tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jul 07 11:56:19 1998
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RE: KLBC: yej
lab Edy:
> qaStaHvIS ra'ghomquv ghom.
This was tough to figure out. I am glad you included a translation. I think
your first sentence is trying to say the High Command is meeting, and the
translation indicates it is a reunion. For the reunion idea, we have a
perfect tool: the suffix <-qa'>. The rest of the sentence needs some
restructuring:
<ghomqa'lI' ra'ghomquv> - "The High Command is meeting again"
> poH nI'qu' jatlhta'DI' 'aj negh tlhob:
You are trying to say "The admiral talks for a long time, and when he's one,
he asks the soldiers:", yes? First off, the poH nI'qu' is a duration, not a
timestamp, and as such it cannot just sit there alone at the beginning of
the sentence. Second, it's probably better to keep to short, simple
sentences - Klingon works best that way. So your first idea is "The admiral
talks for a very long time":
<qaStaHvIS poH nI'qu' jatlh 'aj>.
Now for the other sentence - when he's done, he asks a question. Remember
your OVS sentence order - the Admiral is asking the soldiers, not the other
way around. Also, we have a better word for ask (a question) from KGT:
<ghel>. Finally, although he is asking the soldiers, the soldiers cannot be
the direct object of either <tlhob> or <ghel> - that's just the way those
words work. The way Klingon does indirect objects is with <-vaD>.
<jatlhta'DI' neghvaD ghel 'aj>.
> - tuyajchu''a' pagh vay' Sutlhob SuneH'a'
Verb prefixes: <Sutlhob> should be <tutlhob>, and <SuneH> should be <boneH>.
> jatlh pagh
>
> - toDSaH, jatlh 'aj. poH nI' jIjatlh 'ej pagh bojatlh.
<qaStaHvIS poH nI'> - timestamps can be put at the front of a sentence all
by themselves, but durations cannot.
> pay' DeSDaj pep Sogh 'ej jatlh
>
> - puchpa'Daq jIghoSlaH'a'
The verb <ghoS> includes the <-Daq> idea. Your sentence is correct, but
<puchpa' vIghoSlaH'a'> would be better. Also, "go to the bathroom" is a bit
of an English idiom; Klingons would probably use the more direct "use the
toilet". Finally, we don't really know how Klingons ask permission, but
<-laH> is probably not how they do it. My guess would be:
<puch vIlo' 'e' yIchaw'>
> After talk for a long time during a reunion of the High Command
> the admirall asks to his soldiers:
>
> "Did you understand me or do you want to ask me something"?
> Nobody talks
> "Darn it", said the admiral. "I spoke for a long time and you
> say nothing?"
> Suddenly an lieutenant raise his arm and said:
> "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Here are a few fairly long and convoluted English sentences. See if you can
translate them into natural sounding Klingon. Remember - Klingon works
better with several short, simple sentences than with one long ugly one.
1. When my car (Duj) broke down, I took it to the repair shop (tI'wI' yaH),
and while I waited for it to be repaired, I read a magazine.
2. Because I was reading and answering mail, I did not have time to eat
lunch, so I was hungry during the silly meeting.
3. Three weeks ago, I bought a new book, and because my wife wanted read it,
I gave it to her, but she has not read it yet and she won't give it back.
maj. jIHaghchoH 'ej yaHchajvo' Haw' jupwI' Sum. pIj tera'ngan ghIj Haghbogh
tlhIngan.
pagh
Temporary Beginners' Grammarian