With respect to all, I think the immediate problem lies with the vowel
sounds rather than with Latinity. I'd avoid all "dark" vowels, saying
something like "fine simplicity and quiet dignity" [a rather more
approximate translation, however].
The British equivalent, of course, translating freely, would be
"effortless superiority" <Grins>.
John Williams
Lecturer in German Language and Literature
Keele University
Johan Siebers wrote:
> In Lessing's Laokoon, edited by Dorothy Reich, Clarendon German Series 1965,
> Introduction, p. 15, Rieich quotes Winckelmann in German and then translates:
>
>"noble simplicity and quiet majesty".
>
> not sure how standard it is.
>
> Johan
>
> dr. Johan Siebers
>
> Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies
> School of Advanced Study, University of London
> Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
> Tel: +44 7894 741174; fax +44 20 7862 8672
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> Ernst Bloch lives, on http://www.ernst-bloch-gesellschaft.de/
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>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JISCmail German Studies List on behalf of Peter Davies
> Sent: Sun 01/02/2009 14:20
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: edle Einfalt usw.
>
> Dear all
>
> Could any 18th c. specialists out there help me with translating the
> phrase 'edle Einfalt und stille Größe'? Is there a widely accepted
> standard rendering of it in English?
>
> Many thanks
> Peter
>
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