tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Dec 18 10:14:52 2006
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Re: Return With Honour
At 10:31 AM Monday 12/18/2006, you wrote:
>naHQun:
> >>"Right before I hopped on the plane to leave my father said to me 'I'd
> >>rather you come home in a coffin, then come home dishonoured'".
> >>
> >>Which sounded like a Klingon thing to say (besides the coffin). So how
> >>would you say it? I don't know how to say "I'd rather".
>
>...Paul:
> > >> How would you emphasize the idea that it's preferable only in the
> > >> mind of the speaker?
>
>ghunchu'wI':
> > > Why would one want to emphasize something which isn't true? Many
> > > people besides the speaker undoubtedly share the preference.
> > >
> > > If you wish to emphasize that the speaker does prefer it, you might
> > > add {...'e' vIHar} or something. But don't you think that merely
> > > uttering the statement is enough to imply believing it?
>
>...Paul:
> >I like adding /'e' vIHar/. I can accept that there's not a significant
> >difference between the idea of "I'd prefer A to B." and "I believe A is
> >more preferable than B."
> > [snip]
> >Either way, I think /'e' vIHar/ fixes the problem nicely. :)
>
>{'e' vItul} "I hope that..." works a bit better translating the father's
>wish for his son. And there's a series of similar wishes/hopes in TKW:
>
> DujDaj HubtaHvIS Hegh 'e' tul Hoch tlhIngan
> To die defending his ship is the hope of every Klingon. TKW
>
> Qu'Daj ta'taHvIS Hegh 'e' tul Hoch tlhIngan
> To die in the line of duty is the hope of every Klingon. TKW
>
> wo' toy'taHvIS Hegh 'e' tul Hoch tlhIngan
> To die while serving the Empire is the hope of every Klingon. TKW
Another option might be {-law'}:
Like Type 3 noun suffixes, these suffixes show how sure the
speaker is about what is being said. (TKD 39)
This suffix expresses any uncertainty on the speaker's part
and may even be thought of as meaning "I think" or "I suspect".
(TKD 40)
Similarly, if the information is considered only partially good,
or only the forerunner of good news to come, one might use the
suffix {-law'} ("apparently"): {buy'law' ngop} ("That seems to
be good news"; literally, "The plates are apparently full").
(KGT 147)
The only caveat is that the father isn't so much uncertain about his
opinion, but rather setting it off as his own ("I feel that...", "I'd
rather...") personal opinion vs. everyone else's. (Except, of course, that
most Klingon fathers would no doubt agree 100% with his opinion.) {'e'
vIHar} or {'e' vItul} are still probably the way to go. To further mark it
as HIS opinion - and not, say, his wife's - add {jIH}: {'e' vItul jIH}
"*I* would hope that...", "As for me, I'd hope that..."
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons