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The Prince — Page 13

English → Japanese Preface Level 8/10

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."

1520年、フィレンツェの商人たちは再びマキャヴェッリに頼ってルッカとの紛争を解決しようとしたが、この年は主として、彼がフィレンツェの文学社会に復帰し、大いにもてはやされたこと、そして『戦術論』を著したことで注目された。

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.

同じ年に、彼はメディチ枢機卿の勧めにより『フィレンツェ史』を執筆する依頼を受け、その作業は1525年まで続いた。

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."

彼が世間の評判を取り戻したことが、メディチ家に彼をこの仕事に任じる決断をさせたのかもしれない。というのも、ある古い著述家が「仕事のない有能な政治家は、巨大な鯨のように、遊ぶための空樽がなければ船を転覆させようとするものだ」と述べているからである。

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.

『フィレンツェ史』が完成すると、マキャヴェッリはそれをローマへ持参し、後援者であるジュリアーノ・デ・メディチに献呈した。ジュリアーノはその間にクレメンス7世として教皇の地位に就いていた。

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.

注目すべきことに、1513年にマキャヴェッリがメディチ家のフィレンツェ復権直後にその教導のために『君主論』を著したように、1525年には一族の滅亡が目前に迫った時期に『フィレンツェ史』をその当主に献じたのである。

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.

その年、パヴィアの戦いによってイタリアにおけるフランスの支配は崩壊し、フランソワ1世は宿敵カール5世の手中に囚われの身となった。

Vocabulary

nen — Year; used to count or indicate years
フィレンツェ
Firentse — Florence, a city in Italy
no — Possessive or attributive particle linking nouns
商人
shounin — Merchant; a person who trades goods
たち
tachi — Plural suffix indicating a group of people
wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar
再び
futatabi — Again; once more; a second time
ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or target
頼っ
tayot(te) — Relied on; depended on someone or something
te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases
to — And; with; quotation particle in Japanese
紛争
funsou — Conflict; dispute; strife between parties
wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar
解決
kaiketsu — Resolution; solving a problem or conflict
しよう
shiyou — Let's do; volitional form of 'to do'
shi — Conjunctive or listing form of する (to do)
ta — Past tense auxiliary verb in Japanese
ga — Subject marker or conjunction meaning 'but'
この
kono — This; demonstrative adjective for nearby things
nushi / omo — Master; lord; main person or owner
kare — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
文学
bungaku — Literature; written artistic works and study
社会
shakai — Society; the community or social world
復帰
fukki — Return; comeback to a previous position
大い
ooi(ni) — Greatly; largely; to a great extent
もてはやさ
motehayasa — Being praised and celebrated widely by others
re — Passive or potential verb auxiliary suffix
こと
koto — Thing; fact; nominalizer for verb phrases
そして
soshite — And then; furthermore; connecting events sequentially
戦術論
senjutsuron — The Art of War (treatise on military tactics)
著し
arawa(shi) — Wrote; authored; composed a written work
de — Particle indicating means, place, or reason
注目
chuumoku — Attention; notice; public interest or focus
sa — Suffix nominalizing adjectives or softening statements
同じ
onaji — Same; identical; equal to another thing
枢機卿
suukikyou — Cardinal; high-ranking Catholic Church official
勧め
susume — Recommendation; advice; urging someone to act
より
yori — From; by; comparative particle meaning 'than'
shi — History; historical record or chronicle
執筆
shippitsu — Writing; act of composing a written work
する
suru — To do; to perform an action
依頼
irai — Request; commission; asking someone to do something
受け
uke — Received; accepted an offer or request
その
sono — That; demonstrative adjective for previously mentioned thing
作業
sagyou — Work; task; labor on a specific project
まで
made — Until; up to a certain time or place
続い
tsuzui(te) — Continued; went on without stopping
世間
seken — The world; public society; general public opinion
評判
hyouban — Reputation; public fame or opinion about someone
取り戻し
torimodo(shi) — Regained; recovered something previously lost
ie / ka — House; family; household or dynasty
仕事
shigoto — Work; job; occupation or task to do
任じる
ninjiru — To appoint; assign someone to a role
決断
ketsudan — Decision; decisive resolution to act
se — Causative or imperative verb conjugation form
かも
kamo — Maybe; perhaps; expresses possibility or uncertainty
しれ
shire — May; might; used in 'かもしれない' (maybe)
ない
nai — Not; negative form of existence or action
という
to iu — Called; known as; quoting or defining something
mo — Also; too; even; additive particle
ある
aru — To exist; to be; there is something
古い
furui — Old; ancient; not new or modern
著述家
chojutsuka — Author; writer; person who writes books professionally
有能
yuunou — Capable; talented; highly competent person
na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns
政治家
seijika — Politician; statesman; person in political life
巨大
kyodai — Gigantic; enormous; very large in size
kujira — Whale; large marine mammal
よう
you — Like; as if; in the manner of
遊ぶ
asobu — To play; to amuse oneself; to frolic
ため
tame — For the sake of; in order to do
kara / sora — Empty; sky; void or air above us
taru — Barrel; cask; wooden container for liquids
なけれ
nakere — If there is not; conditional negative existence form
ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'
fune — Ship; boat; watercraft for travel
転覆
tenpuku — Capsizing; overturning; toppling of a vessel
せよう
seyou — Would cause to; volitional causative verb form
もの
mono — Thing; used to add reason or emphasis
da — Copula; plain form of 'to be'
述べ
nobe — Stated; described; expressed in words
いる
iru — To be; to exist (for animate beings)
から
kara — From; because; since; starting point particle
完成
kansei — Completion; finishing a work or project
それ
sore — That; referring to something previously mentioned
e — Directional particle meaning 'to' or 'toward'
持参
jisan — Bringing along; carrying something to a place
後援者
kouensha — Patron; sponsor; supporter of a person's work
献呈
kentei — Dedication; formal presentation of a work to someone
aida / ma — Between; during; interval of time or space
sei / yo — Generation; reign; world; used for rulers
教皇
kyoukou — Pope; head of the Roman Catholic Church
地位
chii — Status; position; social or official standing
就い
tsui(te) — Assumed; took up a position or role
i — Continuative form of いる (to be, to exist)
su — Classical or abbreviated form of する (do)
べき
beki — Should; ought to; expressing obligation or expectation
復権
fukken — Restoration of rights or political rehabilitation
直後
chokugo — Immediately after; right after an event occurred
教導
kyoudou — Guidance; instruction; moral or political teaching
君主論
kunshuron — The Prince; Machiavelli's treatise on political power
一族
ichizoku — Clan; family; all members of one lineage
滅亡
metsubou — Ruin; downfall; destruction of a group or nation
目前
mokuzen — Before one's eyes; imminent; about to happen
迫っ
sematte — Pressing close; approaching urgently; looming near
時期
jiki — Time; period; particular phase or season
当主
toushu — Head of a family or household; current leader
献じ
kenji — Dedicated; offered as a tribute or gift
戦い
tatakai — Battle; fight; warfare or conflict
よっ
yotte — By means of; due to; because of (て-form)
おける
okeru — In; at; concerning; located within a context
支配
shihai — Control; domination; rule over a territory
崩壊
houkai — Collapse; breakdown; fall of a structure or system
宿敵
shukuteki — Arch-enemy; longtime rival or sworn opponent
手中
In one's hands; under one's control or grasp
囚わ
toraware — Captured; taken prisoner; held captive
mi — Body; oneself; one's personal situation or status
なっ
natte — Became; turned into; te-form of なる
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