The Translation of Cultural Terms in The Balinese Folktales
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https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/linguistika/
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24843/ling.2021.v28.i02.p02
LINGUISTIKA, SEPTEMBER 2021
p-ISSN: 0854-9613 e-ISSN: 2656-6419
Vol. 28 No.2
The Translation of Cultural Terms in The Balinese Folktales
Luh Nitya Dewi Rupini1*, I Nyoman Sedeng2, Ni Luh Ketut Mas Indrawati3
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[123] Magister Linguistik Program, Faculty of Art, Udayana University 1[[email protected]] 2 2[[email protected]]
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*Corresponding Author
Abstract--This study is entitled “The Translation of Cultural Terms in The Balinese Folktales”. This study is aimed at to identify the categories of cultural words and describe about translation procedure. The data were taken directly from Balinese Folktales in internet. Documentation method was used as the method in collecting data; finding the cultural words, note taking and classifying. In analyzing the data, qualitative method was applied. In presenting the analysis, this study used descriptive method. The main theory was proposed by Newmark (1988:95). There was also the other theory by Newmark (1988:45) as the theory of translation procedures. The results of this study showed that the most used types of cultural words found in this study were ecology, material culture and social culture. In connection with translation procedure, there were only three types of translation procedure found in Balinese folktales. The translation procedures used were Literal translation, cultural equivalent, and descriptive equivalent. By translating books from Balinese to English can make other people who read and learn about Balinese culture understand easily. Also, it is the media to introduce Balinese culture to the world.
Keywords: Balinese folktales, cultural words, translation procedures
Absrak--Penelitian ini berjudul “Penerjemahan Istilah-Istilah Budaya Dalam Cerita Rakyat Bali”. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi kategori kata budaya dan mendeskripsikan tentang prosedur penerjemahan. Data diambil langsung dari Cerita Rakyat Bali di internet. Metode dokumentasi digunakan sebagai metode pengumpulan data; menemukan kata-kata budaya, mencatat dan mengklasifikasikan. Dalam menganalisis data digunakan metode kualitatif. Dalam menyajikan analisis, penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif. Teori utama dikemukakan oleh Newmark (1988: 95). Ada pula teori lain menurut Newmark (1988: 45) sebagai teori prosedur penerjemahan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa jenis kata budaya yang paling banyak digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kata ekologi, budaya materi dan sosial budaya. Sehubungan dengan tata cara penerjemahan, hanya ada tiga jenis procedur penerjemahan yang ditemukan dalam cerita rakyat Bali. Prosedur penerjemahan yang digunakan adalah terjemahan literal, padanan budaya, dan padanan deskriptif. Dengan menerjemahkan buku dari bahasa Bali ke bahasa Inggris dapat membuat orang lain yang membaca dan belajar tentang budaya Bali dapat mengerti dengan mudah. Selain itu juga merupakan media untuk mengenalkan budaya Bali kepada dunia.
Kata kunci: Cerita rakyat Bali, kata budaya, procedur penerjemahan
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Language is one communication media among nations whose different languages and cultures as rendering of science and culture. According to Newmark, in his book ‘A Textbook of Translation’ that “culture as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a community that uses a particular language as its means of expression. So, it can be concluded that the language is a verbal culture of a society. Or it can be said that culture is the idea, while language is the expression. When we are trying to know more about the culture, language plays an important role and to understand language one needs translations as one might not know of the particular language. Language can also be classified as the complex system of communication that humans adapt varying from various cultural backgrounds. It makes for the most of the communication system in any culture or we can say every culture. A converting process that helps people who speak different languages to understand each other’s perspective and be able to maintain a healthy communication is translation.
These are three following problems to be analyzed through this study:
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a. What categories of cultural terms are found in Balinese folktales?
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b. What translation procedures are applied in translating the cultural terms in Balinese folktales?
There are two aims in this study, namely general aims and specific aims:
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a. General Aims
The general aims of this study are to identify the categories of cultural words, describe about translation procedure, and also examine more deeply the field of translation, in this case Cultural Translation.
First, to identify the categories of cultural terms found in Balinese folktales. Second, to describe the translation procedures found in Balinese folktales.
Two significances resulted from each study, namely theoretical significances and practical significances. The two significances of this research can be detailed as follows:
Provide information and knowledge in the field of translation especially the study of Cultural Translation. Then, can be used as a reference for further researchers who want to study more deeply about related fields of science.
Contribute to society, especially in learning cultural terms, so they can provide an explanation the exact meaning of the cultural terms. Then, provide information about translation. Especially translation procedure, so that can make easier to understand about the translation.
In order to limit the discussion according to the problems, scope of discussion is needed. The discussion focuses on identify categories of cultural terms found in Balinese folktales by using the theory of cultural proposed by Newmark (1988:95). Then, describe translation procedures in
the Balinese folktales from the theory of Translation procedure by Newmark (1988:45).
The research methods are divided into four steps; they consist of first, the determination of the data source; second, Instruments of the study, third, method and technique of collecting data and method; fourth, analyzing the data in the novel; and fifth, the method and technique of presenting data.
The data source was Balinese Folktales in internet https://msatuabali.blogspot.com/. There were 28 Balinese folktales. While there were 6 Balinese folktales that already translated. Such as Data 1: I Belog (A Foolish Man), Data 2: I Durma (Durma), Data 3: I Lutung and I Kekua (Monkey and Turtle), Data 4: Kambing Takutin Macan (Goat Scares A Tiger), Data 5: Pan Balang Tamak (Pan BalangTamak) and Data 6: Siap Selem (The Black Hen).
Moleong (2010:168) states that in qualitative research, writers have a special rank, namely as a planner, implementer, data collector, analysis, data interpreter, and reporter of the research results. Furthermore, writers are human instruments capable of researching and selecting data.
The method applied in collecting the data was documentation method. The technique of collecting the data was done by using these following steps. First, read the story in Balinese and its translation in order to collect the words. Second, note taking the words which was considered as containing
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translation procedures and cultural words was done followed by classifying the words in those stories. Finally the presentation of data was carried out.
The method applied in analyzed the data was using descriptive qualitative method. First, identify categories of cultural terms in the Balinese folktales by using theory proposed by Newmark (1988:95). Second, describe the translation procedures in the Balinese folktales with the theory of Translation Procedure proposed by Newmark (1988:45).
In presenting the analysis, this study used descriptive method. In order to answer the first problem, the data was classified into categories of cultural words by showing the data in the form of sentences based on theory proposed by Newmark (1988:95). The sentences are italic and bold font, so the readers are able to understand which belong to the categories of cultural words. Second, describe how the cultural terms are translated. Third, the analysis of those data based on the theory of translation procedure proposed by Newmark (1988:45).
This section discusses about the translation of cultural terms found in the Balinese folktales. In this study the analysis focuses on translation procedures in the Balinese folktales. Then, identify categories of cultural terms found in Balinese folktales.
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7.1 The Analysis of Cultural Terms
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a. Ecology
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SL : Ditu lantas bebeke ngeleb, maka dadua bebeke ngelangi di tukade linggah.
TL : That’s where the duck slipped from I Belog's grip, both duck swim in the wide river.
(Paragraph 2, line 2)
The word tukade linggah is ecology. It can be referred to word tukade linggah which is translated into wide river. It is a geographical feature that can be normally distinguished from the other cultural terms in that they are usually value free politically and commercially. According to Oxford dictionary (2021), river is a large amount of liquid that is flowing in a particular direction. So, the translator should translating the word tukade linggah is translated into river because it is more suitable.
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b. Material culture
SL : Ditu lantas ia baange pis dasa tali rupiah teken memene.
TL: Then he was given money ten thousand rupiah by his mother.
(Paragraph 1, line 4)
The word dasa tali rupiah is material culture. It can be referred to word dasa tali rupiah which is translated into ten thousand rupiah is money. Each culture in the world has its own material culture. Where material culture is translated as the element or products that made by human. The word dasa tali rupiah is translated into ten thousand rupiah because it is the real meaning of material culture in Balinese.
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c. Social culture
SL : Mara I Durma matuuh pitung oton, kalahina teken memene mawali ka swargan.
TL : When I Durma was three years five months, his mother went to the heaven and left him (Paragraph 1, line 3)
The word pitung oton is social culture. It can be referred to word pitung oton which is translated into three years five months is an age. The
linguistic manifestations of this concept cannot be translated into a language where the audience is unfamiliar with it. The word pitung oton is translated into three years five months because it is based on the definition of Balinese traditions.
SL : Ditu lantas ia baange pis dasa tali rupiah teken memene.
TL: Then he was given money ten thousand rupiah by his mother.
(Paragraph 1, line 4)
The sentence ditu lantas ia baange pis dasa tali rupiah teken memene is literal translation since the sentence is translated one by one. In the SL sentence the grammatical constructions are converted into the nearest words in the TL. So, the translator translating the sentence ditu lantas ia baange pis dasa tali rupiah teken memene into then he was given money ten thousand rupiah by his mother.
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b. Cultural equivalent
SL : Mara I Durma matuuh pitung oton, kalahina teken memene mawali ka swargan.
TL : When I Durma was three years five months, his mother went to the heaven and left him (Paragraph 1, line 3)
The word pitung oton is cultural equivalent since it has a new concept of the target language. The new concept occurs in word pitung oton which is translated into three years five months. In cultural equivalent beside create a new concept the translation is not accurate but they can be used in general text. According to HinduAlkuta the word ‘oton’ or ‘otonan’ comes from the word 'pawetuan' (birth), is the commemoration of birthday in the Hindu Bali’s tradition which is based on the Balinese calendar celebrated every 210 days (every
6 months). So, the translator translates the word pitung oton into three years five months.
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c. Descriptive equivalent
SL: Lantas teka I Kaki Perodong ngaba tumbak lanying
TL: Then, I Kaki Prodong came carrying a sharp spear.
(Paragraph 5, Line 1, I Lutung teken I Kekua (A Monkey and a Turtle))
The word tumbak is descriptive equivalent since the word is described and function the elements in explanation and translation. The translator explains the word from its description and its function. The word tumbak or spare is a weapon for hunting and fighting, its parts consists of a stick as a handle and the eye or head of a sharp spare. So, the translator translates the word tumbak into a spare and its function ‘as a weapon for hunting and fighting’. The translator adds the description about the real meaning to make the readers easily understand.
This study has discussed the translation of cultural terms in Balinese folktales. There were 6 Balinese folktales and its translation. Such as Data 1: I Belog (A Foolish Man), Data 2: I Durma (Durma), Data 3: I Lutung and I Kekua (Monkey and Turtle), Data 4: Kambing Takutin Macan (Goat Scares A Tiger), Data 5: Pan Balang Tamak (Pan BalangTamak) and Data 6: Siap Selem (The Black Hen). The discussion focuses on translation procedures in the Balinese folktales. Then, identify categories of cultural terms found in Balinese folktales. Based on the result of the analysis and discussion above, the first point that can be drawn as a conclusion is the finding five types of cultural terms. They are ecology, material culture, social culture, religious culture and linguistic culture.
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Among those cultural terms found in Balinese folktales, ecology, and social culture seem to be more dominant.
The second point that can be drawn as a conclusion is the discovering process of the translation procedure. There were only eight types of translation procedure used in the Balinese folktales. The translation procedures that were found are literal translation, cultural equivalent, descriptive equivalent, functional equivalent, shift or transpositions, modulation, translation label, and paraphrase. By translating books from Balinese to English can make other people who read and learn about Balinese culture understand easily. Also, it is the media to introduce Balinese culture to the world.
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