← 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 → Pt 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.

Mas a minha intenção está muito longe de se limitar a prover apenas para os filhos de mendigos declarados: é de uma extensão muito maior, e abrangerá o número total de crianças em certa idade, que nascem de pais tão pouco capazes de sustentá-las, na prática, quanto aqueles que exigem a nossa caridade nas ruas.

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.

Quanto a mim, tendo voltado os meus pensamentos por muitos anos sobre este importante assunto, e tendo ponderado maduramente os vários esquemas dos nossos projetistas, sempre os encontrei grosseiramente equivocados nos seus cálculos.

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.

É verdade que uma criança recém-saída do ventre materno pode ser sustentada pelo leite da mãe, durante um ano solar, com pouco outro alimento: no máximo não mais do que o valor de dois xelins, que a mãe certamente pode obter, ou o valor em sobras, pelo seu ofício lícito de mendigar; e é precisamente ao completar um ano de idade que proponho provê-las de tal maneira que, em vez de serem um encargo para os seus pais, ou para a paróquia, ou de necessitarem de comida e vestuário pelo resto das suas vidas, elas contribuirão, pelo contrário, para a alimentação e em parte para o vestuário de muitos milhares.

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!

Há igualmente outra grande vantagem no meu esquema, que é a de impedir esses abortos voluntários, e essa horrível prática de mulheres que assassinam os seus filhos bastardos, ai!

Vocabulary

Mas: mahss — Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast.
a: ah — Definite article 'the' (feminine singular).
minha: meen-yah — Possessive pronoun meaning 'my' (feminine).
intenção: een-ten-sow — Noun meaning 'intention' or 'purpose'.
está: esh-tah — Third-person singular of 'estar', meaning 'is'.
muito: mwee-too — Adverb or adjective meaning 'very' or 'much'.
longe: lon-zheh — Adverb meaning 'far' or 'far from'.
de: deh — Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
se: seh — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'itself', 'oneself', 'themselves'.
limitar: lee-mee-tar — Verb meaning 'to limit' or 'to restrict'.
prover: proo-vehr — Verb meaning 'to provide' or 'to supply'.
apenas: ah-peh-nahss — Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just'.
para: pah-rah — Preposition meaning 'for', 'to', or 'in order to'.
os: oosh — Definite article 'the' (masculine plural).
filhos: feel-yoosh — Noun meaning 'children' or 'sons'.
mendigos: men-dee-goosh — Noun meaning 'beggars' or 'paupers'.
declarados: deh-klah-rah-doosh — Adjective meaning 'declared' or 'acknowledged'.
é: eh — Third-person singular of 'ser', meaning 'is'.
uma: oo-mah — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine).
extensão: esh-ten-sow — Noun meaning 'extension' or 'scope'.
maior: my-ohr — Adjective meaning 'greater', 'larger', or 'bigger'.
e: ee — Conjunction meaning 'and'.
abrangerá: ah-bran-zheh-rah — Future tense verb meaning 'will encompass' or 'will include'.
o: oo — Definite article 'the' (masculine singular).
número: noo-meh-roo — Noun meaning 'number' or 'quantity'.
total: too-tal — Adjective or noun meaning 'total' or 'entire'.
crianças: kree-an-sahss — Noun meaning 'children' or 'kids'.
em: en — Preposition meaning 'in', 'at', or 'on'.
certa: sehr-tah — Adjective meaning 'certain' or 'a particular'.
idade: ee-dah-deh — Noun meaning 'age' referring to time of life.
que: keh — Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'who'.
nascem: nah-sen — Third-person plural of 'nascer', meaning 'are born'.
pais: pie-ish — Noun meaning 'parents' or 'father and mother'.
tão: town — Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as' in comparisons.
pouco: poh-koo — Adjective or adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'.
capazes: kah-pah-zesh — Adjective meaning 'capable' or 'able' (plural).
sustentá-las: soosh-ten-tah-lahss — Verb phrase meaning 'to sustain them' or 'to support them'.
na: nah — Contraction of 'em' + 'a', meaning 'in the' (feminine).
prática: prah-tee-kah — Noun meaning 'practice' or 'reality'.
quanto: kwan-too — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'as much as' or 'how much'.
aqueles: ah-keh-lesh — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (masculine plural).
exigem: eh-zee-zhen — Verb meaning 'demand' or 'require' (third plural present).
nossa: noh-sah — Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (feminine singular).
caridade: kah-ree-dah-deh — Noun meaning 'charity' or 'generosity toward others'.
nas: nahss — Contraction of 'em' + 'as', meaning 'in the' (feminine plural).
ruas: roo-ahss — Noun meaning 'streets' or 'roads'.
Quanto: kwan-too — Preposition phrase 'as for' or 'regarding'.
mim: meen — Prepositional pronoun meaning 'me' (first person singular).
tendo: ten-doo — Gerund of 'ter', meaning 'having'.
voltado: vol-tah-doo — Past participle of 'voltar', meaning 'turned' or 'directed'.
meus: meh-oosh — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine plural).
pensamentos: pen-sah-men-toosh — Noun meaning 'thoughts' or 'reflections'.
por: pohr — Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'.
muitos: mwee-toosh — Adjective meaning 'many' or 'a great number of'.
anos: ah-noosh — Noun meaning 'years'.
sobre: soh-breh — Preposition meaning 'about', 'on', or 'over'.
este: esh-teh — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' (masculine singular).
importante: eem-por-tan-teh — Adjective meaning 'important' or 'significant'.
assunto: ah-soon-too — Noun meaning 'subject', 'matter', or 'topic'.
ponderado: pon-deh-rah-doo — Past participle meaning 'pondered' or 'carefully considered'.
vários: vah-ree-oosh — Adjective meaning 'various' or 'several'.
esquemas: esh-keh-mahss — Noun meaning 'schemes', 'plans', or 'proposals'.
dos: doosh — Contraction of 'de' + 'os', meaning 'of the' (masculine plural).
nossos: noh-soosh — Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (masculine plural).
sempre: sem-preh — Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever'.
encontrei: en-kon-tray — First-person past tense of 'encontrar', meaning 'I found'.
equivocados: eh-kee-voo-kah-doosh — Adjective meaning 'mistaken' or 'erroneous'.
nos: noosh — Contraction of 'em' + 'os', or pronoun meaning 'us'.
seus: seh-oosh — Possessive adjective meaning 'their' or 'his/her' (plural).
cálculos: kal-koo-loosh — Noun meaning 'calculations' or 'estimates'.
É: eh — Third-person singular of 'ser', meaning 'it is'.
verdade: vehr-dah-deh — Noun meaning 'truth' or 'fact'.
criança: kree-an-sah — Noun meaning 'child' or 'infant'.
do: doo — Contraction of 'de' + 'o', meaning 'of the' (masculine singular).
materno: mah-tehr-noo — Adjective meaning 'maternal' or 'of the mother'.
pode: poh-deh — Third-person singular of 'poder', meaning 'can' or 'is able'.
ser: sehr — Verb 'to be' in its infinitive form.
sustentada: soosh-ten-tah-dah — Past participle meaning 'sustained' or 'supported'.
pelo: peh-loo — Contraction of 'por' + 'o', meaning 'by the'.
leite: lay-teh — Noun meaning 'milk'.
da: dah — Contraction of 'de' + 'a', meaning 'of the' (feminine).
mãe: mah-en — Noun meaning 'mother'.
durante: doo-ran-teh — Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for the duration of'.
um: oon — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (masculine).
ano: ah-noo — Noun meaning 'year'.
solar: soo-lar — Adjective meaning 'solar' or 'of the sun'.
com: kon — Preposition meaning 'with'.
outro: oh-troo — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
alimento: ah-lee-men-too — Noun meaning 'food' or 'nourishment'.
no: noo — Contraction of 'em' + 'o', meaning 'in the' (masculine).
máximo: mahk-see-moo — Noun or adjective meaning 'maximum' or 'at most'.
não: now — Adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'.
mais: my-ish — Adverb or adjective meaning 'more' or 'anymore'.
valor: vah-lohr — Noun meaning 'value', 'worth', or 'cost'.
dois: doysh — Numeral meaning 'two' (masculine).
certamente: sehr-tah-men-teh — Adverb meaning 'certainly' or 'surely'.
obter: ob-tehr — Verb meaning 'to obtain' or 'to get'.
sobras: soh-brahss — Noun meaning 'leftovers', 'scraps', or 'remainders'.
seu: seh-oo — Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its', or 'their'.
ofício: oh-fee-see-oo — Noun meaning 'trade', 'craft', or 'occupation'.
lícito: lee-see-too — Adjective meaning 'lawful', 'licit', or 'legitimate'.
mendigar: men-dee-gar — Verb meaning 'to beg' or 'to ask for alms'.
precisamente: preh-see-zah-men-teh — Adverb meaning 'precisely' or 'exactly'.
ao: ow — Contraction of 'a' + 'o', meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
completar: kom-pleh-tar — Verb meaning 'to complete' or 'to finish'.
proponho: proo-poh-nyoo — First-person singular of 'propor', meaning 'I propose'.
provê-las: proo-veh-lahss — Verb phrase meaning 'to provide for them' (feminine plural).
tal: tal — Adjective meaning 'such' or 'in such a way'.
maneira: mah-nay-rah — Noun meaning 'manner', 'way', or 'method'.
vez: vehz — Noun meaning 'time', 'turn', or 'instance'.
serem: seh-ren — Infinitive plural of 'ser', meaning 'to be' (they).
encargo: en-kar-goo — Noun meaning 'burden', 'charge', or 'responsibility'.
necessitarem: neh-seh-see-tah-ren — Verb meaning 'they will need' or 'should they need'.
comida: koo-mee-dah — Noun meaning 'food' or 'meal'.
vestuário: vesh-too-ah-ree-oo — Noun meaning 'clothing', 'garments', or 'attire'.
resto: resh-too — Noun meaning 'rest', 'remainder', or 'the rest of'.
das: dahss — Contraction of 'de' + 'as', meaning 'of the' (feminine plural).
vidas: vee-dahss — Noun meaning 'lives' (plural of 'vida').
elas: eh-lahss — Personal pronoun meaning 'they' (feminine).
contribuirão: kon-tree-bwee-row — Future tense meaning 'they will contribute'.
contrário: kon-trah-ree-oo — Adjective or noun meaning 'contrary', 'opposite', or 'instead'.
alimentação: ah-lee-men-tah-sow — Noun meaning 'nourishment', 'feeding', or 'diet'.
parte: par-teh — Noun meaning 'part', 'portion', or 'share'.
milhares: meel-yah-resh — Noun meaning 'thousands' or 'thousands of people'.
Há: ah — Third-person singular of 'haver', meaning 'there is/are'.
igualmente: ee-gwal-men-teh — Adverb meaning 'equally', 'likewise', or 'also'.
outra: oh-trah — Adjective meaning 'another' or 'other' (feminine singular).
grande: gran-deh — Adjective meaning 'great', 'large', or 'big'.
vantagem: van-tah-zhen — Noun meaning 'advantage' or 'benefit'.
meu: meh-oo — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine singular).
esquema: esh-keh-mah — Noun meaning 'scheme', 'plan', or 'proposal'.
impedir: eem-peh-deer — Verb meaning 'to prevent', 'to hinder', or 'to stop'.
esses: eh-sesh — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'those' or 'these' (masculine plural).
voluntários: voo-lon-tah-ree-oosh — Adjective meaning 'voluntary' or 'willful'.
essa: eh-sah — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (feminine singular).
horrível: oh-ree-vel — Adjective meaning 'horrible', 'dreadful', or 'terrible'.
mulheres: mool-yeh-resh — Noun meaning 'women' (plural of 'mulher').
assassinam: ah-sah-see-nam — Verb meaning 'murder' or 'kill' (third plural present).
ai: ah-ee — Interjection expressing pain, sorrow, or distress.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →