tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Feb 05 10:43:32 2007
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Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for January 30, 2007
pm5:
> > Doqbot: {yaHvamvaD gheSmeH nIvqu'bogh ghuv qIt'e' vISammeH
> > yInngoqchaj vIpojpu'.} (1)
> >Dogbert: "I analyzed the DNA of all of your applicants to find the
> > best fit for the job."
> > [snip]
> > pIn: {DIlbot ghuv chu' yIqIH. nom yIruch.} (3)
> > Boss: "Dilbert, meet the new guy -- and do it quickly."
> >I translated "applicant" to *{ghuv qIt} "possible recruit". Doing (2)
> >in one single sentence would generate a garbled sequence that myself
> >cannot comprehend, so I split it.
Voragh:
>Now that I think about it, {ghuv} "recruit" is simplest and works best in
>these cartoons for "applicant" and *{chu'wI'} for "the new guy/gal".
>*{chu'wI'} has long been used on the mailing list for "novice, 'newbie',
>tyro, beginner, newcomer, etc."
pm5:
>But how would one distinguish it from {chu'wI'} "player (of an instrument)"?
ghunchu'wI':
>Or from {chu'wI'} "trigger"? The answer is, as always, context.
Exactly. The cartoon is talking about applicants (recruits) {ghuv} and
jobs {yaH} or {Qu'} before, so the idea of musical instruments isn't even
in play. (If you were recruiting new members for a band, it would be
ambiguous.) As for "trigger", translating {chu'wI' yIqIH} as "meet the
trigger" would be gibberish or at best a non sequitur. And if you said
{chu'wI' ghaH} - "s/he's the {chu'wI'}" - then "trigger" is completely
removed from consideration as it would require the pronoun {'oH}.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons