Learning Activity 4

TRANSLATOR PROCEDURES

Explanation and Examples

Translation procedures are the technical devices used to transfer the meaning of a text in one
language into a text another language. They involve essentially adding structural or lexical elements to
those present in the SL or subtracting from them; eliminating elements that are obligatory in the SL but
unnecessary in the TL or with no counterpart there, and where disparity between the two media goes beyond
language patterns, adapting the content of the message so that the TL text will come as possible to the intent
of the SL text and create a similar impact. Examples of these procedures are given below:

1.

Saya - - guru
I am a teacher

(adding)

2.

Harry - tidak merokok

Harry does not smoke

(subtracting + adapting)

3.

Saya kembali ke Rumah

I returned - home

(subtracting)

4.

Paul is a bookworm
Paul - - kutubuku

(subtracting + adapting)

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5.

- perlu diketahui bahwa . . .

It’s necessary to know that . . .

(adding + adapting)

6.

Saya mau - melihat jaran kepang

I want to see jaran kepang

(adding + untranslatable)

From the example above you can see that the change from SL into TL calls for addition, subtraction,
adaptation, and untranslatableness.

Translation in the very broad sense of the form of the term can be listen in terms of different levels of
complexity (Pinchuck, 1977 : 188). The procedures can be in the form of:

1. Translation.
This means rendering the sound of an SL into a TL form, e.g.

Indonesian English
Achmad Ahmud
Betawi Batavia
Orang hutan Orangutan

2. Transliteration
This is the process of rendering the letters of the alphabet into the letters of another with a
different alphabetical system. For example, from the Russian Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin ones
or from Arabic into Latin. For transliteration takes place between Indonesian and English after
Indonesian the Latin alphabet.

3. Borrowing
Many types of borrowing are made from one language to another. A procedure often used
when the TL has no equivalent for the SL units is to adopt them without change bit sometimes with
spelling or pronunciation adjustments. Look at the examples below:

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Indonesian English
----------- -----------
----------- -----------
Durian durian
----------- -----------
Kapuk kapuk

English Indonesian
memo memo
atom atom
NATO NATO
astronaut astronot
taxi taksi

4. Literal
This is one to one structural and conceptual correspondence. It can include borrowings and
word-to-word translation. This presupposes a kind of interlingual synonymy. Look at the examples
below:

Indonesian English
(a) 5 buku - 5 books
Mary telah datang - Mary has come
John sedang bernyanyi - John is singing

(b) opelet - jitney

danta - ivory
kepinding - bedbug
limas - pyramid
garuk - scratch
keok - defeated
peri - nymph

5. Transposition
This is one of the most common procedure used in translation. It involves replacing a
grammatical structure in the SL with one of a different type in the TL in order to achieve the same
effect. This grammatical adjustment will be dealt with more intensively in module two .
Examples :
- Perlu diketahui bahwa You should know that module writing
menulis modul itu me- takes time (active)
makan waktu (passive)
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- I would have come if Saya tentu datang kalau tahu
I had known. Sayang, saya tidak tahu maka tidak datang

6. Modulation
Modulation and transposition are the two main processes in the translation. Modulation
entails a change in lexical elements, a shift in the point of view. Transposition and modulation may
take place at the same time.
Examples :
- Time is money - Waktu itu sangat berharga
- When I told him I won a - Sewaktu kukatakan kepadanya bahwa
prize at a lottery he called aku menang lotere dia menyebutku
called me lucky dog. orang yang beruntung

- I have told him many times - Telah kukatakan kepadanya berulang

not to interfere other people’s kali untuk tidak mencampuri urusan orang -
business – but being pig-headed namun dasar kepala batu dia masih saja
he still does mencampuri urusan orang lain

For more information concerning lexical translation please read Newmark (1981 : 127-160)

7. Adaptation
This procedure is used when the others do not suffice. It involves modifying the concept, or
using a situation analogue to the SL situation though not identical to it. An adaptation may at the
same time entail modulation and transposition. It goes beyond language. You can read Dicken’s The
Great Expectation in its adapted from more easily and understandingly.
In translating from one language into another language transposition and modulation are
obviously the most important procedures that should be taken into account by the translator.
Normally he should always study the text as a whole before he begins to translate it. After obtaining
a picture of the whole he can break it up into its parts. The analysis will move in the opposite
direction from the fragments to the whole, from the simpler to the more complex. The smallest unit
of equivalence should be determined first. The levels of equivalence in ascending order are as
follows:

1. Substitution of printed letter for printed letter. For examples from Arabic into Roman, from
Japanese into Roman, or from Chinese from Roman.

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2. Substitution of morpheme for morpheme. Examples :

kerja - work
pekerja - worker
bekerja - work/works/worked

3. Substitution of word for word. Examples :

Careful - careful
Open - terbuka
University - universitas

4. Substitution of phrase for phrase. Examples :

A careful worker - seorang pekerja yang hati-hati
Open University - Universitas Terbuka

5. Substitution of sentence for sentence. Examples :

- Mariani is a careful - Mariani seorang pekerja yang hati-hati di UT.
Worker the Open
University
- She always works - dia selalu bekerja dengan hati-hati
carefully.

6. Substitution of paragraph for paragraph.

7. Substitution of discourse for discourse.

Exercise 4

(1) Translation procedures involve . . .

a. Adding and subtracting structural and lexical elements
b. Subtracting and adapting structural and lexical elements
c. Adding and adapting structural and lexical elements
d. Adding, subtracting and adapting structural and lexical elements.

(2) Which of the following translation from Indonesian into English involve addition in the part of
English?
a. Saya senang teh = I like tea.
b. Kami sangat capek = We are tired.
c. Mereka makan nasi = They eat rice.
d. Tini and Tono datang terlambat = Tini and Tono arrived late.

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(3) Which of the following translation from Indonesian into English involves subtraction in the part of
English?
a. Mereka pergi ke Surabaya = They went to Surabaya
b. Mereka mau pergi ke kebun = They wanted to go to the zoo
binatang
c. Mereka makan di rumah = They eat at the restaurant.
makan
d. Mereka kembali ke rumah = They returned home by taxi.
dengan taksi

(4) Which of the following lexical equivalent is called transcription?

a. Pena - pen
b. Achmad - Achmed
c. Buku - book
d. Botol - bottle

(5) The process of rendering the Russian Cyrillic alphabets into the Latin alphabets as called . . .
a. Transcription
b. Modulation
c. Transliteration
d. Transposition

(6) A procedure of borrowing is often used when . . .

a. The TL has no equivalent for the SL unit
b. The TL has equivalent for the SL unit
c. The TL has more than one equivalent for the SL unit
d. The SL has more than one equivalent for the TL unit.

(7) Which of the following Indonesian words is a borrowing from English?

a. Kampong
b. Sampan
c. Taksi
d. Kapuk

(8) Which of the following Indonesian words is a borrowing from Indonesian?

a. Monkey
b. Kangaroo
c. Baboon
d. Orangutan.

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(9) Literal translation presupposes a kind of . . .
a. Transcription
b. Transliteration
c. Intralingual synonymy
d. Interlingual synonymy.

(10 ) Which of the following illustrate a literal kind of translation?

a. They are broke = Mereka tidak mempunyai uang
b. She must be out of her mind = Dia sudah benar-benar gila
c. Bill bought a car yesterday = Bill membeli (sebuah) mobil kemarin.
d. Don’t dare to lay a finger of her! = jangan coba-coba melukainya.

(11) Transposition involves a change in . . .

a. grammatical
b. lexical elements
c. conceptual correspondence
d. grammatical and lexical elements.

(12) When translation goes beyond we call it . . .

a. modulation
b. transposition
c. adaptation
d. transliteration

(13) Which of the following translation equivalent is classified as modulation?

a. Bill has become a guinea pig in the experiment. = Bill telah menjadi kelinci percobaan pada
eksperimen itu.
b. Tim has read ‘Me Beth’ twice = Tim telah dua kali membaca ‘Me Beth’ dua kali.
c. I would do it if I were you = Saya akan mengerjakannya seandainya saya kamu.
d. Never have I seen such a young girl smoking = Belum pernah saya melihat gadis semuda
itu merokok.

(14) Which of the following translation equivalents is classified as transposition?

a. It’s no use giving him advice, he’s pig-headed. = Tak ada gunanya memberinya nasihat,
dia kepala batu
b. You should know that learning a foreign language takes time = Perlu diketahui bahwa
belajar bahasa asing itu memakan waktu.
c. Mrs.Smith went to the market. = Nyonya Smith pergi ke pasar.
d. Indonesia might send her first astronaut into the space next year = Indonesia mungkin
mengirimkan astronot pertamanya ke luar angkasa tahun depan.

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(15) In translating from SL into TL the most important procedures that should be taken into account
are . . .
a. transcription and transliteration
b. transliteration and transposition
c. transposition and modulation
d. modulation and transcription.

Summary

1. Translation procedures involve essentially adding (structure or lexical elements to those present in the
SL), subtracting from them, or adapting the content of the message so that the TL text will come as
close as possible to the intent of the SL text.
2. Translation can be listen in terms of different levels of complexity in the form of: transcription,
transliteration, borrowing, literal, transposition, modulation, and adaptation.
3. In translating from SL into TL transposition and modulation are obviously the most important
procedures that should be taken into account by the translator.
4. A translator should always study the text as a whole before he begins to translate it. After obtaining a
picture of the whole he can break it up into its parts.