VIDEO - SENI MENERJEMAHKAN CERITA ANAK

The Art of Translating Children’s Stories

Translating children’s stories is not simply a matter of replacing words in one language with words in another. It calls for careful storytelling, sensitivity to children’s development, and attention to language, culture, illustrations, and the reader’s age. A successful translation preserves the story’s message while making it understandable and enjoyable for its intended readers.

What Counts as a Children’s Story?

A children’s story is generally written for children as its intended or “ideal” readers. It need not be written by a child or feature a child as its main character. Its subject matter should connect with children’s understanding of the world, such as family, friends, school, nature, everyday problems, or learning.

Children’s books also have dual readership: children may read them themselves, while adults may read them aloud or tell the stories to them. When translating, however, the child remains the main benchmark for language and comprehension.

Children’s reading abilities vary. The webinar describes approximate stages—from children who need adult support to early and more advanced readers—but emphasizes that language mastery matters more than age alone. Vocabulary, sentence length, and complexity should suit the specific readership.

Forms and Purposes of Children’s Literature

The webinar discusses several forms of children’s literature:

• Fables, in which animals behave in human-like ways.
• Folktales, legends, myths, and fairy tales, which may explain a place or natural phenomenon, or involve magic and adventure.
• Realistic stories about children and recognizable situations.
• Picture books, where illustrations and words work together to create meaning.
• STEAM stories, which weave science, technology, engineering, arts, or mathematics into a narrative. For example, a story about children solving a practical problem can introduce mathematical or scientific ideas without reading like a textbook.

Translation can make stories from other cultures accessible to children who do not know the source language. It can also share cultural knowledge, convey educational or character-building themes, and support children’s access to reading.

Quality Goals for a Translation

The presenter describes a “quality trilogy” that a children’s-story translation should meet:

1. Accuracy — The story’s message and relevant details are conveyed correctly.
2. Acceptability — The wording sounds natural and appropriate in the target language and culture.
3. Readability — The intended child reader can understand and follow the story.

All three goals matter. A translation may preserve the message but still fail if its language is unnatural or too difficult for children to understand.

Translation Workflow

The suggested process is:

1. Analyze the source story.

   • Identify its main message, plot, characters, setting, and how the problem is resolved.
   • Notice the author’s style and tone.
   • Determine the intended readership and the story’s purpose.

2. Transfer the message into the target language.

   • Choose expressions suited to the target-language reader and the child’s reading level.
   • Make considered decisions about cultural references, names, humor, sound effects, and other language-specific features.

3. Self-edit the translation.

   • Check accuracy, naturalness, clarity, consistency, and suitability for the intended age or reading level.
   • Where possible, test whether children can understand it rather than relying only on an adult’s judgment.

Translation may also involve further review, editing, proofreading, assessment, and coordination with a publisher before a book is published.

Practical Strategies and Challenges

Character Names

Consider whether children can read, pronounce, and remember a name. A name may carry meaning or signal a character’s personality; the webinar calls such meaning-bearing names characteronyms.

Names should not be changed casually. They may be part of a series or protected by a publisher’s rights, so changes should be discussed with the publisher or relevant rights holder.

Cultural References

Food, clothing, forms of address, customs, games, and religious practices may not have direct equivalents. Depending on the audience and purpose, a translator may retain a term, add a brief explanation, use a familiar equivalent, or adapt the reference.

Retaining a cultural term can preserve the story’s cultural setting; a glossary or concise explanation may help children understand it. The choice depends on the specific story, readership, and publisher—not on a single universally correct technique.

Sound Effects and Onomatopoeia

Identify the sound being represented, then check how that sound is conventionally written or described in the target language. If it is unfamiliar, research it through reliable references or recordings and use judgment to find a natural expression.

A sound may be rendered directly, as a verb, or through a noun or description. Each option creates a different effect, so the choice should fit the scene and remain engaging for children.

Repetition, Rhythm, and Rhyme

Repetition can help children remember vocabulary and story patterns, so it should not automatically be removed.

When translating rhythmic or rhyming text, read or sing the result aloud. Adjust the wording where needed to preserve a workable rhythm, rhyme, or performable quality.

Wordplay can be especially difficult. When a direct equivalent does not work, the translator may recreate the effect with different wording or an equivalent joke.

Diction and Sentence Length

Prefer familiar, concrete, child-friendly words over unnecessarily difficult vocabulary. Use short, manageable sentences that can be read aloud naturally and understood in one breath.

Long sentences can be divided into shorter ones, especially when the original text is intended for a reading level that differs from that of the target audience. Colloquial language can suit dialogue, while narration may use standard language. The overall register should still feel natural rather than stiff.

Idioms and Humor

Literal translations of idioms may confuse children. In many cases, conveying the intended meaning is more helpful than reproducing the original wording.

For humor and wordplay, try to preserve the humorous effect, even if the image or analogy must change. If no workable equivalent can be found, paraphrasing or softening may be preferable; removing the humor should generally be a last resort.

Pronouns and Forms of Address

Pronouns that are clear in the source language may become ambiguous in the target language. Repeat a character’s name or make the referent explicit when necessary.

Forms of address should reflect the target culture’s expectations of politeness and relationships. A brief addition, such as a family title, may make an exchange more natural and clear.

Sensitive Material

Violence, gambling, and other potentially unsuitable content may need careful consideration for a child audience. Any substantial softening, adaptation, or omission should be discussed with the editor, project manager, or publisher rather than decided in isolation by the translator.

Bilingual Books

In books that display the original and translated text together, aim for comparable meaning, difficulty, and—where possible—length. Sentence structure may be adjusted, including by splitting a sentence, as long as the story’s meaning remains intact and the layout works.

Illustrations and the Reading Experience

In picture books, text and illustrations work together. The translation should agree with what the images show and should not create a mismatch in mood, action, or meaning.

Illustrations and color choices help build the story and attract children to the book, while the physical format should also be suitable for young readers. Translators should therefore consider the illustrated page and the reading experience, not only the words in isolation.

Speakers and Sources Featured

Main Speakers

• Edwardo Gabriel (“Mas Edo”) — Event host and opening and closing emcee.
• Andriys Ariesson H.P. (“Mas Andris”) — Moderator.
• Nur Sapta Ningsih (“Mbak/Miss Sapta”) — Presenter on children’s-story translation.

Audience Contributions

• Mahyudin — Asked about bilingual books.
• Irfan — Asked about informal style and other translation issues.
• Royan — Asked about translating children’s humor.
• Tenti — Asked about cultural terms and reader-level constraints.
• Lucia/Lia — Shared comments about reading translated children’s stories. The subtitle transcription of her name is uncertain.

Works and Resources Mentioned

• Rita Oittinen, cited in connection with children’s literature and the child’s view of the world.
• African Storybook and StoryWeaver, mentioned as sources of children’s stories.
• UNESCO, mentioned in connection with access to stories and publication.
• KBBI and other language references, mentioned as tools for checking vocabulary.
• Google and YouTube, mentioned as practical aids for researching unfamiliar sounds and cultural references.