tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Dec 11 17:07:54 1995
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[What, me worry?]
- From: "David Wood" <[email protected]>
- Subject: [What, me worry?]
- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 19:53:16 -0500
s> From: [email protected] (shadow)
s> To: [email protected]
s> Subject: Translation request
s> Message-ID: <[email protected]>
s> How would one translate, "What, me worry?"
s> OK, maybe not a great literary quote, but I'm curious.
ThatÕs okay; when working with a new language, we have to consider the
mundane and inane as well as the momentus and historic.
There are two tricky problems though.
#1: The phrase is idiomatic to English, and will only go into radically
different languages with much kicking and screaming.
#2: The TKD doesnÕt have words for Òto fear,Ó Òto worry,Ó or Òto be
afraid.Ó This surprises me, since those would be the perfect words to use to
describe enemies. This also makes any kind of translation difficult, idiomatic
or no. ÒTo panicÓ and Òto dismayÓ ARE listed, but are also not totally
appropriate.
As a substitute, I wanted to try ÒGive me a reason to worry,Ó but I also
couldnÕt find an appropriate word for Òreason.Ó Some days, you just canÕt win.
As a bonus, hereÕs another bit of Terran pop culture you might want to look
up in your phrasebooks:
HIchop ngotlhwIÕHom (Bite me, fanboy!)
As a second bonus, consider that there need only be one word for
fear/afraid, whichever it may be -- one is the other with the -moH suffix.
======================================================================
If I had a swordfish, I'd share it with you./ David Wood has opinions,
But this is a halibut and IT'S ALL MINE! / but very few people care.
==========================================/ To them, I say "BITE ME!"
And ask me about THE ONE-ARMED PAPER HANGERS and PORT ROYAL! May31-Jn2