A TRANSLATION ANALYSIS OF THE IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN CASSANDRA CLARE’S MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

Azarel Angeline Rinanto Rinanto; Esriaty Sega Kendenan

doi:10.30998/66jw0924

Authors

Azarel Angeline Rinanto Rinanto Satya Wacana Christian University Author
Esriaty Sega Kendenan Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30998/66jw0924

Keywords:

idiom, meaning, translation strategy, translation accuracy, the mortal instruments, city of bones

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the translations of idioms from English into Indonesian in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones novel, through examining three specific aspects: idioms identification, translation strategies, and translation accuracy. A qualitative approach by content analysis was employed for data collection and analysis. The findings revealed 53 idioms in the Source Text (ST). The result of this study shows that only two out of six translation strategies were implemented. Paraphrasing was the most frequently applied strategy; by contrast, omission of the entire idiom strategy occurred least often. Additionally, other strategies were also observed beyond the framework, namely, literal translation and mistranslation. The majority of the idioms' intended meaning are accurately retained and classified as accurate in the target text. In conclusion, the application of paraphrasing in novels consistently proves its efficacy in achieving accuracy that maintains intended meaning.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ammer, C. (1997). The American heritage dictionary of idioms. Houghton Mifflin. Baker, M. (2018). In other words: A coursebook on translation (Ed.). Routledge.

Brenner, G. (2011). Webster’s new world American idioms handbook. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2025, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org

Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved November, 13 2025, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/mistranslation

Clare, C. (2007). The mortal instruments: City of bones. Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Clare, C. (2010). The mortal instruments: City of bones. Melody Violin. Ufuk Publishing House.

Cornelia, E. V., Prabowo, A. B., Adi, K., Yosephin, M., & Lestari, W. (2023). An analysis of idiomatic expressions used in “The call of the wild” movie. Jurnal CULTURE (Culture, Language, and Literature Review), 10(2), 57–68.

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/nothing-if-not

Effendi, O. D., Ravindran, L., Amini, M., & Alipour, M. (2024). Exploring strategies and perceptions of quality in English to Indonesian translation of idioms in the short story “Dear life.” International Journal of Language Education and Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijleal.v14i2.10599

Ibrahim, M., Wuntu, C. N., & Lolowang, I. (2021). Struggle as seen in cassandra clare’s The mortal instruments: City of Bones. SoCul: International Journal of Research in Social Culture Issues, 1(2), 113-125.

Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia Daring. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2025, from https://kbbi.kemendikdasmen.go.id

Krisandini, M. T. K., & Sutrisno, A. (2022). The translation of idioms from English into Indonesian: The case of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Lexicon, 8(1), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.22146/lexicon.v8i1.65904

McDonald, S. V. (2020). Accuracy, readability, and acceptability in translation. Applied Translation, 14(2), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.51708/apptrans.v14n2.1238

Mitra, S., & Rana, M. (2023). Cassandra clare’s City of bones: A thematic study. YMER. 22(1), 1403-1407.

Liu, D. (with Wood). (2026). In idioms: description, comprehension, acquisition and pedagogy. Routledge.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com

Nababan, M., Nuraeni, A., & Sumardiono. (2012). Pengembangan model penilaian kualitas terjemahan. Kajian Linguistik Dan Sastra, 24(1), 39–57.

Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice Hall.

Purnawati, A. (2023). An annotated translation of idiomatic expression in novel See me by nicholas sparks. JUSPHEN: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Dan Pendidikan, ISSN (3), 87–93. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.56127/jushpen.v2i3.949

Putri, F., & Wijaya, A. (2021). The comparison of strategies used in translating idiomatic expressions in a fansub and the official subtitle of Game night movie (2018). International Review of Humanities Studies, 6(2).

Rohmawati, I. A., Junining, E., & Suwarso, N. (2022). The idioms and culture-spcific items translation strategy for a classic novel. 5(2), 169–181.

Sari, A., Mathilda, B., & Rosalinah, Y. (2025). Translation strategies of idiomatic expressions in Inside Out 2 movie. Jurnal Multidisiplin Sahombu, 5(1), 203-215. https://doi.org/10.58471/jms.v5i01

Spears, R. A. (2005). McGraw-hill’s dictionary of American idioms and phrasal verbs. McGraw-Hill.

Syah, Z., Rasyid, M., & Tami, R. (2023). A quality assessment of English idiom translation into Indonesian in Harry potter and the cursed child. ELITE: English and Literature Journal, 10(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.24252/eli