Ketika Buntu Menerjemahkan

Pertama, saya akan diskusi dengan sesama teman penerjemah atau editor. Jika masih buntu juga, saya mencoba menghubungi penulisnya (jika masih hidup).




Berkat jejaring sosial, para penulis kini juga relatif lebih mudah dihubungi. Perkenalkan diri secara jelas, tuliskan judul buku yang tengah diterjemahkan, serta nama penerbit yang akan menerbitkannya. Dan tentu saja, jika ada balasan, jangan lupa berterima kasih :)

Saat menerjemahkan The Substitute Millionaire, saya sempat buntu.

Riset sudah, diskusi dengan teman juga sudah. Tapi masih belum yakin. Saya putuskan untuk mengirim PM pada Susan Mallery, sebagai berikut:

• Conversation started March 15, 2012
• 

  3/16, 1:42am
  

  Retnadi Nur'aini
  

  
  

  Dear Susan,

  I'm Retnadi, from Jakarta, Indonesia. Now, I'm translating one of your books-The Substitute Millionaire, into Indonesian. It will be published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

  Do you mind if I ask you some question?

  On chapter two, you wrote:

  'He moved toward her and nearly stumbled as he got caught in his slacks. “ I’ m totally smooth,” he muttered as he freed himself, then pulled off his socks.'

  My question is: what is the meaning of 'smooth'? On http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/smooth, I found that the slang meaning of 'smooth' is 'superior, classy, clever'.

  Referring to the context, I think, Todd is trying to say 'I'm very clever got caught in my own slacks'.

  Is that so?

  Looking forward to hearing from you

  Regards,

  Retnadi

  
  

  PM ini kemudian dibalas:

  Susan Mallery

  
  

  Retnadi, thank you for the message. I appreciate your work to translate my book and to make it as accurate as possible. Yes, "I'm very clever - I got caught in my own slacks" is a good translation of that line. Thank you for asking!