I've been translating a passage from Cicero's Brutus (section 85) and
I've come across what is a slighly confusing use of 'vide ne'. Is
there anyone out there that can shed some light?
"ita laudauisti quosdam oratores ut imperitos posses in errorem
inducere. equidem in quibusdam risum uix tenebam, *** Attico Lysiae
Catonem nostrum comparabas, magnum mercule hominem uel potius summum
et singularem uirum --- nemo dicet secus --- sed oratorem? sed etiam
Lysiae similem? quo nihil potest esse pictius. bella ironia, si
iocaremur; sin adseueramus, vide ne religio nobis tam adhibenda sit
quam si testimonium diceremus."
It's the 'vide ne' towards the end:
I translated that phrase (a rather clumsy translation I admit) as:
'See that we are not as overcome by reverence as if we were giving
testimony (to a judge).'
Meaning that we should avoid a tendency to over-reverencew hen before
a judge because we overdo the good qualities of someone we like.
But both translations I have found of this passage take a different
interpretation:
- '... we should pay the same scrupulous regard to truth, as if
we were giving evidence upon oath.'
- 'le scrupule ne nous est pas moins n=E9cessaire que dans une
d=E9position devant le juge.'
It's the 'ne' that bothers me.
The above two translations would be correct if the original were 'vide
ut' - or some equivalent - but not 'vide ne'?
regards
Jules
