My favorite co-worker frequently describes our job by saying “This is no way to live.” I got him for Secret Santa and would like to get him a keychain with that engraved on it in Latin. After what I’ve seen the on-line translators do to Spanish, I don’t trust them. Any Dopers able to help?
I’ll give it a go:
Hoc nullus modus vīvendī est.
I’m not sure if the demonstrative should be hic to agree with modus, or hoc as a neuter abstraction. I also wonder about word order (vainly trying to understand this).
Try Hoc modus vivendi bonus non est instead. If you want to get away from a literal translation, consider Hoc modum vivendi non mihi placet
The latter meaning “I don’t enjoy this way to live”, correct ?
In that case, it would have to be hic modus, and wouldn’t it still be modus in the latter example?
I forget; isn’t modus neuter?
You’re correct - I erroneously put it in the accusative case.
Personally I’d say “Hoc vivere non potest” (“It is impossible to live this way”) but my Latin days are loooong past
It’s too easy to read this as “This cannot live.” *Modus vīvendī *is definitely what you want for “way to live,” and *modus *is masculine. I still think nullus modus vīvendī for “no way to live,” so maybe just the word order:
Nullus modus vīvendī est hoc.
(I still prefer hoc to show that it’s not modifying modus, but a general “this [situation].”)
Perhaps:
Hīc laborāre nullus modus vīvendī est—Working here is no way to live.
It’s more like “This way of life doesn’t please me.”
I think a very literal translation would be “Hoc est non modō vivere.” But I vote for “Hoc modus vivendi bonus non est.” Or maybe “Hoc mihi non est bonum vivendi.”-- or “bonum vitae.”
Maybe we can post all the translations and have a poll.
I had a couple of phrases translated by Quintus when my team at work was required to have a mission statement. There is a fee, but they definitely know their stuff.
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake]
It’s too easy to read this as “This cannot live.”
[/QUOTE]
True, true. But it’s terse and most importantly (in this particular context) : it sounds the shit, don’t it ? 
The “bonus non est” version, paradoxically, is better actual Latin but sounds more like dog Latin to a layman’s ear IMO :o.
I vote for Hic est nullus modus vivendi. non fere - “hardly” might work for nullus if that’s more the sentiment, but it sounds overwrought to me…
My co-worker is the product of Catholic education k-12 and college. He had some instruction in Latin along the way, so better actual Latin would be the way to go. Thanks to all who have replied so far.