§196Hic illést parasitus, quem arcessitum missa sum.
Here is that parasite, whom I have been sent to summon.
§197quae loquitur auscultabo prius quam conloquar.
I will listen to what he is saying before I speak to him.
§198Sed curiosi sunt hic complures mali, §199alienas res qui curant studio maximo, §200quibus ipsis nullast res, quam procurent, sua: §201ei quando quem auctionem facturum sciunt, §202adeunt, perquirunt quid sit causae ilico: §203alienum aes cogat an pararit praedium, §204uxorin sit reddenda dos divortio.
But there are many bad, inquisitive people here, who care for other people's affairs with the greatest eagerness, although they themselves have no business of their own to attend to: whenever they know that anyone is going to hold an auction, they approach and immediately inquire what the reason is: whether debt compels him, or he has bought an estate, or whether a dowry must be returned to his wife because of a divorce.
§205eos ómnis tametsi hercle haud indignos iudico §206qui multum miseri sint, laborent, nil moror: §207dicam auctionis causam, ut damno gaudeant; §208nam curiosus nemo est quin sit malevolus.
Although, by Hercules, I judge all of them not undeserving of being extremely miserable and suffering, I do not care: I will tell the reason for the auction, so that they may rejoice in my loss; for no one is inquisitive without being malevolent.
§209damna evenerunt maxuma misero mihi, §210ita me mancupia miserum adfecerunt male, §211potationes plurumae demortuae, §212quot adeo cenae, quas deflevi, mortuae, §213quot potiones mulsi, quae autem prandia, §214quae inter continuom perdidi triennium.
Very great losses have occurred to miserable me, so badly have my properties affected miserable me, so many drinking bouts have died, and indeed how many dinners, which I have wept for, are dead, how many draughts of mead, and moreover what luncheons, which I have lost during three continuous years.
On account of grief and sickness indeed, miserable me, I have grown old; I am almost dead from hunger.
§217Ridiculus aeque nullus est quando esurit.
No one is equally funny when he is hungry.
Now I have decided to hold an auction: it is necessary to sell whatever I have out of doors.
§220adeste sultis, praeda erit praesentium.
Be present, if you please; there will be booty for those present.
§221logos ridiculos vendo.
I sell funny stories.
áge licemini.
Come, bid!
§222qui cena poscit? ecqui poscit prandio?
Who bids a dinner? Does anyone bid a luncheon?
§223hercle aestumavi prandio, cena tibi.
By Hercules, I valued it at a luncheon for you, at a dinner for you.
§224ehem, adnuistin? nemo meliores dabit.
Aha! Did you nod? No one will give better ones.
§226vel unctiones Graecas sudatorias §227vendo vel alias malacas, crapularias; §228cavillátiones, adsentatiunculas §229ac perieratiunculas parasiticas; §230robiginosam strigilem, ampullam rubidam, §231parasitum inanem quo recondas reliquias.
Or I sell Greek sweating-unguents, or other soothing ones, hangover-cures; jests, petty flatteries, and petty parasite perjuries; a rusty scraper, a dark-red flask, and an empty parasite, in whom you may stow away the leftovers.
It is necessary that these be sold as soon as possible, so that I may offer a tenth part to Hercules.
§234_235Ecastor auctionem haúd magni preti.
By Castor, an auction of no great value!
§236adhaesit homini ad infimum ventrem fames.
Hunger has cleaved to the bottom of the man's stomach.
§237adibo ad hominem.
I will go up to the man.
§237bQuis haec est quae advorsum it mihi?
Who is this woman coming towards me?
§238Epignómi ancilla haéc quidem est Crocotium.
Indeed, this is Epignomus' maid, Crocotium.
§239Gelasime, salve.
Gelasimus, hello.
§239bNon id est nomen mihi.
That is not my name.
§240Certo mecastor id fuit nomen tibi.
By Castor, certainly that was your name.
It was so expressly, but I have lost it through lack of use: now I am called Miccotrogus by my true name.
§243† Eu ecastor, risi te hodie multum.
Well, by Castor, I laughed at you a lot today.
§243bQuando aut quo in loco?
When, or in what place?
§244_245Hic quom auctionem praedicabas,
Here, when you were announcing your auction.
§246bTe quidem dignissumam.
And indeed you are most worthy of it.
§247Quo nunc is?
Where are you going now?
§247bAd te.
To you.
§247cQuid venis?
Why do you come?
Panegyris ordered me to ask you with the greatest urgency, that you should go with me at once to her house.
§250Ego illo mehercle vero eo quantum potest.
By Hercules, indeed I am going there as fast as possible.
§251iamne exta cocta sunt? quot agnis fecerat?
Are the entrails already cooked? With how many lambs did she sacrifice?
§252Illa quidem nullum sacrificavit.
Indeed, she has sacrificed none.
§252bQuo modo?
How so?
§253quid igitur me volt?
Why then does she want me?
§254bMene, ut ab sese petam?
Me, that I should seek from her?
§255Immo ut a vobis mutuom nobis dares.
Nay, that you should lend it to us from yourself.
§256Nega esse quod dem nec mihi nec mutuom, §257neque aliud quicquam nisi hoc quod habeo pallium; §258linguam quoque etiam vendidi datariam.
Say there is nothing for me to give, neither for myself nor to lend, nor anything else except this cloak which I have; indeed, I have also sold my tongue for hire.
§258bAu,
Oh!
§259_260nullan tibi lingua est?
Have you no tongue?
§259_260bQuae quidem dicat
dabo
; §261ventri reliqui eccam aliam quae dicat
cedo
. §262Malum quidem sí vis— §262bHaec eadem dicit tibi.
At least, one that says "I will give"; look, I have kept another for my stomach, which says "give here." Indeed, a mischief, if you wish— This same tongue says it to you.
§263Quid nunc? ituru's an non?
What now? Are you going or not?
Go home indeed, tell her that I will come there soon.
— §266demiror quid illaec me ad se arcessi iusserit, §267quae numquam iussit me ad se arcessi ante hunc diem, §268postquam vir abiit eius.
Hasten and go.— I wonder why she has ordered me to be summoned to her, who has never ordered me to be summoned before this day, since her husband departed.
miror quid siet, §269nisi ut periclum fiat: visam quid velit.
I wonder what it is, unless to make a trial of me: I will go and see what she wants.
§270sed eccum Pinacium eius puerum. hoc vide,
But look, there is her boy Pinacium.
§271satin ut facete, aeque atque ex pictura, astitit?
Look at this, is it not stylishly, just as if in a picture, that he has stood?
Indeed, by Pollux, that fellow has often drained wine almost unmixed very skillfully.
§274Mercúrius, Iovis qui núntius perhibétur, numquam aequé patri §275suo núntium lepidum áttulit quam égo nunc meae erae núntiabo: §276ítaque onustum péctus porto laétitia lubéntiaque
Mercury, who is said to be Jupiter's messenger, never brought to his father such a delightful message as I shall now announce to my mistress: and so I carry a breast laden with joy and pleasure.