On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 2
What we care about in a light is that it shows the way, not whether it is lamp or candle, tallow or wax.
Lo que nos importa de una luz es que ilumine el camino, no si es lámpara o vela, sebo o cera.
Our only real interest in Zadig lies in the conceptions of which he is the putative father; and his biographer has stated these with so much clearness and vivacious illustration, that we need hardly feel a pang, even if critical research should prove King Moabdar and all the rest of the story to be unhistorical, and reduce Zadig himself to the shadowy condition of a solar myth.
Nuestro único interés real en Zadig reside en las concepciones de las que él es el presunto padre; y su biógrafo las ha expuesto con tanta claridad y vívida ilustración, que apenas necesitamos sentir congoja, aun si la investigación crítica llegara a demostrar que el rey Moabdar y todo lo demás de la historia son ahistóricos, y redujera al propio Zadig a la nebulosa condición de un mito solar.
Voltaire tells us that, disenchanted with life by sundry domestic misadventures, Zadig withdrew from the turmoil of Babylon to a secluded retreat on the banks of the Euphrates, where he beguiled his solitude by the study of nature.
Voltaire nos cuenta que, desencantado de la vida por diversas desventuras domésticas, Zadig se retiró del tumulto de Babilonia a un refugio apartado a orillas del Éufrates, donde entretuvo su soledad con el estudio de la naturaleza.
The manifold wonders of the world of life had a particular attraction for the lonely student; incessant and patient observation of the plants and animals about him sharpened his naturally good powers of observation and of reasoning; until, at length, he acquired a sagacity which enabled him to perceive endless minute differences among objects which, to the untutored eye, appeared absolutely alike.
Las múltiples maravillas del mundo de los seres vivos ejercían una atracción especial sobre el solitario estudioso; la observación incesante y paciente de las plantas y los animales que le rodeaban agudizó sus naturalmente buenas facultades de observación y de razonamiento; hasta que, finalmente, adquirió una sagacidad que le permitía percibir infinitas diferencias minúsculas entre objetos que, a los ojos del inexperto, parecían absolutamente iguales.
It might have been expected that this enlargement of the powers of the mind and of its store of natural knowledge could tend to nothing but the increase of a man's own welfare and the good of his fellow-men.
Cabría haber esperado que esta ampliación de las facultades de la mente y de su caudal de conocimiento natural no pudiera conducir a otra cosa que al incremento del bienestar propio y al bien de sus semejantes.
But Zadig was fated to experience the vanity of such expectations.
Pero Zadig estaba destinado a experimentar la vanidad de tales expectativas.
Vocabulary
- Lo
- Neuter pronoun used to refer to something abstract
- que
- Relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- nos
- First-person plural object pronoun meaning 'us'
- importa
- Third-person singular of importar; matters or is important
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- una
- Indefinite article feminine singular meaning 'a'
- luz
- Noun meaning light, illumination, or brightness
- es
- Third-person singular present of ser; means 'is'
- ilumine
- Subjunctive form of iluminar; to illuminate or light up
- el
- Definite article masculine singular meaning 'the'
- camino
- Noun meaning road, path, or way forward
- no
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'
- lámpara
- Noun meaning lamp, a device providing artificial light
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or', offering an alternative
- vela
- Noun meaning candle, a wax stick burned for light
- cera
- Noun meaning wax, used in candles or coatings
- Nuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our'
- único
- Adjective meaning unique, sole, or only
- interés
- Noun meaning interest, concern, or curiosity
- real
- Adjective meaning real, genuine, or actual
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- reside
- Third-person singular of residir; to reside or lie in
- las
- Definite article feminine plural meaning 'the'
- concepciones
- Noun meaning conceptions, ideas, or ways of understanding
- él
- Subject pronoun meaning 'he'
- presunto
- Adjective meaning presumed, alleged, or supposed
- padre
- Noun meaning father or male parent
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'
- biógrafo
- Noun meaning biographer, one who writes a life story
- ha
- Auxiliary verb form of haber used to form perfect tenses
- expuesto
- Past participle of exponer; presented or laid out clearly
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- tanta
- Adjective meaning 'so much' or 'such great'
- claridad
- Noun meaning clarity, clearness, or lucidity
- vívida
- Adjective meaning vivid, lively, or strikingly clear
- ilustración
- Noun meaning illustration, enlightenment, or clarification
- apenas
- Adverb meaning barely, scarcely, or hardly
- necesitamos
- First-person plural of necesitar; we need or require
- sentir
- Verb meaning to feel, sense, or experience emotionally
- aun
- Adverb meaning even or still in a concessive sense
- la
- Definite article feminine singular meaning 'the'
- investigación
- Noun meaning investigation, research, or inquiry
- crítica
- Noun meaning critical analysis or scholarly critique
- llegara
- Imperfect subjunctive of llegar; were to arrive or manage
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- demostrar
- Verb meaning to demonstrate, prove, or show clearly
- rey
- Noun meaning king, a male monarch or ruler
- todo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning all, every, or everything
- lo
- Neuter pronoun referring to abstract or unspecified thing
- demás
- Pronoun or adjective meaning the rest or the others
- historia
- Noun meaning history or story, a narrative of events
- son
- Third-person plural present of ser; they are
- redujera
- Imperfect subjunctive of reducir; were to reduce or diminish
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el' meaning 'to the'
- propio
- Adjective meaning own, proper, or characteristic of itself
- condición
- Noun meaning condition, state, or circumstance
- un
- Indefinite article masculine singular meaning 'a' or 'an'
- mito
- Noun meaning myth, a traditional legendary narrative
- solar
- Adjective meaning solar, relating to the sun
- cuenta
- Third-person singular of contar; tells or recounts a story
- desencantado
- Adjective meaning disillusioned, disappointed, or disenchanted
- vida
- Noun meaning life, existence, or way of living
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'because of'
- diversas
- Adjective meaning various, diverse, or several different
- desventuras
- Noun meaning misfortunes, mishaps, or unfortunate events
- domésticas
- Adjective meaning domestic, related to home or household
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or pronominal verbs
- retiró
- Third-person singular preterite of retirarse; withdrew or retired
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el' meaning 'of the' or 'from the'
- tumulto
- Noun meaning tumult, uproar, or noisy commotion
- refugio
- Noun meaning refuge, shelter, or safe retreat
- apartado
- Adjective meaning remote, secluded, or set apart
- orillas
- Noun meaning banks or shores of a river or body of water
- donde
- Relative adverb meaning 'where'
- entretuvo
- Third-person singular preterite of entretener; occupied or amused himself
- soledad
- Noun meaning solitude, loneliness, or state of being alone
- estudio
- Noun meaning study, scholarly work, or investigation
- naturaleza
- Noun meaning nature, the natural world, or essence
- Las
- Definite article feminine plural meaning 'the'
- múltiples
- Adjective meaning multiple, numerous, or manifold
- maravillas
- Noun meaning wonders, marvels, or astonishing things
- mundo
- Noun meaning world, earth, or universe
- los
- Definite article masculine plural meaning 'the'
- seres
- Noun meaning beings, creatures, or living entities
- vivos
- Adjective meaning living, alive, or lively
- ejercían
- Imperfect of ejercer; exerted or exercised a pull or influence
- atracción
- Noun meaning attraction, appeal, or drawing power
- especial
- Adjective meaning special, particular, or exceptional
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'over', or 'about'
- solitario
- Adjective or noun meaning solitary, lone, or reclusive person
- estudioso
- Noun or adjective meaning studious scholar or learned person
- observación
- Noun meaning observation, careful watching, or remark
- incesante
- Adjective meaning incessant, unceasing, or constant
- paciente
- Adjective meaning patient, showing calm endurance
- plantas
- Noun meaning plants, living organisms that photosynthesize
- animales
- Noun meaning animals, living creatures of the animal kingdom
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him', 'to her', or 'to it'
- rodeaban
- Imperfect of rodear; surrounded or encircled him habitually
- agudizó
- Preterite of agudizar; sharpened or honed his abilities
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'their', or 'its'
- naturalmente
- Adverb meaning naturally, by nature, or of course
- buenas
- Adjective feminine plural meaning good or fine qualities
- facultades
- Noun meaning faculties, mental abilities, or powers
- razonamiento
- Noun meaning reasoning, logical thought process
- hasta
- Preposition or conjunction meaning 'until', 'up to', or 'even'
- finalmente
- Adverb meaning finally, at last, or in the end
- adquirió
- Preterite of adquirir; acquired, obtained, or developed
- permitía
- Imperfect of permitir; allowed or enabled him to do something
- percibir
- Verb meaning to perceive, notice, or detect something
- infinitas
- Adjective meaning infinite, countless, or endless
- diferencias
- Noun meaning differences, distinctions, or variations
- minúsculas
- Adjective meaning minuscule, tiny, or extremely small
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- objetos
- Noun meaning objects, things, or items
- ojos
- Noun meaning eyes, the organs of vision
- inexperto
- Adjective meaning inexperienced, unskilled, or untrained
- parecían
- Imperfect of parecer; seemed or appeared to be
- absolutamente
- Adverb meaning absolutely, completely, or entirely
- iguales
- Adjective meaning equal, identical, or the same
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' in compound tenses
- esperado
- Past participle of esperar; expected, hoped, or waited for
- esta
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' feminine singular
- ampliación
- Noun meaning expansion, enlargement, or broadening
- mente
- Noun meaning mind, intellect, or mental faculty
- conocimiento
- Noun meaning knowledge, understanding, or awareness
- natural
- Adjective meaning natural, inherent, or found in nature
- pudiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of poder; could or might be able to
- conducir
- Verb meaning to lead, drive, or guide toward something
- otra
- Adjective meaning another or other, a different one
- cosa
- Noun meaning thing, matter, or object
- incremento
- Noun meaning increment, increase, or growth
- bienestar
- Noun meaning well-being, welfare, or sense of flourishing
- bien
- Noun or adverb meaning good, goodness, or well
- semejantes
- Noun or adjective meaning fellow beings or similar others
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast
- estaba
- Imperfect of estar; was in a state or condition
- destinado
- Past participle of destinar; destined or fated to something
- experimentar
- Verb meaning to experience, experiment with, or undergo
- vanidad
- Noun meaning vanity, futility, or emptiness of effort
- tales
- Adjective meaning such, of that kind, or those sorts of
- expectativas
- Noun meaning expectations, hopes, or anticipated outcomes
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