Μετάφραση σε αρχαία ελληνικά

dikk

New member
Καλησπέρα σε όλους. Έχω βρει μια πρόταση στα ελληνικά.
Θα μπορούσε κάποιος να τη μεταφέρει στα αρχαία ελληνικά;
 

nickel

Administrator
Staff member
Καλησπέρα. Ας κάνουμε μια προσπάθεια. Ποια είναι η πρόταση;
 

dikk

New member
Καλησπέρα Nickel. Σε ευχαριστώ εκ των προτέρων για την προσπάθεια. Η πρόταση είναι : Aνακαλύπτω το φως όπως το κερί, αναλώνοντας τον εαυτό μου.
 
Hi, dikk! What exactly does your Greek sentence mean: 'I discover the light, like wax, using myself up'? To render this into Classical Greek prose, your sentence will have to be more precise in meaning. Is ανακαλύπτω quite the right word here? :)
 

dikk

New member
Hi, dikk! What exactly does your Greek sentence mean: 'I discover the light, like wax, using myself up'? To render this into Classical Greek prose, your sentence will have to be more precise in meaning. Is ανακαλύπτω quite the right word here? :)

Thank you for your reply Theseus. I found it also in English; I will never find the light Unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel,Consuming myself
 
The full quote from Bruce Lee is 'I will never find the light unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel, consuming myself'. I shall try to put it into Classical Greek but it may take a day or two. Other colleagues will no doubt give you their renderings. :)
 

dikk

New member
The full quote from Bruce Lee is 'I will never find the light unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel, consuming myself'. I shall try to put it into Classical Greek but it may take a day or two. Other colleagues will no doubt give you their renderings. :)

thank you very much for your try
 

Earion

Moderator
Staff member
Φῶς οὐχ εὑρήσω εἰ μή, ὣσπερ κηρίον, ἑμαυτῷ ἀνάλωμα ἔσομαι.
 
My version is οὐδέποτε εὑρήσω τό φῶς, πλήν εί, ὥσπερ ἡ λαμπάς τήν ὕλην, οὕτω κἀγὼ ἀναλῶ ἐμαυτόν. Κηρίον is a honeycomb, Earion. The ἀναλῶ is an improvement suggested by a colleague on another forum. I originally plumped for αναλώσω.:)
 

Earion

Moderator
Staff member
Yes, Theseus, κηρίον for candle is medieval Greek. I shouldn't have let myself be deceived by a later form in order to extrapolate the meaning in ancient Greek. Lesson taken.
 
My whole academic life has centred around Classical Greek and Latin. I studied prose composition in both languages from my earliest years and right through university. We regularly had to translate Churchill's speeches and other outstanding English prose into both languages. Our professors were among the best in the world and we had to undergo rigorous criticism from our academic staff. Such a skill has all but died out in the UK except at the public schools. Those coming into teaching have no ability in this art any more. I am regularly asked to translate sentences from English into Latin by graduates in Classics:blink:. Lexilogia is my baptism into fire in the modern language when I often feel like a sheep among (kind) wolves. It has been a fascinating as well as salutary exercise for me. So my criticism of your sentence is born of the same kindness as you have always tendered to me. Your translation into Classical Greek means literally: 'I shall not find light unless like the honeycomb, I shall be an expense to myself'. :)
 

Earion

Moderator
Staff member
Well anyway, our friend did not specify the variety of pre-modern Greek language he wanted his phrase to be translated into: Homeric, Attic, post-classical, Koine, New Testament Greek, Church Fathers' Greek, Byzantine ... :p
 
I'd personally ask you to translate it into modern Greek. Dikk said 'ancient Greek'. That suggests to me Attic. Perhaps one of our colleagues could translate it into Katharevousa. It is hardly a sentiment that would appeal to Homer or a New Testament writer. I have attempted to render it into Attic. Perhaps it might appeal to one of the Fathers. But I know you could give it a shot to translate it into Byzantine. :)
 

Lina

¥
My version is οὐδέποτε εὑρήσω τό φῶς, πλήν εί, ὥσπερ ἡ λαμπάς τήν ὕλην, οὕτω κἀγὼ ἀναλῶ ἐμαυτόν.

Wow, chapeau, Theseus, or, should I say kudos!
 

dikk

New member
My version is οὐδέποτε εὑρήσω τό φῶς, πλήν εί, ὥσπερ ἡ λαμπάς τήν ὕλην, οὕτω κἀγὼ ἀναλῶ ἐμαυτόν. Κηρίον is a honeycomb, Earion. The ἀναλῶ is an improvement suggested by a colleague on another forum. I originally plumped for αναλώσω.:)
Thanks a lot for your help Theseus, I really appreciate it
 
Dikk's sentence

The Emeritus Professor of Greek & Latin at Cambridge University, Professor James Diggle, has translated the sentence for me thus:-

τὸ φῶς οὐδέποτε εὑρήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ἡ ἐμαυτοῦ ὕλη ὦ, ὥσπερ δᾷς, ἐμαυτὸν ἀναλίσκουσα.

Another alternative for Dikk. :)
 
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