[Tlhingan-hol] Bad Klingon in Trek novels (and the like)

[David Trimboli]

On 8/7/2012 7:52 AM, De'vID wrote:
>
> 'anan naHQun:
>> However, Michael A. Martin's use of the language was grating.
>> He used the words correctly enough; but he went out of his way to
>> explain them in English as well.
>>
>> It's like watching a program for a pre-schooler where the host says a
>> phrase in Spanish, to someone who only speaks Spanish, and then
>> translates it into English for them.
>
> Well, it depends if the speaker is explaining it to the listener, or
> if the author is explaining it to the reader.
>
> (1) "Shoot that {veQ} out of the skies!", screamed the captain, "by
> which I mean, that piece of garbage of a ship."
>
> (2) "Shoot that {veQ} out of the skies!", screamed the captain, using
> the Klingon word for garbage.
>
> The first is grating, and out of character (presumably the gunner
> knows Klingon).  The second is also annoying, but acceptable (you
> can't assume the reader knows Klingon), and perhaps even necessary
> depending on context (in the above example it's clear that {veQ} has
> negative connotations, and perhaps that's all that's needed to be
> conveyed, but there are contexts where the meaning won't be clear).

In cases like this, I'd prefer the non-English term to be unexplained in 
the text, but that a glossary be included in the book.

-- 
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/