TRANSLATION STRATEGY FOR CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS IN DESCRIPTIVE MUSEUM TEXTS: A CASE STUDY OF WAYANG MUSEUM TEXTS AND PURBALINGGA ARTIFACTS

Abstract

The translation of museum texts that contain elements of local culture faces complex challenges due to differences in value systems, cultural concepts, and customs between the source language and the target language (Steiner et al., n.d.). Culture-specific items (CSIs) often do not have direct equivalents in the target language, which can potentially cause a mismatch in meaning. This study aims to analyze the translation strategies of CSIs in the descriptive texts of the Wayang Museum and the Purbalingga Artifact Museum and to examine the influence of these strategies on the readability and comprehension of international audiences (Words et al., n.d.) This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with data sources in the form of bilingual descriptive texts (Indonesian–English) found on exhibition labels and museum information panels. Data analysis was conducted by identifying CSIs, classifying them, and analyzing translation strategies based on the theory of Revisited et al., (2016) and the concepts of domestication and foreignization of (Translator et al., n.d.). The results showed that the most dominant strategies used were borrowing, explicitation, and adaptation. This combination of strategies was considered effective in preserving cultural authenticity while improving readability for international readers (Valerian, 2021).