← 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 → Japanese 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.

しかし友人の名誉のために言っておくと、彼はこの案が、フォルモサ島出身の有名なサルマナザールによって思いつかされたものだと告白した。サルマナザールは二十年以上前にロンドンへやって来た人物で、会話の中で友人に語ったところによれば、彼の国では若者が死刑に処せられた場合、死刑執行人がその死体を高貴な人々に最上の珍味として売るのだという。また彼の時代には、皇帝の毒殺を企てたかどで磔にされた十五歳の豊満な少女の死体が、絞首台から切り分けられ、四百クラウンで皇帝陛下の首相や宮廷の大物高官たちに売られたというのだ。

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.

実のところ私も否定できないのだが、この町にいる何人かの豊満な若い娘たち――財産といえば一文も持たないくせに、駕籠なしには外出もできず、代金を払うつもりもない外国の華美な衣装を身にまとって劇場や集会に現れる娘たち――が同様の用途に供されたとしても、王国にとって何ら損にはなるまい。

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.

落胆した精神の持ち主の中には、老齢であったり、病気であったり、身体が不自由であったりする膨大な数の貧しい人々について深く憂慮している者もいる。そして私は、このような深刻な重荷から国家を解放するためにどのような方策が取り得るか、考えを巡らせるよう求められてきた。

Vocabulary

しかし: shikashi — Conjunction meaning 'however' or 'but'.
友人: yūjin — A friend or close acquaintance.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
名誉: meiyo — Honor, glory, or reputation.
ため: tame — For the sake of; purpose or benefit.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, time, or purpose.
言っ: itte — Te-form of 'to say'; saying.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
おく: oku — To do something in advance; to leave as is.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or quotation marker.
彼: kare — He; third-person masculine pronoun.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
この: kono — This; demonstrative adjective referring to nearby thing.
案: an — A plan, idea, or proposal.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
島: shima — Island; landmass surrounded by water.
出身: shusshin — One's origin, hometown, or background.
有名: yūmei — Famous, well-known, or renowned.
な: na — Adjectival linking particle for na-adjectives.
によって: ni yotte — By means of; by (indicating agent or method).
思いつか: omoitsuka — Stem form of 'to come up with an idea'.
さ: sa — Passive or causative suffix; also a softening particle.
れ: re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix in Japanese.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb in Japanese.
もの: mono — Thing; nominalizer indicating a fact or reason.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'are' (plain form).
告白: kokuhaku — Confession; openly admitting or revealing something.
し: shi — Conjunctive form of verb or copula; 'and also'.
二十: nijū — The number twenty.
年: nen — Year; unit of time.
以上: ijō — More than; at least; above a certain amount.
前: mae — Before; in front of; ago.
へ: e — Directional particle meaning 'to' or 'toward'.
やっ: yatte — Te-form of 'to do' or 'to come/go' (colloquial).
来: ki — Coming; arrival (stem of kuru, to come).
人物: jinbutsu — A person; notable individual or character.
で: de — Particle indicating location of action or means.
会話: kaiwa — Conversation; verbal exchange between people.
中: naka — Inside; in the middle of; during.
語っ: katatte — Te-form of 'to speak' or 'to narrate'.
ところ: tokoro — Place; situation; the point where something occurs.
よれ: yore — Conditional form of 'to be based on'; according to.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'.
国: kuni — Country, nation, or homeland.
若者: wakamono — A young person; youth.
死刑: shikei — Death penalty; capital punishment.
処せ: shose — Passive/causative stem of 'to sentence' or 'to punish'.
られ: rare — Passive auxiliary indicating an action done to subject.
場合: baai — A case, situation, or circumstance.
執行: shikkō — Execution; carrying out a sentence or order.
人: hito — Person; human being.
その: sono — That; demonstrative adjective for nearby reference.
死体: shitai — A corpse; dead body.
を: wo — Object-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
高貴: kōki — Noble, aristocratic, or of high rank.
人々: hitobito — People; various individuals collectively.
最上: saijō — The finest; highest quality or rank.
珍味: chinmi — A delicacy; rare and prized food item.
として: to shite — As; in the capacity or role of.
売る: uru — To sell; to offer something for money.
という: to iu — Called; said to be; known as.
また: mata — Also; again; moreover.
時代: jidai — Era, age, or period in history.
皇帝: kōtei — Emperor; supreme ruler of an empire.
毒殺: dokusatsu — Killing by poison; assassination via poisoning.
企て: kuwadате — A plot, scheme, or attempt to do something.
かど: kado — Charge; accusation; grounds for punishment.
十五: jūgo — The number fifteen.
歳: sai — Age in years; counter for years of age.
豊満: hōman — Plump, voluptuous, or full-figured.
少女: shōjo — A young girl; female child or adolescent.
から: kara — From; since; because (particle of origin or reason).
切り分け: kiriwake — Cutting apart; dividing by cutting into portions.
四百: yonhyaku — The number four hundred.
陛下: heika — His/Her Majesty; honorific for a monarch.
首相: shushō — Prime minister; head of government.
や: ya — And; listing particle connecting nouns loosely.
宮廷: kyūtei — The royal or imperial court.
大物: ōmono — A big shot; influential or powerful person.
高官: kōkan — A high-ranking official or senior officer.
たち: tachi — Pluralizing suffix for people and animate beings.
売ら: ura — Stem of 'to sell'; base form before auxiliary.
実: jitsu — Truth; reality; in fact.
私: watashi — I; first-person singular pronoun.
も: mo — Also; too; even (inclusive particle).
否定: hitei — Denial; negation; refusal to acknowledge.
でき: deki — Stem of 'to be able to'; can do.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary; not; does not exist.
町: machi — Town; city district or neighborhood.
いる: iru — To exist; to be (for animate beings).
何人: nannin — How many people; several people.
か: ka — Question particle; or indefinite marker meaning 'some'.
若い: wakai — Young; youthful in age.
娘: musume — Daughter; young woman or girl.
財産: zaisan — Property, assets, or personal wealth.
といえ: to ie — Even if one says; speaking of (concessive form).
一文: ichimon — A single coin; not a penny; absolutely no money.
持た: mota — Negative stem of 'to hold' or 'to have'.
くせ: kuse — A habit; despite; even though (used critically).
なし: nashi — Without; lacking; none.
外出: gaishutsu — Going out; leaving the house or building.
ず: zu — Negative verb suffix; without doing; not doing.
代金: daikin — Payment; price; the cost of goods or services.
払う: harau — To pay; to clear away.
つもり: tsumori — Intention; plan; what one intends to do.
外国: gaikoku — A foreign country; overseas nation.
華美: kabi — Showy, gaudy, or extravagantly ornate.
衣装: ishō — Clothing, costume, or outfit.
身: mi — Body; oneself; one's person.
まとっ: matotte — Te-form of 'to wear' or 'to drape oneself in'.
劇場: gekijō — A theater; venue for stage performances.
集会: shūkai — A gathering, assembly, or meeting.
現れる: arawareru — To appear; to show up; to emerge.
同様: dōyō — Similarly; in the same way or manner.
用途: yōto — A use, application, or purpose.
供さ: tomosa — Passive stem of 'to offer' or 'to provide'.
王国: ōkoku — A kingdom; nation ruled by a king or queen.
とっ: totte — Te-form of 'to take'; for; as far as concerns.
何ら: nanra — Any; whatsoever; nothing at all (with negation).
損: son — Loss; disadvantage; harm.
なる: naru — To become; to amount to; to result in.
まい: mai — Negative volitional; probably not; shall not.
落胆: rakutan — Discouragement; disappointment; loss of hope.
精神: seishin — Spirit, mind, or mental attitude.
持ち主: mochinushi — Owner; the person who possesses something.
老齢: rōrei — Old age; advanced years of life.
あっ: atte — Te-form of 'to be' or 'to exist' (aru).
たり: tari — Particle listing examples; doing things like X or Y.
病気: byōki — Illness; sickness; a disease.
身体: shintai — The body; physical form of a person.
不自由: fujiyū — Inconvenience; disability; lack of freedom.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb.
膨大: bōdai — Enormous, vast, or immense in scale.
数: kazu — Number; quantity; count.
貧しい: mazushii — Poor; destitute; lacking in wealth.
について: ni tsuite — About; concerning; regarding a topic.
深く: fukaku — Deeply; profoundly; to a great degree.
憂慮: yūryo — Deep concern, anxiety, or worry about something.
者: mono — Person; one who does or is characterized by something.
そして: soshite — And then; and so; furthermore.
よう: yō — Appears to; seems like; in order to (auxiliary).
深刻: shinkoku — Serious, grave, or deeply troubling.
重荷: omoni — A heavy burden; oppressive load or obligation.
国家: kokka — The state; nation as a political entity.
解放: kaihō — Liberation; release from burden or oppression.
どの: dono — Which; what kind of (interrogative adjective).
方策: hōsaku — A policy, measure, or course of action.
取り: tori — Taking; adopting (stem of 'to take' or 'adopt').
得る: eru — To obtain; to be able to; can do.
考え: kangae — A thought, idea, or way of thinking.
巡らせる: meguraseru — To turn over in one's mind; to ponder thoroughly.
求め: motome — Seeking; requesting; a demand or quest.

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