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 7
Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.
Así el terrateniente aprenderá a ser un buen propietario, y se volverá popular entre sus inquilinos, la madre obtendrá ocho chelines de ganancia neta, y estará en condiciones de trabajar hasta que produzca otro hijo.
Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may flay the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine gentlemen.
Quienes sean más frugales (como debo confesar que los tiempos exigen) podrán desollar el cadáver; la piel del mismo, convenientemente curtida, hará admirables guantes para las damas, y botas de verano para los caballeros refinados.
As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.
En cuanto a nuestra ciudad de Dublín, podrían designarse mataderos para este propósito en las partes más convenientes de la misma, y podemos estar seguros de que no faltarán carniceros; aunque yo más bien recomiendo comprar a los niños vivos, y prepararlos calientes desde el cuchillo, como hacemos con los cerdos asados.
A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme.
Una persona muy digna, un verdadero amante de su país, y cuyas virtudes estimo en gran medida, tuvo a bien recientemente, al discurrir sobre este asunto, ofrecer un refinamiento a mi proyecto.
He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both sexes in every county being now ready to starve for want of work and service: and these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations.
Dijo que muchos caballeros de este reino, habiendo destruido recientemente sus ciervos, concebía que la falta de venado podría ser bien suplida por los cuerpos de jóvenes muchachos y doncellas, que no excedieran los catorce años de edad, ni fueran menores de doce; siendo tan grande el número de ambos sexos en cada condado que ahora están a punto de morir de hambre por falta de trabajo y servicio: y que estos serían dispuestos por sus padres si estuvieran vivos, o en su defecto por sus parientes más cercanos.
Vocabulary
- Así
- In this way; used to indicate manner or method
- el
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- terrateniente
- Landowner; person who owns large amounts of land
- aprenderá
- Will learn; future tense of 'aprender'
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- ser
- To be; indicates permanent or inherent characteristics
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- buen
- Good; shortened form of 'bueno' before masculine nouns
- propietario
- Owner or proprietor of property or business
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- volverá
- Will become or will return; future tense of 'volver'
- popular
- Popular; well-liked or widely accepted by people
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'their'
- inquilinos
- Tenants; people who rent property from a landlord
- la
- Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns
- madre
- Mother; female parent of a child
- obtendrá
- Will obtain or gain; future tense of 'obtener'
- ocho
- The number eight
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- ganancia
- Profit or gain from a financial transaction
- neta
- Net; remaining after all deductions are made
- estará
- Will be; future tense of 'estar'
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- condiciones
- Conditions; circumstances or states of being
- trabajar
- To work; to perform labor or tasks
- hasta
- Preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to'
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- produzca
- Produces; subjunctive form of 'producir'
- otro
- Another or other; indicates a different one
- hijo
- Son or child; offspring of a parent
- Quienes
- Relative pronoun meaning 'those who' or 'whoever'
- sean
- Are; subjunctive form of 'ser'
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- frugales
- Frugal; economical and careful with resources
- como
- As or like; conjunction used for comparison
- debo
- I must or I owe; first person of 'deber'
- confesar
- To confess or admit something honestly
- los
- Definite article 'the' for masculine plural nouns
- tiempos
- Times; periods or eras of history or life
- exigen
- Demand or require; third person plural of 'exigir'
- podrán
- Will be able to; future tense of 'poder'
- cadáver
- Corpse; a dead human body
- piel
- Skin or hide; outer covering of a body
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el' meaning 'of the'
- mismo
- Same or itself; used for emphasis or identity
- convenientemente
- Conveniently or suitably; in an appropriate manner
- hará
- Will make or do; future tense of 'hacer'
- admirables
- Admirable; worthy of admiration or praise
- guantes
- Gloves; coverings worn on the hands
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
- las
- Definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns
- damas
- Ladies; women of refinement or social standing
- botas
- Boots; footwear covering the foot and ankle
- verano
- Summer; the warmest season of the year
- caballeros
- Gentlemen; men of noble or refined character
- refinados
- Refined; cultured, polished, or sophisticated in manner
- En
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- cuanto
- As for; used in phrases like 'en cuanto a'
- nuestra
- Our; possessive adjective for feminine singular noun
- ciudad
- City; a large urban settlement or municipality
- podrían
- Could; conditional tense of 'poder'
- designarse
- To be designated or appointed for a purpose
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective for masculine singular
- propósito
- Purpose or intention; the reason behind an action
- partes
- Parts or areas; sections of a whole
- convenientes
- Convenient or suitable; appropriate for a purpose
- misma
- Same or itself; feminine form of 'mismo'
- podemos
- We can; first person plural of 'poder'
- estar
- To be; indicates temporary state or condition
- seguros
- Sure or certain; confident about something
- no
- No or not; negation word
- faltarán
- Will be lacking; future tense of 'faltar'
- carniceros
- Butchers; people who prepare and sell meat
- aunque
- Although or even though; concessive conjunction
- yo
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- bien
- Well; adverb indicating something done correctly
- recomiendo
- I recommend; first person of 'recomendar'
- comprar
- To buy or purchase goods or services
- niños
- Children or boys; young male persons
- vivos
- Alive or living; having life
- prepararlos
- To prepare them; infinitive with object pronoun attached
- calientes
- Hot or warm; having high temperature
- desde
- From or since; preposition indicating starting point
- cuchillo
- Knife; a bladed cutting tool or utensil
- hacemos
- We do or make; first person plural of 'hacer'
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- cerdos
- Pigs; domestic swine raised for food
- asados
- Roasted; cooked by dry heat in an oven
- Una
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'one' for feminine nouns
- persona
- Person; an individual human being
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- digna
- Worthy or dignified; deserving respect and honor
- verdadero
- True or genuine; real and not false
- amante
- Lover or enthusiast; one who loves something deeply
- su
- His, her, or their; third person possessive adjective
- país
- Country or nation; a politically organized territory
- cuyas
- Whose; feminine plural relative possessive pronoun
- virtudes
- Virtues; positive moral qualities or characteristics
- estimo
- I esteem or value; first person of 'estimar'
- gran
- Great; shortened form of 'grande' before nouns
- medida
- Measure or extent; degree to which something applies
- tuvo
- Had; preterite tense of 'tener'
- recientemente
- Recently; not long ago in time
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el' meaning 'to the'
- discurrir
- To reflect or discourse; to think or talk about
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'about,' 'on,' or 'over'
- asunto
- Matter or issue; a topic under consideration
- ofrecer
- To offer; to present something for acceptance
- refinamiento
- Refinement; improvement or polishing of something
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- proyecto
- Project or plan; a proposed scheme or undertaking
- Dijo
- Said or told; preterite tense of 'decir'
- muchos
- Many; a large number of people or things
- reino
- Kingdom; a country ruled by a king or queen
- habiendo
- Having; gerund of 'haber' used in compound forms
- destruido
- Destroyed; past participle of 'destruir'
- concebía
- Conceived or imagined; imperfect tense of 'concebir'
- falta
- Lack or shortage; absence of something needed
- podría
- Could; conditional tense of 'poder'
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'for,' or 'through'
- cuerpos
- Bodies; physical structures of living beings
- jóvenes
- Young people or youth; persons of young age
- muchachos
- Boys or young men; male youths
- excedieran
- Exceeded; imperfect subjunctive of 'exceder'
- catorce
- Fourteen; the number 14
- años
- Years; units of time equal to 365 days
- edad
- Age; the length of time one has lived
- ni
- Nor or neither; negative conjunction
- fueran
- Were; imperfect subjunctive of 'ser' or 'ir'
- menores
- Younger or lesser; comparative adjective of 'menor'
- doce
- Twelve; the number 12
- siendo
- Being; gerund of 'ser'
- tan
- So or as; adverb used in comparisons
- grande
- Large or great; of considerable size or importance
- número
- Number; a quantity or numerical value
- ambos
- Both; referring to two things or people together
- sexos
- Sexes; the two biological categories, male and female
- cada
- Each or every; referring to individual items
- condado
- County; an administrative division of a country
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment in time
- están
- Are; third person plural of 'estar'
- punto
- Point or moment; a specific location or instant
- morir
- To die; to cease living
- hambre
- Hunger or famine; the state of having no food
- trabajo
- Work or job; employment or labor
- servicio
- Service; work done for others or for society
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- serían
- Would be; conditional tense of 'ser'
- dispuestos
- Disposed or willing; ready or arranged for something
- padres
- Parents or fathers; those who raise children
- si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a condition
- estuvieran
- Were; imperfect subjunctive of 'estar'
- o
- Or; conjunction indicating an alternative
- defecto
- Defect or fault; a flaw or shortcoming
- parientes
- Relatives; people related by blood or marriage
- cercanos
- Close or nearby; near in distance or relationship
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