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TRANSLATION PROCEDURES AND MEANING

EQUIVALENCE IN SUBTITLE OF THE ANIMATED

MOVIE MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

A Thesis

Submitted to Adab and Humanities Faculty

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

The Degree of Strata One

Donny Fandi

1110026000084

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT

ADAB AND HUMANITY FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH

JAKARTA

2014

i

ABSTRACT

Donny Fandi, Translation Procedures and Meaning Equivalence in Subtitle of the

Animated Movie Monsters University. A Thesis: English Letters Department,

Faculty of Adab and Humanity, State Islamic University of Syarif Hidayatullah

Jakarta, 2014.

In this research, the writer attempts to find out the translation procedures

and equivalence that were used in the subtitle translation of the animated movie

Monsters University. The writer uses qualitative descriptive method to achieve the

purpose of this research. The data is collected by watching the movie, reading the

script, and categorizing the segments (subtitle) of the movie by using Newmark’s

translation procedure and Nida’s equivalence theory.

After analyzing the data, the writer found nine strategies that were used in

the movie. The strategies are: transference, expansion and reduction, modulation,

transposition, functional equivalent, cultural equivalent, synonymy, naturalisation,

and couplets.The commonly used strategies are functional equivalent, expansion

and reduction, and couplets. Also, both formal and dynamic equivalence were

found as well, with the dominant one being the dynamic equivalence. Based on

the findings, it can be concluded that the main point of subtitle translation of

Monsters University involves removing unneeded elements to save space (such as

cultural words and character names), adding extra word to TL if the subtitle is too

short, and neutralizing cultural words or specific terms to achieve clarity for the

TL.

iv

DECLARATION

I Hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my

knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by

another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the

award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher

learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Jakarta, October 2014

Donny Fandi

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In this opportunity the writer would like to convey his deepest gratitude to

Allah SWT, who had blessed and guided the writer to complete this paper. Peace

and salutation always be upon our prophet Muhammad SAW, who has brought

light to illuminate the darkness of this world.

The writer would like to express his most sincere gratitude to his advisor,

Ummi Kultsum, M.Pd., and M. Agus Suriadi, M.Hum., who always encouraged

and guided him to reach the completion of this paper. The writer would also take

this opportunity to express his thankfulness and gratitude to:

1. Prof. Dr. Oman Faturrahman, M.Hum., the Dean of Faculty of Adab and

Humanities.

2. Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd., the head of English Letters Department.

3. Elve Oktaviani, M.Hum., the secretary of English Letters Department.

The writer would also like to express his gratitude to his parents, Teddy

Pranadi and Uchroniyah, who had always reminded him to complete this paper on

time. The writer also thanks his two younger brothers, Egi Kemal Kelana and

Erwin Maulana, who always supported and cheered for the writer’s success.

The writer would like to thank to his colleague, Merizka Elfiza, as she

always supported him in this paper’s completion. She gave him the strength he

needed to overcome the many obstacles of completing this paper. The writer’s

gratitude also applies to the rest of his classmates, notably Auditya Gunawan,

Fikri Fauzan, M. Yusuf, Dwi Santika, Zahrotun Nufus. All of them struggled

together with the writer during the years of study in UIN Syarif Hidayatullah

vi

Jakarta. The precious memories made together during those long years of study

will always be remembered by the writer. Thank you for all the support,

motivations, and encouragement to all the writer’s friends who made all of this

possible. May the blessings of Allah SWT be upon all of the writer’s friends and

everyone who supports him.

Jakarta, October 2014

The Writer

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... i

APPROVEMENT ........................................................................................................... ii

LEGALIZATION .......................................................................................................... iii

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................. v

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. vii

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... viii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1

A. Background of the Study ..................................................................... 1

B. Focus of the Study ............................................................................... 5

C. Research Question ............................................................................... 6

D. Objective of the Study ......................................................................... 6

E. Significance of the Study .................................................................... 6

F. Research Methodology........................................................................ 7

1. The Method of the Research ......................................................... 7

2. Data Analysis Procedure ............................................................... 7

3. The Research Instrument............................................................... 8

4. Unit of Analysis ............................................................................ 8

5. Time and Place of the Research .................................................... 8

viii

CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................... 9

A. Definition of Translation ..................................................................... 9

B. Film Translation ................................................................................ 10

C. Translation Procedures ...................................................................... 14

D. Meaning Equivalence ........................................................................ 22

CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDINGS .................................................................... 26

A. Data Description................................................................................ 26

B. Data Analysis .................................................................................... 29

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS .......................................... 45

A. Conclusions ....................................................................................... 45

B. Suggestions ........................................................................................ 46

BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 47

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 49

ix

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 : Monsters University Subtitle Sample ....................................................... 5

Table 2 : Comparison of Formal and Dynamic Equivalence Theory .................... 23

Table 3 : Newmark’s Translation Procedures’ inclination/emphasis towards

Formal and Dynamic Equivalence. ........................................................ 24

Table 4 : The data description of translation procedures and equivalence. ........... 26

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

In this modern era, the translation of films continues to develop as the industry

of films keeps progressing. For that matter, a specialized translation branch that

focuses on film is created in order to deal with its translation process. This branch

is called subtitling, which is the sub-branch of audiovisual translation (AVT); a

translation branch that focuses on the transfer of one language to another with

verbal components contained in audiovisual works and products.1 As for the

definition of translation, Catford defines translation as a way to replace the text

material of source language by an equivalent text material in target language.2 By

that definition, it can be said that one could easily decode the discourses (verbal or

non-verbal) of foreign languages.

Examples of audiovisual products include feature films, television programs,

theatrical plays, musicals, opera, web pages, and video games. From this fact, it

should be expected that there would be strong demand on AVT on vast array of

media in today‟s society. For that purpose, the AVT had sub-branches of

translation of its own, in order to focus on particular audiovisual product.

1 Carol A. 2013. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. (Oxford : Blackwell Publishing

Ltd) p.1 2J.C Catford. 1965. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. (London : Oxford University

Press) p.20

1

2

One particular AVT sub-branch that specializes on videos and the like would

be the subtitling. Subtitling involves the translation process of the spoken source

language dialogue into the target language in the form of synchronized captions.

The captions are usually located in the bottom screen and enable the target

audience to be aware of the source language‟s „foreignness‟ at all times.3 The

„foreignness‟ refers to the original dub of the source language‟s dialogue, as it is

left unaltered. With the help of subtitles, the audience gets to enjoy the „foreign

voice‟ of the source language while understanding its meaning at the same time.

However, like any other translation branches, subtitling has a degree of

difficulty in its process. For instance, subtitle usually consist one or two lines of

an average maximum of 35 characters per lines.4 This is the standard rule of

subtitling; not following it would certainly ruin the end result. Example, if a

translator makes their subtitles‟ lines and characters exceed the standard amount,

the captions would definitely fill up the entire screen. Not only this makes it

harder to watch the movie, but it also consumes the audience‟s time to read the

entire subtitle (or paragraph, in this case). In any rate, subtitling is a delicate

translation process that had a certain rules to follow. These rules restrict some of

the process on the translation itself, and thus, subtitling is considered a

constrained translation.

3Agnieszka Szarkowska. 2005. The Power of Film Translation" Translation Journal, vol.

3, no. 3.." Cited in Balsam A Mustafa. Film Translation: Subtitling vs. Dubbing., (College of

Arts : Translation Department, Al Mustansirriya University) p.7

www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=49262 (Accessed on February 2nd, 2014) 4

Frans Sayogie. 2009. Teori & Praktek Penerjemahan, (Tangerang: Pustaka Anak

Negeri) p.240

http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=49262

3

Constrained translation refers to the constraints of space and time contained

within the audiovisual products.5 The space and time itself refers to the words

placement and duration in the subtitle itself, something which needs to be handled

carefully by the subtitler. With that fact, the subtitler needs to keep in mind the

technical aspects of the cinematography such as the camera cuts and the rhythm

match of the subtitles‟ duration to the movie‟s dialogue.6

These technical

difficulties would hinder the translator or the subtitler from using their translation

strategies freely. In addressing this problem, the translator needs to choose an

appropriate translation strategy which is suited to subtitling.

Despite the existence of many technical difficulties of subtitling, a subtitle

would still manage to be produced as a good translation product. Examples of

good translated subtitles would be the ones from TV‟s or official release of

VCD‟s, DVD‟s, or Blu-ray‟s. The official translated subtitles usually possess a

high readability rate or good translation quality. This means that the official

subtitles‟ translator must have followed the subtitling rules and used an

appropriate translation procedures.

The procedures that were used by official subs‟ translators are most likely

adjusted or modified to suit subtitling purposes. The mentioned “adjust” or

“modify” conforms with Clifford‟s statement that a translation strategy needs to

be flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions in the text.7 This applies

5Jeremy Munday. 2008. Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and applications,

(New York : Routledge) p.185 6Ibid.

7Clifford E. Landers. 1998. Literary Translation: A Practical Guide. (Sydney :

Multilingual Matters LTD) p.55

4

especially in subtitles, where the constraints of translation demand a careful

handling of its process. For example, long lines in subtitles cannot be fully

translated; as a result, the line needs to be simplified. This is done in order for it to

fit into the screen, and also to make it easier to read for the audience. After all, the

purpose of translation is not to make things confusing for the reader, but to give a

clear meaning of the source text. This holds true for subtitles; since a good subtitle

would never make the audience to be too “occupied” in reading it. For that matter,

subtitles need to be precise, short, and simple for the sake of the audience.8

The process of translation in official subtitles has sparked the writer‟s

curiosity in studying it. For that matter, the writer chose “Monsters University”

movie to analyze the translation process of its subtitle. The reason why the writer

chose that movie is because its translation is handled by an official company;

which makes it worthy to be studied into. The publisher, Vision Interprima

Pictures Company, is a company which is well known in publishing official

DVD‟s of Disney Movies in Indonesia. Also, the other reason is because Monsters

University gained a 74 % rating on Imdb, an international movie rating site.9 Film

with the average rating of 70% is considered a good rating in Imdb. With that fact,

it has become more than enough reason for the writer to choose Monsters

University as a research subject. Below is a sample of the translation of Monsters

University‟s subtitle:

8Frans Sayogie, Loc.cit.

9 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453405/

5

Table 1.Monsters University Subtitle Sample

SL TL

but the crown jewel of MU

is the Scaring School.

Tapi jurusan favorit UM

adalah Kelas Menakuti.

Salisbury steak, that hurts! Minta ampun, sakit sekali!

The translation sample data on the table above has a neutralization

procedure applied on it. Notice the crown jewel in the first sample and salisbury

steak on the second sample. Both of them are translated into a neutral word, which

is crown jewel into jurusan favorit and salisbury steak into minta ampun. This is

done to ensure an easy understanding for the meaning towards the audience. The

sample above is just a few of the many translation that lies within Monsters

University. Looking at that fact, the writer tries to find out how the translation

approach really works on Monsters University‟s subtitle translation. By finding

out the translation approach, notably its procedures and equivalence, the writer

hopes to know more about the essence of film translation.

B. Focus of the Study

As mentioned in the background study above, the research will focus on

finding the translation approach of Monsters University. To be more specific, the

approach consists of translation procedures and its meaning equivalence. These

elements will be studied in order to give clearer detail of the translator‟s way of

translating the movie.

6

C. Research Question

Based on problems discussed above, the following questions are created to

match the study problems:

1. What are the translation procedures that are used to translate the subtitles

of Monsters University?

2. How are the equivalence of the translation procedures of Monsters

University‟s subtitles?

D. Objective of the Study

The study focuses on the following:

1. To find out the translation procedures that were used to translate the

subtitles of Monsters University.

2. To find out the equivalence of translation procedures of the subtitle of

Monsters University.

E. Significance of the Study

The research finding benefits both translators and readers. After watching

several of officially translated movies, the writer decided that an official DVD

movie‟s translation procedures and equivalence need to be studied extensively.

For this purpose, the writer conducted this study to shed light on how translation

approach works in subtitling. That way, the readers or fellow translators could use

them as a reference to get the general idea on how to produce a good translation.

7

Hopefully, the research would contribute the development progress of translation

studies, especially in audiovisual translation field.

F. Research Methodology

1. The Method of the Research

The research will use descriptive qualitative method in finding and analyzing

the translation procedures and translation method found in the movie‟s translated

subtitle.

2. Data Analysis Procedure

The procedure consists of chronological steps followed by relevant theories to

support it. The following are carefully organized steps of the data analysis

procedure:

a) Watch “Monsters University” movie with both English subtitle and the

translated subtitle of it.

b) Select a few research-worthy data from the official DVD subtitle by

comparing the data with Newmark‟s translation procedures.

c) After gathering the data, it will then be analyzed by comparing the data

with Nida‟s equivalence theory, to find out its emphasis or inclination

(formal emphasis or dynamic emphasis).

d) Rewatch the movie to match the findings with the movie script, in order to

make sure that no mistakes were made in selecting the data.

8

e) After enough data is found and analyzed, the following table will be

created to contain the data:

SL TL Translation

Procedure

Equivalence

*Example *Example *Example *Example

f) Writing the result of data analysis.

3. The Research Instrument

The writer serves as a research instrument to acquire the data in the research

subject. As for the analysis, the Newmark‟s translation procedures theory and

Nida‟s Equivalence theory will be used to analyze the research data.

4. Unit of Analysis

The analysis unit of the research is the subtitle of the animated movie

“Monsters University” which is produced by Pixar Animation Studio and released

by Walt Disney Pictures in 2013. It is distributed officially in Indonesia by Vision

Interprima Pictures Company in 2014.

5. Time and Place of the Research

The research was conducted from February 2014 to June 2014 in English

Letters Department of Adab and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University of

Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

9

CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Definition of Translation

In translation studies, the definition of translation itself varies from experts to

experts. To further elaborate translation‟s definition, the writer will present the

following definitions from various translation experts. However, before moving to

the experts‟ definition, a general definition should be presented first. Concise

Oxford English Dictionary defines translation as an action or process of

translating words or text from one language into another.10

This implies a general

meaning of translation‟s purpose; an act of transferring text from one language

into another.

Moving on to the perspective of experts, Newmark claims that translation is a

rendering process of the meaning of text into another language in the way that the

author intended. 11

Furthermore, Sayogie elaborates that translation is an act of

replacing text in one language into another.12

Lastly, according to Nida and Taber,

translation is a process of reproducing the target language into its closest natural

equivalent in source language.13

10

Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. 2005. Concise Oxford English Dictionary 11th

Edition. (Oxford University Press) 11

Peter Newmark. 1988. A Textbook of Translation. (Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall

International) p.5 12

Frans Sayogie, op.cit p.7 13

Eugene A. Nida and Charles Taber. 1982. The Theory and Practice of Translation.

(Leiden: E.J Brill) p.12

9

10

From the experts‟ definition above, it is clear that translation mostly revolves

around rendering, replacing, and reproducing the source text into an equivalent

text in target language. This shows that translation is deeply tied with equivalency.

It means that equivalence is the main component or core of translation. Without it,

a translation would not be a translation at all. This is because equivalence

determines the acceptability of translation in target language. In other words, a

translation needs to possess a well balanced equivalency in order for it to achieve

a high acceptability rate.

B. Film Translation

There are many terms that serve as the label of film translation. The terms are:

transadapatation, film translation, screen translation, traduccióncinematográfica,

multimedia translation, and audiovisual translation.14

Out of all the mentioned

terms, the commonly used term is the audiovisual translation (AVT). Audiovisual

translation is a discipline that is more than a mere text transfer, as it also transfers

pictures, music, sounds and other nonverbal elements on its translation process.15

The non-text elements (music and such) are considered a must on AVT. Because

AVT is mainly about translation of Medias such as TV programs and films, the

socio-cultural factors inside it needs to be retained. This is because it reflects the

value systems and life style of people.16

In translating an audiovisual media, the

14

Betlem Soler Pardo. 2013. Translation Studies: An Introduction to the History and

Development of (Audiovisual) Translation. (Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio : Villanueva de la

Cañada) pp.18-19.

http://www.uax.es/publicacion/translation-studies-an-introduction-to-the-history-and-

development-of.pdf (Accessed on February 2nd, 2014) 15

Balsam A Mustafa. op.cit p.5 16

Ibid.

http://www.uax.es/publicacion/translation-studies-an-introduction-to-the-history-and-development-of.pdf

http://www.uax.es/publicacion/translation-studies-an-introduction-to-the-history-and-development-of.pdf

11

translators have to pay extra attention of the non-text elements inside it, to make

sure that nothing is lost in the translation process.

Serban classifies AVT into the following categories:17

1. Inter-lingual Translation

A. Subtitling

B. Dubbing

C. Voice-over

2. Intra-lingual (monolingual) subtitling for the hard-hearing or deaf people.

3. Audio description for the blind.

4. Live subtitling (E.g.: News broadcast)

5. Subtitling for the opera and the theatre.

The focus of this paper is the highlight of translation process inside subtitling.

Thus, any other AVT categories will not be discussed. For this matter, a thorough

explanation of subtitling needs to be done. Gottlieb established a definition that

subtitling is a rendering of verbal messages of different language contained in

filmic media, which took form in one or more verbal-synchronized lines of

written text presented on screen.18

The written text usually consists no more than

two lines. The lines are usually simplified and precise, which is done in order to

grant a high readability rate for the audience.19

17

Ardiana Serban. 2004. " Introduction to Audiovisual Translation". Cited in Balsam A

Mustafa. op.cit p.6 18

Pilar Orero. (ED.) 2004. Topics in Audiovisual Translation. (Amsterdam and

Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company) p.86 19

Sheng-Jie Chen. 2004. Linguistic Dimensions of Subtitling. Perspective from Taiwan. In

Meta Journal, XLIX, 1.

12

The definition explained above is just a small fraction of how diverse

subtitling actually is. This is seen on the gap of differences between translating

subtitle and a written text. The differences are as follows:20

1. A reader of translated novel usually doesn‟t compare the target text with

the source text, while in subtitling the reader (especially source language

speaker) automatically compares the text.

2. Written text translators have space to make explanatory notes when a

difficult section of a text is available, however, this is impossible to do in

subtitling.

3. Intertextual translation focuses on translating written text to a written text,

while subtitling focuses on translating spoken text to a written text.

4. Due to space constraints, an extended or long message in subtitle needs to

be shortened to fit the screen. While in intertextual translation, a space or

room of translation does not pose to be a problem.

Looking at those points, it should be clear that subtitling is considered a

constrained translation, where space or room of translation is limited. These

constraints are a set of subtitling rules that translators must adhere, in order to

ensure an efficient subtitle. These rules are:

20

Egil Törnqvist. 2014. Ingmar Bergman Abroad: The Problems of Subtitling. Cited in

Jessica Rietveld. The Mind of a Subtitler: Translation Strategies Employed in Subtitling Crime and

Comedy. Master Thesis. (Faculty of Humanities : Utrecht University) p.14

http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31713 (Accessed March 3rd, 2014)

http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31713

13

1. Subtitle (which consists of two full lines) cannot exceed the length of eight

second.21

If a subtitle appears on screen longer than eight seconds, the

viewer might read the subtitle for a second or a third time.

2. The minimum time a subtitle can appear on screen is one second and ten

frames. Frames are the number of images that are used in a second film.

The minimum time for a single line subtitle is three seconds, while a two

lines subtitle is six seconds.22

A minimum time for subtitles is made to

prevent the subtitle from disappearing before the audience can completely

read it. In order to avoid a disappearing subtitle, the subtitler needs to

maintain the subtitle timing efficiently.

3. The average number of characters per line is 37, including spaces and

punctuation marks. The average number is based on the width of the

letters, as such; one line can contain more characters depending on the

medium.23

In other words, it is possible for a subtitle to contain fewer or

more than 37 characters.

4. A subtitler should always create a subtitle consisting of two lines

whenever possible to improve the viewers‟ reading comfort.24

That way,

the audience won‟t be too busy reading the subtitles, and can focus on the

movie. If a subtitle consists of three or more lines, it would definitely fill

up the entire screen, making it hard to watch the movie.

21

Ibid. p.15 22

Ibid. 23

Ibid. p.16 24

Ibid.

14

5. When a sentence consists of two subtitles, the first subtitle is closed with

three sequence dots to inform the viewer that the subtitle does not end yet

(continued).25

The linking dots, three dots at the beginning of the second

subtitle, are used to inform the viewer that the current subtitle is the

continuation of the preceding subtitle.

6. Etc.

The rules of subtitling stated above are strict, as it involves technical matters

such as timing, space, etc. However, the strict rules of subtitling are meant to

produce the best result. Rather than being burdened by the rules, a good subtitler

need to take advantage of it. For example, a difficult message in subtitle can be

translated by shortening or simplifying it. This can be treated as a “freedom” of

translation within subtitling, despite being restricted.

C. Translation Procedures

Translation procedures are used for translations of sentences and the

smaller units of language.26

Subtitle, which is the subject of this research, fits the

definition of “small units of language”. This is because subtitles are mainly made

of sentences, phrases, and such, not paragraphs. For this reason, the writer used

Newmark‟s translation procedures to analyze the subtitle of Monsters University.

The procedures are outlined below:

25

Ibid. p.17

26Peter Newmark, Op.cit. p.81

15

a) Transference

Transference, or also known as loan word or transcription, is a process of

transferring a SL word into a TL text.27

In other words, it is a process that leaves

the SL word completely unchanged in the TL text.

Example: -The names of all living things - The names of private companies

- Geographical and Topographical names - The names of cultural items.

Etc.

In short, transference is mostly used to transfer common terms. In some instances,

cultural terms would be transferred as a whole if there is no recognized translation

for it. Here‟s another example to give a clearer picture of transference:

- I need to reload my thompson.

Translates into:

- Aku harus mengisi peluru thompson-ku

Thompson is the name of a firearm. Due to the exclusive nature of the name, it

cannot be translated or change in any way in TL. The only thing that the translator

should do for this kind of situation is to transfer the SL as it is in TL. Therefore,

the SL name is preserved in TL.

27

Ibid.

16

b) Naturalisation

An advanced form of transference that adapts the SL word to the normal

pronunciation, then to the normal morphology of the TL.28

Notable examples are :

- “Pancake” into “Panekuk” - “Gangster” into “Gengster“

- “Humour” into “Humor” - “Escalator” into “Eskalator”

Etc.

As the name implies, this procedure naturalizes the term in SL into a more natural

form in TL.

c) Cultural Equivalent

A procedure that uses TL cultural words to translate SL cultural words.29

The

explanation of this procedure is best shown in example such as:

- “Killing two birds with one stone” into “Sekali dayung dua pulau”

- “Out from frying pan, into the fire” into “Keluar dari kandang buaya,

masuk kandang singa”

- “Two peas in the same pod” into “Seperti pinang dibelah dua”

The first three examples are idioms, which is a culture-specific feature found in

any language. The translation of the idioms above has a matching equivalent with

each other, making them a perfect match. Simply put, it‟s a translation of culture

28

Ibid. p.82 29

Ibid.

17

into culture. However, not every cultural word can be treated like this, which

makes the usage of cultural equivalent procedure very limited.

d) Functional Equivalent

A procedure that uses culture-free word or a new specific term to translate

cultural words.30

In other words, the cultural words is neutralized or generalized in

TL. As such, Newmark regards this as the most accurate way in translating or

deculturalising cultural word. Examples:

- Howdy hotshot!

Translates Into

- Apa kabar, jagoan!

- Oh bugger, I forgot my homework.

Translates into

- Sial, aku lupa mengerjakan PR.

e) Descriptive Equivalent

A procedure that describes the meaning of SL word in TL text.31

This

procedure sometimes combines the functional equivalent strategy on its usage.

For example, “golok” is translated into “A type of large-sized knife that is used to

cut things with its sharp blade”. Notice that in the example, it contains both

description and function of “golok”. This shows that description and function are

essential elements in translation process.

30

Ibid. p.83 31

Ibid.

18

f) Synonymy

A procedure which is used when a precise equivalent in TL may or may not

exist, thus the translator needs to use synonym to compensate for it.32

Example:

- He is a cocky, arrogant, and haughty king.

Translates into

- Dia itu raja yang sombong, angkuh, dan congkak.

- There‟s no broken bone, just a broken pride.

Translates into

- Tak ada tulang yang patah, hanya harga diri yang rusak.

From examples above, there are actually various ways to translate those words.

It is only a matter of words selection or diction. Thus, the mentioned “precise

equivalent” refers to the fact that a literal translation is not always possible.

Here is a bad example of the version above:

- He is a cocky, arrogant, and haughty king.

Translates into

- Dia itu raja yang sombong, sombong , dan sombong. X

- There‟s no broken bone, just a broken pride.

Translates into

- Tak ada tulang yang patah, hanya harga diri yang patah. X

To avoid bad translation like the examples above, a good translator should

always use synonymy to translate words with similar meaning.

32

Ibid. p.84

19

g) Transposition

A translation procedure that involves in a change of grammar or word class

from SL to TL.33

Examples revolve in grammatical categories such as changing a

singular to plural, changing the position of the adjective, etc. For instance,

sentences like this “He was transported to Alchemilla hospital that night” would

be translated using transposition into “Malam itu, dia dipindahkan ke rumah sakit

Alchemilla”.

Transposition is frequently used by translators to overcome numerous

grammatical problems that occur in translation process. Knowing its function,

Transposition should serve as a great tool to avoid any untranslatability or

grammatical changes that may hinder the translator‟s progress.

h) Modulation

A translation procedure that focuses in a change of viewpoint or perspective of

the view in SL.34

Gérard Hardin and Gynthia Picot defines modulation as "a

change in point of view that allows us to express the same phenomenon in a

different way."35

For instance, using the name of a category for a specific member

of the category, using a part for the whole (and vice versa), active for passive,

changing polarity etc. Modulation occurs in sentences such as this one: “He is a

coward” into “Dia bukan seorang yang pemberani”.

33

Ibid. p.85 34

Ibid. p.88 35

Gérard Hardin & Cynthia Picot. 1990. Translate: Initiation à la pratique de la

traduction, Bordas. (Paris: Aubin Imprimeur.) p. 21.

20

i) Reduction and Expansion

A procedure which is used for adding or removing elements in translation.

These two procedures are usually used in poor written texts and changes the

lexical and stylistic aspects of the text.36

However, for a specific purpose of this

research, this strategy is used to draw out possibilities that the translator might add

or remove components in subtitle. Not to be confused that the subtitle itself is a

poorly written text. Examples:

- “Heat-seeking Rocket Launcher” into “Peluncur Roket” (Reduction)

- “I look out for him, He look out for me” into “Kami saling menjaga”

(Reduction)

- “Beckoning Ghost” into “Hantu yang Memancing orang untuk datang”

(Expansion)

In example above, the reduction is used to inspect a deletion of words or

simplification of words. This is especially useful to label simplified subtitle

segments in the writer‟s movie research. As for expansion, as the name suggests,

is used to label any addition of words that occurred in the translation of subtitle

segments of the research.

36Peter Newmark, Op.cit p.90

21

j) Couplets

A combination of two (couplets), three (triplets), or four (quadruplets)

translation procedures in order to deal a single problem.37

This procedure is

especially useful to translate complex texts with cultural words. Example:

Couplets:

- Hey squirt, beat it!

Translates into:

- Hei, enyahlah!

(Reduction + Functional Equivalent)

Triplets:

- You knucklehead mcspazastron! You just ruined my beautiful calico! It

costs a lot more than your salary!

Translates into:

- Dasar bodoh! Kau merusak calico-ku yang indah! Gajimu tak akan cukup

untuk bisa menggantinya! (Functional Equivalent + Transference +

Modulation)

37

Ibid, p.91

22

D. Meaning Equivalence

A meaning equivalence is an indication of the level or degree of “sameness”

between the source text and target text.38

To gauge the level of equivalence of the

subtitle of Monsters University, the writer chose Nida‟s equivalence theory, which

are the formal and dynamic equivalence. The definitions for the theories are as

follows:

a) Formal Equivalence

Formal equivalence is an equivalence theory that focuses attention on the

message itself in both form and content, its main objective is to match the form

and content of the message as closely as possible.39

From this definition, it can be

concluded that this equivalence focuses on preserving the “foreigness” or the

originality of the SL within the TL. Thus, it can be said that Formal Equivalence

is an SL based or SL focused equivalence theory.

b) Dynamic Equivalence

Nida states that the goal of dynamic equivalence is to produce the closest

natural equivalent to the source-language message.40

The naturalness is the

keyword here, and it attempts to minimize the “foreignness” of the SL effects. To

sum it up, this equivalence focuses on achieveing a sense of naturalness towards

38

Despoina Panou. 2013. Equivalence in Translation Theories: A Critical Evaluation.

(Department of Education, University of Leicester: UK) p.2

http://ojs.academypublisher.com/index.php/tpls/article/viewFile/tpls03010106/6188

(Accessed February 4th, 2014) 39

Eugene A Nida. 1964. Toward a Science of Translating. (E.J.Brill: Leiden) p.159 40

Eugene A Nida, Op.cit. p.166


23

the readers. The naturalness will give the text acceptable and comprehensible

traits on it, making it a high readability material for the readers.

From both equivalences‟ definitions above, it can be said that the formal

equivalence aims to reproduce foreign elements in TL and dynamic equivalence

aims to clarity of message in TL. Looking at this, it proves that both of them

operate on the notion of foreignness versus naturalness in TL. To put it simply,

it‟s all about SL focus or TL focus.

To distinguish the characteristics between the two equivalence theory, the

following table is made by the writer to give a better explanation of the

differences between them:

Table 2: Comparison of Formal and Dynamic Equivalence Theory

Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

Tends to overtranslate in order to stay

faithful.

Tends to undertranslate to gain

simplicity.

Tries to replicate the content and

structure to preserve originality.

Tries to deviate from the original by

adding or deleting some part of the text.

Preserves the cultural elements in the

text.

Integrates or neutralizes the cultural

elements of SL in TL text.

To make the analysis process easier, the writer made an inclination table

of Newmark‟s procedures towards Formal and Dynamic Equivalence theory. This

data is made by comparing the Newmark‟s translation procedures‟ definition with

24

the characteristics of Nida‟s Formal and Dynamic Equivalence, thus, an

inclination can be found and tabulated as depicted in the following table:

Table 3: Newmark‟s Translation Procedures‟ inclination/emphasis towards Formal and

Dynamic Equivalence

Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

Transference Transference

Naturalisation Naturalisation

- Cultural Equivalent

Synonymy Synonymy

Couplets Couplets

- Functional Equivalent

- Transposition

- Modulation

- Expansion and Reduction

- Descriptive Equivalent

Notice that some of the procedures share their inclination or emphasis with

both formal and dynamic equivalence; this is due to the flexibility of the

procedures, as they are meant to be coupled with each other. Procedures such as

transference, naturalisation, cultural equivalent, etc as described in Newmark‟s

book, are meant to supplement with each other in a couplet.41

Depending on what

41

Peter Newmark, Op.Cit. p.83

25

procedures they are paired with, the procedures might emphasize on an entirely

different method.

In the other hand, descriptive equivalent, functional equivalent,

transposition, modulation, expansion and reduction, is strictly inclined or

emphasized on dynamic equivalence. If one of them is paired with other

procedures, it would inevitably be emphasized on dynamic equivalence. This is

due to their nature of “deviation” in translation. As described in the procedures‟

definitions in chapter II, some of the procedures involve having to change the

structure (transposition) or completely change the words to produce a similar

expression (modulation). This fits the characteristics of dynamic equivalence, as

this equivalence theory tries to reproduce TL in a simpler and natural way that

conforms to a particular register in TL.

26

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDINGS

A. Data Description

To describe the data acquired from the research, the writer made a tabulated

data list to comprehend the data more easily. The table list consists of carefully

selected data from the research subject, and arranged to suit the research question.

Below is the tabulated data list.

Table 4:

The data description of translation procedures and equivalence.

No SL TL Translation

Procedure

Equivalence

1 (1st)

To the head

bone.

(2nd)

The head

bone's

connected

to the horn

bone.

(1st)

Tulang leher

tersambung

ke tulang

kepala.

(2nd)

Tulang kepala

tersambung

ke tulang

tanduk.

Expansion Dynamic

2 (1st)

-Sorry,

Michael. I

didn't see you.

(1st)

-Maaf,

Michael.Aku

tak melihatmu.

Transposition +

Transference +

Functional

Equivalent +

Dynamic

26

27

- That's okay.

(2nd)

When I was on

the bus, I

found a nickel!

-Tak apa. Aku

menemukan

(2nd)

uang 5 sen di

bis! (when I was

is deleted)

Reduction

(Quadruplets)

3 How about we

do

tallest in the

back?

Tolong yang

tinggi berdiri di

belakang!

Modulation Dynamic

4 but everything

in my life

has led to this

moment.

Tapi seluruh

peristiwa

hidupku

membawaku

kemari.

Expansion +

Modulation

(Couplets)

Dynamic

5 Marie, Mr.

Right

is out there

somewhere.

Marie, jodohmu

ada di luar sana.

(somewhere is

deleted)

Transference +

Functional

Equivalent +

Reduction

(Triplets)

Dynamic

6 I'm welling up

with tears.

Now, get off.

Aku banjir air

mata.

Sekarang

turunlah.

Cultural

Equivalent

Dynamic

7 (1st)

It's my job to

make

great students

greater,

(2nd)

Tugasku

membuat

murid yang

hebat lebih

hebat...

bukan membuat

Synoymy +

Modulation

Dynamic

28

not make

mediocre

students

less mediocre.

murid yang

biasa saja

bertambah

buruk.

8 I don't mean to

interrupt.

Aku tak

bermaksud

interupsi.

Naturalisation Formal

9 Like Bill

Sullivan, the

Scarer?

Ada hubungan

dengan

Bill Sullivan,

Monster

Menakuti?

Expansion Dynamic

10 You are Jaws

Theta Chi

material,

freshman.

Kau cocok

untuk Jaws

Theta Chi.

(freshman is

deleted)

Transposition +

Transference +

Modulation +

Reduction

(Quadruplets)

Dynamic

11 (1st)

Sulley, any

freshman with

the guts

to pull off a

stunt like that

(2nd)

has got "Future

Scarer"

written all over

him.

(1st)

(Sulley is

deleted)Siswa

baru mana pun

yang berani

melakukan itu...

(2nd)

punya masa

depan cerah

jadi monster

menakuti.

Reduction +

Functional

Equivalent

(Couplets)

Dynamic

12 (1st)

Just

(1st)

Tunggu saja.

Reduction +

Functional

Dynamic

29

wait,hotshot.

(2nd)

I'm going to

scare circles

around you

this year.

(hotshot is

deleted)

(2nd)

Aku akan lebih

Menakutkan

darimu tahun

ini.

Equivalent

(Couplets)

13 Get ready to

eat my dust.

Bersiaplah

makan debuku.

Transference Formal

B. Data Analysis

The table above consists of 14 data which has been thoroughly inspected and

selected for the purpose of the research. Using Newmark‟s theory, the writer has

categorized and analyzed the data; with the results described in the following

analysis:

1. Subtitle Data 1 (00:01:01 ~ 00:01:05)

SL TL

(1st) To the head bone.

(2nd) The head bone's connected

to the horn bone.

(1st) Tulang leher tersambung

ke tulang kepala.

(2nd) Tulang kepala tersambung

ke tulang tanduk.

This data is a combined two segments of subtitle, which is done in order to

match the context of the subtitle. If the writer only added one line, it wouldn‟t

make sense and it would be difficult in explaining the translation process.

30

The subtitle data 1 depicts the usage of Newmark‟s Expansion strategy. This

is shown in the usage of “tulang leher tersambung”which is not included in SL.

In SL, the first line doesn‟t have any word that relates to “tulang leher”. However,

the word “connected” is found in the second line of the subtitle. This means that

the translator does not rely on one segment of the text to translate it. The translator

most likely tries to grasp the context first by looking the second lines and the ones

proceeding after it. After understanding what it means and how it relates to the

first line, the translator proceeded to translate the first line by adding

“tersambung”.

This phenomenon is called the Role of Context, where the translator made

use of the context to compensate for the loss of meaning in translation of TL. This

conforms to Nida‟s theory of contexts, which is:

“No translator can afford to overlook the role of contexts in translating because

they are crucial for so many decisions, The most obvious relevance of contexts

occurs in the choice of words in the immediate syntagmatic context of a single

sentence or in the subtle connections between different words within the same

semantic field or domain, as an extension of paradigmatic contexts.” 42

The statement above is self-explanatory. To put it simply, every translator

needs to understand the overall gist of the context first before translating. After

understanding the context, the translator could take advantage of it to decide the

word choice and to organize the discourse in TL. This way, the translator and the

42

Eugene A Nida. 1999 The Role of Contexts in Translating. In Word, Text, Translation:

Liber Amicorum for Peter Newmark. (Clevedon: Multilingual Matters) p.1

31

context would sync with each other. The synchronization of this data‟s translation

balances the outcome of the translation.43

Concerning the equivalence result, because there is an act „deviation‟ of

adding “tersambung” in the translation of TL, it qualifies as a dynamic

equivalence. The addition of “tersambung” will give the audience an

understanding that the first line is in rhyme with the second line and the line that

comes after it. Therefore, it creates a communicative effect towards the audience.

2. Subtitle Data 2 (00:01:33 ~ 00:01:39)

SL TL

(1st) -Sorry, Michael. I didn't see

you.

- That's okay.

(2nd)When I was on the bus, I

found a nickel!

(1st) -Maaf, Michael. Aku tak

melihatmu.

-Tak apa. Aku menemukan

(2nd)uang 5 sen di bis! (when I was

is deleted)

As for this subtitle data, a rare translation process has occurred here, namely,

the quadruplets (combination of four translation procedures). The translation

involves the transfer of the name of a character “Michael” which is completely

unchanged. Next is the deletion of “when I was on the bus”. If it‟s translated, it

would become: “ketika aku di dalam bis”. Notice that in the TL, there were no

translations of “when I was”. The last one, the phrase “I found a nickel” was

translated first and the “on the bus” was translated last, which indicates a

43

Ibid.

32

translation shift. Hence, by the chronological order of the process, Transference

was used first, reduction second, and then proceeds to Transposition and

Functional Equivalent.

Regarding the equivalence result, this data qualifies as dynamic equivalence

emphasis. This is because of its three main deviations that involve: Deleting some

of the words, changing the position of the sentence, and neutralizing cultural word

(nickel into 5 sen). By doing so, the translator managed to save space in the

subtitle and gave the audience a clear and precise translation.

3. Subtitle Data 3 (00:04:05 ~ 00:04:07)

SL TL

How about we do

tallest in the back?

Tolong yang tinggi berdiri di

belakang!

This data is translated by using the Modulation procedure. The translation

approach cab be seen in the change of SL‟s question sentence (?) into TL‟s

imperative sentence (!). The literal translation of SL in data above would be:

“Bagaimana kalau kita melakukan yang tertinggi di belakang?” This version is

way too long and the expression is too “foreign” to the audience. To deal with this,

the translator used modulation to make the subtitle in TL feels natural. Normally,

people in our language will say “Tolong yang tinggi berdiri di belakang!” in any

situation, time, and place if there is a tall person that needs to stay in the back.

33

Consequently, the naturalness that this data contained has resulted this data to

be called as dynamic equivalence. This is because the translation qualifies the

condition of dynamic equivalence which is the “deviation” from the original. And

also, the modulation is one of the emphasis of the dynamic equivalence (from the

inclination table). This points strongly to the translation‟s attempt to make the

subtitle‟s translation natural and easier to understand to the target audience.

4. Subtitle Data 4 (00:07:20 ~ 00:07:23)

SL TL

but everything in my life

has led to this moment.

Tapi seluruh peristiwa hidupku

Membawaku kemari.

This data made use of a double procedure (couplets), which consists of

expansion and synonymy. The first translation process here is depicted in

“everything in my life”, which literally translates to “segalanya dalam hidupku”.

The translator instead translated it by adding “peristiwa” on it to make it clear

what exactly that “everything” relates to. For the second translation process, “led

to this moment” is literally translated to “membawaku pada momen ini”. However,

the translator opted to translate it to “membawaku kemari” which has the same

meaning but different viewpoint with “membawaku pada momen ini”.

“Membawaku kemari” translates into “has brought me here” in English. Notice

that this version is more neutral; both in English and in our language. This is

probably done to get rid of the use of “moment”. Adding “momen” in TL is just

too foreign and unnatural.

34

As for the equivalence result, because of the process of adding extra words

and changing the viewpoint of the subtitle; it is qualified as a dynamic

equivalence. This is because of the translator‟s attempt to get rid of the unnatural

elements that would make the TL feels foreign.

5. Subtitle Data 5 (00:07:29 ~ 00:07:31)

SL TL

Marie, Mr. Right

is out there somewhere.

Marie, jodohmu ada di luar sana.

In this data, it uses triplets on its translation process. The triplets consist of

transference, functional equivalent, and reduction. The first one is the transfer of a

character name “Marie”. The second one is the translation of the idiomatic

expression: “Mr. Right” into “Jodohmu”. Note that “Mr. Right” is not really a

person‟s name, but a slang which means “a man who would be the best husband

for a particular woman” or “a man who would make the perfect husband”.44

An

experienced translator would never try to literally translate everything, which is

why that this movie‟s translator in particular, chose to translate “Mr. Right” into

“Jodohmu”. This act is considered a neutralization of the word “Mr. Right”, thus a

functional equivalent is used to describe this process. The last translation process

(reduction) is the deletion of“somewhere”. Hence, the translator only translated

“is out there”. This is possibly done to make the subtitle short and simple.

44

Mr. Right. 2014. In Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mr.right

35

From the process above, the act of neutralizing and deleting a word has

qualified this data as dynamic equivalence. This is because the data fits the

condition of dynamic equivalence of minimizing (deleting) the translation in order

to gain simplicity. This can also be called deviation from the original because of

the translator‟s decision to remove some part of the text. This is why the dynamic

equivalence is the dominant one in this data.

6. Subtitle Data 6 (00:07:40 ~ 00:07:43)

SL TL

I'm welling up with tears. Now, get

off.

Aku banjir air mata.

Sekarang turunlah.

For this data, a rare translation process is found here. The translation process

in question is the cultural equivalent; the act of translating SL culture into TL

culture. The word “welling up with tears” in SL match perfectly in the TL version

“banjir air mata”. Because the translator has managed to match the English-only

expression with the TL, this subtitle data can be considered a dynamic

equivalence emphasis.

This is because of the the translation fulfills the condition of dynamic

equivalence, which is the “integration” of the cultural-bound elements of the SL

into the TL. The mentioned cultural-bound elements consist of language-exclusive

expressions, idiom or slang, or cultural terms. In this data in particular, the

cultural-bound element is an expression. Not all of them can be successfully

36

integrated into Indonesian language. For example, common expressions such as

“I’m all ears” can‟t be translated to match the expression in Indonesian language.

The only way to translate it is to neutralize the meaning, which is”aku

mendengarkan”, not literally translate it into ”Aku semua telinga”. However,

expressions such as”Looking for a needle in a haystack” can be integrated

perfectly into the culture in Indonesian. It can be translated into “Mencari jarum

dalam tumpukan jerami”. Looking at those examples, it can be concluded that this

data‟s translation is a culture into culture translation (cultural equivalent) which is

the dynamic equivalence emphasis.

7. Subtitle Data 7 (00:14:30 ~ 00:14:38)

SL TL

(1st)It's my job to make

great students greater,

(2nd) not make mediocre students

less mediocre.

(1st)Tugasku membuat

murid yang hebat lebih hebat...

(2nd) bukan membuat murid yang

Biasa saja bertambah buruk.

The translation process that occurred are synonymy and modulation. The

synonymy is found on the first line, which is “it’s my job”. It literally translates to

“pekerjaanku” in TL. However, “pekerjaan” has another meaning in english as

“occupation”, which is commonly used to state one‟s job or occupation (as a

status). So, if the translator used “pekerjaanku” in TL instead, it will definitely

sound awkward and stiff. Here‟s an example: “Pekerjaanku membuat murid yang

hebat lebih hebat..”. Looking at the example, The word “pekerjaanku” doesn‟t

37

seem to fit at all. As mentioned before, it is commonly used in sentences like this:

“Pekerjaanku adalah guru sekolah menengah”, “Instruktur beladiri sudah

menjadi pekerjaanku sejak dulu”, etc. So, the translator‟s choice to use “tugasku”

is a reasonable decision.

Next one is the modulation that was found on the second line, which is “less

mediocre”. The translation of the second line here relies on context. Meaning that

it is connected with the first line, notably the “great students greater” which is

connected to “mediocre students less mediocre”. The lines are in rhyme with each

other, so a literal translation is not appropriate. The literal translation of “less

mediocre” is “kurang biasa”. If it is applied in TL, it would look like this:

- The first line “murid yang hebat lebih hebat”

- The second line “murid yang biasa saja kurang biasa”

The result, the second line is not in rhyme with the first line, which in turn

disrupts the balance of the translation. To compensate for this, the translator

switched the literal meaning “kurang biasa” into “tambah buruk”. In this way, the

two lines would have a perfect rhyme with each other. This shows that a literal

meaning is not always better. In addition, because there is a change of meaning in

the second line (modulation), this subtitle‟s translation qualifies as a dynamic

equivalence.

38

8. Subtitle Data 8 (00:14:00 ~ 00:14:02)

SL TL

I don't mean to interrupt. Aku tak bermaksud interupsi.

The translation process in this data is the naturalisation. This subtitle segment

is the only segment that has a naturalisation strategy on the whole translation of

Monsters University. The translator could have translated “interrupt” literally into

“menganggu”. It is quite possible that the translator translated it that way in order

to preserve the “foreigness” in the subtitle.

With that fact, this subtitle data deserves to be called formal equivalence,

because of the decision of not literally translates the “interrupt” word in TL. The

other reason for this is because the SL structure is preserved in TL (no change

whatsoever), and it shows that the translator is being faithful to this subtitle‟s

translation. Because of that, this data qualifies as formal equivalence emphasis.

9. Subtitle Data 9 (00:15:36 ~ 00:15:38)

SL TL

Like Bill Sullivan, the Scarer? Ada hubungan dengan

Bill Sullivan, Monster Menakuti?

The translation process here is just a single procedure. Which is the expansion

procedure; an act of adding extra elements in TL. The process occurred because a

literal translation would not be enough in TL. It literally translates to “Seperti Bill

39

Sullivan, monster menakuti?” which does not make sense. As mentioned in

analysis of data 1, the role of context needs to be used by the translator. First is

the understanding of the subtitle‟s context, which is finding out the identity of Bill

Sullivan (not a detailed identity, just its relation). By paying attention for the

situation in the movie, the translator could have easily deducted that Bill Sullivan

was the main character (James Sullivan)‟s father. With that in mind, the translator

added an expansion: “ada hubungan dengan” to finish the translation. This is just

a matter of using the context and common sense, as it really helps choosing the

appropriate word to translate a text.

Because the existence of adding extra words in TL is present in this data, it

qualifies as dynamic equivalence. This is because it fits with the condition of

dynamic equivalence which is “tries to deviate from the original by adding or

deleting some of the text”. In this data in particular, the translator decided to add

an addition of words to the TL to gain clarity. Thus, this data is qualified as a

dynamic equivalence emphasis.

10. Subtitle Data 10 (00:19:40 ~ 00:19:42)

SL TL

You are Jaws Theta Chi material,

freshman.

Kau cocok untuk Jaws Theta Chi.

The translation process that occurred here is the quadruplets procedure, which

consists of transposition, transference, modulation, and reduction. The

40

transposition occurred in the position change of “material” in TL. The translation

of “material” is positioned in front of “kau” instead in front of “Jaws Theta Chi”.

Literal translation here would only produce an abnormal structure in TL. This is

because it is not appropriate to force SL structure into TL structure, especially

when its position is put where it is not to be. This is what happens if the position

is not changed: “Kau Jaws Theta Chi cocok”. Looking at the example, it is

obvious that the example is not a good translation and it would ruin the movie‟s

subtitle translation. The next one, transference, is depicted in the transfer of “Jaws

Theta Chi”, which is unchanged and left as it is. As for the reduction, it is

occurred in “freshman”, where it is deleted in TL. This is most likely done in

order to make it short and simple.

Because there is a change of structure and deletion of a word, it is clear that

this translation data is a dynamic equivalence emphasis. Dynamic equivalence

involves switching the positions of the word into a more TL-like structure just like

in this data. It fulfills the condition of the dynamic equivalence, and thus, is

qualified to be called dynamic equivalence emphasis.

41

11. Subtitle Data 11 (00:20:04 ~ 00:20:10)

SL TL

(1st)Sulley, any freshman with the

guts

to pull off a stunt like that

(2nd) has got "Future Scarer"

written all over him.

(1st) (Sulley is deleted)Siswa baru

mana pun

Yang berani melakukan itu...

(2nd) punya masa depan cerah

jadi monster menakuti.

The couplets procedure is also used in this data. It consists of reduction

and functional equivalent. The reduction is used to delete “Sulley” in the first

line. Notice that “Sulley” is the name of a character. The translator of this

movie had also deleted some names that appear in certain segments of the

movie. This is probably done because the translator thought that names are

something that the audience can notice very easily, so the translator deleted

them for his/her convenience. Keep in mind that not all names were deleted in

the subtitle, only some of them.

As for the functional equivalent, it is used in two sentences, which in fact,

both of them are idiomatic expressions. As elaborated in chapter II, the

functional equivalent is the most appropriate and accurate way of translating

cultural words. This includes idiomatic expressions. To make it simple and

clearer, the only way is to neutralize them instead of translating it literally.

That way, the result will contain a simple meaning that greatly improves the

understanding of meaning for the audience.

42

As for the meaning for the neutralized words, they are as follows:

- To pull off a stunt like that

Meaning: To pull off = To manage to make something happen.45

- “Future Scarer” written all over him

Meaning: written all over : used to convey that the presence of a particular

quality or feeling is clearly revealed by a person's expression.46

Because there is a deletion of word and neutralizing process in the data, it

is qualified to be a dynamic equivalence. As explained many times over, any

deletion or neutralizing of the SL would inevitably result in a dynamic

equivalence because of the “deviation” act.

12. Subtitle Data 12 (00:20:54 ~ 00:20:57)

SL TL

(1st) Just wait, hotshot.

(2nd) I'm going to scare circles

around you this year.

(1st) Tunggu saja. (hotshot is

deleted)

(2nd) Aku akan lebih

Menakutkan darimu tahun ini.

This data uses couplets that consist of reduction and functional equivalent,

just like in subtitle data 11. The only difference is that the translator deleted a

slang or idiomatic word, rather than neutralizing it. This shows the possibility

45

Pull Off. 2014. In idioms.freedictionary.org. Accessed May 31, 2014.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pull+off 46

Judith Siefrin. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. (2nd ed.) New York, NY: Oxford

University Press, USA. 2004. p320

43

that a translator might take an option to delete a cultural word rather than

translating it. The deletion is applied on Hotshot, which is a slang that

represents a person of impressive skill and daring, especially one who highly

successful and self-assured.47

As for the second line, the phrase “scare circles

around you” is a modified version of the idiom “run circles around you”

which means to outperform someone with a great margin.48

The translator

translated the SL into “lebih menakutkan darimu” in order to neutralize the

meaning into something clearer, rather than literally translate it.

Consequently, because this data is similar as subtitle data 11, it qualifies as

a dynamic equivalence emphasis. The similarity in question can be seen in the

neutralization of the “scare circles around you”. If it‟s translated literally, it‟ll

become “menakuti memutarimu”, which doesn‟t make any sense. Looking at

this, it is clear that the translater wanted to avoid any literal translation. The

translator decided to translate it by neutralizing it into a more simpler meaning

in order to gain simplicity to make it easier to understand. Because of this, this

data is qualified to called dynamic equivalence emphasis

47

Hotshot. 2014. In thefreedictionary.com. Accessed June 5, 2014

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hotshot 48

Run circles around. 2014. In wiktionary.org. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ run_circles_around

44

13. Subtitle Data 13 (00:41:50 ~ 00:41:52)

SL TL

Get ready to eat my dust. Bersiaplah makan debuku.

This subtitle data uses transference strategy, in which the translator

decided to translate it literally. This creates a replica of the effect in SL, in

other words, borrowing the effect of SL. The phrase “Eat my dust” is a slang

that is commonly used towards the opponents when competing. It is used as an

in-your-face (blatant or direct) mockery to a losing rival or something similar.

49

The act of preserving the cultural effect grants this data the qualification of

formal equivalence. This is because the translator literally translated the

subtitle, it fits the condition of the formal equivalence which is “tries to

replicate the content and structure to preserve originality”. Because it is

literally translated, it still contains the cultural elements on it (the idiom of eat

my dust) in the TL. Thus, the subtitle data is qualified to be called a formal

equivalence emphasis.

49

Eat my dust. 2014. In wiktionary.org. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eat_my_dust

45

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

Translating movies or subtitling is not the same as intertextual translation.

This is because it has technical matters such as space and timing. The translator

has to follow the rules of subtitling with a precise translation. This includes,

removing, adding, or altering the structures of the text in TL, in order to gain a

good translation quality in film translation.

Nine strategies were used in the translation of the subtitle of Monsters

University. The commonly found procedures here are expansion and reduction,

functional equivalent, and couplets. This is due to the fact there are many act of

removal, addition, and neutralizing in the translation. Most of them are

emphasized toward dynamic equivalence. The formal equivalence was used as

well, but its usage was minimal. This indicates that the translator strives in

reproducing the SL in TL in a shorter and neutral way, and also, the translator also

complements an addition to the TL if the subtitle is too short. As a conclusion, the

essence of film translation is all about cutting down unneeded elements to save

space (such as cultural words and character names), adding extra word to TL if the

subtitle is too short, and neutralizing cultural words or specific terms to gain

clarity.

45

46

B. Suggestions

In translating film, it is recommended to always emphasize it into dynamic

equivalence and try making the subtitles shorter and simpler. And also, this

research has not described in detail on how formal equivalence really works in

translation of film. As a result, it is highly necessary to conduct further research

into formal equivalence in film translation.

47

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:

A Nida, Eugene.1999.The Role of Contexts in Translating. In Word, Text,

Translation: Liber Amicorum for Peter Newmark. Clevedon:

Multilingual Matters.

A. Nida , Eugene and Taber, Charles. 1982. The Theory and Practice of

Translation. Leiden: E.J Brill.

Catford, J.C. 1965. A Linguistic Theory of Translation, Oxford University Press,

London.

Chen, Sheng-Jie. 2004. Linguistic Dimensions of Subtitling. Perspective from

Taiwan. In Meta Journal, XLIX, 1.

E. Landers, Clifford. 1998. Literary Translation : A Practical Guide. Sydney :

Multilingual Matters LTD.

Hardin, Gérard and Picot, Cynthia. 1990. Translate: Initiation à la pratique de la

traduction, Bordas, Paris: Aubin Imprimeur.

Munday, Jeremy. 2008. Introducing Translation Studies : Theories and

applications. Routledge, New York.

Newmark, Peter. 1988. A Textbook of Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall

International.

Orero, Pilar. 2004. Topics in Audiovisual Translation. Amsterdam and

Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Sayogie, Frans. 2009. Teori & Praktek Penerjemahan, Tangerang: Pustaka Anak

Negeri.

Siefrin, Judith. 2004. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. (2nd ed.). Oxford

University Press, USA.

Soanes, Catherine. and Stevenson, Angus 2005. Concise Oxford English

Dictionary 11th Edition. Oxford University Press.

Websites:

Eat my dust. 2014. In wiktionary.org. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eat_my_dust

Mr. Right. 2014. In Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mr.right

47

48

Run circles around. 2014. In wiktionary.org. Accessed May 31, 2014.

From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ run_circles_around

Pull Off. 2014. In idioms.freedictionary.org. Accessed November 1, 2014.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pull+off

Hotshot. 2014. In thefreedictionary.com. Accessed November 1, 2014

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hotshot

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453405/

Panou , Despoina. Equivalence in Translation Theories: A Critical Evaluation.

Department of Education, University of Leicester, UK. 2013.


88

(Accessed February 2nd, 2014)

Soler Pardo, Betlem. Translation Studies: An Introduction to the History and

Development of (Audiovisual) Translation. Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio.

Villanueva de la Cañada. 2013.

http://www.uax.es/publicacion/translation-studies-an-introduction-to-the-history-

and-development-of.pdf (Accessed on February 2nd, 2014)

Szarkowska, Agnieszka. 2005."The Power of Film Translation" Translation

Journal, vol. 3, no. 3. Cited in Balsam A Mustafa, Film Translation: Subtitling vs.

Dubbing, College of Arts : Translation Department, Al Mustansirriya University.

www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=49262 (Accessed on February 2nd, 2014)

Törnqvist, Egil. Ingmar Bergman Abroad: The Problems of Subtitling. Cited

inJessica Rietveld. The Mind of a Subtitler: Translation Strategies Employed in

Subtitling Crime and Comedy. Master Thesis. Faculty of Humanities. Utrecht

University.

http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31713 (Accessed March 3rd, 2014)

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APPENDICES

Attachment 1: Monsters University Screenshot comparison

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