Translate into English:
Crocodīlī autem nātūra haec est. Per quīnque mēnsēs hībernōs cibum nūllum
capit. Quadrupēs est terram pariter et aquam habitāns: ōva enim parit
exclūditque in terrā, et maiōrem partem diēī in siccō versātur, noctū vērō in
fluviō: est enim aqua noctū magis calida quam terra rōre cōnspersa. Omnium vērō
animālium hoc ex minimō fit maximum. Ōva enim haud multō maiōra sunt ōvīs
ānseris: at pervēnit ad septemdecim cubitōrum longitūdinem. Habet autem oculōs
porcī, dentēs vērō magnōs. Sōlum ex omnibus animālibus linguam nōn habet: neque
īnferiōrem māxillam movet. Habet autem unguēs rōbustōs, et cutem squāmātam. In
aquā quidem caecus est, in aere bene videt. Os habet intus plēnum hirūdinibus.
Iam aliae quidem avēs et bēstiae illum fugiunt: cum trochilō autem pācem colit.
Hic ūtilem eī operam praestat: nam in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns hirūdinēs dēvorat.
Vocabulary
cōnspergō, -ere, cōnspersī, cōnspersus [3]: sprinkle, spatter
cutis, -is [3/f]: (living) skin
exclūdō, -ere, exclūsī, exclūsus [3]: (here) hatch
hībernus, -a, -um: of / pertaining to winter; wintry
hirūdō, hirūdinis [3/f]: leech
īnsinuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: (here) wind one’s way into;
penetrate, enter
māxilla, -ae [1/f]: jaw (-bone)
pariō, -ere, peperī, partus [3-iō]: bear, give birth to; spawn;
produce
pariter (adverb): equally; alike
rōs, rōris [3/m]: dew
sēsē: itself; emphatic form of sē
siccum, -ī [2/m]: dry land
squāmātus, -a, -um: scaly
versor, -ārī, versātus sum [1/dep]: live, stay, be
trochilus, -ī [2/m]: now referring to a species of small bird of the
hummingbird genus but the bird described here was legendary:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochilus_(crocodile_bird)
As [the crocodile] lives chiefly in the river, it has the inside of
its mouth constantly covered with leeches; hence it happens that, while all the
other birds and beasts avoid it, with the trochilus it lives at peace, since it
owes much to that bird: for the crocodile, when he leaves the water and comes
out upon the land, is in the habit of lying with his mouth wide open, facing
the western breeze: at such times the trochilus goes into his mouth and devours
the leeches. This benefits the crocodile, who is pleased, and takes care not to
hurt the trochilus. (Herodotus)
Notes
[1] dative of
possession
Crocodīlī [dative]
… nātūra haec est │ literally: to the crocodile is this nature = the
crocodile has this nature
[2] present active
participle
terram … et aquam habitāns │ inhabiting / which
inhabits the land and the water …
… in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns … │ getting itself into its
mouth
[3] ablative
[i] terra rōre cōnspersa │ land sprinked with dew
[ii] Os … plēnum hirūdinibus │ a mouth … filled with
(full of) leeches; Latin uses the ablative case (categorised under the
ablative of means) with adjectives and verbs that refer to filling something with
something or being filled with (full of) something
Tōtum montem hominibus complēvit. │ He filled the whole
mountain with men.
Vīlla abundat gallīnā, lacte, cāseō, melle
(Cicero) │ The farm abounds
in poultry, milk, cheese and honey.
[iii] Ōva enim [a] haud
multō maiōra sunt [b] ōvīs ānseris
[a] ablative of degree of difference: haud multō maiōra
│not much bigger
[b] ablative of the object of comparison: ōva … [a] haud multō maiōra
sunt ¦ [b] ōvīs ānseris │ the eggs are [a] not much bigger ¦ [b] than
the eggs of a goose
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/260724-level-2-de-crocodilo-1.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/290724-level-2-de-crocodilo-2.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/010824-level-2-de-crocodilo-3.html
Vincent and the Alligators
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/22.html
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/250624-level-2-vincent-and-alligators-2.html
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[6] Now the nature of the crocodile is as follows. During the five months of winter it takes no food. It is a quadruped, inhabiting land and water alike: for it lays and hatches its eggs on land, and lives on dry ground for the greater part of / most of the day, but by night in the river: for by night the water is warmer than the earth (which has been) sprinkled with dew. But of all animals this one, from being very small, becomes the greatest. For its eggs are not much larger than the eggs of a goose; but it reaches to the length of seventeen cubits. Moreover, it has the eyes of a pig, but large teeth. Alone of all animals it does not have a tongue, nor does it move its lower jaw. However, it has strong claws, and a scaly skin. In the water, indeed, it is blind; it sees well in the air. It has its mouth full of leeches inside. Now other birds and beasts in fact flee from it, but it keeps peace with the wagtail (see notes). The latter does it a useful service: for creeping into its mouth it devours the leeches.
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