Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 12
As if it were less cruel to reduce a human being to the condition of a thing, than to give him a severe flagellation, or to deprive him of necessary food and clothing!
¡Como si fuera menos cruel reducir a un ser humano a la condición de una cosa, que darle una severa flagelación, o privarlo de alimentos y ropa necesarios!
As if whips, chains, thumb-screws, paddles, blood-hounds, overseers, drivers, patrols, were not all indispensable to keep the slaves down, and to give protection to their ruthless oppressors!
¡Como si los látigos, las cadenas, los tornillos de pulgar, las paletas, los sabuesos, los capataces, los conductores y las patrullas no fueran todos indispensables para mantener sometidos a los esclavos y para dar protección a sus despiadados opresores!
As if, when the marriage institution is abolished, concubinage, adultery, and incest, must not necessarily abound; when all the rights of humanity are annihilated, any barrier remains to protect the victim from the fury of the spoiler; when absolute power is assumed over life and liberty, it will not be wielded with destructive sway!
¡Como si, cuando se aboliera la institución del matrimonio, el concubinato, el adulterio y el incesto no tuvieran que abundar necesariamente; cuando todos los derechos de la humanidad son aniquilados, quedara alguna barrera para proteger a la víctima de la furia del depredador; cuando se asume un poder absoluto sobre la vida y la libertad, este no se ejerciera con un dominio destructivo!
Skeptics of this character abound in society.
Los escépticos de este carácter abundan en la sociedad.
In some few instances, their incredulity arises from a want of reflection; but, generally, it indicates a hatred of the light, a desire to shield slavery from the assaults of its foes, a contempt of the colored race, whether bond or free.
En algunos pocos casos, su incredulidad surge de una falta de reflexión; pero, en general, indica un odio a la luz, un deseo de proteger a la esclavitud de los ataques de sus enemigos, un desprecio por la raza de color, ya sea esclava o libre.
Such will try to discredit the shocking tales of slaveholding cruelty which are recorded in this truthful Narrative; but they will labor in vain.
Tales personas intentarán desacreditar los escandalosos relatos de la crueldad esclavista que se registran en esta veraz Narrativa; pero trabajarán en vano.
_Mr. Douglass_ has frankly disclosed the place of his birth, the names of those who claimed ownership in his body and soul, and the names also of those who committed the crimes which he has alleged against them.
El Sr. Douglass ha revelado francamente el lugar de su nacimiento, los nombres de quienes reclamaron la propiedad de su cuerpo y alma, y también los nombres de quienes cometieron los crímenes que él les ha imputado.
His statements, therefore, may easily be disproved, if they are untrue.
Sus declaraciones, por lo tanto, pueden refutarse fácilmente, si son falsas.
Vocabulary
- como
- As, like, or in the manner of; used for comparisons
- si
- If; conditional conjunction used to introduce hypothetical situations
- fuera
- Were; past subjunctive of ser, expressing contrary-to-fact conditions
- menos
- Less; indicates reduction in quantity or degree
- cruel
- Cruel; causing or showing deliberate and wanton pain to others
- reducir
- To reduce; to lessen in size, amount, or degree
- un
- A, an; indefinite article in masculine singular form
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb expressing existence or identity
- humano
- Human; relating to or characteristic of people or mankind
- la
- The; definite article in feminine singular form
- condición
- Condition; a state or circumstance affecting someone or something
- de
- Of; preposition indicating possession, origin, or relationship
- una
- A, an; indefinite article in feminine singular form
- cosa
- Thing; an object or matter rather than a person
- que
- That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction linking clauses
- darle
- To give him/her/it; infinitive with indirect object pronoun
- severa
- Severe; strict, harsh, or serious in manner or judgment
- privarlo
- To deprive him of; to take away from someone
- alimentos
- Food, nourishment; substances consumed for sustenance and energy
- ropa
- Clothing, garments; items worn to cover the body
- necesarios
- Necessary; required or needed for a particular purpose
- los
- The; definite article in masculine plural form
- las
- The; definite article in feminine plural form
- cadenas
- Chains; connected metal links used to restrain or bind
- tornillos
- Screws; fasteners or implements of torture with spiral threads
- pulgar
- Thumb; the short thick first digit of the hand
- paletas
- Paddles, flat implements; also shoulder blades in anatomy
- conductores
- Drivers, conductors; people who guide or manage vehicles
- patrullas
- Patrols; groups monitoring an area for security purposes
- no
- Not; negation or denial of a statement or action
- fueran
- Were; past subjunctive plural form of ser expressing condition
- todos
- All, everyone; the complete number or totality of something
- indispensables
- Indispensable; absolutely necessary or essential for survival
- para
- For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose or destination
- mantener
- To maintain, keep; to preserve in a particular condition
- sometidos
- Subjected, subdued; brought under control or domination
- esclavos
- Slaves; persons held in bondage without freedom or rights
- dar
- To give; to provide or transfer something to another
- protección
- Protection; defense or safeguarding from harm or danger
- sus
- His, her, its, their; possessive adjective third person
- cuando
- When; at what time or in what circumstances
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; indicates action done to oneself
- institución
- Institution; an established organization or custom in society
- matrimonio
- Marriage; legal or formal union of two people
- adulterio
- Adultery; voluntary sexual relationship with someone not spouse
- tuvieran
- Had, possessed; past subjunctive plural of tener
- abundar
- To abound, be plentiful; to exist in large quantities
- necesariamente
- Necessarily; as a logical or inevitable consequence required
- derechos
- Rights; legitimate claims or entitlements to something
- humanidad
- Humanity; the human race or quality of being human
- son
- Are; third person plural present indicative of ser
- quedara
- Remained, stayed; past subjunctive of quedar expressing condition
- alguna
- Some, any; indefinite adjective in feminine singular form
- barrera
- Barrier, fence; physical or metaphorical obstruction or division
- proteger
- To protect; to guard or defend from harm or danger
- víctima
- Victim; a person harmed or destroyed by circumstance
- furia
- Fury, rage; intense uncontrolled anger or violent passion
- depredador
- Predator; animal that hunts others; person who exploits
- asume
- Assumes, takes on; accepts responsibility or a role
- poder
- Power, ability; capacity to do something or have effect
- absoluto
- Absolute; complete, total, or unrestricted in any way
- sobre
- Over, about; preposition indicating position or subject matter
- vida
- Life; state of being alive or period of existence
- libertad
- Liberty, freedom; state of not being confined or controlled
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective or pronoun indicating proximity
- ejerciera
- Exercised, practiced; past subjunctive of ejercer
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association
- dominio
- Dominion, control; authority or power over something
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