Humour Loss in the Indonesian Translation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Abstract

This article explores the preservation of humour in the Indonesian translation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Through the use of questionnaires completed by young readers aged 12-15 years old, we examine whether passages in the novel that are deemed humorous in the English original are also perceived as such by Indonesian readers. Our findings reveal the complexity of translating linguistic and culturally-specific humour in a novel. We conclude that the Indonesian translator of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone adopted an interpretativecommunicative method of translation. In doing so, some compromises were made, particularly, through simplification, which frequently resulted in humour loss.

Translation Analysis of Student’s Work (Study of Poetry Translation)

“…Whereas, the techniques category of the infrequent was used by translators, they are particularization 6 times or (1,1%) and description 5 times or (0,9%). Application of these techniques is also found at other study (Yuliasri, 2014 andNasution, 2017) which applied fewer times at translation of cultural text. Application of the particularization technique is included infrequent at several translation's work or product, because text of the source language especially in writing cultural aspect, the translator is more prefer to use rendering the text of the source language to actual meaning or other word which has equivalent word in target language, rather than using particular terms or précising meaning of word more specifically in delivering message from original text.…”

“…The translator used his/her understanding or comprehension to translate the text, the difference this technique with other technique by using translator interpretation such as Discursive Creation or Linguistic Compression is the result of translation in Target Language still being connected by The source language or another words the message of the source language could have been transferred to Target Language and comprehensible for the reader. This technique is also found at Yuliasri (2014) that showed the application of the technique was included at dominant technique to translate script of film Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone at (10,7%).…”

“…However some studies reported that this technique was the greatest number in translation many literary or non-literary of text such as Thahara (2015), Tedty (2013). However, the most of result of recent studies told the translators preferred in this technique (other studies discussed as other name is strategy) (Thahara, 2015;Yuliasri, 2014;Kesuma 2017).…”

“…The application of this technique is not recommended by many studies such as, Kolahi, 2012;Yuliasri, 2014, because, it might destroy the transferring message and distract the beautifulness of the poetic aspect in target text, as show at data SP/L2-TS7. This line has multi interpretation when a translator render the statement into Target Language, it can be figurative language or real situation what described by the poet about her feeling on certain situation which faced by herself.…”

“…The next technique was included less frequent used that is modulation 46 times at (8,4%). Opposite at Yuliasri (2014), this technique included at dominant technique to translate humor text at Film Harry Potter. From this technique, the translators used variation of the form of the message, obtained by a change in the point of view (Newmark, 1988;Molina and albir, 2002).…”