Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 4
As soon as he had taken his seat, filled with hope and admiration, I rose, and declared that PATRICK HENRY, of revolutionary fame, never made a speech more eloquent in the cause of liberty, than the one we had just listened to from the lips of that hunted fugitive.
Dès qu'il se fut assis, rempli d'espoir et d'admiration, je me levai et déclarai que PATRICK HENRY, célèbre pour son rôle dans la révolution, n'avait jamais prononcé de discours plus éloquent en faveur de la liberté que celui que nous venions d'entendre des lèvres de ce fugitif traqué.
So I believed at that time—such is my belief now.
C'est ce que je croyais alors — c'est ce que je crois encore aujourd'hui.
I reminded the audience of the peril which surrounded this self-emancipated young man at the North,—even in Massachusetts, on the soil of the Pilgrim Fathers, among the descendants of revolutionary sires; and I appealed to them, whether they would ever allow him to be carried back into slavery,—law or no law, constitution or no constitution.
Je rappelai à l'auditoire le péril qui entourait ce jeune homme affranchi par lui-même dans le Nord — même au Massachusetts, sur le sol des Pères Pèlerins, parmi les descendants des pères de la révolution ; et je leur demandai s'ils permettraient jamais qu'il fût ramené en esclavage — loi ou pas de loi, constitution ou pas de constitution.
The response was unanimous and in thunder-tones—"NO!"
La réponse fut unanime et retentissante — « NON ! »
"Will you succor and protect him as a brother-man—a resident of the old Bay State?" "YES!" shouted the whole mass, with an energy so startling, that the ruthless tyrants south of Mason and Dixon's line might almost have heard the mighty burst of feeling, and recognized it as the pledge of an invincible determination, on the part of those who gave it, never to betray him that wanders, but to hide the outcast, and firmly to abide the consequences.
« Le secourerez-vous et le protégerez-vous comme un frère — un habitant du vieil État de la Baie ? » « OUI ! » cria toute la foule, avec une énergie si saisissante que les tyrans impitoyables au sud de la ligne Mason-Dixon auraient presque pu entendre ce puissant élan de sentiment, et y reconnaître le gage d'une détermination invincible, de la part de ceux qui l'exprimaient, de ne jamais trahir celui qui erre, mais de cacher le proscrit et d'en assumer fermement les conséquences.
It was at once deeply impressed upon my mind, that, if Mr.
Je fus immédiatement frappé de la conviction profonde que, si M.
Vocabulary
- Dès
- As soon as; from a particular point in time
- qu'
- Conjunction meaning 'that' or 'than'; reduced form
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' 'itself'
- fut
- Past subjunctive/simple past of 'être,' meaning 'was'
- assis
- Seated; past participle of 'asseoir,' to sit
- rempli
- Filled; full of something, past participle of 'remplir'
- espoir
- Hope; a feeling of expectation and desire
- admiration
- Admiration; great respect or warm approval for someone
- levai
- Simple past of 'lever,' meaning 'I stood up'
- déclarai
- Simple past of 'déclarer,' meaning 'I declared'
- célèbre
- Famous; well-known and widely recognized by many
- rôle
- Role; a part played or function fulfilled by someone
- révolution
- Revolution; a fundamental change or overthrow of a system
- avait
- Imperfect tense of 'avoir,' meaning 'had'
- jamais
- Never; at no time, or ever in a question
- prononcé
- Delivered or uttered; past participle of 'prononcer'
- discours
- Speech; a formal address delivered to an audience
- plus
- More; used in comparisons or to indicate greater degree
- éloquent
- Eloquent; fluent, persuasive, and expressive in speech
- faveur
- Favor; support or approval given to someone or something
- liberté
- Liberty; freedom from oppression or unjust authority
- celui
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' or 'that one'
- venions
- Imperfect of 'venir,' meaning 'we were coming/had just'
- entendre
- To hear; to listen to something or someone
- lèvres
- Lips; the two fleshy parts framing the mouth
- fugitif
- Fugitive; a person fleeing from pursuit or captivity
- traqué
- Hunted; relentlessly pursued by someone or authorities
- croyais
- Imperfect of 'croire,' meaning 'I believed' or 'I thought'
- alors
- Then; at that time or in that case
- crois
- Present tense of 'croire,' meaning 'I believe'
- encore
- Still; yet; again; continuing up to the present
- aujourd'hui
- Today; on this present day
- rappelai
- Simple past of 'rappeler,' meaning 'I reminded' or 'recalled'
- auditoire
- Audience; the group of people listening to a speaker
- péril
- Peril; serious and immediate danger threatening someone
- entourait
- Imperfect of 'entourer,' meaning 'surrounded' or 'encircled'
- jeune
- Young; of a relatively small age or early stage
- affranchi
- Freed; liberated from slavery or bondage
- lui-même
- Himself; the reflexive emphatic pronoun for a male
- Nord
- North; the direction or region opposite to south
- même
- Even; same; itself; used for emphasis or comparison
- sol
- Ground; soil; the surface of the earth underfoot
- Pères
- Fathers; male parents or founding figures of a group
- Pèlerins
- Pilgrims; early settlers who sailed to America for freedom
- parmi
- Among; in the middle of a group or collection
- descendants
- Descendants; people who come from a particular ancestor
- pères
- Fathers; male parents or ancestors of a community
- leur
- Their; possessive adjective for third-person plural
- demandai
- Simple past of 'demander,' meaning 'I asked'
- permettraient
- Conditional of 'permettre,' meaning 'they would allow'
- fût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'être,' meaning 'were' or 'be'
- ramené
- Brought back; returned by force, past participle of 'ramener'
- esclavage
- Slavery; the state of being owned and forced to work
- loi
- Law; a rule enacted by a governing authority
- constitution
- Constitution; the fundamental law of a nation or state
- réponse
- Answer; a reply given to a question or demand
- unanime
- Unanimous; agreed upon by everyone without exception
- retentissante
- Resounding; loud, echoing, and powerfully impactful
- secourerez-vous
- Future of 'secourir'; 'will you help/rescue him?'
- protégerez-vous
- Future of 'protéger'; 'will you protect him?'
- comme
- Like; as; used to make comparisons between things
- frère
- Brother; a male sibling or fellow member of a group
- habitant
- Inhabitant; a person who lives in a particular place
- vieil
- Old; aged form of 'vieux' before a masculine vowel noun
- État
- State; a political entity or territory with a government
- Baie
- Bay; a body of water partially enclosed by land
- cria
- Simple past of 'crier,' meaning 'cried out' or 'shouted'
- toute
- All; every; the whole of; feminine form of 'tout'
- foule
- Crowd; a large group of people gathered together
- énergie
- Energy; intense vigor, force, or enthusiasm in action
- si
- So; such; also means 'if' depending on context
- saisissante
- Striking; gripping; making a strong impression on someone
- tyrans
- Tyrants; cruel rulers who exercise power oppressively
- impitoyables
- Merciless; showing no pity or compassion whatsoever
- sud
- South; the direction or region opposite to north
- ligne
- Line; a boundary or demarcation separating two regions
- auraient
- Conditional of 'avoir,' meaning 'they would have'
- presque
- Almost; nearly; not quite reaching a certain point
- pu
- Past participle of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'been able to'
- puissant
- Powerful; having great strength, force, or influence
- élan
- Momentum; enthusiastic impulse or surge of energy
- sentiment
- Feeling; emotion; a general sense or attitude toward something
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'it,' replacing a place or thing
- reconnaître
- To recognize; to identify something or someone known before
- gage
- Pledge; token; a guarantee or symbol of commitment
- détermination
- Determination; firm resolve to achieve a goal despite obstacles
- invincible
- Invincible; impossible to defeat or overcome
- part
- Part; share; side; 'de la part de' means on behalf
- ceux
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (masculine plural)
- exprimaient
- Imperfect of 'exprimer,' meaning 'they were expressing'
- trahir
- To betray; to be disloyal to someone or a cause
- erre
- Wanders; third-person singular of 'errer,' to roam
- mais
- But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast or opposition
- cacher
- To hide; to conceal someone or something from view
- proscrit
- Outlaw; banished or condemned person; a fugitive
- assumer
- To assume; to take on responsibility or accept consequences
- fermement
- Firmly; resolutely; in a determined and unwavering manner
- conséquences
- Consequences; results or outcomes following an action
- fus
- Simple past of 'être,' first-person singular: 'I was'
- immédiatement
- Immediately; at once; without any delay whatsoever
- frappé
- Struck; hit; strongly affected, past participle of 'frapper'
- conviction
- Conviction; a firmly held belief or opinion
- profonde
- Deep; profound; intense and thorough in nature
- M
- Abbreviation for 'Monsieur,' meaning 'Mr.' or 'Sir'
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