Feeling really ignorant
May. 18th, 2006 11:20 amI had a meeting with my Honours supervisor yesterday, which left me feeling demoralised but also shamed into working harder. But the funniest part of the whole conversation went something like this:
Supervisor: Why haven't you cited the primary sources, the saints' lives and chronicles, here? Why are you quoting them through secondary sources? We do have Adomnan's 'Life of Columba' in the library, you know.
Me: Isn't it in Latin?
S: Yes.
Me: Ummm, I can't speak Latin...
S: ?!?!?!?
I mean, when am I supposed to have learned Latin? I went to a public school...public schools and Latin don't really seem to go together. But it did make me feel really stupid.
And there is a happy ending. Adomnan's 'Life of Columba' is available with English translation!!!
Supervisor: Why haven't you cited the primary sources, the saints' lives and chronicles, here? Why are you quoting them through secondary sources? We do have Adomnan's 'Life of Columba' in the library, you know.
Me: Isn't it in Latin?
S: Yes.
Me: Ummm, I can't speak Latin...
S: ?!?!?!?
I mean, when am I supposed to have learned Latin? I went to a public school...public schools and Latin don't really seem to go together. But it did make me feel really stupid.
And there is a happy ending. Adomnan's 'Life of Columba' is available with English translation!!!