Translation Method in English-Indonesia Selected Sentences of Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix

Abstract

Translation plays a crucial role in transferring meaning across languages, particularly in literary works where linguistic and cultural elements require careful interpretation and adaptation. However, differences in linguistic structure and cultural context often create challenges in the transfer of meaning between source and target languages. This study aims to identify the translation methods applied at the sentence level in the English–Indonesian translation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and to examine how these methods are used in transferring meaning from the source language to the target language. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, with data consisting of five selected sentences analyzed using Newmark’s (1988) translation methods framework. The findings reveal that two translation methods are applied: literal translation and semantic translation. Semantic translation is the most frequently used method (60%), while literal translation appears in 40% of the data. The analysis shows that both methods contribute to meaning transfer, although they differ in their approach to conveying linguistic and contextual elements. This study contributes to translation studies by providing a focused sentence-level analysis and demonstrating how translators employ different translation methods according to contextual needs. The findings offer practical insights for literary translators and educators in English–Indonesian translation contexts.