argh- translating martial
-
- Textkit Member
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:31 am
argh- translating martial
I'm frustrated.
I've never translated Latin poetry before, so figured I'd translate some of the Martial in Wheelock's "for fun".
Well I'm not at all sure if this translation is correct, can someone help me with this? I don't understand how Latin poetry works, and it seems that sentence order is completely set aside..
Non cenat sine apro noster, Tite, Caecilianus:
bellum convivam Caecilianus habet!
(Martial 7.59)
My translation:
Titus, he does not dine without our pig, Caecilianus:
He considers Caecilianus a charming dinner-guest!
I've never translated Latin poetry before, so figured I'd translate some of the Martial in Wheelock's "for fun".
Well I'm not at all sure if this translation is correct, can someone help me with this? I don't understand how Latin poetry works, and it seems that sentence order is completely set aside..
Non cenat sine apro noster, Tite, Caecilianus:
bellum convivam Caecilianus habet!
(Martial 7.59)
My translation:
Titus, he does not dine without our pig, Caecilianus:
He considers Caecilianus a charming dinner-guest!
-
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 799
- Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2003 3:01 am
- Location: Melbourne
Re: argh- translating martial
Absolutely. (well not completely - the positions of words imply emphasis)Fabiola wrote:it seems that sentence order is completely set aside..
You need to have a look at the declesion of Caecilianus in both sentences. Nominative or accusative?
“Cum ego verbo utar,” Humpty Dumpty dixit voce contempta, “indicat illud quod optem – nec plus nec minus.”
“Est tamen rogatio” dixit Alice, “an efficere verba tot res indicare possis.”
“Rogatio est, “Humpty Dumpty responsit, “quae fiat magister – id cunctum est.”
“Est tamen rogatio” dixit Alice, “an efficere verba tot res indicare possis.”
“Rogatio est, “Humpty Dumpty responsit, “quae fiat magister – id cunctum est.”
- Lucus Eques
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:52 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania
- Contact:
- Lucus Eques
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:52 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania
- Contact:
-
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 718
- Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 2:29 pm
- Location: nanun Hanguge issoyo (in Korea sum)
- Contact:
Ha ha... unaware that conviva was of common gender, I had a different rendering. I assumed that convivam was the complement of bellum. Text and translation, then:
Non cenat sine apro noster, Tite, Caecilianus:
bellum convivam Caecilianus habet!
Titus, that Caecilianus of ours doesn't dine until the pig's been butchered:
He's fond of keeping War on the guest list!
I almost like mine better. No doubt, Romans patricians weren't as good sportsmen as English country gents. You've got to forgive me: I've never met the Latin word for "the chase," and besides, I watched Renoir's La Règle du Jeu (Rules of the Game) just a week ago.
-David
Non cenat sine apro noster, Tite, Caecilianus:
bellum convivam Caecilianus habet!
Titus, that Caecilianus of ours doesn't dine until the pig's been butchered:
He's fond of keeping War on the guest list!
I almost like mine better. No doubt, Romans patricians weren't as good sportsmen as English country gents. You've got to forgive me: I've never met the Latin word for "the chase," and besides, I watched Renoir's La Règle du Jeu (Rules of the Game) just a week ago.
-David
- Lucus Eques
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:52 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania
- Contact:
-
- Textkit Enthusiast
- Posts: 672
- Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:18 am
- Location: Belgium
Had you understood the poem as follows ?
Thus yes, pork meat is his favourite meal. ok.
As usual, it is English that matters
I would say "without a pig". Then everybody understands "a pig... as a meal."Fabiola wrote: Titus, our Caecilianus does not dine without the pig:
Thus yes, pork meat is his favourite meal. ok.
I would say "So Caecilianus has got a charming dinner-guest". The meaning is now that this man is only worth dining with a pig as his guest. That's what they call "reframing". The pig's role has been "reframed" in a sarcastic way.Caecilianus considers him a charming dinner-guest!
As usual, it is English that matters