tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Aug 02 17:41:13 1995

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Re: }} KLBC!!!



On Wed, 2 Aug 1995, Mark E. Shoulson wrote:

> >Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 15:01:35 +1200 (NZST)
> >From: Chris Nielsen <[email protected]>
> 
> 
> >Ahhh, I see!  I need to think about what the English is actually saying 
> >before translating, or this is the result!
> 
> You *always* need to think about what you're translating, or you won't get
> anywhere.  If translation were just mindlessly replacing words from one
> list with those from another, interpreters would be out of business.
> That's one thing that can make translation worthwhile as an end in itself:
> you find yourself forced to take a good hard look at what you're
> translating, and maybe understand it better.

Good point.  After just a short time learning Klingon I am starting to 
see that the vast majority (or so it seems) of common English phrases are 
contractions (e.g. imperatives). IMHO it's a reflection on the way the 
Brits act. So virtually nothing will translate without tedious thought 
and re-writing.  What a bummer! 

Also, I am realising why they say learning another language helps you 
appreciate your own.  They didn't actually teach grammer (sp?) when I 
went to school!

Chris

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