Translation of Japanese Aizuchi Subtitles into Indonesian in The Educational Video Yume E No Daiippo: Pragmatic Equivalence

Abstract

Equivalence is a challenge in translation. Aizuchi refers to short words or phrases used as responses during a conversation. This study explores the translation of aizuchi from Japanese into Indonesian in the educational video "Yume e no Daiippo", focusing on pragmatic equivalence. Aizuchi consists of brief utterances that function to show that the listener is paying attention and engaged in the conversation. In a cultural context, translating aizuchi into Indonesian requires careful adaptation to maintain its original pragmatic function without compromising cross-cultural understanding. The descriptive qualitative method, combined with pragmatic analysis, is used. Data is sourced from subtitle translations in the educational video and analyzed using Searle’s (1969) illocutionary theory to identify illocutionary force, implicature, and the relevance of the translation. The findings show that translations of aizuchi such as ‘Ā’, ‘Are’, ‘Dō shiyou’, and ‘Sumimasen’ successfully maintain the same pragmatic function as in the source language. These findings indicate that despite cultural differences between Japan and Indonesia, pragmatic equivalence in translation can be effectively achieved, allowing for the original meaning and communicative function to be conveyed. This study contributes to the field of audiovisual translation and intercultural communication studies, offering insights into the challenges of translating culturally embedded elements like aizuchi.