Analyzing Translation Techniques and the Quality of Similes and Metaphors: A Study of Canonical Gospels in Diglot Bible (NIV-TB)

Authors

  • Agnes Emmie Kussemiarti

    Linguistics Department, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia

    STBA LIA Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta 55283, Indonesia
  • Mangatur Rudolf Nababan

    English Department, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia
  • Riyadi Santosa

    English Department, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia
  • Djatmika

    English Department, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.9576
Received: 17 April 2025 | Revised: 20 April 2025 | Accepted: 24 April 2025 | Published Online: 26 April 2025

Abstract

This study reveals (1) the translation techniques employed in translating similes and metaphors from English to Indonesian in the canonical Gospel of Diglot Bible (NIV-TB), and (2) the impact of these techniques on the quality of translations. The data source is a Diglot Bible (NIV-TB), published by the Indonesian Bible Society (IBS) in 2009. The source text version is The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) 1978, while the target text is Alkitab Terjemahan Baru (TB) 1974. The languages involved were English as the source text and Indonesian as the target text. Five professional experts actively participated in a focus group discussion (FGD) to identify the translation techniques used and their impact on the quality of translation. A total of 54 instances of similes and metaphors were identified. The study results indicate that (1) the dominant translation technique used for translating similes and metaphors is established equivalent, whereas the seldom applied techniques were particularization, linguistic amplification, and linguistic compression. (2) The established equivalent, explicitation, paraphrase, addition, modulation, implicitation, transposition, generalization, adaptation, variation, particularization, linguistic amplification, linguistic compression, and compensation contributed to accuracy, acceptability, and readability of translations. Conversely, literal and discursive creation have resulted in lower accuracy, decreased acceptability, and moderate readability of translations. The implications of this study are particularly significant for Bible translators, advising against the use of literal and discursive creation techniques when translating similes and metaphors in the canonical Gospels. Literal and discursive creation was not applicable for translating similes and metaphors.

Keywords:

Similes; Metaphors; Canonical Gospels; Translation Technique; Translation Quality; FGD

References

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How to Cite

Kussemiarti, A. E., Nababan, M. R., Santosa, R., & Djatmika. (2025). Analyzing Translation Techniques and the Quality of Similes and Metaphors: A Study of Canonical Gospels in Diglot Bible (NIV-TB). Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(5), 312–326. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.9576

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 5 (May 2025): In progress

Article Type

Article (This article belongs to the Topical Collection on "Navigating Linguistic Challenges in Higher Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence")

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Copyright © 2025 Agnes Emmie Kussemiarti, Mangatur Rudolf Nababan, Riyadi Santosa, Djatmika

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.