The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 4
This mark is conferred on the person entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead.
Cette marque est conférée à la personne qui y a droit en incisant la peau en travers du haut du front et en la tirant vers le bas jusqu'aux sourcils ; et tandis qu'elle est dans cette position, on applique une main chaude et on la frotte jusqu'à ce qu'elle se rétracte en une épaisse _cicatrice_ en travers de la partie inférieure du front.
Most of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also _destined_ to receive it by my parents.
La plupart des juges et des sénateurs étaient ainsi marqués ; mon père le portait depuis longtemps : je l'avais vu conféré à l'un de mes frères, et j'étais également _destiné_ à le recevoir de mes parents.
Those Embrence, or chief men, decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always assembled together.
Ces Embrence, ou hommes principaux, tranchaient les litiges et punissaient les crimes ; à cette fin, ils se réunissaient toujours ensemble.
The proceedings were generally short; and in most cases the law of retaliation prevailed.
Les procédures étaient généralement brèves ; et dans la plupart des cas, la loi du talion prévalait.
I remember a man was brought before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to make recompense by a man or woman slave.
Je me souviens qu'un homme fut amené devant mon père et les autres juges pour avoir enlevé un garçon ; et, bien qu'il fût le fils d'un chef ou d'un sénateur, il fut condamné à offrir en réparation un esclave homme ou femme.
Adultery, however, was sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives.
L'adultère, cependant, était parfois puni par l'esclavage ou la mort ; un châtiment qui, je crois, lui est infligé dans la plupart des nations d'Afrique[A] : tant est sacrée parmi eux l'honneur du lit conjugal, et tant sont-ils jaloux de la fidélité de leurs épouses.
Of this I recollect an instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished.
À ce sujet, je me rappelle un exemple : une femme fut reconnue coupable d'adultère devant les juges et remise, selon la coutume, à son mari pour être punie.
Vocabulary
- Cette
- This; that (feminine singular demonstrative)
- marque
- Mark; sign; brand or distinctive feature
- est
- Is; third person singular of être
- conférée
- Conferred; granted or bestowed upon
- la
- The; direct object pronoun her or it
- personne
- Person; individual human being
- qui
- Who; which; relative pronoun
- droit
- Right; law; entitlement or privilege
- en
- In; on; by means of or made of
- peau
- Skin; outer covering of body
- travers
- Across; through the length or width
- du
- Of the; from the contraction
- haut
- High; upper part or top
- front
- Forehead; front of head above eyebrows
- et
- And; conjunction connecting words or phrases
- tirant
- Pulling; drawing or dragging motion
- vers
- Toward; in the direction of something
- le
- The; masculine singular article or pronoun
- bas
- Low; bottom; lower part or area
- jusqu
- Until; up to a certain point
- aux
- To the; contraction of à les
- sourcils
- Eyebrows; hair above the eyes
- tandis
- While; at the same time as
- qu
- That; abbreviated conjunction que
- elle
- She; her; feminine pronoun
- dans
- In; inside; within a place
- position
- Position; location; posture or stance
- on
- One; we; impersonal pronoun used
- applique
- Applies; applies or puts something on
- une
- A; an; feminine singular article
- main
- Hand; human hand for grasping
- chaude
- Hot; warm; having high temperature
- frotte
- Rubs; rubs or scrubs with friction
- ce
- This; that; demonstrative pronoun
- se
- Itself; oneself; reflexive pronoun
- épaisse
- Thick; having great thickness or density
- cicatrice
- Scar; mark from healed wound
- partie
- Part; piece; portion of whole
- inférieure
- Lower; inferior; situated below
- plupart
- Most; the majority of people
- juges
- Judges; officials who administer justice
- sénateurs
- Senators; members of senate or assembly
- étaient
- Were; plural past tense of être
- ainsi
- Thus; in this manner or way
- marqués
- Marked; branded or having distinctive marks
- mon
- My; belonging to speaker
- père
- Father; male parent
- portait
- Wore; carried or bore upon self
- depuis
- Since; from that time onward
- longtemps
- Long time; for a long period
- avais
- Had; first person singular of avoir
- vu
- Seen; past participle of voir
- conféré
- Conferred; granted or bestowed
- frères
- Brothers; male siblings
- étais
- Was; first person singular of être
- également
- Also; equally; in the same way
- destiné
- Destined; meant or intended for
- recevoir
- Receive; accept or take something
- parents
- Parents; mother and father
- hommes
- Men; adult male humans
- principaux
- Principal; main; most important ones
- tranchaient
- Settled; decided or resolved disputes
- litiges
- Disputes; quarrels or legal controversies
- punissaient
- Punished; inflicted penalty on someone
- crimes
- Crimes; serious illegal acts
- fin
- End; conclusion or termination
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