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 5
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasee, or a ragoust.
Un americano muy instruido de mi conocimiento en Londres me ha asegurado que un niño joven y sano bien alimentado es, al año de edad, un alimento delicioso, nutritivo y saludable, ya sea guisado, asado, horneado o hervido; y no tengo duda alguna de que servirá igualmente en un fricasé o un ragú.
I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration, that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to serve four females.
Por lo tanto, someto humildemente a la consideración pública que, de los ciento veinte mil niños ya calculados, veinte mil podrían reservarse para la cría, de los cuales solo una cuarta parte serían varones; lo cual es más de lo que permitimos para las ovejas, el ganado vacuno o los cerdos, y mi razón es que estos niños raramente son fruto del matrimonio, circunstancia que nuestros salvajes no consideran demasiado, por lo tanto, un varón será suficiente para servir a cuatro hembras.
That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table.
Que los cien mil restantes puedan, al año de edad, ofrecerse en venta a las personas de calidad y fortuna de todo el reino, aconsejando siempre a la madre que los amamante abundantemente durante el último mes, de modo que queden rollizos y gordos para una buena mesa.
A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.
Un niño dará para dos platos en un banquete para amigos, y cuando la familia cene sola, el cuarto delantero o trasero constituirá un plato razonable, y sazonado con un poco de pimienta o sal, estará muy bueno hervido al cuarto día, especialmente en invierno.
Vocabulary
- americano
- Relating to or person from America
- muy
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'quite'
- instruido
- Educated, learned, or well-informed person
- conocimiento
- Knowledge, awareness, or understanding of something
- Londres
- The capital city of England and the UK
- asegurado
- Assured, confirmed, or guaranteed something to someone
- niño
- A young male child or boy
- joven
- Young in age; a young person
- sano
- Healthy, sound, and in good physical condition
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well' or 'properly'
- alimentado
- Fed or nourished with food adequately
- año
- A period of twelve months; a year
- edad
- Age, the length of time someone has lived
- alimento
- Food or nourishment consumed to sustain life
- delicioso
- Delicious, extremely pleasing to taste or smell
- nutritivo
- Nutritious, providing essential nutrients for health
- saludable
- Healthy, promoting or conducive to good health
- ya
- Adverb meaning 'already,' 'now,' or 'yet'
- sea
- Subjunctive form of 'ser,' meaning 'be' or 'whether'
- guisado
- Stewed; a dish cooked slowly in liquid
- asado
- Roasted or grilled meat or other food
- horneado
- Baked in an oven until cooked through
- hervido
- Boiled; cooked in boiling water or liquid
- duda
- Doubt or uncertainty about something
- alguna
- Some or any; feminine form of 'algún'
- servirá
- Will serve or be useful for a purpose
- igualmente
- Equally, likewise, or in the same manner
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'
- tanto
- So much; used in 'por lo tanto' (therefore)
- someto
- I submit or present something for consideration
- humildemente
- Humbly, in a modest and respectful manner
- consideración
- Consideration, careful thought or attention given
- pública
- Public, relating to the general population or community
- ciento
- One hundred; the number 100
- veinte
- Twenty; the number 20
- mil
- One thousand; the number 1,000
- niños
- Children or young boys, plural of niño
- calculados
- Calculated or estimated through deliberate mathematical reasoning
- podrían
- Could or might; conditional form of 'poder'
- reservarse
- To be reserved or set aside for a purpose
- cría
- Breeding, raising of young animals or offspring
- cuales
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who' (plural)
- solo
- Only, alone, or just; sole
- cuarta
- Fourth; feminine ordinal form of 'cuarto'
- parte
- Part, portion, or share of a whole
- serían
- Would be; conditional form of 'ser' (plural)
- varones
- Males or men; plural of varón
- cual
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which,' 'who,' or 'that'
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater quantity
- permitimos
- We allow or permit; first-person plural of permitir
- ovejas
- Sheep; domestic wool-bearing farm animals
- ganado
- Livestock or cattle raised on a farm
- vacuno
- Bovine; relating to cows or cattle
- cerdos
- Pigs or hogs; domesticated farm animals
- razón
- Reason, cause, or rational justification for something
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- raramente
- Rarely, seldom, or not often occurring
- fruto
- Fruit or result; outcome of something
- matrimonio
- Marriage; legal union between two people
- circunstancia
- Circumstance; a condition or fact affecting a situation
- nuestros
- Our; first-person plural possessive adjective (masculine)
- salvajes
- Savages or wild; uncivilized people or creatures
- consideran
- They consider or regard; third-person plural of considerar
- demasiado
- Too much or excessively; beyond a reasonable amount
- varón
- Male person; a man or boy
- será
- Will be; future tense of 'ser'
- suficiente
- Sufficient, enough to meet a need or requirement
- servir
- To serve or be useful for a purpose
- cuatro
- Four; the number 4
- hembras
- Females; female animals or persons
- cien
- One hundred; shortform of ciento before nouns
- restantes
- Remaining or leftover; the rest of a group
- puedan
- Can or may; subjunctive form of 'poder' (plural)
- ofrecerse
- To be offered or present oneself for something
- venta
- Sale; the act of selling goods or services
- personas
- People or persons; individual human beings
- calidad
- Quality; the degree of excellence of something
- fortuna
- Fortune or wealth; great financial prosperity
- todo
- All, every, or the whole of something
- reino
- Kingdom; a territory ruled by a king or queen
- aconsejando
- Advising or recommending; gerund of aconsejar
- siempre
- Always, at all times, or on every occasion
- madre
- Mother; a female parent
- amamante
- Breastfeed; subjunctive form of amamantar
- abundantemente
- Abundantly, in large plentiful quantities or amounts
- durante
- During; throughout the time or course of something
- último
- Last or final; occurring at the end
- mes
- Month; one of the twelve divisions of a year
- modo
- Way, manner, or method of doing something
- queden
- May remain or be left; subjunctive of quedar
- rollizos
- Plump, chubby, or well-rounded in body shape
- gordos
- Fat or chubby; having excess body weight
- buena
- Good; feminine form of 'bueno'
- mesa
- Table; a piece of furniture with a flat surface
- dará
- Will give; future tense of 'dar'
- dos
- Two; the number 2
- platos
- Plates or dishes; courses served in a meal
- banquete
- Banquet; a large formal or celebratory meal
- amigos
- Friends; people with whom one has a bond
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens
- familia
- Family; a group of related people living together
- cene
- Dine or have dinner; subjunctive form of cenar
- sola
- Alone or by oneself; feminine form of solo
- cuarto
- Fourth; also means room or quarter
- delantero
- Front or forward; relating to the front part
- trasero
- Rear or back; relating to the back part
- constituirá
- Will constitute or form; future tense of constituir
- plato
- Plate or dish; a course in a meal
- razonable
- Reasonable, fair, and sensible in judgment
- sazonado
- Seasoned; flavored with spices or condiments
- poco
- A little, small amount of something
- pimienta
- Pepper; a common spice used in cooking
- sal
- Salt; a mineral used to flavor food
- estará
- Will be; future tense of 'estar'
- bueno
- Good; of a favorable or satisfactory quality
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
- especialmente
- Especially, particularly, or above all others
- invierno
- Winter; the coldest season of the year
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