Leviathan — Page 4
For in a way beset with those that contend on one side for too great Liberty, and on the other side for too much Authority, 'tis hard to passe between the points of both unwounded.
Car dans une voie assaillie de ceux qui disputent d'un côté pour une trop grande Liberté, et de l'autre côté pour une trop grande Autorité, il est difficile de passer entre les pointes des deux sans être blessé.
But yet, me thinks, the endeavour to advance the Civill Power, should not be by the Civill Power condemned; nor private men, by reprehending it, declare they think that Power too great.
Mais pourtant, il me semble que l'effort pour promouvoir le Pouvoir Civil ne devrait pas être condamné par le Pouvoir Civil lui-même ; et que des hommes privés, en le répréhendant, ne devraient pas déclarer qu'ils pensent ce Pouvoir trop grand.
Besides, I speak not of the men, but (in the Abstract) of the Seat of Power, (like to those simple and unpartiall creatures in the Roman Capitol, that with their noyse defended those within it, not because they were they, but there) offending none, I think, but those without, or such within (if there be any such) as favour them.
De plus, je ne parle pas des hommes, mais (dans l'Abstrait) du Siège du Pouvoir, (semblable à ces créatures simples et impartiales du Capitole Romain, qui par leur bruit défendirent ceux qui s'y trouvaient, non parce qu'ils étaient eux, mais parce qu'ils étaient là) n'offensant, je crois, personne d'autre que ceux du dehors, ou ceux du dedans (s'il en est) qui les favorisent.
That which perhaps may most offend, are certain Texts of Holy Scripture, alledged by me to other purpose than ordinarily they use to be by others.
Ce qui peut-être offensera le plus, ce sont certains Textes des Saintes Écritures, que j'ai allégués à d'autres fins que celles auxquelles ils sont ordinairement employés par d'autres.
But I have done it with due submission, and also (in order to my Subject) necessarily; for they are the Outworks of the Enemy, from whence they impugne the Civill Power.
Mais je l'ai fait avec la soumission qui convient, et aussi (relativement à mon Sujet) nécessairement ; car ils sont les Ouvrages avancés de l'Ennemi, depuis lesquels il combat le Pouvoir Civil.
Vocabulary
- Car
- kar — Because; introduces a reason or explanation
- dans
- dɑ̃ — In, inside; indicates location or context
- une
- yn — A, an; feminine indefinite article
- voie
- vwa — Way, path, road, or route
- assaillie
- asaji — Assailed, attacked; feminine past participle of assaillir
- de
- də — Of, from; very common preposition
- ceux
- sø — Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
- qui
- ki — Who, which; relative or interrogative pronoun
- disputent
- dispyt — Dispute, argue, contest; third person plural present
- un
- œ̃ — A, one; masculine indefinite article or numeral
- côté
- kote — Side; one side or direction of something
- pour
- pur — For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose
- trop
- tro — Too, too much; indicates excess
- grande
- ɡrɑ̃d — Great, large, big; feminine adjective
- Liberté
- libɛrte — Liberty, freedom; absence of restraint or oppression
- et
- e — And; basic coordinating conjunction
- autre
- otʁ — Other, another; indicates a different one
- Autorité
- otoʁite — Authority, power; right or ability to command
- il
- il — He, it; third person masculine singular pronoun
- est
- ɛ — Is; third person singular of être (to be)
- difficile
- difisil — Difficult, hard; not easy to do
- passer
- pase — To pass, to go through, to cross
- entre
- ɑ̃tʁ — Between, among; indicates a position in the middle
- les
- le — The; definite article for plural nouns
- pointes
- pwɛ̃t — Points, tips, sharp ends of objects
- des
- de — Of the, some; plural partitive or contracted article
- deux
- dø — Two; the number two
- sans
- sɑ̃ — Without; indicates absence of something
- être
- ɛtʁ — To be; fundamental auxiliary and linking verb
- blessé
- blɛse — Wounded, hurt, injured; past participle of blesser
- Mais
- mɛ — But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- pourtant
- puʁtɑ̃ — Yet, nevertheless, however; indicates contrast
- me
- mə — Me, myself; first person singular object pronoun
- semble
- sɑ̃bl — Seems, appears; third person singular of sembler
- que
- kə — That, which, what; subordinating conjunction or pronoun
- effort
- ɛfɔʁ — Effort, attempt; energy applied toward a goal
- promouvoir
- pʁomuvwaʁ — To promote, to advance; to support something's growth
- le
- lə — The; masculine singular definite article
- Pouvoir
- puvwaʁ — Power, authority; ability or political power
- Civil
- sivil — Civil; relating to citizens or civic governance
- ne
- nə — Not; part of French negation structure
- devrait
- dəvʁɛ — Should, ought to; conditional of devoir
- pas
- pɑ — Not; completes the negation with 'ne'
- condamné
- kɔ̃dane — Condemned, blamed; past participle of condamner
- par
- paʁ — By, through; indicates agent or means
- lui
- lɥi — Him, it; third person singular stressed pronoun
- même
- mɛm — Same, even, itself; emphasizes identity or similarity
- hommes
- ɔm — Men, humans; plural of homme
- privés
- pʁive — Private; not in public office or role
- en
- ɑ̃ — In, by, as; versatile preposition or pronoun
- devraient
- dəvʁɛ — Should, ought to; conditional plural of devoir
- déclarer
- deklaʁe — To declare, to state openly and clearly
- ils
- il — They; third person masculine plural pronoun
- pensent
- pɑ̃s — Think; third person plural present of penser
- ce
- sə — This, that, it; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- grand
- ɡʁɑ̃ — Great, large; masculine adjective indicating size or importance
- De
- də — Of, from; preposition (capitalized here for emphasis)
- plus
- ply — More, furthermore; indicates addition or increase
- je
- ʒə — I; first person singular subject pronoun
- parle
- paʁl — Speak; first or third person singular of parler
- mais
- mɛ — But; conjunction expressing contrast
- Abstrait
- abstʁɛ — Abstract; theoretical, not concrete or specific
- du
- dy — Of the; masculine singular contracted article
- Siège
- sjɛʒ — Seat, siege; position of authority or besieging
- semblable
- sɑ̃blabl — Similar, like; resembling something else
- à
- a — To, at, in; very common French preposition
- ces
- se — These, those; plural demonstrative adjective
- créatures
- kʁeatyʁ — Creatures, beings; living entities
- simples
- sɛ̃pl — Simple, plain; not complex or complicated
- impartiales
- ɛ̃paʁsjal — Impartial, unbiased; not favoring one side
- Romain
- ʁomɛ̃ — Roman; relating to ancient or modern Rome
- leur
- lœʁ — Their, to them; possessive or indirect pronoun
- bruit
- bʁɥi — Noise, sound; audible disturbance or clamor
- défendirent
- defɑ̃diʁ — Defended; third person plural simple past of défendre
- y
- i — There, in it; pronoun replacing a place or thing
- trouvaient
- tʁuve — Were finding, were located; imperfect of trouver
- non
- nɔ̃ — No, not; negation or denial
- parce
- paʁs — Because; part of 'parce que' meaning because
- étaient
- etɛ — Were; third person plural imperfect of être
- eux
- ø — Them, they; stressed third person plural pronoun
- là
- la — There; indicates a place or position
- offensant
- ɔfɑ̃sɑ̃ — Offending, insulting; present participle of offenser
- crois
- kʁwa — Believe, think; first person singular of croire
- personne
- pɛʁsɔn — Nobody, person; individual or negative pronoun
- dehors
- dəɔʁ — Outside, out; beyond the interior of something
- ou
- u — Or; coordinating conjunction presenting alternatives
- dedans
- dədɑ̃ — Inside, within; in the interior of something
- favorisent
- favɔʁiz — Favor, support; third person plural of favoriser
- Ce
- sə — This, that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- peut
- pø — Can, may; third person singular of pouvoir
- offensera
- ɔfɑ̃sʁa — Will offend; future tense of offenser
- sont
- sɔ̃ — Are; third person plural of être
- certains
- sɛʁtɛ̃ — Certain, some; indicates particular unspecified ones
- Textes
- tɛkst — Texts, passages; written documents or excerpts
- Saintes
- sɛ̃t — Holy, sacred; feminine plural adjective (as in Holy Scripture)
- Écritures
- ekʁityʁ — Scriptures, writings; sacred or important written works
- ai
- e — Have; first person singular of avoir
- allégués
- aleɡe — Alleged, cited; past participle of alléguer
- autres
- otʁ — Other, others; plural of autre
- fins
- fɛ̃ — Ends, purposes; goals or intended outcomes
- celles
- sɛl — Those; feminine plural demonstrative pronoun
- auxquelles
- okɛl — To which, for which; feminine plural relative pronoun
- ordinairement
- ɔʁdinɛʁmɑ̃ — Ordinarily, usually; in a normal or typical manner
- employés
- ɑ̃plwaje — Used, employed; past participle of employer
- fait
- fɛ — Done, made; past participle of faire
- avec
- avɛk — With; indicates accompaniment or manner
- la
- la — The; feminine singular definite article
- soumission
- sumisjɔ̃ — Submission, obedience; act of yielding to authority
- convient
- kɔ̃vjɛ̃ — Is fitting, suits; third person singular of convenir
- aussi
- osi — Also, too; indicates addition or agreement
- relativement
- ʁəlativmɑ̃ — Relatively, in relation to; concerning a subject
- mon
- mɔ̃ — My; masculine singular possessive adjective
- Sujet
- syʒɛ — Subject, topic; matter being discussed or treated
- nécessairement
- nesesɛʁmɑ̃ — Necessarily, inevitably; in a necessary manner
- car
- kaʁ — Because, for; explains a cause or reason
- Ouvrages
- uvʁaʒ — Works, writings; literary or intellectual productions
- avancés
- avɑ̃se — Advanced, put forward; past participle of avancer
- Ennemi
- ɛnmi — Enemy, foe; one who is hostile or opposed
- depuis
- dəpɥi — Since, from; indicates starting point in time
- lesquels
- lekɛl — Which, from which; masculine plural relative pronoun
- combat
- kɔ̃ba — Combat, fight; struggle or battle
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