Latin Composition Begins

My formal study of Latin as a language has come to a middle. I have two classes left before I graduate, but neither of them will involve Latin translation. That is why this blog has been so neglected as of late. There are still many interesteing things to study, but creating a useful and coherent blog post out of them sounds like a whole lot of work that I will neither money nor credit for.

However.

I have a collection of Latin textbooks that I recieved as a trust/gift from a former professor who moved to Rome to study canon law. Most of them I haven't touched, although some have been decidedly useful and saved me the trouble of buying a couple textbooks. I was cleaning this morning and noticed a slim volume entitled "Latin Composition." It was published in 1904, and it is filled with exercises of translating English into Latin, based on Caesar Gallic war writings. I think I'm going to work through the exercises on this blog for a bit. No promises of great Latin, but I don't want to lose it and this seems a good way to keep it up. I have also noticed that the rigor of Latin studies has dropped a great deal - what I can do with an advanced degree used to be expected of Latin students entering Harvard undergrad. Very humiliating. So, I am going to get better.

Lesson I

First, the English. Then, my translation. Then, when I'm done, I'll look up Caesar's original and put it in parentheses.

1. Gaul as a whole is divided into three parts. Gallia tota tres partes dividitur.(Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres) My translation has the present passive - Caesar's the perfect passive.
2. The Belgae, Aquitani, and Celts inhabit Gaul. Belgae et Aquitani Celtique Galliam incolunt. (quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae) Celts are feminine - I had them as masculine.
3. The Romans call the Celts Gauls. Romani Celtos Gallios appelant.(Nostra Galli appellantur.) The Gauls are the subject and the sentence is passive.
4. These all differ from each other. Illi inter se differunt.
5. The Marne and the Seine are rivers. Marna Sequanaque flumena sunt.
6. The Belgae are the farthest away from the province. Belgae maximae procul provincia sunt. (provinciae longissime absunt)
7. The Belgae and the Germans wage war continually. Belgae et Germani semper bellant. (continenter bellum gerunt) Caesar's is better - I didn't know the best verb or the adverb to use. Mine is technically correct.
8. Merchants very seldom visit the Germans. Mercatora minime saepe Germanos visitant.
9. Merchants import articles which tend to weaken courage. Mercatora ea ad effeminandos animos inferunt.