Analysis Of The Translation Strategies For Swear Words In The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*Ck Into Indonesian And Their Impact On The Quality Of Acceptability

Abstract

Swear words or taboo language are linguistic expressions that reflect the emotions, attitudes, and social identity of the speaker. In translation, the differences in cultural norms between English and Indonesian make translating swear words a challenge in itself. This study aims to analyze the translation strategies used in translating swear words in the novel The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck into the Indonesian version, Sebuah Seni untuk Bersikap Bodo Amat, as well as to evaluate their effect on the quality of translation acceptability. The findings show that the most frequently applied strategy was euphemism with 15 data points (37,5%), followed by modulation with 9 data points (22,5%), and adaptation with 6 data points (15%). Other strategies identified include paraphrasing with 4 data points (10%), literal translation with 3 data points (7,5%), equivalents with 2 data points (5%), and omission with 1 data (2,5%). The results indicate a strong tendency toward softening and cultural adaptation rather than literal translation. This demonstrates the translator’s awareness of cultural norms and the need to maintain politeness while preserving emotional nuance in the target language. This research uses a descriptive quantitative method by analyzing data in the form of swear words in the source text and their equivalents in the target text. The results of the analysis show that the most commonly used strategy is euphemism, followed by modulation, adaptation, and omission. The euphemism strategy is used to adjust the meaning to Indonesian politeness norms, while modulation and omission tend to reduce the expressive power of the source text. In conclusion, the success of translating swear words in this novel depends largely on the translator's cultural sensitivity and their ability to balance meaning faithfulness and social acceptability for readers.