Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 1.djvu/728

712 sword," a Roman would say "Sword-with-struck-he"—a partial advance on the agglutination of more savage dialects, where, instead of "He saw a pig on the road," we should have one word, "Road-pig-saw-he."

A classical education is also said to be the best training in English composition. This argument, in so far as the end alleged is gained through grammar, I have already shown to be groundless. I have still to deal with the direct exercise in English composition obtained in classical translation.

It is to be observed that this value is not special to Latin or Greek, but is common to all foreign languages. Further, if the idea of Mr. Mill and of some others were carried out, and we were able to read foreign tongues as we read our own, we should not translate at all, and could have no conceivable exercise in English composition. If we are exercised at all in English composition by foreign translation, it must be under some such system as the present mode of classical instruction. Is it impossible to write good English without a knowledge of classics? I need only repeat the stock answer. Some of the greatest names in our literature have won their reputation without a knowledge of classics.

Does the power of composing good English always follow upon a good knowledge of classics? Mr. Dasent's evidence, quoted before, gives to this question as explicit a denial as could be desired.

How far, then, is translation an exercise in English composition? Let us consider translation in detail. The pupil has to master the construction, that is, to recall the meaning of the relational particles and endings. He has to muster, partly from memory, partly from his dictionary, the English equivalents for the foreign words, settling which is the word for the occasion. Finally, he has to range the English words in the form of a sentence. This last is the exercise in English composition.

What proportion of the whole time given to translation does this exercise occupy? Sometimes hardly any time at all. The pupil prepares the meanings of the words, and blurts them out anyhow. In the most favorable cases, the time spent on this operation must be comparatively small. The other operations are much more arduous, and must occupy at least five-sixths of the whole time.

What is the nature of the composition done in this sixth of the translating time? Is it calculated to train in good English composition? On the contrary, literal translation is often insisted upon; that is to say, the pupil is drilled in unidiomatic English. This is worse than no English drill at all for purposes of English composition: its only effect in that direction must be to foster a habit of writing bad English.

Where the arrangement of the English words is made in accordance