"Fabulae Ab Urbe Condita" 1b

[iamrian]

I have started translating from Geoffrey Steadman's commentary on "Fabulae Ab Urbe Condita" and would appreciate help on a sentence:

"Troiānī urbem condidērunt, quam Aenēās ab nōmine uxōris Lāvīnium appellāvit"

My translation:

"The Trojans have founded a city, which Aeneas has called Lavinium from the name of his wife"

 

[Bitmap]

That's right. What's your question about this sentence?

It would probably be better to say "founded" and "called" rather than "have founded" and "has called".

 

[iamrian]

You answered the question I forgot to ask! The text I am translating is, so far, in the perfect tense. Is it correct to translate perfect tense verbs (condidērunt, appellāvit) into an imperfect tense? I, too, think it is strange to use the perfect tense, but that is what I see in the text.

 

[Pacifica]

"Founded" and "called" aren't imperfect tense. English doesn't have an imperfect tense, per se.

The Latin perfect can translate either to the English preterit ("did") or to the English present perfect ("has done") depending on context. In the context of a narration regarding the past, which is what you'll find in many texts, the right choice is the preterit.

 

[Deleted member 13757]

called is not wrong but named after is better

 

[iamrian]

Thank you for the quick replies and helpful responses. I would have translated a lot of sentences awkwardly without your insight.