tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 05 12:25:10 1997
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: KLBC: Power Klingon
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: Power Klingon
- Date: Tue, 5 Aug 97 18:08:59 UT
On Stardate 97587.2 muHwI' wrote:
> I translated the opening sequence of "Power Klingon":
> (first I had to transcribe it, which was difficult enough!)
>
> nuqneH
> What do you want ?
maj.
> *'ISjach* qar'a'? maja'chuqjaj.
> {'ISjach}, right? We need to talk.
Remember, this is a bumbling Terran tourist. He gets some things wrong. One
of them is his first word. It's mispronounced. As you find out later in the
tape, it's supposed to be {'IH jaj} "The day is beautiful."
Also, {maja'chuqjaj} really isn't used correctly. He's said something which
comes out more like "May it be so that we speak!" If he really just wanted to
talk, he should have said {maja'chuq}.
> jISaHbe'
> I don't care! ("I am not present" would not fit in here)
maj.
> bISaHbe' qatlh (bI)jatlh? (I hear a silent {bI-} here...)
> Why do you say that you don't care ?
> You don't care? Why do you speak?
This sentence has always intrigued me. On the one hand, you have to remember
that it's the foolish Terran speaking. On the other hand, he DOES say
{bIjatlh}, and now that we have confirmation of how {jatlh} works as a verb of
saying, one wonders if the Terran is right in using a non-directly quoted
phrase like {bISaHbe'} instead of {jISaHbe'}. Probably not. He probably
should have said {jISaHbe' qatlh bIjatlh?} "Why do you say that you don't
care?"
Notice also that his pronciation of {a} in this sentence is terrible.
> cha' SoHvo' vay' vIje' vIneH.
> torpedoes (?) I want to buy something from you.
chaq SoHvo' vay' vIje' vIneH
Maybe I want to buy something from you.
Definitely a flabby sentence on the part of the Terran! The point here is
that if he wants to buy something, he's supposed to say exactly what it is
immediately, not make the seller wonder if he is even going to buy something.
> tugh, SuH (SSS)
> Hurry up! Be ready!
I think it was just {SSS}.
> bIje'be'chugh vaj bIHegh
> Buy or die!
maj.
> quvwIj DatIchpu', tera'ngan!
> You insulted my honor, Terran!
maj.
> bIyIntaH 'e' *taqoqbe'*
> You live, ...
No one knows exactly what this word is. We theorize that whatever the verb
is, it means "deserve." That would make the sentence, "You do not deserve to
live."
> ah...bIcho'choH ...
> ah...you changed to succeeding...
> ah...you become successful...
Another sentence we've had disagreement about. My take on this line is
{yIjotchoH} "Relax!"
> ..eh...Dochvetlh yIcha'
> ..eh...Show (me) that thing!
Possibly. I hear several possibilities. Maybe {Dochvetlh vItlhap} "I will
take that thing."
> ..aaaaaaaah!
This is correctly translated. :)
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97595.5