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 14
Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants.
Por lo tanto, que nadie me hable de otros expedientes: De gravar a nuestros ausentes con cinco chelines por libra: De no usar ni ropa ni muebles del hogar, excepto los de nuestra propia producción y manufactura: De rechazar de plano los materiales e instrumentos que fomentan el lujo extranjero: De corregir el dispendio del orgullo, la vanidad, la ociosidad y el juego en nuestras mujeres: De introducir un espíritu de parsimonia, prudencia y templanza: De aprender a amar a nuestro país, en lo cual diferimos incluso de los lapones y de los habitantes de Topinamboo: De abandonar nuestras animosidades y facciones, y de no seguir actuando como los judíos, que se mataban unos a otros en el mismo momento en que su ciudad era tomada: De ser un poco cautos para no vender nuestro país y nuestras conciencias por nada: De enseñar a los terratenientes a tener al menos un grado de misericordia hacia sus arrendatarios.
Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.
Por último, de infundir un espíritu de honradez, laboriosidad y habilidad en nuestros tenderos, quienes, si ahora se tomara la resolución de comprar únicamente nuestros productos nacionales, se unirían de inmediato para engañarnos y abusar de nosotros en el precio, la medida y la calidad, y nunca han podido ser llevados a hacer una sola propuesta justa de trato honesto, aunque a menudo y con insistencia se les ha invitado a ello.
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.
Por lo tanto, repito, que nadie me hable de estos y semejantes expedientes, hasta que tenga al menos un atisbo de esperanza de que alguna vez habrá un intento sincero y de corazón de ponerlos en práctica.
Vocabulary
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'because of'
- lo
- Neuter article or object pronoun meaning 'it'
- tanto
- Meaning 'so much' or 'therefore'
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- nadie
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nobody' or 'no one'
- me
- First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'
- hable
- Subjunctive form of 'hablar,' meaning 'speak'
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- otros
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'
- expedientes
- Noun meaning 'files,' 'records,' or 'expedients'
- De
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- gravar
- Verb meaning 'to tax' or 'to burden financially'
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- nuestros
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (masculine plural)
- ausentes
- Adjective or noun meaning 'absent ones' or 'absentees'
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- cinco
- Number meaning 'five'
- chelines
- Noun meaning 'shillings,' old British currency units
- por
- Preposition meaning 'per,' 'for,' or 'by'
- libra
- Noun meaning 'pound,' a unit of currency or weight
- no
- Adverb of negation meaning 'no' or 'not'
- usar
- Verb meaning 'to use' or 'to wear'
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither'
- ropa
- Noun meaning 'clothing' or 'clothes'
- muebles
- Noun meaning 'furniture' or 'household furnishings'
- del
- Contraction of 'de el,' meaning 'of the'
- hogar
- Noun meaning 'home' or 'household'
- excepto
- Preposition meaning 'except' or 'excluding'
- los
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
- nuestra
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (feminine singular)
- propia
- Adjective meaning 'own' or 'one's own'
- producción
- Noun meaning 'production' or 'output'
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- manufactura
- Noun meaning 'manufacture' or 'manufacturing'
- rechazar
- Verb meaning 'to reject' or 'to refuse'
- plano
- Adjective meaning 'flat'; here used as 'flatly' or 'outright'
- materiales
- Noun meaning 'materials' or 'supplies'
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' used before 'i' or 'hi' sounds
- instrumentos
- Noun meaning 'instruments' or 'tools'
- fomentan
- Verb form meaning 'they promote' or 'they encourage'
- el
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
- lujo
- Noun meaning 'luxury' or 'lavishness'
- extranjero
- Adjective or noun meaning 'foreign' or 'foreigner'
- corregir
- Verb meaning 'to correct' or 'to fix'
- dispendio
- Noun meaning 'wasteful spending' or 'extravagance'
- orgullo
- Noun meaning 'pride' or 'arrogance'
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
- vanidad
- Noun meaning 'vanity' or 'conceit'
- ociosidad
- Noun meaning 'idleness' or 'laziness'
- juego
- Noun meaning 'game,' 'gambling,' or 'play'
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- nuestras
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (feminine plural)
- mujeres
- Noun meaning 'women' or 'wives'
- introducir
- Verb meaning 'to introduce' or 'to bring in'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- espíritu
- Noun meaning 'spirit' or 'attitude'
- parsimonia
- Noun meaning 'parsimony,' 'frugality,' or 'thrift'
- prudencia
- Noun meaning 'prudence' or 'wisdom in decision-making'
- templanza
- Noun meaning 'temperance' or 'moderation'
- aprender
- Verb meaning 'to learn'
- amar
- Verb meaning 'to love'
- nuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (masculine singular)
- país
- Noun meaning 'country' or 'nation'
- cual
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who'
- diferimos
- Verb form meaning 'we differ' or 'we disagree'
- incluso
- Adverb meaning 'even' or 'including'
- habitantes
- Noun meaning 'inhabitants' or 'residents'
- abandonar
- Verb meaning 'to abandon' or 'to give up'
- animosidades
- Noun meaning 'animosities' or 'hostilities'
- facciones
- Noun meaning 'factions' or 'rival political groups'
- seguir
- Verb meaning 'to continue' or 'to follow'
- actuando
- Gerund meaning 'acting' or 'behaving'
- como
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as' or 'like'
- judíos
- Noun meaning 'Jews' or 'Jewish people'
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'themselves' or 'each other'
- mataban
- Imperfect verb form meaning 'they were killing'
- unos
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'some' or 'one another'
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'very'
- momento
- Noun meaning 'moment' or 'instant'
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' 'their,' or 'its'
- ciudad
- Noun meaning 'city' or 'town'
- era
- Imperfect verb form of 'ser,' meaning 'was' or 'were'
- tomada
- Past participle meaning 'taken' or 'captured'
- ser
- Infinitive meaning 'to be' (permanent states)
- poco
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'
- cautos
- Adjective meaning 'cautious' or 'careful'
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'by'
- vender
- Verb meaning 'to sell'
- conciencias
- Noun meaning 'consciences' or 'moral awareness'
- nada
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'nothing' or 'not at all'
- enseñar
- Verb meaning 'to teach' or 'to show'
- terratenientes
- Noun meaning 'landowners' or 'landlords'
- tener
- Verb meaning 'to have' or 'to hold'
- al
- Contraction of 'a el,' meaning 'to the'
- menos
- Adverb meaning 'less' or 'at least'
- grado
- Noun meaning 'degree,' 'grade,' or 'level'
- misericordia
- Noun meaning 'mercy' or 'compassion'
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'towards'
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'their' (plural)
- arrendatarios
- Noun meaning 'tenants' or 'leaseholders'
- último
- Adjective meaning 'last' or 'final'
- infundir
- Verb meaning 'to instill' or 'to inspire in someone'
- honradez
- Noun meaning 'honesty' or 'integrity'
- laboriosidad
- Noun meaning 'industriousness' or 'diligence'
- habilidad
- Noun meaning 'skill,' 'ability,' or 'talent'
- tenderos
- Noun meaning 'shopkeepers' or 'store owners'
- quienes
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whom'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this time'
- tomara
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'tomar,' meaning 'were to take'
- resolución
- Noun meaning 'resolution' or 'firm decision'
- comprar
- Verb meaning 'to buy' or 'to purchase'
- únicamente
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'solely'
- productos
- Noun meaning 'products' or 'goods'
- nacionales
- Adjective meaning 'national' or 'domestic'
- unirían
- Conditional verb form meaning 'they would unite'
- inmediato
- Adjective meaning 'immediate' or 'instant'
- engañarnos
- Reflexive infinitive meaning 'to deceive us'
- abusar
- Verb meaning 'to abuse' or 'to take advantage of'
- nosotros
- Personal pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'
- precio
- Noun meaning 'price' or 'cost'
- medida
- Noun meaning 'measure,' 'size,' or 'degree'
- calidad
- Noun meaning 'quality' or 'grade'
- nunca
- Adverb meaning 'never'
- han
- Auxiliary verb form meaning 'they have' (perfect tense)
- podido
- Past participle of 'poder,' meaning 'been able to'
- llevados
- Past participle meaning 'led' or 'brought'
- hacer
- Verb meaning 'to do' or 'to make'
- una
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
- sola
- Adjective meaning 'single,' 'alone,' or 'only one'
- propuesta
- Noun meaning 'proposal' or 'offer'
- justa
- Adjective meaning 'fair' or 'just'
- trato
- Noun meaning 'treatment,' 'deal,' or 'agreement'
- honesto
- Adjective meaning 'honest' or 'upright'
- aunque
- Conjunction meaning 'although,' 'even though,' or 'even if'
- menudo
- Adjective; 'a menudo' means 'often' or 'frequently'
- insistencia
- Noun meaning 'insistence' or 'persistence'
- les
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to them' or 'for them'
- ha
- Auxiliary verb form meaning 'has' (third person singular)
- invitado
- Past participle meaning 'invited' or 'encouraged'
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it' referring to a concept
- repito
- First-person verb form meaning 'I repeat'
- estos
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' (masculine plural)
- semejantes
- Adjective meaning 'similar,' 'such,' or 'fellow beings'
- hasta
- Preposition meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'even'
- tenga
- Subjunctive form of 'tener,' meaning 'have' or 'there be'
- atisbo
- Noun meaning 'glimpse,' 'hint,' or 'glimmer'
- esperanza
- Noun meaning 'hope' or 'expectation'
- alguna
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' (feminine singular)
- vez
- Noun meaning 'time' or 'occasion'
- habrá
- Future form of 'haber,' meaning 'there will be'
- intento
- Noun meaning 'attempt' or 'try'
- sincero
- Adjective meaning 'sincere' or 'genuine'
- corazón
- Noun meaning 'heart'
- ponerlos
- Infinitive with pronoun meaning 'to put them' into practice
- práctica
- Noun meaning 'practice' or 'application'
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