The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 15
On the other hand, should he yield to the transports of gratitude or affection, which is always apt to exaggerate, and produce no more than the genuine effusions of his heart, the world will make no allowance for the warmth of his passion, but ascribe the praise he bestows to interested views and sordid adulation.
D'un autre côté, s'il cède aux élans de la gratitude ou de l'affection, qui sont toujours enclins à exagérer, et ne produit rien de plus que les véritables épanchements de son cœur, le monde ne tiendra aucun compte de la chaleur de sa passion, mais attribuera les louanges qu'il prodigue à des vues intéressées et à une adulation sordide.
Sometimes too, dazzled by the tinsel of a character which he has no opportunity to investigate, he pours forth the homage of his admiration upon some false Maecenas, whose future conduct gives the lie to his eulogium, and involves him in shame and confusion of face.
Parfois aussi, ébloui par le clinquant d'un personnage qu'il n'a pas eu l'occasion d'examiner, il répand l'hommage de son admiration sur quelque faux Mécène, dont la conduite future dément son éloge et le plonge dans la honte et la confusion.
Such was the fate of a late ingenious author [the Author of the "Seasons"], who was so often put to the blush for the undeserved incense he had offered in the heat of an enthusiastic disposition, misled by popular applause, that he had resolved to retract, in his last will, all the encomiums which he had thus prematurely bestowed, and stigmatise the unworthy by name—a laudable scheme of poetical justice, the execution of which was fatally prevented by untimely death.
Tel fut le sort d'un ingénieux auteur récemment disparu [l'auteur des « Saisons »], qui fut si souvent mis dans l'embarras pour l'encens immérité qu'il avait offert dans l'ardeur d'un tempérament enthousiaste, égaré par les applaudissements populaires, qu'il avait résolu de rétracter, dans son testament, tous les éloges qu'il avait ainsi prématurément prodigués, et de stigmatiser les indignes par leur nom — un louable projet de justice poétique, dont l'exécution fut fatalement empêchée par une mort prématurée.
Whatever may have been the fate of other dedicators, I, for my own part, sit down to write this address, without any apprehension of disgrace or disappointment; because I know you are too well convinced of my affection and sincerity to repine at what I shall say touching your character and conduct.
Quelle qu'ait pu être la destinée d'autres dédicateurs, je m'assieds pour ma part afin d'écrire cette adresse sans aucune crainte de déshonneur ou de déception ; car je sais que vous êtes trop bien convaincu de mon affection et de ma sincérité pour vous plaindre de ce que je dirai touchant votre caractère et votre conduite.
Vocabulary
- un
- A, an; one (indefinite article or number)
- autre
- Other, another, different
- côté
- Side, beside; direction or aspect
- il
- He, it (masculine singular subject pronoun)
- cède
- Yields, gives way, surrenders to something
- aux
- To the (contraction of à + les)
- élans
- Bursts, impulses, surges of feeling or energy
- de
- Of, from, about (preposition)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- gratitude
- Gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation for kindness
- ou
- Or (conjunction presenting alternatives)
- affection
- Affection, fondness, emotional attachment to someone
- qui
- Who, which, that (relative pronoun)
- sont
- Are (present tense of être)
- toujours
- Always, ever, still, constantly
- enclins
- Inclined, prone, disposed to do something
- exagérer
- Exaggerate, overstate, magnify beyond truth
- et
- And (conjunction)
- ne
- Not (negative particle)
- produit
- Produces, yields, creates, results in
- rien
- Nothing, not anything, naught
- plus
- More, plus; no longer (with ne)
- que
- Than, that, which (conjunction/relative pronoun)
- les
- The (plural definite article)
- véritables
- True, real, genuine, authentic, actual
- son
- His, her, its (masculine singular possessive)
- cœur
- Heart; emotion, feeling, center, core
- le
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- monde
- World, people, society, everyone
- tiendra
- Will hold, will keep, will maintain
- aucun
- Any, none, not one, no (negative)
- compte
- Account, count, reckoning, importance
- chaleur
- Heat, warmth, passion, fervor, ardor
- sa
- His, her, its (feminine singular possessive)
- passion
- Passion, strong emotion, intense enthusiasm
- mais
- But, however (conjunction)
- attribuera
- Will attribute, will assign, will credit
- qu
- That (relative pronoun, apocopated form)
- des
- Of the, some (contraction of de+les)
- vues
- Views, opinions, intentions, perspectives
- Parfois
- Sometimes, occasionally, at times
- aussi
- Also, too, as well, besides
- par
- By, by means of, through (preposition)
- personnage
- Character, person, personage, figure
- pas
- Not, no (negation); step (noun)
- eu
- Had (past participle of avoir)
- occasion
- Occasion, opportunity, chance, circumstance
- examiner
- Examine, inspect, study, investigate closely
- répand
- Spreads, scatters, distributes, disseminates
- hommage
- Homage, tribute, respect, acknowledgment
- admiration
- Admiration, wonder, esteem, respect
- sur
- On, upon, over, about (preposition)
- quelque
- Some, any, a certain, a few
- faux
- False, fake, counterfeit, wrong, untrue
- dont
- Of which, whose, of whom (relative)
- conduite
- Conduct, behavior, driving, management
- future
- Future, coming, next (feminine adjective)
- éloge
- Praise, eulogy, commendation, compliment
- plonge
- Plunges, dives, immerses, sinks into
- dans
- In, into, within, during (preposition)
- honte
- Shame, disgrace, embarrassment, humiliation
- confusion
- Confusion, disorder, embarrassment, bewilderment
- Tel
- Such, like, similar (demonstrative adjective)
- fut
- Was (past tense of être)
- sort
- Fate, lot, destiny, fortune, outcome
- ingénieux
- Ingenious, clever, inventive, resourceful
- auteur
- Author, writer, creator, originator
- récemment
- Recently, lately, not long ago
- disparu
- Disappeared, vanished, deceased, gone
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