Monday, March 29, 2010

Zeno et Discipulus (Potts)

SOURCE: Aditus Faciliores, by A. W. Potts and C. Darnell at GoogleBooks. This is not a classical Aesop's fable, but I thought it was a good joke in the spirit of Aesop.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Iuvenis quīdam Zenōnem philosophum aliquamdiu audīverat. Deinde praeceptīs philosophiae īnstructus domum rediit. Tum pater eius, Quid (inquit) fīlī, tē Zenō docuit? Fīlius rēspondit, Id, pater, ut spērō, ex vītā meā perspicere poteris. Ad haec pater, īrā mōtus, arreptō baculō, tergum eius graviter verberāvit. Fīlius aequō animō verbera accēpit, placidēque dīxit, Docuit mē Zenō nunquam patrī īrascī.


ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Iúvenis quidam Zenónem philósophum aliquámdiu audíverat. Deinde praecéptis philosóphiae instrúctus domum rédiit. Tum pater eius, Quid (inquit) fili, te Zeno dócuit? Fílius respóndit, Id, pater, ut spero, ex vita mea perspícere póteris. Ad haec pater, ira motus, arrépto báculo, tergum eius gráviter verberávit. Fílius aequo ánimo vérbera accépit, placidéque dixit, Dócuit me Zeno nunquam patri irásci.


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Iuvenis quidam
Zenonem philosophum
aliquamdiu audiverat.
Deinde
praeceptis philosophiae instructus
domum rediit.
Tum pater eius,
Quid (inquit) fili,
te Zeno docuit?
Filius respondit,
Id, pater, ut spero,
ex vita mea perspicere poteris.
Ad haec pater, ira motus,
arrepto baculo,
tergum eius graviter verberavit.
Filius
aequo animo
verbera accepit,
placideque dixit,
Docuit me Zeno
nunquam patri irasci.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):