FEa 16, 1883.] 



o- KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



99 



Many riders have a predilection for a rear-steering 

 tricycle : those who require this type of machine will 

 find Burgess's " Sterling " tricycle, as constructed for 

 this season, an admirable machine. I believe the machine 

 to be as safe for running down hill as a front-steercr, 

 while it is much easier to mount or disnwunt ; it will 

 receive luggage more conveniently, and it will carry the 

 driver without splashing him over dirty roads, while a 

 front-steercr will smother him with mud. The front 

 wheels have ratchets, and the pedals may at pleasure be 

 stopped and used as foot-rests. This is a great advantage 

 when running down hill. I have found some dilHculty in 

 making many persons undcr.stand the advantage of Mr. 

 Burgess's plan of pedalling backwards to go forwards ; but 

 I am sure my thoughtful readers of Knowledge will soon 

 see the point When pedalling forward with a crank action, 

 each foot controls a pedal over little more than one- 

 third of a revolution. When pedalling backwards, each 

 foot has control over a pedal for a little more than 

 half-a-circle. There are, therefore, no dead centres to 

 get over — an inestimable advantage when riding uphill. 

 Again, when pedalling backwards, each down-stroke of 

 the foot presses the hind steering-wheel more firmly on to 

 the ground, makes the steering more sure, and steadies the 

 machine. Pedalling forwards would lift the hind wheel off 

 the ground, render the steering uncertain, and the machine 

 unsteady. The position of the seat when the rider has to 

 •pedal backwards, places him between the three wheels; 

 this reduces the motion of the rider when passing over 

 obstacles, and gives him the most perfect vertical action 

 yet obtained. 



In his admirable paper in Good Words, Dr. Richardson 

 recommends tricyclists to use all their influence with 

 manufacturers to induce them to adopt means for mini- 

 mising vibration in tricycles. This has been done in the 

 "Sterling"' in the following simple manner. The seat is 

 attached to two levers by means of straps, and these levers 

 are attached to helical springs. The vibration is so much 

 reduced that a rider may travel over a macadamised road 

 in bad condition without inconvenience. The machine 

 has a long backbone, which also tends to reduce vibration. 

 The length of the backbone and the form of the fi-ame 

 cause this machine to be especially suited to carrying 

 .photographic apparatus. A case 18 in. square will hang 

 easily underneath the machine without being in the way 

 of the rider. 



LEARNING LANGUAGES. 

 By Rich.vrd a. Proctor. 



(Continued from page 6G.) 



THE HAMILTONIAN SYSTEM. 



THIS system differs from the ordinary literal transla- 

 tion, in giving a truly literal translation, placed word 

 for word under the words of the original, which are only 

 so far changed in order as seems essential to the sense. 

 Thus, take the following passage, with which Cicero's 

 famous third oration against Catiline opens : — 



Re)iijJi(blicaiii, Quiriti's, litamque omnhim veslriim,b(yna, 

 JortiDias, corijiii/rs, liljerosf/He res/iii.<, atqne hoc domiciliuin 

 clarissiini imperii, fortunatissimam pxdcherrimamqne 

 urbein, hodiemo die, Dearum immortalium summo erga vox 

 amore, laboribiis, coiisiliix, perictdisque meis, ex Jlammd 

 ttlque /erro, ac piene ex faucibris fati preptam, et vobis con- 

 iervatara ac restilxitam, videlis. Et, si 7wn minus nobis 

 JKcundi atque iUiistres sunt ii dies, quibus conservamur. 



snatched out-of flame 

 faucibus fati, et 

 the jaws of fate and 

 vobis, hodiemo die, 

 to you, on-this-day, 

 immortalium Dforum 



quam illi quibus ■nascimiir ; (quod saliUis cerla Icetitia est, 

 luisifiidi incerl<i conditin ; el quod sine setisu nascimur 

 cum colujitali; sirramiir) : profectv, quoniam illum^ qui 

 hanc urbein comlidil, Jiomulum, ad Deos iimtwrtales bene- 

 voleiitid JamAquc gusluVanus : esse apud vos jwsierosque 

 vestros ill. hotwro debebit is, qui eandeia hanc urbeni eon- 

 ditam aiuplifcatamque servavit. 



The Hamiltonian translation of this passage is presented 

 as follows : — 



Quirites, videtis rempubllcam, que vitam vestriim 



Jiomans, you S'-e, the republic, and th^i life of you, 



omnium, bona, fortunos, conjuges, que vestros libCros, 



all, goods, fortunes, wives, and your child re a, 



atque hoc domicilium clarissimi imperii, fortunatissi- 



inul this abode of a most famous empire, amostfortu- 

 mam que pulcherriman urbem, ereptam e.x ilammd 

 nate find must beautiful city, 

 atque ferro, ac psene ex 



and sword, and almost out-of 

 conservatam ac restitutam 



preserved and restored 



summo an 



by the highest (very great) lore of the immortal Gods 



erga vos, meis laboribus, consiliis que periculis. Et 

 towards you, by my labours, counsels, aiul datiyers. And 

 si li dies quibus conservamur sunt non minus 

 if those days in which we nre-preserced are not less 

 jucundi atque illustres quam illi quibus nascimur ; 

 pleasant and illustrious titan those in which we are-born ; 



(qu&d Isetitia salutis est certa, conditio 



because the joy of safety is certain, tlie condition 



nascendi incerta ; et quod nascimur sine 



of being-born (is) uncertain ; andbecause we are-born without 

 sensu, servamur cum voluptate) ; profectu quoniam 



feeling, ice are preserved with pleasure: truly because 



sustulimus ilium Romulum, (jui condidit hanc urbem, 

 ice have-raised that Bomulus, wlio founded this city, 

 ad immortales Deos benevolentiu ac fama : 

 to the immortal Gods vnth benevolence and with fame : 

 is debebit esse in honore apud vos que vestros 



he loill-onyht to be in honour with (among) you and yottr 



posteros, qui servavit hanc eandem urbem 



ilescendants, who has-preserred this same city 



conditam que amplificatani. 

 beiiig-fonnded and enlarged. 



The method of this translation will at once be recog- 

 nised. The aim is to be strictly literal ; and the student 

 is at once saved all troubk; about the meaning of each 

 word. In the above passage we may take exception to the 

 translation of " quoniam " by because instead of since, and 

 will-ought for "debebit" may perplex by Ijeing un-English ; 

 " will owe (ought) " would, perhaps, have done better. We 

 see also, that in this, as in all other systems of trans- 

 lation, there is room for comment on the words used to 

 represent the original. Thus the words " certa " and 

 " incerta " are not fully represented by the English certain 

 and ii)wertain—a.nd though the attentive learner can hardly 

 fail to notice this for himself, since the statement that 

 " the condition of being-born is uncertain," is absurd, it 

 would be well in all such cases to add a foot-note indicating 

 the delicate shade by which the original differs from the 

 nearest English for it. In the present case, for in- 

 stance, the word " certa " indicates that the joy 

 of safety is consciously recognised or ascertained ; 



