An Analysis of Idiomatic Translation in Novel's Titles Published by Gramedia

Abstract

This study purposed to identify and describe techniques, methods, and ideology of
translation, especially in the idiomatic translation area. Thus, it aimed to observe the impact
on the quality of translation from the aspect of accuracy, acceptability and readability of the
source data. Translated novels are very much in demand since the stories are impressive and
the translated is perfect. Translated novels could be the most appropriate source to analyze
for the research, especially for those who have literature study background. In Indonesia,
Gramedia becomes the most well-known publisher that simultaneously releases various
books, fiction and non-fiction. It has quite several translators in its scope of work to publish
translated novels. The translators have experienced and have a very professional style of
translation in each work (novel). The idiomatic translation is one of the standard translation
techniques used to translate languages from source language to target language. This study
examines the idiomatic translation found in the titles of translated novels published by
Gramedia publishers. The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze what idiomatic
translation methods are contained in these titles and find out whether the translation results
from Source Language (SL) to Target Language (TL) have equivalent meaning or not. The
process of collecting data is done by collecting Gramedia translation novel titles that have
idiomatic meanings. In this study, thirty titles of translated novels were analyzed. This paper
applied five strategies stated by Baker's theory of strategies for translating idioms; using an
idiom of similar meaning and form strategy, using an idiom of similar meaning but different
form strategy, translation by paraphrase strategy, translation by the omission of a play on,
and translation by the omission of the entire idiom. Of the thirty titles, the analysis results
show that not all translations results feel natural and equivalent in meaning.