tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 17 17:23:01 1999

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Re: KLBC Help with a word...

In a message dated 99-11-17 10:31:00 EST, you write:

<< 
 Please realize that you have put KLBC in your subject header, 
 indicating that you evaluate yourself to be a beginner in the 
 use of the language, yet here you are, attempting to translate 
 somebody else's poetry.

Well, not exactly. As I stated, it's a country and western song.
 
 If you were trying to learn French, would you be doing this? 
 Think about it:

Yes. I found it very helpful, when stationed in Puerto Rico, to learn Spanish 
through translating things with which I was familiar. Example: On Puerto 
Rican TV, "Mighty Mouse" is "Super Ratton" (Super rat), and "The Six Million 
Dollar Man" was "El Hombre Nuclear" (The Nuclear Man). Not literal 
translations, but easy to remember...and it kept the language alive, rather 
than boring, textbook stuff.
 
 As a beginner, simply speaking your own thoughts is a challenge 
 and it should be a challenge you are proud to embrace. But no. 
 You want to translate someone ELSE'S thoughts. And even that is 
 not enough. You want to translate someone else's POETRY.
 
 Would you please look at yourself and reevaluate your chosen 
 task? There will either be years enough for you to learn to use 
 the language well enough to do poetry, or there won't. If there 
 are, then you should wait until you have experienced them before 
 attempting this. If there aren't then, well, you shouldn't be 
 attempting this. Either way, you shouldn't be attempting this 
 NOW.
 
 KLBC + poetry = trouble.
 
 KLBC + somebody ELSE'S poetry = big trouble.
 
 I honestly think you will learn more meaningful stuff if you 
 stick to prose until you have mastered it before taking on 
 poetry. Otherwise, we'll just go through frustratingly recursive 
 bouts of "No, that is not quite what I meant."

Since what are translated are "ideas" rather than literal phrases, I often 
find it useful to take a sentence, try to understand what is actually being 
said, and translate that. I am not trying to write poetry. I am trying to 
learn to translate various different types of sentence structures. I have 
never found available a list of "Translate this." suggestions, so I take 
things I am familiar with. Prose or poetry, idiom or axiom, mine or yours, 
real or imagined. It is an exercise. Practice. That's what I understand I 
need. I've got a little while yet before I'm willing to attempt poetry. I 
know my limitations.
  
 
 charghwI'
  >>
juDmoS

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