Procedures in the Translation of Proper Names in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into Malay

Atikah Zabir,Haslina Haroon

doi:10.17576/gema-2018-1802-08

Atikah Zabir, Haslina Haroon

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2018-1802-08

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Abstract

In fantasy fiction, names play a fundamental role in portraying the characters’ personality traits and identity. Names are also sometimes chosen to create certain effects. The fact that names may carry meaning raises the question of how names are dealt with in translation. This issue is especially pertinent in the case of the Harry Potter novels in which many of the names have associative meanings. In view of this, the aim of this study is to determine the procedures used in the translation of some of the proper names in the novel ‘Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire’ into Malay. The study also aims to discuss the effects resulting from the use of the translation procedures. To carry out the study, the proper names in the novel are first identified based on the definition of proper names by Fernandes (2006). Next, the names are mapped to their Malay counterparts. The procedures for the translation of proper names proposed by Fernandes (2006) are then used to analyse how the names are translated into Malay. Finally, the concept of ‘translation loss’ by Hervey and Higgins (1992) is used to determine the effects resulting from the use of the translation procedures. The analysis reveals that a number of different procedures are used to translate the names into Malay. The procedures used have resulted in the loss of hidden meanings in the names, the loss of the creative aspect of the names and the loss of the casual style of the original.

Highlights

Proper names are specific references to objects, whether in the form of people, animals, places, festivals, organisations and other objects (Zink, 1963; Fernandes, 2006; Jaleniauskienė & Čičelytė, 2009; Aguilera, 2008; Epstein, 2012)
This aspect of the source text which cannot be reproduced in the translation is termed by Hervey and Higgins (1992) as “translation loss” (p. 21). It is defined as "non-replication of the ST in the TT – that is, the inevitable loss of culturally relevant features” (Hervey & Higgins 1992, p. 21). In view of this discussion, the aim of this paper is to examine the procedures used in the translation of some of the proper names in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into Malay and to discuss the effects resulting from the use of the translation procedures, especially in terms of loss that occurs due to translation
It was chosen for this study because of its popularity as part of the global phenomenon which has seen the series being translated into more than 70 languages all over the world, and because of the wealth of proper names invented and carefully chosen by Rowling for the fantasy magical world which she has created

Summary

Introduction

Proper names are specific references to objects, whether in the form of people, animals, places, festivals, organisations and other objects (Zink, 1963; Fernandes, 2006; Jaleniauskienė & Čičelytė, 2009; Aguilera, 2008; Epstein, 2012). In the context of children’s fantasy literature, names play a role “in creating comic effects and portraying characters’ personality traits, which will often guide the reader throughout the plot of the story” A similar view is echoed by Epstein (2012), who stresses that “by creatively employing names, authors can relatively and without using a lot of excess words hint at a character’s personality, beliefs, habits, experiences, feelings, and/or appearance, and they can lead readers to make certain judgements about the people in this fictional world” In coming up with names in their stories, authors may choose from large number of names already available in their own culture or they can invent “new, fantastic, absurd or descriptive names” for their characters (Nord, 2003, p. 183)

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