Translation help

Latin Learning Latin
1

Okay since I was sick today I didn’t go to school, thus, I missed Latin class. We have a quiz tomorrow and I want to make sure I’m prepared for it. I’ll post what we probably would have gone over in class. We’re reading Caesaris de bello gallico commentariorum liber primus. I think I’ve totally butchered it but here goes:

Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, quo agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit. His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile finitimis bellum inferre possent; qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno dolore adficiebantur.

It easily persuaded him, because the Helvetians were surrounded by natural places on all sides: one from part of the Rhine river most *bringing (*long?) and most far which divided the land of the Helvetians from the Germans; the other from the part of the most far Jura mountains, which are between the Sequani and Helvetians; the third is the lake Geneva and Rhone river, which divides our province from the Helvetians. These things were made so that they might not both wander about unknown and not easily wage war upon their neighbor; which out of part men love to fight and treat great pain a certain way.

suggestions? corrections? I’ll correct it on my paper in red pen like I would have done in class.

multas gratias,
Aurelia

2

I’ve kept it quite litteral and therefore it’s not very good English of course. I hope this helps though:

Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una
To this the easier them he persuaded, because from all around by the nature of the location the Helvetii are surrounded;
ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, quo agrum Helvetium a
on one side by the river Rhine, very wide and very deep, which the land of the Helvetii from
Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos
the Germani separates; on the other side by the very high mount Jura, which is between the Sequani
et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram
and the Helvetii; third by lake Geneva and the river Rhone, which our province
ab Helvetiis dividit. His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile
from the Helvetii separates. By (because of) these things it happened that less wide they could roam and less easily
finitimis bellum inferre possent; qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno
to their neighbours they were able to carry war; by which the people fond of war(ring) by a great
dolore adficiebantur.
sorrow were affected.