A translation analysis of taboo expressions in a film entitled “knocked up” and their indonesian subtitles

Oleh :
Cindy Parahita - C0304014 - Fak. Sastra dan Seni Rupa

ABSTRACT 2010. THESIS ENGLISH DEPATMENT, FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS, SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY, SURAKARTA. This research focuses on the translation analysis of taboo expressions in the film “Knocked Up”. This study aims to find out the strategies employed by translator to translate taboo expressions, and the impacts of the strategy to the accuracy and the acceptability of taboo expressions translation. This is a descriptive-qualitative research. The source of data in this research is the dialogue of a movie entitled “Knocked Up” and its Indonesian subtitle. The data in this research are taboo expressions in the dialogue of “Knocked Up” movie that consist of 227 data, its translation, and close and open-ended questionnaire. The result of the analysis on the translation strategies shows that there are eleven strategies used by the translator to translate taboo expressions in the movie “Knocked Up”, they are: translation using taboo expressions with similar expressive meaning and form (16 data or 7.1 %), translation using non taboo expressions with similar expressive meaning and form (3 data or 1.3 %), translation using taboo expressions with less expressive meaning but similar form (14 data or 6.2 %), translation using taboo expressions with less expressive meaning and dissimilar form (2 data or 0.9 %), translation using non taboo expressions with less expressive meaning and dissimilar form (62 data or 27.3 %), translation by more general word (6 data or 2.6%), translation by omission (86 data or 37.9 %), translation by loan word plus explanation (1 data or 0.4 %), translation by swearing word (26 data or 11.5 %), translation by reduction (3 data or 1.3 %), translation using proper interjection (8 data or 3.5%). The translation strategy which is more frequently used by the translator to render taboo expressions in the movie ‘Knocked-Up” is translation by omission. There are 86 data or 37.9% of the whole data translated through this strategy. Meanwhile, translation by loan word plus explanation is the least frequently used strategy since there is only one datum (0.4%) from the overall data translated through this strategy. The analysis of the accuracy shows that there are 25 data (11%) considered to be very accurate translation, 106 data (46.7%) considered to be accurate translation, 87 data (38.3%) considered to be less accurate translation, and 9 data (4%) considered to be inaccurate translation. The strategy of translation using taboo expression with similar expressive meaning and form is the strategy which produces the translation with high level of accuracy (68.8%). Meanwhile, strategy of using non taboo expression with less expressive meaning and dissimilar form is the strategy which produces the translation with low level of accuracy (6.5%). The analysis on the acceptability of the translation shows that there are 182 data (80.2%) considered to be acceptable translation, and 45 data (19.8%) considered to be unacceptable translation. The strategies used by the translator which result in translations with high level of acceptability are translation using taboo expressions with less expressive meaning but similar form, translation using proper interjection, translation by reduction, and translation using taboo expressions with less expressive meaning and dissimilar form.