Just read a few chapters of Ostler's "Empires of the word". Some impressions:
Sanskrit is an old wise hermit, believing in his own spiritual superiority. He is an disillusioned idealist, holds tight to his own principles and has no concern of the world around him. People flock to him for his wisdom, he does not care. People leave him to tend to their own lives, he does not notice. Within himself, he finds beauty and perfection.
Egyptian is a stately yet charming lady. She matures in her infancy, lives a long contented life, and passes away without ever aging. In that, she has acquired her eternity. She sprinkles her seeds leisurely, which we harvest without being grateful, yet she never minds. With awe, we look up to her. With grace, she smiles at us.
Chinese is a white-haired Tai Chi master. His strength undulates; his spirit never yields. He speaks with confidence; he writes with elegance. He strolls through time steadily; he wanders on his land freely. He is as strong as wind, and as weak as water. We ask him for his secret. He tells us to breath.
Greek is a defeated yet unyielding hero. With a bruised ego, he is still holding the torch of his past glory. His light shines upon us through the thickness of time. His blood has long been infused into ours such that we admire him with a hint of self-indulgence and a thread of tragic sensation. We are moved just thinking of him.
(to be continued)
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 11/07/2005
Beautiful insight! Please continue... - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 11/08/2005
I like the expression though not necessarily the ideas.
like ah-san, waiting for more ... - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
What did the book say about German and French? And, (somewhat more importantly), English? - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
刚发现老瓦故事里的大名鼎鼎的adagio原来也在这里。退休了还是怎么了?
moab wrote:
What did the book say about German and French? And, (somewhat more importantly), English? - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
Chinese:
It should be "He tells us to breathe."
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
This is beautiful. How about Latin? Liao Kang, do you know Latin? Or, do you know someone know Latin? - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
xw knows Latin.
苦瓜 wrote:
This is beautiful. How about Latin? Liao Kang, do you know Latin? Or, do you know someone know Latin? - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
I learned Latin for a year using the book Latin via Ovid, but I have forgotten most of my Latin.
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
Just finished the TTC lesson on how German and Italian languages effect their music styles. Very interesting! It makes me think whether the personality of a certain nation has any impact on the development of its language, or vice versa. - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
July wrote:
xw knows Latin.
苦瓜 wrote:
This is beautiful. How about Latin? Liao Kang, do you know Latin? Or, do you know someone know Latin?
Thank you! That's a good news. I'll write to him. - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
liaokang wrote:
I learned Latin for a year using the book Latin via Ovid, but I have forgotten most of my Latin.
Thank you Liao Kang. Do you think it's useful for you? - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
A little, not much. I won't encourage my son to learn it, if that's what you want to know. - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/11/2008
I think my son is taking it as a game. I don't how much fun he's getting from it. I'm not so good at language. On the other hand, instead of taking a language as a game, to read something deeply at his age might be a better way to learn. I'll check with you later. - posted on 03/12/2008
哈哈,this might be my virgin thread at cafe. To be continued 也没继续,惭愧。
谢廖康纠错,还发现了一个,但不知为什么我改不了原贴了。
书中谈到的语言还有很多,德法英拉丁当然都讲到了,非常好的一本入门书。原贴的四个语言里,每一句都是对应我当时理解来的该语言的特征或是历史上传播的轨迹,其他的一些语言看完了也各给分了个人,只是别的现在什么也不记得了:
Latin is a prolific elder with a humble root.
Sumerian is a distant noble.
Phoenician is a lavish traveller.
Arabic is an eloquent fighter.
German is an ambitious loner.
French is a conceit charmer.
English is an energetic youngster.
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/12/2008
我认识一个教 classics 的老师。他给我推荐了一本自学拉丁文的书:Wheelock's Latin by Frederic M. Wheelock. 他说学拉丁文最好的方法是找一个同伴一起学,互相检查习题。你们谁想跟我一起学?
我也记得这是浮生的第一个原创贴。当时使劲鼓励了一把,却等了两年多才有下文。这本书还一直在我的 wishlist 上。 - posted on 03/12/2008
阿姗 wrote:
我认识一个教 classics 的老师。他给我推荐了一本自学拉丁文的书:Wheelock's Latin by Frederic M. Wheelock. 他说学拉丁文最好的方法是找一个同伴一起学,互相检查习题。你们谁想跟我一起学?
这本书不很好,是给美国二战退役兵人转文官用的。
我个人觉得这一本英国的最好:
Teach Yourself Beginner's Latin
http://www.lingua.co.uk/latin/material/tylatin/
已形成一个英语拉丁迷文化圈,还电影,剧本之类。
&
我指望孩子多学点拉丁。其实孩子学恐龙名,就是学拉丁。
Puer cum diabolo ambulat,
Mulus arbori in silvia legato. etc, etc...
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/12/2008
我倒是想,怕跟不上你的节奏。(每天只学比方说半到一个小时我还可以接受)。
Edited to add:
Seriously?
... on second thought, I might as well just do it. Let's pick a text and a starting date. Who else want in?
阿姗 wrote:
我认识一个教 classics 的老师。他给我推荐了一本自学拉丁文的书:Wheelock's Latin by Frederic M. Wheelock. 他说学拉丁文最好的方法是找一个同伴一起学,互相检查习题。你们谁想跟我一起学?
- Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/12/2008
我觉得概括得挺好的。下次买书的时候加上。我文学水平不咋地,可是对语言一直比较好奇。
浮生以前发英文贴的,后来怎么改了风格?
浮生 wrote:
哈哈,this might be my virgin thread at cafe. To be continued 也没继续,惭愧。
German is an ambitious loner.
French is a conceit charmer.
English is an energetic youngster. - posted on 03/12/2008
高玉宝用的是下面这套教材,Latin for Children。他一个星期学一课,大概也就一个小时左右。一册书有32课,估计得学一年。或许暑假的时候能多学一点儿。
刚开始他两周很热情,现在要弱一些。已经学了7周。我也觉得主要问题是没人跟他交流,他的程度大概也没法儿看书。你们谁要是愿意跟他一起学,我给你们互相介绍。
http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/lfc_primers.html
xw推荐的网站我回头看看,当文盲妈妈不容易。你说学恐龙的名字就是学拉丁,给了我不少安慰。这么说小高还是有点儿基础(知道不少恐龙名)。谢谢各位。 - Re: If languages are peopleposted on 03/12/2008
我有什么节奏?每天15分钟还差不多。这里推荐了三本书,你选吧。我已经有 Wheelock 的书 (6th ed.)。我看 amazon 上评语, Wheelock 是 4.5 stars, 22 votes. Teach Yourself Beginner's Latin 也是 4.5 stars, 29 votes,差不多。要是想跟苦瓜儿子一起学 Latin for Children,也行。
moab wrote:
我倒是想,怕跟不上你的节奏。(每天只学比方说半到一个小时我还可以接受)。 - posted on 03/12/2008
那就Wheelock吧。刚订上。也买了Ostler的书。
看了Premier A 的sample. 苦瓜的Latin for Children其实也挺有吸引力的。我去牙医什么的等约会的时候就喜欢看小孩的书。每次都有收获。先用Wheelock学学看,不行再用辅助教材。:-)
阿姗 wrote:
我有什么节奏?每天15分钟还差不多。这里推荐了三本书,你选吧。我已经有 Wheelock 的书 (6th ed.)。我看 amazon 上评语, Wheelock 是 4.5 stars, 22 votes. Teach Yourself Beginner's Latin 也是 4.5 stars, 29 votes,差不多。要是想跟苦瓜儿子一起学 Latin for Children,也行。
moab wrote:
我倒是想,怕跟不上你的节奏。(每天只学比方说半到一个小时我还可以接受)。
Edited to add:
Seriously?
... on second thought, I might as well just do it. Let's pick a text and a starting date. Who else want in?
阿姗 wrote:
我认识一个教 classics 的老师。他给我推荐了一本自学拉丁文的书:Wheelock's Latin by Frederic M. Wheelock. 他说学拉丁文最好的方法是找一个同伴一起学,互相检查习题。你们谁想跟我一起学? - posted on 03/12/2008
苦瓜 wrote:
高玉宝用的是下面这套教材,Latin for Children。他一个星期学一课,大概也就一个小时左右。一册书有32课,估计得学一年。或许暑假的时候能多学一点儿。
刚开始他两周很热情,现在要弱一些。已经学了7周。我也觉得主要问题是没人跟他交流,他的程度大概也没法儿看书。你们谁要是愿意跟他一起学,我给你们互相介绍。
http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/lfc_primers.html
我跟他玩一下吧,先玩几个拉丁游戏:
1.Latin palindromes:
si nummi, immunis (if you have enough money, you'll be immune from the law)
Anna tenet mappam, madidam mappam tenet Anna
(Anna holds a towel, a wet towel Anna holds.)
2.Latin table:
R O T A S
O P E R A
T E N E T
A R E P O
S A T O R
Each of the words can be found four times, translated as:
Arepo, the sower, holds the wheels at work.
3.doing something, (with)
amore, more, ore, re. (cut off the first letter of each word...)
with love, by habit, with voice and deed.
4.Alliterative:
Fer firme, facilis fiet fortuna ferendo,
(Bear yourself firmly, and good fortune will follow easily.)
Machina multa minax minitatur maxima muris.
(Many a huge threatening engine of war threatens the walls)
Veni, vidi, vici
5. Rhymed old saying
A bird in the hand
beats four out of hand.
Est avis in dextra
Melior quam quattuor extra.
&
More than three-fifths of the words in the English language are Latin or derived
from Latin. Almost every technical term in biology, botany, zoology, geology, and
chemistry comes from Latin or Greek. Most lawyers and doctors have studied Latin.
Law books are full of Latin phrases. Many doctors write their prescription in Latin.
The labels on bottles in drug stores are in Latin. Latin is required by law in many
states as a preparation for the study of law, medicine, and pharmacy. Without Latin,
the full meaning of most English words cannot be obtained; without Latin, the
expression of clear and concise English is harder to attain. The more Latin one knows,
the better he can read, write, spell, and understand English.
Cuculi cuculant et rauca cicada fritinnit,
At tuba terribili sonitu taratantara dixit,
Quadrpedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum,
The cuckoos cuckoolate and the cicada raucously crickets,
But the tuba with a terrific blast, blared out, taratantara,
And shake with horny hoofs the solids ground,
poem lines from Horace, translated by Dryden
xw推荐的网站我回头看看,当文盲妈妈不容易。你说学恐龙的名字就是学拉丁,给了我不少安慰。这么说小高还是有点儿基础(知道不少恐龙名)。谢谢各位。
先聊这么多,看我不怎么会玩的。
- posted on 03/13/2008
xw,头两个游戏高玉宝比较喜欢,特别是第二个,后面的几个可能对他来说有点儿难。谢谢你!
阿姗和moab,你们学了也一起来玩儿,高玉宝很高兴看到你们都想学拉丁语。
xw wrote:
我跟他玩一下吧,先玩几个拉丁游戏:
1.Latin palindromes:
si nummi, immunis (if you have enough money, you'll be immune from the law)
Anna tenet mappam, madidam mappam tenet Anna
(Anna holds a towel, a wet towel Anna holds.)
2.Latin table:
R O T A S
O P E R A
T E N E T
A R E P O
S A T O R
Each of the words can be found four times, translated as:
Arepo, the sower, holds the wheels at work.
3.doing something, (with)
amore, more, ore, re. (cut off the first letter of each word...)
with love, by habit, with voice and deed.
4.Alliterative:
Fer firme, facilis fiet fortuna ferendo,
(Bear yourself firmly, and good fortune will follow easily.)
Machina multa minax minitatur maxima muris.
(Many a huge threatening engine of war threatens the walls)
Veni, vidi, vici
5. Rhymed old saying
A bird in the hand
beats four out of hand.
Est avis in dextra
Melior quam quattuor extra.
&
More than three-fifths of the words in the English language are Latin or derived
from Latin. Almost every technical term in biology, botany, zoology, geology, and
chemistry comes from Latin or Greek. Most lawyers and doctors have studied Latin.
Law books are full of Latin phrases. Many doctors write their prescription in Latin.
The labels on bottles in drug stores are in Latin. Latin is required by law in many
states as a preparation for the study of law, medicine, and pharmacy. Without Latin,
the full meaning of most English words cannot be obtained; without Latin, the
expression of clear and concise English is harder to attain. The more Latin one knows,
the better he can read, write, spell, and understand English.
Cuculi cuculant et rauca cicada fritinnit,
At tuba terribili sonitu taratantara dixit,
Quadrpedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum,
The cuckoos cuckoolate and the cicada raucously crickets,
But the tuba with a terrific blast, blared out, taratantara,
And shake with horny hoofs the solids ground,
poem lines from Horace, translated by Dryden
xw推荐的网站我回头看看,当文盲妈妈不容易。你说学恐龙的名字就是学拉丁,给了我不少安慰。这么说小高还是有点儿基础(知道不少恐龙名)。谢谢各位。
先聊这么多,看我不怎么会玩的。
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