LIST OF TRANSLATION DEFINITIONS

What is Translation?
Dictionary definition of Translation : changing from
one state or form to another, to turn into one’s
own or another language
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

1. Catford (1965: 20). He states that Translation is the replacement

of textual material in one language by equivalent textual material
in another language. In this definition, the most important thing is
equivalent textual material. Yet, it is still vague in terms of the
type of equivalence. Culture is not taken into account.

2. Malinowski (1965:11-12) says that Translation must always be

the re-creation of the original into something profoundly
different. On the other hand, it is never substitution of word for
word but invariably the translation of whole contexts.

3. Savory (1968) maintains that Translation is made possible by an

equivalent of thought that lies behind its different verbal
expressions.

4. Nida and Taber (1969) explain that the process of Translating

consists of reproducing in the receptor language the closest
natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms
of meaning and secondly in terms of style.
5. Brislin (1976: 1) in his book Translation: Applications and
Research, defines Translation as: "the general term referring to
the transfer of thoughts and ideas from one language (source) to
another (target), whether the languages are in written or oral
form; whether the languages have established orthographies or
do not have such standardization or whether one or both
languages is based on signs, as with sign languages of the deaf."

6. Pinchuck (1977: 38) maintains that Translation is a process of

finding a TL equivalent for an SL utterance.

7. McGuire (1980: 2) states that Translation involves the rendering

of a source language (SL) text into the target language (TL) so as
to ensure that (1) the surface meaning of the two will be
approximately similar and (2) the structure of the SL will be
preserved as closely as possible, but not so closely that the TL
structure will be seriously distorted.

8. Newmark (1981:7) states that Translation is a craft consisting in

the attempt to replace a written message and/or statement in
one language by the same message and/or statement in another
language.

9. Wills (1982:112) defines Translation as a transfer process which

aims at the transformation of a written SL text into an optimally
equivalent TL text, and which requires the syntactic, the semantic
and the pragmatic understanding and analytical processing of the
SL.
 10. Larson (1984:3) says that Translation consists of translating
the meaning of the Source Language into the Receptor Language.
This is done by going from the form of the first language to the
form of the second language by way of semantic structure. It is
meaning which is being transferred and must be held constant.
Only the form changes.

In short, TRANSLATION is delivery of message contained in the Source

Language (SL) into the Target Language (TL) or Receptor Language and
the message transferred in the TL is closely similar to that in the SL.
Besides, translation is an operation of some languages and a process of
transferring ideas, thoughts and purposes from one language (SL) into
another language (TL).

Therefore, translation is perceived as a problem-solving process.

Example:

 Spanish : Tengo Sueno ( I have sleep)

 Aguaruna (Peru) : Kajang Pujawai
 English : I am sleepy
 Indonesian : ???

Different grammatical forms, different lexical selections are made

to signal the same meaning.

How would you translate the following words, phrases, clauses or

sentences :

 I cut my finger when I was preparing for Breakfast.

 Please, can I be the captain? asked Millo
 Don’t shoot me, please, please!
 Beauty with a purpose
 Miss World
 You have my words
 No woman wakes up saying ‘God, I hope I don’t get swept off my
feet today’
 ..but maintain the visual