between the rock and the cold, cold sea

I cajoled fadeaccompli into keeping me company while I try to brush the rust off some of my ancient Greek with Lucian. One tiny section a week.

Greek is hard, and Greek is cool, and more people should learn it: so I share my (and then our) combined efforts below.

Also Lucian is batshit and brilliant.

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Lucian, TRUE HISTORY

A1. Ὠσπερ τοῖς ἀθλητικοῖς καὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἐπιμέλειαν ἀσχολουμένοις οὐ τῆς εὐεξίας μόνον οὐδὲ τῶν γυμνασίων φροντίς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς κατά καιρὸν γινομένης ἀνέσεως — μέρος γοῦν τῆς ἀσκήσεως τὸ μέγιστον αὐτὴν ὑπολαμβάνουσιν — οὕτω δὴ καὶ τοῖς περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐσπουδακόσιν ἡγοῦμαι προσήκειν μετὰ τὴν πολλὴν τῶν σπουδαιοτέρων ἀνάγνωσιν ἀνιέναι τε τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἔπειτα κάματον ἀκμαιοτέραν παρασκευάζειν.

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My first translation looked like:

A mind is just like athletic people who engage themselves with diligence concerning their bodies, not just for good health or physical exercise ,but also in due measure to relax - indeed, they undertake the greatest part of the exercise for its own sake - in this manner likewise, I lead the way for those who have been busy about exercises of the mind
to come to be, after much reading of the most serious sort, to sail out upon the thought and then make ready the most prime labour.

But, as I said, fadeaccompli was also engaged upon Lucian with me. This conversation followed:

( Read more... )

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So the final translation looks more like:

Just as for athletes there is a mind

Just as athletes pay attention when they occupy themselves with care for their bodies, not only for good health and bodily exercises but for relaxation in due measure - for they understand this to be the greatest share of the exercise - likewise I think [it is good] for those who busy themselves with literature, after the most serious sort of reading, to go out on the mind and to prepare for more vigorous labour thereafter.

There you have it. I spent a good hour on eight lines of Lucian.

Greek: still hard.