Beyond Good and Evil — Page 3

English → Spanish Preface Level 9/10

The philosophy of the dogmatists, it is to be hoped, was only a promise for thousands of years afterwards, as was astrology in still earlier times, in the service of which probably more labour, gold, acuteness, and patience have been spent than on any actual science hitherto: we owe to it, and to its "super-terrestrial" pretensions in Asia and Egypt, the grand style of architecture.

La filosofía de los dogmáticos, es de esperar, fue solo una promesa para los miles de años posteriores, así como lo fue la astrología en tiempos aún más remotos, en cuyo servicio probablemente se han gastado más trabajo, oro, agudeza y paciencia que en cualquier ciencia real hasta ahora: le debemos a ella, y a sus pretensiones «supraterrestres» en Asia y Egipto, el gran estilo de la arquitectura.

It seems that in order to inscribe themselves upon the heart of humanity with everlasting claims, all great things have first to wander about the earth as enormous and awe-inspiring caricatures: dogmatic philosophy has been a caricature of this kind--for instance, the Vedanta doctrine in Asia, and Platonism in Europe.

Parece que para inscribirse en el corazón de la humanidad con pretensiones eternas, todas las grandes cosas tienen primero que vagar por la tierra como caricaturas enormes e imponentes: la filosofía dogmática ha sido una caricatura de este tipo, por ejemplo, la doctrina Vedanta en Asia y el platonismo en Europa.

Let us not be ungrateful to it, although it must certainly be confessed that the worst, the most tiresome, and the most dangerous of errors hitherto has been a dogmatist error--namely, Plato's invention of Pure Spirit and the Good in Itself.

No seamos ingratos con ella, aunque ciertamente hay que confesar que el peor, el más tedioso y el más peligroso de los errores hasta ahora ha sido un error dogmatista, a saber, la invención de Platón del Espíritu Puro y el Bien en Sí mismo.

But now when it has been surmounted, when Europe, rid of this nightmare, can again draw breath freely and at least enjoy a healthier--sleep, we, WHOSE DUTY IS WAKEFULNESS ITSELF, are the heirs of all the strength which the struggle against this error has fostered.

Pero ahora que ha sido superado, cuando Europa, liberada de esta pesadilla, puede volver a respirar libremente y al menos disfrutar de un sueño más saludable, nosotros, CUYO DEBER ES LA VIGILIA MISMA, somos los herederos de toda la fuerza que la lucha contra este error ha engendrado.

It amounted to the very inversion of truth, and the denial of the PERSPECTIVE--the fundamental condition--of life, to speak of Spirit and the Good as Plato spoke of them; indeed one might ask, as a physician: "How did such a malady attack that finest product of antiquity, Plato?

Equivalía a la inversión misma de la verdad, y a la negación de la PERSPECTIVA, la condición fundamental de la vida, hablar del Espíritu y del Bien como Platón habló de ellos; en verdad, uno podría preguntar, como médico: «¿Cómo pudo tal enfermedad atacar a ese más fino producto de la antigüedad, Platón?

Vocabulary

filosofía: Philosophy; system of beliefs and principles.
dogmáticos: Dogmatic; asserting opinion without proof.
esperar: To wait; to hope; to expect something.
solo: Only; alone; single or solitary.
promesa: Promise; a commitment or assurance given.
miles: Thousands; plural of mil.
años: Years; plural of año.
posteriores: Later; subsequent; following in time.
así: Thus; in this way; so.
astrología: Astrology; study of stars influencing human affairs.
tiempos: Times; periods; epochs.
aún: Still; yet; even (temporal or emphatic).
remotos: Remote; distant; far away in time.
cuyo: Whose; of which (possessive relative pronoun).
servicio: Service; duty; assistance provided to others.
probablemente: Probably; likely; in all probability.
gastado: Spent; expended; consumed or used up.
trabajo: Work; labor; effort or employment.
oro: Gold; precious yellow metal.
agudeza: Sharpness; acuteness; keen intelligence or wit.
paciencia: Patience; endurance; tolerance for difficulties.
cualquier: Any; whichever; some (indefinite adjective).
ciencia: Science; systematic study of natural phenomena.
real: Real; actual; true; existing in fact.
hasta: Until; up to; as far as.
ahora: Now; at the present time.
debemos: We owe; we must; obligation or debt.
pretensiones: Pretensions; claims; false or unjustified assertions.
supraterrestres: Supernatural; above or beyond earthly realm.
Asia: Asia; the world's largest continent.
Egipto: Egypt; ancient civilization in North Africa.
gran: Great; large; of considerable size or importance.
estilo: Style; manner; characteristic way of expression.
arquitectura: Architecture; art and science of building design.
Parece: It seems; appears; looks like.
inscribirse: To inscribe; to register; to enroll.
corazón: Heart; center; the seat of emotions.
humanidad: Humanity; mankind; human beings collectively.
eternas: Eternal; lasting forever; timeless.
todas: All; every one (feminine plural).
grandes: Great; large; significant in size or importance.
cosas: Things; objects; matters or affairs.
primero: First; earliest; before all others.
vagar: To wander; to roam about aimlessly.
tierra: Earth; land; ground; soil.
caricaturas: Caricatures; distorted comic representations or parodies.
enormes: Enormous; huge; very large in size.
imponentes: Imposing; impressive; commanding attention or respect.
dogmática: Dogmatic; based on dogma; authoritarian.
caricatura: Caricature; exaggerated comic representation of person.
este: This; this one (demonstrative pronoun/adjective).
tipo: Type; kind; sort; fellow or character.
ejemplo: Example; model; instance; specimen.
doctrina: Doctrine; teaching; principle or body of beliefs.
Vedanta: Vedanta; Hindu philosophical school emphasizing ultimate reality.

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