Re: similes

[Steven Boozer <sboozer@midway.uchicago.edu>]

nughel Quvar:
>chay' mu' *similes* jatlhlu'?
>
>lengwI'vaD paqDaq (nav 127) rurchuqbogh Dochmey Delbogh mu'tlheghmey QIj MO.
>jatlh <lo'laHbe'; chetvI' chIm rur>
>
>jIjatlhDI' <chetvI' chIm rur DujlIj> vIyajlu''a'?
>
>pagh paq pab wIpabnIS'a'?
>
>   <lo'laHbe'  DujlIj; chetvI' chIm rur>
>   <qej HoDlI'; veqlargh rur>

The normal way to use a simile is:

   lo'laHbe' DujlIj; chetvI' chIm rur.
   Your ship is worthless as an empty torpedo tube.

   qej HoDlI'; veqlargh rur.
   Your captain is as mean as Fek'lhr.

There's an example in KGT in the section on similes (p. 127ff.):

   let mInDu'Daj; Separmey rur
   Her eyes are hard; they resemble separ.
   [I.e. "Her eyes are as hard as separ-stones."]

I'd imagine, though, that anyone familiar with these common similes would 
certainly understand the allusion if you abbreviated them:

   chetvI' chIm rur DujlIj.
   Your ship resembles an empty torpedo tube.

   DaHjaj veqlargh rur HoDlI'.
   Your captain resembles Fek'lhr today.

Not every sentence with {rur} is necessarily a formal simile (Q A; B 
rur).  These, however, may also be understood as statements of fact.  E.g.:

   SuvwI' juHmey rur tachmey
   Bars resemble warriors' homes. CK

We have examples of what you might call "informal similes" (A rur B):

   Dejpu'bogh Hov rur qablIj
   Your face looks like a collapsed star! PK

   Hov ghajbe'bogh ram rur pegh ghajbe'bogh jaj
   A day without secrets is like a night without stars. PK

   matay'DI' vIHtaHbogh bIQ rur mu'qaDmey
   Between us, curses run like water. PK

You could also restate slightly and make them metaphors, instead of similes:

   chetvI' chIm 'oH DujlIj'e'.
   Your ship is an empty torpedo tube.

   va, veqlarghna' ghaH HoDlI''e'.
   va, veqlargh ghaHbej HoDlI''e'.
   Sheesh, your captain's a real Fek'lhr!

We have a model of this type of insult from TKD:

   veQDuj 'oH DujlIj'e'
   Your ship is a garbage scow!



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons