Approaches to translating "without + verb"

Question

I was recently doing a translation of a phrase like the following:

You can see everything without blinking.

Here was my briefly considered attempt:

Omnia sine nictatione videre vales.

I was relieved that nictatio has some attested forms, but it led me to consider: is there a standard way (i.e. without major recasting) to translate this kind of construction while still using a verb? I can think of a few phrases where this would be useful, such as:

He spoke without looking around him.

Of course I could recast:

Loquebatur nec circumspiciebat.

Loquebatur oculos servans.

My question: Is there a Latin construction for "without X-ing" that doesn't require significant recasting of the sentence?

Answer 1

If the main clause contains a negative, a subordinate clause introduced by quin and containing a subjunctive may be equivalent to 'without —ing.'

Example:

nullum adhuc intermisi diem quin aliquid ad te litterarum darem, 'Up to now, I've let not a single day pass without dropping you some sort of letter.' (Cic. Att. 7.15.1)

Update: As another example, there's this lovely bit from the In Vatinium (39):

quod si ipse, qui te suae dignitatis augendae causa, periculo tuo, nullo suo delicto, ferri praecipitem est facile passus, tamen te omni honore indignissimum iudicat, si te vicini, si adfines, si tribules ita oderunt ut repulsam tuam triumphum suum duxerint, si nemo aspicit quin ingemescat, nemo mentionem facit quin exsecretur, si vitant, fugiunt, audire de te nolunt, cum viderunt, tamquam auspicium malum detestantur, si cognati respuunt, tribules exsecrantur, vicini metuunt, adfines erubescunt, strumae denique ab ore improbo demigrarunt et aliis iam se locis conlocarunt, si es odium publicum populi, senatus, universorum hominum rusticanorum,—quid est quam ob rem praeturam potius exoptes quam mortem, praesertim cum popularem te velis esse neque ulla re populo gratius facere possis?

Answer 2

The only attested use of gerund of nicto which I found is from the s. 10 p.C., by a certain Eugenius Vulgarius (Monumenta Germaniae Historica Poetae Latini Medii Aevi 4/1, Berlin 1899, p. 414): Delectae plebi tradit nictando iuvamen. So we shall not intend this construction as the "standard way". I would rather translate with a modal ablative or, if you want to retain the verb, with an ablative absolute, though I don't found anything in that sense from Latin authors:

Omnia immotis palpebris videre vales

Omnia firmis palpebris videre vales

Omnia immobilibus palpebris videre vales

Omnia stantibus palpebris videre vales

Omnia palpebris non coeuntibus videre vales (cfr. Plin. nat. 23,49,3)

Omnia palpebris quietis videre vales

You can use either superciliis or ciliis instead of palpebris.