Culture-specific items (CSIs) of Eka Kurniawan’s Cantik Itu Luka in its English and Russian translations

Polina Korneenkova, Universitas Negri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Andy Bayu Nugroho, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Pavel Travkin, Saint Petersburg University, Russian Federation

Abstract


This research investigates (1) types of culture-specific items (CSIs), (2) translation techniques applied to CSIs, and (3) translation ideologies employed by the translators of Eka Kurniawan's novel Cantik Itu Luka into its English (Beauty is a Wound) and Russian (Красота – это горе) translations by Annie Tucker and Marina Izvekova, respectively. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study identifies 110 CSIs based on Peter Newmark's classification and analyzes translation techniques through Vinay and Darbelnet’s framework and Lawrence Venuti’s ideologies of foreignization and domestication. Findings indicate that the English translation employs foreignization, with borrowing (39%) and amplification (19%) preserving cultural authenticity. Conversely, the Russian translation leans toward domestication, favoring literal translation (35%) and borrowing (28%) for cultural adaptation. This research highlights how translation strategies shape cultural representation and the reading experience.


Keywords


culture-specific item; foreignization; domestication; translation strategies

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/diksi.v33i1.82984

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