Huzzah, even more Cicero!

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Einhard
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Huzzah, even more Cicero!

Post by Einhard »

Salvete omnes,
I'd appreciate it if anyone would comment on the below translations. I'm pretty happy with the general thrust of them, but have some niggling doubts over the exact translation.

Quam multa non desidero

I do not desire that which many desire or I do not desire so many things/so much


At vero Diogenes liberius, ut Cynicus, Alexandro roganti ut diceret si quid opus esset...

But however, Diogenes, as a Cynic, to Alexander asking him to say if he needed anything, boldly [replied]...


Quaeret quispiam, "Quid? illi ipsi summi viri quorum virtutes litteris proditae sune, istane doctrina quam tu effers laudibus eruditi fuerunt

Someone asks, "What? those every great men themselves, whose virtues were revealed in literature, were trained in that instruction which you extol with praise?"

Atque idem ego contendo, cum ad naturam eximiam et illustrem accesserit ratio quaedam conformatioque doctrinae, tum illud mescio quid praeclarum ac singulare solere existere...

And I also contend, when the certain manner and shaping of instruction was added to a noble and extraordinary nature, then I do not know what remarkable and singular thing was accustomed to exist...

Thanks as always,
Einhard.

adrianus
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Re: Huzzah, even more Cicero!

Post by adrianus »

Someone will ask, "What/why? Were those distinguished men, whose virtues have been recorded in literature, not themselves...
And at the same time I contend that, while a certain reason and form to the teaching comes near to resembling an excellent and illustrious nature, I don't know that one distinguished and remarkable thing is wont/inclined to stand out.
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

Imber Ranae
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Re: Huzzah, even more Cicero!

Post by Imber Ranae »

Einhard wrote:Salvete omnes,
I'd appreciate it if anyone would comment on the below translations. I'm pretty happy with the general thrust of them, but have some niggling doubts over the exact translation.

Quam multa non desidero

I do not desire that which many desire or I do not desire so many things/so much
Quam multa is probably exclamatory: "How many things [there are which] I do not desire!"
Einhard wrote:At vero Diogenes liberius, ut Cynicus, Alexandro roganti ut diceret si quid opus esset...

But however, Diogenes, as a Cynic, to Alexander asking him to say if he needed anything, boldly [replied]...
Looks good, except I'd take ut Cynicus closely with liberius as explanatory: "...rather frankly/boldly, as [he was] a Cynic..."
Einhard wrote:Quaeret quispiam, "Quid? illi ipsi summi viri quorum virtutes litteris proditae sunt, istane doctrina quam tu effers laudibus eruditi fuerunt

Someone asks, "What? those every great men themselves, whose virtues were revealed in literature, were trained in that instruction which you extol with praise?"
-ne sometimes has the force of nonne. See adrianus's translation.
Einhard wrote:Atque idem ego contendo, cum ad naturam eximiam et illustrem accesserit ratio quaedam conformatioque doctrinae, tum illud nescio quid praeclarum ac singulare solere existere...

"And I also contend, when the certain manner and shaping of instruction was added to a noble and extraordinary nature, then I do not know what remarkable and singular thing was accustomed to exist..."
nescio + an interrogative word (with no verb in close association with it) is often used as a strong indefinite pronoun. I believe that's how nescio quid should be understood here: "an I-don't-know-what/something or other".

My translation: "And at the same time [likewise] I contend that, when a certain system and formulation of instruction has approached an exceptional and distinguished quality, then that certain something or other, most excellent and one-of-a-kind, usually emerges [is accustomed to emerge]..."
Einhard wrote:Thanks as always,
Einhard.
Yep.
Ex mala malo
bono malo uesci
quam ex bona malo
malo malo malo.

adrianus
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Re: Huzzah, even more Cicero!

Post by adrianus »

"And at the same time [likewise] I contend that, when a certain system and formulation of instruction has approached an exceptional and distinguished quality, then that certain something or other, most excellent and one-of-a-kind, usually emerges [is accustomed to emerge]..."
Right enough, Imber Ranae. That's it!
Rectè quidem dicis, Imber Ranae.
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

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