ANALYZING TEXT IN TRANSLATION: UNDERSTANDING THE

PROCESS, METHODS, AND IMPORTANCE

Affiq Malik Azhar
Faculty of Humanities Diponegoro University, Semarang 2023

Abstract: Analyzing text during translation involves a meticulous examination of various

linguistic and cultural elements to ensure accurate and effective communication across
languages. This process encompasses both linguistic analysis, which focuses on grammar,
syntax, and vocabulary, and cultural analysis, which addresses contextual and idiomatic
expressions. By employing these analyses, translators can assess the fidelity, coherence, and
quality of translated texts. The significance of analyzing text in the translation process lies in
its ability to identify and rectify errors, maintain consistency, and enhance the overall quality
of the translation. Furthermore, it contributes to the advancement of translation studies by
providing insights into language and cultural dynamics. This abstract aims to emphasize the
importance of analyzing text in the translation process and encourage further research and
exploration in this field.

Keywords: Analyzing text, Translation process, Linguistic analysis, Cultural analysis,

Translation studies.

Introduction
A considerable number of positions have become available in the EU language business, which
includes all fields that employ language as a communication medium. There are also numerous
media and other institutions that provide language and translation-related career possibilities.
As a result, it is critical to train professionals who can do these tasks while also meeting the
expectations of the EU labor market. Before the translator begins the productive phase of
translation, knowledge of the text communication function and its place in a specific
circumstance is an important foundation for making a translation (of the target text). As a
result, it is vital to examine the situation and function of the text while focusing on the
translation. This analysis might sometimes take the shape of a precise translation order.

Analysis factor: External and Internal text

The translator must read the text thoroughly at the start of the translation process. The
translator initially determines the meanings of words and their relationships in sentences,
then in paragraphs and isolated parts of the text, and lastly throughout the entire text during
the process of interpreting the source text. The translator next connects this knowledge to the
real-life context that the writing reflects, which involves both the creator of the source and the
recipient of the target text. The translator's intuition is also vital in the translation because
reading the text is a conscious and subconscious process (aided by one's intuition). The
investigation of extratextual elements is the second stage of the translation process. Christine
Nord (1995; 2005), a well-known German translatologist, has prepared a summary of the most
important external textual variables that describe the text's communication situation and
internal textual factors that influence the nature of the source text. These elements can be
expressed as questions: Who? refers to the text's author or translator; why? ask about the
author's or the client's (one who requests the translation) aim, as well as the purpose of the
text (for example, the hotel's advertising brochures are designed to support the clients'
interest in staying at the hotel). The question beginning with for whom? refers to the intended
text's addressee.
The investigation of internal textual variables is the third stage of the translation process.
After gaining an understanding of exterior textual variables, the translator should proceed to
analyze internal textual factors to achieve a thorough image of the underlying text. According
to Nord (1995; 2005), they are textual variables that have a major impact on the nature of the
source text. These include: the query about what? which is used to elicit information about the
text's subject matter. The question word what? relates to the text's content, that is, what the
author has identified as the essential text content. The question beginning with What is not/
does not? indicates an assumption conveyed by the author of the material. The sequence
question is concerned with organizing information in the text, i.e., text macrostructure and
microstructure of text segments. Nonverbal communication relates to things like formal
arrangement, font (letter type), visual text segmentation, use of colors and/or images, and so
on. The question of word choice (in what words?) includes lexical aspects of the text, including
morphological ones, as well as the role of particular portions of words as information carriers.
What sentences/clauses are in question? is used to refer to distinctive syntactic means used in
the text concerning, for example, the types of sentences or clauses, the relationship between
the main clause and the subordinate clause, and so on; as well as the inclusion of persons in
the text (author or recipient), that is, whether the author has included himself in the text, or
whether the text recipient is included in the text. The final inquiry, which begins with what
tone? alludes to suprasegmental text qualities such as accent, intonation, and rhythm.

Translator’s capacity
The translator's ability to identify flaws in the source text is an important aspect of text
analysis. The most serious flaws in the source or target text are those connected to the text's
factual substance. Language defects do not play such a large part because, in theory, they do
not hinder the translator from developing a functionally appropriate target text, despite the
fact that they can complicate the process. However, it is more common for the original text to
contain controversial claims; in this instance, the translator's primary responsibility is to
address the client (the person who has ordered the translation) and debate the areas of
contention with him. It is much more critical to recognize problematic components in one's
own text, i.e., the target text. The translator should be exceedingly critical of his own text and
note when a section, phrase, or term has not been translated effectively. For example, the
Indonesian expression “Malam Minggu”, which means “Sunday Night” when being translated,
but “Malam Minggu” terminology has a different meaning when we add context, it literally
means “Sabtu pada malam hari”. So, in conclusion the translator needs to have competence to
recognize a text.

Understanding and readability of the text

Understanding the text is an intricate process that involves two languages, two contexts, and
two cultures. This procedure involves several people; as a result, the translator must consider
several elements when translating and must grasp the intent and requirements of multiple
communication participants. Translators must consider the facts, function, and goal of the
author of the source text, as well as fully appreciate what the client (who has placed an order
for the translation) wants to achieve with the target text, and ultimately, the interests of the
target reader, i.e., recipient.
Translators require specific information on the standpoint and situation of all those involved
in order to fulfill all of the requirements leading to the interpretation of the original material.
What is the distinction between the ideas of target text comprehension and readability?
Several criteria proposed by translation academics can be used to measure readability. These
parameters include text segmentation (as opposed to lack of clarity and absence of contextual
links), brevity (optimal length) and conciseness of the text (an example of the opposite is
useless, unjustified verbiage), and finally, it is additional stimulation as opposed to zero
stimulation. According to the authors, Martin Suryajaya (2022) interpret simplicity as "the
selection of lexical means, sentence structure, and an understandable interpretation of
necessary information." Of course, simplicity must be tailored to the situation, function of the
target text, and intended recipient. The proper text segmentation is a prerequisite for proper
interpretation of the text in question, because the text is only clear when it allows us to freely
pursue the flow of thoughts, and only when the latter is tailored to the topic and situation.
(Suryajaya, Martin (2022).
Readability is considered to be one of the most important aspects of any material, whether
spoken or written. As a result, the author of the source text must formulate their ideas so that
the recipient of the text concerned may unanimously recognize the author's aim (intended). As
translators, we frequently come across materials with varied degrees of intelligibility. As a
result, it is critical for readers/recipients to understand not just the foreign language (in which
the source text is written), but also the specific situational environment in which the text has
arisen. Similarly, the source culture, the culture in which the author of the source text lives and
is involved, either directly or implicitly, in the understanding process, must be incorporated.

Conclusion
We approach translation in this work as a process that involves both routine and conscious
management of our actions. Translation is also a creative activity because it results in the
creation of a new text while preserving the content, cultural context, and text function.
Translator analysis of both internal and external textual factors adds to the translator's
knowledge of the source text's external and internal textual factors and allows the translator
to better understand the text itself, its function, and the goal that the client (one who orders
the translation) wishes to achieve, so that the translation fully meets the translation order.
During text analysis, the translator gains an overview of the source text and a clear sense of
how the translation should and will look.
The paper's translator competencies (contrastive competence, intercultural competence,
source text sensitivity, and so on) are required for creating a high-quality target text.
Translation might thus be considered multicultural writing. Translators must approach their
translation task with adequate interdisciplinary knowledge and skills that allow them to
perform text analysis, recognize defect elements in the source text, supplement their factual
knowledge in the field described in the source text, use appropriate parallel texts on purpose,
and consider the cultural background of both the source and target texts.

References
Affiq, Bayu (2023). Analyzing text. Semarang
Nord, Ch. (2005). Text Analysis in Translation: Theory, Methodology, and Didactic Application
of a Model for Translation- oriented Text Analysis. Amsterdam – New York, NY: Rodopi.
Accessed on 23 June 2023.
Suryajaya, Martin (2022). Principia Logica. Sleman-Indonesia.