tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jan 15 03:24:34 1997

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RE: KLBC: tea for two

At 07:37 PM 1/14/97 -0800, you wrote:
>January 14, 1997 3:05 PM EST, jatlh torroS:
>
>> In my first post, I asked how I would say "What kind of tea do you 
>> want?" [...] So, I took a 
>> step back and decided to start with a common but simple dialog that 
>> occurs between my wife and me regularly:
>> 
>> Q: Dargh DaneH'a'?  |  Do you want some tea?
>> A: HIja'.           |  Yes.
>> Q: nuq DawIv?       |  What kind?  (lit. "What do you choose?")

If I said this to a Klingon, I have a feeling he would look at me funny and
say <choQoylaHbe''a'? jIjatlhta', HIja', Dargh vIneH jay'!>
In English, which is fairly loose, you can say "What do you choose" to mean
"Which do you choose," but I have a feeling it won't work in Klingon.

[...]
>> So, here is my second try at "What kind of tea do you want?", even 
>> though it seems awkward:
>> 
>>    Dargh DatlhutlhmeH nuq DawIv?

This works some. It is a good get-around. However, it is still not asking
"which," and the reply could still be "In order to drink tea, what do I
want?!? Tea, of course!"

>This is fine.  I don't find it particularly awkward.  It has exactly the
same 
>number of syllables as the English above it.  It even says a little more.  I 
>mean, we know tea is for drinking, but the English doesn't say that in as
many 
>syllables.  And there may come other examples where the purpose of
whatever it 
>is you're asking about isn't obvious.
>
>Here's another idea for you:
>
>Dargh DaneHbogh yIngu'.
>Identify the tea which you want.

This is the best solution to me.

>Who says English questions have to be translated only as Klingon questions?  
>As long as it gets the person to pick a kind of tea . . .

Here's a strange new idea for you:
chay' Dargh DaneH?
"How do you like your tea?"
I realize I, too, may be basing this too much on the English, but it
translates correctly. Of course, the answer could always be, <nom, 'ej
tuv!> {{;-)}

-HurghwI'

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