Dear Reader,
I can’t define myself a real Trekker (i.e. a devote fan of Star Trek), because I have not seen all episodes in The Original Series (TOS, for aficionados).
On the other hand, I watched all the movies multiple times, I’ve played roleplaying games and wargames based in the universe of Star Trek, and the three wi-fi networks in my house are called Enterprise, Khan and Kobayashi-Maru. I also have a strong belief that the messages brought forward by the creator, Gene Roddenberry, will live forever in our culture, directly or indirectly.
“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”
Today I realised a fundamental mistake in the Italian translation of one of the series most strong and recurring sentences, the blessing that accompanies the hand gesture called Vulcan salute: “Live long, and prosper”.
The translation translates (sorry for the cacophony) literally to “Long life, and prosperity”.
The error is evident.
The translation sounds like “I wish you luck to obtain what you wish.”
The original is in the imperative form.
So, don’t just wish for long life, don’t wish for prosperity. Go out there and…
Make it so.
Commander Jean-Luc Picard
Until next time, demand the best for you and of you, and LLAP.
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