II. Résumé making (text compression).

Listen to the recorded text, make notes and write a résumé in Russian /Ukrainian/English (reduce the text to the core, then develop it back without consulting the text).

Translate into English using text compression (omit redundant words, convert nominative structure into verbal, use noun clusters etc.)

First, do it in writing; then orally, observe transformations in translation.

III. Text development

Develop a text from the given core (first do it in one language in writing, then with interpretation – orally).

IV. Sight translation practice.

Pay attention to precision information (proper names, geographical names, dates) and correct word order. Suggest background information required for a proper translation of the text.

V. Check yourself (your translation) against the pattern translation version.

VI. Listen to the recorded text and practise consecutive interpreting.

Strabon

(64/63 В.С. – 23/24)

Greek Geographer, Нistorian

He liked travelling. And he was given almost a whole century for it. As if having a good idea about such a gift of his fate, he wasn’t in a hurry: he was traveling without haste, gathering thoroughly information about all countries and peoples known at that time. Actually he turned myths and legends into history and geography. However, he said that he was a philosopher: «a person who devoted himself to the study of the art to live». With this self-definition a Greek scientist Strabon, opened his main work – the book «Geography».

His life travel almost 90 years long Strabon started in the town of Amasia of Asia Minor. There was Greek and Persian blood flowing in his veins. Strabon received perfect education in the best traditions of Hellenes. He had all the grounds to consider himself a Greek scientist. But he lived in the epoch of the mighty Rome, he was friendly with Roman scientists and writers and he always returned to the «eternal city» after numerous trips.

Strabon came to Rome being a 20 year old youth for the first time in the year of 44 B. C. At that time Octavian became the successor of Caesar. He made history and created the empire – Strabon described all this. Most likely, it was at that time that the youth chose the road of a scientist – it required knowledge and conscientiousness, patience and even temper. Following a philosophical teaching of stoics popular at that time, Strabon strove for moderation and self-perfection. He preferred to observe the events happen rather than participate in political activities.

Strabon was cautious in words and deeds. Describing his travels, he never decorated the things he had seen and despised people who sacrificed truth for the sake of glory: «The one who told a lie about known countries is hardly able to tell the truth about the places unfamiliar to anyone».

His first work «Historical notes» Strabon completed at the age of 32. In the «Notes» Roman history starting with the destruction of Carthage 146 years B. C. and finishing with the battle of Actium in 31 A. D. was told. This work has not survived, but Strabon mentions it very often in his next work – «Geography». «Geography» gives an idea of the world, the way it was seen at the outset of our era. It consists of 17 books: the first two – the author’s reflections on geography and geographers, the next eight books are devoted to Europe, six more – to Asia and the last one – to Africa. The scientists assert that «since the time of Herodotus no other picturesque book of the kind has left».

In his book «Geography» Strabon told in detail everything people knew about the populated land at that time – «Oikumene». He critically changed the works of his predecessors and gave the arguments concerning the location of a particular geographical place.

At that time, tourism «came into fashion» in the Roman Empire. Ancient tourists like our contemporaries made use of the guidebooks. It could be, for example, a silver vessel decorated with the picture of the route from any place of the empire to Rome. All the intermediate stations and distances between them were indicated. Who knows, may be the author of such a guidebook was the geographer Strabon?

«I communicate the things I consider to be true in the cases I have my judgment, if I am not sure – I give the sources, and when there is no proof, then I am also silent». Maybe due to such an approach towards the facts, Strabon often touched upon the «seven wonders of the world» in passing and dwelt in detail upon the trifles, which were interesting and useful for his contemporaries.

For instance, after his visit to Ethiopia he stated the fact of brewing barley beer there. After visiting Memphis – the ancient capital of Egypt – Strabon mentioned casually the pyramids saying nothing about the Sphinx carved out of the rock. Telling about the centre of Hellenic science and culture – Alexandria of Egypt where Strabon lived for a long time – he did not mention the Alexandria Library known all over the world. At the same time he described the city so thoroughly that now one can restore its appearance on the threshold of our era.

Strabon not only learned a huge number of the works of his predecessors. He walked round and traveled all over Cappadocia and Frigia, visited the foot of the Caucasus, the shores of Ionia and the Kiklad Islands, as well as Corynth. Describing these places in detail, Strabon always added the phrase: «When I stayed there…..»

Having started his work on the book «Geography» being over 60, Strabon finished it in 30 years time, annually adding various amendments.

The 17 volume «Geography» reached its readers after the author»s death.

Strabon’s work is a summary of geographical knowledge of the ancient world. The English historian Tarn stated: «Few authors can be found to whom we are obliged more than to Strabon. We look at this world as a whole with his eyes when he had already gone into the past».