tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Sep 24 14:40:07 2003

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Re: Klingon game text

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

ngabwI' wrote:

>From: "Stephen A. Carter" <[email protected]>
>>Here's the intro text from the original game:
>>
>>qIvo'rIt toQDuj la' ghaH SoH 'e'.
>
>"As for you, he/she is a commander of a BoP"
>
>Try:
>   {qIvo'rIt toQDuj la' SoH}
>   "You are the commander of a BoP"

I agree with ngabwI':  the {-'e'} on {SoH} is overkill.  Also, don't use 
{la'}.  Klingon has two words for "commander": {la'} is the official 
hierarchical rank, but {ra'wI'} means "one who commands" (i.e. the 
commanding officer, who can be of any official rank - usually {HoD} 
"captain").

   qIvo'rIt toQDuj ra'wI' SoH.
   You are the commander of a K'Vort-class Bird-of-Prey.

You can also use the verb {ra'}:

   qIvo'rIt toQDuj bIra'.
   You command a K'Vort-class Bird-of-Prey.

   qIvo'rIt toQDuj bIra' SoH.
   *YOU* command a K'Vort-class Bird-of-Prey. (note emphasis)

FYI: Okrand translated virtually the identical text in SkyBox card S7:

   qIvo'rIt toQDuj 'oH tlhIngan wo' Duj pagh'e'.  ra' qarghan HoD.
   The Imperial Klingon Vessel Pagh is a K'Vort-class Bird-of-Prey
   under the command of Captain Kargan.

>You could also probably drop the {qIvo'rIt}, as the poster says the BoP is a
>
>   {qIvo'rIt may'Duj mach} "Small K'vort battle ship"

My poster reads "smaller version of a K'vort class cruiser".

>and specifically states:
>
>   {Segh: bI'rel tlharghDuj} "B'rel-class scout ship"
>
>So either {qIvo'rIt} or {bI'rel} might be redundant, since we already know
>it's a BoP.

A B'rel is smaller version of the K'Vort.  Both are Birds-of-Prey (toQDuj}, 
but the K'Vort is the larger cruiser {qughDuj} (or {may'Duj mach} on the 
Poster, lit. "small battlecruiser"), while the B'rel is a small scoutship 
{tlharghDuj} with a usual crew complement of twelve.


>>    pawpa' HovpoH 3149 Qu'lIj yIta'.
>
>I don't think a time period can {paw}, as all the examples I've seen
>indicate {paw} refers to a physical arrival. Try:

Correct.  Some dates from canon:

   HovpoH Hut vagh cha' wa' vI' jav Dujvam 'aghlu'pu' 'ach Qaw'lu'pu'
   [This ship was demonstrated on Stardate 9521.6 but it was destroyed.] S33
   (N.B. untranslated on card)

   qItI'nga' Duj tera' vatlh DIS poH cha'maH wej HochHom lo'lu'taH
   the K'Tinga-class remained in use for most of the 23rd century. S15

   tera' vatlh DIS poH cha'maH loS bong QongmeH qItI'nga' Duj tI'ang
   ghompu' DIvI' 'ejDo' 'entepray'
   A sleeper ship of this [K'Tinga] class, the T'Ong, was encountered in
   the 24th century by the USS Enterprise. S15

   tera' poH jaj wa', jar wa', jaj loSDIch, DIS wa'-Hut-Hut-chorgh:
   HovpoHvetlh latlh nab yIHutlh
   Save this Stardate: Sunday, January 4, 1998. STX

   tera' vatlh DIS poH cha'maH loS bIyIn jeSlaHpa' Hoch
   Be the first to journey to the 24th century. STX

though none of these answer the question.

>   {qaSpa' HovpoH 3149, Qu'lIj yIta'}
>   "Before Stardate 3149 happens, accomplish your mission"
>
>If the counter/timer is up when it switches to HovpoH 3149, then the first
>one is applicable.

before it happens (i.e. begins)?

>Another possibility, since I don't know how long the stardates last in the
>game:
>
>   {Dorpa' HovpoH 3149, Qu'lIj yIta'}
>   "Before Stardate 3149 ends, accomplish your mission"
>
>If you have until the timer/counter switches away from HovpoH 3149, the
>second one is more appropriate.

Nice use of the new verb.  For those who didn't read the last HolQeD, here 
it is:

   Generally, one expresses the end of a stretch of time by using a verb
   rather than a noun. That is, one says "when the month ends" rather than
   "at the end of the month". The verb for this kind of "end" is {Dor}.
   For example: {DorDI' jar mejpu'} "At the end of the month, he/she left."
   (Literally, this sentence means "When the month ended, he/she left.")
   [HQ 12.2:8]


>>This is a list of ship systems and commands used in the game:
>>
>>  joghvam noch      -- Short-range sensors

"this quadrant's sensors"

>>  chuq'a' noch      -- Long-range sensors

We have {noch pat} "remote sensing system" from the BoP Poster and we also 
have {chuqna'} "effective range" (S14).  Here's the sensor entries from the 
Poster under {chuq'a'} "long range":

   jabbI'ID pup: Qapchu'meH 'aqroS chuq: cha' vI' chorgh loghqammey
   High Resolution - Maximum Effective Range - 3.5 Light Years

   jabbI'ID pupHa': Qapchu'meH chuq: chorgh vI' chorgh loghqammey
   Medium to Low Resolution - Effective Range - 11 Light Years


>>  pu'DaH            -- Phasers

"phaser banks"

Don't forget {nISwI' DaH} "disruptor banks".  Klingons don't use phasers AFAIK.

>>  'otlhpeng         -- Photon torpedoes

Tyler:
>By the way, I believe that {'otlh peng} was written as
>two separate words on BoP.

Correct:  {'otlh peng baHjan} "photon torpedo launcher"

>>  De'wI             -- Computer console

just "computer"

>Also, "Computer console" might be better as {De'wI' SeHlaw}.

FYI from the BoP Poster: {QeD SeHlaw} "science console" and {Qum SeHlaw} 
"communications console"

>>  Quj De' pol       -- Save game

{De'} is as redundant in Klingon as in English, particularly if you want 
clipped commands.  Why not just {Quj pol} "Save game" or {Qujvam pol} "Save 
this game"?

> > Is there a better word than naw' ("access") that could be used to
> > mean "call up existing data and place it in memory"?
>
>I agree with Tyler- there's nothing wrong with {naw'} to indicate this item.

FYI: {De' naw'wI'} "Data Access" was used in the ST:Communicator Special 
Klingon issue.  Since we already have a noun {naw'} "access" (at least, 
it's a noun in the English-to-Klingon side of KGT), {naw'wI'} might be an 
access point, i.e. a read-only access terminal (i.e. used for looking 
things up)?

But if you don't like {naw'}, what about {tagh} "begin/initiate a process":

   Quj tagh
   Start/Begin game

>>  Quj De' naw'      -- Load saved game

   Quj taghqa'
   Re-start game.  Begin game again.

   Quj Dapollu'bogh yItaghqa'!
   Re-start saved game!  Re-start the game which you have saved!

>>  paj (Qujvam bup)  -- Resign

Not sure whether {bup} "quit" and {paj} "resign" take an object - neither 
have appeared in canon - are transitive, but {mev} "stop, cease" definitely 
is.

We also have {jegh} "surrender" even though, as we all know, {jeghbe' 
tlhInganpu'} "Klingons do not surrender" (TKW) and {not jegh tlhIngan 
SuvwI'} "a Klingon warrior never surrenders" (KGT)!



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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