2011年10月28日 星期五

Teach yourself Latin I

本文是以Frederic M. Wheelock所著之Wheelock’s Latin 7th Edition為基礎所寫的拉丁文介紹。編排也是完全以Wheelock’s Latin 7th Edition內的例題、編選文章為本,並參考台大Ted Partington教授授課之補充內容而書,希望可以對對拉丁文有興趣者有所幫助。

除了第一、第二章編排稍有不同外,Wheelock’s Latin在每一章皆安排了ExercitationesSententiae Antiguae以及一篇被修改過的小短文或是詩篇,方便學習者練習。如果能夠跟著Wheelock’s Latin按部就班的學習拉丁文,拉丁文必定可以進步神速!每章的Vocabvla (vocabulary)中,除了介紹字義以外,尚列出部分以該字為字源的英文介紹,對於要準備GRE的人來說,不只可以學拉丁文還能順便背GRE單字,一舉數得!

CAPVT I
First and Second Conjugations
本章介紹第一第二型動詞變化與命令句。
拉丁文的動詞有不同的變化型式,在CAPVT I中所介紹的動詞是第一、第二型的動詞。第一型的動詞原型結尾為-are,而第二型之原型結尾則為-ere,餘下變化並無太大差異。
laudare(to praise)為例,第一型動詞原型結尾為-are,而在不同的人稱下,其以lauda為根(stem)之人稱詞尾變化(personal ending)如下:
laudao, I praise
laudas, you (sg.) praise
laudat, he/she/it praises
laudamus, we praise
laudatis, you (pl.) praise
laudant, they praise
(sg. 表示single pl. 則表示plural)

monere(to advise, warn)為第二型動詞之例,以mone為根,其變化如下:
moneo, I warn/advise
mones, you(sg.) warn/advise
monet, he/she/it warns/advises
monemus, we warn/advise
monetis, you(pl.) warn/advise
monent, they warn/advise
從上面兩個例子可以發現,第一第二型的動詞除了原型字尾不同外,在不同人稱單複數等變化下都具有相同的變化方式:-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt

拉丁文中的命令句變化獨立於上述變化。命令句出現的狀況通常是某人對著其他人呼喊、施加命令,所以一定是對著「你」、「你們」來發話,這點在拉丁文也不例外。在拉丁文中,若是對著單一人作命令句,則直接用該動詞的變化字根即可,若對複數人,則用該動詞變化字根再加上te結尾表達複數,如:
Serva me! Save me! 對一個人呼喊
Servate me! Save me! 對不只一個人呼喊


Vocabvla
, pron. me
Quid,  what
Nihil, noun, nothing
Nōn, adv, not
Saepe, adv, often
, conj, if
amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum[1], to love, to like; amābō tē, idiom, please (literally means, I will love you) 
cōgitō, cōgitāre, cōgitāvī, cōgītātum, to think, ponder, consider, plan
dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum, to owe; ought, must, should
dō, dare, dedī, datum, to give, to offer
errō, errāre, errāvī, erratum, to wander; to err, go astray, make a mistake, be mistaken
laudō, laudāre, laudāvī, laudātum, to praise
moneō, monere, monuī, monitum, to remind, advise, warn 
salveō, salvēre, to be well, be in good health;  salvē, salvēte, hello, greetings!
servō, servāre, servāvī, servātum, to preserve, save, keep, guard 
cōnservō, cōnservāre, cōnservāvī, cōnservātum (con-servō), a stronger form of servare 
terreō, terrēre, terruī, territum, to frighten, terrify
valeō, valēre, valuī, valitūrum, to be strong, have power; to be well; vale, goodbye 
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum, to see; observe, understand
vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātum, to call, summon 


Sententiae (sentences)
此部分為Wheelock’s Latin所列之翻譯練習,筆者將會翻譯時須注意的詞尾變化標示出,以利讀者學習。
1.      Labor mē vocat.
Labour calls me.
此句為典型的SOV句型,在判斷時可先從該具有無明顯的主詞開始找,在此句中我們可以找到Labor,然後從字尾變化確認是否確實是第三人稱單數,本句中的vocatt為結尾,可以確定是labor所作的動詞,故可翻譯為Labour calls me.

2.      Monē mē, amābō tē, sī errō.
Warn me, please, if I make a mistake.

3.      Festīnā lentē. (Festino, festinare, to hasten, make haste. lente, adv, slowly)
Make haste slowly. 奧古斯丁(Augustus)最喜歡說的話之一,饒富趣味。此句只有動詞與副詞,可以從字尾觀察到此處的festina是作命令句用。

4.      Laudās mē; culpant mē.
You praise me; they blame me.

5.      Saepe peccāmus.
We often sin/make a mistake.
雖然此處可以直接翻譯為sin,但是在基督宗教中,sin是非常嚴重的說法,像是七原罪(seven sins)等,我們不大可能常常to sin,所以翻譯作make a mistake會比較好。
6.      Quid dēbēmus cōgitāre?
What should we think?
此處的debemus意思是we should, ought to等的意思,類同於英文,後面所言的動詞需要變回原形。在有模態詞與一般動詞的句子中,通常一般動詞會擺在一句話中的最後面,但也不是必定。

7.      Cōnservāte mē!
Protect/save me!

8.      Rūmor volat.
Rumour flies.
拉丁文中沒有冠詞,所以在翻譯為英文時須注意該名詞是否需加冠詞,在此處由於rumour作謠言解釋時為不可數名詞,所以不加冠詞。

9.      Mē nōn amat.
She/He does not love me.
此句的主詞並未直接顯於文句中,讀者必須從amare的人稱字尾變化來了解。

10.  Nihil mē terret.
Nothing terrifies me.
SOV句型。

11.  Apollō mē saepe servat.
Apollo often saves me.

12.  Salvēte!– quid vidētis? Nihil vidēmus.
Hello!—what do you see? We see nothing.

13.  Saepe nihil cōgitās.
You often think about nothing.

14.  Bis dās, sī cito dās. (bis, twice. cito, adv, quickly)
You give twice, if you give quickly.
 Publilius Syrus的名言,意思是當別人有急需時,及時幫助如同給予兩倍的幫助。

15.  Sī valēs, valeō.
If you are well, I am well.
羅馬人常於信末附上此句話,或略作SVV。也有人會寫作SVBEEV(si vales bene est valeo, if you are well that is good; I’m well)

16.  What does he see?
Quid videt?

17.  They are giving nothing.
Nihil dant.

18.  You ought not to praise me.
Me non debes laudare.

19.  If I err, he often warns me.
Si erro, me saepe monet.

20.  If you love me, save me, please!
Si me amas, serva me, amabo te!

THE POET HORACE CONTEMPLATES AN INVITATION
Maecēnās et Vergilius mē hodiē vocant.
Maecenas and Vergil are calling me today.
Quid cōgitāre dēbeō? Quid dēbeō respondēre?
What should I think? What should I reply?
Sī errō, mē saepe monent et culpant; sī nōn errō, mē laudant.
If I make a mistake, they often warn and blame me; if I am not wrong, they praise me.
Quid hodiē cōgitāre dēbeō?
What should I think today?


[1] 拉丁文字典標示動詞時皆以此方式列出,目前只須要先知道第一個為第一人稱單數時的動詞型式,第二為動詞原型即可

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