Second Treatise of Government — Page 4

English → Fr Preface Level 9/10

I should not speak so plainly of a gentleman, long since past answering, had not the pulpit, of late years, publicly owned his doctrine, and made it the current divinity of the times.

Je ne devrais pas parler aussi franchement d'un gentilhomme, depuis longtemps hors d'état de répondre, si la chaire, ces dernières années, n'avait pas publiquement adopté sa doctrine et n'en avait pas fait la théologie dominante de l'époque.

It is necessary those men, who taking on them to be teachers, have so dangerously misled others, should be openly shewed of what authority this their Patriarch is, whom they have so blindly followed, that so they may either retract what upon so ill grounds they have vented, and cannot be maintained; or else justify those principles which they preached up for gospel; though they had no better an author than an English courtier:

Il est nécessaire que ces hommes, qui se sont chargés d'être des maîtres et ont si dangereusement égaré les autres, soient ouvertement informés de quelle autorité est ce Patriarche qu'ils ont suivi si aveuglément, afin qu'ils puissent soit rétracter ce qu'ils ont avancé sur des bases si mauvaises et qui ne peut être soutenu, soit justifier ces principes qu'ils ont prêchés comme étant l'Évangile, bien qu'ils n'aient eu pour auteur rien de mieux qu'un courtisan anglais :

for I should not have writ against Sir Robert, or taken the pains to shew his mistakes, inconsistencies, and want of (what he so much boasts of, and pretends wholly to build on) scripture-proofs, were there not men amongst us, who, by crying up his books, and espousing his doctrine, save me from the reproach of writing against a dead adversary.

car je n'aurais pas écrit contre Sir Robert, ni pris la peine de montrer ses erreurs, ses contradictions et le manque de (ce dont il se vante tant et prétend s'appuyer entièrement) preuves scripturaires, s'il n'y avait pas parmi nous des hommes qui, en vantant ses livres et en épousant sa doctrine, me sauvent du reproche d'écrire contre un adversaire mort.

They have been so zealous in this point, that, if I have done him any wrong, I cannot hope they should spare me.

Ils ont été si zélés sur ce point que, si je lui ai fait quelque tort, je ne puis espérer qu'ils m'épargnent.

I wish, where they have done the truth and the public wrong, they would be as ready to redress it, and allow its just weight to this reflection, viz.

Je souhaite que, là où ils ont fait tort à la vérité et au public, ils soient aussi prêts à y remédier et à accorder son juste poids à cette réflexion, à savoir.

Vocabulary

Je: zhuh — First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
ne: nuh — Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs
devrais: duh-vreh — Should; conditional form of 'devoir'
pas: pah — Not; negative particle used with 'ne'
parler: par-lay — To speak or talk
aussi: oh-see — Also, too, or as (in comparisons)
franchement: fronsh-mohn — Frankly, openly, or honestly
d: duh — Contracted form of 'de' meaning 'of' or 'from'
un: uhn — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
gentilhomme: zhohn-tee-yom — A gentleman or nobleman of high social standing
depuis: duh-pwee — Since or for (referring to time duration)
longtemps: lohn-tohn — For a long time
hors: or — Outside of or beyond
état: ay-tah — State, condition, or status
de: duh — Of, from, or about; common preposition
répondre: ray-pohn-druh — To respond or answer
si: see — If, or so (intensifier)
la: lah — Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'
chaire: shehr — Pulpit or academic chair or lectern
ces: say — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'
dernières: dehr-nyehr — Last or most recent (feminine plural form)
années: ah-nay — Years (plural)
n: nuh — Contracted negative particle used before vowels
avait: ah-veh — Had; third person singular imperfect of 'avoir'
publiquement: poo-bleek-mohn — Publicly, openly, in front of everyone
adopté: ah-dop-tay — Adopted or taken up (a belief or doctrine)
sa: sah — His or her (feminine singular possessive adjective)
doctrine: dok-treen — A set of beliefs or teachings
et: ay — And; coordinating conjunction
en: ohn — In, on, or as; versatile preposition or pronoun
fait: feh — Fact, or done; past participle of 'faire'
théologie: tay-oh-loh-zhee — Theology; the study of religion and God
dominante: doh-mee-nahnt — Dominant or prevailing (feminine form)
l: luh/lah — Contracted definite article meaning 'the'
époque: ay-pok — Era, period, or time in history
Il: eel — He or it; third person masculine singular pronoun
est: eh — Is; third person singular of 'être'
nécessaire: nay-seh-sehr — Necessary or essential
que: kuh — That, which, or what; subordinating conjunction
hommes: om — Men or humans (plural)
qui: kee — Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun
se: suh — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'themselves'
sont: sohn — Are; third person plural of 'être'
chargés: shar-zhay — Charged with or tasked with (a responsibility)
être: eh-truh — To be; fundamental linking and auxiliary verb
des: day — Some; plural indefinite article or contraction
maîtres: meh-truh — Masters or teachers (plural)
ont: ohn — Have; third person plural of 'avoir'
dangereusement: dohn-zhuh-rooz-mohn — Dangerously, in a hazardous manner
égaré: ay-gah-ray — Led astray or misled
les: lay — The; definite plural article
autres: oh-truh — Others or the other ones
soient: swah — Be; third person plural present subjunctive of 'être'
ouvertement: oo-vehr-tuh-mohn — Openly, publicly, without concealment
informés: an-for-may — Informed or notified (past participle, masculine plural)
quelle: kehl — Which or what (feminine interrogative adjective)
autorité: oh-toh-ree-tay — Authority, power, or official standing
ce: suh — This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
Patriarche: pah-tree-ark — Patriarch; a revered founding or leading figure
qu: kuh — Contracted form of 'que' before a vowel
ils: eel — They; third person masculine plural pronoun
suivi: swee-vee — Followed; past participle of 'suivre'
aveuglément: ah-vuh-gluh-mohn — Blindly, without critical thinking or awareness
afin: ah-fan — So that or in order to (used with 'que' or 'de')
puissent: pwees — Can or may; present subjunctive of 'pouvoir'
soit: swah — Either, or be; subjunctive form of 'être'
rétracter: ray-trak-tay — To retract or take back a statement
avancé: ah-vohn-say — Advanced or put forward (an argument or position)
sur: soor — On or upon; common preposition of position
bases: bahz — Bases or foundations (plural)
mauvaises: moh-vehz — Bad or wrong (feminine plural adjective)
peut: puh — Can or may; third person singular of 'pouvoir'
soutenu: soo-tuh-noo — Sustained or supported; past participle of 'soutenir'
justifier: zhoo-stee-fyay — To justify or defend with reasons
principes: pran-seep — Principles or fundamental rules (plural)
prêchés: pray-shay — Preached; past participle of 'prêcher'
comme: kom — As, like, or how; comparison conjunction
étant: ay-tohn — Being; present participle of 'être'
Évangile: ay-vohn-zheel — Gospel; the Christian scripture or good news
bien: byan — Well, good, or indeed; common adverb
aient: ay — Have; third person plural present subjunctive of 'avoir'
eu: oo — Had; past participle of 'avoir'
pour: poor — For, in order to; common preposition
auteur: oh-tuhr — Author or originator of a work or idea
rien: ryan — Nothing or anything; negative pronoun
mieux: myuh — Better; comparative adverb of 'bien'
courtisan: koor-tee-zohn — Courtier; someone who flatters those in power
anglais: ohn-gleh — English; relating to England or its language
car: kar — For or because; causal conjunction
je: zhuh — I; first person singular subject pronoun
aurais: oh-reh — Would have; conditional form of 'avoir'
écrit: ay-kree — Written; past participle of 'écrire'
contre: kohn-truh — Against or contrary to
ni: nee — Nor or neither; negative conjunction
pris: pree — Taken; past participle of 'prendre'
peine: pehn — Effort, trouble, or pain
montrer: mohn-tray — To show or demonstrate
ses: say — His, her, or its (plural possessive adjective)
erreurs: eh-ruhr — Errors or mistakes (plural)
contradictions: kohn-trah-dik-syohn — Contradictions; statements that conflict with each other
le: luh — The; definite masculine singular article
manque: mahnk — Lack or absence of something
dont: dohn — Whose, of which, about which; relative pronoun
il: eel — He or it; third person masculine singular pronoun
vante: vahnt — Boasts or brags; third person singular of 'vanter'
tant: tohn — So much, so many, as much
prétend: pray-tohn — Claims or pretends; third person singular of 'prétendre'
s: suh — Contracted reflexive pronoun before a vowel
appuyer: ah-pwee-yay — To support, lean on, or back up
entièrement: ohn-tyehr-mohn — Entirely, completely, or wholly
preuves: pruhv — Proofs or pieces of evidence (plural)
scripturaires: skrip-too-rehr — Scriptural; relating to religious scripture
y: ee — There or at it; adverbial pronoun of place
parmi: par-mee — Among or amidst a group
nous: noo — We or us; first person plural pronoun
vantant: vohn-tohn — Boasting or praising; present participle of 'vanter'
livres: lee-vruh — Books (plural) or pounds (currency/weight)
épousant: ay-poo-zohn — Embracing or adopting (an idea); present participle
me: muh — Me; first person singular object pronoun
sauvent: sohv — Save or rescue; third person plural of 'sauver'
du: doo — Of the; contraction of 'de' and 'le'
reproche: ruh-prosh — Reproach or blame directed at someone
écrire: ay-kreer — To write
adversaire: ad-vehr-sehr — Adversary or opponent
mort: mor — Dead or death
Ils: eel — They; third person masculine plural subject pronoun
été: ay-tay — Been; past participle of 'être'
zélés: zay-lay — Zealous or enthusiastic (masculine plural adjective)
point: pwahn — Not at all; or a point or dot
lui: lwee — Him, her, or to him/her; personal pronoun
ai: ay — Have; first person singular of 'avoir'
quelque: kehl-kuh — Some or any; indefinite adjective
tort: tor — Wrong or fault; être en tort means to be wrong
puis: pwee — Then or can; first person singular of 'pouvoir'
espérer: ehs-pay-ray — To hope or expect
m: muh — Contracted first person object pronoun before vowel
épargnent: ay-par-nyuh — Spare or save; third person plural of 'épargner'
souhaite: soo-eht — Wish or desire; first/third person singular of 'souhaiter'
là: lah — There; adverb of place or emphasis
où: oo — Where or when; relative or interrogative adverb
à: ah — To, at, or in; fundamental preposition
vérité: vay-ree-tay — Truth or reality
au: oh — To the or at the; contraction of 'à' and 'le'
public: poo-bleek — The public or audience; people in general
prêts: preh — Ready or prepared (masculine plural adjective)
remédier: ruh-may-dyay — To remedy or correct a problem
accorder: ah-kor-day — To grant, give, or accord something to someone
son: sohn — His, her, or its (masculine singular possessive adjective)
juste: zhoos — Just, fair, or correct
poids: pwah — Weight or importance
cette: seht — This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
réflexion: ray-flek-syohn — Reflection or thoughtful consideration
savoir: sah-vwar — To know or knowledge itself

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