tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun May 12 21:38:34 1996

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Re: KLBC: Just shoot me now...

Jason writes:
>  At work today I saw a phrase on a screensaver that I decided to make
>my first experiment at translating:
>
>     "Just shoot me now..."

I would like to discourage beginners from translating words that they
see around them.  Tempting though it may be, I think it is *harder* to
translate others' words than it is to write one's own thoughts.  It is
certainly easier to rephrase your own thoughts in order to use words
that are in the dictionary.

With that said, I'll see what I can do with your translation.

>  My attempt:
>
>     DaH HIbachqu'
>
>  I think the syntax is correct, but it's too emphatic.

If you think it's too emphatic, why is the "emphatic" suffix {-qu'}
there?  Take it off!  But I'm not sure {bach} can be used this way.
Most of the words with both noun and verb meanings work as follows:
when the verb happens, the noun appears.  When one conducts diplomacy,
there is diplomacy.  When one breathes, there is breath.  I'd guess
that when one shoots, there is a shot.  I suspect that one does not
shoot a target; one shoots ammunition -- *at* a target.

My favorite rendition of this phrase is {DaH HIHoH}.  Whether the
instrument of death is a pistol or a knife (or even a safe dropped
from a tall building) is not important.

>  The original
>has a sense of resignation that I don't know how to express in tlhIngan
>Hol.  I don't think "neH" would be appropriate; it's more to limit an
>action than express an underlying sentiment.  Perhaps the entire idea of
>resignation is un-Klingon, and the comment is without accurate
>translation?

True, resignation is not a simple sentiment to translate.  Maybe you can
say {rIntaH yInwIj}.  There might not be a direct, *literal* translation,
but I'm sure we can come up with an *accurate* one.

-- ghunchu'wI'               batlh Suvchugh vaj batlh SovchoH vaj

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