History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 5
—Part VII
—Partie VII
Chapter XV: Progress Of The Christian Religion.—Part VIII.
Chapitre XV : Progrès de la religion chrétienne.—Partie VIII.
Chapter XV: Progress Of The Christian Religion.—Part IX.
Chapitre XV : Progrès de la religion chrétienne.—Partie IX.
Introduction
Introduction
Preface By The Editor.
Préface de l'éditeur.
The great work of Gibbon is indispensable to the student of history.
La grande œuvre de Gibbon est indispensable à l'étudiant en histoire.
The literature of Europe offers no substitute for "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."
La littérature européenne n'offre aucun substitut au « Déclin et chute de l'Empire romain ».
It has obtained undisputed possession, as rightful occupant, of the vast period which it comprehends.
Il a obtenu la possession incontestée, en tant qu'occupant légitime, de la vaste période qu'il embrasse.
However some subjects, which it embraces, may have undergone more complete investigation, on the general view of the whole period, this history is the sole undisputed authority to which all defer, and from which few appeal to the original writers, or to more modern compilers.
Bien que certains sujets qu'il aborde aient pu faire l'objet d'investigations plus complètes, dans la vue d'ensemble de toute la période, cette histoire est la seule autorité incontestée à laquelle tous se soumettent, et à partir de laquelle peu font appel aux auteurs originaux ou aux compilateurs plus modernes.
The inherent interest of the subject, the inexhaustible labor employed upon it; the immense condensation of matter; the luminous arrangement; the general accuracy; the style, which, however monotonous from its uniform stateliness, and sometimes wearisome from its elaborate ar., is throughout vigorous, animated, often picturesque, always commands attention, always conveys its meaning with emphatic energy, describes with singular breadth and fidelity, and generalizes with unrivalled felicity of expression; all these high qualifications have secured, and seem likely to secure, its permanent place in historic literature.
L'intérêt intrinsèque du sujet, le travail inépuisable qui y a été consacré ; l'immense condensation de la matière ; la disposition lumineuse ; l'exactitude générale ; le style, qui, bien que monotone par sa majesté uniforme, et parfois lassant par son élaboration soignée, est partout vigoureux, animé, souvent pittoresque, retient toujours l'attention, transmet toujours son sens avec une énergie emphatique, décrit avec une ampleur et une fidélité singulières, et généralise avec une félicité d'expression sans rivale ; toutes ces éminentes qualités lui ont assuré, et semblent devoir lui assurer, une place permanente dans la littérature historique.
Vocabulary
- Partie
- par-tee — Part or section of a larger work.
- Chapitre
- sha-pee-truh — Chapter of a book or document.
- Progrès
- pro-greh — Progress or advancement in something.
- de
- duh — Of or from; common French preposition.
- la
- lah — The; feminine definite article.
- religion
- ruh-lee-zhyon — Religion; system of spiritual beliefs.
- chrétienne
- kreh-tyen — Christian; relating to Christianity.
- Introduction
- an-tro-duk-syon — Introduction; opening section of a work.
- Préface
- preh-fas — Preface; introductory remarks before main text.
- l'
- luh/lah — The; elided definite article before vowel.
- éditeur
- eh-dee-tœr — Editor or publisher of a text.
- La
- lah — The; feminine definite article.
- grande
- grahnd — Great or large; feminine adjective.
- œuvre
- œv-ruh — Work, especially a major artistic or literary work.
- est
- eh — Is; third-person singular of être.
- indispensable
- an-dees-pan-sabl — Indispensable; absolutely necessary or essential.
- à
- ah — To, at, or for; common French preposition.
- étudiant
- eh-tü-dyahn — Student; person engaged in study.
- en
- ahn — In or at; common French preposition.
- histoire
- ees-twar — History or story; academic or narrative account.
- littérature
- lee-teh-ra-tür — Literature; written works of artistic value.
- européenne
- œ-ro-peh-en — European; relating to Europe, feminine form.
- n'
- nuh — Not; negation particle, elided form.
- offre
- of-ruh — Offers; third-person singular of offrir.
- aucun
- oh-kœn — No, none; negative indefinite adjective.
- substitut
- süb-stee-tü — Substitute; replacement for something else.
- au
- oh — To the; contraction of à + le.
- Déclin
- deh-klan — Decline; gradual decrease or deterioration.
- et
- eh — And; basic French conjunction.
- chute
- shüt — Fall; collapse or downfall of something.
- Empire
- ahm-peer — Empire; large territory under single authority.
- romain
- ro-man — Roman; relating to ancient Rome.
- Il
- eel — He or it; third-person singular pronoun.
- a
- ah — Has; third-person singular of avoir.
- obtenu
- ob-tuh-nü — Obtained; past participle of obtenir.
- possession
- po-seh-syon — Possession; the state of having something.
- incontestée
- an-kon-tes-teh — Uncontested; not disputed or challenged.
- tant
- tahn — So much; to such a degree.
- qu'
- kuh — That; conjunction, elided form of que.
- occupant
- o-kü-pahn — Occupying; present participle of occuper.
- légitime
- leh-zhee-teem — Legitimate; lawful or rightfully recognized.
- vaste
- vast — Vast; very large or extensive in scope.
- période
- peh-ryod — Period; span or era of time.
- il
- eel — He or it; third-person singular pronoun.
- embrasse
- ahm-bras — Embraces; covers or encompasses a topic.
- Bien
- byan — Well or although; adverb or conjunction.
- que
- kuh — That or although; common French conjunction.
- certains
- ser-tan — Certain; some or particular things.
- sujets
- sü-zheh — Subjects or topics under discussion.
- aborde
- ah-bord — Addresses or approaches a subject.
- aient
- ay — Have; subjunctive form of avoir.
- pu
- pü — Could; past participle of pouvoir.
- faire
- fair — To make or do; common French verb.
- objet
- ob-zheh — Object or subject; thing being discussed.
- d'
- duh — Of; elided preposition before vowel.
- investigations
- an-ves-tee-ga-syon — Investigations; detailed examinations or inquiries.
- plus
- plü — More; comparative adverb.
- complètes
- kom-plet — Complete; thorough or exhaustive, feminine plural.
- dans
- dahn — In or within; common French preposition.
- vue
- vü — View or sight; perspective on something.
- ensemble
- ahn-sahm-bluh — Together or as a whole; overall view.
- toute
- toot — All or every; feminine singular adjective.
- cette
- set — This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
- seule
- sœl — Alone or only; single, feminine form.
- autorité
- oh-to-ree-teh — Authority; recognized source or power.
- laquelle
- la-kel — Which; feminine relative pronoun.
- tous
- too — All; masculine plural adjective or pronoun.
- se
- suh — Themselves; reflexive pronoun.
- soumettent
- soo-met — Submit; yield to an authority or rule.
- partir
- par-teer — To leave or depart; also used in expressions.
- peu
- pœ — Few or little; small quantity.
- font
- fohn — Make or do; third-person plural of faire.
- appel
- ah-pel — Appeal or reference; call to something.
- aux
- oh — To the; contraction of à + les.
- auteurs
- oh-tœr — Authors; writers of original works.
- originaux
- o-ree-zhee-noh — Originals; primary or original sources.
- ou
- oo — Or; basic French disjunctive conjunction.
- compilateurs
- kom-pee-la-tœr — Compilers; those who gather and organize sources.
- modernes
- mo-dairn — Modern; contemporary or recent in time.
- L'
- luh/lah — The; elided definite article before vowel.
- intérêt
- an-teh-reh — Interest; quality of attracting attention or curiosity.
- intrinsèque
- an-tran-sek — Intrinsic; belonging naturally to something.
- du
- dü — Of the; contraction of de + le.
- sujet
- sü-zheh — Subject or topic under discussion.
- le
- luh — The; masculine definite article.
- travail
- tra-vay — Work or labor; effort applied to something.
- inépuisable
- een-eh-pwee-zabl — Inexhaustible; never running out or ending.
- qui
- kee — Who or which; relative pronoun.
- y
- ee — There or to it; adverbial pronoun.
- été
- eh-teh — Been; past participle of être.
- consacré
- kon-sa-kreh — Devoted or dedicated to a purpose.
- immense
- ee-mahns — Immense; extremely large in scope.
- condensation
- kon-den-sa-syon — Condensation; compression of material into smaller form.
- matière
- ma-tyair — Matter or subject matter; material content.
- disposition
- dees-po-zee-syon — Arrangement or organization of material.
- lumineuse
- lü-mee-nœz — Luminous; clear, brilliant, or illuminating.
- exactitude
- eg-zak-tee-tüd — Exactitude; precision and accuracy of detail.
- générale
- zheh-neh-ral — General; broad or overall in scope.
- style
- steel — Style; manner of writing or expression.
- bien
- byan — Well; in a good or satisfactory manner.
- monotone
- mo-no-ton — Monotone; lacking variation, tediously uniform.
- par
- par — By or through; common French preposition.
- sa
- sah — His, her, its; feminine possessive adjective.
- majesté
- ma-zhes-teh — Majesty; impressive grandeur or dignity.
- uniforme
- ü-nee-form — Uniform; consistent and unvarying throughout.
- parfois
- par-fwah — Sometimes; on certain occasions.
- lassant
- la-sahn — Tiring or wearisome; causing fatigue.
- son
- son — His, her, its; masculine possessive adjective.
- élaboration
- eh-la-bo-ra-syon — Elaboration; careful and detailed development.
- soignée
- swan-yeh — Careful or polished; meticulously crafted.
- partout
- par-too — Everywhere; in all places.
- vigoureux
- vee-goo-rœ — Vigorous; strong and energetic in expression.
- animé
- a-nee-meh — Animated; lively and spirited in quality.
- souvent
- soo-vahn — Often; frequently occurring.
- pittoresque
- pee-to-resk — Picturesque; vividly descriptive or visually striking.
- retient
- ruh-tyan — Retains or holds; keeps attention engaged.
- toujours
- too-zhoor — Always; at all times or still.
- attention
- a-tahn-syon — Attention; focused mental engagement.
- transmet
- trahns-meh — Transmits or conveys meaning effectively.
- sens
- sahn — Meaning or sense; significance conveyed.
- avec
- a-vek — With; common French preposition.
- une
- ün — A or an; feminine indefinite article.
- énergie
- eh-nair-zhee — Energy; forceful vitality or intensity.
- emphatique
- ahm-fa-teek — Emphatic; forceful and strongly expressive.
- décrit
- deh-kree — Describes; gives a detailed account of.
- ampleur
- ahm-plœr — Breadth or scope; fullness of coverage.
- fidélité
- fee-deh-lee-teh — Fidelity; faithfulness or accuracy of representation.
- singulières
- san-gü-lyair — Singular or remarkable; extraordinary, feminine plural.
- généralise
- zheh-neh-ra-leez — Generalizes; draws broad conclusions from specifics.
- félicité
- feh-lee-see-teh — Felicity; aptness or happiness of expression.
- expression
- ex-preh-syon — Expression; way of conveying ideas in words.
- sans
- sahn — Without; common French preposition.
- rivale
- ree-val — Rival; competitor or equal, feminine form.
- toutes
- toot — All; feminine plural adjective or pronoun.
- ces
- seh — These or those; plural demonstrative adjective.
- éminentes
- eh-mee-nahnt — Eminent; outstanding or distinguished, feminine plural.
- qualités
- ka-lee-teh — Qualities; attributes or characteristics of merit.
- lui
- lwee — Him, her, or to it; indirect pronoun.
- ont
- ohn — Have; third-person plural of avoir.
- assuré
- a-sü-reh — Assured or secured; guaranteed something.
- semblent
- sahm-bluh — Seem; appear to be, third-person plural.
- devoir
- duh-vwar — Must or to owe; modal verb of obligation.
- place
- plas — Place or position; established standing.
- permanente
- pair-ma-nahnt — Permanent; lasting or enduring over time.
- historique
- ees-to-reek — Historical; relating to history or of historic importance.
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