IGCSE Latin set text Avunculus Meus Pliny Translation

ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem (nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur), deinde ad officium sibi delegatum.

Before dawn he used to go to the emperor Vespasian (for he also made use of the nights), then he used to go to the duty assigned to him.

reversus domum reliquum tempus studiis dabat.

Having gone back to his house he gave the remaining time to his studies.

saepe post cibum (qui veterum more interdiu levis et facilis erat)

Often after food (which during the day, following the custom of his forefathers, was light and easily digested)

aestate, si quid otii erat, iacebat in sole, liber legebatur, adnotabat excerpebatque.

in the summer, if there was any leisure, he used to lie in the sun, a book was read to him, he made notes and extracts.

nihil enim legit quod non excerperet; dicere etiam solebat nullum librum esse tam malum ut non aliqua parte prodesset.

For he read nothing which he did not make extracts from; he was even accustomed to say that there was no book that was so bad that is was not of use in some part.

post solem plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur, deinde gustabat dormiebatque minimum;

After time in the sun he usually was washed in cold water, then he had a snack and slept very little.

mox quasi alio die studebat in cenae tempus. super cenam liber legebatur adnotabatur, et quidem cursim.

Soon, as if on another day, he used to study up to dinner time. Over dinner a book was read and was noted down, and indeed rapidly

haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitum.

[He did] these things in the middle of his work and the bustle of the city.

in secessu solum balinei tempus studiis eximebatur

Away from the city, only the time for bathing was taken away from his studies

(cum dico 'balinei', de interioribus loquor; nam dum destringitur tergiturque, audiebat aliquid aut dictabat).

(when I say 'the baths', I am talking about the inner rooms; for while he was rubbed down and being dried, he used to listen to something or used to dictate something.)

in itinere quasi solutus ceteris curis, huic uni vacabat:

On a journey as if freed from other worries, he used to devote himself to this one thing:

ad latus notarius cum libro et pugillaribus, cuius manus hieme manicis muniebantur, ut ne caeli quidem asperitas ullum studii tempus eriperet;

To his side was a secretary with a book and writing tablets, whose hands were protected with long sleeves in the winter, so that not even the harshness of the weather might take away any time for studying.

qua ex causa Romae quoque sella vehebatur.

For this reason at Rome also he used to be carried in a sedan-chair.

repeto me correptum ab eo, quod ambularem: 'poteras' inquit 'has horas non perdere';

I remember that I was scolded by him, because I was walking: 'You could have not wasted these hours' he said

nam perire omne tempus arbitrabatur, quod studiis non impenderetur. vale.

for he thought that all time was wasted that was not devoted to studies. Farewell.