tlhIngan Hol vIjatlh!

Being a huge nerd with too much time on his hands, I've own a few different books about the Klingon language. I don't actually speak Klingon, but I can translate reasonably complicated chunks of text into passable Klingon given some time and my copy of the Klingon Dictionary. So, one of the things I like to do in the Star Trek RPG campaign I run is to slip in Klingon dialogue when the PCs run into Klingons.

In countless episodes of TNG and DS9, Klingon seems to be the only language which is translated, at best, haphazardly by the universal translator. What I mean by this isn't that the UT can't translate Klingon, of course, but that the writers found it convenient to insert snippets of the Klingon language into the dialogue, despite the fact that every other alien language gets translated automatically for us without comment. :D So, when I insert snippets of Klingon into my RPG games, I figure I'm following a time-honoured Trek tradition.

No doubt as a result of my ability to roleplay a big stupid oaf to perfection, my players have enjoyed their interactions with Klingon characters in my campaign quite a bit. As a result, some of them have decided that they'd like their characters to pick up ranks in the Klingon language. Fearing that I would be deprived of my ability to have NPCs slip into Klingon without offering a translation to my hapless players, I replied that they were welcome to take ranks in Language Klingon... so long as they went out and learnt Klingon, because any conversations which were going to take place in Klingon in my campaign would damn well be roleplayed in Klingon! ;)

I was wondering if anybody had any interesting language stories from their own Star Trek campaigns, whether it be actually talking at the gaming table in Klingon, Vulcan or some other equally tragic language, or whether it be an amusing story about the PC's UTs breaking down, I'd like to hear it.

I don't have any stories to tell about running non-human languages in Star Trek RPG b/c, despite having all the books, I have yet to run a Star Trek adventure (but hope to do so one day).

However, you mention an interesting paradox on the show. Theoretically, the universal translators (UT) are translating everything said by all the non-human species. While some aliens may indeed speak English, it's assumed the majority are speaking their native tongue, but the UT automatically translates every phrase/word into English for the viewers. But in some episodes, the aliens use a phrase that is not translated by the UT, and either the alien (or someone else) voluntarily gives the translation or sometimes not. Huh? Is the UT malfunctioning? Is that phrase slang that the UT can't translate? What's going on?

We all know the real reason, but I wonder what the in-game reason would be. Or is it just one of those things you don't ask about? Like why TOS Klingons physically are different from Klingons in other Star Trek series.

Since the game system is cinematic in style, it seems reasonable to me to assume that it is just one of those things which aren't commented on, which the characters should just let slide without batting an eyelid, while the players exchanging knowing chuckles. ;)

I think that the reason they do the whole Kingon thing is it allows them to swear allot! klingons swear their heads off at each other, so having the UT forget is handy for the shows sensors :)

Realistically we don't know that the UT isn't translating it in allot of cases. I.e the people concerned understand it it's just that the shows producers have elected to represent that word in it's original dialect for added emphasis... I.e. Tores is always swearing in Klingon - does everyone on the ship speak Klingon.. I doubt it!.. So what does this mean? well probably that they leave it there for cosmetic reasons but in reality it is being translated.

There is also probably allot of franglais in Starfleet as well - allot of Starfleet officers probably know Klingon phrases like the back of their hand - they possibly even use them themselves - hence it's an overlap and doesn't need to be translated.

There are probably words which can't easilly be translated in contextual reference - slang - odd combinations of nonsensical words or phrases that make no sense - they can be translated from a dictionary but in real time the computer has no chance! :D

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Originally posted by Tobian
I think that the reason they do the whole Kingon thing is it allows them to swear allot! klingons swear their heads off at each other, so having the UT forget is handy for the shows sensors :)

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So you're suggesting the Federation UT has in-built filters to screen out alien obscenities?:-)

Is that so the delicate ears of Starfleet personnel won't be subject to those crude Klingon/alien curses?

Of course, on the show, not every Klingon or alien phrase that goes untranslated is a curse or obscenity. Maybe it's just certain alien phrases are untranslatable into English?

But then what about non-English phrases or words that occasionally are used? I remember Quark, who was probably speaking Ferengi but translated into English by the UT, once used the French phrase "objet d'art." Now, I know what that means, but the UT didn't translate it for me & kept it in the original French. Maybe the creators of the UT were French or Francophiles & built in the UT a subroutine that refused to translate French words/phrases, thereby preserving the purity of the French language.:-)

Ahh you see that's what I mean - it's a term we use here in England - Franglais - basically words which have become common in both languages - I.e. Le Weekend - the French do not have a word for Weekend - Je ne sais quoi - I don't know :) it's something that lacks 'je ne sais qui' when you translate it and is used in common parlance - words become words for other languaguages all the time - Okay means the same just about everywhere in the world - if someone on the show says the Klingon version of Okay, which everyone in the galaxy says by now, why would the computer translate it for us!

Unfortunately the UT doesn't just fail to translate swear words and the Klingon equivalent of "OK", but a wide variety of dialogue.

One can assume that most of the time one sees Klingons speaking English on screen, they are in fact supposed to be speaking English, not Klingon run through the UT, since according to The Klingon Dictionary, Klingon officers learn English so that they can both communicate with their enemies and speak in a language amongst themselves that the enlisted crew won't be able to understand. This is consistent with what we saw in Star Trek III, with the Klingon commander discussing Genesis in English with his officers before returning to Klingon after the secret discussion - the commander doesn't want the rest of the crew to find out about Genesis.

Perhaps by default the UT doesn't translate Klingon, assuming that the Klingons will speak English if they want non-Klingons to understand them! :D

But discussion about spotty Klingon translation in the show aside, anyone have some interesting anecdotes from their Star Trek RPG game sessions involving languages other than Federation Standard?

Well, we have this jerk Narrator who always peppers his klingon episodes with actual klingon and won't give us translations and makes us learn klingon if we want to understand him in character........ oops, sorry Mazza.

But seriously, why make us learn a language for roleplaying when you don't even know it!!!

One thing that pings me off.

P.S. Am i still being courtmartialed for insubordination:)

Ahh Adza. Well I have two answers for you there.

If you are all not human, and your universal translators are clearly not working then you should mock the narator by talking in your OWN native language and have him learn it! Ok that's going to be a little tough as there aren't any Telarite dictionaries etc - but there are a handful of good words in the Andorian source book (For LUG) and I believe there's quite an extensive set of Rhihansu (Romulan) language files on the net.... That and you could type all of your messages back to your Narator using klingon font! That should make his eyes water (can't you just tell I am annoyed with my GM at the moment ! :D)

The other alternative is to just ignore the character. Just pull the english abroad.."Sorry I don't understand mate.." - and if he doesn't understand you - SHOUT LOUDER! :) once you realise you can't communicate shrug your shoulders and move off. If he has a problem with it point out that you are roleplaying your character - if he doesn't understand Klingon.. then he doesn't understand Klingon - Starfleet is not going to force you to learn it ! :D

Don't worry, Adza's narrator has no problem with him not speaking Klingon.

I just like slipping in Klingon dialogue to add a little spice. The Klingons are aliens and should feel alien to the players in a way that Federation member aliens don't. Besides, when else am I EVER going to speak Klingon? :D

Dang it ! and here was me with the Lynch mob ready and eveything :D

I have been known to slip a few Andorian words in there from time to time too :D Though i rapidly discovered it's VERY hard to actually make any kind of scentence in it ! a few functionalk examples would have been nice :D

To clarify what I mean by slipping in Klingon, I don't mean Klingons speak to the characters IN KLINGON on a regular basis (unless they're trying to talk to someone who can't speak English and there is no UT around), I mean the Klingon NPCs speak to each other in Klingon when they don't want the crew to understand them.