Translation is one of many ways to communicate. In this world people from different country speak with different language, even in the same country sometimes people have their own language among certain society. Watching movie is a way people communicate, movie is a media for people to see how other culture in the different part of this world. In translating we must be able to understand the source language and able to transfer it intelligibly, by using the correct terminology, into the target language. Good translation has to be natural, make people feel the same impression from the original sources. To achieve this goal, the translator must understand the culture of the original language and try to make people from other culture understand the meaning of the untranslatability aspect in the original text. Untranslatability in translation consists of linguistic untranslatability and cultural untranslatability. This essay discuss about cultural untranslatability aspect in the movie “kambing jantan”.
Cultural untranslatability is one of many problems in translating a text or a subject because of difference among each country, even in the same country there are so many differences. For example in Indonesia there are so many differences that we can found in every part of Indonesia. The way they speak to each other, and how to act when they speak are different in one area to another. In the Indonesian language, a lot of terms that was adapted from regional languages contained in various parts of Indonesia. Indonesia has many diverse cultures and language has many terms that are sometimes used in conversation in a movie.
Movie titled "Kambing Jantan" is an Indonesian-language film, and given the English subtitle. In this case, the translator who came from abroad, not to change the words that are cultural, such as nicknames that are commonly used in teenagers society in Jakarta of which there are different cultures between the culture in the SL with the culture of TL. Nicknames like animal names often used by teenagers in Jakarta to greet their close friends, and a nickname was a symbol of closeness between them. In the movie "Kambing Jantan" the main character is called by "Mbing" which is shorter from "Kambing" and this nickname is translated into "Goat". In this film, it would be better if the translation was not changed nicknames from the SL, and given an explanation at the beginning of the film that the animal names are used for nicknames.
Nicknames are also a culture that we unknowingly become a symbol of closeness between one people with someone else. Nicknames made in Indonesia of course not the same as an existing nickname in America. In Indonesia the nicknames can be everything that sometimes a little bit offensive, but it is not the purpose of nicknames in this movie. Culture is everything one needs to know, and feel in order to judge where people’s behavior conforms to or deviates from what is expected from them in their social roles, and in order to make one’s own behavior conform to the expectations of the society. There is a reciprocal relationship between translation and culture. Translation is not just a process of transferring the message but also the culture, and culture of its own effect on the translation.
Cultural untranslatability can be a big problem for translators who are not familiar with the culture of the TL. But the translator can increase the knowledge about the culture of any other country by watching movies and reading books about the country and its culture. Is the duty of a translator to be able to deliver a message to his readers in the translation product. A translator must also be able to deliver a new culture to the people who are in other parts of the world so that readers can get knowledge about foreign cultures
References
“Kambing Jantan” the Movie
Candra Lestianta Budiharja (2008). PADANAN PADA TATARAN KATA (komponen utama dalam proses penerjemahan). From http://candralestianta.wordpress.com/category/penerjemahan/, 6 June 2011 19:43WIB
Universitas Sumatra Utara. A DESCRIPTION OF TRANSLATION. From http://repository.usu.ac.id/bitstream/123456789/20090/3/Chapter%20II.pdf, 6 June 2011 21:36WIB
Nababan. Penerjemahan dan Budaya. From http://www.proz.com/translation-articles/articles/2074/, 6 June 2011 21:40WIB
Finlay, Ian F (1971). Translating. Great Britain: Teach Yourself Books.
Nadar, F.X(2007). Paham dan Terampil Menerjemahkan. Yogyakarta: Unit Penerbitan dan Perpustakaan Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Universitas Gajah Mada.
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