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Why Catullus continues to seduce us

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Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#31
post #9

Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam fortasse requīris. Nesciŏ, sed fierī sentiō et excrucior. I hate and I love. Why I should do this, perhaps you may ask... I know not, but I feel it done to me, and I am wracked.

Written after he broke up with Lesbia. Yes it is very sad that I can instantly recall this after fifty odd years. Perhaps Latin really does train your brain and memory.

I remember it by heart too, from 38 years ago. Plus most of "O Sirmio, gem of islands and peninsulas, every one of which Neptune, in his dual role, supports in the liquid lakes and vast seas...".

That was thanks to a mid winter Catullus test that got delayed several times due to flu circulating in our year 11 class. By the time everyone was finally back in school, we'd revised it something like 5 times and knew all the set poems off by heart.

Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#32
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But do they really get upvoted for such pointless comments? I'd be really interested to see the numbers. I suppose it could be cargo culting, where they see others do it and think it must work, even if it doesn't.

I imagine some of them do since it's seen as a 'convenience' for the reader who might upvote the comment (and the article itself, if it's something they're interested in). And yes I think it does have some kind of social element - people do it in other places and it drifts back into HN. There's a whole bunch of such folklore some of which gets naturally misapplied to HN, 'don't downvote for disagreement' probably bei…

We're allowed to downvote for disagreement?

Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#33
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine some of them do since it's seen as a 'convenience' for the reader who might upvote the comment (and the article itself, if it's something they're interested in). And yes I think it does have some kind of social element - people do it in other places and it drifts back into HN. There's a whole bunch of such folklore some of which gets naturally misapplied to HN, 'don't downvote for disagreement' probably bei…

We're allowed to downvote for disagreement?

On HN, at least, alwayshavebeen.gif

Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#34

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catullus_16 "Pēdīcābo ego vōs et irrumābō" I had a college Latin teacher who asked us to translate this one. The professor was very clear that we should translate it in the spirit it was written, which is to say, vulgar . I offered the following translation of the first line: "I will fuck you up the ass, and jam my cock down your throat." The professor then said, "Excellent. Tonally perf…

A most charming and very 90s translation of 'irrumabo' in this poem bequeathed to us the following result:

"I'll sodomize and clintonize you,"

Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#35

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catullus_16 "Pēdīcābo ego vōs et irrumābō" I had a college Latin teacher who asked us to translate this one. The professor was very clear that we should translate it in the spirit it was written, which is to say, vulgar . I offered the following translation of the first line: "I will fuck you up the ass, and jam my cock down your throat." The professor then said, "Excellent. Tonally perf…

That is a damn good professor

Re: Why Catullus continues to seduce us

#36
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It happens on and off although LLMery might have made it worse. It's generally flaggable stuff: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

I do flag it when it's particularly anodyne, but I'm intrigued by its purpose. Why does anyone bother to do it?

I will leave you to your pondering, sir.
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