tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 10 08:29:21 2007

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Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for August 25, 2007

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



At 09:46 PM Friday 9/7/2007, po'mIn wrote:

>     Big Boss: "We have too much goodwill on the balance sheet.
>     pIn'a':   {tlhoy qon ngaDDaq malja' guv wIghaj.

Hmm... ?{qon ngaDDaq} "on the stable/balanced composition"?

{qon} "compose, record, create a composition, write" is a verb.  Did you 
mean {qun} "history"?  Also consider the nouns {ghItlh} "manuscript", {ta] 
"record, file", {nav} "paper".  BTW we have {may' ta} "record of battle" 
(KGT) so *{malja' ta} might mean something like a balance sheet, (account) 
books or even an annual report.

I do like {malja' quv} for "goodwill" though.

>     Big Boss:  "I decided to sell some of it."
>     pIn'a':    {'ay' mangev 'e' vIwuq.}

{'ay'} "section, part, component, piece" is the wrong "part"; it seems to 
refer to physical objects or locations.  Use the noun {'op} "some, an 
unknown or unspecified quantity" - with the right prefix:

   'op vIngev 'e' vIwuq.
   I decided to sell ("that I will sell") some (of it).

   'op wIngev 'e' vIwuq.
   I decided to sell ("that we will sell") some (of it).


>     Big Boss: "A mysterious buyer offered a million dollars for the right
>         to decrease our goodwill."
>     pIn'a':   {quvwIj nuplaHbogh DIb'e' DIlmeH wa''uy' DeQmey nunob
>         qabDaj 'angbe'bogh je'wI''e' .}

"a buyer who doesn't show his/her face will give us 1 million credits (in 
order) to pay for the right that can decrease my honor"

I like the imagery of someone who doesn't show his face - remember the 
veiled Valkris in ST3? - but for Klingons that phrase implies someone 
dishonorable, not mysterious.  E.g.:

   quv Hutlh HoHbogh tlhIngan 'ach qabDaj 'angbe'bogh
   A Klingon who kills without showing his face has no honor. TKW

   'ang'eghQo' quv Hutlhbogh jagh neH ghobtaHvIS ghaH
   Only an enemy without honor refuses to show himself in battle. TKW

   qabDaj 'ang
   He/she shows his/her face [a challenge to a duel].  E.g.:
     {qablIj HI'ang}   "Show me your face!"
     {qabDaj 'angchu'} "He/she shows his/her face clearly." KGT

Try {pIH} "be suspicious" or {nub} "be suspect" instead.  (Neither have 
been used in canon, so I'm not sure of the difference in Klingon.)  If you 
really want to use an idiom to imply that there's something fishy about 
this buyer, try {qagh Sopbe'} "He doesn't eat gagh!":

   Everyone loves {gagh}, so if one is not eating it, something must be wrong.
   This expression is used to mean that there is something wrong with someone
   or that someone is acting suspiciously... For Klingons...this is a rather
   mild dismissive remark, not a strong insult. (TKW 137)



--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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