The 11th “Foreign Languages and Cultures” reading salon  was held by the Editorial Office of Foreign Languages and Cultures with the help of the Humboldt Transdisciplinary Studies Center. The speaker of the salon, Professor David Porter, shared with us a long-lost Latin manuscript that he had recently found by accident, Poma Amoris (The Fruits of Love) by Dutch scholar Adrian Beverland. This was the first time that our reading salon had read a work in a foreign language together, and the first time that we had this experience with a Latin text. The salon was chaired by Dr. Elham Etemadi, Associate Professor of Foreign Languages, entitled “Philology of Love: Rediscovering Adrian Beverland’s Lost Poma Amoris (c. 1679).”

Starting with the etymology and interpretation of the word “philology,” Professor Porter introduced his deep interest in languages and vividly illustrated how to explore the hidden possibilities of a text through slow reading by using a simple translation of a Latin poem. Professor Porter then moved on to the main topic of the reading salon: the 17th-18th century Dutch scholar Adrian Beverland and the once-obscure text Poma Amoris. After establishing a certain understanding of Beverland and the social context, Professor Porter led the group to read a part of the original Latin text of Poma Amoris and shared with us the translation he gave.

Professor Porter also took a selection of Latin books from his collection to the reading salon. This seemed fresh and new to most of the students.

the book Poma Amoris

Since 2020, with the support and planning of the Humboldt Transdisciplinary Studies Center and the Editorial Office of Foreign Languages and Cultures, a Latin course taught by Prof. Porter on a voluntary basis for students has been conducted for two semesters, giving a group of students from Foreign Studies Colleges as well as other colleges, and even other schools the opportunity to get in touch with and enjoy this language. Next year, The Latin Course will be officially launched in the elective series of FSC, HUNNU, so that more students who are interested in ancient Roman culture, religion, European civilization, and even world civilization will have the opportunity to learn and exchange with each other. We believe that in the future, we will have more opportunities to read Latin texts with Prof. Porter.