Hoc mihi dās, tamquam dēteriōra legās, ut collāta magis placeant mea?

[DylanlyallB]

This sentence is from one of Martial's epigrams which feature in Wheelock's Latin.

My best effort at translation was:

"Do you give this to me (as a favor), as it were you read worse (poetry), so that in comparison mine may better please?"

I can't find another good translation to compare mine to; can anyone tell me if it's correct?

Here is the whole epigram, if you want the context:

Candidius nihil est tē, Caeciliāne. Notāvī:
sī quandō ex nostrīs disticha pauca legō,
prōtinus aut Mārsī recitās aut scrīpta Catullī.
Hoc mihi dās, tamquam dēteriōra legās,
ut collāta magis placeant mea? Crēdimus istud:
mālo tamen recitēs, Caeciliāne, tua!

 

[Glabrigausapes]

You've certainly got the right idea, but your translation of tamquam is a little more sophisticated than what is needed. A simple 'as if' will do the trick, I think, and if we switch around the clauses it'll maybe sound more natural (but then again, maybe not):

"Do you grant me this so that mine may better please in comparison, as if you were reading worse (couplets/distichs)?"