Beyond Good and Evil — Page 4

English → Spanish Preface Level 9/10

Had the wicked Socrates really corrupted him?

¿Había realmente corrompido a Alcibíades el malvado Sócrates?

Was Socrates after all a corrupter of youths, and deserved his hemlock?

¿Era Sócrates, después de todo, un corruptor de jóvenes, y mereció su cicuta?

But the struggle against Plato, or--to speak plainer, and for the "people"--the struggle against the ecclesiastical oppression of millenniums of Christianity (FOR CHRISTIANITY IS PLATONISM FOR THE "PEOPLE"), produced in Europe a magnificent tension of soul, such as had not existed anywhere previously;

Pero la lucha contra Platón, o —para hablar con más claridad, y para el «pueblo»— la lucha contra la opresión eclesiástica de milenios de cristianismo (PUES EL CRISTIANISMO ES EL PLATONISMO PARA EL «PUEBLO»), produjo en Europa una magnífica tensión del alma, tal como no había existido en ningún lugar anteriormente;

with such a tensely strained bow one can now aim at the furthest goals.

con un arco tan tensamente estirado se puede ahora apuntar a los objetivos más lejanos.

As a matter of fact, the European feels this tension as a state of distress, and twice attempts have been made in grand style to unbend the bow:

En realidad, el europeo siente esta tensión como un estado de angustia, y dos veces se han realizado intentos a gran escala para aflojar el arco:

once by means of Jesuitism, and the second time by means of democratic enlightenment--which, with the aid of liberty of the press and newspaper-reading, might, in fact, bring it about that the spirit would not so easily find itself in "distress"!

una vez mediante el jesuitismo, y la segunda vez mediante la ilustración democrática —que, con la ayuda de la libertad de prensa y la lectura de periódicos, podría, de hecho, lograr que el espíritu no se encontrara tan fácilmente en «angustia»—.

(The Germans invented gunpowder--all credit to them! but they again made things square--they invented printing.)

(¡Los alemanes inventaron la pólvora —todo el crédito para ellos!; pero volvieron a equilibrar las cosas —inventaron la imprenta—.)

But we, who are neither Jesuits, nor democrats, nor even sufficiently Germans, we GOOD EUROPEANS, and free, VERY free spirits--we have it still, all the distress of spirit and all the tension of its bow!

Pero nosotros, que no somos ni jesuitas, ni demócratas, ni siquiera suficientemente alemanes, nosotros los BUENOS EUROPEOS, y espíritus libres, MUY libres —nosotros lo conservamos aún, toda la angustia del espíritu y toda la tensión de su arco—.

And perhaps also the arrow, the duty, and, who knows? THE GOAL TO AIM AT....

Y quizás también la flecha, el deber, y ¿quién sabe? EL OBJETIVO AL QUE APUNTAR...

Sils Maria Upper Engadine, JUNE, 1885.

Sils Maria, Alta Engadina, JUNIO de 1885.

Vocabulary

Había: There was/were; past imperfect of 'haber'.
realmente: Really, truly; used to emphasize a statement.
corrompido: Corrupted, morally depraved or perverted.
malvado: Wicked, evil; describing a morally corrupt person.
Era: Was/were; past imperfect third-person singular of 'ser'.
después: After, later; indicating something comes subsequently.
todo: All, everything; referring to the whole or entirety.
corruptor: Corruptor; one who corrupts or morally degrades others.
jóvenes: Young people, youth; plural of 'joven'.
mereció: Deserved, merited; past tense of 'merecer'.
cicuta: Hemlock; poisonous plant used to execute Socrates.
Pero: But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast or exception.
lucha: Struggle, fight; conflict or effort against something.
contra: Against; preposition indicating opposition or conflict.
para: For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose or recipient.
hablar: To speak, to talk; basic Spanish verb of communication.
más: More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree.
claridad: Clarity, clearness; quality of being clear or understandable.
pueblo: People, town, village; common folk or a community.
opresión: Oppression; unjust exercise of power over others.
eclesiástica: Ecclesiastical; relating to the Christian church or clergy.
milenios: Millennia; periods of one thousand years each.
cristianismo: Christianity; religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
PUES: Well, since, because; conjunction or filler word.
CRISTIANISMO: Christianity; religion based on teachings of Jesus Christ.
PLATONISMO: Platonism; philosophical system derived from Plato's teachings.
PUEBLO: People; the common folk or general population, capitalized.
produjo: Produced, generated; past tense of 'producir'.
magnífica: Magnificent, splendid; of outstanding quality or grandeur.
tensión: Tension, stress; state of mental or physical strain.
alma: Soul, spirit; the immaterial essence of a person.
tal: Such, so; used to compare or emphasize degree.
como: Like, as, how; used for comparison or manner.
había: There had been; past perfect auxiliary of 'haber'.
existido: Existed; past participle of 'existir', to exist.
ningún: No, none, not any; negative adjective before masculine nouns.
lugar: Place, location; a specific spot or area.
anteriormente: Previously, before; referring to an earlier time or occasion.
arco: Bow, arch; a curved structure or weapon for arrows.
tan: So, as; adverb used in comparisons of equality.
tensamente: Tensely; in a tight or strained manner.
estirado: Stretched, taut; pulled tight or extended fully.
puede: Can, is able to; third-person singular of 'poder'.
ahora: Now, at this moment; referring to the present time.
apuntar: To aim, to point; to direct toward a target.
objetivos: Objectives, goals, targets; aims one seeks to achieve.
lejanos: Distant, far-off; situated at a great distance.
realidad: Reality; the actual state of things as they exist.
europeo: European; relating to or from the continent of Europe.
siente: Feels; third-person singular present tense of 'sentir'.
estado: State, condition; also past participle of 'estar'.
angustia: Anguish, distress; intense mental or emotional pain.
veces: Times, occasions; plural of 'vez'.
han: Have; third-person plural present perfect auxiliary of 'haber'.
realizado: Carried out, accomplished; past participle of 'realizar'.
intentos: Attempts, tries; efforts made to accomplish something.
gran: Great, large; adjective meaning large or important.
escala: Scale, scope; the relative size or extent of something.
aflojar: To loosen, to slacken; to reduce tension or tightness.
vez: Time, occasion; an instance or occurrence of something.
mediante: By means of, through; indicating the method or instrument.
jesuitismo: Jesuitism; practices or principles of the Jesuit order.
segunda: Second; feminine ordinal number, following the first.
ilustración: Enlightenment, illustration; intellectual movement valuing reason.
democrática: Democratic; relating to or supporting democracy and equality.
ayuda: Help, assistance; support given to someone in need.
libertad: Freedom, liberty; the state of being free from constraints.
prensa: Press, newspapers; print media and journalism collectively.
lectura: Reading; the activity of reading written or printed material.
periódicos: Newspapers; periodical publications containing news and articles.
podría: Could, would be able to; conditional of 'poder'.
hecho: Done, made; past participle of 'hacer'; also a fact.
lograr: To achieve, to manage; to successfully accomplish something.
espíritu: Spirit, mind; the non-physical essence or intellect of a person.
encontrara: Would find; past subjunctive of 'encontrar'.
fácilmente: Easily; without difficulty or effort.
alemanes: Germans; people from or relating to Germany.
inventaron: Invented; third-person plural preterite of 'inventar'.
pólvora: Gunpowder; explosive substance used in firearms and explosives.
crédito: Credit; recognition given for an achievement or financial trust.
pero: But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast.
volvieron: Returned, went back; preterite plural of 'volver'.
equilibrar: To balance, to equalize; to make things even or stable.
cosas: Things; objects, matters, or affairs in general.
imprenta: Printing press; machine for reproducing text on paper.
nosotros: We, us; first-person plural subject pronoun in Spanish.
somos: We are; first-person plural present tense of 'ser'.
ni: Nor, neither, not even; negative conjunction in Spanish.
jesuitas: Jesuits; members of the Society of Jesus religious order.
demócratas: Democrats; those who support or practice democratic principles.
siquiera: Even, at least; used to emphasize a minimum condition.
suficientemente: Sufficiently, enough; to an adequate degree or extent.
BUENOS: Good; masculine plural adjective indicating positive quality.
EUROPEOS: Europeans; people from or relating to Europe, capitalized.
espíritus: Spirits, minds; plural referring to intellects or souls.
libres: Free; unrestrained, not bound by authority or convention.
conservamos: We conserve, we keep; first-person plural of 'conservar'.
aún: Still, yet; indicating continuation of a state or action.
toda: All, entire; feminine singular adjective meaning whole.
quizás: Perhaps, maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility.
también: Also, too; indicating addition or agreement.
flecha: Arrow; a pointed projectile shot from a bow.
deber: Duty, obligation; also the verb to owe or must.
quién: Who; interrogative pronoun asking about a person.
sabe: Knows; third-person singular present tense of 'saber'.
OBJETIVO: Objective, goal, target; an aim one works toward achieving.
APUNTAR: To aim, to point; to direct toward a specific target.
Alta: Upper, high; feminine adjective meaning elevated in position.
JUNIO: June; the sixth month of the Gregorian calendar year.

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