最好用拉丁语表达的事情：英语精读讲义

Latin sentences and sayings seem to be designed to be carved out of stone. 語法

拉丁语的句子和谚语似乎天生就是为了刻在石头上而设计的。

This is a matter of their concision and weightiness. 短語搭配

这是因为它们既简练又有分量。

Because of its highly inflected grammatical structure,

因为其高度屈折的语法结构，

Latin uses far fewer words to express something

拉丁语表达同一件事使用的单词要少得多，

that a non-inflected language such as English.

相比于像英语这样的非屈折语言。

Here are some of our favorite Latin sayings.

以下是我们最喜欢的一些拉丁语谚语。

Veni, vidi, vici.

Veni, vidi, vici.

Julius Caesar's most famous remark,

尤利乌斯·凯撒最著名的一句话，

apparently made in the Roman Senate in 47 BC 文化背景

显然是他在公元前47年的罗马元老院说的，

and referring to his victory over King Pharnaces II of Pontus

指的是他对本都国王法尔纳克二世的胜利，

at the Battle of Zela,

在泽拉战役中，

is an example of Latin at its most concise. 語法

这正是拉丁语极致简练的一个例子。

English takes twice as many words to convey the same meaning. 語法

英语表达同样的意思需要两倍的单词量。

The English translation doesn't come close to matching the patent terseness, 短語搭配

英语的翻译远不及原句那般明显的简洁，

the alliterative V's, those final long I's of the original.

也不及原文中头韵的V，和结尾长元音I的韵味。

Requiescat in pace.

Requiescat in pace.

One of the most familiar of all Latin sayings

这句最广为人知的拉丁谚语之一，

is unusual in not being notably more terse than the English equivalent.

罕见地并没有比相应的英语更简练。

But here the weightiness and solemnity of Latin come to the fore. 習語

但在这里，拉丁语的分量和庄严感就凸显出来了。

The big words have a sort of baroque splendor,

那些大词带有一种巴洛克式的华丽感，

and strictly speaking 短語搭配

严格来说，

this is more succinct or conveys more meaning

它是更简练的，或者说传达了更多的意义，

in the same number of words than the English equivalent,

在字数与相应的英语相同的情况下，

because the Latin word requiescat is a subjunctive and represents a pious wish, 用詞

因为拉丁语单词requiescat是虚拟语气，代表了一种虔诚的祝愿，

"May he or she rest," not a simple command.

意为“愿他或她安息”，而不是简单的命令。

Carpe diem.

Carpe diem.

The famous saying from the 11th poem of Horace's first book of Odes

这句著名的格言出自贺拉斯《颂歌集》第一卷的第11首诗，

is possibly the best known Latin tag of all. 用詞

可能是所有拉丁语名言中最著名的一句。

It's certainly the one which has inspired 短語搭配

毫无疑问，它也是激发了最多

the naming of more restaurants and wine bars than any other.

餐厅和酒吧命名的那一句。

Why is it so memorable,

为什么它如此令人难忘，

and why does it work so well in Latin?

又为什么在拉丁语中效果如此之好呢？

For a start, it has the classical Latin succinctness. 表達脈絡

首先，它具有古典拉丁语的简练。

Just two balanced syllables to convey a whole world of meaning, 習語

仅仅用两个平衡的音节就传达了无尽的意义，

even an entire philosophy.

甚至是一整套哲学。

In this case the philosophy of Epicureanism. 文化背景

在这里，指的是伊壁鸠鲁学派的哲学。

There is also the weightiness,

其次是它的分量感，

especially in the second word.

尤其是第二个词。

A Latin dies is more significant than a mere English day.

拉丁语中的dies比普通的英语day更有分量。

And finally, this poet's saying has a marvelous poetic ambiguity and richness,

最后，这位诗人的名言具有奇妙的诗意上的模棱两可与丰富性，

as the word carpe can mean so many different things from seize to pluck. 語法

因为carpe这个词可以有从“抓住”到“采摘”等许多不同的含义。

Homo sum,

Homo sum,

humani nil a me alienum puto.

humani nil a me alienum puto.

This saying from the early Roman comedian Terence is genius for plain eloquence.

这句出自古罗马喜剧作家泰伦提乌斯的名言，是直白雄辩的绝佳体现。

The English version is 50% longer in terms of words and nothing like as memorable, 講解

它的英文版在字数上多了50%，而且远没那么好记，

especially when it comes to word order. 短語搭配

尤其是在词序方面。

The ability to manipulate word order

操纵词序的能力，

is a great advantage that Latin gains from its grammatical inflections.

是拉丁语从其语法屈折变化中获得的一大优势。

The way nouns and adjectives incorporate their own cases

名词和形容词包含它们自身的格，

and verbs include person, mood, and tense within a single word.

动词在一个词中就包含了人称、语气和时态。

Here, being able to hold back the verb to the end of the sentence 短語動詞

在这里，能够把动词保留到句子末尾，

enables Terence to juxtapose the homo sum with the humani nil.

使得泰伦提乌斯能够将homo sum与humani nil并列起来。

Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Here,

这里，

from Horace's Ars Poetica, 文化背景

出自贺拉斯的《诗艺》，

his hugely influential treatise on how to write,

这本极其有影响力的关于如何写作的论述，

is a lovely example of Latin being playful,

是拉丁语展现俏皮感的一个绝佳例子，

as it were, using its own weightiness against itself. 語氣意圖

就仿佛在利用它自身的分量来反讽自己。

Latin is able to enact the process whereby a huge effort, 語法

拉丁语能够将这一过程生动演绎出来：一次巨大的努力，

the mountains going into labor, 短語搭配

也就是大山在分娩，

produces a laughably puny result,

却产生了一个可笑而微弱的结果，

the birth of the minuscule unimpressive rodent.

诞生了一只微小且不起眼的啮齿动物。

Capax imperii, nisi imperasset.

Capax imperii, nisi imperasset.

The master of the witheringly terse putdown in Latin, 用詞

在拉丁语中，以尖酸简练的贬损之辞著称的大师，

or maybe in all languages,

或者也许在所有语言中都是，

is the Roman historian Tacitus.

是罗马历史学家塔西佗。

This marvelous four-worder refers to the Emperor Galba,

这句绝妙的四个词的格言指的是加尔巴皇帝，

but could be seen as an equally fitting epitaph on at least one recent British Prime Minister. 語法

但也可以看作是至少一位近期英国首相非常贴切的墓志铭。

Here, both succinctness enabled by grammar and the unique Latin weightiness find a perfect expression.

在这里，由语法所赋予的简练和拉丁语独特的分量感都得到了完美的表达。

Caelum non animum mutant,

Caelum non animum mutant,

qui trans mare currunt.

qui trans mare currunt.

Another Horatian gem,

贺拉斯的另一块瑰宝，

this time from his first book of Epistles,

这次出自他《书信集》的第一卷，

depends once again for its memorable force on the genius of Latin grammar,

其令人难忘的力量再次取决于拉丁语语法的精妙之处，

the way the accusative tense is signaled in the final -um of caelum and animum,

也就是宾格在caelum和animum结尾的-um中被标示出来的方式，

so that the contrast between the climate or color of the sky, 語法

从而使得气候或天空颜色的对比，

caelum, which the traveler can change,

也就是旅行者可以改变的caelum，

and her state of mind, animum,

与旅行者心境的animum，

which the traveler can't alter so easily,

这个旅行者无法轻易改变的东西，

is pointed up with a maximum impact. 短語動詞

被以最大的冲击力凸显出来。

Latin, more than any other tongue,

拉丁语，比任何其他语言都更，

is the language in which things are not just said, but stay said. 講解

是一门话一经说出、便能长久流传的语言。

The tight grammatical structure of the language

这门语言严密的语法结构

helps give Latin sayings a massive architectural grandeur,

有助于赋予拉丁语谚语一种宏大的建筑般的庄严感，

the verbal equivalent of a Colosseum, the Pantheon, or the Pont du Gard. 短語搭配

就像是言语中的罗马斗兽场、万神殿或加尔桥。

Like those great edifices,

就像那些伟大的建筑一样，

they are built to stand the test of time. 習語

它们的诞生就是为了经受住时间的考验。

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