Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 9
" I am confident that it is essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from the imagination; that it comes short of the reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to _slavery as it is_.
「私は、その記述のすべてが本質的に真実であると確信している。悪意をもって書かれたものは何一つなく、誇張されたものも、想像から引き出されたものも何一つない。それは、_現実のままの奴隷制_に関して一つの事実を誇張するどころか、現実に及ばないほどである。
The experience of _Frederick Douglass_, as a slave, was not a peculiar one; his lot was not especially a hard one; his case may be regarded as a very fair specimen of the treatment of slaves in Maryland, in which State it is conceded that they are better fed and less cruelly treated than in Georgia, Alabama, or Louisiana.
奴隷としての_フレデリック・ダグラス_の経験は特異なものではなかった。彼の境遇は特別に過酷なものでもなかった。彼の場合は、メリーランド州における奴隷の扱いの非常に典型的な例と見なすことができる。そのメリーランド州では、ジョージア州、アラバマ州、あるいはルイジアナ州よりも奴隷はより良く食事を与えられ、より残酷でない扱いを受けていることが認められている。
Many have suffered incomparably more, while very few on the plantations have suffered less, than himself.
多くの者が彼よりもはるかに多く苦しんだ一方で、農園においては彼よりも少ししか苦しまなかった者はごくわずかであった。
Yet how deplorable was his situation! what terrible chastisements were inflicted upon his person! what still more shocking outrages were perpetrated upon his mind! with all his noble powers and sublime aspirations, how like a brute was he treated, even by those professing to have the same mind in them that was in Christ Jesus! to what dreadful liabilities was he continually subjected! how destitute of friendly counsel and aid, even in his greatest extremities! how heavy was the midnight of woe which shrouded in blackness the last ray of hope, and filled the future with terror and gloom!
それでも彼の境遇はなんと嘆かわしいものであったことか！彼の身にはなんと恐ろしい懲罰が加えられたことか！彼の心にはさらにいっそう衝撃的な暴虐が行われたことか！その高貴な能力と崇高な志をもってしても、キリスト・イエスの内にあったのと同じ心を持つと称する者たちによってさえ、彼はなんと獣のように扱われたことか！彼は絶えずなんと恐ろしい危険にさらされ続けたことか！最大の窮地においてさえ、友人の助言と援助をなんと欠いていたことか！希望の最後の光をも暗黒で包み、未来を恐怖と暗鬱で満たした悲嘆の真夜中はなんと重苦しいものであったことか！
Vocabulary
- 私
- watashi — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
- は
- wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the sentence topic.
- その
- sono — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' or 'those'.
- 記述
- kijutsu — Written description or account of something.
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle linking nouns.
- すべて
- subete — All, everything, or entirely without exception.
- が
- ga — Subject-marking particle identifying the grammatical subject.
- 本質的
- honshitsuteki — Essentially or fundamentally true in nature.
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or manner.
- 真実
- shinjitsu — Truth or fact; something genuinely real.
- で
- de — Particle indicating means, location of action, or state.
- ある
- aru — To exist or to be; copula for inanimate things.
- と
- to — Particle meaning 'that' introducing a quoted clause.
- 確信
- kakushin — Firm conviction or strong belief in something.
- し
- shi — Conjunctive form of 'suru'; connects or lists actions.
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting sequential or related actions.
- いる
- iru — To exist; auxiliary indicating ongoing or resultant state.
- 悪意
- akui — Malice, ill will, or malicious intent toward someone.
- を
- wo — Object-marking particle indicating the direct object.
- もっ
- motte (mot-) — Conjunctive form of 'motsu'; holding or with intent.
- 書か
- kaka — Stem of 'kaku' (to write); used in passive constructions.
- れ
- re — Passive auxiliary suffix indicating something was done to subject.
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary marking completed action.
- もの
- mono — Thing, object, or nominalized concept; 'that which'.
- 何
- nani / nan — What; interrogative pronoun for unknown things.
- 一つ
- hitotsu — One thing; the number one used for counting objects.
- なく
- naku — Negative conjunctive form of 'nai'; without or lacking.
- 誇張
- kochou — Exaggeration; overstating facts beyond their true extent.
- さ
- sa — Nominalizing suffix or softening sentence-final particle.
- も
- mo — Particle meaning 'also', 'even', or 'either'.
- 想像
- souzou — Imagination; forming mental images of things not present.
- から
- kara — Particle meaning 'from' indicating origin or cause.
- 引き出さ
- hikidasa — Stem of 'hikidasu'; to draw out or derive from.
- ない
- nai — Negative auxiliary; indicates something does not occur.
- それ
- sore — Pronoun meaning 'that' referring to something nearby.
- 現実
- genjitsu — Reality; the actual state of things as they are.
- まま
- mama — As-is; remaining in the same state or condition.
- 奴隷制
- doresei — The institution or system of slavery.
- に関して
- ni kanshite — Regarding, concerning, or with respect to something.
- 事実
- jijitsu — Fact; something known to be true and real.
- する
- suru — To do; general-purpose action verb in Japanese.
- どころか
- dokoroka — Far from; not only that, but even the opposite.
- 及ば
- oyoba — Stem of 'oyobu'; to reach, attain, or match.
- ほど
- hodo — To the extent of; degree or approximate amount.
- 奴隷
- dorei — A slave; person owned and controlled by another.
- して
- shite — Te-form of 'suru'; doing or acting as something.
- 経験
- keiken — Experience; knowledge or skill gained through practice.
- 特異
- tokui — Peculiar, singular, or uniquely distinctive in character.
- な
- na — Adjectival suffix linking na-adjectives to nouns.
- なかっ
- nakatt- — Past negative stem of 'nai'; was not or did not.
- 彼
- kare — Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'him'.
- 境遇
- kyouguu — Personal circumstances or life situation one finds oneself in.
- 特別
- tokubetsu — Special or particular; set apart from the ordinary.
- 過酷
- kakoku — Harsh, severe, or extremely cruel in treatment.
- 場合
- baai — Case, situation, or circumstance under consideration.
- 州
- shuu — State or province; administrative territorial unit.
- おける
- okeru — Located in or pertaining to a specific place or context.
- 扱い
- atsukai — Treatment or handling of a person or thing.
- 非常
- hijou — Extremely or very; an exceptional degree of something.
- 典型的
- tenkeiteki — Typical or representative of a general pattern or category.
- 例
- rei — Example or instance illustrating a broader point.
- 見なす
- minasu — To regard or consider something as a certain thing.
- こと
- koto — Nominalizer turning verbs into abstract noun concepts.
- できる
- dekiru — To be able to; to be possible or capable of.
- あるいは
- aruiwa — Or; alternatively presenting one option among others.
- より
- yori — Than; comparative particle indicating a reference point.
- 良く
- yoku — Well or better; adverbial form of 'yoi' (good).
- 食事
- shokuji — A meal; eating food as a regular daily activity.
- 与え
- atae — Stem of 'ataeru'; to give or provide to someone.
- られ
- rare — Passive or potential auxiliary suffix on verb stems.
- 残酷
- zankoku — Cruel or brutal; causing suffering without compassion.
- 受け
- uke — Stem of 'ukeru'; to receive or experience something.
- 認め
- mitome — Stem of 'mitomeru'; to acknowledge or admit something.
- 多く
- ooku — Many or much; a large number or great quantity.
- 者
- mono / sha — Person; one who does or experiences a certain thing.
- はるか
- haruka — Far, much more, or by a great degree beyond.
- 苦しん
- kurushim- — Conjunctive stem of 'kurushimu'; to suffer or agonize.
- だ
- da — Plain-form copula equivalent to 'is' or 'are'.
- 一方
- ippou — On the other hand; meanwhile; one side of comparison.
- 農園
- nouen — Plantation or farm; large agricultural landholding.
- おい
- oite (stem) — Location particle stem meaning 'at' or 'on'.
- 少し
- sukoshi — A little; a small amount or degree of something.
- しか
- shika — Only; used with negative verbs to mean 'nothing but'.
- 苦しま
- kurushima — Negative stem of 'kurushimu'; not suffering or enduring.
- ごく
- goku — Extremely; very; intensifying adverb for adjectives.
- わずか
- wazuka — Very few, scarcely any, or a tiny amount.
- あっ
- att- — Past stem of 'aru'; there was or it existed.
- なんと
- nanto — How (exclamatory); what a surprising or shocking thing.
- 嘆かわしい
- nagekawashii — Deplorable, lamentable, or deeply regrettable situation.
- か
- ka — Question or exclamation particle at end of sentence.
- 身
- mi — Body or oneself; one's physical person or being.
- 恐ろしい
- osoroshii — Terrible, frightening, or horrifying in nature.
- 懲罰
- choubatsu — Punishment or disciplinary penalty imposed on someone.
- 加え
- kuwaе — Stem of 'kuwaeru'; to add or inflict upon someone.
- 心
- kokoro — Heart or mind; one's inner emotional or mental self.
- さらに
- sara ni — Furthermore, even more, or in addition to that.
- いっそう
- issou — All the more; even further increased in degree.
- 衝撃的
- shougekiteki — Shocking or startling; having a powerful disturbing impact.
- 暴虐
- bougyaku — Tyranny, atrocity, or brutal oppressive cruelty.
- 行わ
- okonawa — Passive stem of 'okonau'; to carry out or commit.
- 高貴
- kouki — Noble or exalted; of high moral or social standing.
- 能力
- nouryoku — Ability, capacity, or talent one possesses.
- 崇高
- suukou — Sublime or lofty; elevated and spiritually admirable.
- 志
- kokorozashi — Aspiration, ambition, or noble purpose driving a person.
- 内
- nai / uchi — Inside, within, or interior of a space or group.
- 同じ
- onaji — Same or identical; sharing the same quality or nature.
- 持つ
- motsu — To hold, have, or possess something.
- 称する
- shousuru — To call oneself or claim a certain title or name.
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
- よっ
- yotte (yott-) — By means of; due to; conjunctive form of 'yoru'.
- さえ
- sae — Even; particle emphasizing an extreme or unexpected case.
- 獣
- kemono / juu — Beast or wild animal; brute creature lacking humanity.
- よう
- you — Like or as if; expressing resemblance or manner.
- 扱わ
- atsukaWA — Passive stem of 'atsukau'; to be treated in a way.
- 絶えず
- taezu — Constantly, ceaselessly, or without interruption.
- 危険
- kiken — Danger or risk; a threatening or hazardous condition.
- さらさ
- sarasa — Stem of 'sarasу'; to expose or subject to something.
- 続け
- tsuzuke — Stem of 'tsuzukeru'; to continue doing something.
- 最大
- saidai — Maximum or greatest; the largest possible degree.
- 窮地
- Desperate situation or dire straits; cornered predicament.
- 友人
- yuujin — Friend; a person with whom one has close relations.
- 助言
- jogen — Advice or counsel given to help guide someone.
- 援助
- enjo — Aid, assistance, or support provided to someone in need.
- 欠い
- kaki — Stem of 'kaku'; to lack or be without something.
- い
- i — Conjunctive form of 'iru'; being or existing continuously.
- 希望
- kibou — Hope or wish; a desire for a positive future outcome.
- 最後
- saigo — Last or final; the very end of something.
- 光
- hikari — Light; illumination or a ray of hope metaphorically.
- 暗黒
- ankoku — Darkness; deep black absence of light or hope.
- 包み
- tsutsumi — Stem of 'tsutsumu'; to wrap or envelop something completely.
- 未来
- mirai — Future; time yet to come ahead of the present.
- 恐怖
- kyoufu — Fear, terror, or dread of something threatening.
- 暗鬱
- an'utsu — Gloomy, depressing, or oppressively dark in mood.
- 満たし
- mitashi — Stem of 'mitasu'; to fill up or satisfy completely.
- 悲嘆
- hitan — Grief, deep sorrow, or lamentation over loss.
- 真夜中
- mayonaka — Midnight; the middle of the night, darkest hour.
- 重苦しい
- omokurushii — Oppressively heavy, suffocating, or burdensome in feeling.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →