There is a lot that I don't know

skels130

New Member

I was looking to translate the following lyrics to latin

"There's a lot that I don't know,
There's a lot that I'm still learning"

I was toying with getting this tattooed (sorry to be one of those people), and wanted to see how it looked in latin vs. english.

I like this lyric because I feel it grasps human's lack of knowledge of life, but our continuing efforts to understand the world. I'm looking more for a phrase that grasps the true meaning behind the phrase than a word for word translation (which is why I'm asking people that understand the language).

I don't know if it matters for this phrase, but I am male.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Hello, I'd put it this way:

Multa sunt quae ignoro,
Multa sunt quae adhuc disco.
 

skels130

New Member

How does that more accurately translate to english? I know from other languages I have studied that when you interpret or translate phrases, that the words change, even if the meaning remains the same, and wanted to just double check before I would think about putting it on my body. Thanks a million for your quick response.
 

Manus Correctrix

QVAE CORRIGIT

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Victoria
Multa nescio.
Multa adhuc disco.
 

Manus Correctrix

QVAE CORRIGIT

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Victoria
How does that more accurately translate to english?
As opposed to inaccurately?

It means what you want. Wait for members to discuss it.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
My version:

Multa= many (implied "things")
Sunt = are
Quae = that/which
Ignoro = I am ignorant of
Multa sunt quae = same as above
Adhuc = until/still now
Disco = I learn.

Manus correctrix's:

Multa = many (things)
Nescio = I don't know
Multa = many
Adhuc = until/still now
Disco = I learn
 
 

Matthaeus

Vemortuicida strenuus

  • Civis Illustris

  • Patronus

Location:
Varsovia
Only if you put on a pair of exceedingly strong lenses.
 

Acsacal

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Ile-de-France
English introduction phrases such as it is... , there is..., there are..., etc are better omitted in a Latin translation, as the focus can be expressed by an appropriated word order: it may be enough to put the verb before multa.
But the Latin sentence being very short, I am uncomfortable with its lack of symmetry. Why not suppress adhuc. With only four words we could imagine a nice "chiasm" effect : multa nescio, disco multa, that could be nicely written that way:

MVLTA NESCIO
DISCO MVLTA
Wordly back-translated : I do not know a lot, there is a lot that I am learning.​
Of course the focus on the lot (of things learnt) and the adverb still have gone, but the contrast between the two parts is emphasised by other means.​
Then : it is accurate enough ? And if it isn't : it is acceptable for you, skels130?​
 

skels130

New Member

The only thing that I would like (and this is more of a preference) is the phrasing of the first section "there is a lot that I don't know". Rather than the meaning "I do not know a lot" it would be nice if could better grasp the idea rather that "There are things I do not know". I interpret the first sentence to be more of a "I don't know everything" than a "I don't know much"

With that being said, I do like all of the translation provided, and will probably have difficulty choosing between those provided thus far (which all in all is a good thing), and thanks for asking if the accuracy was ok.
 

Manus Correctrix

QVAE CORRIGIT

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Victoria
The only thing that I would like (and this is more of a preference) is the phrasing of the first section "there is a lot that I don't know". Rather than the meaning "I do not know a lot" it would be nice if could better grasp the idea rather that "There are things I do not know". I interpret the first sentence to be more of a "I don't know everything" than a "I don't know much"
That would be the difference between multa nescio and non multa scio. We are aware of these nuances. What it sounds like when back-translated into English really is irrelevant.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
Yes, the translation "I do not know a lot" isn't really accurate; that's what it means word for word, but it hasn't got the same meaning. Multa nescio doesn't mean that you "only know few things" (this would be non multa scio, as Manus Correctrix said) but that you "are ignorant of many things".
 

skels130

New Member

Awesome. I just wanted to double check any difference in meanings between particular phrasings. Thanks to all for your responses.
 
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