Second Treatise of Government — Page 5

English → Spanish Preface Level 9/10

that there cannot be done a greater mischief to prince and people, than the propagating wrong notions concerning government; that so at last all times might not have reason to complain of the Drum Ecclesiastic.

que no puede hacerse un daño mayor al príncipe y al pueblo, que el propagar nociones erróneas sobre el gobierno; para que así, al fin, todas las épocas no tuvieran razón de quejarse del Tambor Eclesiástico.

If any one, concerned really for truth, undertake the confutation of my Hypothesis, I promise him either to recant my mistake, upon fair conviction; or to answer his difficulties.

Si alguien, verdaderamente interesado en la verdad, emprendiera la refutación de mi Hipótesis, le prometo o bien retractarme de mi error, ante una convicción justa; o bien responder a sus dificultades.

But he must remember two things.

Pero debe recordar dos cosas.

First, That cavilling here and there, at some expression, or little incident of my discourse, is not an answer to my book.

Primero, que el poner reparos aquí y allá, a alguna expresión, o pequeño incidente de mi discurso, no constituye una respuesta a mi libro.

Secondly, That I shall not take railing for arguments, nor think either of these worth my notice, though I shall always look on myself as bound to give satisfaction to any one, who shall appear to be conscientiously scrupulous in the point, and shall shew any just grounds for his scruples.

Segundo, que no tomaré los insultos por argumentos, ni consideraré que ninguno de estos merezca mi atención, aunque siempre me consideraré obligado a dar satisfacción a cualquiera que parezca ser concienzudamente escrupuloso en el asunto, y que muestre fundamentos justos para sus escrúpulos.

I have nothing more, but to advertise the reader, that Observations stands for Observations on Hobbs, Milton, &c. and that a bare quotation of pages always means pages of his Patriarcha, Edition 1680.

No tengo nada más que advertir al lector, que Observaciones significa Observaciones sobre Hobbs, Milton, etc., y que una simple cita de páginas siempre hace referencia a las páginas de su Patriarcha, Edición 1680.

Vocabulary

puede: Third-person singular of 'poder'; means 'can' or 'is able to'.
hacerse: Reflexive verb meaning 'to be done' or 'to become'.
daño: Noun meaning 'harm', 'damage', or 'injury'.
mayor: Adjective meaning 'greater', 'larger', or 'older'.
príncipe: Noun meaning 'prince' or 'ruler'.
pueblo: Noun meaning 'people', 'town', or 'nation'.
propagar: Verb meaning 'to spread' or 'to propagate' ideas or information.
nociones: Noun meaning 'notions', 'ideas', or 'basic concepts'.
erróneas: Adjective meaning 'erroneous', 'mistaken', or 'incorrect'.
gobierno: Noun meaning 'government' or 'governing body'.
así: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
fin: Noun meaning 'end', 'purpose', or 'goal'.
épocas: Noun meaning 'eras', 'ages', or 'periods of time'.
tuvieran: Past subjunctive of 'tener'; meaning 'they had' (hypothetically).
razón: Noun meaning 'reason', 'rationale', or 'right'.
quejarse: Reflexive verb meaning 'to complain' or 'to protest'.
Tambor: Noun meaning 'drum'; here used as a proper title or name.
Eclesiástico: Adjective meaning 'ecclesiastical', relating to the church.
alguien: Pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'anybody'.
verdaderamente: Adverb meaning 'truly', 'genuinely', or 'really'.
interesado: Adjective meaning 'interested' or 'concerned' in something.
verdad: Noun meaning 'truth' or 'reality'.
emprendiera: Past subjunctive of 'emprender'; meaning 'were to undertake'.
refutación: Noun meaning 'refutation' or 'disproof' of an argument.
Hipótesis: Noun meaning 'hypothesis' or 'theoretical proposition'.
prometo: First-person singular of 'prometer'; meaning 'I promise'.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well' or 'good'; also used in 'o bien' (or else).
retractarme: Reflexive verb meaning 'to retract' or 'to take back' a statement.
error: Noun meaning 'error' or 'mistake'.
ante: Preposition meaning 'before', 'in front of', or 'faced with'.
convicción: Noun meaning 'conviction' or 'firmly held belief'.
justa: Adjective meaning 'just', 'fair', or 'righteous' (feminine).
responder: Verb meaning 'to respond' or 'to answer'.
dificultades: Noun meaning 'difficulties', 'challenges', or 'objections'.
debe: Third-person singular of 'deber'; meaning 'must' or 'should'.
recordar: Verb meaning 'to remember' or 'to recall'.
cosas: Noun meaning 'things' or 'matters'.
Primero: Adverb or adjective meaning 'first' or 'firstly'.
poner: Verb meaning 'to put', 'to place', or 'to set'.
reparos: Noun meaning 'objections', 'reservations', or 'qualms'.
aquí: Adverb meaning 'here', indicating a nearby place.
allá: Adverb meaning 'there' or 'over there', indicating distance.
alguna: Adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' (feminine singular).
expresión: Noun meaning 'expression', 'phrase', or 'wording'.
pequeño: Adjective meaning 'small', 'little', or 'minor'.
incidente: Noun meaning 'incident', 'occurrence', or 'minor event'.
discurso: Noun meaning 'discourse', 'speech', or 'argument'.
constituye: Third-person singular of 'constituir'; means 'constitutes' or 'forms'.
respuesta: Noun meaning 'answer', 'reply', or 'response'.
libro: Noun meaning 'book' or 'written work'.
Segundo: Adjective or adverb meaning 'second' or 'secondly'.
tomaré: Future tense of 'tomar'; meaning 'I will take'.
insultos: Noun meaning 'insults' or 'offensive remarks'.
argumentos: Noun meaning 'arguments' or 'lines of reasoning'.
ni: Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither', used in negation.
consideraré: Future tense of 'considerar'; meaning 'I will consider'.
ninguno: Pronoun meaning 'none', 'no one', or 'not any'.
merezca: Present subjunctive of 'merecer'; meaning 'deserves' or 'merits'.
atención: Noun meaning 'attention' or 'notice'.
aunque: Conjunction meaning 'although', 'even though', or 'even if'.
siempre: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'at all times'.
obligado: Adjective meaning 'obliged', 'compelled', or 'required'.
dar: Verb meaning 'to give' or 'to provide'.
satisfacción: Noun meaning 'satisfaction' or 'fulfillment of a requirement'.
cualquiera: Pronoun meaning 'anyone', 'whoever', or 'whichever'.
parezca: Present subjunctive of 'parecer'; meaning 'seems' or 'appears'.
ser: Infinitive verb meaning 'to be' (permanent or essential state).
concienzudamente: Adverb meaning 'conscientiously' or 'thoroughly and carefully'.
escrupuloso: Adjective meaning 'scrupulous', 'meticulous', or 'careful'.
asunto: Noun meaning 'matter', 'issue', or 'subject'.
muestre: Present subjunctive of 'mostrar'; meaning 'shows' or 'demonstrates'.
fundamentos: Noun meaning 'foundations', 'grounds', or 'basic principles'.
justos: Adjective meaning 'just', 'fair', or 'well-founded' (plural).
escrúpulos: Noun meaning 'scruples', 'moral doubts', or 'reservations'.
tengo: First-person singular of 'tener'; meaning 'I have'.
nada: Pronoun meaning 'nothing' or 'not anything'.
advertir: Verb meaning 'to warn', 'to advise', or 'to notify'.
lector: Noun meaning 'reader' or 'person who reads'.
Observaciones: Noun meaning 'observations', 'remarks', or 'notes'.
significa: Third-person singular of 'significar'; meaning 'means' or 'signifies'.
simple: Adjective meaning 'simple', 'plain', or 'mere'.
cita: Noun meaning 'citation', 'quote', or 'reference'.
páginas: Noun meaning 'pages' of a book or document.
hace: Third-person singular of 'hacer'; meaning 'makes' or 'does'.
referencia: Noun meaning 'reference' or 'allusion' to something.
Edición: Noun meaning 'edition' or 'published version' of a text.

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