Terentii Andria 62-73

Pacifica

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Hello everyone,

Together with Matthaeus we're translating that piece for fun and as an exercise, each one doing a few lines in turn and then each one correcting/advising each other, and we decided to post it bit by bit to see if anyone had any criticism/advice. So here's my bit just right after the one Matthaeus posted sooner today (I've got doubts about the bolded part and Matthaeus too):

SI. sic vita erat: facile omnis perferre ac pati;
cum quibus erat quomque una is sese dedere,
<eo>rum obsequi studiis, adversus nemini,
numquam praeponens se illis; ita ut facillume 65
sine invidia laudem invenias et amicos pares.
SO. sapienter vitam instituit; namque hoc tempore
obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.
SI. interea mulier quaedam abhinc triennium
ex Andro commigravit huc viciniae, 70
inopia et cognatorum neglegentia
coacta, egregia forma atque aetate integra.
SO. ei, vereor nequid Andria adportet mali!

SI. Thus was his life: he easily tolerated and put up with everyone, to those with whom he was and when he was together with them, he devoted himself, he always complied with their desires, he was opposed to no one, never putting himself before them; in a way that you would most easily find equally praise without envy and friends.
SO. He organized his life wisely; for these days, compliance procures you friends, truth hatred.
SI. Then, three years ago, some woman from Andros, of splendid good looks and youthful, compelled by poverty and negligence from her family, moved to this neighborhood.
SO. Ay, I fear the woman of Andros bring something bad!
 

Aurifex

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I'd say obsequium here should be translated "servility" or "obsequiousness".
 
 

Matthaeus

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How do you account for interea and triennium in the same verse, two words denoting time. Should one just ignore the former to smooth over the translation a bit?
 

Pacifica

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I changed it to "then" because "meanwhile" really looked too weird. I did the same in the last bit I translated.
 
 

Matthaeus

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I changed it to "then" because "meanwhile" really looked too weird. I did the same in the last bit I translated.
I know, I know ... just wondering how a Roman mind would have comprehended that.
 

Pacifica

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I'm not sure, but it seems to make some kind of sense... Interea, lit. "among those things", so while his son was living his life as he described, in the middle of all that, the woman turned up.
 
D

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he is telling the story, so interea just puts you back into that times-space of the story. An interjection if you will.

"And in the mean time, maybe like 3 years ago, a woman moved here etc...",
 
 

Matthaeus

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I suppose...
 
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I'll join you guys and will try to make a simple version of the play so that those who just started learning can follow you along.

1-73

Terentii Andria - Simpliciter Illustrata [Gradus Primus] (ut tirones sequi possint).

Simo: Vos, abite! Sed tu Sosia, mane!. Tibi volo aliquid narrare.
Sosia: Quid est?
Simo: Hae nuptiae verae non sunt.
Sosia: Cur simulas igitur?
Simo: Omnia tibi a principio narrabo: de ephebo isto, et de eius vita,
et quid velim te facere.
Sosia: Bene. Tibi ausculto.
Simo: Puer iste, mediocriter vitam agebat. Semper probus erat. Tamen, abhinc tres annos, mulier quaedam ex Andro huc commigravit. Pulchra erat illa.
 

limetrees

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Lines 62-66
sic vita erat: facile omnis perferre ac pati;
cum quibus erat quomque una is sese dedere,
<eo>rum obsequi studiis, adversus nemini,
numquam praeponens se illis; ita ut facillume
sine invidia laudem invenias et amicos pares

That was his life: easily putting up with everyone,
Joining himself to [sese dedere una (e)is] whomever he was with [cum quibuscumque erat]
Bending himself to their tastes, an enemy to no-one, [you could put “complying with”, just to keep the echo of “obsequi” later on. – Quaestor is right, perhaps (though it might be a bit strong), about “obsequiousness”. If you put “bending himself to everyone’s tastes”, then “obsequiousness” still catches it, I think, and makes a nice joke if Sosia says it in a really serious, thoughtful way.]
Never putting himself before others, the way that one easily finds
Praise without envy, and fitting friends.
[“fitting” as a joke [I think that’s what’s happening], i.e. your friends are wallies who walk all over you; you could even milk this with a long pause before “and fitting friends”, again all said really seriously]

Lines 69-72
interea mulier quaedam abhinc triennium
ex Andro commigravit huc viciniae,
inopia et cognatorum neglegentia
coacta, egregia forma atque aetate integra =
In the meantime, three years ago this woman from Andros moved in, driven by poverty and the neglect of her relatives, but very good looking and young.
[“In the meantime, three years ago ... “ still works in English, i.e. while this was happening, as LCF has it.]

Line 73
ei, vereor nequid Andria adportet mali!

Yikes, I’m afraid that Andros woman is bringing trouble.
 

limetrees

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Regarding "obsequiousness", the idea is, it seems, that Simo is praising his son, but Sosia turns it another way.
In this sense, it might still be too strong? "Fawning"?
 
 

Matthaeus

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Is 'fawning' less strong of a word than "obsequiousness"?
 

limetrees

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"Obsequious" is very strong.
"Fawning" is a little more forgivable (at least to my ear), especially in a young person - so one could see how Sosia might get it from what Simo says.
 
 

Matthaeus

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Ok let's keep it then.
 
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