Kobayashi Maru cover translation

[JD]

I was just on Memory Beta's Kobayashi Maru page and I noticed the translation for the cover wasn't up yet. So I was wondering if someone would mind translating it for me so I could post it. The help would be much appreciated.

 

[Rat Boy]

It's in Romulan, which doesn't have an official English translation yet. For all anybody (even the artists) know, that could just read "Eat at Joe's."

 

[Turtletrekker]

JD, go back to the MB page, and click on the "discussion" tab.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Maybe it's like this:

Spoiler: Kobayashi Maru

In A.D. 2156, war was beginning. Archer: What happen? Hernandez: Somebody set up us the bomb!

 

[Rosalind]

^ A few people worked out what they means last time the cover was posted. It is more fun to get people to figure out the translation themselves than post it.

 

[Christopher]

It's not a "translation," but a substitution cipher. It's not actually written in Romulan, but is an English phrase with Romulan symbols substituted. Anyone who solves cryptograms in the newspaper should be able to figure it out using the same techniques.

This is how "alien alphabets" in SFTV are usually handled these days. Since it would be overcomplicated to come up with an actual language, the art department just constructs a new "alien script" font, types up stuff in English (either appropriate or random), converts it to the alien font, and prints it out. So you can pretty much apply the same deciphering technique to most any "alien script" in TV and movies, and sometimes get little "Easter egg" messages out of it. Which is a bit of a shame, really; it'd be nice to see an alien alphabet that actually represented alien words and sounds, even if I didn't know what it meant. But it's usually not worth the trouble for the filmmakers to go to such lengths just for a sign that's onscreen for five seconds.

And of course it's not actually the "cover," just a promotional image in lieu of a cover.

 

[Rosalind]

Christopher said: But it's usually not worth the trouble for the filmmakers to go to such lengths just for a sign that's onscreen for five seconds.

except LOTR, but in that case Tolkien has already done the work for them.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

The translation with the font I have (matches the one on the cover) states THE ROMULAN
WAR BEGINS LATE 2008. Should be interesting.

 

[JD]

Turtletrekker said:
JD, go back to the MB page, and click on the "discussion" tab.

Thanks for the heads up TT. Apparently Andy Mangels has requested the salution not be posted. I appologize for wasting every time and forum space. Guess I should remember to check for discussions next time.

 

[Turtletrekker]

^ No worries, dude. It wasn't exactly the best-kept secret in the world anyway.