← 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 15

English → Fr Full Text Level 9/10

But, as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England.

Mais, en ce qui me concerne, ayant été lassé pendant de nombreuses années à offrir des pensées vaines, oisives et chimériques, et finalement désespérant tout à fait du succès, je tombai heureusement sur cette proposition, qui, étant entièrement nouvelle, possède quelque chose de solide et de réel, sans dépense et avec peu de peine, entièrement en notre pouvoir, et par laquelle nous ne pouvons courir aucun danger en mécontentant l'Angleterre.

For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.

Car ce genre de denrée ne supportera pas l'exportation, et la chair étant d'une consistance trop tendre pour admettre une longue conservation dans le sel, bien que je puisse peut-être nommer un pays qui serait heureux de dévorer notre nation tout entière sans cela.

After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual.

Après tout, je ne suis pas si violemment attaché à ma propre opinion au point de rejeter toute offre, proposée par des hommes sages, qui se révélerait également innocente, peu coûteuse, aisée et efficace.

But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points.

Mais avant qu'une chose de ce genre soit avancée en contradiction avec mon projet, et en proposant un meilleur, je souhaite que l'auteur ou les auteurs veuillent bien examiner mûrement deux points.

First, As things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs.

Premièrement, dans l'état actuel des choses, comment ils seront en mesure de trouver nourriture et vêtements pour cent mille bouches et dos inutiles.

Vocabulary

Mais: mɛ — Conjunction meaning 'but,' used to contrast ideas.
en: ɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'by,' indicating manner or place.
ce: sə — Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'it.'
qui: ki — Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which.'
me: mə — First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me.'
concerne: kɔ̃sɛʁn — Verb meaning 'concerns' or 'regards,' relates to someone.
ayant: ɛjɑ̃ — Present participle of 'avoir,' meaning 'having.'
été: ete — Past participle of 'être,' meaning 'been.'
lassé: lase — Adjective or past participle meaning 'wearied' or 'tired of.'
pendant: pɑ̃dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period of time.
de: də — Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from,' very common in French.
nombreuses: nɔ̃bʁøz — Adjective meaning 'numerous' or 'many,' feminine plural form.
années: ane — Noun meaning 'years,' feminine plural of 'année.'
à: a — Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'for' in French.
offrir: ɔfʁiʁ — Verb meaning 'to offer' or 'to give' something.
des: de — Indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the,' plural.
pensées: pɑ̃se — Noun meaning 'thoughts' or 'ideas,' feminine plural.
vaines: vɛn — Adjective meaning 'vain,' 'futile,' or 'empty,' feminine plural.
oisives: waziv — Adjective meaning 'idle' or 'unproductive,' feminine plural form.
et: e — Conjunction meaning 'and,' linking words or clauses.
chimériques: kimeʁik — Adjective meaning 'chimerical,' fanciful, or wildly unrealistic.
finalement: finaləmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'finally' or 'ultimately,' at last.
désespérant: dezɛspɛʁɑ̃ — Adjective or participle meaning 'despairing' or 'despairing of.'
tout: tu — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'every,' or 'everything.'
fait: fɛ — Noun meaning 'fact,' or past participle of 'faire,' 'done.'
du: dy — Contracted article meaning 'of the' (de + le).
succès: syksɛ — Noun meaning 'success' or 'achievement' of a goal.
je: ʒə — First-person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I.'
tombai: tɔ̃bɛ — Past historic of 'tomber,' meaning 'fell upon' or 'came across.'
heureusement: øʁøzmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'fortunately' or 'luckily,' expressing happy outcome.
sur: syʁ — Preposition meaning 'on,' 'upon,' or 'about.'
cette: sɛt — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this,' feminine singular form.
proposition: pʁɔpozisyɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'proposal' or 'proposition,' a suggested plan.
étant: etɑ̃ — Present participle of 'être,' meaning 'being.'
entièrement: ɑ̃tjɛʁmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'entirely' or 'completely,' wholly.
nouvelle: nuvɛl — Adjective meaning 'new,' feminine singular; also a short story.
possède: posɛd — Verb meaning 'possesses' or 'owns,' third-person singular.
quelque: kɛlkə — Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain,' before a noun.
chose: ʃoz — Noun meaning 'thing,' a general or unspecified object.
solide: sɔlid — Adjective meaning 'solid,' 'firm,' or 'substantial.'
réel: ʁeɛl — Adjective meaning 'real,' 'actual,' or 'genuine.'
sans: sɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'without,' indicating absence of something.
dépense: depɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'expense' or 'expenditure,' money spent.
avec: avɛk — Preposition meaning 'with,' indicating accompaniment or means.
peu: pø — Adverb or noun meaning 'little' or 'few,' small amount.
peine: pɛn — Noun meaning 'trouble,' 'effort,' or 'pain,' difficulty.
notre: nɔtʁ — Possessive adjective meaning 'our,' first-person plural.
pouvoir: puvwaʁ — Verb meaning 'to be able to'; noun meaning 'power.'
par: paʁ — Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per.'
laquelle: lakɛl — Relative pronoun meaning 'which,' feminine singular form.
nous: nu — First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us.'
ne: nə — Negation particle used with 'pas' to negate a verb.
pouvons: puvɔ̃ — First-person plural of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'we can.'
courir: kuʁiʁ — Verb meaning 'to run' or 'to incur,' as in risk.
aucun: okœ̃ — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'no,' 'none,' or 'not any.'
danger: dɑ̃ʒe — Noun meaning 'danger' or 'risk,' threat to safety.
mécontentant: mekɔ̃tɑ̃tɑ̃ — Present participle meaning 'displeasing' or 'making discontented.'
l': l — Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before a vowel.
Angleterre: ɑ̃ɡltɛʁ — Proper noun meaning 'England,' a country in Great Britain.
Car: kaʁ — Conjunction meaning 'for' or 'because,' explaining a reason.
genre: ʒɑ̃ʁ — Noun meaning 'type,' 'kind,' or 'gender,' category.
denrée: dɑ̃ʁe — Noun meaning 'commodity' or 'foodstuff,' tradeable goods.
supportera: sypɔʁtəʁa — Future tense of 'supporter,' meaning 'will withstand' or 'tolerate.'
pas: pɑ — Negation word used with 'ne' to negate a verb.
exportation: ɛkspɔʁtasjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'exportation' or 'export,' sending goods abroad.
la: la — Definite article meaning 'the,' feminine singular form.
chair: ʃɛʁ — Noun meaning 'flesh' or 'meat,' the soft body tissue.
d': d — Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel, meaning 'of.'
une: yn — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an,' feminine singular.
consistance: kɔ̃sistɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'consistency' or 'texture,' firmness of substance.
trop: tʁo — Adverb meaning 'too' or 'too much,' excessively.
tendre: tɑ̃dʁ — Adjective meaning 'tender' or 'soft'; verb 'to stretch.'
pour: puʁ — Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'to.'
admettre: admɛtʁ — Verb meaning 'to admit' or 'to allow,' to accept something.
longue: lɔ̃ɡ — Adjective meaning 'long,' referring to duration or length, feminine.
conservation: kɔ̃sɛʁvasjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'conservation' or 'preservation' of something.
dans: dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside,' indicating location.
le: lə — Definite article meaning 'the,' masculine singular form.
sel: sɛl — Noun meaning 'salt,' used for seasoning or preservation.
bien: bjɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'well' or 'very'; noun meaning 'good.'
que: kə — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'than.'
puisse: pɥis — Subjunctive of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'may be able to.'
peut-être: pøtɛtʁ — Adverb meaning 'perhaps' or 'maybe,' expressing uncertainty.
nommer: nɔme — Verb meaning 'to name' or 'to appoint,' to call by name.
un: œ̃ — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one,' masculine singular.
pays: pei — Noun meaning 'country' or 'land,' a nation or territory.
serait: səʁɛ — Conditional of 'être,' meaning 'would be.'
heureux: øʁø — Adjective meaning 'happy' or 'pleased,' masculine form.
dévorer: devɔʁe — Verb meaning 'to devour' or 'to consume' eagerly.
nation: nasjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'nation,' a country or people as a group.
entière: ɑ̃tjɛʁ — Adjective meaning 'entire' or 'whole,' feminine singular form.
cela: səla — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing.'
Après: apʁɛ — Preposition or adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterwards.'
suis: sɥi — First-person singular of 'être,' meaning 'I am.'
si: si — Conjunction meaning 'if'; adverb meaning 'so' or 'yes.'
violemment: vjɔlamɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'violently' or 'intensely,' with great force.
attaché: ataʃe — Adjective or past participle meaning 'attached' or 'devoted.'
ma: ma — Possessive adjective meaning 'my,' feminine singular form.
propre: pʁɔpʁ — Adjective meaning 'own,' 'clean,' or 'proper,' one's own.
opinion: ɔpinjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'opinion' or 'view,' a personal belief.
au: o — Contracted article meaning 'to the' or 'at the' (à + le).
point: pwɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'point' or 'degree'; also used in negation.
rejeter: ʁəʒəte — Verb meaning 'to reject' or 'to dismiss,' to turn down.
toute: tut — Adjective meaning 'all' or 'every,' feminine singular form.
offre: ɔfʁ — Noun meaning 'offer' or 'proposal'; also verb 'offers.'
proposée: pʁopoze — Past participle of 'proposer,' meaning 'proposed,' feminine form.
hommes: ɔm — Noun meaning 'men' or 'people,' plural of 'homme.'
sages: saʒ — Adjective meaning 'wise' or 'sensible,' plural form.
se: sə — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself,' 'himself,' or 'herself.'
révélerait: ʁeveləʁɛ — Conditional of 'révéler,' meaning 'would reveal' or 'prove.'
également: eɡalmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'equally' or 'also,' in like manner.
innocente: inɔsɑ̃t — Adjective meaning 'innocent' or 'harmless,' feminine form.
coûteuse: kutøz — Adjective meaning 'costly' or 'expensive,' feminine form.
aisée: eze — Adjective meaning 'easy' or 'effortless,' feminine singular.
efficace: efikas — Adjective meaning 'effective' or 'efficient,' producing results.
avant: avɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'before,' referring to time or order.
qu': k — Contracted conjunction 'que' before a vowel, meaning 'that.'
soit: swa — Subjunctive of 'être,' meaning 'be' or 'that it is.'
avancée: avɑ̃se — Past participle meaning 'advanced' or 'put forward,' feminine.
contradiction: kɔ̃tʁadiksyɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'contradiction,' a statement opposing another.
mon: mɔ̃ — Possessive adjective meaning 'my,' masculine singular form.
projet: pʁɔʒɛ — Noun meaning 'project' or 'plan,' an intended scheme.
proposant: pʁopozɑ̃ — Present participle of 'proposer,' meaning 'proposing' something.
meilleur: mɛjœʁ — Adjective meaning 'better' or 'best,' comparative of 'bon.'
souhaite: swɛt — Verb meaning 'wishes' or 'hopes for,' expresses a desire.
auteur: otœʁ — Noun meaning 'author' or 'writer,' creator of a work.
ou: u — Conjunction meaning 'or,' presenting an alternative choice.
les: le — Definite article meaning 'the,' masculine or feminine plural.
auteurs: otœʁ — Noun meaning 'authors' or 'writers,' plural of 'auteur.'
veuillent: vœj — Subjunctive of 'vouloir,' meaning 'may want' or 'wish.'
examiner: ɛɡzamine — Verb meaning 'to examine' or 'to study carefully.'
mûrement: myʁmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'maturely' or 'carefully,' after due deliberation.
deux: dø — Number meaning 'two,' the cardinal number after one.
points: pwɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'points' or 'aspects,' plural of 'point.'
Premièrement: pʁəmjɛʁmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'firstly' or 'first of all,' to begin.
état: eta — Noun meaning 'state,' 'condition,' or 'status' of something.
actuel: aktyɛl — Adjective meaning 'current' or 'present,' happening now.
choses: ʃoz — Noun meaning 'things,' plural of 'chose,' general objects.
comment: kɔmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'how,' asking about manner or method.
ils: il — Third-person plural pronoun meaning 'they,' masculine or mixed.
seront: səʁɔ̃ — Future tense of 'être,' meaning 'will be.'
mesure: məzyʁ — Noun meaning 'measure' or 'extent'; verb 'measures.'
trouver: tʁuve — Verb meaning 'to find' or 'to discover' something.
nourriture: nuʁityʁ — Noun meaning 'food' or 'nourishment,' sustenance for living.
vêtements: vɛtmɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'clothing' or 'garments,' items worn on body.
cent: sɑ̃ — Number meaning 'one hundred,' the cardinal number 100.
mille: mil — Number meaning 'one thousand,' the cardinal number 1000.
bouches: buʃ — Noun meaning 'mouths,' plural of 'bouche,' faces to feed.
dos: do — Noun meaning 'back,' the rear part of the body.
inutiles: inytil — Adjective meaning 'useless' or 'unnecessary,' plural form.

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