Re: [lojban-beginners] my first translation

[Jonathan Jones <eyeonus@gmail.com>]

I probably should have explained the use of {ri} "the last sumti". {ri} acts as a repeater, allowing us to not need to say the entire {lo mivyskera'a je zbaskera'a} again. I'm honestly not certain if in this context {ri po mi'a} expands to {lo mivyskera'a je zbaskera'a po mi'a} or {lo mivyskera'a je zbaskera'a po do po'o po mi'a}, but we'll assume the former for the sake of the latter not really making sense.

"Your culture will adapt to service us."

Alright, this should be easy enough. Certainly easier than the last one. Culture is {kulnu} "x1 is the culture of x2". "service us" is {selfu} "x1 serves x2...". Adapt is rather complex, and basically means "altered for purpose". It seems to me the best thing would be to use {tikygau} "x1 changes x2...." and {tezu'e} "for purpose ...". x1 is obviously the Borg, x2 is "Your culture", and tezu'e is "to service us". We can omit the x1 because it's obvious, or even flip it with {se}, so we end up with:

{lo do kulnu ba se tikygau tezu'e lonu selfu mi}
(Note: I chose {mi} rather than {mi'a} as, at the conclusion of the adapting, when they are "servicing" the Borg, they will be part of the Collective, and so would no longer be excluded from "we".)

"Resistance is futile."

Okay, if this sentence isn't easy, then I'll eat my hat. Figuratively. My hat cost me over $100 and is made of wool, so it's neither easily replaceable nor likely to taste good.

Okay, resistance is an event of resisting, and resisting in this sense (as opposed to opposite-of-pliable) is {xarnu} "x1 is resisting x2 about x3" (For example, "My son is resisting me about going to bed.") That's easy enough. So, futile. Futile means basically "doomed to fail". So, we need doom {dimna} "x1 is the fate of x2", and fail {fliba} "x1 fails at doing x2". {dimna} is backwards, so we want to flip it, and we have:

{lonu xarnu cu se dimna lonu fliba}

Putting all that together, and we have the full translation:

"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your 
ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to 
our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
{mi'a selcme zo.borg. .i ko sisti lonu nensabji lo 
nencalku kei gi'e radydu'a lo do keslo'i .i mi'a ba jmina lo mivyskera'a
 je zbaskera'a po do po'o ri po mi'a .i lo do kulnu ba se tikygau tezu'e lonu selfu mi .i lonu xarnu cu se dimna lonu fliba}

-- 
mu'o mi'e .aionys.

.i.e'ucai ko cmima lo pilno be denpa bu .i doi.luk. mi patfu do zo'o
(Come to the Dot Side! Luke, I am your father. :D )

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