tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Dec 04 09:34:06 2008
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RE: A stupid translation request
- From: Steven Boozer <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: A stupid translation request
- Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 11:33:09 -0600
- Accept-language: en-US
- Acceptlanguage: en-US
- In-reply-to: <[email protected]>
- References: <[email protected]>
- Thread-index: AclWMiUhu0+zdHb3Qx2skrhQ2tN3aQAAJNwg
- Thread-topic: A stupid translation request
naHQun:
>I got a request to translate "Stupidity is stupidity and there is no pill
>to help". I'll note that while I was pondering it, I mis-remembered it as
>"... no pill for it." [...] After some thought, I came up with this:
>
> valHa'ghachvaD tu'lu'be' qa'meH vIttlhegh.
>
>I don't like using -ghach (big surprise), but using it (on either verb)
>would tend to mark it in a way to show that their "stupidity" is of a
>special kind and not able to be 'fixed'.
>
>This was before I remembered QIp.
Don't forget {Dogh} "be foolish, be silly". If you don't like {-ghach} nouns, try using {-wI'}: {QIpwI'}, {DoghwI'}.
But sometimes {-ghach} works best. {QIptaHghach} is perfect for the abstract noun "(ongoing) stupidity":
QIptaHghach vor(laH)be' Hergh.
Medicine doesn't (can't) cure stupidity.
QIptaHghach vor(laH) pagh Hergh.
No medicine (can) cures stupidity.
A somewhat more Klingon approach might be to use {qoH} "fool" instead. Klingons have several sayings about fools, all negative. The most relevant WRT your translation request are:
qoH vuvbe' SuS
The wind does not respect a fool. TKW
Hegh neH chav qoH
A fool's only achievement is death. TKW
qanchoHpa' qoH, Hegh qoH
Fools die young. TKW
--
Voragh
Canon Master of the Klingons