Wheelock Sentences Chapter 27

Front 1

Quisque cupit quam pulcherrima atque utilissima dona dare.

Back 1

Each wants to give the finest and most useful gifts possible.

Front 2

Quidam turpes habent plurima sed etiam plura petunt.

Back 2

Some shameful men have (very) many things but also seek (rather) many things.

Front 3

Ille orator, ab tyranno superbissimo expulsus, ducem iucundiorem et leges aequiores dehinc quaesivit.

Back 3

That orator, expelled by the most arrogant tyrant, then sought a more agreeable leader and fairer laws.
Note: superbus, superba, superbum, arrogant, overbearing, haughty, proud; superlative: base + issimus, -a, -um

Front 4

Summum imperium optimis viris semper petendum est.

Back 4

The highest power is always to be sought by the best men.

Hint 4

Passive periphrastic with dative of agent.

Front 5

Senex nepotibus tristibus casam patefecit et eos trans limen invitavit.

Back 5

The old man opened his house to his sad grandsons and invited them across the threshold.

Front 6

Ostendit hostes ultimum signum luce clarissima illa nocte dedisse.

Back 6

He showed that enemy had given the last signal on that night with a very bright light.

Hint 6

Note 1: Ablative of Time When or Within Which
Note 2: Ablative of Means

Front 7

Iste tyrannus pessimus negavit se viros liberos umquam oppressisse.

Back 7

That very bad tyrant denied that he had ever oppressed the free men.

Hint 7

Note: The superlative is sometimes translated with "very", especially when comparing a person/thing to what is usual or ideal.

Front 8

Fidelissimus servus plus cenae ad mensam accipiebat quam tres peiores.

Back 8

The most loyal slave kept receiving more dinner at the table than the three worse (slaves).

Front 9

Aiunt hunc auctorem vitam humillimam hic agere.

Back 9

They say that this author leads a very humble life here.

Front 10

Cur di superi oculos a rebus humanis eo tempore averterunt?

Back 10

Why did the gods above avert their eyes from human affairs at that time?

Front 11

Habesne pecuniam et res tuas prae re publica?

Back 11

Do you hold money and your own affairs before the republic?

Front 12

Solem post paucas nubes gracillimas in caelo hodie videre possumus.

Back 12

We can see the sun behind a few very graceful clouds in the sky today.

Front 13

Quidam credunt urbes maximas peiores esse minimis.

Back 13

Some believe that very large cities are worse than very small ones.
Note: superlative is sometimes translated with "very"
Note: ablative of comparison (when the first element to be compared is in the nom. or acc. case)

Front 14

Pro tribus donis minoribus adulescens matri tristissimae plura etiam et belliora dedit.

Back 14

In return for the three rather small gifts, the young man gave even more and prettier ones to his very sad mother.
Note: pro + abl

Front 15

Illi montes maximi quam hi altiores fuerunt.

Back 15

Those very large mountains were higher than these.

Front 16

Trahit me nova vis: video meliora proboque, sed peiora tantum facio et nescio cur. (Ovid)

Back 16

A new force draws me: I see many (rather) good things and I approve, but I do so many (rather) bad things and I do not know why.

Front 17

Quaedam carmina sunt bona; plura sunt mala. (Martial)

Back 17

Some poems are good; rather many are bad.

Front 18

Optimum est. Nihil melius, nihil pulchrius hoc vidi. (Terence)

Back 18

It is the best. I have seen nothing better, nothing finer than this.

Hint 18

Note: abl of comparision (hoc)

Front 19

Spero te et hunc natalem et plurimus alios quam felicissimos acturum esse. (Pliny)

Back 19

I hope that you will spend this birthday and very many others most happily.

Hint 19

natalis [dies], birthday
ago, agere, egi, actus V [XXXAO]
drive, urge, conduct; spend (time w/cum); thank (w/gratias); deliver (speech)

Front 20

Quoniam consilium et ratio sunt in senibus, maiores nostri summum concilium appellaverunt senatum. (Cicero)

Back 20

Since judgment and reason are in the old, our ancestors called the senate the highest council.

Front 21

Plus operae studiique in rebus domesticis nobis nunc ponendum est etiam quam in rebus militaribus. (Cicero)

Back 21

More effort and zeal should be put by us in domestic matters even than in military matters.

Front 22

Neque enim periculum in re publica fuit gravius umquam neque otium maius. (Cicero)

Back 22

For neither was the danger ever graver in the republic, nor the laziness greater.

Front 23

Sumus sapientiores illis, quod nos naturam esse optimam ducem scimus. (Cicero)

Back 23

We are wiser than those men, because we know that nature is the best guide.

Front 24

Natura minimum petit; naturae autem se sapiens accommodat. (Seneca)

Back 24

Nature asks very little; but a wise man adapts himself to nature.

Front 25

Maximum remedium irae mora est. (Seneca)

Back 25

The greatest remedy for anger is delay.

Front 26

Qui animum vincit et iram continet, eum cum summis viris non comparo sed eum esse simillimum deo dico. (Cicero)

Back 26

I do not compare a man who conquers his pride and contains his anger with the greatest men, but I say that he is similar to a god.

Front 27

Dionysius, tyrannus urbis pulcherrimae, erat vir summae in victu temperantiae et in omnibus rebus diligentissimus et acerrimus. Idem tamen erat ferox ac iniustus. Qua ex re, si verum dicimus, videbatur miserrimus. (Cicero)

Back 27

Dionysius, a tyrant of a most beautiful city, was a man of great temperance in his way of life and in all things the most diligent and keenest. Nevertheless, the same man was fierce and unjust. Out of which thing, if we speak the truth, he seemed very wretched.

victus, -us, mode of life;

Front 28

Nisi superos vertere possum, Acheronta movebo. (Virgil)

Back 28

If I cannot change the gods, I shall stir up Acheron.

Hint 28

Acheron, a river in the underworld.