemahan berhubungan dengan budaya dari bahasa sumber dan bahasa
target. Folrus utama tesis adalah dalam pemilihan unsur .leksikal dalam bahasa
target. Kemudian, faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi kealamian adalah faktor
pribadi (500..11) dan faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi ketidakalamian adalah
faktor linguistik (33,?0..11).

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................i
ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................................. ii

ACKNOWLEDMENTS ....................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ v
LIST OF TABLES

........................................................................................................... vii

LIST OF FIGURES ........•................................................................................................... viii
LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ix
CIIAPTERI

:INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1
1.1 The Background of the Study .................................................................. 1
1.2 Problems of the Study ............................................................................. 6
1.3 The Objective of the Study ..................................................................... 6
1.4 The Scope ofthe Study ............................................................................ ?
1.5 The Significant of the Study ................................................................... 7
1.5.1 Theoretically ......................................................................................... ?
1.5.2 Practically .......•..•....................•.....•..•..................................•.•....•......•.... 8

CHAPTER U

: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .................................................................. 9

2.1 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................ 9
2.1.1 Translation ............................................................................................. 9
2.1.1.1 The Methods ofTranslation ............................................................ 11
2.1.1.2 Translation and Culture .................................................................... 15
2.1.2 Naturalness and Unnaturalness ........................................................... 18

v

,.
2.1.3 The Kid Sto:ry ...................................................................................... 26
2.2 Conceptual Framework ....................................•................................•.... 27
CHAP1'ER m :RESEARCH METHOD ......................................................................... 29

3.1 Research Design ..................................................................................... 29
3.2 Source of Data ........................................................................................ 29

3.3 Instrument of Data Collection ................................................................ 30

3.4 Procedure of Data Collection ................................................................. 30
3.5 Technique ofData Analysis ................................................................... 31
3.6 Trustworthiness ...............................................•...............•.....•............... 31
:DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .......................... 32

CHAPTER I

4.1 Data Analysis ..........................................•............................................. 33
4.1.1 How Naturalness and Unnaturalness Occur ....................................... 34
4.1.2 What Factors Influence Naturalness and Unnaturalness .......•.•.....•..•.. 36
4.1. 3 The Dominant Factor Influence Naturalness and
Unnaturalness ............•........................•...........................................•.. 42
4.3 Findings ......................................•........................................................•. 42
4.3 Discussions .................................•......•...................................•............•..44
CHAPTER IV : CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ...............................................47

5.1 Conclusions ................................•.............................................•............ 47
5.2 Suggestions ............................................................................................ 48
REFERENCES
APPENDICES

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Natural and Unnatural Sentences ........................................................................... 34
Table 4.2 Linguistic Factor ofNaturalness ............................................................................. 38
Table 4.3 Personal Factor of Naturalness .............................................................................. 39
Table 4.4 Linguistic Factor of Unnaturalness ....................................................................... .40
Table 4.5 Cultural Factor ofUnnaturalness ........................................................................... 41

vii

..
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Nida's Three-stage System of Translation ........................................................... 10
Figure 4.1 The Chart Percentage of Factors Influence Naturalness and
Unnaturalness in Translation ................................................................................. 44

viii

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Background of the Study
Meaning is the important part in translation. However, the process of
transferring meaning from one language (source language) to another one (target
language) is not as easy as it seems. It involves a set of changes in the form of
words. The form of a language refers to the actual words, phrases, clauses,
sentences, paragraphs, etc, which are spoken or written. In other words, it refers to
the surface structure of language.

In translation, the form of the source language is replaced by the form of
the receptor (target) language. However, the form expresses a variety of meaning.
The form relates to lexicon and grammar while meaning to semantics. Each
language has its own distinctive forms for representing meaning. In translation,
meaning is the main point. Larson (1984: 38) states that the implicit meaning is
the meaning that expresses something without being stated directly while the
explicit meaning that expresses as what it is. Implicit meaning is corresponding to
sense stated by Jackson and Amvela (2000: 91) that sense is the internal meaning
relation in the linguistic system of a language.
Meaning of translation determines whether the translation is acceptable or
not. The acceptability of translation depends on the naturalness of translation. One
of theory of naturalness is stated by Peter Newmark on his book 'A Textbook of
Translation'. Naturalness is the product of translation in which the translation is

1

2

acceptable and uses the common words in TL and does not change the meaning
that is implied in the original text. However, unnatural translation is marked by
interference, primarily from the SL text, possibly from a third language known to
the translator including his own, if it is not the target language.
Then, Lan (2006: 13) states that unnatural translation does not gravely
spoil the general meaning of the text; nonetheless, to some extent, it distorts the
writer's intention, disappoints readers for not meeting naturalness. In other word,
unnaturalness in translation is the failure of transferring the meaning from the
source language to the target language.
From this theory, some students of university had made a research of
naturalness in translation. One had observed the method of translation based on
Newmark's theory and presents the naturalness and accu.--acy of the methods. The
objects of observation are ten students from translating class. The books which are
translated are three children stories from English to Indonesian. The three children
stories entitled Little Lily at F1ower Land, Little Lily at candy Land and The Sky is

Falling that consists of 106 sentences. From the observation, the writer found that
most students used the communicative translation method in translating the
children stories and they had achieved the naturalness in translation (Utari. 2008).

Then, there is also one researcher that observed the naturalness of idiom
expressions used in a novel entitled Wanderlust by Danielle Steel translated by
Thress Susilastuti into Indonesian.

In this case, the writer observed what

procedures used by the translators to translate the novel and how naturalness of
the translation was. The result is that the translation of idiom expressions sounds

3

natural in Indonesian. The translation has used natural forms of the target
language in a way that is appropriate to the kind of text being translated. To find
out the naturalness of translation itself, it is required the knowledge of the culture,
the situation and the region of the language itself. The factors that can determine
the naturalness of translation relate to the linguistic and cultural items (Rini.
2009).
Then, the naturalness of translation becomes the important thing in
translation. A translator has to pay attention to the naturalness of the TT that he or
she translates. It becomes the measurement for the translator to make the product
of translation acceptable for the readers in TL text. The text translated would be
meaningful if the readers of the TL text can get the point to the text presented.
Here, the naturalness of translation is very useful for a translator.
Nuran (2009: 40-41) found that the naturalness is often appear in the
subtitles on DVD movies in the first ten minutes. The factors that influence the
naturalness depend on the relationship between the writer and the readership and
the topic situation. Any kind of translation involves not only the languages, but
also the culture in the countries or regions where these languages are spoken.
Translation is not only changing writings from one language to another, words by
words, or sentences by sentences, but also interpretation of cultural differences.

The factors that influence the naturalness on dvd movie are Hnguisties factors
determine that the subtitles has coherent or related each other. Cultural factors
involves two language, is unavoidably influence by culture, the;. source culture and

the target culture. For example; God bless you. The word of God in the example

4

above can identified as" Allah", Tuhan", "Yesus", is based on the culture of the
COWltry. Penonal faetor was coded by the translator. The translator's
professional and psychological conditions may therefore have a direct influence
on the translated text. The personal factors in questions, in which accoWlt for
many of the differences between various translation of the same source, are subtle
and complex, and it makes the personal factor become the dominant factor. It is
dominant because the translator is the most important thing to create a subtitle
become a good or not good. In the translator, it combines the linguistics and the
culture, that's why the personal factor often appears in the subtitles.
Many translators translate the kind of text in the form of bible, novel, and
so on. Nuran's (2009) research is one of the researches that proved the
naturalness. One of the elements that influence the naturalness is cultural factor.
Because of the close relationship between the culture of a community and the
language spoken, translation causes overlaps and gaps in the meaning of certain
words, thus making it almost impossible to translate literally from source
language into a target language. The techniques that are applied by some linguists
are to get the translation is acceptable or to find out the naturalness of translation

itself.
Based on the above insights, this study identifies and discusses the

naturalness of translation in the kid story book. This study also tries to find out the
factors that influence the naturalness of translation in the kid story book title Oil

Palm the Source of Oil discussed. Here, the writer has foWld some sentences that

6

sentence of dalam beberapa menit, but in English there is the translation of that
sentence. So, the readers cannot get the meaning of the translation in the target
lmt~g.

l.l Problems of the Study
The problems of the study are
How do naturalness and unnaturalness occur in the Oil Palm the Source of

1.

om
2. What factors influence naturalness and unnaturalness of translation in this
kid story book?
3.

WJ:t~

is tile dominant factor of the occurrence of naturalness and

unnaturalness in this kid story?

1.3 The Objeetive of the Study
The objectives of this study are
1.

to describe how naturalness and unnaturalness of translation occur in the

Oil Palm the Source ofOil,
2.

to describe wbat ~rs

influence na~

and unnaturalness of

translation in this kid story book and,
3.

to find out the dominant factor occurs in this kid story book?

7

1.4 The Scope of the Study
This study is limited to the naturalness and the unnaturalness of translation
of the translated children's short story. As the products of translating have been
produced in the form of any texts, this study deals only with Oil Palm the Source

of Oil and its translation version, the findings of this study cannot be generalized
to other translated kid story book that is published.

1.5 The Significant of the Study
Findings of the study are expected to be relevant and useful theoretically
and practically in some respects. The findings could give the contribution to all
the readers of those that are concerned with this field. Here are the usefulness of
the findings theoretically and practically.

1.5.1 Theoretically
Theoretically, the usefulness of the findings is the following.

1. the readers can enrich their knowledge on theories of naturalness and

unnaturalness to get the information related to translation field and,
2. the study improve the implication of translation theories from source
language to the target language.

8

1.5.2 Practieally
Practically, the usefulness of the findings is the following.
1. the naturalness and of translation is useful for the translator to be more
careful to translate a text. Naturalness is very acceptable to get the text
understanding and the unnaturalness is the unacceptable one,
2. for the students, it encourages them to be a good investigator in observing
which are the naturalness and the unnaturalness of a translation and,
3. for the teachers, it can give the contribution to the translation subject.

CHAPTERV
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions
Having analyzed the data in this kid story book, the conclusions are dtawn
as the following.
l. Naturalness and wmaturalness in translation of this kid story book often
occurs. Naturalness occurs when the fourth indicators of naturalness are
fulfilled. It is called naturalness if the translation sounds natural, the use of
appropriate grammar and lexis, the message is conveyed- as close as
possible in the target language, and there is no interference in the TL text
from the SL text. Then, it is called unnaturalness if one of the indicators is
not fulfilled in translation of this kid story book.
2. The factors that influence the naturalness in this kid story book are
linguistic and personal factors. The linguistic factor contains the use of
appropriate grammar and lexical item while the personal factor relates to
the competence and the experience of the translator in translating the text.
Then, the unnaturalness in translation is influenced by the linguistic and
cultural factors. The linguistic factor is the use of inappropriate grammar
and lexis while the cultural factor is the interference of cultural words
from Indonesian into English.
3, The most dominant factor· appears in determining the naturalness in
translation of this kid story book is personal factor. It is because the

47

translator is the main key in making decision of the use of appropriate
words in the process of translation and the factor that is dominant in
influencing the unnaturalness is the linguistic factor. It is seen from the use

of.inappropriate grammar aid lexical items in translation in this kid story
book.

$.2~

The kid story book written in bilingual text is the one that is very

important.m.the .learning .prooess.ar Eaglisa for -the .dWdren .m lndonesia. They
can improve their English through this kind of book a1elosed by the picture and
the wonderful color. But in the application, the product of the translation should

-be-understood b-y. the .reads-S&