Meditations — Page 13
Public spirit was the most splendid political virtue of the ancient world, and it is here made cosmopolitan.
El espíritu cívico fue la virtud política más espléndida del mundo antiguo, y aquí se hace cosmopolita.
It is again instructive to note that Christian sages insisted on the same thing.
Es nuevamente instructivo señalar que los sabios cristianos insistieron en lo mismo.
Christians are taught that they are members of a worldwide brotherhood, where is neither Greek nor Hebrew, bond nor free and that they live their lives as fellow-workers with God.
A los cristianos se les enseña que son miembros de una hermandad mundial, donde no hay ni griego ni hebreo, ni esclavo ni libre, y que viven sus vidas como colaboradores de Dios.
Such is the system which underlies the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.
Tal es el sistema que subyace en las Meditaciones de Marco Aurelio.
Some knowledge of it is necessary to the right understanding of the book, but for us the chief interest lies elsewhere.
Algún conocimiento de él es necesario para la correcta comprensión del libro, pero para nosotros el principal interés reside en otra parte.
We do not come to Marcus Aurelius for a treatise on Stoicism.
No acudimos a Marco Aurelio en busca de un tratado sobre el estoicismo.
He is no head of a school to lay down a body of doctrine for students; he does not even contemplate that others should read what he writes.
No es el jefe de una escuela que establezca un cuerpo de doctrina para sus estudiantes; ni siquiera contempla que otros lean lo que escribe.
His philosophy is not an eager intellectual inquiry, but more what we should call religious feeling.
Su filosofía no es una ansiosa indagación intelectual, sino más bien lo que deberíamos llamar sentimiento religioso.
The uncompromising stiffness of Zeno or Chrysippus is softened and transformed by passing through a nature reverent and tolerant, gentle and free from guile; the grim resignation which made life possible to the Stoic sage becomes in him almost a mood of aspiration.
La inflexible rigidez de Zenón o Crisipo se suaviza y transforma al pasar por una naturaleza reverente y tolerante, amable y sin engaño; la sombría resignación que hacía posible la vida al sabio estoico se convierte en él casi en un estado de aspiración.
His book records the innermost thoughts of his heart, set down to ease it, with such moral maxims and reflections as may help him to bear the burden of duty and the countless annoyances of a busy life.
Su libro registra los pensamientos más íntimos de su corazón, plasmados para aliviarlo, junto con las máximas morales y reflexiones que puedan ayudarle a soportar el peso del deber y los innumerables contratiempos de una vida ocupada.
It is instructive to compare the _Meditations_ with another famous book, the _Imitation of Christ_.
Es instructivo comparar las _Meditaciones_ con otro libro famoso, la _Imitación de Cristo_.
Vocabulary
- espíritu
- Spirit, soul, or immaterial essence of a being
- cívico
- Civic, relating to citizenship or community duties
- fue
- Was or went; third person singular preterite of ser/ir
- virtud
- Virtue, moral excellence or admirable quality
- política
- Political, relating to government or civic affairs
- más
- More; used for comparisons or intensification
- espléndida
- Splendid, magnificent, or impressively outstanding
- mundo
- World, the earth or human society at large
- antiguo
- Ancient, old, or belonging to earlier times
- aquí
- Here, in or at this place
- hace
- Makes or becomes; third person singular of hacer
- cosmopolita
- Cosmopolitan, belonging to all the world universally
- nuevamente
- Again, once more, or anew
- instructivo
- Instructive, providing useful information or lessons
- señalar
- To point out, indicate, or note something
- sabios
- Wise men, sages, or learned scholars
- cristianos
- Christians, followers of the Christian faith
- insistieron
- Insisted, persisted firmly on a point or belief
- mismo
- Same, or itself; used for emphasis or comparison
- enseña
- Teaches or shows; third person singular of enseñar
- miembros
- Members, participants belonging to a group or body
- hermandad
- Brotherhood, fraternity, or fellowship among people
- mundial
- Global, worldwide, pertaining to the entire world
- donde
- Where; relative adverb indicating place
- hay
- There is or there are; impersonal form of haber
- ni
- Neither, nor; negative coordinating conjunction
- griego
- Greek, relating to Greece or its people
- hebreo
- Hebrew, relating to Jewish people or their language
- esclavo
- Slave, a person owned and controlled by another
- libre
- Free, not bound or constrained by external control
- viven
- Live; third person plural present of vivir
- vidas
- Lives, the plural of vida meaning life
- colaboradores
- Collaborators, people who work together toward goals
- Dios
- God, the supreme divine being
- Tal
- Such, so, or such a; demonstrative adjective
- sistema
- System, an organized set of principles or methods
- subyace
- Underlies, lies beneath or forms the basis of something
- Meditaciones
- Meditations, reflective writings or contemplative thoughts
- Algún
- Some, any; indefinite adjective before masculine nouns
- conocimiento
- Knowledge, understanding, or awareness of something
- necesario
- Necessary, required, or indispensable for a purpose
- correcta
- Correct, accurate, or proper in form or meaning
- comprensión
- Comprehension, understanding or grasp of meaning
- libro
- Book, a written or printed literary work
- principal
- Principal, main, or most important element
- interés
- Interest, concern, or attention given to something
- reside
- Resides, lies, or is found in a particular place
- parte
- Part, portion, or section of a whole
- acudimos
- We go to, turn to, or resort to something
- busca
- Search, seeks; looking for something or someone
- tratado
- Treatise, a formal written work on a subject
- estoicismo
- Stoicism, ancient philosophy emphasizing reason and endurance
- jefe
- Chief, head, or leader of a group
- escuela
- School, an institution or tradition of thought
- establezca
- Establishes, sets up; present subjunctive of establecer
- cuerpo
- Body, a corpus or organized collection of something
- doctrina
- Doctrine, a set of taught beliefs or principles
- estudiantes
- Students, people who study at a school or institution
- siquiera
- Even, at least; used in negative or concessive contexts
- contempla
- Contemplates, considers, or intends something
- lean
- Read; third person plural present subjunctive of leer
- escribe
- Writes; third person singular present of escribir
- filosofía
- Philosophy, the study of fundamental questions about existence
- ansiosa
- Anxious, eager, or intensely desirous of something
- indagación
- Inquiry, investigation, or thorough searching for answers
- intelectual
- Intellectual, relating to the mind or scholarly thinking
- sino
- But rather; used after a negative to introduce contrast
- bien
- Well, good; can introduce a contrast or affirmation
- deberíamos
- We should; conditional tense of deber
- llamar
- To call, name, or refer to something
- sentimiento
- Feeling, sentiment, or emotional state
- religioso
- Religious, relating to faith, worship, or spirituality
- inflexible
- Inflexible, rigid, unwilling to change or compromise
- rigidez
- Rigidity, strictness, or unyielding stiffness of doctrine
- suaviza
- Softens, smooths, or makes more gentle
- transforma
- Transforms, changes, or converts into something different
- pasar
- To pass, go through, or undergo a process
- naturaleza
- Nature, the inherent character or essence of something
- reverente
- Reverent, showing deep respect or devout veneration
- tolerante
- Tolerant, accepting of differences or opposing views
- amable
- Kind, friendly, or pleasant in manner toward others
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- engaño
- Deceit, deception, or trickery intended to mislead
- sombría
- Gloomy, somber, or darkly melancholic in character
- resignación
- Resignation, calm acceptance of hardship or difficulty
- hacía
- Made or was making; imperfect tense of hacer
- posible
- Possible, capable of happening or being achieved
- vida
- Life, the existence or way of living
- sabio
- Wise man, sage; one possessing wisdom and knowledge
- estoico
- Stoic, relating to Stoicism or enduring hardship calmly
- convierte
- Converts, transforms, or turns into something else
- casi
- Almost, nearly; adverb indicating close approximation
- estado
- State, condition, or situation something is in
- aspiración
- Aspiration, a strong desire or ambition toward a goal
- registra
- Records, registers, or writes down for preservation
- pensamientos
- Thoughts, ideas arising from mental reflection
- íntimos
- Intimate, deeply personal or private in nature
- corazón
- Heart, the center of emotions or deep feelings
- plasmados
- Shaped, expressed, or given concrete form in writing
- aliviarlo
- To relieve him, to ease his burden or distress
- junto
- Together with, alongside; close or next to something
- máximas
- Maxims, concise statements of general truths or principles
- morales
- Moral, relating to ethics, right conduct, or virtue
- reflexiones
- Reflections, thoughts produced by careful consideration
- puedan
- Can, may; third person plural present subjunctive of poder
- ayudarle
- To help him; infinitive with indirect object pronoun
- soportar
- To bear, endure, or put up with difficulty
- peso
- Weight, burden, or heavy responsibility
- deber
- Duty, obligation, or moral responsibility
- innumerables
- Innumerable, countless, too many to be counted
- contratiempos
- Setbacks, mishaps, or unexpected difficulties encountered
- ocupada
- Busy, occupied, or actively engaged with responsibilities
- comparar
- To compare, examine similarities and differences between things
- famoso
- Famous, well-known or celebrated by many people
- _Imitación
- Imitation; part of the title 'The Imitation of Christ'
- Cristo_
- Christ; referring to Jesus Christ in religious context
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