Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi: Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two; Bacchises, The CaptivesPlautus, Titus Maccius
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Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi: Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two; Bacchises, The Captives
Plautus, Titus Maccius
Latin drama (Comedy); Latin drama (Comedy) -- Translations into English
(_sneeringly_) Why don’t you play your part then, and--run
away? [EXIT _Leonida_.
II. 3.
Scene 3.
ENTER _Trader_, WITH SERVANT.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Ut demonstratae sunt mihi, hasce aedis esse oportet,
Demaenetus ubi dicitur habitare. i, puere, pulta
atque atriensem Sauream, si est intus, evocato huc.
(_looking at house of Demaenetus_) According to directions,
this must be the house where they say Demaenetus lives. (_to
servant_) Go knock, my lad, and if steward Saurea is in
there, call him out. (_servant goes toward house_)
_Lib._
Quis nostras sic frangit fores? ohe, inquam, si quid audis.
(_stepping forward_) Who’s that battering our door so?
Whoa there, I say--if you’re not deaf!
_Merc._
_Trader_
Nemo etiam tetigit. sanun es?
No one has touched it yet. Are you in your senses?
_Lib._
At censebam attigisse
propterea, huc quia habebas iter. nolo ego fores conservas
meas a te verberarier. sane ego sum amicus nostris.
Well, I was thinking you had touched it, seeing you were
making this way. I don’t want you to beat that door--it’s a
fellow servant of mine. I tell you what, I love my fellow
servants.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Pol haud periclum est, cardines ne foribus effringantur,
si istoc exemplo omnibus qui quaerunt respondebis.
Gad! No danger of the door being battered off its hinges,
if you answer all callers in that style.
_Lib._
Ita haec morata est ianua: extemplo ianitorem 390
clamat, procul si quem videt ire ad se calcitronem.
sed quid venis? quid quaeritas?
Here’s the way this door has been trained: once it sights
some bully in the distance coming towards it, it bawls for
the porter directly. But what’s your business? What are you
after?
_Merc._
_Trader_
Demaenetum volebam.
I wished to see Demaenetus.
_Lib._
Si sit domi, dicam tibi.
If he was at home, I’d tell you.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Quid eius atriensis?
What about his steward?
_Lib._
Nihilo mage intus est.
No, he’s not in, either.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Ubi est?
Where is he?
_Lib._
Ad tonsorem ire dixit.
Said he was going to the barber’s.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Conveni. sed post non redit?
I met him. But he has not been back since?
_Lib._
Non edepol. quid volebas?
Lord, no! What did you want?
_Merc._
_Trader_
Argenti viginti minas, si adesset, accepisset.
He would have got eighty pounds, if he was here.
_Lib._
Qui pro istuc?
What for?
_Merc._
_Trader_
Asinos vendidit Pellaeo mercatori
mercatu.
He sold some asses at the market to a trader from Pella.
_Lib._
Scio. tu id nunc refers? iam hic credo eum adfuturum.
I know. Bringing the cash now, are you? He’ll be here soon,
I fancy.
_Merc._
_Trader_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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