tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jan 23 08:43:39 1998
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Re: Poetry
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Poetry
- Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:42:13 -0500 (EST)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> from "Eduardo Fonseca" at Jan 22, 98 11:55:42 am
According to Eduardo Fonseca:
>
> ghItlh Alan Anderson:
>
> >> It's really unfortunatly, because it's impossible (for me)
> >>to translate the exatly meaning of the poetry in english
> >>due the idomatic expressions. I can write the meaning of
> >>the words, but not the feeling.
> >
> >Thus we see the common admonition against trying to translate poetry.
...
> The main problem is the subjectiveness of the implicity
> words. As KGT "ngaQ lojmIt" (The door is locked), without a
> previuous explanation, will mean nothing for me or my country
> people than the literal meaning.
charghwI'vo':
It wouldn't mean anything to the rest of us, either. Your
country has little to do with it.
> The same way, the number
> 24 or a stag (Cervus) will mean nothing for you, but here it
> has a different conotation. It refers to the homossexuality.
24 = homosexuality? Intriguing. What is the number for
heterosexuality? Celebacy? Polyamory? Beastiality?
> >This is not unique to Klingon, by the way. The problem occurs witn
> >translations between most languages, natural or otherwise.
>
> Sure. The more "intimity" you have with the language, the
> more you know how it works. But if I stop in the first obstacle
> I'll never walk by myself.
Yes, but you don't take an infant who is just beginning to
learn to walk and sign them up for the Boston Marathon. There
is a very good reason several of us warn you to leave poetry
alone and translate things that have clear meaning to you. You
are at least two years from being arguably up for the task of
translating poetry, and I am not being disrespectful of your
skills to say that.
Most highly skilled Klingon speakers shun translating poetry.
Most unskilled beginners are very attracted to translating
poetry. This should tell you something. You genuinely do not
understand what you are getting into. You are not fully
respecting the mission you claim to be serving.
Currently, you try to write relatively simple Klingon sentences
and you frequently need basic correction. This is perfectly
appropriate for a beginner. It is not appropriate for one who
aspires to translate poetry. Before you translate poetry, you
should be able to easily and accurately translate any prose you
wish without need for correction, except for perhaps a careless
detail or two within an entire message. You have a long way to
go before you get there.
This is not to discourage you from getting there. Please do.
Just don't try to disrespect the task by skipping a few years
and translate poetry that only frustrates those you ask to help
you correct it.
> __
> Eduardo Fonseca || Belo Horizonte, Brasil
> Pau Brasil: The brazilian's VGA Planets home page
> http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/2460
> Hovmey DIvan
>
>
charghwI'