Translating Cultural Bound Elements in an Indonesian Supernatural Article Into English Language

Abstract

Translation is often depicted as a vehicle, means, or conduit between languages to bring understanding, insight, and new ways of thinking to the second language, with respect to the cultural traditions between the two languages. Occasionally, there are instances where a poor translation can render parts or most of the source language text incomprehensible. As a harbinger of information and communication between two languages, it is the translator's goal to produce accurate and idiomatic translations in the second language text. Related with culture, translators are faced with the dilemma of how to consider cultural aspects in the source text and how to appropriately convey them in the target language. Within this context, this paper examines the challenges posed by translating an Indonesian supernatural article into English. This paper will delve into the proper way to translate an Indonesian supernatural article into English and the proper format that should be used. An analysis of an Indonesian supernatural article translated by a class of 20 university-level students into English language, as well as the common errors made by students in translating the article at a meaning-based level will also be analyzed. Through this analysis it is hoped that translators can better comprehend and visualize the cultural implications and conceptualize better translation methods and strategies to translate cultural aspects into English language