Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 11
O, how accursed is that system, which entombs the godlike mind of man, defaces the divine image, reduces those who by creation were crowned with glory and honor to a level with four-footed beasts, and exalts the dealer in human flesh above all that is called God!
Ô, combien maudit est ce système, qui enterre l'esprit divin de l'homme, défigure l'image divine, réduit ceux qui par la création furent couronnés de gloire et d'honneur au niveau des bêtes à quatre pattes, et élève le marchand de chair humaine au-dessus de tout ce que l'on appelle Dieu !
Why should its existence be prolonged one hour?
Pourquoi son existence devrait-elle être prolongée d'une seule heure ?
Is it not evil, only evil, and that continually?
N'est-il pas le mal, uniquement le mal, et cela continuellement ?
What does its presence imply but the absence of all fear of God, all regard for man, on the part of the people of the United States?
Que signifie sa présence sinon l'absence de toute crainte de Dieu, de tout respect pour l'homme, de la part du peuple des États-Unis ?
Heaven speed its eternal overthrow!
Que le Ciel hâte son renversement éternel !
So profoundly ignorant of the nature of slavery are many persons, that they are stubbornly incredulous whenever they read or listen to any recital of the cruelties which are daily inflicted on its victims.
Tant de personnes sont si profondément ignorantes de la nature de l'esclavage qu'elles restent obstinément incrédules chaque fois qu'elles lisent ou entendent le récit des cruautés qui sont quotidiennement infligées à ses victimes.
They do not deny that the slaves are held as property; but that terrible fact seems to convey to their minds no idea of injustice, exposure to outrage, or savage barbarity.
Ils ne nient pas que les esclaves soient détenus comme propriété ; mais ce fait terrible ne semble évoquer dans leur esprit aucune idée d'injustice, d'exposition à l'outrage, ni de barbarie sauvage.
Tell them of cruel scourgings, of mutilations and brandings, of scenes of pollution and blood, of the banishment of all light and knowledge, and they affect to be greatly indignant at such enormous exaggerations, such wholesale misstatements, such abominable libels on the character of the southern planters!
Parlez-leur de flagellations cruelles, de mutilations et de marquages au fer rouge, de scènes de souillure et de sang, du bannissement de toute lumière et de toute connaissance, et ils affectent d'être profondément indignés par de si énormes exagérations, de si grossières inexactitudes, de si abominables calomnies sur le caractère des planteurs du Sud !
As if all these direful outrages were not the natural results of slavery!
Comme si tous ces affreux outrages n'étaient pas les conséquences naturelles de l'esclavage !
Vocabulary
- combien
- How much; how many; to what extent
- maudit
- Cursed; damned; wretched or unpleasant
- est
- Is; third person singular present of être
- ce
- This; that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- système
- System; organized set of principles or procedures
- qui
- Who; which; relative pronoun for subjects
- enterre
- Buries; covers with earth; conceals or suppresses
- esprit
- Spirit; mind; intellect or consciousness
- divin
- Divine; of or relating to God or gods
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- homme
- Man; human being; adult male person
- défigure
- Disfigures; mars or spoils the appearance of
- image
- Image; picture; representation or likeness
- divine
- Divine; of God; sacred or holy
- réduit
- Reduced; diminished; brought to a lower state
- ceux
- Those; those ones; plural demonstrative pronoun
- par
- By; through; preposition indicating agent or means
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article or pronoun
- création
- Creation; act of creating; something created
- furent
- Were; third person plural past tense of être
- couronnés
- Crowned; placed a crown upon; honored
- gloire
- Glory; honor; fame or great renown
- et
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
- honneur
- Honor; respect; high esteem or distinction
- au
- To the; at the; contraction of à le
- niveau
- Level; grade; degree or standard of quality
- des
- Of the; some; plural indefinite article
- bêtes
- Beasts; animals; creatures or stupid persons
- quatre
- Four; number between three and five
- pattes
- Paws; feet; legs of animals
- élève
- Raises; lifts up; promotes or exalts
- le
- The; masculine singular definite article
- marchand
- Merchant; trader; person who buys and sells
- chair
- Flesh; meat; human body or substance
- humaine
- Human; of or relating to humans
- au-dessus
- Above; over; higher than or superior
- tout
- All; everything; complete or whole
- que
- That; which; relative pronoun or conjunction
- on
- One; we; people; indefinite pronoun
- appelle
- Calls; names; summons or appeals to
- Dieu
- God; supreme being; divine entity
- Pourquoi
- Why; for what reason; for what cause
- son
- His; her; its; possessive adjective
- existence
- Existence; being; the state of existing
- devrait-elle
- Should it; ought it; conditional form
- être
- To be; to exist; fundamental auxiliary verb
- prolongée
- Prolonged; extended; lengthened in duration
- une
- A; one; feminine singular indefinite article
- seule
- Single; only; sole or solitary
- heure
- Hour; sixty minutes; time period
- est-il
- Is it; interrogative form of être
- pas
- Not; step; negation particle
- mal
- Bad; evil; harm or wrong
- uniquement
- Uniquely; solely; only or exclusively
- cela
- That; this; demonstrative pronoun
- continuellement
- Continuously; constantly; without interruption
- Que
- What; which; interrogative or relative pronoun
- signifie
- Means; signifies; indicates or denotes
- sa
- His; her; its; feminine possessive adjective
- présence
- Presence; attendance; state of being present
- sinon
- Otherwise; if not; except for
- absence
- Absence; lack; state of being away
- toute
- All; every; whole or entire
- crainte
- Fear; fright; apprehension or anxiety
- respect
- Respect; esteem; regard or consideration
- pour
- For; in favor of; preposition
- part
- Part; portion; share or direction
- du
- Of the; from the; contraction
- peuple
- People; nation; population or populace
- États-Unis
- United States; North American country
- Ciel
- Sky; heaven; realm of the divine
- hâte
- Haste; hurry; quickness or speed
- renversement
- Overthrow; reversal; overturning or toppling
- éternel
- Eternal; everlasting; lasting forever or forever
- Tant
- So many; so much; such quantity
- personnes
- Persons; people; individual human beings
- sont
- Are; plural present tense of être
- si
- So; if; thus or to such extent
- profondément
- Profoundly; deeply; intensely or thoroughly
- ignorantes
- Ignorant; unaware; lacking knowledge or education
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