Overview

INTRODUCTION THE VALUE OF ANCIENT LANGUAGES AND OF TRANSLATION INTO IDIOMATIC ENGLISH THE educational value of great ancient languages is enhanced by, if it does not depend on, the fact that such languages differ from our own in methods of thought and expression. Thus comparisons have to be made continually, intelligence is quickened, and powers of observation are developed. That is why French and German (especially the former) can never be adequate substitutes for Latin and Greek. The purpose of this book, as of my Latin and English Idiom, is to encourage detailed comparison of two fine languages. In spite of all that has been urged to the contrary, I am still of the opinion that, except from the few who possess a natural gift of imitation, continuous Latin Prose should not be demanded. In its place we should require a far higher standard of English translation, and should expect a candidate to explain why his English version is often so different in form from that of the original. If we give him Cicero to translate, he should be told to make his version sound like Burke, Bright, or Gladstone; if Livy, to make it sound like Prescott or Froude; and he should be asked, also, to justify any modernizations in which he may have indulged. For modernization or Anglicizing should be encouraged when the learner translates from the foreign language, just as Latinizing and Grecizing are encouraged in the reverse process. in this connection may help us towards finding a verdict.

Full Product Details

9781495965975

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available