Alteration in the Translation of Indonesian Novel into English

Abstract

This research article discusses one of the adjustment techniques namely alteration found in the translation of an Indonesian novel into English. The data source is an Indonesian novel entitled Lelaki Harimau and its translation in English, Man Tiger. The novel in the source language shows sophisticated style of writing involving the use of poetic as well as expressive words that it becomes a challenging task for the translator to find the equivalents. It needs a special skill to provide the same messages to the readers of the target language text. It is therefore the translation involves not only one kind of adjustment but also two other kinds under Nida’s adjustment techniques as an effort to get the closest and natural equivalent. This research just focuses on the third kind of adjustment technique, alteration. The objectives of this research are to reveal the types of alteration adjustment technique found in the first one hundred sentences of the novel considered as the introduction part and to identify the kind of information adjusted. The method used is descriptive qualitative method. The results show that all types of alteration adjustment technique are involved and the kinds of information adjusted are syntactical as well as cultural.