On Liberty — Page 11

English → Fr Preface Level 9/10

But to be a critic of doctrine she was hardly qualified.

Mais pour être un critique de doctrine, elle n'était guère qualifiée.

Mill has made some clear admissions on this point.

Mill a fait quelques aveux clairs sur ce point.

"The only actual revolution which has ever taken place in my modes of thinking was already complete,"[2] he says, before her influence became paramount.

« La seule révolution réelle qui ait jamais eu lieu dans mes modes de pensée était déjà achevée, »[2] dit-il, avant que son influence ne devienne prépondérante.

There is a curiously humble estimate of his own powers (to which Dr. Bain has called attention), which reads at first sight as if it contradicted this.

Il existe une estimation curieusement humble de ses propres capacités (sur laquelle le Dr Bain a attiré l'attention), qui semble à première vue la contredire.

"During the greater part of my literary life I have performed the office in relation to her, which, from a rather early period, I had considered as the most useful part that I was qualified to take in the domain of thought, that of an interpreter of original thinkers, and mediator between them and the public."

« Pendant la plus grande partie de ma vie littéraire, j'ai exercé à son égard la fonction que, depuis une période assez précoce, j'avais considérée comme la partie la plus utile que j'étais qualifié à jouer dans le domaine de la pensée, celle d'interprète des penseurs originaux et de médiateur entre eux et le public. »

So far it would seem that Mill had sat at the feet of his oracle; but observe the highly remarkable exception which is made in the following sentence:--

Jusqu'ici, il semblerait que Mill se soit assis aux pieds de son oracle ; mais observez l'exception fort remarquable qui est faite dans la phrase suivante :

"For I had always a humble opinion of my own powers as an original thinker, _except in abstract science (logic, metaphysics, and the theoretic principles of political economy and politics.)_"[3]

« Car j'ai toujours eu une opinion modeste de mes propres capacités en tant que penseur original, _sauf dans les sciences abstraites (la logique, la métaphysique et les principes théoriques de l'économie politique et de la politique.)_»[3]

If Mill then was an original thinker in logic, metaphysics, and the science of economy and politics, it is clear that he had not learnt these from her lips.

Si Mill était donc un penseur original en logique, en métaphysique et dans la science de l'économie et de la politique, il est clair qu'il n'avait pas appris ces matières de ses lèvres.

And to most men logic and metaphysics may be safely taken as forming a domain in which originality of thought, if it can be honestly professed, is a sufficient title of distinction.

Et pour la plupart des hommes, la logique et la métaphysique peuvent être considérées sans risque comme formant un domaine dans lequel l'originalité de pensée, si elle peut être honnêtement revendiquée, constitue un titre de distinction suffisant.

Mrs.

Mme

Vocabulary

Mais: Conjunction meaning 'but,' introducing contrast.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to.'
être: Infinitive verb meaning 'to be.'
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one.'
critique: Noun or adjective meaning 'critic' or 'critical.'
de: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'by.'
doctrine: A set of beliefs or principles taught systematically.
elle: Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it.'
n'était: Negative imperfect of 'être,' meaning 'was not.'
guère: Adverb meaning 'hardly' or 'scarcely,' used with negation.
qualifiée: Past participle meaning 'qualified' or 'suited,' feminine form.
a: Third-person singular present of 'avoir,' meaning 'has.'
fait: Past participle of 'faire,' meaning 'made' or 'done.'
quelques: Determiner meaning 'some' or 'a few.'
aveux: Plural noun meaning 'admissions' or 'confessions.'
clairs: Adjective meaning 'clear' or 'explicit,' masculine plural.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on,' 'about,' or 'regarding.'
ce: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that.'
point: Noun meaning 'point' or 'matter' in question.
La: Definite article meaning 'the,' feminine singular.
seule: Adjective meaning 'only' or 'sole,' feminine form.
révolution: Noun meaning 'revolution,' a fundamental or radical change.
réelle: Adjective meaning 'real' or 'genuine,' feminine singular.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.'
ait: Subjunctive form of 'avoir,' meaning 'has' in subjunctive mood.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'ever' or, with negation, 'never.'
eu: Past participle of 'avoir,' meaning 'had.'
lieu: Noun meaning 'place'; 'avoir lieu' means 'to take place.'
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within.'
mes: Possessive adjective meaning 'my,' plural form.
modes: Noun meaning 'modes,' 'ways,' or 'manners.'
pensée: Noun meaning 'thought' or 'thinking.'
était: Imperfect form of 'être,' meaning 'was.'
déjà: Adverb meaning 'already.'
achevée: Past participle meaning 'completed' or 'finished,' feminine form.
dit-il: Inverted verb phrase meaning 'he says' or 'he said.'
avant: Preposition or adverb meaning 'before.'
que: Conjunction meaning 'that,' 'than,' or 'as.'
son: Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its.'
influence: Noun meaning 'influence' or effect on something.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas,' 'jamais,' etc.
devienne: Subjunctive of 'devenir,' meaning 'to become.'
prépondérante: Adjective meaning 'predominant' or 'overriding,' feminine form.
Il: Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it.'
existe: Third-person singular of 'exister,' meaning 'exists' or 'there is.'
une: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an,' feminine form.
estimation: Noun meaning 'estimate' or 'assessment' of something.
curieusement: Adverb meaning 'curiously' or 'oddly.'
humble: Adjective meaning 'humble' or 'modest.'
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its,' plural.
propres: Adjective meaning 'own' or 'proper,' plural form.
capacités: Noun meaning 'abilities' or 'capacities,' plural.
laquelle: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who,' feminine form.
le: Definite article meaning 'the,' masculine singular.
attiré: Past participle of 'attirer,' meaning 'drawn' or 'attracted.'
l'attention: Noun phrase meaning 'attention,' preceded by elided article.
semble: Third-person singular of 'sembler,' meaning 'seems.'
à: Preposition meaning 'at,' 'to,' or 'in.'
première: Ordinal adjective meaning 'first,' feminine form.
vue: Noun meaning 'view' or 'sight'; 'à première vue' means 'at first glance.'
la: Definite article meaning 'the,' feminine singular.
contredire: Infinitive meaning 'to contradict' or 'to go against.'
Pendant: Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period of time.
plus: Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most' in comparisons.
grande: Adjective meaning 'large,' 'great,' or 'big,' feminine form.
partie: Noun meaning 'part' or 'portion' of something.
ma: Possessive adjective meaning 'my,' feminine singular.
vie: Noun meaning 'life.'
littéraire: Adjective meaning 'literary,' relating to literature.
j'ai: First-person singular of 'avoir,' meaning 'I have.'
exercé: Past participle of 'exercer,' meaning 'exercised' or 'performed.'
égard: Noun meaning 'regard,' 'respect,' or 'consideration.'
fonction: Noun meaning 'function,' 'role,' or 'duty.'
depuis: Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' a point in time.
période: Noun meaning 'period' or 'phase' of time.
assez: Adverb meaning 'quite,' 'fairly,' or 'enough.'
précoce: Adjective meaning 'early,' 'precocious,' or 'premature.'
j'avais: First-person imperfect of 'avoir,' meaning 'I had.'
considérée: Past participle of 'considérer,' meaning 'considered,' feminine form.
comme: Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as,' 'like,' or 'how.'
utile: Adjective meaning 'useful' or 'helpful.'
j'étais: First-person imperfect of 'être,' meaning 'I was.'
qualifié: Adjective meaning 'qualified' or 'suited,' masculine form.
jouer: Infinitive meaning 'to play' or 'to perform' a role.
domaine: Noun meaning 'domain,' 'field,' or 'area' of activity.
celle: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that one' or 'the one,' feminine.
d'interprète: Noun phrase meaning 'of interpreter' or 'of translator.'
des: Contraction of 'de les,' meaning 'of the,' plural.
penseurs: Plural noun meaning 'thinkers' or 'intellectuals.'
originaux: Adjective meaning 'original' or 'innovative,' masculine plural.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and.'
médiateur: Noun meaning 'mediator' or 'intermediary' between parties.
entre: Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among.'
eux: Disjunctive pronoun meaning 'them,' masculine plural.
public: Noun or adjective meaning 'public' or 'audience.'
Jusqu'ici: Adverbial phrase meaning 'up to here' or 'so far.'
il: Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it.'
semblerait: Conditional of 'sembler,' meaning 'would seem.'
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' or 'itself.'
soit: Subjunctive of 'être,' meaning 'be' or 'is' in subjunctive mood.
assis: Past participle of 'asseoir,' meaning 'seated' or 'sat.'
aux: Contraction of 'à les,' meaning 'at the' or 'to the,' plural.
pieds: Plural noun meaning 'feet'; 'aux pieds de' means 'at the feet of.'
oracle: Noun meaning 'oracle,' a revered source of wisdom.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but,' introducing contrast or exception.
observez: Imperative of 'observer,' meaning 'observe' or 'note.'
l'exception: Noun meaning 'the exception' to a general rule.
fort: Adverb or adjective meaning 'very,' 'strong,' or 'quite.'
remarquable: Adjective meaning 'remarkable' or 'noteworthy.'
est: Third-person singular of 'être,' meaning 'is.'
faite: Past participle of 'faire,' meaning 'made' or 'done,' feminine.
phrase: Noun meaning 'sentence' or 'phrase.'
suivante: Adjective meaning 'following' or 'next,' feminine form.
Car: Conjunction meaning 'for' or 'because,' giving a reason.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still.'
opinion: Noun meaning 'opinion' or 'view' on a matter.
modeste: Adjective meaning 'modest' or 'humble.'
en: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'as,' or 'while.'
tant: Adverb meaning 'as,' used in 'en tant que' meaning 'as a.'
penseur: Noun meaning 'thinker' or 'intellectual.'
original: Adjective meaning 'original' or 'creative.'
_sauf: Preposition meaning 'except' or 'save,' excluding something.
les: Definite article meaning 'the,' plural form.
sciences: Noun meaning 'sciences,' fields of systematic knowledge.
abstraites: Adjective meaning 'abstract,' feminine plural form.
logique: Noun or adjective meaning 'logic' or 'logical.'
métaphysique: Noun or adjective meaning 'metaphysics' or 'metaphysical.'
principes: Noun meaning 'principles' or 'fundamental rules.'
théoriques: Adjective meaning 'theoretical,' plural form.
l'économie: Noun meaning 'the economy' or 'economics.'
politique: Noun or adjective meaning 'politics,' 'policy,' or 'political.'
Si: Conjunction meaning 'if' introducing a conditional clause.
donc: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'therefore' or 'so.'
science: Noun meaning 'science,' systematic knowledge or study.
clair: Adjective meaning 'clear' or 'obvious.'
qu'il: Conjunction plus pronoun meaning 'that he' or 'that it.'
n'avait: Negative imperfect of 'avoir,' meaning 'did not have.'
pas: Negative particle meaning 'not,' used with 'ne.'
appris: Past participle of 'apprendre,' meaning 'learned' or 'taught.'
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those,' plural.
matières: Noun meaning 'subjects,' 'materials,' or 'matters.'
lèvres: Noun meaning 'lips'; 'aux lèvres de' means 'from the lips of.'
Et: Conjunction meaning 'and.'
plupart: Noun meaning 'most' or 'the majority,' used in 'la plupart.'
hommes: Noun meaning 'men' or 'people,' plural.
peuvent: Third-person plural of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'can' or 'are able to.'
considérées: Past participle of 'considérer,' meaning 'considered,' feminine plural.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without.'
risque: Noun meaning 'risk' or 'danger.'
formant: Present participle of 'former,' meaning 'forming' or 'making up.'
lequel: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who,' masculine form.
l'originalité: Noun meaning 'originality' or 'uniqueness.'
si: Conjunction meaning 'if' or adverb meaning 'so' or 'yes.'
peut: Third-person singular of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'can' or 'may.'
honnêtement: Adverb meaning 'honestly' or 'fairly.'
revendiquée: Past participle of 'revendiquer,' meaning 'claimed,' feminine form.
constitue: Third-person singular of 'constituer,' meaning 'constitutes' or 'forms.'
titre: Noun meaning 'title,' 'claim,' or 'grounds' for something.
distinction: Noun meaning 'distinction,' a mark of excellence or difference.
suffisant: Adjective meaning 'sufficient' or 'adequate.'

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