COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION

In theory, communicative translation addresses itself solely to the second reader who does not
anticipate difficulties or obscurities, and would expect a generous transfer of foreign elements into his
own culture as well as his language where necessary,[1] communicative translation is likely to be
smother, simpler, clearer, more direct, more conventional, conforming to a particular register of
language and tending to under translate. Basically, communicative translation emphasize the sift of
massages. This method, pay attention to the reader or listener of target language that hope there is no
difficulties and unclearly in text of target language and also effectiveness of target language

For example: awas anjing galak!

It can translate become:

- Beware of dog!, Than Beware of the vicious dog!

Because the first sentence was beckon that the dog is vicious[2]

- I would admit that a I am wrong

- I will admit that a I am wrong

For native speaker two sentences above will have difference effect, the differences is the employing
words “would and” will, the first sentence indicate that someone desire to do something and the word
“will” in second sentences indicate that activities will be done by subject of the sentence. Remember in
this case tenses is not influence the meaning of the sentence. So two sentences above if translated in
Indonesian language become

- I would admit a I am wrong

(saya mau mengakui bahwa saya salah)

- I will admit that a I am wrong

(Saya akan mengakui bahwa saya akan salah)[3]

In communicative translation, translation could repair the logic sentence in a source language. Change
the words and structure that was cliff with the smoother and delete part of the sentences that
unclearly[4]. The translator need to be able to do in order to translate, his approach would lead as to.
Attempt the specify translator communicative competence which would consist of four components

1. Grammatical competence: knowledge of the rules of the code. Including vocabulary and word
formatting. Pronunciation/spelling and sentence structure.

2. Sociolinguistic competence: knowledge of and ability to produce and understand utterances

appropriately in context.
3. Discourse Competence: the ability to combine form and meaning to achieve unified spoken and
written in different genre: this unity depends on cohesion in from and coherence in meaning.

4. Strategic Competence: the mastery of communication strategic which may be used to improve
communication or to compensate for break downs.[5]

Communicative translation is always concentrated on the reader, normally makes the text smoother,
lighter, more idiomatic and easier to read, but the equivalent-effect element is in operant if that the text
is out of target language space and time.

THE CONCEPT

The concept of communicative translation was proposed by Peter Newmark. He admitted it is as the
most important contribution in the translation theories. It is likely to be smoother, simpler, clearer,
more direct, more conventional, conforming to a particular register of language, tending to under-
translate, i.e. to use more generic, hold all terms in difficult passages. Translation is the communication
of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Newmark
stated that fundamentally the function of translation is to convey or express opinion or idea to other
people, as he said in Nababan as follow: “…translation is basically a means of communication or a
manner of addressing one or more persons in the speaker presence.”

Communicative translation attempts to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible to that
obtained on the readers of the original.

For example:

When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he
may demand at any time/ either in cash or by drawing a cheque in favour of another person. Primarily/
the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor-depending on whether the customer’s
account is in credit or is overdrawn.

The result of communicative translation as follow:

When a person opens a new account at a bank, it means that he lends money to the bank, which he can
return at any time, either in cash or in the form of check withdrawals intended for other people. In
essence, the banker-customer relationship is a debtor and creditor relationship, depending on whether
the customer's account is in the form of credit or debit.

In this case we take two methods of translation namely literal translation and communicative
translation. In literal translation, usually the result of translation still translated word-for-word. As the
result, it creates certain word or sentence from the source language still unacceptable to the target
language. For example, the word “current” in the first sentence, literally it translated become “catatan
arus”. Of course it is not suitable to the context of the text. It can be seen clearly in the sentence
“apabila seseorang membuka suatu catatan arus dalam sebuah bank…” It feels so stiff and unacceptable.
But let’s see to the communicative one, the word “current” translated “rekening” so it becomes
acceptable between source language and target language like in this complete sentence “apabila
seseorang membuka rekening baru pada sebuah bank…”Also the word “customer” that literally still
translated “pelanggan” whereas it will be more communicative translated become “nasabah”.

Communicative translation tries to create effect that experienced by reader of target language same
within the source language . Therefore, it should there is no part of translation that difficult to be
understood and felt stiff. In this translation, the translator can correct or repair logic of source language
sentences, replace stiff words and structure with the flexible and elegant one, omit unclear sentences,
omit repetition, and modify jargon usage.

Furthermore, Communicative translation is a subjective translation because it tries to reach the thought
effect or certain action on the target language of the reader. In communicative translation it is said “is it
satisfying translation?” not “is it corrects translation?” It can be said that the weakness of
communicative translation is the loss a part of source language meaning. According to Newmark in
Zuchridin said that meaning has many layers, flexible, and also complicated . One word that correlated
to other gives diverse meaning. Therefore, every simplification, as in communicative, always caused
partly omission meaning.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION

The following are the typical characteristics of communicative translation method:

1) Reader centered.

2) Pursues author’s intention.

3) Related to speech. Adapts and makes the thought and cultural content original more accessible to
reader.

4) Effect-oriented. Formal features or original sacrificed more readily.

5) Faithful, freer.

6) Effective.

7) Easy reading, more natural, smoother, simpler, clearer, more direct, more conventional, confirming to
particular register of language but longer.
8) Social.

9) Target language biased.

10) Under translated: use of ‘hold-all’ term.

11) Less powerful.

12) Maybe better than original because gain in force and clarity, despite loss in semantic content.

13) Ephemeral and rooted in its context,’ existential’.

14) ‘Tailor-made’ or targeted for one category or readership; does one job, fulfils one particular
function.

15) A certain embroidering, a stylistic synonymy, a discreet modulation is condoned, provided the facts
are straight and the reader is suitably impressed.

16) The translator has the right to correct and improve the logic and style of the original, clarify the
ambiguities, jargons, normalize bizarre personal usage.

17) The translator can correct mistakes of facts in original.

18) Target: a ‘happy’ version, i.e. a successful act.

19) Unit of translating: tends to sentences and paragraph.

20) Applicable to impersonal texts.

21) Basically the work of the translating is a craft.

22) Sometimes the product of a translation team.

23) Conforms the ‘universalist’ position, assuming that exact translation maybe possible.

24) More consider to the message than meaning .

The ideal translation will be accurate as to meaning and natural as to the receptor language forms used.
An intended audience who is unfamiliar with the source text will be readily understood it. The success of
translation is measured by how closely it measures up to these ideas.

Then, the ideal translation should be:

1) Accurate: reproducing as exactly as possible the meaning of the source text.

2) Natural: using natural forms of the receptor language in a way that is appropriate to the kind of text
being translated.
3) Communicative: expressing all aspects of the meaning in a way that is readily understandable to the
intended audience.

Based on the explanation above, it can be inferred that the most ideal translation method is
communicative translation. It uses the communicative language that can be understood by the readers.
Also, the ideal translation result is the translated text that accurate, natural and communicative.
Therefore, the writer more considers using communicative translation method in analyzing the students’
translation result, especially English into Indonesia translation.

REFERENCES

Anggota IKAPI, Translation: Bahasan Teori dan Penuntun Praktis Menerjemahkan. Yogyakarta: Kanisius,
2003.

Bell, Roger T., Translation and Translating Theory and Practice. New York: Longman Inc, 1991..

Nabababn. M. Rudlof, Teori Menerjemahkan Bahasa Inggris. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2003.

Newmark, P., Approaches to Translation. London: Prentice Hall International, 1988.

Newmark, P., About Translation. London: Prentice Hall International, 1991.

Newmark, P., A Textbook of Translation. London: Prentice Hall International, 1988.

http://abdulmunifkhamim.wordpress.com., diakses 25 Desember 2009.

http://thebest-rd69.blogspot.com/2009/03 translation-assignment.htm, diakses tanggal 25 Desember

2009.

https://iqrometro.co.id/the-concept-of-communicative-translation-method.html