koplokan

English translation: shabby shed

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Indonesian term or phrase:koplokan
English translation:shabby shed
Entered by: Catherine Muir

08:49 Jun 17, 2012
Indonesian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / early 1900s Indonesian novel
Indonesian term or phrase: koplokan
I suspect it may mean 'stable' or 'barn' or the like.

Context: a young boy who has been reduced to poverty by the death of his father sets off on foot from Magelang to Semarang. He arrives in Ungaran late one rainy night. He has only 50 cents in his pocket, so he not able to pay for somewhere to spend the night.

The story reads: "Ia masuk ke koplakan. Pakaiannya basah-kuyub. Ada empat los. Ia memilih yang tengah, yang ada sapinya dalam runtahan."
Catherine Muir
Australia
Local time: 01:19
(shabby) shed
Explanation:
Since it is very difficult to find articles or any other information on the internet (perhaps the article posted by Erich is the only one), I asked my Javanese colleagues. For Young Javanese (at least here in my office), 'koplakan' is a strange word. They do not know the word. They only understand 'koplak' (which means 'joke' in English).
However, based on the context you provided, I think it might be a shabby shed where not only people, but also cattle/animals, can temporarily stay.
Shabby here means 'of mediocre or substandard quality'.
Those who stay in koplakan may pay or not pay for staying there depending on the owner's generosity.
Selected response from:

Rosmeilan Siagian
Indonesia
Local time: 21:19
Grading comment
In this context, I think you're correct. I think this koplakan was on a par with the stable where Jesus was born: both humans and animals sheltering inside.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5inn
Wiyanto Suroso
4shelter for pay
ErichEko ⟹⭐
3(shabby) shed
Rosmeilan Siagian


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
koplakan
shelter for pay


Explanation:

It looks like the service is very basic; no privacy should be expected for koplakan. It is more like a shelter from weather, for a pay (of small amout of money). Mostly for people of low-income that travel far from home.

Based on the following ref.

Ref: http://malikussaleh.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/kuntowijoyo-...
Sampailah mereka di koplakan itu. Koplakan adalah semacam losmen terbuka dan sangat murah, siapa saja boleh datang dan pergi tanpa pemeriksaan surat-surat. .....

Koplakan itu terdiri dari sebuah pendopo dibagi dengan sekat gedeg yang rendah. Ada dua kamar mandi dan wc yang berdekatan dengan satu sumur yang timbanya bisa ditarik kesana-kemari. Orang bisa mandi di kamar mandi, tapi baik laki-laki atau perempuan bisa juga mandi di sumur. Mereka yang menginap ialah para pedagang keliling: penjual payung, pedagang barang-barang dari tanah, pedagang kitab, pedagang pakaian jadi, pelacur, penjahit, penjual mainan anak-anak, penjual balon, dan pembarang macam Satinah dan pamannya.



ErichEko ⟹⭐
Indonesia
Local time: 21:19
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian
PRO pts in category: 48
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Erich. I get the picture. What intrigues me, however, is that there was a bullock INSIDE the koplakan!

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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
inn


Explanation:
Not 'koplokan' as asked but 'koplakan' as in the story.
'koplak' or 'koplakan' is a Javanase word meaning an inn, a cheap transit hotel for small traders, bullock carts, etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-06-17 11:59:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In the past, the ‘koplakan’ is an inn in the form of ‘los’ that is open, long ‘rooms’ with partitions among ‘rooms’. Push-carts and bullock-carts together with their bullocks are also placed in the koplakan.

Wiyanto Suroso
Indonesia
Local time: 21:19
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian
PRO pts in category: 30
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, my mistake. Spelling is koplakan. However, I was thinking it was more like a stable or shed, rather than an inn, because there was a bullock in the 'los' that he selected. What do you think?

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1 day 20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(shabby) shed


Explanation:
Since it is very difficult to find articles or any other information on the internet (perhaps the article posted by Erich is the only one), I asked my Javanese colleagues. For Young Javanese (at least here in my office), 'koplakan' is a strange word. They do not know the word. They only understand 'koplak' (which means 'joke' in English).
However, based on the context you provided, I think it might be a shabby shed where not only people, but also cattle/animals, can temporarily stay.
Shabby here means 'of mediocre or substandard quality'.
Those who stay in koplakan may pay or not pay for staying there depending on the owner's generosity.


    Reference: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/shed
    Reference: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/shabby
Rosmeilan Siagian
Indonesia
Local time: 21:19
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
In this context, I think you're correct. I think this koplakan was on a par with the stable where Jesus was born: both humans and animals sheltering inside.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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