RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
SKBP 2034
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
HARRY POTTER & THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS:
THE ORIGINAL VS THE TRANSLATION
PREPARED FOR:
PROF. MADYA DR. MOHD. SALLEHHUDIN ABD. AZIZ
PREPARED BY:
NUR ATIKA LAILA ZAINAL
A141131
B.A. (HONS.) ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES
SEMESTER 2, YEAR 2
2013/2014
CHAPTER ONE
1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
We often hear remarks from the older generation that young people nowadays are not
fond of reading. The latter would claim that they are not interested in reading, but the
obvious truth is that they just need to find the right book that catches their interests. That
means choosing the right genres of reading material that they fancy. In attempt to attract
people to read more, translating popular novels and books written by international or
best–selling authors has turned into a crucial phenomenon. There is always a slight
unavoidable difference in the original and the translated texts. The focus here being the
translation itself. Translation is a delicate work of transferring a message from one
language to another, therefore, numerous issues have arisen regarding to what is lost in
the translation. The question remains whether the translated text is able to convey the
same message to readers as the original one and it is often found in comparing the same
Malay and English texts, the former always consists of longer sentences.
A good translation must achieve the same intent in the target text as the source did,
for in many cases, like the American poet and critic Robert Frost had once said; “Poetry
is what gets lost in translation” (Shi Aiwei, 2005, Translatum Journal). This research
mainly focuses on the second Harry Potter novel in English language, Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets and its translation in Malay, Harry Potter dan Bilik Rahsia.
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The translated versions of English literary works always have some major differences
with the original in various aspects such as the storyline, the names of the characters, and
etc. Readers whom are already familiar with the source texts would expect that the target
texts are in line with the original ones. Therefore, the translator must have a depth
knowledge and understanding of both languages in order to produce a satisfactory and
well-accepted translation work. The problem lies in the competency of translators in the
translation field as well as several factors regarding the text itself. Therefore, this research
aims to see if the translation can be improved and if it can, in what ways. Numerous
studies have been done on translation using various books including the Harry Potter
saga, but almost none of them covers and tackles it in the aspect of both Malay and
English languages.
3. PURPOSES / OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The purposes of this study are to analyse and compare the translation of the selected
English book with the translated one in Malay language.
The objectives of this study are to:
●
Investigate if the translation of the selected English work can be improved.
●
Identify if the cultural elements in the original work are thoroughly preserved in the
translation or adapted into the target language.
4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
There are two research questions of this study:

how can the translation of English works be improved? (Do texts in Malay
tend to be ‘wordier’ than English equivalents and if so, what factors that affect
the differences in lengths between the two.)
●
how does the translator translate the cultural elements in the book into the
target language? (The strategies used by the translator in overcoming the
differences between English and Malay languages in order to produce an
acceptable translation.)
5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study is to create awareness on the inadequacy of truly skillful
translators in this country as well as attracting the interest of people towards the original
works. As for the translated versions, it is done so that people would be able to
understand it better. If more people are aware of this matter, it may fascinate them to dive
into the translating field, consider the possibility to be a good and professional translator.
Thus, by using one of J.K. Rowling’s genius works—Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets; it is hoped that the people who are passionate in reading and the translation field
and want to produce a good translation for the readers out there will be interested to step
into the world of translation.
The study can also be utilised by students majoring in translation or literature studies,
and other Harry Potter scholars. There are universities overseas that offer courses where
the Harry Potter books are used in the same standard as that of Shakespeare’s works in
classes. This research may also be useful for students who want to do a related research
on the books or translation.
6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study is inspired by an article in the The Star Online about several literary works
being translated without the proper context and understanding of the books (Edward Is
No Pontianak, 2010). The scope of this study is to analyse and compare the book Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and the translated version, Harry Potter dan Bilik
Rahsia. This research will be using references from books, journals and online articles.
7. LIMITATIONS
This research is limited only to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and its
translated version, Harry Potter dan Bilik Rahsia. There are few specific and prominent
researches conducted on the subject matter.
There are countless of books, articles, and journals written revolving around Harry
Potter which are accessible through the internet, bookstores, libraries and from the
researcher’s own collection. Nevertheless, not all of the references are easy to attain,
because most of them focus on the literature point of view. Some of them studied the
books from the perspective of psychology, philosophy and even law. Not to mention that
the library that is within reach of the researcher does not have that many relevant
references. Other alternatives are to purchase these materials online or at any bookstores,
some are quite expensive. For the kind of purchase that is made online might have taken a
long time to get, and time is another luxury besides money, that the researcher cannot
afford.