I'm not sure if this is the best sub-forum for this thread, so feel free to move it.
I've prioritised Russian at the expense of Latin over the past year, but I don't want to lose my Latin skills. I don't have much trouble reading original texts, especially with the aid of a dictionary, but I'm struggling to use the language 'actively' - I always think of a translation in Russian when I want to think of the Latin. Anyway, I was recently rereading a short story by one of my favourite authors (the obscure Thracian writer of the 19th century Georgios Vizyenos) and realised that the archaic constructions in the English version I have would make for very good translation practice. I'm going to try to translate a paragraph every day and I thought I would post it here to give me more accountability.
And, of course, I would really appreciate any feedback!
Here is the beginning.
My Mother’s Sin (by Georgios Vizyenos)
Peccatum Meae Matris (a Georgio de Bizya*)
Annio was the only sister we had. She was the darling of our small family. We all loved her, but our mother loved her more than anyone. At table [sic] mother always used to sit Annio beside her and give her the best of what we had: whereas she dressed us in our late father’s clothes, she would usually buy new ones for Annio. Mother did not force Annio into education: whenever she felt like it she would go to school, but if not she stayed at home, a freedom that was not granted to us on any account.
Annio nobis sola soror fuit. Deliciae nostrae paruae familiae fuit. Nos omnes eam amauimus, sed nostra mater eam amauit magis quam aliquis. Mensae mater semper hortabatur ut Annio assideret, et mater semper Annioni dabat optimas res, quae nobis fuerunt: quandoquidem mater nos in vestimentis nostri demortui patris vestiebat, vestimenta noua Annioni saepe emerit. Mater non impulit Annionem in eruditionem: quandocumque Annio uoluit, ad scholam iit, sed si non uoluit, mansit domi — talis libertas nobis non fuit.
* Known simply as a ‘Mick’s boy, George’ in his youth, Georgios adopted ‘Vizyenos’ (‘man from Vizye’) in adulthood. The ancient name of the town Vize/Vizye is the Greek ‘Bizya’ or ‘Bizye’ (Βιζύη), hence my translation of the name into Latin as ‘Georgius de Bizya’.
I've prioritised Russian at the expense of Latin over the past year, but I don't want to lose my Latin skills. I don't have much trouble reading original texts, especially with the aid of a dictionary, but I'm struggling to use the language 'actively' - I always think of a translation in Russian when I want to think of the Latin. Anyway, I was recently rereading a short story by one of my favourite authors (the obscure Thracian writer of the 19th century Georgios Vizyenos) and realised that the archaic constructions in the English version I have would make for very good translation practice. I'm going to try to translate a paragraph every day and I thought I would post it here to give me more accountability.
And, of course, I would really appreciate any feedback! Here is the beginning.
My Mother’s Sin (by Georgios Vizyenos)
Peccatum Meae Matris (a Georgio de Bizya*)
Annio was the only sister we had. She was the darling of our small family. We all loved her, but our mother loved her more than anyone. At table [sic] mother always used to sit Annio beside her and give her the best of what we had: whereas she dressed us in our late father’s clothes, she would usually buy new ones for Annio. Mother did not force Annio into education: whenever she felt like it she would go to school, but if not she stayed at home, a freedom that was not granted to us on any account.
Annio nobis sola soror fuit. Deliciae nostrae paruae familiae fuit. Nos omnes eam amauimus, sed nostra mater eam amauit magis quam aliquis. Mensae mater semper hortabatur ut Annio assideret, et mater semper Annioni dabat optimas res, quae nobis fuerunt: quandoquidem mater nos in vestimentis nostri demortui patris vestiebat, vestimenta noua Annioni saepe emerit. Mater non impulit Annionem in eruditionem: quandocumque Annio uoluit, ad scholam iit, sed si non uoluit, mansit domi — talis libertas nobis non fuit.
* Known simply as a ‘Mick’s boy, George’ in his youth, Georgios adopted ‘Vizyenos’ (‘man from Vizye’) in adulthood. The ancient name of the town Vize/Vizye is the Greek ‘Bizya’ or ‘Bizye’ (Βιζύη), hence my translation of the name into Latin as ‘Georgius de Bizya’.
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