Wanted: Klingon interpreter

BBC ^ | Last Updated: Tuesday, 13 May, 2003, 02:45 GMT 03:45 UK

[Cinnamon Girl]

A mental health service in the United States is looking for a translator who is fluent in Klingon, the language used in the television and film series Star Trek.

Klingon is just one of about 55 languages needed by Multnomah County, in Oregon, which serves about 60,000 mental health patients.

"We have to provide information in all the languages our clients speak," said Jerry Jelusich, from the county's department of human services.

Although created for works of fiction, Klingon was designed to have a consistent grammar, syntax and vocabulary.

Officials in Multnomah County have found many people - and not just fans - consider it a complete language.

"There are some cases where we've had mental health patients where this was all they would speak," said Franna Hathaway, another county official.

They say this obligates them to respond with a Klingon-English interpreter.

This puts the language of Starship Enterprise officer Worf and other Klingon characters on a par with more common languages such as Russian and Vietnamese.

[Cinnamon Girl]

The clinic is also currently looking for someone who speaks "Jesse Jacksonese."

[Redcloak]

Any reason they can't use a good search engine to find a translator?

[NewYorker]

Paging Senator Pardek!

[Redcloak]

This does raise the question: "Why no Romulan translators?"

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Klingon

[martin_fierro]

Pardek is but a P'TAH Romulan! >>:-| <-- Klingon Emoticon

[martin_fierro]

How does one say, "This has been posted already" in Klingon?

[Susannah]

Klingon-English interpreter

Gee, and me without a "Clinton-English" interpreter for over 8 years. Are you sure that wasn't a typo?

[goody2shooz]

The fact that anyone bothers to learn Klingon surprises me.

The fact that Oregon needs Klingon linguists to work with mental patients does NOT surprise me at all! You ought to see how Oregonians drive -- they're all nuts.

[Judith Anne]

Just a question--if you don't speak English, how do you learn Klingon (in the REAL world, that is)?

[martin_fierro]

if you don't speak English, how do you learn Klingon (in the REAL world, that is)?

I say if the French want a French-Klingon translator, let 'em invent their own wildly-popular fictional sci-fi race. >>:-| QuApl'aa!!

[He Rides A White Horse]

A mental health service in the United States is looking for a translator who is fluent in Klingon, the language used in the television and film series Star Trek.

Klingon is just one of about 55 languages needed by Multnomah County, in Oregon, which serves about 60,000 mental health patients.

.........and to think that I speak Romulan.......yet another subdivision of American society.

[Judith Anne]

Ooookkkkaaaaaaaaaa.....;-D (Hillbilly for you betcha!)

[martin_fierro]

On the other hand, I'd much rather eat...

...a Klingon jello mold...

...than Escargot.

[Judith Anne]

Haha! BTW, I read on Fox News online that the Oregonians have dropped the request for a Klingon interpreter and now want us to know that they stress that NO MONEY has been spent on one...cheapskates.

[martin_fierro]

This potential job applicant will be heartbroken. <|:)~

[martin_fierro]

This potential job applicant will be heartbroken. <|:)~

[martin_fierro]

BAH! Server fart!

[Judith Anne]

Once a trekkie, always a trekkie...;-D

[WSGilcrest]