Meditations — Page 11

English → Fr Preface Level 9/10

In Logic, the Stoic system is noteworthy for their theory as to the test of truth, the _Criterion_.

En logique, le système stoïcien est remarquable pour sa théorie concernant le critère de vérité, le _Critérium_.

They compared the new-born soul to a sheet of paper ready for writing.

Ils comparaient l'âme nouveau-née à une feuille de papier prête à être écrite.

Upon this the senses write their impressions (φαντασίαι), and by experience of a number of these the soul unconsciously conceives general notions (κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι) or anticipations (προλήψεις).

Sur celle-ci les sens inscrivent leurs impressions (φαντασίαι), et par l'expérience d'un certain nombre de celles-ci l'âme conçoit inconsciemment des notions générales (κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι) ou anticipations (προλήψεις).

When the impression was such as to be irresistible it was called (καταληπτικὴ φαντασία) one that holds fast, or as they explained it, one proceeding from truth.

Lorsque l'impression était telle qu'elle devenait irrésistible, on l'appelait (καταληπτικὴ φαντασία) celle qui saisit fermement, ou, comme ils l'expliquaient, celle qui procède de la vérité.

Ideas and inferences artificially produced by deduction or the like were tested by this 'holding perception.'

Les idées et les inférences produites artificiellement par déduction ou par des procédés similaires étaient éprouvées par cette « perception saisissante ».

Of the Ethical application I have already spoken.

De l'application éthique j'ai déjà parlé.

The highest good was the virtuous life.

Le bien suprême était la vie vertueuse.

Virtue alone is happiness, and vice is unhappiness.

La vertu seule est le bonheur, et le vice est le malheur.

Carrying this theory to its extreme, the Stoic said that there could be no gradations between virtue and vice, though of course each has its special manifestations.

Poussant cette théorie à l'extrême, le Stoïcien affirmait qu'il ne pouvait exister aucune gradation entre la vertu et le vice, bien que chacun ait naturellement ses manifestations particulières.

Moreover, nothing is good but virtue, and nothing but vice is bad.

De plus, rien n'est bon sinon la vertu, et rien n'est mauvais sinon le vice.

Those outside things which are commonly called good or bad, such as health and sickness, wealth and poverty, pleasure and pain, are to him indifferent (ἀδιάφορα).

Ces choses extérieures que l'on appelle communément bonnes ou mauvaises, telles que la santé et la maladie, la richesse et la pauvreté, le plaisir et la douleur, lui sont indifférentes (ἀδιάφορα).

All these things are merely the sphere in which virtue may act.

Toutes ces choses ne sont que la sphère dans laquelle la vertu peut agir.

The ideal Wise Man is sufficient unto himself in all things (αὐταρκής); and knowing these truths, he will be happy even when stretched upon the rack.

Le Sage idéal se suffit à lui-même en toutes choses (αὐταρκής) ; et connaissant ces vérités, il sera heureux même lorsqu'il sera étendu sur le chevalet de torture.

Vocabulary

En: In, at, or by (preposition indicating manner or location).
logique: Logic; systematic reasoning or the study thereof.
le: The (masculine singular definite article).
système: System; an organized set of principles or methods.
stoïcien: Stoic; relating to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism.
est: Is; third person singular of the verb être.
remarquable: Remarkable; worthy of attention or admiration.
pour: For; indicating purpose, reason, or destination.
sa: His, her, its (feminine singular possessive adjective).
théorie: Theory; a system of ideas explaining something.
concernant: Concerning; regarding or relating to something.
critère: Criterion; a standard used for judging or deciding.
de: Of, from (preposition indicating relation or origin).
vérité: Truth; conformity of statements with actual facts.
Ils: They (masculine or mixed plural subject pronoun).
comparaient: Were comparing; imperfect tense of comparer.
l': The (elided definite article before a vowel sound).
âme: Soul; the spiritual or immaterial part of a being.
nouveau-née: Newborn; recently born infant, feminine form.
à: To, at, in (preposition indicating direction or location).
une: A, an (feminine singular indefinite article).
feuille: Sheet or leaf; a thin flat piece of paper.
papier: Paper; thin material used for writing or printing.
prête: Ready; prepared and available for a particular purpose.
être: To be; fundamental French infinitive verb of existence.
écrite: Written; past participle of écrire, feminine form.
Sur: On, upon (preposition indicating position or surface).
celle-ci: This one (feminine demonstrative pronoun referring nearby).
les: The (plural definite article for masculine or feminine).
sens: Senses; the faculties of perception such as sight.
inscrivent: Inscribe; they write or engrave impressions upon something.
leurs: Their (plural possessive adjective for multiple owners).
impressions: Impressions; mental images or sensory representations received.
et: And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
par: By, through (preposition indicating means or agent).
expérience: Experience; knowledge gained through practice or observation.
d': Of, from (elided preposition before vowel sound).
un: A, an (masculine singular indefinite article).
certain: Certain; a particular or unspecified number or amount.
nombre: Number; a quantity or count of things.
celles-ci: These ones (feminine plural demonstrative pronoun nearby).
conçoit: Conceives; third person singular of concevoir.
inconsciemment: Unconsciously; without awareness or deliberate intention.
des: Some, of the (plural indefinite or partitive article).
notions: Notions; basic concepts or general ideas understood intuitively.
générales: General; broad or universal rather than specific.
ou: Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative option.
anticipations: Anticipations; preconceived notions formed before full experience.
Lorsque: When; conjunction introducing a clause about a time.
impression: Impression; a sensory image or mental representation received.
était: Was; imperfect tense of être, third person singular.
telle: Such; of that kind or degree (feminine adjective).
qu': That (elided conjunction introducing a subordinate clause).
elle: She, it (feminine third person singular subject pronoun).
devenait: Was becoming; imperfect tense of devenir.
irrésistible: Irresistible; impossible to resist or oppose successfully.
on: One, we, they (indefinite subject pronoun in French).
appelait: Was calling; imperfect tense of appeler, third singular.
celle: That one, the one (feminine demonstrative pronoun).
qui: Who, which (relative or interrogative pronoun).
saisit: Grasps, seizes; third person singular of saisir.
fermement: Firmly; in a strong, stable, or resolute manner.
comme: As, like; conjunction or preposition indicating comparison.
ils: They (masculine or mixed plural third person pronoun).
expliquaient: Were explaining; imperfect tense of expliquer.
procède: Proceeds, comes from; third person singular of procéder.
la: The (feminine singular definite article).
Les: The (plural definite article for any gender).
idées: Ideas; mental concepts or thoughts formed in mind.
inférences: Inferences; conclusions reached by reasoning from evidence.
produites: Produced; past participle of produire, feminine plural.
artificiellement: Artificially; in a manner that is not natural.
déduction: Deduction; reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions.
procédés: Procedures, methods; ways of doing or achieving something.
similaires: Similar; nearly the same or alike in nature.
étaient: Were; imperfect tense of être, third person plural.
éprouvées: Tested, tried; past participle of éprouver, feminine plural.
cette: This (feminine singular demonstrative adjective).
perception: Perception; the ability to become aware through senses.
saisissante: Striking, gripping; that seizes attention powerfully (feminine).
De: Of, from (preposition); also used in partitive constructions.
application: Application; the practical use of a principle or theory.
éthique: Ethics; the branch of philosophy dealing with moral principles.
j': I (elided first person singular subject pronoun).
ai: Have; first person singular of avoir (present tense).
déjà: Already; before now or sooner than expected.
parlé: Spoken; past participle of parler, to speak.
Le: The (masculine singular definite article).
bien: Good; moral good or benefit and well-being.
suprême: Supreme; highest in authority, rank, or importance.
vie: Life; the existence and experience of living beings.
vertueuse: Virtuous; having or showing high moral standards (feminine).
La: The (feminine singular definite article).
vertu: Virtue; moral excellence or a particular good quality.
seule: Alone, only (feminine adjective indicating singularity).
bonheur: Happiness; a state of well-being and contentment.
vice: Vice; immoral or wicked behavior or character.
malheur: Misfortune, unhappiness; a state of suffering or distress.
Poussant: Pushing; present participle of pousser, taking to extreme.
extrême: Extreme; at the furthest limit or greatest degree.
Stoïcien: Stoic; follower of the ancient Stoic philosophical school.
affirmait: Was affirming; imperfect tense of affirmer, third singular.
il: He, it (masculine third person singular subject pronoun).
ne: Not; part of French negation construction ne…pas.
pouvait: Could; imperfect tense of pouvoir, third person singular.
exister: To exist; to have real being or continued presence.
aucune: No, none (feminine negative adjective or pronoun).
gradation: Gradation; a series of successive changes or degrees.
entre: Between; preposition indicating a position or relationship.
que: That, than (conjunction or relative pronoun).
chacun: Each one, everyone (indefinite pronoun, masculine form).
ait: Has (subjunctive form of avoir, third person singular).
naturellement: Naturally; in a way that is normal or expected.
ses: His, her, its (plural possessive adjective).
manifestations: Manifestations; outward signs or expressions of something.
particulières: Particular, specific (feminine plural adjective).
plus: More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree.
rien: Nothing; negative pronoun indicating absence of anything.
n': Not (elided negation particle used with rien, pas).
bon: Good; of high quality or morally acceptable.
sinon: Otherwise, except; conjunction meaning if not or but.
mauvais: Bad; of poor quality or morally wrong.
Ces: These, those (plural demonstrative adjective).
choses: Things; objects, matters, or affairs in general.
extérieures: External; outside the self or beyond inner control.
appelle: Calls; third person singular of appeler (present tense).
communément: Commonly; in a way that is usual or widespread.
bonnes: Good (feminine plural adjective indicating positive quality).
mauvaises: Bad (feminine plural adjective indicating negative quality).
telles: Such (feminine plural adjective indicating kind or example).
santé: Health; the state of being free from illness.
maladie: Illness, disease; a condition causing bodily disorder.
richesse: Wealth, richness; abundance of valuable possessions or resources.
pauvreté: Poverty; the state of being extremely poor or lacking.
plaisir: Pleasure; a feeling of satisfaction or enjoyment.
douleur: Pain, sorrow; physical or emotional suffering.
lui: Him, to him/her (third person singular indirect pronoun).
sont: Are; third person plural present tense of être.
indifférentes: Indifferent; having no importance or moral value (feminine).
Toutes: All (feminine plural adjective or pronoun indicating totality).
sphère: Sphere; a domain or range of activity or influence.
dans: In, inside (preposition indicating location or context).
laquelle: Which (feminine relative pronoun used after a preposition).
peut: Can; third person singular of pouvoir (present tense).
agir: To act; to take action or perform an action.
Sage: Wise man, sage; an ideally virtuous and knowledgeable person.
idéal: Ideal; representing a perfect or most desirable standard.
se: Himself, herself, itself (reflexive pronoun, third person).
suffit: Suffices; third person singular of suffire, to be enough.
lui-même: Himself; emphatic reflexive pronoun, third person masculine.
en: In, on, by (preposition indicating state or manner).
toutes: All (feminine plural, meaning in all circumstances).
connaissant: Knowing; present participle of connaître.
vérités: Truths; facts or principles accepted as genuine realities.
sera: Will be; future tense of être, third person singular.
heureux: Happy; feeling or showing pleasure and contentment.
même: Even, same; indicating emphasis or similarity.
lorsqu': When (elided conjunction introducing a time clause).
étendu: Stretched out, lying; past participle of étendre.
sur: On, upon (preposition indicating surface or position).
chevalet: Rack; a torture device on which victims were stretched.
torture: Torture; the infliction of severe pain as punishment.

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