English Journal Antartika Volume 1 No.
2 December 2023
ISSN: 3031-7614
The Translation of English Modals in the Novel Entitled Deck The Halls Suci Riyanti Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika e-mail: suciriyantiokto@gmail.
Abstracts - This study analyzes the translation of English modals into Indonesian within the context of the novel "Deck the Halls" by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark.
Modals, such as "can," "could," "may," "might," "should," "would," and "must," are crucial in expressing nuances of possibility, necessity, permission, and ability.
Their accurate translation is vital for preserving the narrative's tone, intent, and This study examines how these English modals are rendered in Indonesian, highlighting translation strategies employed to convey the original meaning effectively.
The analysis reveals that modals are often translated through literal and contextual approaches.
For instance, "must" is translated as "harus" to convey strong necessity, while "might" is rendered as "mungkin" to express uncertainty.
The study also explores challenges such as nuance loss and context sensitivity, which arise due to structural and cultural differences between English and Indonesian.
The effectiveness of the translation is evaluated based on how well it retains the original modals' meanings and narrative functions.
Overall, this analysis demonstrates that while translating English modals involves navigating complex linguistic and cultural factors, the strategies employed in "Deck the Halls" generally succeed in preserving the narrative's intended tone and meaning.
Keywords : novel, analysis.
English modals.
Abstrak - Penelitian ini menganalisis terjemahan modals bahasa Inggris ke dalam bahasa Indonesia dalam konteks novel "Deck the Halls" karya Mary Higgins Clark dan Carol Higgins Clark.
Modals, seperti "can," "could," "may," "might," "should," "would," dan "must," sangat penting dalam menyampaikan nuansa kemungkinan, kebutuhan, izin, dan kemampuan.
Terjemahan yang akurat sangat penting untuk menjaga nada, maksud, dan subtitas narasi.
Penelitian ini menganalisa bagaimana modals dalam bahasa Inggris diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia dengan cara menyoroti strategi terjemahan yang digunakan untuk menyampaikan makna asli secara efektif.
Analisis menunjukkan bahwa modals sering diterjemahkan melalui pendekatan literal dan kontekstual.
Misalnya, "must" diterjemahkan sebagai "harus" untuk menyampaikan kebutuhan yang kuat, sementara "might" diterjemahkan sebagai "mungkin" untuk menyatakan ketidakpastian.
Studi ini juga mengeksplorasi tantangan seperti hilangnya nuansa dan sensitivitas konteks, yang muncul karena perbedaan struktur dan budaya antara bahasa Inggris dan bahasa Indonesia.
Efektivitas terjemahan dievaluasi berdasarkan sejauh mana terjemahan tersebut mempertahankan makna dan fungsi modals di teks asli.
Secara keseluruhan, analisis ini menunjukkan bahwa meskipun menerjemahkan modals bahasa Inggris melibatkan faktor linguistik dan budaya yang kompleks, strategi yang digunakan dalam "Deck the Halls" umumnya berhasil dalam mempertahankan nada dan makna yang dimaksudkan dalam narasi di teks asli.
Kata Kunci : novel, analysis.
English modals.
INTRODUCTION
Daily, we seek entertainment to fulfill our spare time or our interest in many different ways.
Some people prefer to sit at home and watch television or scroll on their phones looking for interesting content.
some people prefer reading such as magazines, newspapers, comics, novels, short stories, etc.
The novel is one of literature that can be enjoyed by everyone and all ages.
A novel is a narrative work of prose fiction that tells a story about specific human or character experiences over a considerable length.
Novels are not only an entertaining tool but also a guide to our lives because many novels contain a lot of moral messages.
In this study, the writer tries to find out the translation of English modals from the novel entitled Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark because the writer wants to analyze the novel more deeply in the grammatical part.
Modals are pivotal in language for expressing nuances of mood, necessity, possibility, and Their usage in literary texts is essential for conveying the subtleties of character interactions, narrative progression, and thematic elements.
Translating these modals effectively from one language to another is a significant challenge, particularly when translating between languages with different grammatical structures and cultural contexts.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.
0 International License.
English Journal Antartika Volume 1 No.
2 December 2023 "Deck the Halls" is a suspenseful novel involving intricate plots and emotional dialogues where English modals play a crucial role in building suspense and guiding reader expectations.
The novel's use of modals contributes significantly to its tone and the development of its characters.
Therefore, examining how these English modals are translated into Indonesian can offer insights into how well the translation retains the original text's emotional and narrative impact.
According to Pearsall in his book Concise Oxford Dictionary, literature is the broadest sense includes all written material into this general grouping fall history books, philosophical work novels, poems, plays, scientific articles, dictionaries, directories, instructional manuals, travel folder, magazines, and school books and so on.
Literature can also mean the work of authors, including prose and verse and especially of lasting quality and artistic merit and writings of relative excellence in lasting or universal appeal.
artistically worthy writing.
or belles-letters.
the body of writing in a particular field or on a particular subject.
historical or available printed matter (Literary comparison Dictionary, 1984: .
One of literary work is a novel.
Novel is an extended work of prose fiction.
A novel is considerably longer than a short story and even novelette- a middle length work.
In comparison to these latter genres, its magnitude allows for a greater variety of characters, greater complication of plot or plots, a fuller development of setting.
ttp://felass.
ca/kingsmip/novel.
According to Allen in his book The New Penguin English Dictionary .
, novel is an invented narrative that is usually long and complex and deals, especially with human experience and social behavior.
Definition of Translation What is theory? An explanation is a theory.
A theory may defined as a statement of a general principle, based upon reasoned argument and supported by evidence, that is intended to explain particular fact, event, or phenomenon (Sofia rangkuti, 2006, p.
According Nida and Taber .
2, p.
, translating consists in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.
In addition, (Larson, 1984, p.
, translation consists of studying lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source language text, analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and then reconstructing this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure which appropriate in the receptor language and its cultural context.
Theoretical Approaches to Modals:
Semantic Approach: This approach focuses on the meanings of modals and how they relate to different degrees of certainty, necessity, and permission.
Semantic theories often explore how modals are interpreted in various contexts.
Source: Kratzer.
"Modality".
In Semantics: An International Handbook of Contemporary Research.
Mouton de Gruyter.
Pragmatic Approach: Pragmatic theories examine how modals function in communication, including their role in politeness, speaker intent, and context.
This approach emphasizes how modals affect the interaction between speakers and listeners.
Source: Holmes.
Women.
Men and Politeness.
Longman.
Functional Approach: This approach studies how modals are used to achieve specific communicative functions, such as requesting, advising, or indicating possibility.
It considers the functional roles of modals in constructing meaning.
Source: Halliday.
An Introduction to Functional Grammar.
Edward Arnold.
Modality in Translation:
Translating modals poses unique challenges due to differences in modal systems across languages.
Theories of translation often address how modals are handled to preserve meaning, tone, and cultural nuances.
Dynamic Equivalence: This theory focuses on conveying the same meaning and effect in the target language as https://ejournal.
id/index.
php/eja/index English Journal Antartika Volume 1 No.
2 December 2023 in the source language, even if the exact words differ.
It is particularly relevant in translating modals to ensure that their function and impact are preserved.
Source: Nida.
, & Taber.
The Theory and Practice of Translation.
Brill.
Formal Equivalence: This approach aims for a direct, word-for-word translation, maintaining the structure and form of the original language.
It is useful for preserving the grammatical nuances of modals but may not always capture the full contextual meaning.
Source: Newmark.
A Textbook of Translation.
Prentice Hall.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research uses a descriptive qualitative method.
It means that all the data in this research are in the form of sentences and words, not in the form of numbers.
As Wilkinson .
0, p.
stated that the resulting data is presented in the form of descriptions.
So, the data in this research is in the form of descriptions.
According to Wilkinson .
0, p.
, qualitative data is usually analyzed by subjecting it to some form of coding process.
Procedures of the Research Below are the descriptions of outline form that the researcher plans to do to carry out this study:
Firstly, the researcher reads the source text and its translation consecutively to identify the English The identified AomodalsAo are the data that will be analyzed later on.
By identifying the source data and its translation, the researcher then find out the relevant translation theory and strategies affect the overall meaning and tone of the translation After the researcher find the theory/s mentioned above, then the data will be analyzed based on the theories and the translation strategies.
The procedures of data collection were begun by identifying the needed data which consists of modals in the English and those in Indonesian.
Observe how context influences the choice of modal in the target language.
For instance, some languages might use different modals based on formality or politeness.
The procedure of data collection begins by identifying the needed data which consists of the English modals compared to the Indonesian modals.
The collected data is categorized into data containing modal can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Data 1 Source Text Target text "You may not be gazing at the Pacific Ocean.
A " (P.
walaupun kau tak bisa memandang Samudra Pasifik,A (P.
The Indonesian translation "tak bisa" .
hich translates to "cannot" or "unable to") does not directly translate the modal "may.
" Instead, it conveys the idea of inability or impossibility.
The translation uses dynamic Equivalence theory Data 2 Source Text Target text " CanAot you skip GoodloeAos funeral? " (P.
Tidak bisakah kau melewatkan pemakaman Goodloe? (P.
https://ejournal.
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2 December 2023 The translation "Tidak bisakah kau melewatkan pemakaman Goodloe?" uses "tidak bisakah" which translates to "canAot you" or "isnAot it possible for you to.
" This choice maintains the modal function of expressing a question about the possibility or ability to skip the funeral, aligning with the intent of the original English sentence.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 3 Source Text Target text AuI suppose you should go.
Ay (P.
AuKurasa kau memang mesti pergi.
Ay (P.
By using "mesti" instead of a direct equivalent of "should," the translation provides a slightly stronger sense of obligation or necessity.
This choice aligns with the intent of the original English sentence while adapting to the norms of Indonesian.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 4 Source Text Target text AuIt was a commitment Luke would not be able to keepAy.
(P.
AuTernyata.
Luke tak bisa memenuhi janji itu.
Ay (P.
The original English phrase indicates a future difficulty or impossibility regarding keeping a commitment.
The Indonesian phrase simplifies this to "tak bisa," which means Luke is not able to keep the promise.
While "tak bisa" is less nuanced than "would not be able to," it effectively communicates the essential meaning in Indonesian.
The use of "ternyata" adds context to show that this realization is coming to light.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 5 Source Text Target text AuNobody should be stuck with a toothache during the Christmas season.
Ay (P.
AuTak pantas kalau orang harus sakit gigi di saat Natal.
Ay (P.
The original English sentence expresses a moral or emotional stance about the undesirability of having a toothache during Christmas.
The Indonesian translation "Tak pantas kalau orang harus sakit gigi" similarly conveys that it is inappropriate or unfair for someone to endure such discomfort during the holiday season.
The use of "kalau" .
adds a conditional nuance, indicating that it's considered unreasonable for this to happen.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 6 Source Text Target text AuOh, well, it could be worse.
A Au(P.
AuYah, sudahlah, keadaan bisa lebih buruk dari itu,.
Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation "keadaan bisa lebih buruk dari itu" uses "bisa" to translate the modal "could," meaning "can" or "could" in this context.
This phrase translates to "the situation could be worse than that," which captures the essence of the original English sentence.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 7 Source Text Target text Aucan I never have an ache or a pain without you telling me how lucky I Au(P.
Autidak bisakah aku menderita sakit atau ketidaknyamanan tanpa kauberitahu betapa beruntungnya aku?Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation captures this frustration effectively, using "tidak bisakah" to maintain the rhetorical and somewhat exasperated tone of the original English question.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 8 https://ejournal.
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2 December 2023 Source Text Target text AuYou never can have too much tinsel on the tree,Ay she said aloud.
Au(P.
AuLebih banyak perada kertas perak di pohon, lebih baik,Ay ujarnya keras-keras.
Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation "Lebih banyak perada kertas perak di pohon, lebih baik," omits the modal verb and translates the idea more directly.
"Lebih banyak" means "more," "perada kertas perak" means "tinsel," and "lebih baik" means "better.
" This conveys the same idea that more tinsel is preferable, though the exact phrasing The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 9 Source Text Target text AuNow both boys clung to Rosita as if they were afraid she would somehow disappear too.
Au(P.
Ausekarang kedua putranya menempel terus pada Rosita, seolah kuatir ia juga bakal menghilang.
Ay (P.
The English modal AuwouldAy implies a fear or hypothetical situation regarding the disappearance of Rosita.
The Indonesian translation uses "bakal" to reflect this future possibility, thus preserving the sense of worry and uncertainty that the original modal conveys.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 10 Source Text Target text AuYou can have all the extra work you want here.
Rosita.
Ay (P.
AuKau boleh mengambil kerja tambahan sebanyak yang kau mau di sini.
Rosita.
Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation uses "boleh," which means "may" or "is allowed to," to convey permission.
This is a direct and appropriate equivalent for the English "can" in this context.
The translation uses dynamic Data 11 Source Text Target text AuFor a moment she thought it was a joke.
Surely that couldnAot be a gun Petey was holding?.
Ay (P.
AuSejenak ia mengira pria itu bercanda.
Betulkah Petey sedang mengacungkan pistol padanya?.
Ay (P.
The English modal AucouldnAotAy implies a strong sense of disbelief or improbability.
The Indonesian translation conveys this disbelief effectively through AuBetulkah,Ay which indicates questioning the truth or reality of the The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 12 Source Text Target text AuMr.
Dingle, you may know I have two little boys who need me,Ay she said softly.
(P.
AuMr.
Dingle, harap anda tahu bahwa saya punya dua putra kecil yang membutuhkan saya,Ay ujarnya lembutAy.
(P.
The Indonesian translation uses Auharap anda tahuAy which translates to Auhope you know.
Ay While AuharapAy .
is not a direct equivalent of Aumay,Ay it serves a similar function in conveying a polite or indirect way of stating the information.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 14 Source Text Target text AuYou canAot be planning to put us on that thing in this weather,Ay Luke prosteted.
(P.
AuTak mungkin kau bermaksud meninggalkan kami di situ dalam cuaca seperti ini,Ay protes Luke.
(P.
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2 December 2023 The Indonesian translation uses AuTak mungkinAy which translates to AuItAos impossibleAy or AuIt canAot be.
Ay This choice effectively conveys the same sense of disbelief or impossibility as the English "canAot.
" The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 15 Source Text Target text AuYou would too if you painted rooms all by yourself twelve hours a day.
When IAom with people.
I like to talk.
Ay (P.
AuKau juga akan begitu, kalau setiap hari harus mengecat ruangan seorang diri selama dua belas jam.
Kalau ada orang bersamaku, aku suka bicara.
Ay.
(P.
The Indonesian translation captures this by using AuKau juga akan begitu,Ay preserving the conditional nature of the statement.
It indicates that the speakerAos behavior .
iking to talk when around peopl.
is a response to the specific conditions described.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 16 Source Text Target text AuI should have asked if either one of you cares to use the facilities, but now youAoll just have to wait,Ay C.
said cheerfully.
Ay (P.
AuMestinya aku menawari kalian untuk menggunakan toilet, tapi sekarang kalian terpaksa menunggu dulu,Ay ujar C.
Ay.
(P.
he Indonesian translation uses AuMestinyaAy which translates to Aushould haveAy or Auought to have.
Ay This effectively conveys the same sense of regret or realization that the speaker should have offered the facilities earlier.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 17 Source Text Target text AuIAom leaving the city in a few minutes, and it shouldnAot take me more than an hour to get Ay (P.
Aubeberapa menit lagi saya akan meninggalkan kota, dan akan tiba di sana tak lebih dari satu jam lagi.
Ay(P.
The use of AushouldnAotAy in the English sentence implies that the speaker is reasonably confident about the time required, though it's not an absolute guarantee.
The Indonesian translation captures this nuance by stating that it will not take more than an hour, which reflects a similar expectation.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 18 Source Text Target text AuHe looked over at Alvirah.
AuWilly should be ready to go in about fifteen minutes.
Ay (P.
AuDr.
Jay mengalihkan pandangannya pada Alvirah.
AuMestinya lima belas menit lagi Willy sudah bisa Ay(P.
The Indonesian translation uses AuMestinyaAy which translates to AushouldAy or Auought toAy in this context.
effectively conveys the same expectation or likelihood that Willy will be ready in the given timeframe.
n The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
Data 19 Source Text Target text AuIf there had been an accident, there might be a call on the machine.
IAoll be fine.
Alvirah.
Ay (P.
AuKalau misalnya terjadi kecelakaan , mungkin ada yang meninggalkan pesan di telepon.
AuAku baik-baik saja.
Alvirah.
Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation uses Aumungkin,Ay which translates directly to AumightAy or Aupossibly.
Ay This effectively conveys the same sense of possibility.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
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2 December 2023 Data 20 Source Text Target text AuBefore Regan could answer.
pulled the phone away.
AuThatAos enough from you.
Ay (P.
AuSebelum Regan sempat menjawab.
sudah menarik telepon itu.
AuSudah cukup buatmu.
Ay (P.
The Indonesian translation uses AusempatAy which translates to Auhad the chanceAy or Auhad time.
Ay The phrase AuSebelum Regan sempat menjawabAy effectively conveys the same meaning of Regan not having had the opportunity to answer due to the action of pulling the phone away.
The translation uses dynamic equivalence.
From this research and based on result of the study, the writer concludes that dynamic equivalence is commonly used in translating English modals because it emphasizes conveying the intended meaning, nuance, and functional impact of the original text in a way that is natural and idiomatic for the target audience.
This strategy accommodates the complexities of modals and ensures that the translation maintains the originalAos effectiveness, readability, and cultural relevance.
CONCLUSION
Modal Verbs in English like "can," "could," "will," "would," "should," and "might" convey nuances of possibility, probability, necessity, or ability.
Their meanings can vary based on context, tone, and speaker intent.
Analyzing the translation of modals in Deck the Halls sheds light on the complexities of translating nuanced linguistic elements and highlights the effectiveness of dynamic and functional equivalence strategies.
underscores the importance of adapting translations to preserve the original textAos meaning, tone, and cultural context while ensuring that the translation is natural and engaging for the target audience.
This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of translation theory and practice, demonstrating how careful consideration of modals can enhance the quality and fidelity of literary translations.
The way English modals are translated affects how readers experience the novel.
Effective translation ensures that readers in the target language perceive the same level of urgency, politeness, or uncertainty intended by the original author.
REFERENCE