Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 3
There stood one, in physical proportion and stature commanding and exact—in intellect richly endowed—in natural eloquence a prodigy—in soul manifestly "created but a little lower than the angels"—yet a slave, ay, a fugitive slave,—trembling for his safety, hardly daring to believe that on the American soil, a single white person could be found who would befriend him at all hazards, for the love of God and humanity!
Ali estava um homem, em proporção física e estatura imponente e exato—em intelecto ricamente dotado—em eloquência natural um prodígio—em alma manifestamente "criado apenas um pouco abaixo dos anjos"—e ainda assim um escravo, sim, um escravo fugitivo,—tremendo por sua segurança, mal ousando acreditar que em solo americano pudesse ser encontrada uma única pessoa branca que o amparasse a qualquer risco, pelo amor de Deus e da humanidade!
Capable of high attainments as an intellectual and moral being—needing nothing but a comparatively small amount of cultivation to make him an ornament to society and a blessing to his race—by the law of the land, by the voice of the people, by the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property, a beast of burden, a chattel personal, nevertheless!
Capaz de grandes realizações como ser intelectual e moral—não necessitando de nada além de uma quantidade comparativamente pequena de instrução para torná-lo um ornamento para a sociedade e uma bênção para sua raça—pela lei da terra, pela voz do povo, pelos termos do código escravista, ele era apenas uma peça de propriedade, um animal de carga, um bem pessoal, ainda assim!
A beloved friend from New Bedford prevailed on Mr. DOUGLASS to address the convention.
Um querido amigo de New Bedford persuadiu o Sr. DOUGLASS a discursar na convenção.
He came forward to the platform with a hesitancy and embarrassment, necessarily the attendants of a sensitive mind in such a novel position.
Ele se aproximou do palanque com hesitação e embaraço, necessariamente os companheiros de uma mente sensível em uma posição tão inusitada.
After apologizing for his ignorance, and reminding the audience that slavery was a poor school for the human intellect and heart, he proceeded to narrate some of the facts in his own history as a slave, and in the course of his speech gave utterance to many noble thoughts and thrilling reflections.
Após pedir desculpas por sua ignorância, e lembrando ao público que a escravidão era uma escola pobre para o intelecto e o coração humanos, ele passou a narrar alguns dos fatos de sua própria história como escravo, e no decorrer de seu discurso deu voz a muitos pensamentos nobres e reflexões emocionantes.
Vocabulary
- estava
- Was (past tense of estar, to be)
- homem
- Man, adult male person
- proporção
- Proportion, relative size or balance
- física
- Physical, relating to the body
- estatura
- Stature, height or standing of a person
- imponente
- Imposing, impressive in appearance or manner
- exato
- Exact, precise, accurate
- intelecto
- Intellect, capacity for rational thought
- ricamente
- Richly, abundantly, in a rich manner
- dotado
- Gifted, endowed with natural talents
- eloquência
- Eloquence, fluent and persuasive speaking ability
- prodígio
- Prodigy, person with exceptional natural talent
- alma
- Soul, spiritual essence of a person
- manifestamente
- Manifestly, clearly, obviously, evidently
- criado
- Created, made; also raised or brought up
- apenas
- Only, just, merely, no more than
- pouco
- Little, a small amount or degree
- abaixo
- Below, under, at a lower level
- anjos
- Angels, divine spiritual beings
- ainda
- Still, yet, even so
- assim
- Thus, so, in this way
- escravo
- Slave, person owned by another
- fugitivo
- Fugitive, person fleeing from captivity
- tremendo
- Trembling, shaking with fear or anxiety
- segurança
- Safety, security, freedom from danger
- mal
- Barely, hardly; also evil or harm
- ousando
- Daring, venturing to do something bold
- acreditar
- To believe, to trust in something
- solo
- Soil, ground, land of a territory
- pudesse
- Could (past subjunctive of poder)
- encontrada
- Found, discovered (feminine past participle)
- única
- Single, only one, unique
- pessoa
- Person, individual human being
- branca
- White (feminine adjective for race or color)
- amparasse
- Would shelter or support (past subjunctive)
- qualquer
- Any, whatever, whichever
- risco
- Risk, danger, chance of harm
- amor
- Love, deep affection for someone
- Deus
- God, the divine supreme being
- humanidade
- Humanity, all human beings collectively
- Capaz
- Capable, able to do something well
- realizações
- Achievements, accomplishments, fulfilled goals
- intelectual
- Intellectual, relating to the mind
- moral
- Moral, relating to ethics and right conduct
- necessitando
- Needing, requiring something essential
- nada
- Nothing, not anything at all
- além
- Beyond, besides, in addition to
- quantidade
- Quantity, amount, number of something
- comparativamente
- Comparatively, relative to something else
- instrução
- Instruction, education, formal learning
- torná-lo
- To make him, to render him something
- ornamento
- Ornament, decoration, something enhancing value
- sociedade
- Society, community of people living together
- bênção
- Blessing, something bringing divine favor
- raça
- Race, group of people sharing heritage
- lei
- Law, rule enacted by authority
- terra
- Land, earth, ground, country
- voz
- Voice, sound produced by speaking
- povo
- People, the common population of a nation
- termos
- Terms, conditions, specified provisions
- código
- Code, system of laws or rules
- escravista
- Slave-related, pertaining to slavery system
- era
- Was (imperfect tense of ser, to be)
- peça
- Piece, item, unit of property
- propriedade
- Property, something owned by someone
- animal
- Animal, living creature, non-human being
- carga
- Cargo, load, burden carried or transported
- bem
- Good, well; also a possession or asset
- pessoal
- Personal, relating to an individual person
- querido
- Dear, beloved, cherished friend or person
- persuadiu
- Persuaded, convinced someone to do something
- discursar
- To give a speech, to speak publicly
- convenção
- Convention, formal assembly or meeting
- aproximou
- Approached, came near to something
- palanque
- Platform, stage, raised speaking area
- hesitação
- Hesitation, pause due to uncertainty
- embaraço
- Embarrassment, awkward self-conscious feeling
- necessariamente
- Necessarily, inevitably, as a required result
- companheiros
- Companions, fellow members of a group
- mente
- Mind, the thinking faculty of a person
- sensível
- Sensitive, perceptive, easily affected emotionally
- posição
- Position, place or situation one occupies
- tão
- So, such, to such a degree
- inusitada
- Unusual, uncommon, not often encountered
- Após
- After, following an event in time
- pedir
- To ask, to request something from someone
- desculpas
- Apologies, expressions of regret for something
- ignorância
- Ignorance, lack of knowledge or education
- lembrando
- Reminding, recalling something to memory
- público
- Public, audience gathered to hear something
- escravidão
- Slavery, condition of being owned by another
- pobre
- Poor, lacking resources or opportunities
- coração
- Heart, organ; also seat of emotion
- humanos
- Humans, human beings collectively
- passou
- Proceeded, moved on to do something
- narrar
- To narrate, to tell or recount a story
- alguns
- Some, a few, several (masculine plural)
- fatos
- Facts, true events or pieces of information
- própria
- Own, one's very own (feminine adjective)
- história
- History, story, account of past events
- decorrer
- Course, passing of time or events
- discurso
- Speech, discourse delivered to an audience
- deu
- Gave (past tense of dar, to give)
- muitos
- Many, a large number of things
- pensamentos
- Thoughts, ideas formed in the mind
- nobres
- Noble, elevated in character or quality
- reflexões
- Reflections, thoughtful considerations on a subject
- emocionantes
- Exciting, moving, emotionally stirring
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