RE: [KLBC] some more questions

[willm@cstone.net]

..
> > And the final question... to practice, I often try to translate
> > random English
> > texts into Klingon. The other day I came across "within a 50 mile
> > radius". Apart
> > from the fact that there's no Klingon word for mile, I have no
> > clue how to translate this. Can you help?
> 
> Sure, klingon doesn't have a word for "mile", but then english doesn't have
> a word for the Japanese "yen".
> 
> Klingon does have a unit of distance called  qelI'qam, which is about two
> kilometers.  So 50 miles would be about 42 qelI'qam.  (For converting cheb
> and 'uj I have a nifty conversion chart on my website
> www2.rpa.net/~cheesbro )
> Saying "Within 42 qelI'qam" depends on the bigger picture.
> 
> loSmaH qelI'qam Hop law'  qama' Hop puS
>  "The prisoner is somewhere within 40 qelI'qam"
> 
> loSmaH qelI'qam Hop law'  Hoch HeghwI' Hop puS
>  "Everyone within 40 qelI'qam will die"

Hmmm. To me, this means that no one will die beyond 40 qelI'qam, which is 
somewhat the same statement, but the focus is a bit different. Someone could 
live within 40 qelI'qam and not make this a Klingon statement false, though it 
would make the English statement false. Perhaps this would be better:

Heghbej Hoch nuvpu''e' ngaSbogh loSmaH qelI'qam chuq.

Just to offer other constructions to express this idea:

loSmaH qelI'qam 'aD jorneb HeghmeH chuq.

[The BG is doing a great job, by the way. pIj Doj.]

> DloraH, BG
 
charghwI'