Second Treatise of Government — Page 6
But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of licence: though man in that state have an uncontroulable liberty to dispose of his person or possessions, yet he has not liberty to destroy himself, or so much as any creature in his possession, but where some nobler use than its bare preservation calls for it.
Pero aunque este sea un estado de libertad, no es sin embargo un estado de licencia: aunque el hombre en ese estado tenga una libertad incontrolable para disponer de su persona o sus posesiones, no tiene sin embargo libertad para destruirse a sí mismo, ni tampoco a criatura alguna que esté en su poder, salvo cuando algún uso más noble que su mera preservación así lo requiera.
The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions: for men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent, and infinitely wise maker; all the servants of one sovereign master, sent into the world by his order, and about his business; they are his property, whose workmanship they are, made to last during his, not one another's pleasure: and being furnished with like faculties, sharing all in one community of nature, there cannot be supposed any such subordination among us, that may authorize us to destroy one another, as if we were made for one another's uses, as the inferior ranks of creatures are for our's.
El estado de naturaleza tiene una ley de naturaleza que lo gobierna, la cual obliga a todos: y la razón, que es esa ley, enseña a toda la humanidad, a quien quiera consultarla, que siendo todos iguales e independientes, nadie debe dañar a otro en su vida, salud, libertad o posesiones: pues siendo los hombres todos obra de un hacedor omnipotente e infinitamente sabio; todos siervos de un mismo soberano señor, enviados al mundo por su mandato y para cumplir sus designios; son propiedad suya, cuya obra son, hechos para perdurar según su voluntad, y no según el placer de los unos sobre los otros: y estando dotados de facultades semejantes, participando todos de una misma comunidad de naturaleza, no puede suponerse entre nosotros subordinación alguna que nos autorice a destruirnos mutuamente, como si hubiéramos sido hechos para el uso de los unos por los otros, tal como los rangos inferiores de criaturas lo son para el nuestro.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- Conjunction used to introduce a contrasting idea.
- aunque
- Conjunction meaning 'even though' or 'although'.
- este
- Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this'.
- sea
- Subjunctive form of 'ser', meaning 'be' or 'is'.
- estado
- Noun meaning 'state' or 'condition' of something.
- libertad
- Noun meaning 'freedom' or 'liberty'.
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo', meaning 'nevertheless' or 'however'.
- licencia
- Noun meaning 'license', 'permit', or 'licence'.
- hombre
- Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being'.
- ese
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (near listener).
- tenga
- Subjunctive form of 'tener', meaning 'have'.
- incontrolable
- Adjective meaning 'uncontrollable' or 'unrestrained'.
- disponer
- Verb meaning 'to dispose of' or 'to arrange'.
- persona
- Noun meaning 'person' or 'individual'.
- posesiones
- Noun meaning 'possessions' or 'belongings'.
- destruirse
- Reflexive verb meaning 'to destroy oneself'.
- sí
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', 'itself'.
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'himself/herself'.
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'neither' or 'nor'.
- tampoco
- Adverb meaning 'neither' or 'not either'.
- criatura
- Noun meaning 'creature' or 'living being'.
- alguna
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'any' or 'some' (feminine).
- esté
- Subjunctive form of 'estar', meaning 'be' (state/location).
- poder
- Noun meaning 'power'; verb meaning 'to be able'.
- salvo
- Preposition or adjective meaning 'except' or 'safe'.
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
- algún
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any'.
- uso
- Noun meaning 'use' or 'usage'.
- noble
- Adjective meaning 'noble' or 'distinguished'.
- mera
- Adjective meaning 'mere' or 'simple' (feminine).
- preservación
- Noun meaning 'preservation' or 'conservation'.
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- requiera
- Subjunctive form of 'requerir', meaning 'require'.
- naturaleza
- Noun meaning 'nature' or 'natural world'.
- ley
- Noun meaning 'law' or 'rule'.
- gobierna
- Third-person singular of 'gobernar', meaning 'governs'.
- cual
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who'.
- obliga
- Third-person singular of 'obligar', meaning 'obliges'.
- todos
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everyone'.
- razón
- Noun meaning 'reason' or 'rationality'.
- esa
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (feminine).
- enseña
- Third-person singular of 'enseñar', meaning 'teaches'.
- toda
- Adjective meaning 'all' or 'every' (feminine).
- humanidad
- Noun meaning 'humanity' or 'humankind'.
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whoever'.
- quiera
- Subjunctive of 'querer', meaning 'want' or 'wish'.
- consultarla
- Infinitive with pronoun: 'to consult it'.
- siendo
- Gerund of 'ser', meaning 'being'.
- iguales
- Adjective meaning 'equal' (plural).
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and' (used before 'i-' sounds).
- independientes
- Adjective meaning 'independent' (plural).
- nadie
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nobody' or 'no one'.
- debe
- Third-person singular of 'deber', meaning 'must' or 'should'.
- dañar
- Verb meaning 'to harm' or 'to damage'.
- otro
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'another' or 'other'.
- vida
- Noun meaning 'life'.
- salud
- Noun meaning 'health'.
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'since', 'because', or 'well'.
- hombres
- Noun meaning 'men' or 'human beings' (plural).
- obra
- Noun meaning 'work' or 'creation'.
- hacedor
- Noun meaning 'maker' or 'creator'.
- omnipotente
- Adjective meaning 'omnipotent' or 'all-powerful'.
- infinitamente
- Adverb meaning 'infinitely' or 'endlessly'.
- sabio
- Adjective or noun meaning 'wise' or 'wise person'.
- siervos
- Noun meaning 'servants' or 'serfs' (plural).
- soberano
- Adjective or noun meaning 'sovereign' or 'supreme'.
- señor
- Noun meaning 'lord', 'sir', or 'master'.
- enviados
- Past participle of 'enviar', meaning 'sent'.
- mundo
- Noun meaning 'world'.
- mandato
- Noun meaning 'mandate', 'command', or 'order'.
- cumplir
- Verb meaning 'to fulfill' or 'to carry out'.
- designios
- Noun meaning 'designs', 'plans', or 'intentions'.
- propiedad
- Noun meaning 'property' or 'ownership'.
- suya
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his', 'hers', or 'theirs'.
- cuya
- Relative possessive pronoun meaning 'whose' (feminine).
- hechos
- Noun or past participle meaning 'facts' or 'made'.
- perdurar
- Verb meaning 'to last' or 'to endure over time'.
- según
- Preposition meaning 'according to' or 'depending on'.
- voluntad
- Noun meaning 'will' or 'desire'.
- placer
- Noun meaning 'pleasure' or verb 'to please'.
- unos
- Indefinite article meaning 'some' (masculine plural).
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'over', or 'about'.
- otros
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'others' (plural).
- estando
- Gerund of 'estar', meaning 'being' (state/location).
- dotados
- Past participle of 'dotar', meaning 'endowed' or 'gifted'.
- facultades
- Noun meaning 'faculties', 'abilities', or 'powers'.
- semejantes
- Adjective meaning 'similar' or 'fellow' (plural).
- participando
- Gerund of 'participar', meaning 'participating' or 'sharing'.
- misma
- Adjective meaning 'same' (feminine).
- comunidad
- Noun meaning 'community' or 'group'.
- suponerse
- Reflexive verb meaning 'to be supposed' or 'assumed'.
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'.
- subordinación
- Noun meaning 'subordination' or 'subjugation'.
- autorice
- Subjunctive of 'autorizar', meaning 'authorize' or 'permit'.
- destruirnos
- Infinitive with pronoun meaning 'to destroy ourselves'.
- mutuamente
- Adverb meaning 'mutually' or 'each other'.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'.
- hubiéramos
- Past subjunctive of 'haber', meaning 'we had'.
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser', meaning 'been'.
- tal
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'such' or 'such a'.
- rangos
- Noun meaning 'ranks' or 'levels' (plural).
- inferiores
- Adjective meaning 'inferior' or 'lower' (plural).
- criaturas
- Noun meaning 'creatures' or 'beings' (plural).
- nuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' or 'ours'.
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