Second Treatise of Government — Page 7

English → Fr Book II Level 9/10

Every one, as he is bound to preserve himself, and not to quit his station wilfully, so by the like reason, when his own preservation comes not in competition, ought he, as much as he can, to preserve the rest of mankind, and may not, unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods of another.

Chacun, étant tenu de se conserver lui-même et de ne pas quitter volontairement son poste, doit, par la même raison, lorsque sa propre conservation n'entre pas en concurrence, préserver autant qu'il le peut le reste de l'humanité, et ne peut, à moins que ce ne soit pour rendre justice à un offenseur, ôter ou compromettre la vie, ou ce qui tend à la préservation de la vie, la liberté, la santé, les membres ou les biens d'autrui.

Sect. 7. And that all men may be restrained from invading others rights, and from doing hurt to one another, and the law of nature be observed, which willeth the peace and preservation of all mankind, the execution of the law of nature is, in that state, put into every man's hands, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such a degree, as may hinder its violation: for the law of nature would, as all other laws that concern men in this world be in vain, if there were no body that in the state of nature had a power to execute that law, and thereby preserve the innocent and restrain offenders.

Sect. 7. Et afin que tous les hommes soient retenus d'empiéter sur les droits d'autrui et de se faire du mal les uns aux autres, et que la loi de nature soit observée, laquelle veut la paix et la préservation de toute l'humanité, l'exécution de la loi de nature est, dans cet état, mise entre les mains de chaque homme, par laquelle chacun a le droit de punir les transgresseurs de cette loi dans la mesure où cela peut empêcher sa violation : car la loi de nature serait, comme toutes les autres lois qui concernent les hommes en ce monde, vaine, s'il n'y avait personne qui, dans l'état de nature, eût le pouvoir d'exécuter cette loi, et par là de préserver les innocents et de réprimer les offenseurs.

Vocabulary

Chacun: sha-kun — Each one, every person individually
étant: ay-tahn — Being; present participle of être
tenu: tuh-nü — Obliged, bound, or required to do something
de: duh — Of, from; common preposition with many uses
se: suh — Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, oneself
conserver: kon-sehr-vay — To preserve, keep, or maintain something intact
lui-même: lwee-mem — Himself; emphatic reflexive pronoun for male subject
et: ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction joining elements
ne: nuh — Negative particle used with pas or other negation
pas: pah — Not; forms standard negation with ne
quitter: kee-tay — To leave, abandon, or vacate a place
volontairement: vo-lon-tehr-mahn — Voluntarily, willingly, of one's own accord
son: sohn — His, her, its; possessive adjective for singular noun
poste: post — Post, position, or assigned station of duty
doit: dwah — Must, has to; third-person singular of devoir
par: par — By, through; preposition indicating means or cause
la: lah — The; definite article for feminine singular nouns
même: mem — Same, even; used for emphasis or comparison
raison: ray-zohn — Reason, rationale, or logical justification for something
lorsque: lors-kuh — When; conjunction introducing a time clause
sa: sah — His, her, its; possessive adjective for feminine noun
propre: propr — Own, proper; emphasizes personal ownership or identity
conservation: kon-sehr-vah-syohn — Preservation, maintenance, or keeping of something safe
en: ahn — In, into; preposition or pronoun with varied uses
concurrence: kon-kü-rahns — Competition, conflict, or simultaneous occurrence of interests
préserver: pray-zehr-vay — To preserve, protect, or safeguard from harm
autant: oh-tahn — As much, as many; expresses equivalence of quantity
qu'il: keel — That he; contraction of que and il
le: luh — The; definite article for masculine singular nouns
peut: puh — Can, is able to; third-person singular of pouvoir
reste: rest — Rest, remainder; what remains of a group
l'humanité: lü-mah-nee-tay — Humanity, humankind; all human beings collectively
à: ah — To, at, in; versatile French preposition
moins: mwahn — Less, fewer; indicates reduction or exception
que: kuh — That, than, what; conjunction or relative pronoun
ce: suh — This, that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
soit: swah — Be; subjunctive form of être expressing possibility
pour: poor — For, in order to; preposition of purpose
rendre: rahn-druh — To render, give back, or make something
justice: zhüs-tees — Justice; fair treatment or administration of law
un: un — A, an; indefinite article or number one
offenseur: oh-fahn-sur — Offender, one who commits a wrong or transgression
ôter: oh-tay — To remove, take away, or strip from someone
ou: oo — Or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice
compromettre: kom-pro-metr — To compromise, jeopardize, or endanger something important
vie: vee — Life; existence of a living person or being
qui: kee — Who, which, that; relative or interrogative pronoun
tend: tahn — Tends, aims; third-person singular of tendre
préservation: pray-zehr-vah-syohn — Preservation, protection of life or rights
liberté: lee-behr-tay — Liberty, freedom; absence of constraint or oppression
santé: sahn-tay — Health; physical and mental well-being of a person
les: lay — The; definite article for plural nouns
membres: mahm-bruh — Members, limbs; parts of a body or group
biens: byahn — Goods, possessions, property belonging to someone
d'autrui: doh-trwee — Of others; referring to other people's possessions
Et: ay — And; coordinating conjunction joining sentences or clauses
afin: ah-fan — So that, in order that; expresses purpose
tous: too — All, every; masculine plural form of tout
hommes: om — Men, human beings; plural of homme
soient: swah — Be; subjunctive plural form of être
retenus: ruh-tuh-nü — Restrained, held back; past participle of retenir
d'empiéter: dahm-pyay-tay — To encroach, infringe upon another's rights or space
sur: sür — On, upon, over; common French preposition
droits: drwah — Rights, entitlements; plural of droit
faire: fehr — To do, to make; fundamental and versatile verb
du: dü — Of the, some; contraction of de and le
mal: mal — Harm, evil, pain; wrongdoing or suffering
uns: un — Ones, some; indefinite pronoun in plural form
aux: oh — To the, at the; contraction of à and les
autres: oh-truh — Others; other people or things besides oneself
loi: lwah — Law; rule established by authority or nature
nature: nah-tür — Nature; the natural world or inherent character
observée: ob-sehr-vay — Observed, respected; feminine past participle of observer
laquelle: lah-kel — Which; feminine relative or interrogative pronoun
veut: vuh — Wants, wills; third-person singular of vouloir
paix: peh — Peace; absence of conflict or state of harmony
toute: toot — All, entire; feminine singular form of tout
l'exécution: leg-zay-kü-syohn — Execution, enforcement; carrying out of a law or order
est: eh — Is; third-person singular present of être
dans: dahn — In, inside, within; preposition of location or time
cet: set — This; masculine demonstrative adjective before vowel
état: ay-tah — State, condition; also a political or natural state
mise: meez — Put, placed; feminine past participle of mettre
entre: ahn-truh — Between, among; preposition indicating position or relation
mains: man — Hands; plural of main, used in idioms often
chaque: shak — Each, every; adjective referring to individual members
homme: om — Man, human being; individual person
chacun: sha-kun — Each one, everyone; indefinite pronoun
a: ah — Has; third-person singular present of avoir
droit: drwah — Right, entitlement; legal or moral claim
punir: pü-neer — To punish, penalize someone for wrongdoing
transgresseurs: trahs-greh-sur — Transgressors, violators; those who break rules or laws
cette: set — This; feminine demonstrative adjective for singular noun
mesure: muh-zür — Measure, extent, degree; also a step or action
où: oo — Where, in which; relative or interrogative adverb
cela: suh-lah — That, this; demonstrative pronoun referring to something
empêcher: ahm-peh-shay — To prevent, hinder, or stop something from happening
violation: vyo-lah-syohn — Violation, breach; infringement of a law or right
car: kar — Because, for; conjunction giving a reason or explanation
serait: suh-reh — Would be; conditional form of être
comme: kom — Like, as, how; conjunction or preposition of comparison
toutes: toot — All; feminine plural form of tout
lois: lwah — Laws; plural of loi, legal rules or regulations
concernent: kon-sehrn — Concern, relate to; third-person plural of concerner
monde: mohnd — World; all people or the earth as a whole
vaine: ven — Vain, futile, useless; producing no result
s'il: seel — If he, if it; contraction of si and il
n'y: nee — There not; negated form with y pronoun
avait: ah-veh — Had; third-person singular imperfect of avoir
personne: pehr-son — Nobody, no one; negative indefinite pronoun
l'état: lay-tah — The state; political authority or governing body
pouvoir: poo-vwahr — Power, ability; also infinitive meaning to be able
d'exécuter: deg-zay-kü-tay — To execute, carry out; enforce a rule or action
là: lah — There; adverb indicating a location or emphasis
innocents: ee-no-sahn — Innocent people; those free from guilt or wrongdoing
réprimer: ray-pree-may — To repress, suppress, or restrain offenders or behavior
offenseurs: oh-fahn-sur — Offenders, wrongdoers; plural of offenseur

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →