The test/exam comes before the lesson...

[Nicolavs Iacobvs]

Suggestions for translations of the following will be received very gratefully, either including or excluding the words in brackets. Many thanks!

“(In life) the test/exam comes before the lesson.”

 

[Pacifica]

Hi,

I might suggest something like:

(Vitae) discipulus temptatur antequam docetur, which means literally "the student (of life) is tested before he is taught".

 

[Nicolavs Iacobvs]

Hi,

I might suggest something like:

(Vitae) discipulus temptatur antequam docetur, which means literally "the student (of life) is tested before he is taught".

Many thanks @Pacifica - I do like that a lot! I assume the original quote is tricky to translate directly/literally, using test/lesson as nouns?

 

[Pacifica]

Yes. I don't think there are any Latin equivalents that would convey the meaning as clearly.

 

[Nicolavs Iacobvs]

Yes. I don't think there are any Latin equivalents that would convey the meaning as clearly.

I understand @Pacifica, thank you

Could your very excellent translation be tweaked to “the adult (human) is tested before he is taught/learns”?

 

[Pacifica]

Adultus temptatur antequam docetur.

 

[Nicolavs Iacobvs]

Adultus temptatur antequam docetur.

Thanks again @Pacifica, and very very finally (promise!), in respect of a human or man, I assume I’d simply replace “adultus” with “homo”, to make “Homo temptatur antequam docetur” ?

 

[Pacifica]

Yes.

 

[Nicolavs Iacobvs]

Thank you - appreciate your help, as ever

 

[Michael Zwingli]

How's this: proba vitae documentum anteviat or proba hominis documentum anteviat?

Or: proba hominis ulla documenta anteviat ?

 

[EstQuodFulmineIungo]

I don't know, it sounds strange to me Michael. Maybe "anteire" is a better verb, used like this:

(vitae cursu) probatio anteit lectionem

 

[Michael Zwingli]

I don't know, it sounds strange to me Michael. Maybe "anteire" is a better verb, used like this:

(vitae cursu) probatio anteit lectionem

Yes, anteo is a better verb for this than antevio. How does this sound:
In Vita, probatio hominis ulla documenta anteit.
or
Probatio hominis documentum anteit.
I'm probably translating too literally from English, which is the constant expressional trap for the beginner.

 

[syntaxianus]

Renaissance Latin might say:

in vitae ludo discipuli examina subeunt ante quam lectiones audiverint.

In the school of life, students take exams before they've heard the lectures (lessons) / gone to the classes.