Fam. 7.5

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Lavrentivs
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Fam. 7.5

Post by Lavrentivs »

2.10--3.1:

Mitto igitur ad te Trebatium atque ita mitto ut initio mea sponte, post autem invitatu tuo mittendum duxerim.

This puzzles me, and I cannot find a better translation than:

I send you Trabatium*, then, and in such a manner, that first I thought that he was to be sent on my initiative, but later on your invitation.

The part I don't like is "in such a manner".

* Hanc indulgentiam mihi permitte.

Baker
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Re: Fam. 7.5

Post by Baker »

I take that ita to be a preface to the following two purpose clauses; so, ..."and these are the reasons why I am sending him, first because ..., and moreover/second because ...

Your first clause, viz., "...that first I thought that he was to be sent on my initiative...," is a bit too wordy for idiomatic English.

I think the gist is more like: "first it was my will and, moreover, you invited him." I don't think your "later" is the right word here.

adrianus
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Re: Fam. 7.5

Post by adrianus »

Maybe this // Ita forsit:
So I am sending Trebatius to you and I do so just as I, on my own bat, reckoned he ought to be sent to you from the start, despite/besides however being asked.
Maybe you saw this, Baker:
Fortassè hoc vidisti, Pistor:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Letters_to_friends/7.5 wrote:I therefore send you Trebatius, and on two grounds, first that it was my spontaneous idea to send him, and secondly because you have invited me to do so.
I don't see "first" and "second". // Primo secundo verba exfugiunt.
Last edited by adrianus on Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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.

Baker
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Re: Fam. 7.5

Post by Baker »

adrianus wrote:Maybe this // Ita forsit:
So I am sending Trebatius to you and I do so just as I, on my own bat, reckoned he ought to be sent to you from the start, despite/besides however being asked.
I like it! However, consider the letter from the beginning and I believe you will change your translation. You do get the tone of Cicero quite nicely though.

adrianus
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Re: Fam. 7.5

Post by adrianus »

Yes, I read it through, Baker, and I would say this now:
Ita, Pistor, eam perlegi et sic nunc vertam:
So I am sending Trebatius to you and that I do as I initially independently reckoned he ought to be sent to you, though afterwards I was asked.
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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