The Prince — Page 13
In 1520 the Florentine merchants again had recourse to Machiavelli to settle their difficulties with Lucca, but this year was chiefly remarkable for his re-entry into Florentine literary society, where he was much sought after, and also for the production of his "Art of War."
En 1520, les marchands florentins eurent de nouveau recours à Machiavel pour régler leurs différends avec Lucques, mais cette année fut surtout remarquable par sa réintégration dans la société littéraire florentine, où il était très recherché, ainsi que par la production de son « Art de la guerre ».
It was in the same year that he received a commission at the instance of Cardinal de' Medici to write the "History of Florence," a task which occupied him until 1525.
C'est la même année qu'il reçut une commande à l'instigation du cardinal de Médicis pour écrire l'« Histoire de Florence », une tâche qui l'occupa jusqu'en 1525.
His return to popular favour may have determined the Medici to give him this employment, for an old writer observes that "an able statesman out of work, like a huge whale, will endeavour to overturn the ship unless he has an empty cask to play with."
Son retour en faveur populaire a peut-être décidé les Médicis à lui confier cet emploi, car un ancien écrivain observe qu'« un homme d'État habile sans travail, tel un immense baleine, s'efforcera de renverser le navire à moins qu'on ne lui donne un tonneau vide avec lequel jouer ».
When the "History of Florence" was finished, Machiavelli took it to Rome for presentation to his patron, Giuliano de' Medici, who had in the meanwhile become pope under the title of Clement VII.
Lorsque l'« Histoire de Florence » fut achevée, Machiavel la porta à Rome pour la présenter à son mécène, Giuliano de Médicis, qui était entre-temps devenu pape sous le titre de Clément VII.
It is somewhat remarkable that, as, in 1513, Machiavelli had written The Prince for the instruction of the Medici after they had just regained power in Florence, so, in 1525, he dedicated the "History of Florence" to the head of the family when its ruin was now at hand.
Il est assez remarquable que, de même qu'en 1513, Machiavel avait écrit Le Prince pour l'instruction des Médicis après qu'ils venaient de reprendre le pouvoir à Florence, de même, en 1525, il dédia l'« Histoire de Florence » au chef de la famille alors que sa ruine était désormais imminente.
In that year the battle of Pavia destroyed the French rule in Italy, and left Francis I a prisoner in the hands of his great rival, Charles V.
Cette année-là, la bataille de Pavie détruisit la domination française en Italie et laissa François Ier prisonnier entre les mains de son grand rival, Charles Quint.
Vocabulary
- En
- In, on, or at (preposition indicating time or manner)
- les
- The (plural definite article)
- marchands
- Merchants or traders who buy and sell goods
- florentins
- Florentine; relating to Florence, Italy
- eurent
- Had (simple past tense of avoir, third plural)
- de
- Of, from (very common preposition or article)
- nouveau
- New; again when used in phrase de nouveau
- recours
- Recourse; act of turning to for help
- à
- To, at, in (basic preposition indicating direction or location)
- pour
- For, in order to (preposition expressing purpose)
- régler
- To settle, resolve, or regulate a matter
- leurs
- Their (plural possessive adjective)
- différends
- Disputes or disagreements between parties
- avec
- With (preposition indicating accompaniment or relation)
- mais
- But (coordinating conjunction expressing contrast)
- cette
- This (feminine demonstrative adjective)
- année
- Year (feminine noun referring to a calendar year)
- fut
- Was (simple past tense of être, third singular)
- surtout
- Above all, especially, most notably
- remarquable
- Remarkable, noteworthy, or outstanding in some way
- par
- By, through (preposition indicating means or agent)
- sa
- His, her, its (feminine singular possessive adjective)
- réintégration
- Reinstatement or reintegration into a group or position
- dans
- In, inside, within (preposition of location or time)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- société
- Society, social circle, or organized community
- littéraire
- Literary; relating to literature or writing
- florentine
- Florentine (feminine); relating to Florence, Italy
- où
- Where, in which (relative or interrogative adverb)
- il
- He, it (third person masculine singular pronoun)
- était
- Was (imperfect tense of être, describing ongoing state)
- très
- Very (adverb intensifying an adjective or adverb)
- recherché
- Sought after, in demand, highly valued
- ainsi
- Thus, so, in this way (adverb of manner)
- que
- That, than, which (subordinating conjunction or pronoun)
- production
- Production; creating or publishing a work
- son
- His, her, its (masculine singular possessive adjective)
- Art
- Art; skill or craft applied to a field
- guerre
- War; armed conflict between states or groups
- C'
- It is (contraction of ce before est)
- est
- Is (third person singular present of être)
- même
- Even, same; used for emphasis or identity
- qu'
- That, which (conjunction, elided form of que)
- reçut
- Received (simple past of recevoir, third singular)
- une
- A, an (feminine singular indefinite article)
- commande
- Commission or order for a piece of work
- l'
- The (elided definite article before a vowel)
- instigation
- Instigation; prompting or urging someone to do something
- du
- Of the (contracted masculine singular definite article)
- cardinal
- Cardinal; senior official in the Catholic Church
- écrire
- To write (infinitive verb)
- Histoire
- History; account of past events
- tâche
- Task or job assigned to someone
- qui
- Who, which, that (relative or interrogative pronoun)
- occupa
- Occupied, kept busy (simple past of occuper)
- jusqu'
- Until, up to (preposition, elided form of jusqu'à)
- en
- In, on (preposition of time, place, or manner)
- Son
- His, her, its (masculine singular possessive adjective)
- retour
- Return; act of coming back to a place or state
- faveur
- Favour; approval or goodwill from others
- populaire
- Popular; well-liked by the general public
- a
- Has (third person singular present of avoir)
- peut-être
- Perhaps, maybe (adverb expressing uncertainty)
- décidé
- Decided; past participle of décider (to decide)
- lui
- Him, her, to him/her (indirect or stressed pronoun)
- confier
- To entrust or assign something to someone
- cet
- This (masculine singular demonstrative adjective before vowel)
- emploi
- Employment, job, or use of something
- car
- Because, for (coordinating conjunction giving reason)
- un
- A, an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- ancien
- Former, old, ancient (adjective describing past status)
- écrivain
- Writer or author who writes literary works
- observe
- Observes, notes, remarks (third singular present)
- homme
- Man; adult male human being
- d'
- Of, from (elided preposition de before vowel)
- État
- State; political governing body or nation
- habile
- Skilled, clever, or capable in a particular area
- sans
- Without (preposition indicating absence or lack)
- travail
- Work, labour, or a specific task
- tel
- Such, like (adjective expressing comparison or similarity)
- immense
- Immense; extremely large or vast in size
- baleine
- Whale; large marine mammal
- s'
- Himself, herself (reflexive pronoun, elided form of se)
- efforcera
- Will strive or make effort (future of s'efforcer)
- renverser
- To overturn, topple, or knock over something
- le
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- navire
- Ship; large vessel for sea travel
- moins
- Less, fewer (adverb indicating reduction or comparison)
- on
- One, we, they (indefinite subject pronoun)
- ne
- Not (negative particle, used with pas or alone)
- donne
- Gives (third singular present of donner)
- tonneau
- Barrel or cask used for storing liquids
- vide
- Empty; containing nothing inside
- lequel
- Which, in which (relative pronoun, masculine singular)
- jouer
- To play (an instrument, game, or role)
- Lorsque
- When (conjunction introducing a time clause)
- achevée
- Completed, finished (feminine past participle of achever)
- porta
- Carried, brought (simple past of porter, third singular)
- présenter
- To present or introduce something to someone
- mécène
- Patron; person who financially supports artists or writers
- entre-temps
- In the meantime, meanwhile (adverbial expression of time)
- devenu
- Become (past participle of devenir)
- pape
- Pope; head of the Roman Catholic Church
- sous
- Under, beneath (preposition of position or subordination)
- titre
- Title; name given to a person or work
- Il
- He (third person masculine singular subject pronoun)
- assez
- Enough, fairly, rather (adverb of degree)
- avait
- Had (imperfect tense of avoir, third singular)
- écrit
- Written (past participle of écrire)
- Le
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- Prince
- Prince; ruler or title of Machiavelli's famous work
- instruction
- Instruction; teaching or guidance given to someone
- des
- Of the, some (plural partitive or definite article)
- après
- After, afterwards (preposition or adverb of time)
- ils
- They (third person masculine plural subject pronoun)
- venaient
- Were coming (imperfect of venir, third plural)
- reprendre
- To retake, resume, or take back something
- pouvoir
- Power; authority, or ability to do something
- dédia
- Dedicated (simple past of dédier, third singular)
- au
- To the, at the (contracted masculine singular article)
- chef
- Chief, head, or leader of a group
- famille
- Family; group of related people
- alors
- Then, at that time (adverb of time or consequence)
- ruine
- Ruin; state of destruction or collapse
- désormais
- From now on, henceforth (adverb of future time)
- imminente
- Imminent; about to happen very soon
- Cette
- This (feminine singular demonstrative adjective)
- année-là
- That year (demonstrative expression pointing to specific year)
- bataille
- Battle; armed fight between opposing forces
- détruisit
- Destroyed (simple past of détruire, third singular)
- domination
- Domination; control or power over a territory
- française
- French (feminine adjective); relating to France
- et
- And (coordinating conjunction linking elements)
- laissa
- Left, allowed (simple past of laisser, third singular)
- prisonnier
- Prisoner; person captured and held by an enemy
- entre
- Between, among (preposition of position or relation)
- mains
- Hands; body parts used for gripping and holding
- grand
- Great, big, large (adjective of size or importance)
- rival
- Rival; competitor or opponent in a struggle
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