tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Nov 14 09:26:26 2006
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Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for November 1
pm5 wrote:
>pIn: {wa'lI' QaHlIj lutlhob Suy ghom.} (1)
>Boss: "Wally, the marketing department requested your help."
A more verb-oriented approach (with a different translation for "marketing
department"):
DaQaH 'e' tlhob mechmeH 'ay'
the "trading section" requested (that) you help it/them
Some business verbs and expressions to keep in mind:
{ngev} sell; {je'} buy, purchase; {DIl} pay for; {tlhong} barter, bargain;
{mech} trade; {malja' Huq} "transact business"
>pIn: {lo'laHbe' <product>maj chu'; SoH rurqu'. qech Daghaj
> 'e' luQub.} (3)
>Boss: "Our new product is worthless, much like yourself. They figured
> you'd have some insight."
>
>I can't find a suitable word for "product" so it is left untranslated.
{Doch} thing; {tep} cargo, goods; {luch} equipment, gear; {'aH} paraphernalia
> {logh Dan 'ej He' neH.} (4)
> "All it does is occupy space and smell bad."
{Dan} "occupy" is a military term; i.e. seize territory. (Something that
can do that would definitely *not* be useless!) We have a similar phrase
from "Power Klingon" though:
HoS lI' Dalo'Ha'chu'
You are a total waste of good energy! PK
Careful with {He'} "smell, emit odor":
The word for "emit a smell" is {He'}. This does not necessarily
imply a bad smell. Odors are not considered "good" or "bad";
they are just odors. There may be a subjective evaluation of
the source of the odor, however. It is a compliment to suggest
that someone smells like rokeg blood pie not because the smell
itself is good, but rather because the food carries with it
positive associations. On the other hand, it is most insulting
to say that someone smells like rotting forshak." (KGT 86)
You want the verb {He'So'} "stink". (FYI {pIw} "odor" is the noun.)
So we could say altogether:
logh lo'Ha'chu' neH 'oH 'ej He'So'.
it merely wastes space and (it) stinks
logh lo'Ha'chu' neH 'ej He'So' 'oH.
(it) merely wastes space and it stinks
Here I would definitely use the pronoun to refer to the physical "product"
and not Wally's idea/insight, but since the clauses are short you could put
it in either one. I think the second one sounds better. YMMV.
>wa'lI': {vaj nobvaD lo'lubej.} (5)
>Wally: "Well, it's definitely a gift item."
Simpler:
nob 'oHbej
it-definitely-is a gift
nobna' 'oH
it is a definite-gift
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons