Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 12
As if it were less cruel to reduce a human being to the condition of a thing, than to give him a severe flagellation, or to deprive him of necessary food and clothing!
Como se fosse menos cruel reduzir um ser humano à condição de uma coisa, do que submetê-lo a uma severa flagelação, ou privá-lo de alimentos e roupas necessários!
As if whips, chains, thumb-screws, paddles, blood-hounds, overseers, drivers, patrols, were not all indispensable to keep the slaves down, and to give protection to their ruthless oppressors!
Como se chicotes, correntes, parafusos de tortura, pás, cães de caça, capatazes, condutores e patrulhas não fossem todos indispensáveis para manter os escravos subjugados e para proteger seus opressores impiedosos!
As if, when the marriage institution is abolished, concubinage, adultery, and incest, must not necessarily abound; when all the rights of humanity are annihilated, any barrier remains to protect the victim from the fury of the spoiler; when absolute power is assumed over life and liberty, it will not be wielded with destructive sway!
Como se, quando a instituição do casamento é abolida, o concubinato, o adultério e o incesto não devessem necessariamente abundar; quando todos os direitos da humanidade são aniquilados, qualquer barreira permanece para proteger a vítima da fúria do opressor; quando o poder absoluto é assumido sobre a vida e a liberdade, ele não será exercido com influência destrutiva!
Skeptics of this character abound in society.
Céticos desse caráter abundam na sociedade.
In some few instances, their incredulity arises from a want of reflection; but, generally, it indicates a hatred of the light, a desire to shield slavery from the assaults of its foes, a contempt of the colored race, whether bond or free.
Em alguns poucos casos, sua incredulidade surge da falta de reflexão; mas, geralmente, indica um ódio à luz, um desejo de proteger a escravidão dos ataques de seus inimigos, um desprezo pela raça de cor, seja ela escrava ou livre.
Such will try to discredit the shocking tales of slaveholding cruelty which are recorded in this truthful Narrative; but they will labor in vain.
Tais pessoas tentarão desacreditar os chocantes relatos de crueldade escravagista que estão registrados nesta verídica Narrativa; mas trabalharão em vão.
_Mr. Douglass_ has frankly disclosed the place of his birth, the names of those who claimed ownership in his body and soul, and the names also of those who committed the crimes which he has alleged against them.
_O Sr. Douglass_ revelou francamente o lugar de seu nascimento, os nomes daqueles que reivindicavam a posse de seu corpo e alma, e também os nomes daqueles que cometeram os crimes que ele alegou contra eles.
His statements, therefore, may easily be disproved, if they are untrue.
Suas declarações, portanto, podem facilmente ser refutadas, se forem falsas.
Vocabulary
- Como
- KOH-moo — How; conjunction used to introduce comparisons
- se
- seh — If; reflexive pronoun used in various constructions
- fosse
- FOH-seh — Past subjunctive of 'ser/ir'; were, as if it were
- menos
- MEH-noos — Less; fewer; used in comparisons of quantity
- cruel
- kroo-EHL — Cruel; causing pain or suffering deliberately
- reduzir
- heh-doo-ZEER — To reduce; to lower or diminish something significantly
- ser
- sehr — To be; fundamental verb expressing existence or identity
- humano
- oo-MAH-noo — Human; relating to or characteristic of mankind
- à
- ah — To the; contraction of 'a' and feminine article 'a'
- condição
- kon-dee-SOWNG — Condition; state or circumstance of a person or thing
- coisa
- KOY-zah — Thing; an object, matter, or unnamed entity
- submetê-lo
- soob-meh-TEH-loo — To subject him; to force someone to undergo something
- severa
- seh-VEH-rah — Severe; harsh, strict, or extreme in nature
- flagelação
- flah-zheh-lah-SOWNG — Flagellation; act of whipping or beating as punishment
- privá-lo
- pree-VAH-loo — To deprive him; to deny someone access to necessities
- alimentos
- ah-lee-MEN-toos — Food; nourishment; substances consumed to sustain life
- roupas
- HOH-pahs — Clothes; garments worn to cover the body
- necessários
- neh-seh-SAH-ree-oos — Necessary; essential items required for survival or function
- chicotes
- shee-KOH-tees — Whips; instruments used to strike or beat people
- correntes
- koh-HEN-tees — Chains; metal links used to restrain or bind people
- parafusos
- pah-rah-FOO-zoos — Screws; bolts; also instruments of torture historically used
- tortura
- tor-TOO-rah — Torture; infliction of severe pain as punishment or coercion
- pás
- pahz — Shovels; spades; tools used for digging or forced labor
- cães
- KAYNGS — Dogs; animals used historically to hunt enslaved people
- caça
- KAH-sah — Hunt; chase; pursuit of a person or animal
- capatazes
- kah-pah-TAH-zehz — Overseers; foremen who supervised and controlled enslaved workers
- condutores
- kon-doo-TOH-reez — Drivers; those who directed or forced enslaved people to work
- patrulhas
- pah-TROO-lyahs — Patrols; groups that surveilled and captured escaped enslaved people
- fossem
- FOH-seng — Past subjunctive plural of 'ser/ir'; were, if they were
- todos
- TOH-doos — All; everyone; every single one of a group
- indispensáveis
- een-dees-pen-SAH-veez — Indispensable; absolutely necessary and cannot be done without
- manter
- man-TEHR — To maintain; to keep something in a certain state
- escravos
- es-KRAH-voos — Slaves; people held in bondage and forced to work
- subjugados
- soob-zhoo-GAH-doos — Subjugated; brought under domination or control by force
- proteger
- proh-teh-ZHEHR — To protect; to keep safe from harm or danger
- opressores
- oh-preh-SOH-reez — Oppressors; those who cruelly dominate and exploit others
- impiedosos
- eem-pyeh-DOH-zoos — Merciless; without pity or compassion toward others
- quando
- KWAN-doo — When; at the time that something occurs or occurred
- instituição
- eens-tee-too-ee-SOWNG — Institution; an established organization or social practice
- casamento
- kah-zah-MEN-too — Marriage; legal or formal union between two people
- abolida
- ah-boh-LEE-dah — Abolished; formally ended or eliminated by authority
- concubinato
- kon-koo-bee-NAH-too — Concubinage; cohabitation without legal marriage or rights
- adultério
- ah-dool-TEH-ree-oo — Adultery; sexual infidelity within or outside marriage
- incesto
- een-SES-too — Incest; sexual relations between close family members
- devessem
- deh-VEH-seng — Past subjunctive plural of 'dever'; should, ought to
- necessariamente
- neh-seh-sah-ree-ah-MEN-teh — Necessarily; inevitably as a result or consequence
- abundar
- ah-boon-DAR — To abound; to exist in large or excessive quantities
- direitos
- dee-RAY-toos — Rights; entitlements or freedoms belonging to individuals
- humanidade
- oo-mah-nee-DAH-deh — Humanity; the human race; quality of being humane
- aniquilados
- ah-nee-kee-LAH-doos — Annihilated; completely destroyed or rendered nonexistent
- qualquer
- kwahl-KEHR — Any; whatever; used to indicate any one of several
- barreira
- bah-HAY-rah — Barrier; an obstacle or boundary preventing access or movement
- permanece
- pehr-mah-NEH-seh — Remains; continues to exist or stay in a state
- vítima
- VEE-tee-mah — Victim; a person harmed by another's actions or circumstances
- fúria
- FOO-ree-ah — Fury; intense uncontrolled anger or violent rage
- opressor
- oh-preh-SOR — Oppressor; one who exercises harsh and unjust authority
- poder
- poh-DEHR — Power; ability or authority to control or influence others
- absoluto
- ahb-soh-LOO-too — Absolute; total and unrestricted power or authority
- assumido
- ah-soo-MEE-doo — Assumed; taken on or claimed without rightful authority
- sobre
- SOH-breh — Over; above; about; preposition indicating position or subject
- vida
- VEE-dah — Life; the state of being alive and having existence
- liberdade
- lee-behr-DAH-deh — Freedom; liberty; the state of not being constrained
- será
- seh-RAH — Will be; future tense of 'ser' expressing future state
- exercido
- eh-zehr-SEE-doo — Exercised; put into practice or use by someone
- influência
- een-floo-EN-syah — Influence; power to affect or change someone or something
- destrutiva
- des-troo-CHEE-vah — Destructive; causing great damage, harm, or ruin
- Céticos
- SEH-tee-koos — Skeptics; people who doubt or question accepted claims
- desse
- DEH-seh — Of this; of that; contraction used in informal speech
- caráter
- kah-RAH-tehr — Character; the mental and moral qualities of a person
- abundam
- ah-BOON-dahng — Abound; exist in large numbers within a group
- sociedade
- soh-syeh-DAH-deh — Society; a community of people sharing culture and institutions
- alguns
- ahl-GOONZ — Some; a few; an unspecified number of people or things
- poucos
- POH-koos — Few; a small number of something
- casos
- KAH-zoos — Cases; instances or examples of a particular situation
- incredulidade
- een-kreh-doo-lee-DAH-deh — Incredulity; unwillingness to believe something is true
- surge
- SOOR-zheh — Arises; emerges or appears suddenly from a source
- falta
- FAHL-tah — Lack; absence of something needed or expected
- reflexão
- heh-fleh-SOWNG — Reflection; careful thought or consideration about something
- geralmente
- zheh-rahl-MEN-teh — Generally; usually; in most cases or situations
- indica
- een-DEE-kah — Indicates; points to or suggests something as a sign
- ódio
- OH-dyoo — Hatred; intense and passionate dislike for someone
- luz
- looz — Light; illumination; also symbolizes knowledge or truth
- desejo
- deh-ZEH-zhoo — Desire; a strong wish or longing for something
- escravidão
- es-krah-vee-DOWNG — Slavery; the system of owning people as property
- ataques
- ah-TAH-keez — Attacks; hostile acts aimed at harming someone
- inimigos
- ee-nee-MEE-goos — Enemies; adversaries who are hostile or opposed to you
- desprezo
- des-PREH-zoo — Contempt; disdain; feeling that something is beneath consideration
- raça
- HAH-sah — Race; a group of people sharing ethnic heritage or characteristics
- cor
- kor — Color; skin color as a marker of racial identity
- seja
- SEH-zhah — Be; whether; present subjunctive of 'ser'
- escrava
- es-KRAH-vah — Enslaved woman; female person held as property
- livre
- LEE-vreh — Free; not enslaved; at liberty to act independently
- Tais
- tahys — Such; of that kind; used to refer to previously mentioned things
- pessoas
- peh-SOH-ahz — People; persons; human beings considered as a group
- tentarão
- ten-tah-ROWNG — Will try; future tense of 'tentar' meaning to attempt
- desacreditar
- deh-zah-kreh-dee-TAR — To discredit; to damage someone's reputation or credibility
- chocantes
- shoh-KAN-teez — Shocking; disturbing; causing strong feelings of distress
- relatos
- heh-LAH-toos — Accounts; reports or narratives describing events
- crueldade
- kroo-ehl-DAH-deh — Cruelty; pleasure in causing pain or suffering to others
- escravagista
- es-krah-vah-ZHEES-tah — Pro-slavery; relating to or supporting the slave system
- registrados
- heh-zhees-TRAH-doos — Recorded; documented and preserved in written form
- verídica
- veh-REE-dee-kah — Truthful; accurate and faithful to the truth
- Narrativa
- nah-hah-CHEE-vah — Narrative; a spoken or written account of events
- trabalharão
- trah-bah-lyah-ROWNG — Will work; future tense of 'trabalhar' meaning to labor
- vão
- vowng — In vain; futilely; without achieving the desired result
- revelou
- heh-veh-LOO — Revealed; disclosed or made known previously hidden information
- francamente
- fran-kah-MEN-teh — Frankly; openly and honestly without concealment
- lugar
- loo-GAR — Place; location where something exists or occurred
- nascimento
- nah-see-MEN-too — Birth; the occasion when a person comes into the world
- nomes
- NOH-meez — Names; words used to identify specific people or places
- reivindicavam
- hay-veen-dee-KAH-vahng — Claimed; asserted ownership or rights over someone or something
- posse
- POH-seh — Possession; ownership or control over a person or thing
- corpo
- KOR-poo — Body; the physical structure of a human being
- alma
- AHL-mah — Soul; the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
- também
- tahm-BENG — Also; too; in addition to what was previously mentioned
- cometeram
- koh-meh-TEH-rahng — Committed; carried out or perpetrated an act or crime
- crimes
- KREE-meez — Crimes; acts that violate law and cause harm to others
- alegou
- ah-leh-GOO — Alleged; claimed or asserted without definitive proof
- contra
- KON-trah — Against; in opposition to or in conflict with
- declarações
- deh-klah-rah-SOYNGS — Statements; formal assertions made publicly or officially
- portanto
- por-TAN-too — Therefore; consequently; as a logical result or conclusion
- facilmente
- fah-seel-MEN-teh — Easily; without difficulty or great effort
- refutadas
- heh-foo-TAH-dahz — Refuted; proven to be false or incorrect by evidence
- forem
- FOH-reng — If they are; future subjunctive plural of 'ser/ir'
- falsas
- FAHL-sahz — False; untrue; not accurate or in accordance with facts
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