Beyond Translation: Clarity, Sensitivity, and Artistry in Benedict Anderson’s Reading of Indonesian Literature

Novita Dewi

doi:10.21512/lc.v12i3.4173

Authors

Novita Dewi Sanata Dharma University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v12i3.4173

Keywords:

footnotes, pragmatic equivalence, foreignization, domestication

Abstract

This research was to reconfirm Anderson’s theory (and praxis) of translation, i.e., transfer of language and culture from one to another with clarity, sensitivity, and high artistry. The analytical method used the application of diverse translation strategies to achieve pragmatic equivalence, i.e., the use of footnotes and foreignization-domestication principles. To consolidate the discussion, this research examined closely Anderson’s English translation of part of Titie Said’s “Bidadari” in his analysis of the novel and his translation of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s short story “Nyonya Dokter Hewan Suharko”. The results indicate that what appears in his translation work is a broad range of discourses that help expound foreign-language (in this case English) intelligibility from the translating (Indonesian) one. His treatment of domesticating and the foreignizing translation is critically done owing to his gift of interests, passion, and persistence in the subject.

Dimensions

Plum Analytics

Author Biography

Novita Dewi, Sanata Dharma University

Novita Dewi obtained her Doctorate Degree from the Southeast Asian Studies Program, national University of Singapore in 2005. She is presently teaching at the Graduate Program of English Language Studies, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta. Among the research awards earned include ASF Collaborative Grant (2009); Loyola University of Chicago International Research Project (2010 – 2012); Erasmus Mundus Staff Mobility Award (2013), and the Indonesian Directorate of Higher Education Research Grant (2015 and 2016) on Ecocriticism in Indonesian Literature. Her research interests include Postcolonial Literatures, Popular Culture, and Language Education.

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