tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 16 09:52:22 2002

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Re: Help with translation



>  jan QIHbe'pu' - bItI'taHqu'
>  A device that isn t broken, you can fix forever.
>
>  If it ain t broken, you can fix it forever.
> (Simliar to "If it ain t broken, don t fix it")
> 
> I m not sure what to use for "broken", so I used QIH "damage" and added
> "-pu' ", so it is "damaged" or "destroyed". As you see, I used it as an
> adjective, though I'm absolutely not sure if that works at all. If
> someone knows a better word - please tell me.

ghor - "break", transitive.
QIH is "damage, cause damage".  It's transitive, it takes an object; which 
means we can't use it as an adjective.

Both of these are transitive and the sentence needs to be reworked, so I think 
we should stay with QIH.  If a car has a dent, it is damaged but not broken.

jan QIHbe'lu'pu'bogh DatI'taHqu'
  A device which hasn't been damaged, you will be fixing forever.

jan QIHbe'lu'pu'chugh DatI'taHqu'
  If a device hasn't been damaged, you will be fixing it forever.


> Also, I used "jan" "device" for the rather unspecific "it". I think it
> fits in quite good, though I probably could use " 'oH" too. Any
> recommendations?

jan is appropriate.


> As I just saw, I probably should have added "-chugh" "if" too, but if I
> added it, the sentence would lose it s symmetry (...pu ...qu). Will the
> sentence still be correct if I do not add it?

I see it working either way.
Because your choices are -chugh or -bogh, you lose the symmetry anyways.


> The last question: is the "bI-" fitting, or would I have to use "Da-",
> since it actually is "you/it", not just "you" as in english.

Da-


DloraH, BG


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