[tlhIngan Hol] Translation help

[SuStel]

On 10/19/2017 9:19 AM, De'vID wrote:
>
>     “Laying Plans”
>
>     chenmoH nabpu’
>
>
> I can't parse this at all. Is {nab} intended to be a noun or verb 
> here? What is its relationship to the verb {chenmoH}?

Joseph is not considering the order of a basic Klingon sentence: OBJECT 
- VERB - SUBJECT. He's applying suffixes more or less correctly but 
putting the words together in English order. *chenmoH*/make;/*nabpu'* 
Joseph used the wrong plural suffix here: use *-mey* for things that 
don't use language and aren't body parts. *nabmey*/plans./

Putting this together in OVS order, we get *nabmey chenmoH.* BUT! We 
haven't conjugated this; right now it says /he/she/it/they make plans./ 
If that's what you're after, fair enough, but what you're probably 
saying is that plans are made and you're not specifying who makes those 
plans. For that you need the indefinite subject suffix, *-lu': nabmey 
luchenmoHlu'*/plans are made; someone makes plans./

BUT AGAIN! /Make plans/ is a very English way of saying this. I'm not 
sure if we can even use *chen* to refer to abstract things taking form. 
Why not simplify this? *nablu'*/someone plans./

You see now why translating is harder work than producing original thoughts.


>     “1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.”
>
>
>     wa’.jatlh Sun’tlhu: <<veSQeD potlhqu’ wo’vaD>>.
>
>
>
> Remember object verb subject. What is the subject of {potlhqu'}? What 
> role has {wo'vaD} play here?

Remember also that *'* is a consonant, not punctuation. That *'* in 
*Sun'tlhu*'s name isn't pronounceable, unless maybe you happen to hiccup 
while saying it.


>     “2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or
>     to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account
>     be neglected.”
>
>
>     cha’. yIn Hegh je Soj ‘oH ‘ej QaDqu’ghach lujqu’ghach ghap Dev
>     ‘oH.  QeD DabuSHa’be’qu’.
>
>
>
> "It is a matter of..." is an English expression. I feel using {Soj} 
> follows this a bit too closely. What does it *mean* to say something 
> is a matter of life and death? Express that.

I think *yIn Hegh je Soj 'oH* hits it on the nose and is quite good. 
This isn't just an English expression; Klingon's idiomatic *Soj* 
/matter, concern, affair/ is exactly this.


> I would also suggest to express using verbs the idea you're apparently 
> trying to express by using nouns with {-ghach}.

Agreed. You're sticking *-qu'* in there to satisfy the requirement that 
a suffix come between the verb and *-ghach*, but you don't really mean them.

Also, *QaD* normally means /be dry;/ the meaning of /be safe/ is slang. 
The style of /The Art of War/ is invariably made out to be formal and 
dignified, a style not conducive to using slang.

For non-slang alternatives, consider words like *QobHa'ghach* and *Qanlu'.*


> Note that we have a word {taw} for "road".
>
> Is the last sentence intended to be an imperative? Right now, it just 
> says "You do *not* ignore this science" (not that you *shouldn't*).

Your last sentence also cuts out a lot of what the original is saying. 
If you're going to translate, don't skip parts because they're hard.

You've made a good start. I strongly recommend trying to express 
yourself in Klingon before translating the words of others.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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