Translating Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis

JellyMan and I have an agreement. He must spend one hour every school day on Latin, but if he finishes his assignment in Henle, he has a couple of options. He can either work ahead in Henle (boring) or do some other translation work of his choice (less so). Since finishing Lingua Biblica, he usually chooses to translate the Latin Vulgate into English or his favorite Beatles songs into Latin, but this week he decided to start translating the Latin version of Harry Potter.

Here is the first paragraph of Peter Needham’s Latin translation:

Dominus et Domina Durlsey, qui vevebant in aedibus Gestationis Ligustrorum numero quattuor signatis, non sine superbia dicebant se ratione ordinaria vivendi uti neque se paenitere illius rationis. in toto orbe terrarum vix credas quemquam esse minus deditum rebus novis et arcanis, quod ineptias tales omnino spernebant.

Here is JellyMan’s English translation of Peter Needham’s Latin translation:

Mr. and Mrs. Durley, who lived at number four, Privet Drive, said, not without pride, that they were perfectly normal, and did not regret to be so. In all the world you would hardly think them to be less involved in strange and mysterious matters, because they scorned all such nonsense.

And here is J. K. Rowling’s orginal paragraph:

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.

I doubt this will help him much academically, but he’ll have a nice time.  :) 

You study Latin and Greek? Why???*

I get that question (often accompanied by curled lips and rolling eyes) a lot.  The eye-rollers don't really want to know why we do what we do, so I don't waste my breath telling them.  I just say, "Because Swahili is just so pedestrian," or, "Because I promised my Goobs to the Church as payment for my mother's second exorcism," or my personal favorite, "Because we can."

But a real, live, Not Inadequate homeschooler asked me this question yesterday, and since I could detect little to no eye rolling, I will do my best to answer.  I hope a bullet list will work for you, because I'm supposed to be grading math papers.

• JellyMan actually wanted to learn Greek.  How could I say no?
• We try to follow the classical model of education.  Latin and Greek are assumed.  (My reasons for choosing classical over unschooling or school-in-a-box or Oak Meadow or K12 or Charlotte Mason belong in a separate post.)
• These languages are an important part of our religious and cultural heritage.
• They're convenient.  All I need is a book!  I don't have to buy expensive computer programs or waste any of my precious energy tracking down a native speaker to chat with my Goobs on a regular basis, because there aren't any native speakers.  (I hope you'll pardon me for saying so, but quibbling about the proper pronunciation of Latin is about as pointless as correcting someone's Klingon accent at the local Star Trek convention.)
• My Goobs aren't prodigies, but they're pretty sharp.  Adding Latin and Greek (along with piano, logic, and time consuming activities like ballet and theatre) to their day helps to slow them down a little without piling on empty busywork. (My reasons for not graduating them early belong in a separate post.)
• Learning Latin and Greek has given my Goobers confidence in their ability to learn difficult subjects and the self-discipline required to tackle large projects.  Can you imagine anyone who taught himself the Latin grammar before he could shave ever saying, "But I can't learn that!  It's too harrrrrrd!" 
• I get 1-2 extra hours of peace and quiet every day while they study Latin and Greek. It's wonderful.
• It makes me feel a little bit better about our bare-bones science studies.  I tell myself, "Self, they can take biology at every school in the country, but Classics might not be an option at Podunk Patootie Community College."
• The Goobs will be more likely to crush the SAT, which will lower the odds of my still having Goobers in the basement when I become eligible to join the AARP.
• And, of course, we learn Latin and Greek because we can.  We get such a kick out of being able to half-understand the inscriptions on public monuments.

* Anyone who wants a complete answer to this question should read Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia For Greek and Latin by Tracy Lee Simmons.

Thoughts on Foreign Languages

Every once in a while I make a PLAN.  Like a math PLAN.  Or a science PLAN.  Or an English PLAN. These PLANS start wherever we happen to be and extend through twelfth grade, always with the assumption that the particular subject outlined in the PLAN is the most important subject and deserving of every hour in the day.  Of course, they're all deserving of every hour in the day, but we have to eat and sleep and play Rock Band 2, so we will not see every PLAN through to completion.  That's okay.  The PLANS are just something to keep me occupied while The Goobers finish math - instead of chanting, "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up..." and tearing at my hair, I jot down all the beautiful possibilities.  It's better for everyone that way.  

Before I share the newest PLAN (made just this morning!) I'd like to share a few vague thoughts on foreign languages:

1. Latin is awesome.
2. So is Greek.
3. And Hebrew.
4. As is Spanish,
5. French,
6. German,
7. Italian,
8. and Japanese.
9. But we're only human.
10. And my brain is dying.
11. So we're only doing Latin and Greek.
12. Plus one other language if The Goobs want to.
13. The third language can be a modern language.
14. I don't insist upon it.
15. This is because I took years of Spanish.
16. I am not fluent.
17. In fact, the only time I approached anything resembling fluency is when I had a Peruvian professor who spoke only Spanish.
18. I had to communicate in Spanish six hours a week, and I learned more during that semester than I learned during all my years of Spanish classes combined.
19. I can't provide my Goobs with a Peruvian Spanish professor.
20. It bums me out.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, I can share the PLAN.

JellyMan isn't interested in modern languages, so his foreign language PLAN looks like this: 

8th: Latin (Henle 1); Greek (Elementary Greek 2 and 3)
9th: Latin (Henle 2); Greek (Athenaze 1)
10th: Latin (Henle 3); Greek (Athenaze 2)
11th: Latin (Henle 4); Greek (Xenophon); Hebrew (Hebrew: A Language Course) 
12th: Latin (Vergil); Greek (Homer); Hebrew (Hebrew: A Language Course)

Anemone wants to learn French, so her foreign language PLAN looks like this:

5th: Latin (Henle 1)
6th: Latin (Henle 1); Greek (Elementary Greek 1)
7th: Latin (Henle 1); Greek (Elementary Greek 2)
8th: Latin (Henle 1); Greek (Elementary Greek 3)
9th: Latin (Henle 2); Greek (Athenaze 1); French (Rosetta Stone)
10th: Latin (Henle 2); Greek (Athenaze 2); French (Rosetta Stone)
11th: Latin (Henle 3); French (Rosetta Stone)
12th: Latin (Henle 4); French (Rosetta Stone)

Poor Anemone was supposed to start French this year, but she bogged down at around lesson 5 in First Start French and I just don't have what it takes to help her through it.  I felt incredibly guilty about it and bought her the Instant Immersion French computer program, thinking she could just play with it whenever she wants to.  So far she hasn't wanted to.  Ugh.  I hate when I let my Goobs down!

Have you really read this whole post?  You're amazing.  You deserve a nap.  Just remember that I'm sharing this foreign language PLAN with you for kicks.  Don't hold it against me, okay?  I don't want anyone (that means you, Mom) coming to me when Anemone is in 11th grade and saying, "I thought Anemone was supposed to have completed Athenaze 2 by now!" when she is only just getting around to learning the Greek alphabet, because I won't hear you.  I'll be too busy being thrilled that she finally got around to learning the Greek alphabet.  

Rock Band 2 is just so time consuming.

Derivatives Assignment

Part of Anemone's Latin assignment was to use the following derivatives in sentences.

• agent
• conduct
• incredible
• cascade
• revive

This is what she came up with:

"My agent loves Cascade," said the stranger.

"I conducted 'Ode to Joy' three times last year," murmered Sarah, changing the subject.

The stranger ignored Sarah.  "Cascade is incredible!"

"Why do you talk about Cascade, of all things?" cried Sarah angrily.

"I just wish someone would revive the inventor from the grave, that's all," sighed the stranger.  "He was a relative of mine."

Of course she'll have to rewrite the sentences for "agent" and "cascade," but it was worth it to her.  And to me - she cracks me up!

A Sample Latin Lesson

I realize some of you may be sick of cows by now, so here is a homeschooling post to break up the bovine love fest over here. 

Our Latin Story

I've been fooling around with Latin off and on for the last 14 years (The Man and I always had idle thoughts about learning it so we could irritate Cousin JimBob our loved ones at family gatherings) but about six months ago I began studying Latin seriously so that I could help my children with their own studies.  I have completed Latina Christiana I, Latina Christiana II, and Lingua Angelica I.  As of this writing, I am on Unit 3, Lesson 10, Exercise 142 of Henle Latin 1, supplemented by Lingua Latina 1.  I spend between one and two hours every day studying my own lessons, plus 30 to 60 minutes working directly with The Goobers.  JellyMan is currently on lesson 8 of LCII, and Anemone is finishing up lesson 16 in LCI.

A Sample Latin Lesson 

Grammar Recitations

I go through the entire grammar chart of LC1, plus any grammar covered thus far in LC2.  My youngest recites along with us as best she can.  We also recite (in English) the cases and their uses.

 Prayers/Music

First we recite the Table Blessing and the Lord's Prayer (from Latina Christiana I) and Signum Crucis (from Lingua Angelica).  Then we play the selections chosen for LC1 and LC2 on the Lingua Angelica CD.  These include Christus Vincit, Dona Nobis Pacem, Gloria Patri, and Agnus Dei, Kyrie, Sanctus and Benedictus, Gloria, Ave Maria, Gaudeamus Igitur, Adeste Fideles, and Resonet in Laudibus.  It's a lot of listening time, but it's a peaceful way to get us out of the "I hate mornings and I hate school and I hate YOU most of all" after-breakfast funk we get ourselves into every day.  I don't really care about memorization at this point; I'm more concerned with familiarity.  And peaceful mornings.

Now we do our math lessons.  After math we finish Latin, and it looks something like this:

Quiz

First I quiz the children on vocabulary.  The quiz is conducted orally,  and any word in any case in any number covered thus far is fair game.  First I say the Latin word.  I pause for a few seconds, and then choose a Goober to answer.  Sometimes I get confused and ask Anemone for the defintion of a word she hasn't learned yet, but more often than not she trumps me by supplying the definition, which she has picked up by listening to JellyMan defining his words.

Video, Exercises, or Games

Now it is time to watch the LC video if it is the first day of a new lesson.  If not, we move on to written work, which consists of the exercises in the LC books and, occasionally, extra sentences to translate.  I do not require any workbook pages in Lingua Angelica at this point; we will probably wait until Henle for those.  If the video has been watched and the exercises completed, we play a game or do a crossword puzzle from Ludere Latina.

Flashcards

Now The Goobers are released to review their flashcards and to create new ones if needed.  They work the cards from Latin to English and from English to Latin.  Sometimes they quiz each other and sometimes they go it alone, and sometimes they sneak off to do other things while my back is turned.  Stinkers.