Rewriting Childhood: A Linguistic Study of Translation Techniques in Indonesian-English Bilingual Book

Abstract

This study examines the translation procedures employed in the bilingual children’s storybook “Ups! Aku Tidak Ceroboh Lagi”, written by Fita Chakra and Indra Bayu and translated into English by Wicha S.B. The aim of this study is to identify the types of translation procedures applied as well as to determine the most dominant procedure used in the English version of the storybook. Utilizing the model proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet’s translation procedures as discussed by Munday (2022), this study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through close reading and note-taking techniques, focusing on sentences that reflect specific translation procedures. The findings reveal that five translation procedures were identified in the book: literal translation (11 data), transposition (3 data), equivalence (3 data), amplification (3 data), and economy or reduction (3 data). Among these procedures, literal translation was the most frequently applied method, indicating a strong source-text orientation. Although the translations are generally accurate and age-appropriate, several minor translation shifts were noted. These findings highlight the significance of procedural choices in translating children’s literature, particularly in texts intended to promote character education and bilingual language acquisition. This study contributes to translation studies by offering insights into the translation of culturally embedded content for young readers and may serve as a reference for future research in this field.