Off. 1.37.1Et quoniam magna vīs ōrātiōnis est, eaque duplex, altera contentiōnis, altera sermōnis, contentiō disceptātiōnibus tribuātur iūdiciōrum, contiōnum, senātūs, sermō in circulīs, disputātiōnibus, congressiōnibus familiārium versētur, sequātur etiam convīvia.And since the power of speech is great, and it is of two kinds, one of formal debate, the other of conversation, let debate be assigned to disputes in the law courts, assemblies and senate, and let conversation have its place in social circles, discussions and meetings of friends, and let it attend dinner parties too. Off. 1.37.1Contentiōnis praecepta rhētorum sunt, nūlla sermōnis, quamquam haud sciō an possint haec quoque esse.There are rules of the rhetoricians for debate, none for conversation, although I rather think there could be some for this too. Off. 1.37.1Sed discentium studiīs inveniuntur magistrī, huic autem quī studeant, sunt nūllī, rhētorum turbā referta omnia;But teachers are found where there are learners eager to study, whereas there is no one who studies this, while everything is crowded with the throng of rhetoricians; Off. 1.37.1quamquam, quae verbōrum sententiārumque praecepta sunt, eadem ad sermōnem pertinēbunt.yet the rules that concern words and sentences will apply to conversation as well.
Off. 1.37.133Sed cum ōrātiōnis indicem vōcem habeāmus, in vōce autem duo sequāmur, ut clāra sit, ut suāvis, utrumque omnīnō ā nātūrā petundum est, vērum alterum exercitātiō augēbit, alterum imitātiō pressē loquentium et lēniter.But since we have the voice as the herald of speech, and in the voice we look for two things, that it be clear and that it be pleasant, both must certainly be sought from nature, but practice will improve the one, and imitation of those who speak precisely and smoothly the other. Off. 1.37.133Nihil fuit in Catulīs, ut eōs exquīsītē iūdiciō putārēs ūtī litterārum, quamquam erant litterātī;There was nothing about the Catuli to make you think that they used an exquisite literary judgement, although they were men of letters; Off. 1.37.133sed et aliī;but so were others; Off. 1.37.133hī autem optimē ūtī linguā Latīnā putābantur;these, however, were thought to use the Latin language best; Off. 1.37.133sonus erat dulcis, litterae neque expressae neque oppressae, nē aut obscūrum esset aut pūtidum, sine contentiōne vōx nec languēns nec canōra.their tone was pleasant, their letters neither over-articulated nor slurred, so that their speech was neither indistinct nor affected, their voice without strain, neither faint nor sing-song.
Off. 1.37.133Ūberior ōrātiō L. Crassī nec minus facēta, sed bene loquendī dē Catulīs opīniō nōn minor.The speech of Lucius Crassus was richer and no less witty, but the reputation of the Catuli for speaking well was no less. Off. 1.37.133Sale vērō et facētiīs Caesar, Catulī patris frāter, vīcit omnēs, ut in illō ipsō forēnsī genere dīcendī contentiōnēs aliōrum sermōne vinceret.In wit and humour, indeed, Caesar, the brother of the elder Catulus, surpassed everyone, so that even in that forensic style of speaking he defeated the formal pleading of others with his conversational manner. Off. 1.37.133In omnibus igitur hīs ēlabōrandum est, sī in omnī rē quid deceat exquīrimus.In all these matters, therefore, we must take pains, if in every matter we are seeking what is fitting. Off. 1.37.134Sit ergō hic sermō, in quō Sōcraticī maximē excellunt, lēnis minimēque pertināx, īnsit in eō lepōs;Let this conversation, then, in which the Socratics most excel, be gentle and not at all dogmatic, and let there be charm in it; Off. 1.37.134nec vērō, tamquam in possessiōnem suam vēnerit, exclūdat aliōs, sed cum reliquīs in rēbus, tum in sermōne commūnī vicissitūdinem nōn inīquam putet;nor indeed should it shut others out, as if it had entered into its own property, but it should think that, as in other things, so in general conversation, taking turns is not unfair; Off. 1.37.134ac videat in prīmīs, quibus dē rēbus loquātur;and let it see above all what subjects it is speaking about; Off. 1.37.134sī sēriīs, sevēritātem adhibeat, sī iocōsīs, lepōrem;if serious ones, let it apply seriousness, if humorous, charm; Off. 1.37.134in prīmīsque prōvideat, nē sermō vitium aliquod indicet īnesse in mōribus;and above all let it take care that the conversation does not reveal some fault in the character; Off. 1.37.134quod maximē tum solet ēvenīre, cum studiōsē dē absentibus dētrahendī causā aut per rīdiculum aut sevērē maledicē contumēliōsēque dīcitur.this usually happens most of all when people speak of the absent deliberately, for the sake of disparaging them, either in ridicule or in earnest, abusively and insultingly.
Off. 1.37.135Habentur autem plērumque sermōnēs aut dē domesticīs negōtiīs aut dē rē pūblicā aut dē artium studiīs atque doctrīnā.Conversations are generally held either about domestic affairs or about public affairs or about the study of the arts and learning. Off. 1.37.135Danda igitur opera est, ut, etiamsī aberrāre ad alia coeperit, ad haec revocētur ōrātiō, sed utcumque aderunt;Pains must therefore be taken that, even if the talk has begun to stray to other topics, it is recalled to these, but according to who is present; Off. 1.37.135neque enim īsdem dē rēbus nec omnī tempore nec similiter dēlectāmur.for we do not all take pleasure in the same things, nor at every time, nor in the same way. Off. 1.37.135Animadvertendum est etiam, quātenus sermō dēlectātiōnem habeat, et, ut incipiendī ratiō fuerit, ita sit dēsinendī modus.We must also observe how far the conversation gives pleasure, and, as there was a reason for beginning, so let there be a limit for ending.