The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 15
For we feared not our torments less; nor prayed we less to Thee to escape them.
Pois não temíamos menos os nossos tormentos; nem rezávamos menos a Ti para deles escapar.
And yet we sinned, in writing or reading or studying less than was exacted of us.
E contudo pecávamos, escrevendo ou lendo ou estudando menos do que nos era exigido.
For we wanted not, O Lord, memory or capacity, whereof Thy will gave enough for our age; but our sole delight was play; and for this we were punished by those who yet themselves were doing the like.
Pois não nos faltavam, ó Senhor, memória ou capacidade, das quais a Tua vontade nos dera o suficiente para a nossa idade; mas o nosso único prazer era o jogo; e por isso éramos punidos por aqueles que eles próprios faziam o mesmo.
But elder folks' idleness is called "business"; that of boys, being really the same, is punished by those elders; and none commiserates either boys or men.
Mas a ociosidade dos mais velhos é chamada de "negócio"; a dos rapazes, sendo realmente a mesma, é punida por esses mais velhos; e ninguém compadece nem os rapazes nem os homens.
For will any of sound discretion approve of my being beaten as a boy, because, by playing a ball, I made less progress in studies which I was to learn, only that, as a man, I might play more unbeseemingly?
Pois algum homem de são juízo aprovaria que eu fosse espancado em criança, porque, jogando à bola, avancei menos nos estudos que devia aprender, apenas para que, como homem, pudesse jogar de modo ainda mais indecoroso?
and what else did he who beat me? who, if worsted in some trifling discussion with his fellow-tutor, was more embittered and jealous than I when beaten at ball by a play-fellow?
e que outra coisa fazia aquele que me espancava? que, se saía derrotado em alguma discussão fútil com o seu colega preceptor, ficava mais amargurado e enciumado do que eu quando era vencido na bola por um companheiro de jogos?
And yet, I sinned herein, O Lord God, the Creator and Disposer of all things in nature, of sin the Disposer only, O Lord my God, I sinned in transgressing the commands of my parents and those of my masters.
E contudo, pequei nisso, ó Senhor Deus, Criador e Ordenador de todas as coisas na natureza, Ordenador apenas do pecado, ó Senhor meu Deus, pequei transgredindo os mandamentos dos meus pais e os dos meus mestres.
For what they, with whatever motive, would have me learn, I might afterwards have put to good use.
Pois aquilo que eles, com qualquer que fosse o motivo, queriam que eu aprendesse, poderia eu tê-lo depois aproveitado para bom uso.
Vocabulary
- Pois
- Because, since, for; causal or explanatory conjunction
- não
- No, not; basic negation word
- temíamos
- We feared; first person plural imperfect of temer
- menos
- Less, fewer; indicates reduction or lesser degree
- os
- The; masculine plural definite article
- nossos
- Our; masculine plural possessive pronoun
- tormentos
- Torments, sufferings; great physical or mental pains
- nem
- Nor, not even; negative conjunction linking clauses
- rezávamos
- We prayed; first person plural imperfect of rezar
- a
- To, at, the; preposition or feminine definite article
- Ti
- You; second person singular pronoun, formal or divine address
- para
- For, to, in order to; common Portuguese preposition
- deles
- From them, of them; third person plural possessive contraction
- escapar
- To escape, to flee from something or someone
- E
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- contudo
- Nevertheless, however; indicates contrast or contradiction
- pecávamos
- We sinned; first person plural imperfect of pecar
- escrevendo
- Writing; present participle of escrever
- ou
- Or; disjunctive coordinating conjunction
- lendo
- Reading; present participle of ler
- estudando
- Studying; present participle of estudar
- do
- Of the; contraction of de and o
- que
- That, which, what; relative or subordinating conjunction
- nos
- Us, to us; first person plural object pronoun
- era
- Was; third person singular imperfect of ser
- exigido
- Required, demanded; past participle of exigir
- faltavam
- Were lacking, were missing; third person plural imperfect of faltar
- ó
- O, oh; vocative exclamation used in address or prayer
- Senhor
- Lord, sir; title of respect or divine address
- memória
- Memory; faculty of retaining and recalling information
- capacidade
- Capacity, ability; power or skill to do something
- das
- Of the; contraction of de and as, feminine plural
- quais
- Which; plural relative or interrogative pronoun
- Tua
- Your; feminine singular possessive, formal or divine address
- vontade
- Will, desire; determination or wish to do something
- dera
- Had given; third person singular pluperfect of dar
- o
- The; masculine singular definite article
- suficiente
- Sufficient, enough; adequate for a particular purpose
- nossa
- Our; feminine singular possessive pronoun
- idade
- Age; length of time a person has lived
- mas
- But; adversative coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- nosso
- Our; masculine singular possessive pronoun
- único
- Sole, only, unique; one and nothing else
- prazer
- Pleasure, enjoyment; feeling of happiness or satisfaction
- jogo
- Game, play; activity done for fun or competition
- e
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- por
- For, by, through; common Portuguese preposition
- isso
- That, this; neutral demonstrative pronoun
- éramos
- We were; first person plural imperfect of ser
- punidos
- Punished; masculine plural past participle of punir
- aqueles
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- eles
- They, them; third person masculine plural pronoun
- próprios
- Themselves, own; emphatic or reflexive adjective
- faziam
- They did, they were doing; third person plural imperfect of fazer
- mesmo
- Same, even, itself; emphatic or equivalence adjective
- Mas
- But; adversative conjunction introducing a contrasting idea
- ociosidade
- Idleness, laziness; state of being inactive or unoccupied
- dos
- Of the; contraction of de and os, masculine plural
- mais
- More, most; comparative or superlative adverb
- velhos
- Old, elders; masculine plural adjective meaning aged
- é
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- chamada
- Called, named; feminine past participle of chamar
- de
- Of, from; very common Portuguese preposition
- negócio
- Business, affair; commercial activity or serious matter
- rapazes
- Boys, lads; plural of rapaz, young males
- sendo
- Being; present participle of ser
- realmente
- Really, truly; adverb emphasizing truth or actuality
- mesma
- Same; feminine singular adjective indicating identity or equivalence
- punida
- Punished; feminine singular past participle of punir
- esses
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- ninguém
- Nobody, no one; indefinite negative pronoun
- compadece
- Has compassion, sympathizes; third person singular of compadecer
- homens
- Men; plural of homem, adult male humans
- algum
- Some, any; masculine singular indefinite adjective or pronoun
- homem
- Man; adult male human being
- são
- Of sound mind, healthy; adjective meaning sane or wholesome
- juízo
- Judgment, sense; faculty of making sound decisions
- aprovaria
- Would approve; third person singular conditional of aprovar
- eu
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- fosse
- Were, would be; first person singular imperfect subjunctive of ser
- espancado
- Beaten, thrashed; past participle of espancar
- em
- In, at, on; basic Portuguese preposition of location
- criança
- Child; young human being, boy or girl
- porque
- Because; causal subordinating conjunction
- jogando
- Playing; present participle of jogar
- à
- To the; contraction of a and a, feminine singular
- bola
- Ball; round object used in games and sports
- avancei
- I advanced, I neglected; first person singular preterite of avançar
- estudos
- Studies; plural of estudo, academic learning or lessons
- devia
- Should, ought to; first/third person singular imperfect of dever
- aprender
- To learn; infinitive of the verb meaning to acquire knowledge
- apenas
- Only, just, merely; restrictive adverb
- como
- How, as, like; adverb or conjunction of manner
- pudesse
- Could, might be able; first/third person singular imperfect subjunctive of poder
- jogar
- To play; infinitive meaning to engage in a game
- modo
- Way, manner, mode; method or style of doing something
- ainda
- Still, yet, even; temporal or emphatic adverb
- indecoroso
- Indecorous, improper; lacking decorum or good behavior
- outra
- Other, another; feminine singular indefinite adjective
- coisa
- Thing; general word for an object or matter
- fazia
- Was doing, did; first/third person singular imperfect of fazer
- aquele
- That one; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun
- me
- Me, myself; first person singular object pronoun
- espancava
- Was beating; first/third person singular imperfect of espancar
- se
- If, oneself; conditional conjunction or reflexive pronoun
- saía
- Left, went out; first/third person singular imperfect of sair
- derrotado
- Defeated; past participle of derrotar, to defeat
- alguma
- Some, any; feminine singular indefinite adjective or pronoun
- discussão
- Discussion, argument; verbal exchange or debate
- fútil
- Futile, trivial; lacking importance or seriousness
- com
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association
- seu
- His, her, its, your; third person singular possessive adjective
- colega
- Colleague, classmate; person sharing work or study environment
- preceptor
- Tutor, preceptor; private teacher or instructor
- ficava
- Stayed, remained, became; first/third person singular imperfect of ficar
- amargurado
- Embittered, resentful; filled with bitterness or sorrow
- enciumado
- Jealous, envious; feeling jealousy toward another person
- quando
- When; temporal conjunction or interrogative adverb
- vencido
- Defeated, overcome; past participle of vencer
- na
- In the, on the; contraction of em and a, feminine
- um
- A, an, one; masculine singular indefinite article
- companheiro
- Companion, fellow; person who accompanies or associates with another
- jogos
- Games; plural of jogo, competitive or playful activities
- pequei
- I sinned; first person singular preterite of pecar
- nisso
- In that, therein; contraction of em and isso
- Deus
- God; supreme divine being in monotheistic belief
- Criador
- Creator; one who creates, often referring to God
- Ordenador
- Orderer, one who orders; one who arranges or commands
- todas
- All; feminine plural adjective meaning every or entirety
- as
- The; feminine plural definite article
- coisas
- Things; plural of coisa, objects or matters
- natureza
- Nature; the natural world or inherent character of something
- pecado
- Sin; moral wrongdoing or transgression against divine law
- meu
- My; masculine singular first person possessive adjective
- transgredindo
- Transgressing, violating; present participle of transgredir
- mandamentos
- Commandments; divine or moral rules to be obeyed
- meus
- My; masculine plural first person possessive adjective
- pais
- Parents; father and mother collectively
- mestres
- Masters, teachers; plural of mestre, skilled instructors
- aquilo
- That thing; neuter demonstrative pronoun for distant referent
- qualquer
- Any, whatever; indefinite adjective or pronoun
- motivo
- Reason, motive; cause or justification for an action
- queriam
- They wanted; third person plural imperfect of querer
- aprendesse
- Learned; first/third person singular imperfect subjunctive of aprender
- poderia
- Could, would be able to; first/third person singular conditional of poder
- tê-lo
- To have it; infinitive of ter with enclitic pronoun
- depois
- Afterwards, later; temporal adverb indicating subsequent time
- aproveitado
- Made use of, utilized; past participle of aproveitar
- bom
- Good; masculine singular adjective expressing positive quality
- uso
- Use, usage; act of employing something for a purpose
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