tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Nov 27 17:16:23 2001

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Re: Klingon translation interest



Jiri:
> > How can sentence as object be used with verbs of being? Is there some
> > standard way of handling that, or does one simply have to keep
> > recasting until it goes away?

Voragh:
> I'm not sure I understand you.  If by "verb of being" you mean a copula
> or a variant of "to be":
...
> If you mean a "quality" or "stative verb":
...
> If you mean an existential phrase like "there is" or "there are":
...

I meant quality or stative verb, sorry - and I meant in the second sentence
of the pair.

> >> :hacker ethic: n. 1. The belief that information-sharing is a powerful
> >> positive good,
> >> :*hacker* ghob: (n) 1. HochvaD De' nob 'e' QaQqu'ghachna' 'e' Har
> >> *hacker*.

> > Of course, on second thoughts, one of the sentences no verb.

> ... and you have reversed subject and object.  ("Information-sharing" is
> the subject of the imbedded SAO.) 

Where?

HochvaD De' nob - [they] give information to everyone

Do you mean the <<'e' QaQ>>? That's the one I was asking about, how do you
say "X is good" when X is a sentence.

> Try this:

>   HochvaD QaQqu'ghachna' 'oH De' nob'e' 'e' Har *hacker*.

Much better...

>   A hacker believes that an information-gift to everyone is a
>    powerful, positive good.
>   A hacker believes that an information-gift is a powerful,
>    positive good for everyone.

> I rather like the ambiguity WRT {HochvaD} - surely hackers who subscribe
> to the "hacker ethic" believe both meanings!

Nice!

> But you're right:  this is still a bit clumsy as a translation, and there
> is no Klingon word for "share" (!).  It's probably best to completely
> recast the sentence.
> E.g.:

>   HochvaD De' nobchugh quv(chu') ghaH 'e' Har *hacker*.
>   A hacker believes that if s/he gives information to everyone, s/he is
>   (perfectly) honorable.

>   HochvaD De' nobnIS (ghaH) 'e' Har *hacker*.
>   A hacker believes that s/he must give information to everyone.

Perhaps -lu'.

Both of which are more cultural than language translations - which,
depending on context may or may not be what one wants. (I have no context.)


Thank you

Jiri
-- 
Jiri Baum <[email protected]>           http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jirib
  MAT LinuxPLC project --- http://mat.sf.net --- Machine Automation Tools


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