Monday, May 6, 2024

01.05.24: review: imperfect tense [7]; setting the scene

We do exactly the same in English:

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling through the trees, bats were flying overhead and people were rushing to shelter from the rain.

Phrases connected with the weather or other natural conditions were covered in earlier posts, but here are some in the imperfect tense:

1. Nox erat obscūra et in caelō pallida lūna fulgēbat. │ The night was dark and in the sky a pale moon was shining.

2. Lūna lūcēbat tamquam merīdiē. (Petronius) │ The moon was shining as if it was still midday.

3. Statim urceātim pluēbat. (Petronius) │Immediately it started to rain in bucketfuls.

4. Intus igne calēscēbat dīvīnō. (Thomas of Celano) │ Inside he was growing warm with a divine heat.

5. Sōl splendēbat, nūllus ventus flābatfrīgora erant, ex arboribus pendēbat pruīna vitrea. │ The sun was shining, no wind was blowing, it was cold, and a glassy hoarfrost hung from the trees.

[frīgus, frīgoris [3/n]: cold (but often seen in the plural)]

6. Tōta īllā nocte continenter … ningēbat (Royal Society 1789) │ It was snowing continuously that whole night.

7. Iam nāvibus cinis incīdēbat, …, calidior et dēnsior (Pliny) │ Now ash, hotter and thicker, was falling upon the ships

8. … et iam lūcēscēbat (Livy) │ And now day was appearing (it was dawning)

9. ūnō tempore et longās nāvēs… aestus complēbat, et onerāriās … tempestās adflīctābat (Caesar) │ at the same time, the tide began to fill the ships of war, and the storm began to dash the ships of burden

No comments: