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_.
"Estou confiante de que é essencialmente verdadeiro em todas as suas afirmações; que nada foi escrito com malícia, nada exagerado, nada extraído da imaginação; que fica aquém da realidade, em vez de exagerar um único fato a respeito da _escravidão tal como ela é_.
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.
A experiência de _Frederick Douglass_, como escravo, não foi uma experiência peculiar; sua sorte não foi especialmente difícil; seu caso pode ser considerado um exemplo bastante representativo do tratamento dispensado aos escravos em Maryland, estado no qual se reconhece que eles são melhor alimentados e tratados com menos crueldade do que na Geórgia, Alabama ou Louisiana.
Many have suffered incomparably more, while very few on the plantations have suffered less, than himself.
Muitos sofreram incomparavelmente mais, enquanto muito poucos nas plantações sofreram menos do que ele próprio.
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!
No entanto, quão deplorável era sua situação! que terríveis castigos foram infligidos à sua pessoa! que ultrajes ainda mais chocantes foram perpetrados contra sua mente! com todos os seus nobres poderes e sublimes aspirações, como um bruto foi ele tratado, mesmo por aqueles que professavam ter em si a mesma mente que estava em Cristo Jesus! a que terríveis riscos estava ele continuamente sujeito! quão desprovido de conselho e auxílio amigos, mesmo em suas maiores adversidades! quão pesada era a meia-noite de aflição que envolvia em trevas o último raio de esperança e enchia o futuro de terror e sombra!
Vocabulary
- Estou
- I am (present tense of estar)
- confiante
- Confident; assured in belief or expectation
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- que
- That; which; relative pronoun or conjunction
- essencialmente
- Essentially; in essence; fundamentally or basically
- verdadeiro
- True; genuine; authentic or factual
- em
- In; on; preposition indicating location or position
- todas
- All; every one (feminine plural form)
- as
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- suas
- Your; his; her; their (possessive pronoun)
- afirmações
- Statements; assertions; declarations made or expressed
- nada
- Nothing; not anything; absence of something
- foi
- Was; past tense of ser (to be)
- escrito
- Written; past participle of escrever
- com
- With; together with; preposition of accompaniment
- malícia
- Malice; intent to cause harm or injury
- exagerado
- Exaggerated; overstated; magnified beyond reasonable limits
- extraído
- Extracted; taken out; derived from something
- da
- From the; of the (feminine contraction)
- imaginação
- Imagination; the faculty of forming mental images
- fica
- Remains; stays; is located or situated
- realidade
- Reality; actual existence; fact or truth
- vez
- Time; occasion; instance of something occurring
- exagerar
- To exaggerate; to overstate or magnify facts
- um
- A; one; indefinite article (masculine singular)
- único
- Only; sole; single or one and only
- fato
- Fact; something that is true or actual
- respeito
- Respect; regard; consideration for someone or something
- escravidão
- Slavery; state of being enslaved or servitude
- tal
- Such; of that kind; like or similar
- como
- As; how; like; in the manner of
- ela
- She; her; feminine singular personal pronoun
- é
- Is; present tense singular of ser (to be)
- experiência
- Experience; knowledge from doing or living through
- escravo
- Slave; person held in bondage or servitude
- não
- No; not; negation or refusal of something
- uma
- A; one; indefinite article (feminine singular)
- peculiar
- Peculiar; strange; unusual or distinctive characteristic
- sua
- Your; his; her; their (possessive pronoun)
- sorte
- Luck; fortune; chance or destiny
- especialmente
- Especially; particularly; to a great degree
- difícil
- Difficult; hard; not easy to do
- seu
- Your; his; her; their (possessive adjective)
- caso
- Case; instance; particular situation or circumstance
- pode
- Can; may; is able to do something
- ser
- To be; to exist; fundamental verb
- considerado
- Considered; regarded as; thought to be
- exemplo
- Example; instance; model or pattern to follow
- bastante
- Quite; rather; sufficiently or fairly enough
- representativo
- Representative; typical; serving as example of kind
- do
- Of the; from the (masculine contraction)
- tratamento
- Treatment; manner of dealing with something
- aos
- To the; towards the (masculine plural)
- escravos
- Slaves; persons held in bondage or servitude
- estado
- State; condition; province or administrative division
- no
- In the; on the (masculine singular)
- qual
- Which; that; relative pronoun in questions
- se
- Oneself; itself; reflexive pronoun or conjunction
- reconhece
- Recognizes; acknowledges; admits or accepts as true
- eles
- They; them; masculine plural personal pronoun
- são
- Are; plural present tense of ser (to be)
- melhor
- Better; superior; of higher quality or standard
- alimentados
- Fed; nourished; supplied with food or provisions
- tratados
- Treated; dealt with; handled or managed
- menos
- Less; fewer; smaller in amount or number
- crueldade
- Cruelty; harshness; unkind or inhumane treatment
- na
- In the; on the (feminine singular)
- ou
- Or; either; used to show alternative choice
- Muitos
- Many; numerous; a large number of people
- sofreram
- Suffered; endured; experienced pain or hardship
- mais
- More; greater in amount or number
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