THE TRANSLATION OF INDONESIA MYTH CHARACTERS ON THE ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA

Marisa Puteri Sekar Ayu Santosa Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia [email protected]

ABSTRACT The English language Wikipedia is in both terms of the number of articles and amount of content, the largest encyclopedia ever written. Since it has an enormous amount of information and ease of access through the internet, Wikipedia is often used as the first destination for the general public when they wish to find specific information or learn about particular topic. One of the biggest issues in Wikipedia is making information available in almost all languages. English Wikipedia is often using another language as the source language for translation activities aimed to enhance the quality of the multilingual Wikipedia, one of the examples is Indonesian. In this research, the researcher was interested in observing Indonesian myth characters on the English Wikipedia by investigating the kind of translation techniques that English-Wikipedia used and the way of Wikipedia translated the cultural terms. This research used comparative descriptive method which compares the source text (Indonesia Wikipedia) and the target text (English Wikipedia). The Indonesian myths characters that the researcher wanted to analyze were: Sundel Bolong, Pocong, Jenglot, Wewe Gombel, Kuntilanak, Tuyul, Nyai Roro Kidul, and Babi Ngepet by using translation techniques from Molina and Albir (2002. The result of the study, it could be shown that there were 9 types of translation techniques which are used, they were: amplification (addition), borrowing, compensation, discursive creation, established equivalence, literal translation, modulation, reduction (omission), and transposition. Moreover, the translated text was more informative than the source text, since it was impossible to literally translating the cultural terms.

Keyword: Cultural Terms, Myth Characters, Translation, Wikipedia.

1. Introduction The English language Wikipedia is in encyclopedia ever written. Since it has an both terms of the number of articles and enormous amount of information and amount of content, the largest ease of access through the internet,

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Wikipedia is often used as the first institutions and taboos were established destination for the general public when and sanctified. From the explanation they wish to find specific information or above, the term myth is widely used to learn about particular topic. One of the imply that a story is not objectively true. biggest issues in Wikipedia is making Based on Von Franz (2017), the information available in all languages. identification of a narrative as a myth can The English Wikipedia is often used be highly political, influenced by another language as the source language particular religions. for translation activities aimed to The belief of Indonesian to the enhance the quality of the multilingual myths, specifically in the supernatural Wikipedia, one of the example is things or ghosts is quite interesting to be Indonesian. There are found many explored. Since the myth characters are interesting phenomena about the only known in Indonesia, it must be Indonesian culture which is described interesting to find out how the English and translated from Indonesian Wikipedia translate the terms of the Wikipedia into English Wikipedia. characters. Since, the different nations Here, the researcher was interested share the different cultures. According to in observing Indonesian myth characters Newmark (1988), the translation’ on the English Wikipedia. In this problems which relate to the culture globalization era, there is still such a differences are language style, believing in the supernatural things. In background, themes such as character’s Indonesia, it is developing the belief in names, place’s names, words or such supernatural thing like myth particular terms that relate to the culture characters. According to Dictionary of which cannot be found in the target English Folklore, myth is a folklore genre language. That is why, the translator which is consisting of narratives or needs to have a background knowledge stories that play a fundamental role in a about the culture of the source text to society, such as foundational tales or produce a good translation and can be origin myths. The main characters in understood by the target readers. myths are usually gods, demigods or The difficulty in translation process is supernatural humans. According to in finding the equivalence words which Bascom (1965), myths are “often are equal to the source text and the endorsed by rulers and priests or target text. Pym (2014) stated that the priestesses, and are closely linked to goal of translator is to keep the meaning religion or spirituality. However, many of the translation to be constant. societies group their myths, legends and Equivalency usually uses in the history together, considering myths and translation process, especially in the legends to be true accounts of their structural used and the meaning which is remote past. Eliade (1998) explained that totally different from the source myths tell how a society’s customs, language, but the context remains the

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same. Thus, the translator does not just substitution, transposition and variation. transfer each words in source language The translators can use some variations into target language, but a good of translation technique in any product translator must skillful in translating the of translation such as in translating source language into target language cultural terms, especially translating without changing the purpose and Indonesian ghost characters in English message in target language. Therefore, Wikipedia. the translator can transmit the source There are several researches which language to the target language text by conduct in Wikipedia translation and using some translation technique in cultural translation. First research was making the readers can understand conducted by Woodrich (2014), he about the translation in the target analyzed the representations of language. Translation techniques can be Indonesia on the English Wikipedia by defined as a way to transfer the meaning using discourse analysis. This research from the source language to target and the researcher’s research remain the language is based on micro unit (word, same in using Wikipedia as an object. phrase or clause or in sentence), which However, there is a different approach influence the result of translation. between them, Woodrich used discourse Molina and Albir (2002) defined that analysis approach, while the researcher translation technique allow the people to uses translation approach. The next describe the actual steps which taken by related study was conducted by Aditya the translators in each textual micro-unit and Basari (2013), they analyzed the and obtain clear data about the general Ahmad Tahari’s novel “Ronggeng Dukuh methodological option chosen. Paruk” and the English version entitled Translation technique is the procedure to “The Dancer” to find the ideology of the analyze and classify the way of translator by identifying the dominance equivalence can happens. Translation translation technique by using Molina technique is called as the realization of and Albir theory. This research and the the decision, making process, where the researcher’s research are both using the product of translation can be identified same theory in order to find the on the translation result. There are 18 translation techniques used in English translation techniques which were stated Wikipedia. The third related study was by Molina and Albir (2002), such as: written by Sudana et all (2014), their adaptation, amplification (addition), purpose was to find how to translate the borrowing, calque, compensation, cultural terms and the procedure of the description, discursive creation, translation by using Newmark theory. established equivalence, generalization, The similarity of this research to the linguistic amplification, linguistic researcher’s research is both wanting to compression, literal translation, find how to translate the cultural terms. modulation, particularization, reduction, The last related study was written by

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Nasrum and Sari (2016), their purposes 4. Calque: a technique that translate of the research were to know the kinds the word or phrase from the SL of translation used in slang language and into TL which can be lexical or knowing the equivalence meaning structural system, and also can be between translated text and the original translated word-for-word in a SL text in the movie by using three theories, to TL. they are Newmark’s, Partidge’s, and 5. Compensation: a technique that Palmer’s theories. The similarity of this introduces SL element of research to the researcher’s research is information or stylistic effect in both of them want to know what kinds of another place in the TL because it translation used in the text. From the cannot reflected in the same previous studies, there are none of the place as in the SL. research which is interested in observing 6. Description: translation technique the translation technique in English- to replace a term or expression Wikipedia in translating cultural terms in with a description of its form Indonesian myth characters. or/and function. 7. Discursive Creation: a technique 2. Literature Review that replaces a term or expression The researcher analyzed the type of with a description of its form translation techniques which was used or/and function. by English Wikipedia according to Molina 8. Established Equivalence: a and Albir (2002), they were: technique that use term or 1. Adaptation: a technique that expression which is recognized (in replaces the SL cultural elements dictionary or language in use and with one which has the same everyday use) as an equivalent in condition and situation in the TL the TL. culture. The translator has to 9. Generalization: a translation create or make a new situation technique to use a more general that can be considered as being or neutral term. equivalent both in SL and TL. 10. Linguistic Amplification: a 2. Amplification (Addition): a translation technique to add technique that conveyed details linguistic elements, it is often that are not formulated or stated used in consecutive interpreting in SL, it can be either information and dubbing. or paraphrasing explicitly. 11. Linguistic Compression: a 3. Borrowing: a technique that takes translation technique to a word or expression straight synthesize linguistic elements in from another language, and with the TT, it is often used in no change. simultaneous interpreting and in sub-titling.

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12. Literal Translation: a technique Sundel Bolong, Pocong, Jenglot, Wewe that translates a word or an Gombel, Kuntilanak, Tuyul, Nyai Roro expression in word for word Kidul, and Babi Ngepet. There are only 8 without any addition or reduction myth characters which are chosen, into TL. because they were the most popular 13. Modulation: a technique that myth characters in Indonesia. changes the point of view in the In this research, the researcher TL in order to focus or cognitive wanted to answer the research category in relation to SL. questions: 1) What kind of translation 14. Particularization: a translation techniques that English-Wikipedia use?, technique that uses a more 2) How to translate the cultural terms?. precise or concrete term. Following the research questions, the 15. Reduction (Omission): a researcher needed to find the translation technique that reduces certain techniques in English-Wikipedia by elements of the SL. It is also called comparing the source text, Indonesian- elimination, omission or Wikipedia. Then, the researcher needed subtraction which suppressing a to find the way in translating the cultural SL information in the TL. terms by interpreting from the kind of 16. Transposition (Shift): a technique the translation techniques found. that changes a grammatical category in relation to the source 4. Result and Discussion language. 4.1 Translation Technique 17. Variation: a translation technique The researcher analyzed the type of that changes linguistic or the translation technique according to paralinguistic elements Molina and Albir (2002). In analyzing the (intonation, gestures) that affect type of translation technique, the aspects of linguistic variation: researcher used 8 data from English- changes of textual tone, style, Wikipedia (target text) and 8 data from social dialect, geographical Indonesian-Wikipedia (source text), such dialect. as: Sundel Bolong, Pocong, Jenglot, Wewe Gombel, Kuntilanak, Tuyul, Nyai 3. Research Methods Roro Kidul and Babi Ngepet. This research used comparative descriptive method which compared the 1) Amplification (Addition) source text and the target text. The Amplification (Addition) is a source of the research was from technique that conveyed details that are Wikipedia-English as the target text and not formulated or stated in source Wikipedia-Indonesia as the source text language. It can be either information or which were describing about the paraphrasing explicitly. It is same with Indonesian myths characters, such as: addition or gain. It also can be called

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grammatical expansion for clarity of translated/changed in translation meaning. This translation technique is a language exactly as in source language. common technique in translating cultural When an expression or a word is taken things, it is really helpful for the target over purely in translation language readers to understand the meaning of (without change), it is called pure the particular term by giving the addition borrowing. In naturalized borrowing, it of the information. It is found in the can be naturalized to fit the spelling rules English Wikipedia translation of Pocong’s in the target language (with changing). In article. There is an addition of English Wikipedia, in translating the myth information about the reason of the characters name uses borrowing appearing of Pocong, while there is no technique. It is obviously shown that the explanation about it in the source target. word is purely borrowed from the Also, there is an addition of the original into target language. For the explanation of the existence of the example: Sundel Bolong is translated into Pocong character in the popular culture Sundel Bolong, Pocong is translated into like films. Pocong, and also another myth character Another example of addition names are translated into their own technique is found in the Jenglot’s names, except Kuntilanak and Tuyul. article, in target text there is an However, Kuntilanak and Tuyul in English explanation of how to feeding Jenglot, Wikipedia are translated into many the information about how Indonesia is names based on the country’s origin. often held an exhibition by showcasing Another example is also found in the Jenglot, and also about the history of Pocong’s article, “kain kafan” is also Jenglot. It is also found in Tuyul’s article, translated into “kain kafan.” there are found several addition in explaining the names of Tuyul in another 3) Compensation country, the appearance of Tuyul and Compensation is a technique that also the characterization of Tuyul. The introduces source language element of addition technique is also found in Babi information or stylistic effect in another Ngepet’s article, there is found an place in the target language because it explanation about how a man transforms cannot be reflected in the same place as into boar demon (Babi Ngepet), the in the source language. This technique is practice of Babi Ngepet, and also how found in Wewe Gombel’s article in the interpretation of Babi Ngepet in describing the information about Wewe Javanese culture. Gombel’s characterization, “Wewe Gombel biasanya akan menakut- 2) Borrowing nakuti orang tua si anak atas sikap dan Borrowing is a technique that takes a perlakuannya kepada anaknya sampai word or expression straight from another mereka sadar.” While in the English language. It can be copied, reproduced, Wikipedia it is translated into “This myth

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is taught to encourage children to be 5) Established Equivalence cautious and to stay at home at night.” It is a technique that use term or Here, the translator changes the element expression which is recognized (in information and gives stylistic effect in dictionary or language in use and target language because the source everyday use) as an equivalent in the language cannot be reflected in the same target language. It is used to refer to case place in source language. where language describe the same situation by different stylistic or 4) Discursive Creation structural. Established equivalence Discursive Creation is a technique technique is found in Nyai Roro Kidul’s that replaces a term or expression with a article in describing Nyai Roro Kidul as description of its form or/and function. “Ratu Laut Selatan” into “Queen of the The purpose of this technique is to Southern Sea”. Here, the translator uses indicate the equivalency. This technique the same expression which has the same is also found in English Wikipedia in meaning between source language and translating the myth character name. target language. However it has different Mostly, the myth character names are structure because Indonesia has a rule D- translated by using borrowing technique. M (diterangkan-menerangkan) which is However, Kuntilanak in English Wikipedia noun will be placed in front of the is translated into Pontianak and Tuyul is adjective, while English has a rule M-D translated into Toyol. There is an (menerangkan-diterangkan) which is explanation in Indonesian Wikipedia that adjective will be placed in front of the Pontianak is a name of Kuntilanak in noun. Malay language, but in English Wikipedia Another example of the established there is an explanation that Indonesian equivalence is found in Nyai Roro Kidul’s also called Kuntilanak as Pontianak as the article also. In Indonesian Wikipedia, Malay do. The translation of Kuntilanak Nyai Roro Kidul has another form beside into Pontianak actually different with the her actual form, “Dalam wujud intended meaning, but the translation of sejenis putri duyung, ia disebut Pontianak is enough for representing sebagai Nyai Blorong.” It is translated about Kuntilanak. into “In mermaid form she is referred to In the English Wikipedia there is an as Nyai Blorong” ”. Here, the translator explanation about Tuyul can be called as uses the same expression which has the Toyol in Malay, but there is no same meaning between source language explanation about it in Indonesian and target language. However it has Wikipedia. Actually the translation of different structure because Indonesia has Tuyul into Toyol is different from the a rule D-M (diterangkan-menerangkan) meaning, but it is quite enough for which is noun will be placed in front of represent Tuyul. the adjective, while English has a rule M- D (menerangkan-diterangkan) which is

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adjective will be placed in front of the same phenomenon in a different way. noun. This translation technique is also used by English Wikipedia in translating the 6) Literal Translation Indonesian myth character names. It is It is a technique that translates a found in Sundel Bolong’s article, in word or an expression in word for word. Indonesia Wikipedia that is found an The source language is translated explanation about the history of Sundel literally, and focuses on the form and Bolong which is stated that “Sundel structure, without any addition or Bolong adalah arwah penasaran dari reduction into TL. Literal translation wanita yang mati karena diperkosa…” technique is found in Nyai Roro Kidul’s While in the English Wikipedia, it is article in explaining that Nyai Roro Kidul translated into “A Sundel Bolong is the has many names based on the origins, in soul of a woman who died when she was Indonesian Wikipedia “Nyai Roro Kidul pregnant outside of marriage…” Here, juga dikenal dengan berbagai nama yang the translator changes the point of view mencerminkan berbagai kisah berbeda from “diperkosa” (rape) into “pregnant dari asal-usulnya, legenda, mitologi, dan outside of the marriage”. However, it still kisah turun-temurun.” And it is has the same message to explain the translated literally with no addition or history of Sundel Bolong. omission into “Nyai Roro Kidul spirit has many different names, which reflect the 8) Reduction (Omission) diverse stories of her origin in different Reduction is a technique that reduces sagas, legends, myths and certain elements of the source language. traditional folklore.” Another example is It is also called elimination, omission or found in Jenglot’s article in describing subtraction which suppressing a source Jenglot, “Jenglot adalah figure hominoid” language information in the target is translated literally into “Jenglot is a language. In translating the definition of deformed humanoid.” Here, the the myth character, the translator uses translator focuses on source language the reduction technique. Since there are has same form and structure to the some elements which is not really target language. important to be translated, so it needs to reduce some of the information. In 7) Modulation Sundel Bolong’s Indonesian Wikipedia Modulation is a technique that article, there is an explanation about changes the point of view in the Sundel Bolong looks that similar to translation language in order to focus or Kuntilanak. However, it is not found in cognitive category in relation to source the English Wikipedia article. language. It is a variation of the form of the message, obtained by a change the point of view. It allows in expressing the

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9) Transposition 4.2 Translating Cultural Terms Transposition is a technique that There are found 9 translation changes a grammatical category in techniques which are used by the relation to the source language. This translators in translating Indonesian technique is the same to shift (in myth character names. In translating the category, structure and unit shift, such as cultural terms, the translators use the changing singular to plural, position of cultural terms without translated into adjective, changing the word class or part target language. However, the of speech). The transposition technique translators use addition technique in is also used in translating the Indonesian explaining the cultural terms. It can be myth characters in Kuntilanak’s article, in said that the translated texts are more Indonesian Wikipedia, Kuntilanak is informative and give the good knowledge described as “hantu yang dipercaya to the target readers by adding particular berasal dari perempuan hamil yang information to supporting the definition meninggal dunia.” While in English of the Indonesian myth characters. Wikipedia, it is translated into “the spirits of women who died while pregnant.” 5. Conclusion Here, the translator translate “hantu” It could be concluded that there were into “spirits”, there is a transposition or 9 types of translation techniques which shift. Actually “hantu” can be translated were used by the translators in into “ghost”, but the translator prefers in translating the cultural articles, they changing the shift by using “spirit”, and were: amplification (addition), also the translator changing the singular borrowing, compensation, discursive into plural by adding -s in the word creation, established equivalence, literal “spirit”. translation, modulation, reduction Based on the findings above, there (omission), and transposition. Here, in are only 9 techniques which are used in translating the cultural texts it could not translating the Indonesian myth be consistence by using literally character names in English Wikipedia. translation technique. Since, there were Mostly, the translators can give the many cultural terms that have no same information clearly for the target readers meanings in the target text. English by using the original terms, then giving Wikipedia could give clear information to the addition, and also adapt the the target readers by adding information grammatical and structural pattern in the in the appearance of the myth target language. It seems like that the characters, the origins of the characters, English Wikipedia gives more information and the other names of the characters if than the original one (Indonesian they are also existing in the other Wikipedia). countries’ mythology. Therefore, the translated texts are more informative than the original texts. It also can be

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concluded that the quality of the English http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/00803 Wikipedia translation is accurate, 3ar acceptable in structural and grammatical, Molina, L and Amparo, H. A. (2002). understandable by the readers because it Translation techniques revisited: A contains added information, and dynamic and functionalist readable. approach. Meta: Translators’ Journal Vol. 47 no 4. References Munday, J. (2001). Introducing Aditya, R & Basari, A. (2013). The translation studies: Theories and Ideology of translation cultural applications. New York: British terms found in Ahmad Tahari’s Library Catalog in Publication Data. novel Ranggeng Dukuh Paruk into Simpson, J and Roud, S. (2000) Myths. A its English version The Dancer. Dictionary of English Semarang: Universitas Dian folklore. Oxford: Oxford University Nuswantoro. Press. Bascom, W. R. (1965). The forms of Nasrum & Sari. P. O. (2016). Indonesia folklore: Prose narratives. and English equivalence of slang University of California. language in 22 Jump Street movie. Jenglot. (2019). English-Wikipedia. Elite: English and Literature Retrieved December, 14 2019, Journal Volume 03 Number 01. from: 21-34. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jengl Newmark, P. (1998). A textbook of ot translation. New York: Prentice Hall Jenglot. (2019). Indonesian-Wikipedia. Inc. Retrieved December, 14 2019, Nyai Roro Kidul. (2019). English- from: Wikipedia. Retrieved December, 14 https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jengl 2019, from: ot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nyai_ Kuntilanak. (2019). Indonesian- roro_kidul Wikipedia. Retrieved December, 14 Nyai Roro Kidul. (2019). Indonesian- 2019, from: Wikipedia. Retrieved December, 14 https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuntil 2019, from: anak https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyai_ Molina, L. and Albir, H. (2002). roro_kidul Translation techniques revisited: A Pocong. English-Wikipedia. (2019). dynamic and functionalist Retrieved December, 14 2019, approach. Meta: Translators' from: Journal, vol. 47, no.4, 2002, p. 498- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poco 512. Retrieved on December, 14 ng 2019, from

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Pocong. Indonesian-Wikipedia. (2019). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wew Retrieved December, 14 2019, e_gombel from: Wewe Gombel. Indonesian-Wikipedia. https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poco Retrieved December, 14 2019, ng from: Pontianak. English-Wikipedia. Retrieved https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wew December, 14 2019, from: e_gombel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ponti Woodrich, C.A. (2014). Encyclopedic anak discourses of Indonesia: Pym, A. (2014). Exploring translation Representations of theories. London: Routledge. Indonesia on the English Wikipedia. Sudana, at all. (2014). Analisis Journal of Gadjah Mada University. penerjemahan istilah budaya istilah Yogyakarta. budaya pada novel Negeri 5 Menara ke dalam Bahasa Inggris: Kajian deskriptif berorientasi teori Newmark. Ilmu Social dan Humanities Journal. ISSN: 2303-

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Sundel Bolong. (2019). English-Wikipedia. Retrieved December, 14 2019, from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sund el_bolong Sundel Bolong. (2019). Indonesian- Wikipedia. Retrieved December, 14 2019, from: https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sund el_bolong

Toyol. English-Wikipedia. (2019).

Retrieved December, 14 2019, from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyol Tuyul. Indonesian-Wikipedia. (2019). Retrieved December, 14 2019, from: https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuyul Wewe Gombel. English-Wikipedia. (2019) Retrieved December, 14 2019, from:

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