Klingon Imperial Empire Again

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by MAGolding, May 17, 2022.

  1. MAGolding

    MAGolding Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    There has been at least one thread with discussion of the seemingly redundent title of Klingon Imperial Empire.

    https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/the-klingon-imperial-empire.277384

    Some people don't think that it is redundent to write about an imperial empire.

    https://www.quora.com/Did-the-Imperial-Japanese-Empire-ever-win-battles-against-the-American-Empire

    Possibly there is some connection with the movie title mentioned in an earlier post.


    I think what Ronald D. Moore may have had in mind here by adding the seemingly redundant word "Imperial" to Klingon Empire was a nod to what the Japanese called their empire: Dai Nippon Teikoku, literally Greater Japanese Empire.

    There was an infamous Japanese WWII film released in 1982 with that exact title (Dai Nippon Teikoku) which was a defense of Japanese Imperialism. The U.S. title was translated as The Imperial Japanese Empire. It's just a guess on my part, but it's certainly within the realm of possibility that Moore thought of this film (or the translation) while writing the teleplay for "Sins of the Father."
     
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  2. MAGolding

    MAGolding Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Deleted duplicate;
     
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  3. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It's redundant.

    If it needed qualification, "Great Klingon Empire" would have sufficed.
     
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  4. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Would you expect any less touting from a species that can barely have a single conversation without mentioning what species they are to one another? "WE ARE KLINGONS!". I've maybe said "It's only human" maybe a handful of times in my life, & we basically say it just to indicate that it means we're flawed... but I don't think I've ever said "WE ARE HUMAN!" like that's some kind of thing people need to be reminded of
     
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  5. Charles Phipps

    Charles Phipps Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    To be fair, this kind of thing happens with translations in real life.
     
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  6. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    That's the difference between a passable translator and a great translator.
     
  7. ThankQ

    ThankQ Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Perfection.
     
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  8. Locutus of Bored

    Locutus of Bored Yo, Dawg! I Heard You Like Avatars... In Memoriam

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    Maybe a rogue faction of the Klingon Empire uses the Imperial System of measurement, while the rest of the Empire uses the Metric System with their Kellicams and shit.;)

    So wait, this is all because Picard said this redundant name one time in TNG - Sins of the Father? Why are we taking a one time utterance of a non-native speaker of Klingonese as a proper translation of the name of the Empire? Maybe he messed up the translation. Maybe he messed up and used it as a verbal crutch. There's no reason to assume everything the character's say should be taken as infallible gospel and that they're not capable of mistakes.
     
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  9. Ottens

    Ottens Commander Red Shirt

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    If an empire is not "imperial", what would it be?
     
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  10. ThankQ

    ThankQ Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Ethereal.
     
  11. at Quark's

    at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Perhaps it might be a bit redundant.

    Still less of an issue (imho) than oppressive and murderous dictatorships styling themselves 'democracies' as sometimes happens in the real world.
     
  12. Kor

    Kor Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Perhaps there were different factions that claimed sovereignty in Klingon space, each claiming to be the legitimate Klingon Empire. And the Federation recognized one of them, which was designated the "Imperial Empire" to differentiate it from the pretenders. And as more and more rival governments popped up, the nomenclature would become somewhat more complicated.

    "Set course for the Premier Primary First Metropolitan Municipal City of the Klingon Imperially Imperious Imperialistic Imperatorial Imperial Empire!"

    Kor
     
  13. at Quark's

    at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    "Erm, excuse me Sir, but would that be the Sovereign Klingon Imperially Imperious Imperialistic Imperatorial Imperial Empire or the Suzerain Klingon Imperially Imperious Imperialistic Imperatorial Imperial Empire?"
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2022
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  14. NewHeavensNewEarth

    NewHeavensNewEarth Commodore Commodore

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    Everything about the Klingons is redundant. :lol:
     
  15. Orphalesion

    Orphalesion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I mean, isn't the bigger problem with this that they don't have an emperor?
    If you call yourself an imperial empire you should have an emperor.
     
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  16. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    Blue Bonnet? ;)
     
  17. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The Klingon Imperial Empire.

    The Unified United Federal Federation of Planetary Planets.

    The Romulan Interstellar Star Imperial Empire.

    The Cardassian Unified Union.

    The Ferengi Allied Alliance.

    The Republican Republic of Bajor.

    The Domain of the Dominion.

    The Borg Communal Collective.

    Unified United Earth.

    The Confederal Confederacy of Vulcan.

    The Andorian Imperial Empire.

    The Unified United Planetary Planets of Tellar.

    The Alpha Centauri Cordial Concordium.

    The Unified United Rigel Wordly Worlds and Colonial Colonies.

    The Popular People's Republican Republic of Coridan.
     
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  18. Orphalesion

    Orphalesion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I mean the "Untied Federation" of Planets is already pretty redundant.
     
  19. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Good point. :lol:
     
  20. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So is the "United Kingdom," and yet.