An anonymous but high-profile public text from the Nautilus Institute ('Indonesia to Build Two Naval Bases in East Nusa Tenggara, Kompass' [sic]) demonstrated how far Australia has dropped in its Indonesian language ability. The news clipping meant to summarize the most pertinent reported facts from the Indonesian original – an article in Jakarta daily Kompas (TNI AL Bangun Pangkalan di NTT, 17 March 2008). However, the hapless translator made mistakes for most the facts selected from Kompas (in fact, all of the Nautilus precis' sentences contain basic errors), while missing most of the original's other, actually important facts. An appraisal:
BASIC FACTUAL INACCURACIES
1. Number of planned naval bases
Kompas source: Four
Nautilus: Two (in title), one (in text)
2. Locations
Kompas source:
- Labuanbajo (eastern edge of Flores by Sape Strait)
- Sumba (near Mangudu and Salura islands)
- Boking area (South-Central Timor Regency) and
- Rote Island
Nautilus:
- Mangudu Island and
- Salura Island
3. Australian tourism business in Sumba islands
Kompas source: business discontinued after army troops deployed there
Nautilus: “are managed by an Australian tourism businessman”
4. Troops at Sumba islands
Kompas source: army i.e., “TNI-AD”
Nautilus: navy i.e., “TNI-AL stationed troops”
ERRORS OF THOUGHT PATTERN, CONTEXT AND NUANCE
- The Nautilus precis missed the plural condition implicit in the Kompas article's title and first sentence. The Indonesian report meant “bases”, contrary to Nautilus' simple word substitution of “base” for pangkalan.
- Nautilus presumed a gender for “tourism business operator” (pelaku bisnis pariwisata), rendered as “tourism businessman”.
- Nautilus created a notion about “fears” that Mangudu and Salura islands “were slowly creeping into Australian hands”. The Kompas original specified that the Indonesian Army deployed troops there upon “getting wind of an issue” (mengendus isu) concerning the islands' potential to "fall gradually into Australian hands in a style similar to Malaysia's seizure of Sipadan and Ligitan islands".
SIGNIFICANT OMMISSIONS
- Quoted and otherwise interviewed sources for the Kompas article: Chair of East Nusa Tenggara House of Representatives (DPRD NTT) Drs Melkianus Adoe, and Chief of Kupang Main Naval Base Commodore Syaiful.
- The expressed intention behind the planned Boking base i.e., deterring possible spying activity in its adjacent oil-rich area.
- The expressed intention behind the planned Rote Island base i.e., deterring Indonesian fishing vessels from seeking stocks in the “sand islands” (pulau pasir, probably Ashmore Reef area) of Australian territorial waters.
The Nautilus Institute is not some volunteer freebie or “vanity publishing” site. It is a well-funded organ with many international corporate sponsors, including some backing from government and branches of the UN too (its “Global Collaborative Sponsors” list needs registration to see, but it may be identical to Nautilus' associate lists). If this attempted translation was by a student, there is clearly a failure of supervision and quality control; if it was by an academic...
[For the record, the transcript is as follows (as retrieved 04 May 2008:
"5. Indonesia to Build Two Naval Bases in East Nusa Tenggara, Kompass*, 2008-03-17
The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) will add an operational base in East Nusa Tenggara to guard the area against disturbances from other countries and to control any illegal fishing. Pulau Mangudu and Pulau Salura are managed by an Australian tourism businessman. However, TNI-AL stationed troops at the islands after fears arose that they were slowly creeping into Australian hands.
*Indonesian Language"]
BASIC FACTUAL INACCURACIES
1. Number of planned naval bases
Kompas source: Four
Nautilus: Two (in title), one (in text)
2. Locations
Kompas source:
- Labuanbajo (eastern edge of Flores by Sape Strait)
- Sumba (near Mangudu and Salura islands)
- Boking area (South-Central Timor Regency) and
- Rote Island
Nautilus:
- Mangudu Island and
- Salura Island
3. Australian tourism business in Sumba islands
Kompas source: business discontinued after army troops deployed there
Nautilus: “are managed by an Australian tourism businessman”
4. Troops at Sumba islands
Kompas source: army i.e., “TNI-AD”
Nautilus: navy i.e., “TNI-AL stationed troops”
ERRORS OF THOUGHT PATTERN, CONTEXT AND NUANCE
- The Nautilus precis missed the plural condition implicit in the Kompas article's title and first sentence. The Indonesian report meant “bases”, contrary to Nautilus' simple word substitution of “base” for pangkalan.
- Nautilus presumed a gender for “tourism business operator” (pelaku bisnis pariwisata), rendered as “tourism businessman”.
- Nautilus created a notion about “fears” that Mangudu and Salura islands “were slowly creeping into Australian hands”. The Kompas original specified that the Indonesian Army deployed troops there upon “getting wind of an issue” (mengendus isu) concerning the islands' potential to "fall gradually into Australian hands in a style similar to Malaysia's seizure of Sipadan and Ligitan islands".
SIGNIFICANT OMMISSIONS
- Quoted and otherwise interviewed sources for the Kompas article: Chair of East Nusa Tenggara House of Representatives (DPRD NTT) Drs Melkianus Adoe, and Chief of Kupang Main Naval Base Commodore Syaiful.
- The expressed intention behind the planned Boking base i.e., deterring possible spying activity in its adjacent oil-rich area.
- The expressed intention behind the planned Rote Island base i.e., deterring Indonesian fishing vessels from seeking stocks in the “sand islands” (pulau pasir, probably Ashmore Reef area) of Australian territorial waters.
The Nautilus Institute is not some volunteer freebie or “vanity publishing” site. It is a well-funded organ with many international corporate sponsors, including some backing from government and branches of the UN too (its “Global Collaborative Sponsors” list needs registration to see, but it may be identical to Nautilus' associate lists). If this attempted translation was by a student, there is clearly a failure of supervision and quality control; if it was by an academic...
[For the record, the transcript is as follows (as retrieved 04 May 2008:
"5. Indonesia to Build Two Naval Bases in East Nusa Tenggara, Kompass*, 2008-03-17
The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) will add an operational base in East Nusa Tenggara to guard the area against disturbances from other countries and to control any illegal fishing. Pulau Mangudu and Pulau Salura are managed by an Australian tourism businessman. However, TNI-AL stationed troops at the islands after fears arose that they were slowly creeping into Australian hands.
*Indonesian Language"]
