Casu audivi

[Brained Out]

From an exercise on p. 364 of "Latin for Americans", First Book, B. L. Ullman and Norman E Henry, Macmillan, 1947, please help me translate this into Latin:

By chance I heard our leader say that there was no chance of peace.

Casu audivi principem nostrum dicere causum pacis non esse.

But translating back to English:

By chance I heard that our leader said that there was no chance of peace.

I need to convey the fact that I heard our leader say this, not that I had heard that he had said this.

Should I use a participle?

Casu principem nostrum dicentem audivi casum pacis non esse.

 

[Pacifica]

Should I use a participle?

Casu principem nostrum dicentem audivi casum pacis non esse.

Yes, the participle is more common in this context.

 

[Brained Out]

Yes, the participle is more common in this context.

Thank you. I'm sorry about the double post.

 

[Anbrutal Russicus]

Casu audivi principem nostrum dicere causum pacis non esse.
I need to convey the fact that I heard our leader say this, not that I had heard that he had said this.

I think only the first interpretation is generally possible in absence of further indications; for the latter you'd at the very least want a past tense dīxisse, unless you've been hearing him say that constantly, in which case you'd at least expect a frequentative verb dictitāre (and no cāsū). To relate a rumour you'd pick a less ambiguous expression with sermōnēs, fāma, rūmor, or a whole different verb like accēpī - which would still call for dīxisse.

 

[Matthaeus]

causam

 

[Brained Out]

Thank you everyone for your help.