We forget because we must

[tm3k]

Hi I've been looking all over for somewhere that I can get a correct translation... So I was wondering if you could help?

I would like to get the following translated into latin:

"We forget, because we must"

This is what I have so far... "Nos alieno, quoniam nos must"

Thanks for any help you can give me!

Tony

 

[Iynx]

Wow, this is a tough one. It really is hard to express that in Latin.

"We forget" is straightforward enough, even though it involves a deponent a sort of verb that I have been known at times to foul up: obliviscimur.

And I know at least one way to say "it must be forgotten": est obliviscendus, -a, um.

So I could say "we forget the thing because it must be forgotten":

Rem obliviscimur quia obliviscenda est.

But that's not exactly what the English says, is it?

I think the best I can do is to say, roughly, "we forget because it is necessary to forget"

Obliviscimur quia necesse est oblivisci.

I'm not real happy with this. Can someone do better?

 

[tm3k]

Ah ok, I didn't know it was a hard one to translate... looks like I have set a challenge for someone out there?? haha :lol:

Thank you for your opinion and giving me something more to go on. I guess my attempt was pretty poor!

 

[cinefactus]

Could you combine the two ideas & say, "ut est (nobis) obliviscenda ita obliviscimur (obliviscemur)"?

although I guess that has the connotation of, "To the extent that it must be forgotten, we forget"

What about, "nobis est obliviscenda, ita obliviscimur (obliviscemur)"?

or on a completely different track...

conpulsi obliviscimur

JD

 

[tm3k]

Hi thanks for you input!

What does "nobis est obliviscenda, ita obliviscimur (obliviscemur)" translate back into?

Thanks
Tony

 

[cinefactus]

nobis est obliviscenda, ita obliviscimur
We must forget, therefore we forget

nobis est obliviscenda, ita obliviscemur
We must forget, therefore we will forget.

I think that the latter tense structure might be better, however I am not quite sure.

conpulsi obliviscimur
Taking into account the different usage of participles between Latin & English, I think you could say, "Being complelled, we forget"

JD

 

[tm3k]

Thanks for your reply.

Its a shame it doesnt seem to tranlate in the way i hoped :cry: