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.
Ce qui nous importe dans une lumière, c'est qu'elle montre le chemin, non qu'elle soit lampe ou chandelle, suif ou cire.
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.
Notre seul véritable intérêt pour Zadig réside dans les conceptions dont il est le père putatif ; et son biographe les a exposées avec tant de clarté et d'illustration vivante, que nous n'avons guère à ressentir de regret, même si la recherche critique devait prouver que le roi Moabdar et tout le reste de l'histoire sont non historiques, et réduire Zadig lui-même à la condition fantomatique d'un mythe solaire.
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 nous raconte que, désenchanté de la vie par diverses mésaventures domestiques, Zadig se retira du tumulte de Babylone vers une retraite isolée sur les rives de l'Euphrate, où il trompa sa solitude par l'étude de la nature.
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.
Les multiples merveilles du monde vivant exerçaient une attraction particulière sur ce solitaire studieux ; l'observation incessante et patiente des plantes et des animaux qui l'entouraient aiguisa ses facultés naturellement bonnes d'observation et de raisonnement ; jusqu'à ce qu'il acquît enfin une sagacité qui lui permit de percevoir d'innombrables différences infimes entre des objets qui, aux yeux non exercés, paraissaient absolument semblables.
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.
On aurait pu s'attendre à ce que cet élargissement des facultés de l'esprit et de son fonds de connaissances naturelles ne pût tendre qu'à l'accroissement du bien-être propre de l'homme et au bien de ses semblables.
But Zadig was fated to experience the vanity of such expectations.
Mais Zadig était destiné à éprouver la vanité de telles espérances.
Vocabulary
- importe
- Matters or is important to someone
- lumière
- Light emitted by a source
- montre
- Shows or indicates something to someone
- chemin
- Path or road leading somewhere
- soit
- Subjunctive form of 'être'; whether or so be it
- lampe
- Lamp or artificial light-giving device
- chandelle
- Candle made of tallow used for lighting
- suif
- Tallow or animal fat used in candles
- cire
- Wax, especially used to make candles
- seul
- Alone or only, indicating uniqueness
- véritable
- True or genuine, not false or imitation
- intérêt
- Interest or concern in something or someone
- réside
- Resides or lies within something specified
- conceptions
- Ideas or concepts conceived by a thinker
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'whose'
- père
- Father or originator of something
- putatif
- Supposed or reputed, generally assumed without proof
- biographe
- Person who writes another person's life story
- exposées
- Presented or set forth clearly for an audience
- tant
- So much or so many in quantity
- clarté
- Clarity or clearness in expression or light
- illustration
- Example or image clarifying an idea visually
- vivante
- Living or lively, full of life and energy
- guère
- Hardly or scarcely, indicating very little
- ressentir
- To feel or experience an emotion deeply
- regret
- Sorrow or disappointment about something past
- même
- Even or same, emphasizing a point
- recherche
- Research or investigation into a subject
- critique
- Critical analysis or scholarly examination
- devait
- Imperfect of 'devoir'; was supposed to
- prouver
- To prove or demonstrate something as true
- roi
- King or male monarch of a kingdom
- reste
- Rest or remainder of something
- histoire
- Story or history of events
- historiques
- Historical or relating to real past events
- réduire
- To reduce or diminish something in status
- condition
- State or circumstance of a person or thing
- fantomatique
- Ghostly or phantom-like in nature
- mythe
- Myth or legendary story without historical basis
- solaire
- Relating to the sun or solar phenomena
- raconte
- Tells or narrates a story or account
- désenchanté
- Disillusioned or disappointed by life's experiences
- vie
- Life or existence of a living being
- diverses
- Various or several different kinds of things
- mésaventures
- Misadventures or unfortunate experiences encountered
- domestiques
- Domestic or relating to home and household life
- retira
- Withdrew or retreated to a quieter place
- tumulte
- Tumult or noisy disorder of a crowd
- retraite
- Retreat or withdrawal to a quiet place
- isolée
- Isolated or separated from others and society
- rives
- Banks or shores of a river or lake
- trompa
- Deceived or distracted; past tense of tromper
- solitude
- State of being alone or isolated from others
- étude
- Study or careful examination of a subject
- nature
- The natural world and its phenomena
- multiples
- Multiple or numerous in quantity or variety
- merveilles
- Marvels or wonders that astonish the observer
- monde
- World or the totality of people and things
- vivant
- Living or alive; pertaining to living things
- exerçaient
- Exerted or exercised influence on something
- attraction
- Attraction or pull toward something appealing
- particulière
- Particular or special in a specific sense
- solitaire
- Solitary person who lives apart from society
- studieux
- Studious or devoted to diligent learning and study
- observation
- Act of carefully watching and noting phenomena
- incessante
- Incessant or unceasing, without pause or stop
- patiente
- Patient or showing calm endurance over time
- plantes
- Plants or vegetation found in nature
- animaux
- Animals or living creatures of the fauna
- entouraient
- Surrounded or encircled someone or something
- aiguisa
- Sharpened or honed a skill or faculty
- facultés
- Faculties or mental powers and abilities
- naturellement
- Naturally or in a natural manner without effort
- raisonnement
- Reasoning or logical thought process
- acquît
- Subjunctive past of 'acquérir'; acquired or obtained
- enfin
- Finally or at last after a long time
- sagacité
- Sagacity or keen mental discernment and judgment
- permit
- Allowed or made possible for someone to do
- percevoir
- To perceive or notice something with the senses
- innombrables
- Innumerable or too many to count
- différences
- Differences or distinctions between two or more things
- infimes
- Infinitesimal or extremely small and insignificant
- objets
- Objects or things that can be perceived
- yeux
- Eyes, the organs used for seeing
- exercés
- Trained or practiced, experienced through repeated use
- paraissaient
- Appeared or seemed in a certain way
- absolument
- Absolutely or completely without any exception
- semblables
- Similar or alike in appearance or nature
- aurait
- Conditional of 'avoir'; would have
- attendre
- To wait or expect something to happen
- élargissement
- Widening or broadening of knowledge or perspective
- esprit
- Mind, spirit, or wit of a person
- fonds
- Fund or stock of knowledge or resources
- connaissances
- Knowledge or acquaintances acquired through experience
- naturelles
- Natural or pertaining to nature (feminine plural)
- pût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'pouvoir'; could or might
- tendre
- To tend toward or contribute to something
- accroissement
- Growth or increase in size or quantity
- propre
- Own or proper; belonging specifically to someone
- homme
- Man or human being
- destiné
- Destined or fated to experience something
- éprouver
- To experience or feel something deeply
- vanité
- Vanity or futility; emptiness of hopes and efforts
- telles
- Such (feminine plural); of that kind or nature
- espérances
- Hopes or expectations for the future
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