tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Mar 30 09:01:20 1997

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KLBC: Assistance with phrasing

Hi,

Here I am with another of my looney requests.  Recently I tried to
translate a "proverb" that I pulled from a very old episode of "Kung Fu"
(the original series).  It goes like this:

"When you can walk across the sands of the beach and not leave a footprint,
then you will have learned, Grasshopper."

So the first thing I try to do is say it in a way that a Klingon would
probably think it and take into account that I do not know of any words for
"sand" or "beach", and I get this:

"You have learned all knowledge only when your foot does no longer leaves a
mark in the soil."

Now I have two problems.  *neH* means "only, merely, etc." and I do not
think that this use of "only" is the meaning I wish to convey.  I mean to
convey a meaning of exclusiveness, as in "this and this alone".  How do I
do that?

Also, there is no word that I can find that conveys the meaning "leave a
mark", "leave evidence", "make an impression", etc.  I can't even figure
out a way to say "create an image" because I can't find a word for "image"
or "picture".  Do you have any ideas?

To all respondents:  please do not tranlsate the sentence for me.  I will
never learn if I do not do it myself.  I merely seek answers to my two
questions.  Thanks.

Banzai

"Gotta get me one of those cool sig lines..."

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