The Prince — Page 10

English → Japanese Preface Level 8/10

In a letter to Francesco Vettori, dated 13th December 1513, he has left a very interesting description of his life at this period, which elucidates his methods and his motives in writing _The Prince_.

1513年12月13日付けのフランチェスコ・ヴェットーリへの手紙の中で、彼はこの時期の自分の生活について非常に興味深い描写を残しており、それは『君主論』を執筆する際の彼の方法と動機を明らかにしている。

After describing his daily occupations with his family and neighbours, he writes: "The evening being come, I return home and go to my study;

家族や近隣の人々との日常の営みを描写した後、彼はこう書いている。「夕暮れが訪れると、私は家に帰り、書斎へと向かう。

at the entrance I pull off my peasant-clothes, covered with dust and dirt, and put on my noble court dress, and thus becomingly re-clothed I pass into the ancient courts of the men of old,

入り口で、埃と泥にまみれた農民の服を脱ぎ、高貴な宮廷の衣装をまとう。そうして品よく装いを改めた私は、古の人々の古代の宮廷へと足を踏み入れる。

where, being lovingly received by them, I am fed with that food which is mine alone;

そこで彼らに温かく迎えられ、私だけのための糧をもって養われる。

where I do not hesitate to speak with them, and to ask for the reason of their actions, and they in their benignity answer me;

そこでは私は臆することなく彼らと語り合い、その行動の理由を問いかける。そして彼らは慈悲深くも私に答えてくれる。

and for four hours I feel no weariness, I forget every trouble, poverty does not dismay, death does not terrify me;

そして四時間の間、私は疲れを感じず、あらゆる悩みを忘れ、貧困も私を落胆させず、死も私を恐怖させない。

I am possessed entirely by those great men.

私はその偉大な人々に完全に魅了されているのだ。

Vocabulary

年: nen — Year; used in dates and counting years
月: tsuki / gatsu — Month; also means the moon
日: hi / nichi — Day; sun; used in dates
付け: zuke — Dated; marked with a specific date
の: no — Possessive or linking particle
へ: e — To; directional particle indicating destination or recipient
手紙: tegami — Letter; written correspondence sent to someone
中: naka / chuu — Inside; within; in the middle of
で: de — In; at; by means of (particle)
彼: kare — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the subject
この: kono — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned
時期: jiki — Period; time; a particular phase or season
自分: jibun — Oneself; referring to one's own self
生活: seikatsu — Daily life; lifestyle; way of living
に: ni — Particle indicating location, direction, or time
ついて: tsuite — About; concerning; regarding a topic
非常: hijou — Extremely; very; extraordinary degree
興味深い: kyoumibuka-i — Interesting; deeply fascinating; arousing great curiosity
描写: byousha — Description; depiction; portrayal of something
を: wo — Object-marking particle
残し: nokoshi — Left behind; preserved for others to find
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting sequential actions
おり: ori — Is; exists (humble/formal form of いる)
それ: sore — That; referring to something previously mentioned
執筆: shippitsu — Writing; the act of composing a written work
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb
際: sai — When; at the time of; on the occasion of
方法: houhou — Method; way; manner of doing something
と: to — And; with; quotation particle
動機: douki — Motive; motivation; reason for an action
明らか: akiraka — Clear; evident; obvious; apparent
し: shi — And; conjunctive form linking verbs or clauses
いる: iru — To be; to exist (for animate beings)
家族: kazoku — Family; one's relatives living together
や: ya — And; listing particle for non-exhaustive lists
近隣: kinrin — Neighborhood; nearby area; surrounding vicinity
人々: hitobito — People; various individuals; folks
日常: nichijou — Everyday; ordinary daily life and routine
営み: itonami — Activities; daily pursuits; life's work or livelihood
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb
後: ato / go — After; later; subsequent to something
こう: kou — Like this; in this way; thus
書い: kai — Wrote (conjunctive form of 書く, to write)
夕暮れ: yuugure — Twilight; dusk; the time around sunset
が: ga — Subject-marking particle
訪れる: otozureru — To visit; to arrive; to come (of a season or time)
私: watashi — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
家: ie / uchi — House; home; one's residence
帰り: kaeri — Return; going back home
書斎: shosai — Study; private room used for reading and writing
向かう: mukau — To head toward; to face; to go in a direction
入り口: iriguchi — Entrance; doorway; entry point of a place
埃: hokori — Dust; fine particles accumulating on surfaces
泥: doro — Mud; wet dirty earth; mire
まみれ: mamire — Covered in; smeared with; soiled all over
農民: noumin — Farmer; peasant; agricultural worker
服: fuku — Clothes; garments; clothing worn on the body
脱ぎ: nugi — Taking off (clothes); removing one's garments
高貴: kouki — Noble; aristocratic; of high and dignified status
な: na — Adjectival particle linking な-adjectives to nouns
宮廷: kyuutei — Royal court; palace; the environment of nobles
衣装: ishou — Costume; attire; formal or elegant clothing
まとう: matou — To wear; to drape oneself in clothing or fabric
そう: sou — So; like that; in that manner
品よく: hinyoku — Elegantly; gracefully; with refinement and taste
装い: yosooi — Attire; appearance; the way one is dressed
改め: aratame — Renewing; changing; reforming one's appearance
古: inishie / ko — Ancient; old times; the distant past
古代: kodai — Ancient times; antiquity; the distant historical past
足: ashi — Foot; leg; step
踏み入れる: fumiireru — To step into; to enter by setting foot inside
そこ: soko — There; that place; referring to a nearby location
彼ら: karera — They; them; a group of people (masculine or mixed)
温かく: atatakaku — Warmly; in a warm and welcoming manner
迎え: mukae — Welcome; reception; greeting someone upon arrival
られ: rare — Passive auxiliary indicating an action done to subject
だけ: dake — Only; just; merely; nothing more than
ため: tame — For; for the sake of; in order to
糧: kate — Nourishment; sustenance; spiritual or physical food
もって: motte — With; by means of; using something as a tool
養わ: yashinawa — Nourished; raised; supported (passive base of 養う)
れる: reru — Passive voice auxiliary verb suffix
臆する: okusuru — To hesitate; to be intimidated; to shrink back timidly
こと: koto — Thing; fact; nominalizer turning verbs into nouns
なく: naku — Without; not having; negative conjunctive form
語り合い: katariai — Conversation; mutual talking; exchanging thoughts together
その: sono — That; the (referring to something previously mentioned)
行動: koudou — Action; behavior; conduct; one's deeds
理由: riyuu — Reason; cause; grounds for an action or event
問いかける: toikakeru — To ask; to pose a question to someone
そして: soshite — And then; and so; connecting sequential events
慈悲深く: jihibukaku — Mercifully; compassionately; with deep kindness and grace
も: mo — Also; too; even; addition particle
答え: kotae — Answer; reply; response to a question
くれる: kureru — To give (to me/us); to do something for one's benefit
四: shi / yon — Four; the number four
時間: jikan — Time; hours; a duration or period of time
間: aida / ma — Between; during; a span of time or space
疲れ: tsukare — Tiredness; fatigue; weariness from exertion
感じ: kanji — Feeling; sensation; sense of something
ず: zu — Without; not doing (classical negative conjunctive)
あらゆる: arayuru — All; every; every possible kind of thing
悩み: nayami — Worry; trouble; personal anguish or distress
忘れ: wasure — Forgetting; losing memory of something unpleasant
貧困: hinkon — Poverty; destitution; state of being very poor
落胆: rakutan — Disappointment; discouragement; feeling of dejection
させ: sase — Causative form making someone do or feel something
死: shi — Death; dying; the end of life
恐怖: kyoufu — Fear; terror; dread of something frightening
ない: nai — Not; negative form of existence or adjectives
偉大: idai — Great; magnificent; outstanding in importance or scale
完全: kanzen — Complete; perfect; total; without any flaw
魅了: miryou — Fascination; captivation; being completely charmed or enchanted
さ: sa — Nominalizing suffix turning adjectives into nouns
れ: re — Passive or potential verb ending
だ: da — Is; am; are (plain form copula)

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →