On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 6
Branches of the trees met overhead at the height of five feet, and under them I saw newly fallen leaves; so I knew that the horse had brushed some of the branches, and was therefore five feet high.
Las ramas de los árboles se encontraban por encima de mi cabeza a una altura de cinco pies, y debajo de ellas vi hojas recién caídas; así que supe que el caballo había rozado algunas de las ramas, y que por lo tanto medía cinco pies de altura.
As to his bit, it must have been made of twenty-three carat gold, for he had rubbed it against a stone, which turned out to be a touchstone, with the properties of which I am familiar by experiment.
En cuanto a su bocado, debía de estar hecho de oro de veintitrés quilates, pues lo había frotado contra una piedra, que resultó ser una piedra de toque, cuyas propiedades me son familiares por la experiencia.
Lastly, by the marks which his shoes left upon pebbles of another kind, I was led to think that his shoes were of fine silver.'
Por último, por las marcas que sus herraduras dejaron sobre guijarros de otro tipo, llegué a pensar que sus herraduras eran de plata fina.
"All the judges admired Zadig's profound and subtle discernment; and the fame of it reached even the King and the Queen.
«Todos los jueces admiraron el profundo y sutil discernimiento de Zadig; y la fama de ello llegó incluso al Rey y a la Reina.
From the ante-rooms to the presence-chamber, Zadig's name was in everybody's mouth; and, although many of the magi were of opinion that he ought to be burnt as a sorcerer, the King commanded that the four hundred ounces of gold which he had been fined should be restored to him.
Desde las antecámaras hasta la sala de audiencias, el nombre de Zadig estaba en boca de todos; y, aunque muchos de los magos eran de la opinión de que debía ser quemado como hechicero, el Rey ordenó que se le restituyeran las cuatrocientas onzas de oro con las que había sido multado.
So the officers of the court went in state with the four hundred ounces; only they retained three hundred and ninety-eight for legal expenses, and their servants expected fees."
Así que los oficiales de la corte se presentaron con pompa con las cuatrocientas onzas; solo que retuvieron trescientas noventa y ocho para gastos legales, y sus sirvientes esperaban propinas.»
Vocabulary
- ramas
- Branches of a tree or plant
- árboles
- Trees; tall woody plants found in nature
- encontraban
- Were located or situated at a place
- encima
- Above or on top of something
- cabeza
- Head; the uppermost part of the body
- altura
- Height; the measurement from base to top
- pies
- Feet; unit of measurement or body part
- debajo
- Below or underneath something
- vi
- First-person past tense of 'ver', meaning 'I saw'
- hojas
- Leaves of a tree or pages of a book
- recién
- Recently or just, indicating something newly done
- caídas
- Fallen; having dropped or come down from above
- así
- Thus or in this way; used to indicate manner
- supe
- First-person past tense of 'saber', meaning 'I knew'
- caballo
- Horse; a large domesticated mammal used for riding
- rozado
- Grazed or brushed lightly against a surface
- tanto
- So much; to such a degree or extent
- medía
- Measured; past tense of 'medir', to measure
- cuanto
- As for; regarding or concerning something specific
- bocado
- Bit; metal mouthpiece used to control a horse
- debía
- Must have been; past obligation or deduction
- hecho
- Made of; past participle of 'hacer', to make
- oro
- Gold; precious yellow metallic element
- quilates
- Carats; unit measuring purity of gold
- pues
- Because; conjunction indicating reason or explanation
- frotado
- Rubbed; past participle of 'frotar', to rub
- contra
- Against; in contact with or in opposition to
- piedra
- Stone or rock; a hard natural mineral material
- resultó
- Turned out or proved to be something specific
- toque
- Touchstone test; the act of touching or testing
- cuyas
- Whose; feminine plural possessive relative pronoun
- propiedades
- Properties or qualities belonging to something
- familiares
- Familiar; well known or recognizable to someone
- experiencia
- Experience; knowledge gained through practice or observation
- último
- Last; the final one in a sequence or series
- marcas
- Marks or traces left behind by something
- herraduras
- Horseshoes; U-shaped metal shoes for horses
- dejaron
- Left behind; past tense of 'dejar', to leave
- sobre
- On or over; preposition indicating position above
- guijarros
- Pebbles or small rounded stones on the ground
- tipo
- Type or kind; a category or sort of thing
- llegué
- I arrived at or reached a conclusion or place
- pensar
- To think; to form thoughts or opinions mentally
- plata
- Silver; shiny white precious metallic element
- fina
- Fine or pure; of high quality or refinement
- jueces
- Judges; officials who make legal decisions
- admiraron
- Admired; expressed wonder or approval for something
- profundo
- Deep or profound; of great depth or intensity
- sutil
- Subtle; delicate, clever, or not immediately obvious
- discernimiento
- Discernment; ability to judge and understand clearly
- fama
- Fame or reputation; widespread recognition by others
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it' referring to a concept
- llegó
- Reached or arrived; past tense of 'llegar'
- incluso
- Even; used to emphasize inclusion of something surprising
- Rey
- King; male monarch who rules a kingdom
- Reina
- Queen; female monarch or wife of a king
- Desde
- From or since; indicating a starting point
- antecámaras
- Antechambers; waiting rooms before a main hall
- hasta
- Until or up to; indicating a limit or endpoint
- sala
- Room or hall; a large space for gatherings
- audiencias
- Audiences or hearings; formal meetings with officials
- nombre
- Name; a word used to identify a person
- boca
- Mouth; the opening in the face for speaking
- aunque
- Although or even though; conjunction of concession
- magos
- Wizards or magicians; those who practice magic
- opinión
- Opinion; a personal view or judgment on something
- quemado
- Burned; past participle of 'quemar', to burn
- hechicero
- Sorcerer or warlock; someone who practices witchcraft
- ordenó
- Ordered or commanded; past tense of 'ordenar'
- restituyeran
- Return or restore; subjunctive of 'restituir'
- onzas
- Ounces; units of weight or precious metal measure
- multado
- Fined; penalized with a monetary punishment
- Así
- Thus or so; in this way or accordingly
- oficiales
- Officials; people holding formal positions of authority
- corte
- Court; the royal household and its attendants
- presentaron
- Presented or delivered; past tense of 'presentar'
- pompa
- Pomp; ceremonial splendor or grand display
- solo
- Only or alone; without others or exclusively
- retuvieron
- Retained or kept back; past tense of 'retener'
- gastos
- Expenses or costs; money spent on something
- legales
- Legal; relating to the law or legal proceedings
- sirvientes
- Servants; people employed to work in a household
- esperaban
- Were waiting or expecting; imperfect of 'esperar'
- propinas
- Tips or gratuities; extra money given for service
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