Translation and Culture

TRANSLATION AND CULTURE
Arranged to fulfill the task of Translation

Lecturer:
Dr. Sriyono, S.S., M.Hum.
Arranged by:
Nurul Fauziah (170511100057)
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SCIENCES

TRUNOJOYO UNIVERSITY OF MADURA
ACADEMIC YEAR 2018/2019
INTRODUCTION
There are three translator’s competence in translation: Linguistic

competence, cultural competence and transfer competence. and this paper will
focus on cultural competence.
Culture is the way of life in a place that its unique realization and uses a
particular language as its means of expression. Usually, different place will have
different culture, so that is the reason why culture and translation can not be
separated. A language will form the culture and vice versa. It has the meaning that
is wrapped by the culture as its place. It is not denied that a translator often finds
some difficulties in finding the right equivalence in translating culture.
I choose this tittle, because it iso one of important thing in translation and
also different with other topics. I think study about culture from other places are
very interesting, so that i choose it. If we want to know it well, we have to know
about the place or country of the source language. Knowledge about the culture in
the country will help us to translate the word easily.
DISCUSSION
CULTURAL CATEGORIES
Translation is not only a bilingual activity, but at the same time, a

bicultural activity” (Mohanty,1994: 25). Nida also said, “ A translation may
involve not only differences of li nguistic affiliation but also highly diverse
cultures, e.g, English into Zulu, or Greek into Javanese. So, there are five group of
the culture expression that is categoried by Newmark :
1. Ecology
Flora, fauna, winds, plains, hills; edelweis, downs, sirocco etc.Those
words are difficult to translated without electronic communication
tools, such as television, radio or internet.
2. Material Culture (artefacts)
a. name of food
b. Clothes
c. Houses
d. Towns and transport.
3. Social culture-work and leisure
4. Organisations, customs, activities, procedures,concepts.
5. Gestures and habits.
1. Ecology
This is one of categories that has relationship with geographical features,
from other cultural terms in that they are usually value-free, politically and
commercially. Nevertheless, their diffusion depends on the importanceof their
country of origin as well as their degree of specificity, such as : name of flora or
fauna; Edelweis = Everlasting flower.
2. Material culture
Foods, clothes, houses and transportation are include in material culture.
There are for many the most sensitive and important expression of national
culture. Food terms are subject to the widest variety of translation procedures. The
example of foods from Indonesian are gado-gado, sate and bakso, but in English
there are no those name. For English, other food terms are in a different category,
such as macaroni, spaghetti and pizza.
Clothes as cultural terms may be sufficiently explained for TL general
readers if the generic noun or classifier is added: sarung (Indonesian), kimono
(Japan), and dhoti (Indian). Again, many language communities have a typical
house which for general purposes remains untranslated: joglo (traditional house of
Java) and Krong Bade (traditional house of Aceh).
Some name of transportation in some countries also have different name, such as
becak and bajaj are traditional transportations in Indonesia.
3. Social Culture
Social culture one has to distinguish between denotative and connotative
problems of translation. Especially, social culture focus on work and leisure or
free time. Sometimes name of job also different in every country. Such as
Indonesia; there are Mudin and penghulu. The job like that only in Indonesia, so if
we want to translate it, it will be difficult. And example the social culture of
leisure, like ngopi, for Indonesian teenagers this has different meaning with the
original means.
4. Social Organisation-Political And Administrative

This include about the political and social life of a country that reflected in
its institutional terms. Like we call the leader of country (President, Prime
Minister or King). Some ministries and other political institutions and parties may
also be reffered to by their familiar alternative terms, like the name of building;
white house and hotel. Name of ministries are usually literally translated,
provided they are appropriately descriptive. Therefore ’Treasury’ becomes
Finance Ministry; become ‘Office’, ‘ministry of the Interior’.
5. Gestures And Habits
Every country has different gestures and habits, such as in Indonesian if you shake
your head, it is mean that you do not like it, but in Indian, it has meaning that you
agree with what somebody say.
Translation procedures that will make us easy to translate the cultural categories :
1. Transference
2. Cultural equivalent
3. Neutralisation
4. Literal Translation
5. Label
6. Naturalisation
7. Componential analysis
8. Deletion
9. Couplet
10. Accepted standard translation
11. Paraphrase, gloss, notes, etc
12. Classifier
The translator can translate it originally,or give explaination, or additional

meaning too. Another choice, the translator can combinate the culture word with
culture in other place.
CONCLUSION
Speaking about translation, it means that we speak about two

languages from different place. There are many books that write or include
some cultures of the place in the story. So, knowledge and culture of the
place will be needed by a translator. Not only know the way to translate
the meaning of SL to TL, but also know the culture or information from
the place.
To make easy, Newmark have make 5 cultural categories. Those
are ecology, material culture, social culture organisations, gestures and
habits. And there are twelve translation procedures to help the translators
rendering the culture easly.
REFERENCES
https://translationjournal.net/journal/19culture2.htm
https://5enibudaya.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/adat.pdf
https://dtechnoindo.blogspot.com/2016/10/34-nama-pakian-adat-tarian-adat-
rumah.html
Nuryadi,2018. Penerjemahan Kata-Kata Budaya Bahasa Indonesia Ke Dalam

Bahasa Inggris. jurnal.unismabekasi.ac.id
Newmark,Peter.1988. A textbook of translation. Shanghai Pearson Educational

Limited
www.journal.unipdu.ac.id/index.php/diglosia/article/download/88/188.com

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TRANSLATION AND CULTURE

Arranged to fulfill the task of Translation

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SCIENCES

There are three translator’s competence in translation: Linguistic

Translation is not only a bilingual activity, but at the same time, a

4. Social Organisation-Political And Administrative

The translator can translate it originally,or give explaination, or additional

Speaking about translation, it means that we speak about two

Nuryadi,2018. Penerjemahan Kata-Kata Budaya Bahasa Indonesia Ke Dalam

Newmark,Peter.1988. A textbook of translation. Shanghai Pearson Educational

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