← 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 2

English → Japanese Full Text Level 9/10

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.

しかし、私の意図は、自称乞食の子どもたちのためだけに提供することに限定されているわけでは決してありません。それははるかに広い範囲に及ぶものであり、ある年齢の乳幼児全員を対象とするものです。その乳幼児たちは、街頭で私たちに慈善を求める者たちと同様に、事実上子どもを養う力がほとんどない親のもとに生まれた者たちです。

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.

私自身については、長年にわたりこの重要な問題について考えを巡らせ、さまざまな立案者たちの計画を十分に検討した結果、彼らが計算において甚だしく誤っていることを常に見出してきました。

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.

確かに、母親から生まれたばかりの子どもは、太陽暦で一年間、ほとんど他の栄養を必要とせず、母乳によって養うことができます。その費用はせいぜい二シリング相当に過ぎず、母親は合法的な物乞いという職業によって、確実にその金額、あるいは残飯という形での同等の価値を得ることができます。そして、私が提案するのは、まさに一歳になった時点で彼らの面倒を見るということであり、その方法とは、親や教区の負担となったり、残りの生涯にわたって食料や衣服を必要としたりする代わりに、逆に何千もの人々の食事や衣服の一部に貢献するというものです。

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!

私の計画にはさらにもう一つの大きな利点があります。それは、意図的な堕胎や、ああ、女性たちが私生児を殺めるという恐ろしい慣行を防ぐことができるという点です。

Vocabulary

しかし: shikashi — Conjunction meaning 'however' or 'but'.
私: watashi — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
の: no — Possessive or linking particle.
意図: ito — Intention or purpose behind an action.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
自称: jishou — Self-proclaimed or self-styled title or status.
乞食: kojiki — Beggar; a person who begs for alms.
子ども: kodomo — Child or children in general.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
ため: tame — For the sake of; for the purpose of.
だけ: dake — Only; limited to a specific thing or group.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, time, or purpose.
提供: teikyou — To provide or supply something to someone.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb.
こと: koto — Thing; nominalizer turning verbs into nouns.
限定: gentei — Limitation or restriction to a specific scope.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
いる: iru — To exist; indicates ongoing state or action.
わけ: wake — Reason or meaning; 'it means that…'
で: de — Particle indicating means, location, or reason.
決して: kesshite — Never; not at all (used with negatives).
ん: n — Negative or explanatory sentence-ending particle.
それ: sore — That; a pronoun referring to something nearby.
はるかに: haruka ni — Far more; by a great degree or extent.
広い: hiroi — Wide or broad in scope or physical space.
範囲: han'i — Scope, range, or extent of something.
及ぶ: oyobu — To extend to; to reach a certain scope.
もの: mono — Thing; also a softening sentence-final particle.
ある: aru — To exist; to have (for inanimate things).
年齢: nenrei — Age; the number of years someone has lived.
乳幼児: nyuuyouji — Infants and toddlers; very young children.
全員: zen'in — All members; every person in a group.
を: wo — Object-marking particle in Japanese sentences.
対象: taishou — Target or subject of an action or policy.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or 'as'.
です: desu — Polite copula meaning 'is', 'are', or 'am'.
その: sono — That (attributive); referring to a nearby thing.
街頭: gaitou — Street corner; public streets or roadside.
慈善: jizen — Charity; benevolent giving to those in need.
求める: motomeru — To seek or request something from someone.
者: mono / sha — Person; one who does a certain thing.
同様: douyou — Similarly; in the same manner or way.
事実上: jijitsujou — In effect; practically speaking or virtually.
養う: yashinau — To support or raise; to provide for someone.
力: chikara — Power, strength, or ability to do something.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
ほとんど: hotondo — Almost; mostly; hardly any remaining.
ない: nai — Negative adjective meaning 'not' or 'there is none'.
親: oya — Parent; a mother or father of a child.
もと: moto — Under; beneath the care or influence of.
生まれ: umare — Birth; being born into a circumstance.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending in Japanese.
自身: jishin — Oneself; one's own self or person.
つい: tsui — Unintentionally; just recently or inadvertently.
長年: naganen — Many years; a long period of time.
わたり: watari — Over a period; spanning a range of time.
この: kono — This; attributive pronoun referring to something close.
重要: juuyou — Important; significant or of great consequence.
な: na — Adjectival linking particle for na-adjectives.
問題: mondai — Problem or issue requiring attention or resolution.
考え: kangae — Thought or idea; the act of thinking.
巡らせ: megurrase — To turn over in one's mind; to ponder.
さまざまな: samazama na — Various; diverse kinds or types of things.
立案者: ritsuan-sha — Planner; a person who drafts proposals or plans.
計画: keikaku — Plan or project; organized scheme of action.
十分: juubun — Sufficient; enough in quantity or degree.
検討: kentou — Examination or deliberation of an issue.
結果: kekka — Result or outcome of an action or process.
彼ら: karera — They; third-person plural pronoun (often male).
計算: keisan — Calculation; mathematical reckoning or estimation.
甚だしく: hanahadashiku — Extremely; to a very great or severe degree.
誤っ: ayamatte — To err; to make a mistake or be wrong.
常: tsune — Always; constantly or habitually over time.
見出し: midashi — To find or discover; also means headline.
確かに: tashika ni — Certainly; indeed or without a doubt.
母親: hahaoya — Mother; a female parent of a child.
から: kara — From; because; a particle of origin or reason.
ばかり: bakari — Only; just; approximately a certain amount.
太陽暦: taiyoureki — Solar calendar; calendar based on the sun.
一年間: ichinenkан — A period of one full year.
他: hoka — Other; additional or different things or people.
栄養: eiyou — Nutrition; nourishment required for healthy growth.
必要: hitsuyou — Necessary; required or needed for a purpose.
せず: sezu — Without doing; negative conjunctive of suru.
母乳: bonyuu — Breast milk; milk produced by a nursing mother.
よっ: yotte — By means of; due to (conjunctive particle form).
でき: deki — Can do; be possible or capable of something.
ます: masu — Polite verb ending indicating formality.
費用: hiyou — Cost or expense required for something.
せいぜい: seizei — At most; at best; no more than a limit.
二: ni — The number two.
シリング: shiringu — Shilling; former British monetary unit.
相当: soutou — Equivalent to; corresponding in value or amount.
過ぎ: sugi — Exceeding; going beyond a limit or amount.
ず: zu — Negative auxiliary meaning 'without doing'.
合法的: gouhouteki — Legal; lawful; in accordance with the law.
物乞い: monogoi — Begging; the act of asking for charity.
いう: iu — To say; to call something by a name.
職業: shokugyou — Occupation; profession or line of work.
確実: kakujitsu — Certain; reliable or guaranteed to happen.
金額: kingaku — Sum of money; monetary amount or value.
あるいは: aruiwa — Or; alternatively; on the other hand.
残飯: zanpan — Leftover food; table scraps or food waste.
形: katachi — Form or shape; the manner something takes.
同等: doutou — Equal; of the same rank, value, or level.
価値: kachi — Value or worth of something tangible or abstract.
得る: eru — To obtain or gain something; to acquire.
そして: soshite — And then; furthermore; connecting events or ideas.
提案: teian — Proposal or suggestion put forward for consideration.
まさに: masa ni — Exactly; precisely; indeed without any doubt.
一歳: issai — One year old; age of one year.
なっ: natte — Becoming; conjunctive form of 'naru' (to become).
時点: jiten — Point in time; a specific moment or juncture.
面倒: mendou — Trouble; bother; also means taking care of.
見る: miru — To see; also to look after or care for.
方法: houhou — Method or way of doing something.
や: ya — And; listing particle for non-exhaustive lists.
教区: kyouku — Parish; a district under a church or authority.
負担: futan — Burden; financial or mental load placed on someone.
たり: tari — Particle listing actions as examples among others.
残り: nokori — Remainder; what is left over after use.
生涯: shougai — Lifetime; the entire span of one's life.
わたっ: watatte — Spanning; extending over a range or period.
食料: shokuryou — Food; provisions or supplies for eating.
衣服: ifuku — Clothing; garments worn on the body.
代わり: kawari — In place of; substitute or replacement for something.
逆: gyaku — Opposite; reverse or contrary direction.
何千: nanzen — Thousands; many thousands of something.
も: mo — Also; even; as many as (emphasis particle).
人々: hitobito — People; many individuals in a group.
食事: shokuji — Meal; the act of eating or a prepared meal.
一部: ichibu — A part or portion of a whole.
貢献: kouken — Contribution; giving effort toward a shared goal.
さらに: sara ni — Furthermore; in addition; even more so.
もう: mou — Already; another; one more of something.
一つ: hitotsu — One thing; a single item or point.
大きな: ookina — Large; big in size or significance.
利点: riten — Advantage; a beneficial or favorable aspect.
意図的: itoteki — Intentional; done on purpose or deliberately.
堕胎: datai — Abortion; termination of a pregnancy.
ああ: aa — Ah; oh; exclamation expressing emotion or realization.
女性: josei — Woman; female gender or adult female person.
私生児: shiseiji — Illegitimate child; born outside of marriage.
殺める: ayameru — To kill; to take the life of someone.
恐ろしい: osoroshii — Terrible; frightening or horrifying in nature.
慣行: kankou — Customary practice; an established usual behavior.
防ぐ: fusegu — To prevent or guard against something harmful.
点: ten — Point; aspect or particular element of something.

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