A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick — Page 8
But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge.
Aber bei aller gebührenden Ehrerbietung gegenüber einem so vortrefflichen Freund und so verdienstvollen Patrioten kann ich seine Ansichten nicht vollständig teilen; denn was die männlichen Wesen betrifft, so versicherte mir mein amerikanischer Bekannter aus häufiger Erfahrung, dass ihr Fleisch durch ständige Bewegung im Allgemeinen zäh und mager sei, wie das unserer Schulknaben, und ihr Geschmack unangenehm, und sie zu mästen würde die Kosten nicht rechtfertigen.
Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves: and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.
Was dann die weiblichen Wesen betrifft, so wäre es, wie ich in aller Bescheidenheit meine, ein Verlust für die Allgemeinheit, da sie selbst bald zu Gebärerinnen würden: und überdies ist es nicht unwahrscheinlich, dass einige gewissenhafte Menschen eine solche Praxis (obwohl in der Tat sehr zu Unrecht) als ein wenig an Grausamkeit grenzend tadeln könnten, was, ich gestehe es, stets mein stärkstes Bedenken gegen jedes Vorhaben gewesen ist, wie gut es auch immer gemeint sein mag.
Vocabulary
- Aber
- Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'.
- bei
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'by', or 'with'.
- aller
- Genitive form of 'all'; meaning 'of all'.
- gebührenden
- Adjective meaning 'appropriate' or 'due respect'.
- Ehrerbietung
- Noun meaning deep respect or reverence toward someone.
- gegenüber
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'opposite' someone.
- einem
- Dative indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- so
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such' in this context.
- vortrefflichen
- Adjective meaning 'excellent' or 'outstanding'.
- Freund
- Noun meaning a male friend or companion.
- und
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- verdienstvollen
- Adjective meaning 'meritorious' or 'deserving of praise'.
- Patrioten
- Noun meaning a patriot devoted to their country.
- kann
- Modal verb meaning 'can' or 'am able to'.
- ich
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
- seine
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his'.
- Ansichten
- Noun meaning views, opinions, or perspectives.
- nicht
- Negation adverb meaning 'not'.
- vollständig
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'completely' or 'fully'.
- teilen
- Verb meaning to share or divide something.
- denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
- was
- Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'.
- die
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the'.
- männlichen
- Adjective meaning 'male' or 'masculine'.
- Wesen
- Noun meaning beings, creatures, or essence.
- betrifft
- Verb meaning 'concerns' or 'regards' something.
- versicherte
- Past tense of 'versichern'; assured or confirmed.
- mir
- Dative first-person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'to me'.
- mein
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'my'.
- amerikanischer
- Adjective meaning 'American' in attributive form.
- Bekannter
- Noun meaning an acquaintance, not a close friend.
- aus
- Preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of'.
- häufiger
- Adjective meaning 'frequent' or 'repeated'.
- Erfahrung
- Noun meaning experience or practical knowledge.
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'.
- ihr
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'their' or 'her'.
- Fleisch
- Noun meaning meat or flesh.
- durch
- Preposition meaning 'through' or 'by means of'.
- ständige
- Adjective meaning 'constant' or 'continuous'.
- Bewegung
- Noun meaning movement, motion, or exercise.
- im
- Contraction of 'in dem'; meaning 'in the'.
- Allgemeinen
- Noun used in phrase 'im Allgemeinen' meaning in general.
- zäh
- Adjective meaning tough, chewy, or tenacious.
- mager
- Adjective meaning lean, thin, or meager.
- sei
- Subjunctive form of 'sein'; meaning 'is' or 'be'.
- wie
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like' or 'as'.
- das
- Definite article or demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'that'.
- unserer
- Genitive possessive pronoun meaning 'our'.
- Geschmack
- Noun meaning taste, flavor, or aesthetic sense.
- unangenehm
- Adjective meaning unpleasant or disagreeable.
- sie
- Pronoun meaning 'she', 'they', or 'them'.
- zu
- Preposition or particle meaning 'to' or 'too'.
- würde
- Conditional auxiliary meaning 'would'.
- Kosten
- Noun meaning costs or expenses.
- rechtfertigen
- Verb meaning to justify or vindicate something.
- Was
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning 'what'.
- dann
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'in that case'.
- weiblichen
- Adjective meaning 'female' or 'feminine'.
- wäre
- Subjunctive past of 'sein'; meaning 'would be'.
- es
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it'.
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'.
- Bescheidenheit
- Noun meaning modesty or humility.
- meine
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'my'.
- ein
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- Verlust
- Noun meaning a loss or deprivation.
- für
- Preposition meaning 'for'.
- Allgemeinheit
- Noun meaning the general public or community.
- da
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'since', 'as', or 'there'.
- selbst
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'even' or 'themselves'.
- bald
- Adverb meaning 'soon'.
- würden
- Conditional plural auxiliary meaning 'would'.
- überdies
- Adverb meaning 'moreover' or 'besides'.
- ist
- Third-person singular of 'sein'; meaning 'is'.
- unwahrscheinlich
- Adjective meaning unlikely or improbable.
- einige
- Pronoun or determiner meaning 'some' or 'a few'.
- gewissenhafte
- Adjective meaning conscientious or scrupulous.
- Menschen
- Noun meaning people or human beings.
- eine
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- solche
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'such' or 'such a'.
- Praxis
- Noun meaning practice, custom, or professional practice.
- obwohl
- Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'.
- der
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the'.
- Tat
- Noun meaning deed, act, or action.
- sehr
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'very much'.
- Unrecht
- Noun meaning injustice, wrong, or wrongdoing.
- als
- Conjunction meaning 'as', 'than', or 'when'.
- wenig
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'.
- an
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'on', or 'to'.
- Grausamkeit
- Noun meaning cruelty or brutality.
- grenzend
- Participle of 'grenzen'; meaning bordering on or verging on.
- tadeln
- Verb meaning to criticize, reproach, or blame.
- könnten
- Subjunctive form of 'können'; meaning 'could'.
- gestehe
- First-person of 'gestehen'; meaning 'I confess' or 'admit'.
- stets
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'constantly'.
- stärkstes
- Superlative of 'stark'; meaning 'strongest' or 'greatest'.
- Bedenken
- Noun meaning reservations, doubts, or misgivings.
- gegen
- Preposition meaning 'against' or 'toward'.
- jedes
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'every' or 'each'.
- Vorhaben
- Noun meaning a plan, project, or intention.
- gut
- Adjective meaning 'good'.
- auch
- Adverb meaning 'also' or 'even'.
- immer
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever'.
- gemeint
- Past participle of 'meinen'; meaning 'meant' or 'intended'.
- sein
- Infinitive meaning 'to be'; also possessive 'his'.
- mag
- Modal verb meaning 'may' or 'might'.
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