tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Mar 07 16:34:44 1997

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RE: KLBC: Sentences

jatlh Mago:

> I'd like to get some oppinions on some translations I just made... I
> took the original sentencences from "WarHammer 40000"...

I never did play that; I avoided it carefully!  So, I may not understand some 
references you make.

> well, I've got
> it in Spanish, then I translated into English, then into Klingon... I've
> tried not to lose the meaning, though!

Ooooh . . . double translations!  Bad news . . .

> yISaQQo'
> (Don't cry!
> Original was "Don't waste your tears", butI don't know how to translate
> that).

That's probably because Klingons have no tear ducts!

For "waste," one might consider using {lo'Ha'} "misuse."  "Tears" can best be 
explained, I think as {mInbIQ} "eye-water."  It's just a word I threw 
together, though, and may not make sense to someone else.  You'd get

mInbIQlIj yIlo'Ha'Qo'!

I think a Klingon would prefer {yISaQQo'}.

> HurghchoH Hovmey 'e' vIleghmeH jIboghpu'be'
> (I wasn't born to see the stars grow darker!)

Wow, that looks good!

> yIn DajuvmeH DIS yIlo'Qo' 'ach tlhInganpu' yaymey yIlo'
> (Life is not measured in years, but for the Klingons' triumphs!
> yep, I've turned a bit the sentence so I could translate it...)

This gets a little tricky.  Take the first part: does it mean don't use years, 
and don't use those years so that you can measure life, or does it mean don't 
use years if that use is for the measuring of life?  You see?

Also, the imperative verb prefix to use in this case is {tI-}, not {yI-}.  The 
objects are plural.  {tIlo'}, {tIlo'Qo'}.

> What do you think about it? I bet there is a better way to translate all
> this... there always is :)!

If you could clear up the {-meH} ambiguity, this might be one of the best 
translations.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97182.7

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