Pliny Dolphin Story

Delphinus occurrit

The dolphin approached him

et nunc praecedere puerum

And now swam in front of the boy

nunc sequi,

now followed him,

Nunc curcumire,

Now went around him,

postremo subire,

Finally it took him on its back

deponere

Then put him down

iterum subire

And then took him on its back again

trepidantemque perferre

and carried the frightened boy

primum in altum,

First of all right into open sea

Mox flecit

Soon turned around

ad litus

Back to shore

Redditque terrae.

And returned him to land.

Serpit per coloniam fama:

stories about this crept through the community

concurrere omnes,

they all flocked together

Ipsum puerum

Looked at the boy himself

Tamquam miraculum

As if he were some miracle

interrogare, audire, narrare

Asked questions, listened and told on the story to others.

postero die

the following day

Obsident litus

They surrounded the shore

prospectant mare

They looked out at the sea

Et si quid mari simile

and watched for anything that looked similar in the sea

natant pueri

the boys swam out

Inter hos ille

Among them that boy

Sed cautius

But more cautiously

Delphinus rursus ad tempus

The dolphin came again at that time

rursus ad puerum venit.

and again to that boy

fugit ille cum ceteris.

He took flight with the rest

Quasi invitet et revocet

As if inviting and calling him back

exsilit

it leapt

mergitur

it dived

Vario orbes implicat expeditque

and wound through and unwound various loops

Hoc altero die

This happened on the second day

Hoc tertio

And on the third day

Hoc pluribus

And on many more days

donec

until

homines innutritos mari

men brought up by the sea

Subiret timendi pudor

Began to be ashamed of being afraid

Accedunt et adludunt

They approached it, played with it

et appellant

and called to it

tangunt etiam pertrectantque

And even allowed itself to be stroked

praebentem

it offered itself