tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Mar 30 10:24:25 1997
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RE: KLBC: Assistance with phrasing
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: Assistance with phrasing
- Date: Sun, 30 Mar 97 18:23:10 UT
jatlh Banzai:
> 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?
When following a noun, {neH} means "only, this and this alone." When
following a verb, {neH} means "merely, trivially."
If you cannot construct your sentence with {neH}, consider using a second
sentence or phrase to make this meaning plain.
> 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?
"Picture" is one of those words which have plagued us from the beginning.
There's no good way to say it, and people will give you dozens of ways to say
it, none of which are quite right.
{ghItlh} might be used here, as it means (from charghwI''s New Words):
mark (upon) (v) {from Okrand's notes, HolQeD Vol. 2, No. 4} ["'To mark (upon)'
something is ghItlh. This isn't just writing; it's any kind of marking. (Note
that ghItlh, 'to write,' refers to the physical act of writing. It doesn't
mean 'to create a composition.')"]
I don't see any reason that you cannot say
lamDaq ghItlh qamlIj
Or would that be
lam ghItlh qamlIj
?
> 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.
Qapla'!
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97245.1