← 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

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 9

English → De Full Text Level 9/10

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanaazor, a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns.

Um jedoch meinen Freund zu rechtfertigen, gestand er, dass ihm dieser Ausweg durch den berühmten Psalmanaazor eingegeben wurde, einem Eingeborenen der Insel Formosa, der von dort vor mehr als zwanzig Jahren nach London kam und meinem Freund im Gespräch erzählte, dass in seinem Land, wenn irgendein junger Mensch hingerichtet wurde, der Henker den Leichnam an vornehme Personen als erlesene Delikatesse verkaufte; und dass zu seiner Zeit der Körper eines wohlgenährten Mädchens von fünfzehn Jahren, das gekreuzigt worden war, weil es versucht hatte, den Kaiser zu vergiften, an den Ersten Minister Seiner Kaiserlichen Majestät und andere hohe Mandarinen des Hofes in Stücken vom Galgen für vierhundert Kronen verkauft wurde.

Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse.

Auch kann ich in der Tat nicht leugnen, dass, wenn von mehreren wohlgenährten jungen Mädchen in dieser Stadt, die ohne einen einzigen Heller Vermögen das Haus nicht ohne eine Sänfte verlassen können und im Theater und auf Versammlungen in ausländischem Flitter erscheinen, den sie niemals bezahlen werden, derselbe Gebrauch gemacht würde, das Königreich nicht schlechter dastehen würde.

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance.

Einige Personen von mutlosem Gemüt sind in großer Sorge um die gewaltige Anzahl armer Menschen, die alt, krank oder verstümmelt sind; und man hat mich gebeten, meine Gedanken darauf zu verwenden, welche Maßnahmen ergriffen werden könnten, um die Nation von einer so schweren Last zu befreien.

Vocabulary

Um
In order to; for the purpose of.
jedoch
However; nevertheless; but.
meinen
To mean; to intend; to think or believe.
Freund
Friend; a person with whom one has bond.
zu
To; at; too; towards; in order to.
rechtfertigen
To justify; to defend or give reasons for.
gestand
Confessed; admitted; past tense of gestehen.
er
He; third person singular masculine pronoun.
dass
That; conjunction introducing dependent clause.
ihm
Him; to him; indirect object pronoun.
dieser
This; that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
Ausweg
Way out; escape; solution to problem.
durch
Through; by means of; via.
den
The; definite article for masculine accusative.
berühmten
Famous; renowned; well-known.
eingegeben
Suggested; inspired; past participle of eingeben.
wurde
Was; past tense of werden.
einem
A; an; indefinite article dative masculine.
Eingeborenen
Native; indigenous person of region.
der
The; definite article for feminine or plural.
Insel
Island; land surrounded by water.
von
Of; from; by; concerning.
dort
There; in that place.
vor
Before; ago; in front of.
mehr
More; greater in amount or degree.
als
Than; as; when.
zwanzig
Twenty; cardinal number 20.
Jahren
Years; plural of Jahr.
nach
After; to; towards; according to.
kam
Came; past tense of kommen.
und
And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
meinem
My; possessive adjective dative masculine.
im
In the; contraction of in dem.
Gespräch
Conversation; discussion; dialogue between people.
erzählte
Told; narrated; past tense of erzählen.
in
In; inside; within; into.
seinem
His; his own; possessive adjective dative.
Land
Country; land; region or territory.
wenn
If; when; whenever; in case.
irgendein
Any; some; any kind of person.
junger
Young; youthful; in early years.
Mensch
Human; person; human being.
hingerichtet
Executed; put to death judicially.
Henker
Executioner; one who carries out executions.
Leichnam
Corpse; dead body; remains.
an
To; at; on; onto.
vornehme
Noble; distinguished; of high social rank.
Personen
Persons; people; individuals.
erlesene
Exquisite; select; choice; refined.
Delikatesse
Delicacy; choice food; rare treat.
verkaufte
Sold; past tense of verkaufen.
seiner
His; possessive adjective; his own.
Zeit
Time; period; era; age.
Körper
Body; physical form of person.
eines
One; a; indefinite article neuter genitive.
wohlgenährten
Well-nourished; well-fed; plump.
Mädchens
Girl's; of a girl; possessive form.
fünfzehn
Fifteen; cardinal number 15.
das
That; which; the; relative pronoun.
gekreuzigt
Crucified; put to death on cross.
worden
Been; past participle of werden.
weil
Because; since; for the reason that.
es
It; third person singular neuter pronoun.
versucht
Attempted; tried; past tense of versuchen.
hatte
Had; past tense of haben.
Kaiser
Emperor; supreme ruler of empire.
vergiften
To poison; to make toxic or lethal.
Ersten
First; primary; at the beginning.
Minister
Minister; chief government official or leader.
Seiner
His; his own; possessive adjective.
Kaiserlichen
Imperial; of or relating to emperor.
Majestät
Majesty; sovereign power; royal dignity.
andere
Other; different; another; additional.
hohe
High; elevated; of great rank.
Mandarinen
Mandarins; Chinese government officials; citrus fruit.
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