A Contrastive Analysis on the Translation of Schleifers Mary the Blessed Virgin of Islam into Prihantoros `Maryam Sang Perawan Suci`

Abstract

This paper is a result of a mixed method research of untranslatability phenomenon in translation, aimed at identifying the classification of untranslatability based on linguistic units, knowing the causing factors of the untranslatability, describing the approaches used by the translator to solve the untranslatability problems, and measuring the readability of the translation.

Using contrastive analysis method, the researcher analyzed the data collected using content analysis on the objects of the research, an English book by Aliah Schleifer and its Indonesian translation by Agung Prihantoro. Questionnaires were distributed to some respondents to know the readability of the translation.

Based on the results of the analysis, it is known that the untranslatability phenomenon occured in the level of word, phrase and clause. The untranslatability was caused by two factors: linguistic equivalence absence and cultural equivalence absence. The cultural factor was dominant since the source book mostly discusses about Arabian culture and religion matters.

In solving the untranslatability problems, the translator applied contrastive principles, by (1) italicizing the untranslatable concepts, (2) changing the words with the similar ones in the target language, and (3) giving explanation or meaning description for the concepts with annotations, descriptive phrases and/or other supportive explanations.

The result of analysis on the distributed questionnaires shows that generally, the translation is quite understandable, or it has a quite good readability. But, there is a tendency that the book is more suitable to be read by those who are accustomed to religious terms. It is a bit inappropriate for common readers.