tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Sep 23 22:44:12 2003

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Klingon game text

Stephen A. Carter ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

Some of you may remember the command-line text-based "Star Trek"
computer game from the 70s, where as captain of the Enterprise you
zip around the galaxy destroying Klingons.

I have a copy of a simple version of the game that runs on computers
with a REXX-language environment, and a bud has asked me to
"localize" it for Klingons -- that is, to rework it so that it's a
Klingon Bird of Prey that zips around zapping Federation battle
cruisers.

Would anyone care to vet the Klingon text?

[A]

Here's the intro text from the original game:

* Captain's Log, stardate 3107.
  Incoming message from Starfleet Command:
    The United Federation of Planets is under attack by the
    Klingon Empire.
    Your mission: seek out and destroy the 42 Klingon battle
    cruisers in Federation space by stardate 3149.
    There are 7 bases in the galaxy for replenishing supplies
    and effecting repairs to your ship.
    Good Luck, Captain!

Here's the reworking (not really a translation) into tlhIngan Hol:

* HoD QonoS, HovpoH 3107.
  ra'ghomquvvo' jabbI'ID wIHevpu':
    yuQjIjQa' wISuvtaH. qIvo'rIt toQDuj la' ghaH SoH 'e'.
    Qu'lIj: 42 DIvI'may'Dujmey tInej 'ej tIQaw'.
    nIn DaSuqmeH 'ej Duj patmey DatI'meH 7 wo' 'ejyo'waw'mey
    tu'lu'. pawpa' HovpoH 3149 Qu'lIj yIta'.
    Qapla'!

[B]

This is a list of ship systems and commands used in the game:

joghvam noch      -- Short-range sensors
chuq'a' noch      -- Long-range sensors
pu'DaH            -- Phasers
'otlhpeng         -- Photon torpedoes
De'wI             -- Computer console
pIvghor           -- Warp engines
qib HaSta         -- Galactic map
Quj De' pol       -- Save game
Quj De' naw'      -- Load saved game
paj (Qujvam bup)  -- Resign

Is there a better word than naw' ("access") that could be used to
mean "call up existing data and place it in memory"?

[C]

When an enemy ship attacks (by firing its phasers), a damage report
giving the sector location of the enemy and its remaining energy is
displayed.  Here's an example:

  pu' baHpu' jagh. 5, 7 mIchvo' Dujmaj muppu'bogh Hos: 94.

I'm not at all sure about the correct phrasing of the second
sentence.  Should mIch ("sector") come before the number, as in "mIch
5, 7 vo'..."?  Also, is the use of "bogh" correct, or would another
construction (maybe using "'e'"?) be better?

I'd be very grateful if anyone could point out any obvious gaffes or
infelicities, or suggest more elegant ways of wording things.


-- 
Stephen A. Carter            High-Tech Information Center Nagoya, Ltd.
mailto:[email protected]                                 Nagoya, Japan
http://www.geekynetstuff.com                   PGP key ID:  0x59B4F7AD

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