alga,
Thank you for getting us these very helpful translations,
and please thank your friend for obliging us by making
them--and so quickly, too.
Mark Millman
12 quoted lines · 1–2 deep
At 10:04 PM 25-01-00 -0500, alga wrote:
Wm. posted:
Now, is there anyone who would be so
kind as to translate all the Latin bits in
"The Haunted Boardinghouse"? [I know
that some of it is explained in context,
but I can't come up with a good guess
for some of the phrases towards the end].
Why don't I take care of this? One of my best friends
is a classicist, and can translate them in a jiffy. I'll e-mail her tomnorrow (too tired to look up the phrases to- night) and we'll have them by Friday or so.
-alga
And at 08:17 AM 26-01-00 -0500, alga
continued:
43 quoted lines · 1–2 deep
From my classicist friend:
----
Good heavens, that's a lot of Latin for one short story.
What's the story?
Alis volat propriis. He flies on his own wings.
Ab imo pectore. From deep in the heart.
Usus magister est. Experience is a teacher (learning by
doing).
[Soles occidere et redire posset] Nobis cum semel occidit
brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda. [Suns may
set and rise again]; for us, once the short light dies, one
eternal night remains for sleeping. (Catullus V... the famous
"vivamus mea Lesbia atque amemus," with all the thou-
sands of kisses).
Temporis ars medicina fere est. The healing art is essentially time.
Pax in bello. Peace in war.
Non exaequat victoria caelo. Victory does not make us
equal to heaven [the gods].
Nullam est librum tam malum ut non ex aliqua parte
prodesset. No book is so bad that it's not useful in
some degree.
Omnia fert aetas, animum quoque. Age takes away every-
thing, including the mind. (Virgil, Eclogues IX.51)
Notitia linguarum est prima porta sapientiae. Acquaintance
with languages is the first gate of knowledge.
Doctrina sed vim promovet insitam. But teaching increases
innate strength (Horace, Odes IV.4)
Placidaque ibi demum morte quievit. Finally he (she) came
to rest in peaceful death.
-alga