← 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 14

English → Fr Full Text Level 9/10

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.

Que personne ne vienne donc me parler d'autres expédients : taxer nos absents à cinq shillings par livre ; ne porter ni vêtements ni meubles de ménage, sinon ceux qui sont de notre propre cru et manufacture ; rejeter absolument les matières et les instruments qui favorisent le luxe étranger ; guérir nos femmes de la dépense qu'engendrent l'orgueil, la vanité, l'oisiveté et le jeu ; introduire un goût de parcimonie, de prudence et de tempérance ; apprendre à aimer notre pays, en quoi nous différons même des Lapons et des habitants de Topinamboo ; renoncer à nos animosités et à nos factions, et cesser d'agir comme les Juifs, qui s'entre-tuaient au moment même où leur ville était prise ; prendre garde de vendre notre pays et nos consciences pour rien ; apprendre aux propriétaires à avoir au moins un degré de pitié envers leurs locataires.

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.

Enfin, insuffler un esprit d'honnêteté, de travail et de savoir-faire à nos commerçants, lesquels, si l'on prenait maintenant la résolution de n'acheter que nos produits nationaux, s'uniraient aussitôt pour nous tromper et nous pressurer sur le prix, la mesure et la qualité, et n'ont jamais pu être amenés à formuler une seule proposition honnête de commerce équitable, bien qu'on les y ait souvent et instamment invités.

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.

Je le répète donc, que personne ne vienne me parler de ces expédients et de ceux qui leur ressemblent, tant qu'il n'aura pas au moins quelque lueur d'espoir qu'il se fera jamais une tentative sincère et résolue de les mettre en pratique.

Vocabulary

Que
That; used to introduce a clause or comparison
personne
Person; or (with ne) nobody, no one
ne
Negation particle used before a verb
vienne
Subjunctive form of venir: that someone come
donc
Therefore, so, thus
me
Me, to me; first-person singular object pronoun
parler
To speak, to talk
d'
Contracted form of de: of, about
autres
Other, others
expédients
Expedients; practical measures or solutions
taxer
To tax, to levy a charge on something
nos
Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
absents
Absent persons; those who are away
à
At, to, in; preposition of location or direction
cinq
Five; the number five
par
By, per, through; preposition of means or rate
livre
Pound (currency or weight); also book
porter
To wear, to carry, to bear
ni
Neither, nor; used in negative constructions
vêtements
Clothes, clothing, garments
meubles
Furniture; movable household furnishings
de
Of, from, about; very common French preposition
ménage
Household, home, domestic arrangement
sinon
Otherwise, except, if not
ceux
Those, the ones; masculine demonstrative pronoun
qui
Who, which, that; relative pronoun
sont
Are; third-person plural of être
notre
Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
propre
Own; clean; one's very own
cru
Growth, vintage; locally produced goods
et
And; coordinating conjunction
manufacture
Manufacturing, production; locally made goods
rejeter
To reject, to throw out, to refuse
absolument
Absolutely, completely, entirely
les
The; definite article, plural form
matières
Materials, matters, raw substances
instruments
Instruments, tools, implements
favorisent
Favour, promote, encourage; third-person plural
le
The; definite article, masculine singular
luxe
Luxury; extravagance, lavish lifestyle
étranger
Foreign, foreigner; from another country
guérir
To cure, to heal, to remedy
femmes
Women, wives
la
The; definite article, feminine singular
dépense
Expense, spending, expenditure
qu'
That, which; contracted form of que
engendrent
Generate, produce, breed; third-person plural
l'
The; contracted definite article before vowel
orgueil
Pride, arrogance, vanity
vanité
Vanity, conceit, futility
oisiveté
Idleness, laziness, inactivity
jeu
Game, gambling, play
introduire
To introduce, to bring in, to insert
un
A, an; indefinite article, masculine singular
goût
Taste, liking, preference
parcimonie
Parsimony, thrift, extreme frugality
prudence
Prudence, caution, careful judgment
tempérance
Temperance, moderation, self-restraint
apprendre
To learn, to teach, to find out
aimer
To love, to like, to be fond of
pays
Country, nation, homeland
en
In, by, as; preposition or pronoun
quoi
What; interrogative or relative pronoun
nous
We, us; first-person plural pronoun
différons
We differ, we are different from
même
Even, same, very; intensifier or adjective
des
Of the, some; partitive or contracted article
habitants
Inhabitants, residents, dwellers
renoncer
To renounce, to give up, to abandon
animosités
Animosities, hostilities, strong ill will
factions
Factions, rival groups, political divisions
cesser
To cease, to stop, to quit doing something
agir
To act, to behave, to take action
comme
Like, as, such as
s'
Reflexive pronoun se contracted before vowel
entre-tuaient
Were killing each other, mutual slaughter
au
To the, at the; contracted masculine article
moment
Moment, time, instant
où
Where, when; relative adverb of place or time
leur
Their; third-person plural possessive adjective
ville
City, town
était
Was; third-person singular imperfect of être
prise
Taken, captured; past participle of prendre
prendre
To take, to grab, to get
garde
Guard, care; prendre garde means to beware
vendre
To sell, to trade, to vend
consciences
Consciences, moral senses, inner judgments
pour
For, in order to; preposition of purpose
rien
Nothing, not anything
aux
To the, at the; contracted plural article
propriétaires
Owners, landlords, proprietors
avoir
To have; also used as auxiliary verb
moins
Less, fewer; comparative of little
degré
Degree, level, extent
pitié
Pity, compassion, mercy
envers
Towards, with regard to someone
leurs
Their; plural form of leur possessive
locataires
Tenants, renters, leaseholders
Enfin
Finally, at last, in short
insuffler
To instil, to breathe into, to inspire
esprit
Spirit, mind, wit, mentality
honnêteté
Honesty, integrity, uprightness
travail
Work, labour, effort
savoir-faire
Know-how, skill, practical expertise
commerçants
Merchants, traders, shopkeepers
lesquels
Which, who; relative pronoun, masculine plural
si
If, whether; also yes in response to negative
on
One, we, they; impersonal subject pronoun
prenait
Was taking; third-person singular imperfect
maintenant
Now, at present, currently
résolution
Resolution, decision, determination
n'
Contracted negation particle ne before vowel
acheter
To buy, to purchase
produits
Products, goods, produce
nationaux
National, domestic; masculine plural adjective
uniraient
Would unite, would join together; conditional
aussitôt
Immediately, at once, right away
tromper
To deceive, to cheat, to mislead
pressurer
To squeeze, to exploit financially, to fleece
sur
On, over, about; preposition of position
prix
Price, cost, value
mesure
Measure, measurement, proportion
qualité
Quality, standard, characteristic
ont
Have; third-person plural of avoir
jamais
Never; ever (in negative constructions)
pu
Been able to; past participle of pouvoir
être
To be; fundamental auxiliary and linking verb
amenés
Led, brought, induced; past participle of amener
formuler
To formulate, to express, to put forward
une
A, an; indefinite article, feminine singular
seule
Single, alone, only, sole
proposition
Proposal, proposition, offer
honnête
Honest, decent, fair
commerce
Trade, commerce, business dealings
équitable
Fair, equitable, just
bien
Well, good, very; adverb or noun
y
There; pronoun replacing a place or thing
ait
Has; subjunctive form of avoir
souvent
Often, frequently
instamment
Urgently, insistently, pressingly
invités
Invited, urged; past participle of inviter
Je
I; first-person singular subject pronoun
répète
Repeat, say again; first-person singular present
ces
These, those; plural demonstrative adjective
ressemblent
Resemble, look like; third-person plural present
tant
So much, so many, as long as
il
He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun
aura
Will have; third-person singular future of avoir
pas
Not; negation particle used with ne
quelque
Some, any, a little; indefinite adjective
lueur
Glimmer, gleam, faint light or hope
espoir
Hope, expectation
se
Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
fera
Will make, will do; future of faire
tentative
Attempt, try, endeavour
sincère
Sincere, genuine, heartfelt
résolue
Resolved, determined, firm; feminine adjective
mettre
To put, to place, to set
pratique
Practice; practical; putting into action
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