Seminar Penterjemahan Kebangsaan

Seminar Penterjemahan Kebangsaan |15 Translation of cultural elements in Danish, Djibouti & Burmese folklores into the Malay language NAJIBAH ABU BAKAR Freelance Translator najibah.abubakar@gmail.com ~ ABSTRACT ~ In folklore translation, a translator faces many difficulties and questions when translating cultural elements. It is due to the existing cultural gaps, not only from cultural background and non- equivalence but also from the derivation of meaning of specific actions, objects and creatures, and the challenge from a culture that is no longer existing or has changed within time. In translating folklores from various cultures such as Danish, Djibouti, and Burmese for IIUM Press Folklore Translation Project, many cultural elements emerged in the English source texts. The author identified these elements and categorized them into seven categories: ecology, material culture, social culture, religious culture, and gestures and habits. This paper explains about the strategy used to translate these elements: literal translation, borrowing, modulation, and functional equivalence. Based on the result, the author compares the degree of difficulties faced when translating source texts from three different cultures, which are Western, African-Islamic and Asian, due to the cultural identity of the translator. This paper also briefly discusses how the translator tapped into current information technology and take advantage of it to find the best equivalent when translating cultural elements. KEYWORDS Folklore translation, cultural elements, translation strategy