← 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 1

English → Spanish Full Text Level 9/10

A Modest Proposal

Una modesta propuesta

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.

Para evitar que los hijos de los pobres de Irlanda sean una carga para sus padres o para su país, y para hacerlos beneficiosos para el público.

by Dr. Jonathan Swift

por el Dr. Jonathan Swift

1729

It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms.

Es un objeto melancólico para quienes caminan por esta gran ciudad, o viajan por el campo, cuando ven las calles, los caminos y las puertas de las cabañas atestadas de mendigos del sexo femenino, seguidas de tres, cuatro o seis niños, todos en harapos, e importunando a cada transeúnte para pedirle una limosna.

These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.

Estas madres, en lugar de poder trabajar para ganarse honradamente la vida, se ven obligadas a emplear todo su tiempo en deambular para mendigar el sustento de sus desamparados hijos que, al crecer, o bien se convierten en ladrones por falta de trabajo, o bien abandonan su querida patria para luchar por el Pretendiente en España, o venderse a sí mismos a las Barbados.

I think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

Creo que todas las partes coinciden en que este prodigioso número de niños en los brazos, o en las espaldas, o a los talones de sus madres, y con frecuencia de sus padres, constituye, en el presente estado deplorable del reino, un gravamen adicional muy grande; y por lo tanto, quien pudiera encontrar un método justo, barato y sencillo para hacer de estos niños miembros sanos y útiles de la comunidad, merecería tanto del público que se le erigiría una estatua como preservador de la nación.

Vocabulary

modesta: Modest, humble, or unassuming in nature.
propuesta: A proposal or suggestion put forward for consideration.
evitar: To avoid or prevent something from happening.
hijos: Children or sons belonging to a family or parents.
pobres: Poor people lacking sufficient money or resources.
sean: Subjunctive form of 'ser,' meaning 'may be' or 'are.'
carga: A burden or load, literal or figurative.
padres: Parents; a child's mother and father together.
país: A country or nation as a political entity.
hacerlos: To make them or cause them to become something.
beneficiosos: Beneficial, providing advantage or positive results to others.
público: The public; the general community or population.
objeto: An object, thing, or subject of attention or discussion.
melancólico: Melancholic; causing or expressing deep sadness or gloom.
quienes: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'those who.'
caminan: They walk; to move on foot through a place.
ciudad: A city; a large urban settlement or municipality.
viajan: They travel; to journey or move from place to place.
campo: The countryside or rural area outside a city.
calles: Streets; paved roads or pathways in a town or city.
caminos: Roads or paths used for traveling between locations.
puertas: Doors or gates providing entry to a building or space.
cabañas: Cabins or small huts used as simple dwellings.
atestadas: Crowded or packed full with people or things.
mendigos: Beggars; people who ask others for money or food.
sexo: Sex; biological classification as male or female.
femenino: Feminine; relating to or characteristic of women.
seguidas: Followed by; accompanied closely one after another.
niños: Children; young boys or kids of any gender.
harapos: Rags; torn or worn-out pieces of clothing.
importunando: Pestering or persistently bothering someone with requests.
cada: Each or every; referring to individual members of a group.
transeúnte: A passerby; someone walking past a place briefly.
pedirle: To ask or request something from someone.
limosna: Alms or charity; money given to beggars or the poor.
madres: Mothers; women who have given birth to children.
lugar: A place or location; also used idiomatically for 'instead of.'
poder: To be able to; expressing ability or possibility.
trabajar: To work; to perform labor or carry out a job.
ganarse: To earn for oneself through effort or labor.
honradamente: Honestly or honorably; acting with integrity and uprightness.
vida: Life; the state of being alive or one's existence.
obligadas: Forced or obliged to do something; compelled by necessity.
emplear: To employ or use; to dedicate time or resources to something.
tiempo: Time; the ongoing progression of events or available hours.
deambular: To wander or roam aimlessly without a fixed destination.
mendigar: To beg; to ask strangers for money or food.
sustento: Sustenance or livelihood; basic support needed to survive.
desamparados: Helpless or abandoned people lacking care and protection.
crecer: To grow; to increase in size, age, or development.
convierten: They become or turn into; to transform into something else.
ladrones: Thieves; people who steal others' belongings illegally.
falta: Lack or shortage; the absence of something needed.
trabajo: Work or employment; a job or labor-related activity.
abandonan: They abandon; to leave behind or desert a place or person.
querida: Dear or beloved; expressing affection toward someone or something.
patria: Homeland or native country; the land of one's birth.
luchar: To fight or struggle; to strive against an opponent.
Pretendiente: A pretender or claimant, especially to a throne or title.
venderse: To sell oneself; to enter into service for payment.
sí: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' or 'themselves.'
Creo: I believe or I think; expressing a personal opinion or belief.
partes: Parts or sides; also used to mean 'places' or 'parties.'
coinciden: They agree or coincide; to share the same opinion or point.
prodigioso: Prodigious or enormous; extraordinarily large or remarkable.
número: A number or quantity; a count of items or people.
brazos: Arms; the upper limbs of the human body.
espaldas: Backs; the rear part of the human torso.
talones: Heels; the back part of a person's foot.
frecuencia: Frequency; how often something occurs or repeats.
constituye: It constitutes or makes up; to form or represent something.
presente: Present or current; existing or happening at this time.
estado: State or condition; the current situation of something.
deplorable: Deplorable; shockingly bad or deserving strong condemnation.
reino: Kingdom; a territory ruled by a king or queen.
gravamen: A burden, encumbrance, or financial obligation imposed on someone.
adicional: Additional; extra or supplementary beyond what already exists.
tanto: So much or as much; indicating a high degree or extent.
quien: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' referring to a person.
pudiera: Imperfect subjunctive of 'poder,' meaning 'could' or 'might be able.'
encontrar: To find or encounter; to come across something or someone.
método: A method or systematic way of doing something effectively.
justo: Just or fair; conforming to principles of equity and righteousness.
barato: Cheap or inexpensive; costing little money.
sencillo: Simple or easy; uncomplicated and straightforward in nature.
hacer: To make or do; a fundamental verb of action or creation.
miembros: Members; individuals belonging to a group or organization.
sanos: Healthy or sound; in good physical or mental condition.
útiles: Useful or helpful; providing practical benefit to others.
comunidad: Community; a group of people living or working together.
merecería: Would deserve; conditional tense of 'merecer,' to merit.
erigiría: Would erect or build; conditional of 'erigir,' to raise up.
estatua: A statue; a sculpted figure commemorating a person or event.
preservador: A preserver or protector; one who keeps something safe.
nación: A nation; a large community sharing history, culture, and government.

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