← 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

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 9

English → Fr Full Text Level 9/10

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanaazor, a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns.

Mais afin de justifier mon ami, il avoua que cet expédient lui avait été suggéré par le fameux Psalmanaazor, originaire de l'île de Formose, qui en était venu à Londres, il y a plus de vingt ans, et qui avait confié à mon ami, au cours d'une conversation, que dans son pays, lorsqu'un jeune individu venait à être exécuté, le bourreau vendait le cadavre à des personnes de qualité, comme un mets de premier choix ; et que, de son temps, le corps d'une robuste jeune fille de quinze ans, crucifiée pour avoir tenté d'empoisonner l'Empereur, avait été vendu au premier ministre d'État de Sa Majesté impériale, ainsi qu'à d'autres grands mandarins de la cour, découpé en morceaux au pied du gibet, pour quatre cents couronnes.

Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a playhouse and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse.

Je ne saurais nier non plus que si l'on faisait le même usage de plusieurs jeunes filles bien en chair de cette ville, qui, sans un seul sou à leur fortune, ne peuvent sortir sans leur chaise à porteurs, et paraissent au théâtre et dans les assemblées parées d'atours étrangers qu'elles ne paieront jamais, le royaume ne s'en porterait pas plus mal.

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance.

Certaines personnes d'un esprit abattu se préoccupent vivement du grand nombre de pauvres gens qui sont âgés, malades ou estropiés ; et l'on m'a prié de réfléchir aux mesures qui pourraient être prises pour soulager la nation d'un fardeau aussi lourd.

Vocabulary

Mais: Conjunction meaning 'but', used to contrast ideas.
afin: Conjunction meaning 'in order to' or 'so that'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'to'.
justifier: To justify or provide a reason for something.
mon: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' for masculine nouns.
ami: A friend, typically male.
il: Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
avoua: Past tense of 'avouer'; admitted or confessed something.
que: Conjunction meaning 'that', linking clauses together.
cet: Demonstrative adjective 'this' used before masculine vowel sounds.
expédient: A convenient or practical means to an end.
lui: Indirect object pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or 'to him/her'.
avait: Imperfect tense of 'avoir'; meaning 'had'.
été: Past participle of 'être'; meaning 'been'.
suggéré: Past participle of 'suggérer'; meaning 'suggested'.
par: Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'.
le: Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns.
fameux: Famous or notorious; well-known for good or bad reasons.
originaire: Originally from or native to a particular place.
île: An island, a landmass surrounded by water.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in', 'of it', or 'from there'.
était: Imperfect tense of 'être'; meaning 'was' or 'used to be'.
venu: Past participle of 'venir'; meaning 'come' or 'arrived'.
Londres: The capital city of England, known as London.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'to it/there'.
a: Third-person singular of 'avoir'; meaning 'has' or 'ago'.
plus: Adverb meaning 'more' or 'no longer' depending on context.
vingt: The number twenty.
ans: Years, referring to a period of time.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
confié: Past participle of 'confier'; entrusted or confided.
au: Contraction of 'à le', meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
cours: Course or duration; 'au cours de' means 'during'.
une: Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for feminine nouns.
conversation: An informal spoken exchange between people.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
son: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
pays: A country or region; one's homeland.
lorsqu': Conjunction meaning 'when', used before vowel sounds.
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' for masculine nouns.
jeune: Young; describing someone of a young age.
individu: An individual or person, sometimes with negative connotation.
venait: Imperfect of 'venir'; was coming or used to come.
être: Infinitive meaning 'to be', a fundamental French verb.
exécuté: Past participle of 'exécuter'; executed or put to death.
bourreau: An executioner who carries out death sentences.
vendait: Imperfect of 'vendre'; was selling or used to sell.
cadavre: A corpse or dead body.
des: Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
personnes: Persons or people; individuals.
qualité: Quality, rank, or high social standing.
comme: Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as' or 'like'.
mets: A dish or food item, especially a culinary preparation.
premier: First or foremost in rank, order, or quality.
choix: A choice or selection; the act of choosing.
temps: Time or weather; a common and versatile noun.
corps: The body of a person or animal.
robuste: Robust, strong, or physically sturdy.
fille: A girl or daughter.
quinze: The number fifteen.
crucifiée: Past participle of 'crucifier'; crucified, killed on a cross.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
avoir: Infinitive meaning 'to have', a fundamental French verb.
tenté: Past participle of 'tenter'; attempted or tried to do.
empoisonner: To poison someone or contaminate with a toxic substance.
Empereur: An emperor, the supreme ruler of an empire.
vendu: Past participle of 'vendre'; sold to a buyer.
ministre: A minister or government official holding high office.
État: The state or government as a political institution.
Sa: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
Majesté: Majesty, a title of respect for a monarch.
impériale: Imperial; relating to an emperor or empire.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
autres: Others; referring to additional people or things.
grands: Great or powerful; describing high-ranking individuals.
la: Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns.
cour: A royal court or courtyard.
découpé: Past participle of 'découper'; cut up into pieces.
morceaux: Pieces or chunks cut from a larger whole.
pied: Foot; a body part or unit of measurement.
du: Contraction of 'de le', meaning 'of the' or 'from the'.
quatre: The number four.
cents: Hundreds; plural of 'cent', the number one hundred.
couronnes: Crowns; a currency unit or royal headpiece.
Je: First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas', 'plus', etc.
saurais: Conditional of 'savoir'; would know or be able to.
nier: To deny or refuse to acknowledge a fact.
non: The word for 'no' or 'not' in French.
si: Conjunction meaning 'if' or emphatic 'yes' after negation.
on: Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', or 'people'.
faisait: Imperfect of 'faire'; was doing or used to do.
même: Same or even; used for emphasis or comparison.
usage: Use or usage; the way something is utilized.
plusieurs: Several or multiple; more than two of something.
bien: Well or good; an adverb of manner or degree.
chair: Flesh; the soft tissue of a human or animal body.
cette: Demonstrative adjective 'this' for feminine singular nouns.
ville: A city or town.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'.
seul: Alone or only; a single person or thing.
leur: Possessive adjective meaning 'their'; also indirect pronoun.
fortune: Fortune, wealth, or one's financial assets.
peuvent: Third-person plural of 'pouvoir'; meaning 'can' or 'are able'.
sortir: To go out or leave a place.
chaise: A chair or seat; also used in 'chaise à porteurs'.
porteurs: Carriers or bearers; those who carry sedan chairs.
paraissent: Third-person plural of 'paraître'; appear or seem.
théâtre: A theater or dramatic performance venue.
assemblées: Assemblies or social gatherings of people.
parées: Past participle of 'parer'; adorned or dressed up elegantly.
étrangers: Foreigners or strangers; people from another country.
elles: Third-person feminine plural pronoun meaning 'they'.
paieront: Future tense of 'payer'; will pay or settle a debt.
jamais: Never or ever; used in negative or emphatic contexts.
royaume: A kingdom; a state ruled by a king or queen.
porterait: Conditional of 'porter'; would carry or bear something.
pas: Negation word meaning 'not'; used with 'ne'.
mal: Bad or harm; pain or difficulty.
Certaines: Certain or some; referring to specific unidentified people.
esprit: Mind, spirit, or wit; one's intellectual capacity.
abattu: Downcast, dejected, or knocked down; low in spirits.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'themselves'.
préoccupent: Third-person plural of 'préoccuper'; worry or concern themselves.
vivement: Keenly or intensely; with great feeling or urgency.
grand: Great or large in size, importance, or degree.
nombre: Number or quantity of people or things.
pauvres: Poor people; those lacking financial resources.
gens: People in general; a collective informal noun.
sont: Third-person plural of 'être'; meaning 'are'.
âgés: Aged or elderly; describing people of advanced years.
malades: Sick or ill people; those suffering from illness.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or', presenting an alternative.
estropiés: Crippled or disabled people; those with physical impairments.
prié: Past participle of 'prier'; asked or requested politely.
réfléchir: To reflect or think carefully about something.
aux: Contraction of 'à les', meaning 'to the' (plural).
mesures: Measures or steps taken to address a problem.
pourraient: Conditional of 'pouvoir'; could or might be able to.
prises: Past participle of 'prendre' (feminine plural); taken or adopted.
soulager: To relieve or ease suffering or a burden.
nation: A nation or country as a collective political entity.
fardeau: A burden or heavy load, literal or figurative.
aussi: Also or too; indicating addition or similarity.
lourd: Heavy in weight or burdensome in nature.

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