The application of House’s Quality Assessment Model on literary translation, a case study of Robert Frost “The Road not Taken” poem and its Indonesian translation by Atifah Khoiriyah

Abstract

This study examines the application of Juliane House’s Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) Model to analyze Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken and its Indonesian translation Jalan Yang Tak Ku Arungi by Atifah Khoiriyah. Rooted in functional equivalence, House’s model evaluates linguistic, semantic, and pragmatic alignment between the source text (ST) and target text (TT). The analysis investigates structural fidelity, thematic depth, and stylistic nuances to assess the quality of the translation. The findings reveal that while cultural and linguistic adaptations such as transforming “yellow wood” into “hutan kegundahan,” enhance accessibility for Indonesian readers, certain symbolic nuances and rhythmic qualities are diminished, limiting interpretative depth. This research underscores the utility of House’s model in identifying translation mismatches and balancing fidelity with cultural adaptation, particularly in the context of literary translation. The study offers insights into the complexities of poetry translation and proposes strategies for mitigating challenges, contributing to the broader discourse on translation quality assessment.