tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Apr 05 20:21:39 1997
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RE: KLBC: Old "Kung Fu" phrase
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: Old "Kung Fu" phrase
- Date: Wed, 2 Apr 97 00:27:01 UT
jatlh Banzai:
> I have attempted to translate the following phrase from the old "Kung Fu"
> series into tlhIngan Hol: "When you walk across the sands of the beach and
> do not leave a footprint, only then will you have learned."
>
> Now, in tlhIngan Hol, it goes like this: lamDaq QeyHa' bIyItlaHchugh 'ej
> yav ghitlhbe'chugh qamlij, DajatlhlaH Sov'a' Daghajta'.
>
> The literal translation of what I was trying to say goes like this: "If
> you are able to walk in the loose dirt and if your foot does not mark the
> ground, you are able to say that you have learned great knowledge."
>
> Please tell me if my translation correctly says what I wish it to state.
Not quite, though it is good.
The first error deals with Type 5 noun suffixes. TKD 4.4 tells us that when a
noun with a Type 5 noun suffix is modified by a verb (as an adjective), the
Type 5 suffix is placed on the verb instead of the noun. Thus, you must say
{lam QeyHa'Daq}.
Now, we've never seen a verb with {-Ha'} act as an adjective. TKD 4.4 tells
us that the only suffix allowed on these verbs is {-qu'}. However, Okrand
himself violates this with at least one sentence, from Conversational Klingon:
{wa'maH yIHmey lI'be'} "ten useless tribbles." I'm not dead-set against using
{-Ha'}. Especially in this case: {QeyHa'} has its own entry in TKD. So, for
now, let's admit it.
Most of the rest is looking good, until you get to the verb {jatlh}. Don't
worry. At {qep'a' wejDIch} I had fantasies of grabbing Marc Okrand by the
collar and shouting "HOW DO WE USE VERBS OF SAYING?!?." I didn't . . .
My own belief is that the quotation is not the object of the sentence.
Examples in TKD show that the quotation can go on either side of the verb of
saying. And for {jatlh} the only object we've *ever* seen it take is a
language.
Before I go on with this, though, let me ask you: why do you even want to
mention "talking"? The original isn't about what you can say, but about what
you have learned. So . . .
lam QeyHa'Daq bIyItlaHchugh 'ej yav ghItlhbe'chugh qamlIj, vaj Sov'a'
Daghojta'.
The only problem here is that Klingon seems to lack a good way to express "if
and only if" in this instance.
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97251.2