The Prince — Page 12

English → Fr Preface Level 8/10

Machiavelli concludes his letter to Vettori thus: "And as to this little thing [his book], when it has been read it will be seen that during the fifteen years I have given to the study of statecraft I have neither slept nor idled; and men ought ever to desire to be served by one who has reaped experience at the expense of others.

Machiavel conclut ainsi sa lettre à Vettori : « Et quant à cette petite chose [son livre], lorsqu'elle aura été lue, on verra que pendant les quinze années que j'ai consacrées à l'étude de l'art de gouverner, je n'ai ni dormi ni chômé ; et les hommes devraient toujours désirer être servis par quelqu'un qui a acquis de l'expérience aux dépens des autres.

And of my loyalty none could doubt, because having always kept faith I could not now learn how to break it; for he who has been faithful and honest, as I have, cannot change his nature; and my poverty is a witness to my honesty."

Et nul ne pourrait douter de ma loyauté, car ayant toujours gardé la foi, je ne pourrais maintenant apprendre à la trahir ; car celui qui a été fidèle et honnête, comme je l'ai été, ne peut changer sa nature ; et ma pauvreté témoigne de mon honnêteté. »

Before Machiavelli had got _The Prince_ off his hands he commenced his "Discourse on the First Decade of Titus Livius," which should be read concurrently with _The Prince_.

Avant que Machiavel n'eût achevé _Le Prince_, il avait commencé son « Discours sur la première décade de Tite-Live », qui devrait être lu en parallèle avec _Le Prince_.

These and several minor works occupied him until the year 1518, when he accepted a small commission to look after the affairs of some Florentine merchants at Genoa.

Ces ouvrages et plusieurs travaux mineurs l'occupèrent jusqu'en 1518, année où il accepta une modeste mission pour s'occuper des affaires de quelques marchands florentins à Gênes.

In 1519 the Medicean rulers of Florence granted a few political concessions to her citizens, and Machiavelli with others was consulted upon a new constitution under which the Great Council was to be restored; but on one pretext or another it was not promulgated.

En 1519, les dirigeants médicéens de Florence accordèrent quelques concessions politiques à ses citoyens, et Machiavel, avec d'autres, fut consulté au sujet d'une nouvelle constitution en vertu de laquelle le Grand Conseil devait être rétabli ; mais sous un prétexte ou un autre, elle ne fut pas promulguée.

Vocabulary

conclut: kon-kly — Concludes; third person singular of conclure.
ainsi: an-si — Thus, so, in this way.
sa: sa — His, her, its (feminine singular possessive adjective).
lettre: le-tr — Letter; written message sent to someone.
à: a — To, at, in (common preposition with many uses).
Et: e — And (basic coordinating conjunction).
quant: kan — As for, regarding (used in expression quant à).
cette: set — This (feminine singular demonstrative adjective).
petite: p-tit — Small, little (feminine adjective).
chose: shoz — Thing, object, matter.
son: son — His, her, its (masculine singular possessive adjective).
livre: li-vr — Book; written or published work.
lorsqu': lors-k — When (conjunction used before vowel sounds).
elle: el — She, it (third person feminine singular pronoun).
aura: o-ra — Will have (future tense of avoir, third person singular).
été: e-te — Been (past participle of être).
lue: ly — Read (feminine past participle of lire).
on: on — One, we, they (indefinite subject pronoun).
verra: ve-ra — Will see (future tense of voir, third person singular).
que: k — That, which, what (conjunction or relative pronoun).
pendant: pan-dan — During, for (preposition indicating duration of time).
les: le — The (plural definite article).
quinze: kanz — Fifteen (cardinal number).
années: a-ne — Years (feminine plural noun).
j': zh — I (first person singular subject pronoun before vowel).
ai: e — Have (first person singular present of avoir).
consacrées: kon-sa-kre — Devoted, dedicated (feminine plural past participle).
l': l — The (definite article before vowel or silent h).
étude: e-tyd — Study, examination of a subject or topic.
de: d — Of, from (very common preposition).
art: ar — Art; skill or craft of doing something.
gouverner: gu-ver-ne — To govern, to rule over a state or people.
je: zh — I (first person singular subject pronoun).
n': n — Not (first part of negation ne...pas before vowel).
ni: ni — Neither, nor (negative conjunction linking two elements).
dormi: dor-mi — Slept (past participle of dormir).
chômé: sho-me — Been idle, been unemployed (past participle of chômer).
et: e — And (basic coordinating conjunction).
hommes: om — Men, humans (masculine plural noun).
devraient: dev-re — Should, ought to (conditional of devoir, third person plural).
toujours: tu-zhur — Always, still (adverb of frequency or continuity).
désirer: de-zi-re — To desire, to wish for something strongly.
être: e-tr — To be (fundamental auxiliary and linking verb).
servis: ser-vi — Served (masculine plural past participle of servir).
par: par — By, through (preposition indicating agent or means).
quelqu': kel-k — Someone, some (indefinite pronoun before vowel).
un: an — One, a (masculine indefinite article or numeral).
a: a — Has (third person singular present of avoir).
acquis: a-ki — Acquired, gained (past participle of acquérir).
expérience: eks-pe-ryans — Experience; knowledge or skill gained over time.
aux: o — At the, to the (contraction of à + les).
dépens: de-pan — Expense, cost (used in aux dépens de, at someone's expense).
des: de — Of the, some (contraction of de + les).
autres: o-tr — Others (plural pronoun or adjective).
nul: nyl — No one, none (negative indefinite pronoun or adjective).
ne: n — Not (first element of French negation ne...pas).
pourrait: pu-re — Could, would be able to (conditional of pouvoir).
douter: du-te — To doubt, to question the truth of something.
ma: ma — My (feminine singular possessive adjective).
loyauté: lwa-yo-te — Loyalty, faithfulness to a person or cause.
car: kar — Because, for (causal coordinating conjunction).
ayant: e-yan — Having (present participle of avoir).
gardé: gar-de — Kept, maintained (past participle of garder).
la: la — The (feminine singular definite article).
foi: fwa — Faith, trust, belief in someone or something.
pourrais: pu-re — Could (first person conditional singular of pouvoir).
maintenant: man-t-nan — Now, at this moment in time.
apprendre: a-pran-dr — To learn, to teach (common verb of learning).
trahir: tra-ir — To betray, to be disloyal to someone.
celui: s-lwi — The one, that one (masculine singular demonstrative pronoun).
fidèle: fi-del — Faithful, loyal, true to one's commitments.
honnête: o-net — Honest, upright, having strong moral principles.
comme: kom — As, like, how (comparison or manner conjunction).
peut: p — Can, is able to (third person singular of pouvoir).
changer: shan-zhe — To change, to alter or transform something.
nature: na-tyr — Nature; inherent character or essential quality of something.
pauvreté: pov-r-te — Poverty; state of being very poor or lacking resources.
témoigne: te-mwan-y — Testifies, bears witness to (third person singular of témoigner).
mon: mon — My (masculine singular possessive adjective).
honnêteté: o-net-te — Honesty, integrity, quality of being truthful and upright.
Avant: a-van — Before (preposition or adverb indicating prior time).
eût: y — Had (past subjunctive third person singular of avoir).
achevé: ash-ve — Completed, finished (past participle of achever).
il: il — He, it (third person masculine singular subject pronoun).
avait: a-ve — Had (third person singular imperfect of avoir).
commencé: ko-man-se — Begun, started (past participle of commencer).
Discours: dis-kur — Discourses; formal speech or extended written work.
sur: syr — On, about, over (common preposition).
première: pr-myer — First (feminine ordinal adjective).
décade: de-kad — Decade; period of ten years or ten books.
devrait: dev-re — Should, ought to (third person singular conditional of devoir).
lu: ly — Read (past participle of lire).
en: an — In, as, while (preposition or adverb with many uses).
parallèle: pa-ra-lel — Parallel; simultaneously or side by side with something else.
avec: a-vek — With (preposition indicating accompaniment or means).
Ces: se — These, those (plural demonstrative adjective).
ouvrages: uv-razh — Works; books or substantial literary or scholarly productions.
plusieurs: ply-zyur — Several, many (indefinite adjective or pronoun).
travaux: tra-vo — Works, tasks, labor (masculine plural noun).
mineurs: mi-nur — Minor, lesser (masculine plural adjective).
occupèrent: o-ky-per — Occupied, kept busy (third person plural passé simple of occuper).
jusqu': zhys-k — Until, up to (preposition before vowel sound).
année: a-ne — Year (feminine noun indicating a calendar year).
où: u — Where, when (relative pronoun of place or time).
accepta: ak-sep-ta — Accepted (third person singular passé simple of accepter).
une: yn — A, an (feminine singular indefinite article).
modeste: mo-dest — Modest, humble, of limited scale or importance.
mission: mi-syon — Mission; assignment or task given to someone.
pour: pur — For, in order to (preposition of purpose or benefit).
s': s — Himself, herself, itself (reflexive pronoun before vowel).
occuper: o-ky-pe — To occupy oneself with, to deal with something.
affaires: a-fer — Affairs, business matters (feminine plural noun).
quelques: kel-k — A few, some (plural indefinite adjective).
marchands: mar-shan — Merchants, traders dealing in goods commercially.
En: an — In (preposition used before years and months).
dirigeants: di-ri-zhan — Leaders, rulers, those who direct or govern.
accordèrent: a-kor-der — Granted, gave (third person plural passé simple of accorder).
concessions: kon-se-syon — Concessions; things granted or yielded to satisfy demands.
politiques: po-li-tik — Political (plural adjective or feminine plural noun).
ses: se — His, her, its (plural possessive adjective).
citoyens: si-twa-yan — Citizens; members of a city or state with rights.
d': d — Of, from (preposition de before a vowel).
fut: fy — Was (third person singular passé simple of être).
consulté: kon-syl-te — Consulted; asked for advice or opinion on a matter.
au: o — At the, to the (contraction of à + le).
sujet: sy-zhe — Subject, topic; matter under discussion or consideration.
nouvelle: nu-vel — New (feminine adjective) or short story (noun).
constitution: kon-sti-ty-syon — Constitution; fundamental law establishing governmental structure.
vertu: ver-ty — Virtue; moral excellence, or by virtue of (en vertu de).
laquelle: la-kel — Which (feminine singular relative or interrogative pronoun).
le: l — The (masculine singular definite article).
Grand: gran — Grand, great, large (masculine adjective before noun).
Conseil: kon-sey — Council; deliberative or governing body of representatives.
devait: dev-e — Was supposed to, had to (imperfect of devoir).
rétabli: re-ta-bli — Restored, reestablished (past participle of rétablir).
mais: me — But (coordinating conjunction showing contrast or opposition).
sous: su — Under, beneath (preposition indicating position or pretext).
prétexte: pre-tekst — Pretext, excuse; false reason given to justify action.
ou: u — Or (disjunctive coordinating conjunction).
autre: o-tr — Other, another (adjective or pronoun).
pas: pa — Not (second element of negation ne...pas).
promulguée: pro-myl-ge — Promulgated, officially enacted (feminine past participle of promulguer).

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