FOREIGNIZATION AND DOMESTICATION OF CULTURE-SPECIFIC TERMS IN MARAH RUSLI’S SITTI NURBAYA: KASIH TAK SAMPAI INTO GEORGE FOWLER’S SITTI NURBAYA: A LOVE UNREALIZED

Abstract

The aims of this research are: (1) to describe the categories of Indonesian culture-specific terms in the novel, (2) to describe how foreignization and domestication strategies are represented in translating the culture-specific terms, and (3) to describe the degree of meaning equivalence of the culture-specific terms in Marah Rusli’s Sitti Nurbaya: Kasih tak Sampai novel represented in George Fowler’s Sitti Nurbaya: A Love Unrealized. The research employed mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data are culture-specific terms and their translation found in Marah Rusli’s Sitti Nurbaya: Kasih Tak Sampai into George Fowler’s Sitti Nurbaya: A Love Unrealized. The main instrument is represented by the researcher and the second instrument is the data sheet. In addition, to gain trustworthiness of the data, triangulation method was applied.  There are three findings obtained from the study. Firstly, five categories of culture-specific terms were identified: ecology, material culture, social culture, social organization, and gesture and habits. Material culture terms have the highest frequency with 66 terms (33.17%). Secondly, the researcher identified three foreignization strategies used in translating the culture-specific terms, they are preservation, addition, and literal translation. On the other hand, there are four domestication strategies; they are omission, globalization, localization, and transformation. It is revealed that 161 terms (80.90%) are translated with domestication strategies. Thirdly, in terms of degree of meaning equivalence, 184 terms (92.46%) are translated with equivalent meanings. The domestication ideology seems to be used more frequently since the translator tries to make the terms more familiar to the target readers.

 Keywords: foreignization, domestication, culture-specific terms, Sitti Nurbaya: Kasih Tak Sampai