Did I translate this right?

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Fabiola
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Did I translate this right?

Post by Fabiola »

I just want to make sure I'm translating correctly before I go much further..

Pauci viri verro amicos habent, et pauci sunt digni.

Few men have true friends, and few are deserving. (should that be "deserve them"?)

Amicitia vera est praeclara, et omnia praeclara sunt rara.

True friendship is splendid, and all splendid things are rare.

Multi viri stulti de pecunia semper cogitant, pauci de amicis, sed errant: possumus valere sine multa pecunia, sed sine amicitia non valemus et vita est nihil.

Many foolish men always think about money, but they err; we are able to be strong without much money, but without friendship we have no strength and life is nothing.

If someone could point out the errors and give me some hints so I can see if I can figure out where I went wrong, I'd greatly appreciate it. :)

Also- when you're translating passages with Latin names into English, do you always just write it in the Nominative form of the name?

Thanks!

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benissimus
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Re: Did I translate this right?

Post by benissimus »

Fabiola wrote:Pauci viri verro amicos habent, et pauci sunt digni.

and few are deserving. (should that be "deserve them
Multi viri stulti de pecunia semper cogitant, pauci de amicis, sed errant: possumus valere sine multa pecunia, sed sine amicitia non valemus et vita est nihil.

Many foolish men always think about money, but they err; we are able to be strong without much money, but without friendship we have no strength and life is nothing.
you neglected to translate "pauci de amicis"
Also- when you're translating passages with Latin names into English, do you always just write it in the Nominative form of the name?
Usually the nominative... certainly don't leave it in whatever case form it happens to be in the Latin sentence as that would be completely inconsistent, not to mention baffle anyone reading your English who doesn't know Latin case forms. Many Latin names have separate English versions, e.g. Catiline (Catilina), Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro), Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius); in these cases it is customary to use the English version of the name.
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

bellum paxque
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Post by bellum paxque »

Pauci viri verro amicos habent
Surely "verro" is a typo for "veros"?
Many Latin names have separate English versions, e.g. Catiline (Catilina), Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro), Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius); in these cases it is customary to use the English version of the name.
And it is perhaps even more customary to use "Virgil," the most common version of P. Vergilius Maro, even, it seems, in British English. ;)

David

Fabiola
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Re: Did I translate this right?

Post by Fabiola »

Thank you two for replying! :)
benissimus wrote: you neglected to translate "pauci de amicis"
:oops:

"few about friends"

Many foolish men always think about money, few about friends, but they err; we are able to be strong without much money, but without friendship we have no strength and life is nothing.
Surely "verro" is a typo for "veros"?
Yes, sorry! I thought I didn't have any typos.. argh.

Otherwise, my translation is correct?

And thanks for the info on the names! :)

bellum paxque
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Post by bellum paxque »

Nihil laboris est (=you're welcome, cf. the Spanish de nada, the French de rien). You're translation looks fine to me!

David

Fabiola
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Post by Fabiola »

Fantastic. :D Thanks again!

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