tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue May 27 03:44:13 2003
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Zaphod Beeblebrox
- From: Sulu' wa' <[email protected]>
- Subject: Zaphod Beeblebrox
- Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 09:38:37 +0100
Nice translation, but I think it fails to capture certain things.
> <<'Iv SoH, maqoch? Zaphod Beeblebrox SoH'a'???>> jatlh ghew'a'.
> "Well, who do you think you are, honey?" quivered the insect, "Zaphod
> Beeblebrox or something?"
You have wisely left "quivered" as "said", but perhaps you could insert
a {yay'bogh} or something similar to convey the effect.
> <<nachDu' yItogh>> jatlh Zaphod.
> "Count the heads," said Zaphod quietly.
Hmm, how would you convey "quietly"? In the English, it means he was
calm and measured, not that he was whispering. Of course, we can't just
say he was calm (with {jotbogh} or something) as he may only have been
using restraint.
> <<Zaphod Beeblebrox'e' SoH'a'??> ja' ghew.
> "You're Zaphod Beeblebrox?" asked the insect.
>
> <<HIja', 'ach yIjachQo', pagh wa' Zaphod Beeblebrox neHqu'bej Hoch
> nuv>> ja' Zaphod.
> "Yes, but don't go shouting or they'll all want one," answered Zaphod.
Hmm. I was of the understanding you can't do this in Klingon. I would
render it as two sentences.
{HIja', 'ach yIjachQo'. bIjachchugh, wa' Zaphod Beeblebrox neHqu'bej
Hoch nuv.}
I like the -bej on neH, it really adds to the comic effect.
> <<Zaphod Beeblebroxna''e' SoH'a'??>> ja' ghew'a'.
> "You're THE Zaphod Beeblebrox?" asked the insect.
>
> <<ghobe', Zaphod Beeblebroxqoq'e' jIH; tachDaq ngaSwI'Daq jav jIHmey
> Daje'laH 'e' DaSovbe''a'>>
> "No, just A Zaphod Beeblebrox; didn't you hear I come in six packs?"
Like the -na' and -qoq for THE and A, but I think {jIHmey} takes
something away from "hear *I* come in six packs", which emphasises that,
through the sarcasm, he is the true Zaphod Beeblebrox. I personally
would have rendered "didn't you hear I come in six packs" less literally
as {jIH boSluH net Sov}, which is no less iffy (non-standard meaning of
'collect', for instance) but probably less culture-dependent.
Dochmey Damughpu'bogh vIlaD 'e' vItIvmo' qatlho'.
Sulu' wa'
--
{lob'eghlaHbe'chugh nuv vaj ghaH che'lu'.}
- qechmeyvam jatlh Zarathustra