Beyond Good and Evil — Page 6
They all pose as though their real opinions had been discovered and attained through the self-evolving of a cold, pure, divinely indifferent dialectic (in contrast to all sorts of mystics, who, fairer and foolisher, talk of "inspiration"), whereas, in fact, a prejudiced proposition, idea, or "suggestion," which is generally their heart's desire abstracted and refined, is defended by them with arguments sought out after the event.
Todos ellos posan como si sus opiniones reales hubieran sido descubiertas y alcanzadas mediante la autoevolución de una dialéctica fría, pura y divinamente indiferente (en contraste con toda clase de místicos que, más justos y más necios, hablan de «inspiración»), cuando en realidad lo que defienden con argumentos buscados a posteriori es una proposición, idea o «sugerencia» preconcebida, que generalmente no es más que el deseo de su corazón abstraído y refinado.
They are all advocates who do not wish to be regarded as such, generally astute defenders, also, of their prejudices, which they dub "truths,"--and VERY far from having the conscience which bravely admits this to itself, very far from having the good taste of the courage which goes so far as to let this be understood, perhaps to warn friend or foe, or in cheerful confidence and self-ridicule.
Todos ellos son abogados que no desean ser tenidos por tales, y generalmente también defensores astutos de sus prejuicios, a los que bautizan como «verdades», y están MUY lejos de tener la conciencia que se admite esto a sí misma con valentía, muy lejos de tener el buen gusto del valor que llega hasta el punto de dejar que esto se comprenda, quizás para advertir a amigos o enemigos, o con alegre confianza y autorridículo.
The spectacle of the Tartuffery of old Kant, equally stiff and decent, with which he entices us into the dialectic by-ways that lead (more correctly mislead) to his "categorical imperative"--makes us fastidious ones smile, we who find no small amusement in spying out the subtle tricks of old moralists and ethical preachers.
El espectáculo de la tartufonería del viejo Kant, igualmente rígida y decorosa, con la que nos seduce hacia los caminos secundarios de la dialéctica que conducen (o más exactamente, que extravían) hacia su «imperativo categórico», nos hace sonreír a los escrupulosos, a quienes no nos divierte poco espiar los sutiles artificios de los viejos moralistas y predicadores éticos.
Vocabulary
- Todos
- All, everyone; referring to an entire group
- ellos
- They; third-person plural subject pronoun
- posan
- They pose; adopt an affected or pretentious manner
- como
- Like, as; used for comparison or manner
- si
- If; introduces a conditional or hypothetical clause
- sus
- Their, his, her; possessive adjective third person
- opiniones
- Opinions; personal views or judgments on topics
- reales
- Real, actual; truly existing or genuinely authentic
- hubieran
- Had; past perfect subjunctive of haber
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser, to be
- descubiertas
- Discovered; found or uncovered for the first time
- alcanzadas
- Reached, attained; achieved through effort or process
- mediante
- By means of, through; indicates method or instrument
- autoevolución
- Self-evolution; process of evolving or developing independently
- dialéctica
- Dialectic; logical method of argumentation or reasoning
- fría
- Cold; lacking warmth or emotion, detached
- pura
- Pure; free from mixture, uncorrupted, absolute
- divinamente
- Divinely; in a godlike or supremely excellent manner
- indiferente
- Indifferent; showing no preference or concern
- contraste
- Contrast; noticeable difference between two things
- toda
- All, every; feminine singular form of todo
- clase
- Class, kind, type; category of persons or things
- místicos
- Mystics; those who seek spiritual union or insight
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- justos
- Just, righteous; morally correct or fair people
- necios
- Fools, foolish; stubborn or ignorant persons
- hablan
- They speak; third-person plural of hablar
- inspiración
- Inspiration; creative or divine influence on thought
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction linking two clauses
- realidad
- Reality; the actual state of things as they exist
- defienden
- They defend; support or uphold a position actively
- argumentos
- Arguments; reasons given to support a position
- buscados
- Sought, looked for; searched out or deliberately found
- posteriori
- A posteriori; derived from experience or observation
- proposición
- Proposition; a statement or idea put forward
- idea
- Idea; a thought, concept, or mental impression
- sugerencia
- Suggestion; an idea proposed for consideration
- preconcebida
- Preconceived; formed as an opinion before experience
- generalmente
- Generally; in most cases, usually, as a rule
- deseo
- Desire, wish; strong longing or want for something
- corazón
- Heart; center of emotion, feeling, or desire
- abstraído
- Abstracted; mentally withdrawn or deeply absorbed
- refinado
- Refined; purified, polished, or made more elegant
- abogados
- Lawyers, attorneys; legal professionals who argue cases
- desean
- They desire, want; third-person plural of desear
- ser
- To be; fundamental Spanish infinitive of identity
- tenidos
- Held, considered; regarded or esteemed in some way
- por
- For, by, through; versatile Spanish preposition
- tales
- Such, such ones; demonstrative referring to previously mentioned
- también
- Also, too; indicates inclusion or addition
- defensores
- Defenders, advocates; those who support a cause
- astutos
- Cunning, shrewd; clever in a crafty or sly way
- prejuicios
- Prejudices; preconceived biased opinions without reason
- bautizan
- They baptize, name; call or label something officially
- verdades
- Truths; facts or realities accepted as accurate
- lejos
- Far; at a great distance in space or degree
- tener
- To have; basic verb of possession or obligation
- conciencia
- Conscience, awareness; moral sense or consciousness
- admite
- Admits; acknowledges or accepts something as true
- esto
- This; neuter demonstrative pronoun for nearby concept
- misma
- Same, herself; emphasizing identity or selfhood
- valentía
- Bravery, courage; quality of facing danger boldly
- buen
- Good; positive quality, shortened form before nouns
- gusto
- Taste, pleasure; aesthetic sense or enjoyment
- valor
- Courage, value; bravery or worth of something
- llega
- Arrives, reaches; attains a point or destination
- hasta
- Until, up to; indicates a limit or extent
- punto
- Point; a specific location, degree, or moment
- dejar
- To let, allow; permit something to happen
- comprenda
- Understands; present subjunctive of comprender
- quizás
- Perhaps, maybe; expresses uncertainty or possibility
- para
- For, in order to; indicates purpose or destination
- advertir
- To warn, to notice; alert someone to danger
- amigos
- Friends; people with whom one has mutual affection
- enemigos
- Enemies; persons hostile or opposed to another
- alegre
- Cheerful, happy; feeling or showing joy
- confianza
- Confidence, trust; reliance on someone or oneself
- autorridículo
- Self-ridicule; mocking or making fun of oneself
- espectáculo
- Spectacle, show; striking or dramatic public display
- tartufonería
- Tartuffery; hypocritical or self-righteous moral pretension
- viejo
- Old; advanced in age or long-established
- igualmente
- Equally, likewise; in the same manner or degree
- rígida
- Rigid, stiff; inflexible in manner or thinking
- decorosa
- Decorous, proper; behaving with dignity and propriety
- seduce
- Seduces, entices; attracts or lures in a misleading way
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction or tendency
- caminos
- Paths, roads; routes or ways to a destination
- secundarios
- Secondary; of lesser importance or a side route
- conducen
- They lead, conduct; guide toward a result or place
- exactamente
- Exactly; precisely, without error or deviation
- extravían
- They mislead, go astray; cause to lose one's way
- imperativo
- Imperative; commanding, obligatory, or a command form
- categórico
- Categorical; unconditional, absolute, without exception
- hace
- Makes, does; third-person singular of hacer
- sonreír
- To smile; form a pleased or amused facial expression
- escrupulosos
- Scrupulous; very careful and attentive to moral principles
- quienes
- Who, whom; relative pronoun referring to people
- divierte
- Amuses, entertains; provides fun or amusement
- poco
- A little; small amount or slight degree
- espiar
- To spy, observe; watch secretly or covertly
- sutiles
- Subtle; delicate, fine, difficult to detect or define
- artificios
- Artifices, tricks; clever devices or cunning stratagems
- viejos
- Old ones; elderly or long-established persons
- moralistas
- Moralists; those who teach or enforce moral principles
- predicadores
- Preachers; those who deliver moral or religious sermons
- éticos
- Ethical; relating to moral principles or conduct
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