TRANSLATION STRATEGIES Strategy used by (professional) translator for dealing with various types of text especially

for non equivalent word/term. Peter Newmark. 1988. A Textbook of Translation New York: Prentice Hall
3. TRANSLATION STRATEGIES 1. Global Translation Strategy (translation method) The overall strategy you apply to a
text as a whole – the primary choice you have to make here is how close to the source text you want your target
text to be. 2. Local Translation Strategy (translation procedure):
4. Global Translation Strategies
5. I. ST/SL FOCUS (Imitative Translation) includes: 1) word-for-word translation preservation of word order and as
literal translation as possible of individual words, including cultural words. 2) literal translation apart from as literal
as possible translation of individual words, grammatical structures are converted into the nearest target language
equivalents. Example : ST : I am going nowhere. TT : Aku sedang pergi tidak kemana-mana (word-for- word
translation)
6. 3) faithful translation stays, if possible, within the constraints of the grammatical structures of the target text, but
draws on certain contextual factors. 4) semantic translation more emphasis on naturalness than in faithful
translation, and translation of certain cultural words into neutral equivalents in the TL. Example : ST : He is a
bookworm TT : Dia adalah seorang kutu buku (faithful transtlation) Dia adalah seseorang yang suka sekali membaca
(semantic translation)
7. II. TT/TL focus (functional communication) includes: 1) Adaptation translation The freest form of translation and
more of a target language/culture based interpretation of the source text than a translation as such, this is
sometimes called document design. Example : Cinderella story was adapted into Bawang Merah Bawang Putih. The
story was adapted by adjusting the cultural of the reader.
8. 2) Free translation Focuses on the content of the target text rather than the form, which means that the same
content is expressed in the target text but with very different grammatical structures. Example : (ST) Modern means
of communication are so rapid that a buyer can discover what price a seller is asking can accept it if he wishes
although he may be thousands of miles. (TT) Alat komunikasi modem sangat pesat dimana seorang pembeli dapat
menemukan berapa harga yang diminta oleh seorang penjual seperti yang diharapkannya meskipun
9. 3) idiomatic translation makes use of idioms and colloquialisms that are not present in the source text. Example :
(ST) The rain likes cat and dog (TT) Hujan deras. 4) communicative translation aims at reproducing the exact
message of the source text content-wise and context-wise but with emphasis on naturalness and
acceptability/comprehensiveness to the target text readership. Example : (ST) I would admit that I am wrong. (TT)
Saya mengaku salah.
10. Local Translation Strategies • Literal Translation • Transference • Translation Loan • Naturalization Direct
Procedure • Equivalence • Shifts Indirect procedure
11. I. Direct procedures 1. Literal translation is ideally the segmentation of the SLT into individual words and TL
rendering of those word-segmentations one at a time (word-for- word translation). e.g. : new = baru car = mobil
new car = mobil baru
12. 2. Transference translation is the process of transferring a SL word into a TL text by adjusting the word
pronunciation. e.g. : process = proses computer = komputer staff = staf 3. Translation loan is transferring the SL into
TL word literally. e.g. : status quo= status quo (keadaan yang sekarang) balanced budget= balanced budget
(anggaran berimbang)
13. 4. Naturalization basically transference in which you apply target language spelling and morphology (and
pronunciation) to the expression or word in question. e.g. : data=data target=target total=total
14. II. Indirect procedures 1. Equivalence focus on equivalence in meaning in the perspective of the reader of the
target text – this means that you may sacrifice equivalent in form, or you may have to choose something which is
not exactly the same thing as in the source text, but the closest in the target language.
15. Equivalence is divided into: a. Cultural equivalent b. Functional equivalent c. Descriptive equivalent d. (Near)
synonymy e. Reduction f. Amplication g. Compensation
16. a. Cultural equivalent translating a culturally rooted word in the source text/language with a roughly equivalent
culturally rooted word of the target language/text. e.g. : SL : Next week, the Attorney General , Andi Ghalib will visit
switserland. TL : Minggudepa n, Jaksa Agung, Andi Ghalib akan berkunjung ke Swiss
17. b. Functional equivalent translating a word in the source language/text with a functionally equivalent target
language word (i.e. a word which has the same meaning). e.g.: cutter = pisau c. Descriptive equivalent translating a
source language/text word using a description of the concept it refers to in the target language. e.g. : SL: The girl is
dancing with great fluidity and grace.
18. d. (Near) synonymy translating a source language/text word or expression with a target language expression
that is nearly. e.g. : SL : What a cute baby you’ve got. TL : Alangkah lucunya bayi anda . e. Reduction/expansion
adding or removing elements in translation.
19. f. Amplication explanation of meaning in target text e.g. : SL :“Tetapi bagaimana si Dora?” “dia sudah terima itu
cincin?” TL : “but what about Dora ?” I asked to my friend, “Did she get the ring?” g. Compensation making up for
the loss of something in the source text, by adding something else in the target text. e.g. : a pair of scissors =
sebuah gunting
20. 2. Shifts a. Transposition translation of a source language/text expression into a target language expression
which involves change in grammatical structure or in word class. e.g. : (SL) Musical instruments can be divided into
two basic groups. (TL) Alat musik dibagi menjadi dua kelompok dasar.
21. b. Modulation change of viewpoint or substantial conceptual concept in the translation, 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. e.g. : (SL) You are going to have a child. (TL) Anda akan menjadi seorang bapak. (SL) I
cut my finger. (TL) Jariku terpotong, not, Saya
22. c. Componential analysis This strategy is similar to the descriptive strategy, the difference is when the
descriptive strategy used to translate the word that has relation with a culture, but the componential analysis used
common words. e.g. : (SL) The girl is dancing with great fluidity and grace. (TL) Gadis itu menari dengan luwesnya.

Haryanti (2013:46) states that translation strategies there are: addition, deletion, adoption,
adaptation, level shift and category shift. The first strategies according to Nida (1964:227) in
Nababan (2004:39) explains that, addition of information may also be required due to the shift of
voice and the alternation of word classes to avoid misinterpretation. The second strategies from
Baker (1992:40) in Nababan (2004:41) states that, deletion as omission of a lexical item due to
grammatical or semantic patterns of the receptor language. The third strategies according to
Catford (1965) adoption is adopt some words that reside in the target language. The fourth from
Pinchuck (1977:190) states that, adaptation is used when the others do not suffice. The last
strategy is shift. Shift is the form of source language changes when translates into target
language. Catford (1978:73) states that shift departures from correspondence in the process of
going from the source language into the target language. Catford also divides translation shift
into two: Level shift is the level of source language has a different level target at language. And
category shift is part of the shift classification system. Category shift classified into: 1) structure
shift is the grammatical of source language that is modified when translated into target language.
2) class shift, the word class from the source language is different from the word class of the
target language. 3) unit shift is changing of rank. And 4) intra-system shift, the shift that occurs
internally, within the system, that is for those cases where the source and target language possess
systems which approximately correspond formally as to their constitution, but when translation
involves selection of a non- corresponding term in the target language system.

The translation strategies described by Mona Baker (1992).

There are eight ways of strategies that used by professional translation (Baker, 2011). Based on
Baker, the first strategy is translation by a more general word (superordinate), among the other
strategies, this strategy is commonly used. For example when the original source uses the word
„Daisy‟, the target source can translate it as „flower‟ because the general word of Daisy is a
flower, other example is the word „apply‟ in source language and translated into „put‟ in target
language because the word „put‟ is commonly used in target language.
The second strategy is translation by a more neutral/less expressive word. The translator need to
look at the standard on TL (target language) whether if the words appropriate used or not. For
example the word „archaic‟ in English and translated into „ancient‟ in Japan because of the
word „archaic‟ is too direct, too open and disapproving by Japanese standards. Also in TL of
Chinese, the word „exotic‟ has no equivalent in Chinese, the translator translate it into „strange
unique‟. The third strategy is translation by cultural substitution. As we know that in this world
we have many different cultures, different languages. In this strategy, translator needs to adapt
into the cultures. In example of this strategy, Baker brings out the word „Cream Tea‟ that used
by Britain people for afternoon meal and it has no equivalent in other cultures and the TL Italian
used „pastry‟ to substitute the word „Cream Tea‟ which does not have the same meaning.
However, the word „pastry‟ is familiar for Italian and it is provide good cultural substitute.
The fourth strategy is translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation. This strategy
is dealing with culture-specific items. Similar with the example of previous strategy but with
difference in application, the example of „cream tea‟ in this strategy will be translated as is it.
There is no „pastry‟ to substitute „cream tea‟. In some terms, loan words contain explanation in
order to explain the words. The fifth strategy by Baker is translation by paraphrase using a
related word. Unlike the previous strategies, this strategy has different method in translating.
Baker said that this strategy tends to be used when the concept expressed by the SL (source
language) is lexicalized in the target language but in a different form. For instance, the word
„creamy‟ becomes „that resembles cream‟ and the word „overlooking‟ become „which
overlooks‟.
The next strategy is a strategy that similar with the fifth strategy, that is translation by paraphrase
using unrelated words. This strategy is paraphrasing a word without using related word from
source language, for example the word „affidavit‟ is being translated as „a written
communication supported by an oath‟. If you look at the example, the word affidavit and the
translation does not have correlation in source language and target language. Next is strategy by
omission. Omission is needed to omit some words to not distract the reader with lengthy
explanation and to produce readable translation. Translation often does simply omit translating
the word or expression. Last strategy by Baker is translation by illustration. When the word lacks
an equivalence in target language, this strategy is an useful option. Illustration refers to physical
entity that can be illustrated, particularly if the text short, concise and to the point and if there is a
restrictions on space.