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 10
But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected.
Pero no me preocupa en lo más mínimo ese asunto, porque es bien sabido que cada día mueren y se pudren, a causa del frío y el hambre, y la suciedad y los parásitos, tan rápidamente como cabría razonablemente esperar.
And as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition.
Y en cuanto a los jóvenes trabajadores, se encuentran ahora en una situación casi igual de prometedora.
They cannot get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.
No pueden conseguir trabajo, y en consecuencia se consumen por falta de alimento, hasta tal punto que si en algún momento son contratados por casualidad para una labor ordinaria, no tienen fuerzas para realizarla, y así el país y ellos mismos quedan felizmente librados de los males futuros.
I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject.
Me he desviado durante demasiado tiempo, y por lo tanto regresaré a mi tema.
I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.
Creo que las ventajas de la propuesta que he presentado son evidentes y numerosas, además de ser de la mayor importancia.
For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate.
Pues en primer lugar, como ya he señalado, reduciría considerablemente el número de papistas, por quienes somos invadidos año tras año, siendo estos los principales procreadores de la nación, así como nuestros enemigos más peligrosos, y quienes permanecen en casa deliberadamente con el propósito de entregar el reino al Pretendiente, esperando sacar provecho de la ausencia de tantos buenos protestantes que han preferido abandonar su país antes que quedarse en casa y pagar diezmos en contra de su conciencia a un cura episcopal.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- But; however; used to introduce contrast.
- no
- No; not; negation or denial.
- me
- Me; indirect or direct object pronoun.
- preocupa
- Worries; concerns; third person singular present.
- en
- In; on; preposition indicating location or time.
- lo
- The; it; neuter definite article or pronoun.
- más
- More; most; comparative or superlative adverb.
- mínimo
- Minimum; least; smallest or lowest degree.
- ese
- That; those; demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
- asunto
- Matter; subject; issue or topic of concern.
- porque
- Because; for; conjunction indicating reason or cause.
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser.
- bien
- Well; good; adverb or adjective of quality.
- sabido
- Known; understood; past participle of saber.
- que
- That; which; relative pronoun or conjunction.
- cada
- Each; every; distributive adjective for singular nouns.
- día
- Day; period of twenty-four hours.
- mueren
- Die; perish; third person plural of morir.
- se
- Oneself; reflexive pronoun or passive voice marker.
- pudren
- Rot; decay; third person plural of pudrirse.
- causa
- Cause; reason; noun or third person singular.
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el.
- frío
- Cold; low temperature; noun or adjective.
- hambre
- Hunger; lack of food; feminine noun.
- suciedad
- Dirt; filth; uncleanliness; state of being dirty.
- parásitos
- Parasites; organisms living on others; plural noun.
- tan
- So; as; used in comparisons or emphasis.
- rápidamente
- Quickly; swiftly; at high speed or rate.
- como
- Like; as; comparative particle or conjunction.
- cabría
- Would fit; could; conditional of caber.
- razonablemente
- Reasonably; justifiably; in a sensible manner.
- esperar
- Expect; hope; to anticipate or await something.
- cuanto
- As much as; how much; relative pronoun.
- jóvenes
- Young; youths; adjective or plural noun.
- trabajadores
- Workers; laborers; people employed for wages.
- encuentran
- Find; meet; third person plural of encontrar.
- ahora
- Now; at this time; present moment.
- una
- A; an; feminine indefinite article.
- situación
- Situation; condition; state of affairs or circumstances.
- casi
- Almost; nearly; approximately; very close to.
- igual
- Equal; same; identical or equivalent.
- prometedora
- Promising; giving hope; showing future success.
- pueden
- Can; are able; third person plural of poder.
- conseguir
- Obtain; get; to acquire or achieve something.
- trabajo
- Work; job; labor or employment activity.
- consecuencia
- Consequence; result; effect or outcome.
- consumen
- Consume; use up; third person plural of consumir.
- por
- By; for; preposition indicating agent or reason.
- falta
- Lack; shortage; absence of something needed.
- alimento
- Food; nourishment; substance for nutrition.
- hasta
- Until; up to; preposition indicating limit.
- tal
- Such; so; used to emphasize quality.
- punto
- Point; degree; extent or level of something.
- si
- If; in case; conditional conjunction.
- algún
- Some; any; indefinite adjective before masculine.
- momento
- Moment; instant; brief period of time.
- son
- Are; third person plural of ser.
- contratados
- Hired; employed; past participle of contratar.
- casualidad
- Chance; coincidence; accident or luck.
- para
- For; in order to; preposition of purpose.
- labor
- Labor; work; effort or activity performed.
- ordinaria
- Ordinary; common; usual or not special.
- tienen
- Have; possess; third person plural of tener.
- fuerzas
- Forces; strength; physical or mental power.
- realizarla
- Carry it out; accomplish it; do it.
- así
- Thus; in this way; manner or method.
- país
- Country; nation; independent political territory.
- ellos
- They; them; masculine plural pronoun.
- mismos
- Themselves; selves; reflexive pronoun emphasis.
- quedan
- Remain; are left; third person plural.
- felizmente
- Fortunately; happily; luckily or by good fortune.
- librados
- Freed; delivered; past participle of librar.
- males
- Evils; ills; bad things or misfortunes.
- futuros
- Future; coming; relating to time ahead.
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