Reference used in The English Translation of Surah An Nisa by M. Marmaduke Pickthall and Abdullah Yusuf Ali

ABSTRACT

In the process of communication or in understanding a text there will be many possibilities of misunderstanding and misinterpreting of the meaning of language we used. Therefore, the theory of discourse analysis is important to use in order to minimize miscommunication between the speaker and the reader or the writer and reader. This thesis is focuses on the theory of reference that is used by Marmaduke Pitckhall and Abdullah Yusuf Ali in translating surah An Nisa. This research aims to know the difference and also similarities between reference used by Marmaduke Pitckhall and Abdullah Yusuf Ali in translating Surah An Nisa. The researchers chose the English translation of Surah An Nisa By Marmaduke Pitckhall and Abdullah Yusuf Ali since both translators are very famous translators and their translation of some surah in Alqur an is the most widely known and used in the world.

This study uses a descriptive qualitative research design since the data of this research are in the form of word and not statically. In this case, the researcher describes the English translation by Marmaduke Pitckhall and Abdullah Yusuf Ali by using theory of reference that is purposed by Hasan and Haliday.

From the analysis, the researcher finds some difference and similarities between Pitckhall and Yusuf Ali in using reference. The similarities that occur in both translations as follow: First, the most dominant reference that occurs in the English translation is personal reference. Second, in both translations nominal demonstrative the also frequently occurs. In the using comparative, both translators use the comparison in the term of quality and expressed in the epithet element in the nominal group by comparative adjective and adverb.

Then, the difference between Pitckhall and Yusuf Ali in using reference also found in the three type of reference. The personal reference that is used by Pitckhall to refers the God are the plural pronoun We and the pronoun He that usually used for the third singular male. In contras, Yusuf Ali uses pronoun We and also Its, which usually used for something or someone with no definite sex. The different also happen in the using of demonstrative reference, where there are some demonstratives only occurs in one translation. In another words, on the other translation it is omitted. In the comparative reference the researcher mostly found the form of superlative degree in Yusuf Ali s translation.

Finally, this research is expected to give contribution to the study of discourse analysis, especially to the analysis of cohesion. It can be a teaching media for the English teacher in teaching discourse marker since in this research many example of reference is available. This research is also expected to show how wonderful al qur an and enable to minimize misinterpreting of the English translation of Surah An Nisa since the function of reference is to link and to connect the subject within the text and it deals with semantic relation.

In addition, it can be reference for the next researchers who are interested in analyzing cohesion. However, the researcher suggests the next researcher to analyze the other aspect of cohesion, which has not been covered in this study.