tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Oct 10 12:15:36 1997

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Re: it's difficult to endure the pain



At 11:47 97-10-10 -0700, Edy wrote:
}	Greetings Qov!
}
}> }	`These exemples are easy, but when we have phrases like:
}> }"It's difficult to endure the pain" becomes a bit difficult.
}> 
}> That's clearly an indefinite subject that is enduring the pain.  
}> {'oy' SIQlu'taHvIS Qatlh ghu'}  "The situation is difficult while one
}> endures pain."
}
}	Allow me to desagree. Some gramarians say that it is a "orational 
}subject", (sorry but I don't know it's name in english), may be "phrasal
}subejct". 

We can't always get an exact match between Klingon and Terran languages, and
if I haven't hit your idea I accept that.

}It's an interesting analisys because they define the subject as: 
} "to endure the pain".  As it becomes too difficult to translate into Klingon, 
}we have to change  the phrase to keep the idea. In this specific case, it's 
}difficult to see the "pain" as subject. 

Klingon does not permit a "sentence-as-subject" structure.
 
}> You could change it to "It's difficult for me to endure the pain."
}> {'oy' vISIQtaHvIS Qatlh ghu'} if that was what you meant.  
}
}	We can change the sentence, but the main idea is lost. 

I wasn't sure what the main idea *you* indended by the English sentence was.
Nothing rong itht he English sentence just that English can be inspecific.

}"The situation is difficult while I'm enduring the pain"
}
}> Read about  {-lu'}in section 4.2.5.
}
}	Yes, it's a trick to help us a good translation. I think we can use:
}SIQmeHlu' Qatlh 'oy'. (The pain is difficult for one endure).

SIQlu'meH 'oy' Qatlh - It's difficult in order to endure the pain.

Yes, that works well.

}	I know I'm annoying you but it's a very difficult point for me.

Not at all.  Just understand that you won't find an exact match.  Analogy of
the day: it's like trying to find a nailpolish from Helena Rubenstein that
is exactly the same colour as your L'Oreal nailpolish.  You just have to
find something close and then repaint all your nails.  :P

Qov     [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian                 



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