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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → For All You Latin Scholars Out There, Here's A Challenge . . .
For All You Latin Scholars Out There, Here's A Challenge . . .
2004-11-06, 11:17 AM #1
I've heard there are quite a few people at Massassi learning Latin, so I'm curious if anyone can (or wants to try) translating this passage. It'd be amusing to see what people who have no clue what it says try and interpret it. Even the classically-intolerant should be able to get the gist. :p

First person to correctly translate it gets a cookie and one of those "shibby" pictures (AND NO On-line CHEATING):

Quote:
Graeci cum Troianis bellum gerebant. Magnum equum ligneum sub portis urbis Troiae nocte relinquunt. Troiani equum ibi inveniunt. "Graeci equum Minervae dedicant, " dicunt. "Si donum Graecorum ad templum deae ducemus, pacem habebimus et vitam bonae fortunae agemus." Sed Laocoon, sacerdos, magnae virtutus sapientiaeque, audet populum monere: "Sine ratione cogitatis, O Troiani! Si copiae in equo sunt, magno in periculo erimus. Numquam debetis Graecis credere, nam Graeci semper sunt falsi." Tum equum hasta tundit. Ira Minervae magna est; dea duos serpentes ex mari mittit. O miser Laocoon! Te tuosque duos filios mali serpentes strangulant! Troiani deam timent; equum in urbem ducunt. Ratio Laocoontis Troianos nihil docet.


(Nota Bene: This is the classical stuff by the way, as opposed to eclessiastical.)
My JK Level Design | 2005 JK Hub Level Pack (Plexus) | Massassi Levels
2004-11-06, 11:43 AM #2
Well, I don't know any Latin save a few words (like equus, foruna, belli, sine, cognito etc.), but it seems to be an exerpt from the Illiad.
VTEC just kicked in, yo!
2004-11-06, 11:44 AM #3
Its not an excerpt, I think its an overview, I could be wrong, Im gonna translate it now.
"If you watch television news, you will know less about the world than if you just drink gin straight out of the bottle."
--Garrison Keillor
2004-11-06, 11:52 AM #4
Feh.. No Im not, I really dont feel like doing anything educational.
"If you watch television news, you will know less about the world than if you just drink gin straight out of the bottle."
--Garrison Keillor
2004-11-06, 11:58 AM #5
Quote:
Originally posted by Daft_Vader
Graeci cum Troianis bellum gerebant. Magnum equum ligneum sub portis urbis Troiae nocte relinquunt. Troiani equum ibi inveniunt. "Graeci equum Minervae dedicant, " dicunt. "Si donum Graecorum ad templum deae ducemus, pacem habebimus et vitam bonae fortunae agemus." Sed Laocoon, sacerdos, magnae virtutus sapientiaeque, audet populum monere: "Sine ratione cogitatis, O Troiani! Si copiae in equo sunt, magno in periculo erimus. Numquam debetis Graecis credere, nam Graeci semper sunt falsi." Tum equum hasta tundit. Ira Minervae magna est; dea duos serpentes ex mari mittit. O miser Laocoon! Te tuosque duos filios mali serpentes strangulant! Troiani deam timent; equum in urbem ducunt. Ratio Laocoontis Troianos nihil docet.


Not difficult

The Greeks waged war with the Trojans. At night they left a big wooden horse under the gates of the city of Troy. The Trojans found the horse there. "The greeks dedicate the horse to Minerva", they said. "If we place the gift of the Greeks at the temple of the godess, we will have peace and we'll lead a good and happy life." But Laocoon, a priest of big virtue and wisdom, dared to warn the people: "You think without reason, Trojans! If there are troops in the horse, we will be in big trouble. You must never trust what is Greek, for the Greeks are always deceitful." Then he attacked the horse with a spear. The rage of Minerva was great; the godess sent two serpents out of the sea. O tragic Laocoon! The evil serpents strangled you and your two sons! The Trojans fear the godess; they led the horse inside the city. The reason of Laocoo has taught nothing to the Trojans.
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2004-11-06, 12:42 PM #6
I bet gramatically it works better in Latin. Was this really part of the story?
Kenya, Now with lions and tigers.
2004-11-06, 12:44 PM #7
Something about the Trojans, a war, and a huge horse. Hrmmm, what could this be? :)
Capitalization
Commas
Periods
Question Marks
Apostrophes
Confusable Words
Plague Words
2004-11-06, 12:46 PM #8
/Gives Tenshu cookie

That's more or less what I got. I'm in second year Latin class at my school, and I'm enjoying it, I was just curious if anyone else was doing something similar.

Unfortunately though, I can't find a "Shibby" picture. :(
My JK Level Design | 2005 JK Hub Level Pack (Plexus) | Massassi Levels
2004-11-06, 1:00 PM #9
Quote:
I bet gramatically it works better in Latin. Was this really part of the story?


Nah, it's geared toward first-semester Latin students. The grammar and vocabulary are pretty basic.

And Tenshu was actually a bit liberal with verb tenses. A literal translation would sound even stranger.
2004-11-07, 8:18 AM #10
what is the point of learning a dead language like latin?
2004-11-07, 8:24 AM #11
Picking up chicks page. In the end, it all comes down to picking up chicks.
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2004-11-07, 8:56 AM #12
Quote:
what is the point of learning a dead language like latin?


Dead!?!? It's the official language of the Vatican City! And Switzerland's name is properly expressed in Latin! And the Church uses it! And Buffy!

Yeah, I'm out.
2004-11-07, 5:37 PM #13
Quote:
Originally posted by Matthew Pate
Dead!?!? It's the official language of the Vatican City! And Switzerland's name is properly expressed in Latin! And the Church uses it! And Buffy!



...yeah, and..... ?
2004-11-07, 9:54 PM #14
Learning is its own reward, Page. I'd learn Latin but I'm busy learning Old Norse, so it'd probably confuse me. But Latin is cool.
So sayest the Writer of Silly Things!
2004-11-07, 10:30 PM #15
Quote:
Originally posted by Matthew Pate
Dead!?!? It's the official language of the Vatican City! And Switzerland's name is properly expressed in Latin! And the Church uses it! And Buffy!

Yeah, I'm out.


So you're saying that more people are fluent in Klingon than Latin?
This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
2004-11-07, 10:37 PM #16
And... I can pretend to be possessed! Everyone knows that Latin is the language of the damned!

Latin gives you the ability to read basically any scientific text made in the last two thousand years (before, say, the 19th century), plus a whole lot more, besides. There's more to a language than just being able to communicate to others; there's history that can communicate to you.
2004-11-07, 10:46 PM #17
Knowing no latin, I can understand the first sentence and bits and pieces of the rest.

Greek with Trojan war. Under door night left.
"Flowers and a landscape were the only attractions here. And so, as there was no good reason for coming, nobody came."

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