Salvete Amici --
For the past few weeks we have been learning how to translate Latin sentences. So far we have learned eight (!) steps of the process.
Let's see how it works with a sentence from chapter four of our textbook: Tum Marcus ad arborem currit. Translation begins with finding the verb, and identifying it by person, number and tense; here it is currit -- third person singular present, he/she/it runs. Second identify the subject(s) -- a noun in the nominative case (subject form) which agrees with the verb; here it is the proper noun, Marcus. Then look for complements, additional nouns in the same case and number as the subject, without a conjunction, when the verb is a verb of being; or, direct objects, nouns that do not follow a preposition, which are in the accusative case in sentences with a transitive (action) verb. In the example, there is no complement or direct object. Next, pick out any adjectives; adjectives agree with the nouns they modify and most of the time follow the nouns they modify. Step five is "other" words. These are just vocabulary words that for now will be translated in step eight. In our example sentences, other words are: tum, ad, and arborem. In step six the sentence is translated literally, or word-for-word in the oorder in which it appears: Then Marcus towards tree runs. In the next step, the sentence is translated into good English: Then Marcus runs towards the (there are no articles in Latin)tree. The final step is to identify derivatives, e.g. arborem/arbol (Sp.)/arbor (Eng.), currit/correr (Sp.)/current (Eng.), etc.
Valete --
Funicula
