THE IMPACT OF THE WORK OF NOVICE TRANSLATORS ON THE QUALITY OF THE TRANSLATION Ida Ayu Made Puspani, Yana Qomariyana, Ni Ketut Sri Rahayuni Udayana University made_puspani@unud.ac.id, yqomariana@gmail.com, ketutrahayuni@gmail.com Abstract This article aims at finding out the impact of the translation product and its readability conducted by the fourth semester students of the English Department Faculty Arts Udayana University 2017. The study was conducted by investigating the students` work on English-Indonesian translation class. There were 40 students as the participants, and they were given task to translate text from English into Indonesian. However they were given basic theory of translation, and how the source language English is different from the target language in terms of linguistics as well as cultural background. The results show that there were many distorted meaning of the SL in the translation; this is due to the lack of the ability of the students in understanding the meanings, such as contextual meaning and connotative meaning. Keywords: novice .translator, impact, quality I INTRODUCTION Translation involves a complex process of transferring the meaning of the source language (SL) message to the target language (TL) by retaining its meaning. Teaching translation at a University is a challenge for the lecturer first to know the capability of the students within the two languages they operate, especially the competence of the students in linguistics and the knowledge in both cultures. Larson (1984) states that translation consist of studying the lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the SL text, the analyzing it in order to discover its meaning and then restructuring this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure which are appropriate in the target language and its cultural context. Just like the way in a language how to ask a name of a person for example in Indonesian is ` Siapa nama Anda?` the gloss in English will be ` who name you? ` while in English the proper way to ask a person`s name is ` What is your name?’ The students have to acquire the knowledge of Indonesian as their national language and English as their major, though they were taught English grammar and Indonesian, but they still have some problems in defining equivalent specially with Idiomatic expression and the use of language in context. Related to the background of the study there are two research questions to be solved, i.e.: (1) how are the quality of the students` work, and (2) what are the problems mostly faced by the students in conducting the translation. II MATERIALS AND METHOD Descriptive qualitative approach was applied in the study in order to give clear description of the data analysis based on the application of the theory. The data of this study were taken from 40 students` assignments but only 20 were chosen for the purpose the study. The data were classified in the forms of words, phrases and expressions. The data analysis is presented in parallel corpora by comparing the SL and the TL (Olohan, 2004). Questionnaires were being distributed to find out what are the problems faced by the students in translating from English into Indonesian. The theory of translation proposed by Nababan proposed three degrees of equivalent related on the accuracy of translation, they are : (1) Accurate when all phrases and sentences are translated without distortion; (2) less accurate when all phrases and sentences are translated but there is an ambiguity; (3) inaccurate when words are not translated and there is distortion in meaning. It means that when a piece of mailto:made_puspani@unud.ac.id mailto:yqomariana@gmail.com mailto:ketutrahayuni@gmail.com translation work is being analysed, the accurateness can be seen by analysing the target text in terms of the meaning being transfer and naturalness. Translation procedures proposed by Vinay anad Darbelnet (in Venuti 2000) is also applied in analysing the data. Those procedures are: (1) borrowing, it is usually related to technical terms and cultural terms or a concept which unknown in the target language, e.g. ` radio` in Indonesian is borrowed from English; (2) calque is type of borrowing on a certain term from other language either lexically or structurally as in `honeymoon`(English) becomes `bulan madu`(Indonesian);(3) literal is a direct alteration from SL into the acceptable TL either grammatically or idiomatically appropriate `kumpul kebo` (Indonesian) into `buffalo cohabitation` (English); (4) Transposition , the change of one class of word with the other without changing the message: refer to (English) becomes `mengacu kepada`(Indonesian); (5) Modulation is by taking language variant form through changing in the point of view,example: He is single’ (English) becomes ‘Dia masih bujang’ (Indonesian); (6) Equivalence (strategy of equivalence to treat the same situation with two texts which have different structure, example :Seputih kapas (Indonesian) into as white as snow (English) and (7) adaptation is the procedure used in translating things which are not available /unknown in the TL. In this kind of situation a translator is trying to find the new equivalence which is supposed to be equivalent, example: ngaben (Balinese) becomes cremation (English). III RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The following describes the results and the discussion of the study based on the translation quality done by the students. 3.1 INACCURATE TRANSLATION AND THE ANALYSIS Data 1 SL TL We’ve made some pretty crazy claims when it comes to language learning Kami telah membuat beberapa tuntutan cukup gila ketika ingin belajar bahasa The SL noun phrase (NP) `pretty crazy claims` means claims/statements that had been made which is very surprising, while in the target language it was translated into ` tuntutan cukup gila`. The translation was word for word in which the meaning of TL NP is literally translated. The adjective `crazy` in the SL NP means `surprise ` in the TL which is equivalent ` mengejutkan`, but it was translated into `gila`. So as for the noun `claims` in the TL which is meant `statements` it is equivalent to `pernyataan` in the TL. It is not common to state ` tuntutan cukup gila` in the TL (Indonesian). The translation is considered to be inaccurate. The nearest equivalent of the SL NP `pretty crazy claims` is `pernyataan yang mengejutkan`.The translator applies the procedure word for word which is not in line with the proposed procedures. Data 2 SL TL The independent study was conducted by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of South Carolina, and `evaluated the overall efficacy of Babbel` Penelitian mandiri dilakukan oleh para peneliti di City University of New york(CUNY) dan University of south Carolina dan `mengevaluasi keseluruhan dari kasus Babbbel Data (2) above the clause ` evaluated the overall efficacy of Babbel` is a clause which subject is elliptical (it refers to the study); it has the meaning of `the research evaluated entirely the efficacy of Babbel (as a language course program). The translation is `mengevaluasi keseluruhan dari kasus Babbbel ` if back translation is done, then the translation of the TL became `evaluated all the Babbel case` the adjective efficacy is not translated in the TL and it distorted the meaning transfer of the SL in the TL, the translation is not accurate. The suggested translation in the TL is `mengevaluasi efektifitas kursus Babbel secara keseluruhan`. Data 3 SL TL Truly novice users with no knowledge of Spanish need an average 15 hours of study in two month period to cover the requirement for one collage semester of Spanish. Pengguna pemula yang sungguh-sungguh tanpa pengetahuan tentang kebutuhan bahasa Spanyol rata-rata 15 jam belajar dalam periode 2 bulan untuk memenuhi persyaratan satu semester The main clause of the SL above in data (3) `Truly novice users with no knowledge of Spanish need an average 15 hours of study in two months period` is translated into ` Pengguna pemula yang sungguh- sungguh tanpa pengetahuan tentang kebutuhan bahasa Spanyol rata-rata 15 jam belajar dalam periode 2 bulan`. The verb `need` in the SL is not properly translated in the TL which is the equivalent `perlu`. It will be accurate if SL clause is translated into `pembelajar bahasa yang benar-benar pemula memerlukan rata-rata 15 jam waktu belajar dalam kurun waktu 2 bulan. 3.2 LESS ACCURATE TRANSLATION AND THE ANALYSIS Data 4 SL TL And while the results were certainly impressive, these lightning-quick learners were language aficionados, speakers of 3, 4, 5 or 9 languages. Dan sementara hasilnya pasti mengesankan, pelajar cepat kilat ini adalah penggemar bahasa pembicara 3,4,5,atau Sembilan. The translation of the second clause in the SL sentence `these lightning-quick learners were language aficionados speakers of 3,4,5 or 9 languages` which means these learners are those who keen of learning languages; is `pelajar cepat kilat ini adalah penggemar bahasa pembicara 3,4,5 atau sembilan`. Though the clause in the TL `pelajar cepat kilat ini adalah penggemar bahasa pembicara 3,4,5 atau sembilan ` sound acceptable but it will be more accurate if it is being translated into `pembelajar yang dengan sangat cepat ini adalah mereka yang menguasai bahasa 3,4,5 atau sembilan`. The noun phrase pelajar cepat kilat ini (as subject of the sentence) is more appropriate if it is translated into `pembelajar yang dengan sangat cepat ini`, and it is closer to the natural language use in the TL. Data 5 SL TL We`ve made some pretty crazy claims-when it comes to language learning Kami telah membuat pernyataan yang cukup gila mengenai pembelajaran bahasa The translation of the SL NP` pretty crazy claims` into` pernyataan yang cukup gila`; `claim` as the head of the NP in the SL is translated into `pernyataan` which is acceptable in the TL but it is better and if the NP of the SL is translated into `pernyataan yang cukup mengejutkan `, the TL is less accurate. 3.3 ACCURATE TRANSLATION AND THE ANALYSIS Data 6 SL TL Our participants were definitely novices, and while we did not exactly cross- check results with college Spanish syllabus, it is very clear that they big gains in a very short moment of time. Peserta kami benar benar pemula dan walaupun kami tidak benar-benar memeriksa hasilnya dengan silabus bahasa Spanyol namun sangatlah jelas mereka membuat perubahan yang sangat besar dalam waktu yang sangat singkat Data (6) shows that the translation of the sentence `our participants were definitely novices ‘into` Peserta kami benar benar pemula` is accurate. Particularly in translating the phrase ` definitely novices` into `benar benar pemula`in the TL.The translator applies the procedure of equivalent. Data 7 SL TL Back in November, we did a study that found (surprise) that Babbel ranks as one of the most efficient ways to learn a language Kembali ke bulan November , kami melakukan penelitian yang menemukan kejutan bahwa Babbel diperingkat sebagai salah satu cara yang paling mudah untuk belajar bahasa Data (7) the translation of the relative clause (active) `Babbel ranks as one of the most efficient ways to learn a language` into passive clause in the TL `Babbel diperingkat sebagai salah satu cara yang paling mudah untuk belajar bahasa` is accurately translated. The translator applies the procedure of equivalent. Data 8 SL TL The independent study was conducted by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of South Carolina, and evaluated the overall efficacy of Babbel Spanish courses Penelitian independen dilakukan oleh para peneliti dari City University of new York (CUNY) dan University of South Carolina dan meninjau efisiensi keseluruhan dari kursus bahasa Spanyol Babbel The translation of the clause `The independent study was conducted by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) was translated accurately into the TL clause `Penelitian independen dilakukan oleh para peneliti dari City University of new York (CUNY)`. The translator applies the procedure of equivalent. IV CONCLUSION The analysis of the data shows that some of the students made inaccurate translation and less accurate translation, only a few of them made accurate translation. Based on the questionnaires distributed to the students to find out what problems are mostly faced by the students in translating the text, the answers show they mostly find difficulty in translating idiomatic expressions. REFERENCES Creswell, John W.2009. Research Design Qualitative, Quantitativeand Mixed Method. L.A: Sage. Olohan, Maeve. 2004. Introducing Corpora In Translation Studies. London: Routledge. Larson, Mildred.1984. Meaning-Based Translation. New York: University Press. Nababan, M.R. 2004. Strategi Penilaian Kulaitas Terjemahan. Jurnal Linguistik Bahasa ,2 (1) 15-23 Venuti Lawrence. 2000. The Translation Studies Readers. New York: Routledge.