Hi, The reason I would like this translated is for my work. I'm in the army and this is our motivational quote. It would be awesome if i had it in latin. Best regards
vinciunt is from vincio, not vinco. I would have a rethink about using detractatores, and I'd probably choose something like deficio rather than decedo. In any case you might want to try and use the same word in each clause to retain the pointedness of the English - not an easy task.
I love deficio for "quit". We could go with: defectores nunquam uincunt; uictores nunquam deficiunt. It preserves the english chiasmus, as aurifex alluded to.
We could also just go for the shorter non instead of nunquam. I’m mildly bothered that the nouns could be accusative, but it’s probably OK.
You guys are amazing at this! Though to be honest i have a hard time understanding what's written here. So so far i can see 2 solutions here: 1. detractatores non/ne umquam vinciunt, victores non/ne umquam decedunt. 2. defectores nunquam uincunt; uictores nunquam deficiunt What's the difference between these two sentences? @Nikolaos: To further explain the meaning. The meaning we hold to it is that we do not appreciate people who give up. you have to fight to obtain whatever you want. We work as 1 group and as 1 group we will accomplish as much as possible. another way of looking at it is with the proverb: "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link". So if one gives up tho whole group will start to suffer from that mindset. Thats why we have:"Quitters don't win, winners don't quit" to bring spirits back up. This all might sound futile but in harsh times the smallest things can make the difference.
an acquaintance of mine gave me another possibility. Ignavi non vincunt, victores non cedunt. Is this also correct?
Vocabulary from OLD iganvus, adjective : cowardly, faint-hearted, ignoble, mean, lazy/idle/sluggish, spiritless, useless cede, verb: yield, submit to someone or something, go/pass (from/away), step aside/make way, take place of withdraw/retire/leave Ignavi non vincunt, victores non cedunt - the cowards/spiritless men do not win, the winners do not yield/withdraw/step aside
The appeal of "Quitters don't win; winners don't quit" is its echo. I think you wouldn't want Defectors non vincunt; victores non deficiunt. Defector is too strong of a word in English and in Latin. Decessor (from the same root as decedunt) refers to a retired magistrate - that's bad too. Maybe...Desertores non vincunt; victores non deserunt - same root as "deserter." That's closer. Wait for other opinions.
If we can accept the use of the verb cedo for quit (in the sense of giving up), we might be able to plunder Ovid's Ars Amatoria II, 197 for an idea: cede repugnanti: cedendo victor abibis. Lose the cede repugnanti, and in the following rephrasing: numquam cedendo victor abibis there is an ambiguity that might serve our purpose. Assuming we can accept that cedendo can mean quit, (rather than what it means in the Ovid) it could mean either: By never quitting you will be victorious or By quitting you will never be victorious A couple of concerns: first, can the meaning of the Latin be considered genuinely ambiguous (i.e. to have these two opposing yet equally valid interpretations)? secondly, does the ambiguity succeed in conveying the opposition that is central to the English expression?
Lewis and Short have desertor = "a runaway, deserter (opp. transfuga, one who joins the enemy, Dig. 48, 16, 5, § 8) but defector = one who revolts from another; a revolter, rebel It's one thing to desert your side; it's something else to rebel against your own side or even join the other side.
