The Prince — Page 8
It is impossible to follow here the varying fortunes of the Italian states, which in 1507 were controlled by France, Spain, and Germany, with results that have lasted to our day; we are concerned with those events, and with the three great actors in them, so far only as they impinge on the personality of Machiavelli.
Il est impossible de suivre ici les fortunes variées des États italiens, qui en 1507 étaient contrôlés par la France, l'Espagne et l'Allemagne, avec des résultats qui ont duré jusqu'à notre époque ; nous nous intéressons à ces événements, et aux trois grands acteurs qui y jouèrent un rôle, uniquement dans la mesure où ils touchent à la personnalité de Machiavel.
He had several meetings with Louis XII of France, and his estimate of that monarch's character has already been alluded to.
Il eut plusieurs rencontres avec Louis XII de France, et son appréciation du caractère de ce monarque a déjà été évoquée.
Machiavelli has painted Ferdinand of Aragon as the man who accomplished great things under the cloak of religion, but who in reality had no mercy, faith, humanity, or integrity; and who, had he allowed himself to be influenced by such motives, would have been ruined.
Machiavel a dépeint Ferdinand d'Aragon comme l'homme qui accomplit de grandes choses sous le manteau de la religion, mais qui en réalité n'avait ni pitié, ni foi, ni humanité, ni intégrité ; et qui, s'il s'était laissé influencer par de tels mobiles, aurait été ruiné.
The Emperor Maximilian was one of the most interesting men of the age, and his character has been drawn by many hands; but Machiavelli, who was an envoy at his court in 1507-8, reveals the secret of his many failures when he describes him as a secretive man, without force of character—ignoring the human agencies necessary to carry his schemes into effect, and never insisting on the fulfilment of his wishes.
L'Empereur Maximilien était l'un des hommes les plus intéressants de son époque, et son caractère a été décrit par de nombreuses plumes ; mais Machiavel, qui était envoyé à sa cour en 1507-1508, révèle le secret de ses nombreux échecs lorsqu'il le décrit comme un homme secret, sans force de caractère — ignorant les ressorts humains nécessaires pour mener ses projets à bien, et n'insistant jamais pour que ses volontés fussent accomplies.
The remaining years of Machiavelli's official career were filled with events arising out of the League of Cambrai, made in 1508 between the three great European powers already mentioned and the pope, with the object of crushing the Venetian Republic.
Les dernières années de la carrière officielle de Machiavel furent remplies par les événements découlant de la Ligue de Cambrai, conclue en 1508 entre les trois grandes puissances européennes déjà mentionnées et le pape, dans le but d'écraser la République de Venise.
Vocabulary
- impossible
- Not possible, unable to be done
- suivre
- To follow or trace the course of something
- ici
- In this place, here
- fortunes
- Varying fates, destinies, or changing circumstances
- variées
- Varied, diverse, differing from one another
- États
- States, political entities or sovereign territories
- italiens
- Relating to Italy, Italian
- contrôlés
- Controlled, governed, or held under authority
- Espagne
- Spain, country on the Iberian Peninsula
- Allemagne
- Germany, country in central Europe
- résultats
- Results, outcomes, or consequences of actions
- duré
- Lasted, continued over a period of time
- jusqu'
- Until, up to a point in time
- époque
- Era, period, or age in history
- intéressons
- Are interested in, concern ourselves with
- événements
- Events, occurrences, or notable happenings
- acteurs
- Actors or key players in events
- jouèrent
- Played, past tense of jouer, performed a role
- rôle
- Role, part played by someone in events
- uniquement
- Only, solely, exclusively
- mesure
- Measure, extent, or degree of something
- touchent
- Touch, concern, or relate to something
- personnalité
- Personality, character, or notable individual
- eut
- Past historic of avoir, had
- plusieurs
- Several, more than two but not many
- rencontres
- Meetings, encounters with other people
- appréciation
- Assessment, evaluation, or appreciation of something
- caractère
- Character, nature, or defining traits of a person
- monarque
- Monarch, a king or sovereign ruler
- déjà
- Already, previously, before now
- évoquée
- Evoked, mentioned, or brought up previously
- dépeint
- Depicts, portrays, or describes someone or something
- accomplit
- Accomplished, achieved, or carried out great deeds
- sous
- Under, beneath, or under the guise of
- manteau
- Cloak, mantle, or cover concealing something
- religion
- Religion, system of faith and worship
- réalité
- Reality, the actual truth of a situation
- ni
- Neither, nor, used in negative constructions
- pitié
- Pity, compassion, or mercy toward others
- foi
- Faith, belief, or religious conviction
- humanité
- Humanity, human kindness, or human nature
- intégrité
- Integrity, moral uprightness and honesty
- laissé
- Left, allowed, or permitted something to happen
- influencer
- To influence, to have an effect on behavior
- tels
- Such, of that kind, referring to mentioned things
- mobiles
- Motives, driving forces behind actions
- aurait
- Conditional of avoir, would have
- ruiné
- Ruined, destroyed, or brought to ruin
- Empereur
- Emperor, supreme ruler of an empire
- intéressants
- Interesting, engaging, worthy of attention
- décrit
- Described, depicted in written or spoken form
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many, a large number of
- plumes
- Pens, quills, or writers producing written accounts
- envoyé
- Sent, dispatched to a location or mission
- cour
- Court, royal court or entourage of a monarch
- révèle
- Reveals, discloses, or uncovers hidden information
- secret
- Secret, hidden reason or cause of something
- nombreux
- Numerous, many, occurring frequently
- échecs
- Failures, defeats, or unsuccessful outcomes
- lorsqu'
- When, at the time that, elided lorsque
- sans
- Without, lacking something
- force
- Force, strength, or power to act
- ignorant
- Ignoring, disregarding, or unaware of something
- ressorts
- Springs, levers, inner workings or motivating forces
- nécessaires
- Necessary, required or essential for a purpose
- mener
- To lead, carry out, or bring to completion
- projets
- Projects, plans, or schemes undertaken
- insistant
- Insisting, demanding persistently that something be done
- jamais
- Never, at no time, or ever in negation
- volontés
- Wills, wishes, or intentions of a person
- fussent
- Subjunctive imperfect of être, were, in formal use
- accomplies
- Accomplished, fulfilled, carried out to completion
- dernières
- Last, final, most recent feminine plural
- carrière
- Career, professional life and occupation
- officielle
- Official, formal, relating to public duty
- furent
- Past historic of être, were
- remplies
- Filled, occupied fully with activities or events
- découlant
- Stemming from, resulting or flowing from a cause
- Ligue
- League, alliance or coalition of political powers
- conclue
- Concluded, agreed upon, or formally established
- puissances
- Powers, major states or nations with great influence
- européennes
- European, relating to the continent of Europe
- mentionnées
- Mentioned, previously referred to or cited
- pape
- Pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church
- but
- Goal, aim, or purpose of an action
- écraser
- To crush, overwhelm, or destroy completely
- République
- Republic, a state governed by elected representatives
- Venise
- Venice, historic Italian city-state and republic
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