tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Feb 13 09:22:43 2003
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Re: Tao Te Ching Chp. 66
'ISqu' wrote:
>[A] While the Chinese text allows for the master and servant
>interpretation it literally talks about the sage being "above" and "below"
>the people. However, I have no idea if UP and DOWN metaphors, so
>widespread in Terran languages, would work in Klingon. That's why I
>decided against the following rendition:
>
> vaj nuv DungDaq ratlhqangchugh yajchu'wI'
> jatlhtaHvIS nuv bIngDaq ratlhnIS.
>
> Thus if the sage wishes to be above the people
> he must in his words remain below them.
>
>Yet I wonder ... would this interpretation work?
AFAIK, these location nouns referring to a physical location haven't been
used metaphorically. But then, you're translating poetry...
Some other vocabulary WRT social {patlh} "rank" or {tlham} "order,
structure (societal [slang])" you might want to consider:
{moch} "superior" (n.) ["someone of higher rank in the Klingon social,
political, or military hierarchy" (TKD 43)]
{qutluch patlh} "means 'hierarchical structure'. The kut'luch is a knife
associated with Klingon assassins, so the imagery is one of a list,
presumably in a specific order, of intended victims of the kut'luch. To
determine one's place in Klingon society or to understand who has authority
over whom, one must be aware of the {qutluch patlh} of the military, the
government, the house with which one is associated, and so on." (KGT 110-11)
{nIv} "be superior" (v.)
{QIv} "be inferior" (v.)
"Accordingly, when dealing with a troop member (QaS) or officer (yaS) of a
ship, to avoid giving offense, one should either find out ahead of time how
that ship fits into the hierarchical structure or else carefully avoid
making references to other units as superior or inferior." (KGT 51f)
Dujeychugh jagh nIv yItuHQo'
There is nothing shameful in falling before a superior enemy
("If a superior enemy defeats you, don't be ashamed"). TKW
QIv SuvwI'pu'
The warriors are inferior. KGT
--
Voragh "Damage control is easy. Reading Klingon
- that's
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons hard!" (Montgomery
Scott, STIV)