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 2
But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars: it is of a much greater extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to support them, as those who demand our charity in the streets.
Mais mon intention est loin de se limiter à pourvoir uniquement aux enfants des mendiants déclarés : elle est d'une bien plus grande portée, et englobera le nombre entier des nourrissons d'un certain âge, qui sont nés de parents en réalité tout aussi peu capables de les entretenir que ceux qui sollicitent notre charité dans les rues.
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation.
En ce qui me concerne, ayant tourné mes pensées pendant de nombreuses années vers cet important sujet, et ayant mûrement pesé les divers projets de nos planificateurs, je les ai toujours trouvés grossièrement dans l'erreur dans leurs calculs.
It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing of many thousands.
Il est vrai qu'un enfant qui vient tout juste de tomber du ventre de sa mère peut être nourri de son lait, pendant une année solaire, avec peu d'autre nourriture : au plus pour une valeur de deux shillings, que la mère peut certainement obtenir, ou l'équivalent en restes, par son occupation licite de mendicité ; et c'est exactement à l'âge d'un an que je propose de pourvoir à leurs besoins de telle sorte que, au lieu d'être une charge pour leurs parents, ou la paroisse, ou de manquer de nourriture et de vêtements pour le reste de leur vie, ils contribueront au contraire à nourrir, et en partie à habiller, plusieurs milliers de personnes.
There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas!
Il y a également un autre grand avantage dans mon projet, à savoir qu'il préviendra ces avortements volontaires, et cette horrible pratique des femmes qui assassinent leurs enfants illégitimes, hélas !
Vocabulary
- Mais
- But; however; yet.
- mon
- My (masculine singular possessive adjective).
- intention
- Intention; purpose; aim or goal.
- est
- Is; third person singular present of être.
- loin
- Far; distant; at or to a distance.
- de
- Of; from; indicating possession or origin.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself; used in reflexive verbs.
- limiter
- To limit; to restrict; to confine.
- pourvoir
- To provide; to supply; to furnish.
- uniquement
- Uniquely; solely; only; exclusively.
- aux
- To the; contraction of à les.
- enfants
- Children; young human beings; offspring.
- des
- Of the; some; contraction of de les.
- mendiants
- Beggars; people who ask for charity.
- déclarés
- Declared; stated; officially announced or recognized.
- elle
- She; her; feminine third person singular pronoun.
- une
- A; an; feminine singular indefinite article.
- bien
- Well; good; very; quite; properly.
- plus
- More; plus; additional; greater in quantity.
- grande
- Great; large; big; of considerable size.
- portée
- Scope; reach; range; significance or importance.
- et
- And; conjunction linking words or clauses.
- englobera
- Will include; will encompass; will contain.
- le
- The; masculine singular definite article.
- nombre
- Number; quantity; amount; figure.
- entier
- Entire; whole; complete; not partial.
- nourrissons
- Infants; babies; very young children.
- un
- A; an; one; masculine singular indefinite article.
- certain
- Certain; some; particular; a specific.
- âge
- Age; period of time in life.
- qui
- Who; which; that; relative pronoun.
- sont
- Are; third person plural present of être.
- nés
- Born; past participle of naître.
- parents
- Parents; mothers and fathers; relatives.
- en
- In; on; some; partitive or locative preposition.
- réalité
- Reality; fact; actual state of things.
- tout
- All; everything; whole; entire; every.
- aussi
- Also; too; as well; equally.
- peu
- Little; few; small amount or quantity.
- capables
- Capable; able; competent; having capacity.
- les
- The; them; plural definite article or pronoun.
- entretenir
- To maintain; to support; to keep.
- que
- Than; that; which; comparative or relative pronoun.
- ceux
- Those; those ones; plural demonstrative pronoun.
- sollicitent
- Request; solicit; appeal to; seek.
- notre
- Our; possessive adjective; belonging to us.
- charité
- Charity; compassion; benevolence; almsgiving.
- dans
- In; inside; within; into; during.
- rues
- Streets; roads; public ways in town.
- En
- In; on; as far as; concerning.
- ce
- This; that; it; demonstrative adjective/pronoun.
- me
- Me; myself; to me; direct object.
- concerne
- Concerns; affects; is relevant to.
- ayant
- Having; possessing; present participle of avoir.
- tourné
- Turned; directed; rotated; past participle.
- mes
- My; possessive adjective plural.
- pensées
- Thoughts; ideas; reflections; mental processes.
- pendant
- During; while; for; throughout period.
- nombreuses
- Numerous; many; a large number of.
- années
- Years; periods of twelve months.
- vers
- Towards; toward; to; in direction of.
- cet
- This; that; demonstrative adjective masculine singular.
- important
- Important; significant; of consequence or weight.
- sujet
- Subject; topic; theme; person or thing.
- pesé
- Weighed; considered carefully; balanced.
- divers
- Various; different; diverse; several kinds.
- projets
- Projects; plans; schemes; proposed undertakings.
- nos
- Our; possessive adjective plural.
- je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun.
- ai
- Have; first person singular present of avoir.
- toujours
- Always; ever; still; at all times.
- trouvés
- Found; discovered; located; past participle.
- erreur
- Error; mistake; inaccuracy; false belief.
- leurs
- Their; possessive adjective or pronoun.
- calculs
- Calculations; computations; arithmetic operations.
- Il
- He; it; masculine singular subject pronoun.
- vrai
- True; correct; genuine; factual; real.
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