COHESION AND COHERENCE SHIFT OF EXPRESSION IN TRANSLATION

COHESION AND COHERENCE SHIFT OF
EXPRESSION IN TRANSLATION
Frans Made Brata
Universitas Udayana
Abstrak
Pergeseran merupakan salah satu strategi penerjemah yang
sering tidak dapat dihindari. Pergeseran kohesi suatu ung-
kapan yang disebabkan oleh faktor linguistik meliputi (1)
pergeseran level eksplisitasi: level keseluruhan target teks
dalam eksplitasi tekstualnya lebih tinggi atau lebih rendah dari
teks sumbernya, (2) pergeseran makna teks: makna potensial
eksplisit teks sumber berubah menjadi implisit atau
sebaliknya.

Pergeseran koherensi dari suatu ungkapan yang
disebabkan oleh faktor budaya meliputi (1) dari BENTUK
BENDA ke dalam BENTUK BENDA yang lain, (2) dari
BENTUK BENDA ke dalam BENTUK KEJADIAN, (3) dari
BENTUK KEJADIAN ke dalam BENTUK KEJADIAN yang
lain, dan (4) pergeseran koherensi pengganti kebudayaan.
Kata-kata kunci: pergeseran kohesi, pergeseran koherensi,
kesenjangan
budaya
BACKGROUND AND PROBLEMS OF THE STUDY
It is understood that translation is not a simple process as of studying the
lexicon, the grammatical structure, the communication situation of the source
language text, analyzing it in order to determine the meaning, and then
reconstructing the same meaning using the natural forms of the receptor
language. However, the translator is constantly searching for, especially covert
potential, lexical equivalent meaning concepts between two different linguistis
systems and cultures. Consider examples a, b, c how meaning concept of
expression shoes in combination with other words transferred in different ways
in sequence paragraphs in a text quoted form an English novel entitled Mirror
Image (Steel, 1998) and its Indonesian Translation into Belahan Jiwa
(Sigarlaki, 2001);
a. SL: It wasn’t that she was jealous of her, it was just that she felt she
was in the wrong shoes, ... . (p.316)
TL: Victoria kesal dan capek karena selalu merasa berada di tempat
yang salah. (p.308)
Pro (Noun) Verb
Adverb of place
SL: She
was
in the wrong shoes
TL: Victoria
berada ditempat yang salah
b. SL: ‘Perhaps if you go back to Father he’ll be willing to exchange us
for each other. Like shoes that don’t fit. (p.322)

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TL: ‘Barangkali kalau kau pergi ke Papa, dia akan mau menukar
kami. Seperti sepatu yang tak cocok. (p.314)
Noun
Relative Clause
SL: shoes
that do not fit
TL: sepatu yang tak cocok
c. SL: ‘, …and do anything else she had to do before stepping into
Victoria’s shoes.’ (p.333)
TL: ‘… dan melakukan segala yang diperlukan sebelum Olivia
menggantikan tempat Victoria.’ (p.325)
SL: stepping into
Victoria’s shoes
TL: menggantikan Tempat Victoria
As we can see in the above diagrams, in (a), we presumably have no
difficulty to accept ditempat yang salah as the equivalence of in the wrong
shoes, though there is no overt relationship to the both SL and TL lexicons.
However, shared knowledge of the world, or the SL and TL structural level
will suffice to interpret ditempat yang salah as the meaning in the wrong shoes.
In (b), equivalent shoes into sepatu is overtly linked to both lexicons, at least
by their category or level. In (c), there is no such linking, however the
equivalence is perfectly acceptable. The interpretation may need some specific
shared knowledge between the writer and its reader a textual meaning to
continue (melanjutkan, meneruskan) a job or the work that somebody else
(Victoria) has started, or with a stretch of imagination coherently adjusted to a
discoursal meaning to trade place with (menggantikan) Victoria.
As a matter of fact, the expression such as; idioms, proverb and saying,
metaphor, simile, derogatory, words or phrase which function as a unit
semantically can not be understood literally. They are expression of a culture
which is often different from the TL culture which will be hard to find the
same lexical meaning components. The two meaning components of the two
languages will not match. From this end, in translating, the translator will make
necessary meaning adjustments to express the desired meaning of the SL.
Blum-Kulka in Venuti (2000:299) stated that the process of translation
involves shifts that can not be avoided either in textual or discoursal
relationships.
The difference of linguistic systems and cultures in two languages and
attempts made by the translator to appropriate the text to its reader have raised
the problems into: what cohesion and coherence shift of expression found in
the novel of Mirror Image and its translation into Belahan Jiwa?
1. CONCEPTS AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
1.1 Shifts of Cohesion and Coherence
Approached from reader’s point of view, Blum-Kulka (in Venuti 2000:304)
equates coherence with the text’s interpretability. In considering shift in
coherence through translation she points out the possibility that the text may
change their potential meaning through translation. The above quotation
answers the question ‘what’ is coherence and what is shift of coherence. Not
less important is how the process of translation carried out for the analysis of
this study.
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Linguistik Indonesia, Tahun ke 26, No. 1, Februari 2008
Bell (1991:165) identifies that coherence consists of the configuration
and sequencing of concepts and relations of the textual world which underlie
and are realized by the surface text. Hu (1991:42) states that coherence covers
cohesion and they are intertwined. Further she describes that coherence in the
SLT is closely tied to cohesion, and translation equivalence can sometimes be
attained by manipulating those markers that are overt. As search for coherence
is a general principle in discourse interpretation, Blum Kulka (in Venuti
2000:298) states that coherence can be viewed as a covert potential meaning
relationship among parts of a text, made overt by the reader through process of
interpretation. For this process to be realized, the reader or listener must be
able to relate the text to relevant or familiar worlds, either real or fictional.
From the above description, in relation to this study we can say that coherence
shift is an adjustment of SL unknown concept into known TL concept by
making overt the covert discoursal potential meaning relationship among parts
of the text through process of interpretation. On the other hand, as semantic
translation, it can be stated that cohesion shift is meaning adjustments of
meaning components in textual relationships of a known concept in a different
linguistic system of two languages.
1.2 Theoretical Framework
The Theoretical Framework of this study based on the theory proposed by
Blum-Kulka (in Venuti 2000) about ‘Shifts of Cohesion and Coherence in
Translation’, for the classification of cohesion shift of expression. This theory
is supported by Larson (1998) for the analysis of meaning components of a
concept of expression, for the translation equivalent.
Blum-Kulka quotes Haliday and Hasan (1976), cohesion ties do much
more than provide continuity and thus create the semantic unity of the text. The
choice involved in the types of cohesive markers used in a particular text can
effect the texture as being “loose” or “dense” as well as the style and meaning
of that text. On level of cohesion, he divides shifts in cohesion into two:
a. Shifts in levels of explicitness, namely the general levels of the target text’s
textual explicitness is higher or lower, than that of the source text.
b. Shifts in text meaning(s); namely the explicit and implicit meaning potential
of the source text changes through translations.
Cohesion in this study means cohesive relationship of meaning component in a
semantic domain of a concept. Larson (1998:429) states that semantic domain
does not refer to using the same form or referring to the same specific item
over and over (this would be concordance), but rather to the fact that the things
being referred to are from the same domain, i.e., center around the same topic
or have certain semantic components in common. For example: from specific
to generic meaning component or vice versa, from explicit to implicit meaning
or vice versa.
On coherence, for objects and events which are unknown in the
receptor culture, this study quotes Larson (1998:181) that understanding
correspondence of the form and its function is crucial to finding good lexical
equivalents (we are not talking about linguistic form, but physical form). She
divides the correspondence of the FORM and its FUNCTION into four
possibilities:
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a. A THING or EVENT in one language ands culture may have the same
FORM and the same FUNCTION in another language.
For example, eyes with the function of seeing is the same in all cultures and
languages.
b. The FORM may be the same but the FUNCTION may be different.
For example, fried rice for western people may only be served for breakfast,
but for eastern people may be served for lunch and dinner as well.
c. The same FORM does not occur, but another THING or EVENT with the
same FUNCTION does occur.
For example, heart in SL expression broken heart, does not have the same
FORM in TL. Hati (literally means liver) in patah hati (literally means
broken liver) occurs.
d. There may be no correspondence of FORM and FUNCTION at all.
For example, sheep has the function of being a sacrifice for sin for a certain
culture. However, for a SL culture animal sheep does not occur because of
no comparable animal for a sacrifice for sin. There is no correspondence of
either form or function. In that case, the translation will need to use a
descriptive phrase for both the FORM and function.
2. COHESION AND COHERENCE SHIFT OF EXPRESSION IN THE
TRANSLATION OF MIRROR IMAGE INTO BELAHAN JIWA
2.1 Cohesion Shift of Expression
In translating concept of meaning, it is often found that there is no exact
equivalent between the SL and target language expression due to linguistic
differences of two languages. There will be expressions which have some of
the meaning components combined in them matching an expression which has
the components with some additional ones. There will be overlap, but there is
seldom a complete match between languages. Further, Blum-Kulka defined
that on the level of cohesion, shifts in types of cohesive markers used in
translation seem to affect translations in one or both of the following
directions:
2.1.1 Shifts in Levels of Explicitness
In translating, the process of interpretation performed by the translator on the
source text might lead to a TL text which is more redundant than the SL text.
This redundancy can be expressed by the higher level of cohesive explicitness
in the TL text.
(1) The General Level of the Target Text’s Textual Explicitness is
Higher than that of the Source Text
Larson (1998:495) stated that in the most general terms, the rule is that implicit
information should be made explicit, if the receptor language necessitates it in
order to avoid wrong meaning or in order to present the material in natural
forms and pleasing style. Further, Blum-Kulka determined that to make
implicit information explicit may result that the general level of the target
text’s textual explicitness is higher than that of the source text, as can be seen
in the following examples:
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a) SL: ‘ ... it’s like a wall between us ... ‘ (p.263).
TL: ‘... sepertinya ada tembok pemisah diantara kita ... .’ (p.255)
Noun Phrase
SL:
a
wall
TL:
tembok pemisah
Literal translation TL:
sebuah
tembok
To translate literally like a wall into sepertinya ada tembok sounds confusing
to receptor language speakers. The translator necessarily uses the expectancy
chain (Larson, 1998: 486) of tembok… as in tembok pemisah in TL for correct
and clear expression of the source text meaning. It makes the translation
natural and results to the level of explicitness is higher than that of the source
text, as seen in the above diagram. Otherwise it will leave some questions for
the reader what wall?, since in target language we have tembok beton (concrete
wall), tembok penahan or tembok penyangga (retaining wall) which may be as
in jurang pemisah and a gap in the gap between rich and poor.
b) SL: ‘In Europe? At war? Over my dead body…’ (p.273)
TL: ‘Di Eropa? Yang sedang berperang? Langkahi dulu mayatku! .’ (p.265)
c) SL: ’ You broke the ice for me, … .’ (p.104)
TL: ‘ Kau telah mencairkan es di hatiku. … .’ (p.95).
Combinations of words (collocation) will differ from one language to
language (Larson, 1998:155) as in to break the ice and mencairkan es. Similar
to example (f), the literal translation sounds confusing. Larsson (1998:494)
stated that the receptor language may require that certain information be made
explicit because of special grammatical requirements of certain words. Besides
object es is needed by a certain verb mencairkan, Larson added that other
words require the location, direction, result etc., be given as required by the
grammar of the receptor language. It means that the expression telah
mencairkan es requires location di hati as an immediate context that makes the
information more explicit. The idiomatic expression break the ice (figurative)
means to get people on friendly term in order to overcome formality (Hornby
1980) is related to the context situation describing the formality when they first
met.
(2) The General Level of the Target Text’s Textual Explicitness is
Lower than that of the Source Text
The guidelines for the discussion are very similar to those given above but are
the converse, since the level of target text’s textual explicitness is not always
higher than that of source text. They also have to do with the requirements of
the target language grammatically, semantically, and stylistically as, always,
general principle in translation.
Examples:
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d) SL: … and she looked like the queen of midnight. (p.226)
TL: … dan tampak seperti ratu malam. (p.215)
Noun
Prepositional Phrase
SL:
the queen
of mid-
night
TL:
ratu
malam
Literal translation TL:
ratu
tengah
Malam
Certain grammatical items are present in the source text because they are
obligatory categories in such expression as mid- in the queen of midnight. Such
SL expression is not known in TL. Prefix mid- tengah indicating time is absent
in the TL ratu malam. Such expression is more common in TL. No information
is lost. How Victoria dressed was compared with the dress color of midnight
blue. It is a very dark blue color (Hornby, 2003), as presupposed to the context
that Victoria looked like the queen who was wearing a dark blue satin dress.
Such meaning concept is not known in the TL that makes literal translation
ratu tengah malam is not natural in the target language. The omission of prefix
mid- in SL midnight is to avoid redundancy in TL. As stated by Larson
(1998:479) the redundancy of the source text must not be translated literally
that only makes the TL information load too ‘heavy’.
e) SL: ‘… and the boys were cut down like toy soldiers, ... ‘ (p.459)
TL: ‘ … dan para pemuda itu di bantai seperti mainan, …’ (p.449)
f) SL: ‘But it’s like two sides of the same coin. (p.461)
TL: ‘Tapi kami seperti dua sisi sebuah mata uang. (p.451)
From the above discussion (1) we can see that on a higher TL textual level,
such shifts in level of explicitness are linked to different style of cohesive
marker in two languages involved in translation: a wall tembok pemisah, over
my dead body langkahi dulu mayatku, broke the ice for me mencairkan es di
hatiku. Those specific forms are obligatory categories required by the TL. On
the other hand (2), on a lower TL textual level of explicitness are absent due to
grammar, semantic, and style of two different forms of languages: the queen of
midnight ratu malam, toy soldiers mainan, two sides of the same coin dua sisi
mata uang (tengah, serdadu-serdaduan, yang sama are absent).
2.1.2 Shifts in Text Meaning(s)
As pointed out by Bell (1991:165) cohesion ties much more than mutual
connection of components of surface text within a sequence of clauses or
sentences and accordingly create the semantic unity of the text. Since there is
no same word in two languages, the translator choice on meaning components
of meaning concept involved in the type of cohesive markers used in a
particular text can affect the SL explicit and implicit meaning potential of the
SL.
Larson (1998:44) stated that explicit information is the information
which is overtly stated by lexical items and grammatical forms. It is part of the
surface structure form. The implicit information is that for which there is no
form but the information is part of the total communication intended or
assumed by the writer.
(1) The Explicit Meaning Potential of the SL Changes to Implicit
through Translation
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Based on the amount of shared information between SL and TL, further he
added that the implicit information may consist of referential, organizational,
and/or situational meaning. English has specific grammatical markers which
are cohesively obligatory. In English, a is an indefinite obligatory article to
make explicit whether a noun is singular or plural as in the example (g), and
(h) below:
g) SL: It had been a bitter lesson in the cruelty of men, … (p.224)
TL:Victoria telah mendapat pelajaran pahit tentang kejamnya kaum
lelaki, (p.213)
Indef. article
noun phrase
SL:
a
bitter lesson
TL:
pelajaran pahit
h) SL: He was like a doll they had shared, … . (p.520)
TL: … seolah pria itu boneka milik bersama, (p.512)
SL:
a
doll they had shared
TL:
boneka milik bersama
In SL context, it is clear that ‘a’ in (g) a bitter lesson, or (h) a doll,
used before countable or singular nouns referring to people or things that have
not already been mentioned. The indefinite article ‘a’ in a bitter lesson means
one of the lessons, and ‘a’ in a doll means one of the toys. The absence of
indefinite grammatical feature ‘a’ in TL translation means that the referential
meaning to pelajaran (g), or boneka (h) is left implicit.
Examples (i1), (i2), and (i3) bellow are organizational meaning;
i1) SL: …, she was like a wild mare, and he …. (p.201)
TL: … gadis itu masih seperti kuda liar, dan ia … . (p.189)
i2) SL: … , and looked like a madwoman as she clutched him. (p.388)
TL: … , dan mencengkeram seperti orang gila. (p.378)
i3) SL : … like a piece of antique glass, and she … . (p.457)
TL : seperti sepotong barang antik, dan Olivia … . (p.447)
Examples (j1), (j2), and (j3) bellow are situational meaning in a text;
j1) SL: ‘… we’ll look like harlots. And I won’t hear it.’ (p.100)
TL: ‘… .Kita akan tampak seperti pelacur, aku tak mau
memakainya.’ (p.92)
j2) SL: ‘… I feel like a harlot., … .’ (p.105)
TL: ‘… saya merasa seperti wanita jalang. … .’ (p.96)
j3) SL: ‘., she did indeed feel like a harlot. (p.112)
TL: ‘… . Adiknya benar-benar telah merendahkan martabat mereka.
(p.103)
Examples (k), (l) and (m) below are situational meaning;
k) SL: ‘You can’t stay an old maid, … .’ (p. 97)
TL: ‘Kalian tak boleh jadi perawan tua; … .’ (p.90)
l) SL: … to let her remain an old maid, and … . (p.167)
TL: … membayangkan putrinya jadi perawan tua, namun … . (p.156)
m) SL: And overnight, she had become a spinster. (p.183)
TL: Dalam semalam saja ia sudah menjadi perawan tua. (p.172)
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(2) The Implicit Meaning Potential of the SL Changes to Explicit
through Translation
To discover the similar related meaning concept of a lexical item, Larson
(1998:87) stated that it can be done by grouping and contrast as in part-whole
relations and contrastive pairs.
n) SL: Well, I’m not a toy for either of you. (p.526)
TL: Aku bukan boneka kalian. (p.518)
SL: toy
TL: boneka
Literal translation TL: mainan (anak-anak)
Semantically, the meaning concept of SL toy and TL boneka (doll) are
closely related. Car toy, person toy and bear toy are part of the meaning
components of the head toy. Apparently the semantic translation toy into
boneka is not an exact equivalence. Some meaning components will be missing
in TL or another.
Toy
bear toy
car toy
person toy
made as a copy
made as a copy
made as a copy
of a bear
of a car
of a person (TL:boneka),
mostly are baby girls named doll (boneka Susan)
The semantic sets of meaning components car toy, person toy and bear
toy are all parts of the central meaning of toy. The meaning component person
toy is given a specific natural meaning component a doll. It is mostly a baby
girl, but also an adult, female as in Barbie doll.
From the point of view of their function, toys and boneka are both
objects for children to play with. As Part-whole relations: a doll is a toy (a
child’s toy in the shape of a person) but not on the contrary (Whole-part
relations) a toy is not always a doll because it can be in a shape of a car as in
toy car, or in a shape of a bear as in toy bear. It depends upon the shape. When
a translator is transferring the central meaning concept toys (mainan anak-
anak) into a more specific meaning component target language boneka (doll) as
Part-whole relations, it is attended to make the information explicit for a clear
meaning by adding explicit information what is the toy made of.
Besides Part-whole relations, a contrastive pairs is also a great help in
determining the meaning of particular TL words that have related pairs like the
following example.
o) SL: ‘We’ll look like a couple of a country bumpkins, ... .’ (p.99)
TL: ‘ Kita akan kelihatan seperti sepasang gadis kampung, … .’
(p.92)
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2.1.3 Coherence Shift of Expression
From the above discussion, in cohesion shift, as a semantic translation, there is
an adjustment of target texts’ textual explicitness that can be overtly seen at
textual relationship namely objectively detectable of lexically dependable in
the phrase (as a language pair-specific phenomenon) of TL translation. On the
other hand, as a communicative translation, coherence shift is an adjustment of
meaning concept of a covert discoursal potential meaning relationship among
parts of the text made overt by the translator through process of interpretation.
Larson, (1998:181) stated that when the concept of expression for
objects and events to be translated is not known in target language, the
translator will be looking for a way to express a concept which is part of the
translator world knowledge related to the experience of target language reader
by transferring them into SL objects /events. Such transferring may result shift
of SL text meaning.
Further, he states that things and events can be looked at from the
perspective of the FORM (FORM here means physical form not linguistic
form) of the THING or EVENT, or from the perspective of its FUNCTION.
a. From the FORM of the THINGS to the Different FORM of the THINGS
p) SL: It made her heart beat faster just thinking of it. (p.99)
TL: Hatinya berdebar kencang. (p.19)
SL: her heart beat faster
TL: hatinya berdebar kencang
The SL her heart beat faster used to say that you have a sudden feeling of
happiness or excitement (Hornby, 2003) is coherently shifted to TL hatinya
berdebar kencang as we can see in the following SL and TL form:
Perspective
of the THING
of the EVENT
SL:
her heart
beat faster
TL:
hati-nya
berdebar kencang
of the FORM
does change
does not change
of its FUNCTION different FUNCTION different FUNCTION
The literal translation of her heart in her heart beat faster is
jantungnya in jantungya berdebar kencang. It is known also that heart in SL
medical term heart attack has its TL equivalence jantung (heart) in serangan
jantung. However, as we can see in the diagram above, the FORM of THING
heart is translated into a different TL FORM of the THING hati (liver), and the
SL form of the EVENT beat faster is translated into the TL same form of the
EVENT berdebar kencang. Jantung (heart in SL) and hati (liver in TL) are
different forms of the THING and they have the different FUNCTION. Heart
is the organ in the left side of the chest that pumps blood around the body.
Liver is a large organ in the body that cleans the blood (Hornby, 2003).
However, the perspective focus on the form of the THING heart is coherently
shifted into hati (liver) is culturally unique and can be seen due to different
placement of heart in SL and hati in TL that can be seen in the following
componential analysis below:
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SL: heart
TL: hati
Where feelings and emotions are thought to be
especially those connected with love.
+
+
Outside part of the chest (as a part-whole relationship).
_
+
Faster beating can be felt when feeling or emotions arises.
+
+
When the Indonesian people said hatinya in hatinya berdebar kencang,
it is meant that the outside part of the chest where the liver or the heart is
associated with the feelings and emotions are thought to be, (SL: broken heart
TL: patah hati), especially those connected with love as in the context how
happy Olivia will be if Charles ever asked her to marry.
Other examples:
q) SL: … if he was planning to make Victoria his next victim. (p. 201)
TL: … kalau dia bermaksud menjadikan Victoria mangsa berikutnya.
(p.100)
r) SL: He’s disgusting worm, and it’s time someone told him.’ (p.467)
TL: ‘Dia pria yang sangat menjijikkan, dan sudah waktunya
seseorang mengatakannya padanya. (p.458)
s) SL: ‘… how good you are at it, with words like daggers.’ (p.468)
TL: ‘… dengan kata-kata yang menusuk bagaikan pedang.’ (p.457)
t) SL: …, he is the light of my life, … . (p.80)
TL: Dia permata hatiku. (p.74)
b. From the FORM of the THING to the FORM of the EVENTS
Examples:
u) SL: She felt like a witch as she snatch it … .(p.388)
TL: Dengan bernafsu Olivia merebut kertas itu … . (p.378)
SL: felt like a witch
TL: Dengan bernafsu
Perspective
of the THING of the EVENT
SL
a witch
TL
bernafsu
of the FORM
does not occur
of its FUNCTION
different FUNCTION
A witch (disapproving) is an ugly unpleasant old woman (Hornby 2003), and
has negative connotation for the majority of English speaker (Larson 1998:143 ).
The SL perspective form of thing does not occur in TL because the expression
like a witch is unknown in TL. However, the function of EVENT bernafsu
does occur.
SL: felt like a witch TL: dengan bernafsu
Having a negative connotation
+
+
An ugly unpleasant woman
+
_
Showing strong feeling of enthusiasm for something
_
+
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