tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Mar 19 07:04:25 1994

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Help, please


KoSneHvo':


>I understand how to use the law' puS construction for things like "She is
>bolder than he is," but what if you want to compare two different qualitative
>states, e.g., how do you construct something like "It is better to be dead
>than to be a slave" or "Klingons are better then Terrans" or (my favorite)
>"Better crippled in body than corrupt in mind"?
>
>Do you still try to stuff these into the law' puS construction?  It seems to 
me
> that to do so would not only make these phrases unneccessarily cumbersome, 
but
>would fail to translate the *meaning*.  Please help.


Generally, yes, you do.  Occassionally, you can re-word the original English 
slightly, so that it is either a better law'/puS contruction, or use a 
subordinate clause of some sort.

An example to help you:

A good friend of mine (not on the Internet, unfortunately) offered this long 
ago for "Better dead than Fed"-

	Heghpu'wI' quv law' DIVI' quv puS
	"The dead have more honour than the Federation."

You could use the same thing for your quesiton about dead vs. slaves:

	Heghpu'wI' quv law' toy'wI''a' quv puS
	"The dead have more honour than a slave"

For your other questions:

	nIv tlhInganpu'; QIv tera'nganpu'
	"Klingons are superior; terrans are inferior."

This is what I mean by re-wording.  I think thise retains you original intent 
(and perhaps adds a bit more of a sneer into the insult...? {{;) )

	porgh rIQ QaQ law' yab qal QaQ puS
	"an injured body is better than a corrupted mind."

Any of this help?


--HoD trI'Qal
  tlhwD lIy So'

Back to archive top level