Expert: Maria - 5/1/2009

Question
I need help with a translation,
my friend is reading a book in which the following dialogue is reapeted a several times, and he asks me to help him with this.
Here are the Fhrases:
Carpe Diem!
Et at unum!
Thanks in advance....
Alfonso  

Answer
Hello,

“Carpe Diem!” which means “Seize the day!” is a quotation from Horace’s Odes, Book 1, ode 11, line 8  where we read :
"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero"
[literally, "Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow"].

In this ode in fact the Latin poet Horace [65 BC- 8 BC]  is speaking to  a girl, Leuconoe, and calls upon her  to enjoy life as long as it's possible, just because the future is unknown and then she must seize the good things in life.

As for “Et at unum!”, I think that the correct phrase is “Et AD unum!” which literally  means “And to only one!”  related either to “a thing” or to “an individual”.
I cannot help you more, for you did not tell me the title or the matter of the book your friend is reading, and then I cannot know whether UNUM refers to “a thing” or to “an individual”.

Regards,
Maria
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-CARPE ( 2nd.person singular, imperative of CARPO) = Seize
-DIEM (direct object, accusative of DIES, 5th.declension) = the day


-ET = and
-AD (preposition which needs the accusative) = to
-UNUM (accusative masculine/neuter singular of UNUS) = only one