Response Paper on Translation and Literature

Roza Puspita/186332026

There are many good literary works can be read across the country because the good

work of the translator. Without having the skill of all languages, people can enjoy reading

such novel, poem, or movie that they want to read and watch. This kind of good work can be

enjoyed for all level of age of the people especially for the children. Children literature is one

of the literary work that can be very useful for children and also the parent because they can

have not only their own folklore but also from other countries written in their own language.

Translation of children literature is one of the difficult parts to be translated. Children

literature is different from other literary genres because the audience is different from with

the ideal readership. The translation of the children literature is not only to satisfy the

children but also reflect adult’s view taste. Therefore, translator needs to satisfy two

categories of audience for this kind of translation. In order to translate children’s literature, it

needs high adaptation for fulfilling the expectation of the teacher/parent and the target

culture. Translator need to adapt and manipulate the source text in order to have such a

good translated children’s literature that can fulfill the demand of the reader of the target

language and also finding the equivalence in term of the culture in the target language.

This example will provide more explanation about the adaptation that translator do in

translating children’s literature:

ST: The teeny weeny tadpole swam in and out of the lili pads. Splish! And Splash

TT: kecebong kecil mungil berenang keatas dan kebawah daun lili. Kecipak! Kecipuk

ST: flippity-flop, she landed with a plop

TT: Flip! Flop! Ibu katak mendarat plop.

From the above example, we can see the adaptation that the translator need to do for

the onomatopoeia to be translated to the target language. This happen because to make the

feeling of the nature still can be felled by the reader (the children and the parent/the
teacher). It should be suitable with the nature in the target language so then; the reader can

imagine what happen in the story since story is related with the imagination.

The other part that should be paid attention by the translation in translating children’s

literature is the name of the character in the story. The translator has the liberty in having

decision whether he/she wants to adapt the name or just borrow the name of the character.

For example: the name of the Donald duck character has been translated into Joko Bebek.

It is probably because the translator wants to have the equivalency of the name into the

target language so then it is easier for the ultimate reader to imagine about the story.

References:

Mette Rudvin (1994) Translation and “myth” : Norwegian children’s literature in English,
Perspectives: studies in Translotogy 2:2, 199-211, DOI
10.1080/0907676X.1994.9961236