The Republic — Page 13

English → Fr INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS. Level 9/10

Now in ancient writings, and indeed in literature generally, there remains often a large element which was not comprehended in the original design.

Or, dans les écrits anciens, et en effet dans la littérature en général, il reste souvent un large élément qui n'était pas compris dans le dessein original.

For the plan grows under the author's hand; new thoughts occur to him in the act of writing; he has not worked out the argument to the end before he begins.

Car le plan se développe sous la main de l'auteur ; de nouvelles pensées lui viennent au cours de l'écriture ; il n'a pas élaboré l'argument jusqu'au bout avant de commencer.

The reader who seeks to find some one idea under which the whole may be conceived, must necessarily seize on the vaguest and most general.

Le lecteur qui cherche à trouver une idée unique sous laquelle l'ensemble puisse être conçu doit nécessairement se saisir de la plus vague et de la plus générale.

Thus Stallbaum, who is dissatisfied with the ordinary explanations of the argument of the Republic, imagines himself to have found the true argument 'in the representation of human life in a State perfected by justice, and governed according to the idea of good.'

Ainsi Stallbaum, qui n'est pas satisfait des explications ordinaires de l'argument de la République, s'imagine avoir trouvé le véritable argument « dans la représentation de la vie humaine dans un État perfectionné par la justice et gouverné selon l'idée du bien ».

There may be some use in such general descriptions, but they can hardly be said to express the design of the writer.

Ces descriptions générales peuvent avoir quelque utilité, mais on ne peut guère dire qu'elles expriment le dessein de l'écrivain.

The truth is, that we may as well speak of many designs as of one; nor need anything be excluded from the plan of a great work to which the mind is naturally led by the association of ideas, and which does not interfere with the general purpose.

La vérité est que nous pouvons tout aussi bien parler de nombreux desseins que d'un seul ; et rien ne doit être exclu du plan d'une grande œuvre vers lequel l'esprit est naturellement conduit par l'association des idées, et qui n'interfère pas avec l'objectif général.

What kind or degree of unity is to be sought after in a building, in the plastic arts, in poetry, in prose, is a problem which has to be determined relatively to the subject-matter.

Quel type ou degré d'unité doit être recherché dans un bâtiment, dans les arts plastiques, dans la poésie, dans la prose, est un problème qui doit être déterminé relativement au sujet traité.

Vocabulary

Or: Conjunction introducing a new point or contrast
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
les: Definite plural article meaning 'the'
écrits: Written works or texts; writings
anciens: Old, ancient, or from earlier times
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'
en: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'in a state of'
effet: Effect; result; 'en effet' means 'indeed'
la: Definite singular feminine article meaning 'the'
littérature: Literature; body of written works
général: General; broad; not specific
il: Personal pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'
reste: Remains; stays; is left over
souvent: Adverb meaning 'often' or 'frequently'
un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
large: Wide, broad, or large in scope
élément: Element; component; part of a whole
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
n'était: Negative imperfect of 'être'; was not
pas: Negation particle used with 'ne' to mean 'not'
compris: Understood; included; past participle of 'comprendre'
le: Definite singular masculine article meaning 'the'
dessein: Intention; plan; purpose; design
original: Original; initial; from the beginning
Car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
plan: Plan; outline; scheme; structure
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'
développe: Develops; expands; unfolds over time
sous: Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
main: Hand; 'sous la main' means under one's hand
de: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
l'auteur: The author; the writer of a work
nouvelles: New (feminine plural); also short stories
pensées: Thoughts; ideas; reflections
lui: Personal pronoun meaning 'to him/her' or 'him'
viennent: Come; arrive; third person plural of 'venir'
au: Contraction of 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'
cours: Course; flow; 'au cours de' means during
l'écriture: Writing; the act or process of writing
n'a: Negative form of 'avoir'; has not
élaboré: Elaborated; developed in detail; worked out
l'argument: The argument; the line of reasoning
jusqu'au: Until the; up to; as far as the
bout: End; tip; extremity; conclusion
avant: Before; prior to; in advance of
commencer: To begin; to start; to commence
Le: Definite singular masculine article meaning 'the'
lecteur: Reader; one who reads a text
cherche: Seeks; looks for; tries to find
à: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'for'
trouver: To find; to discover; to locate
une: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
idée: Idea; concept; thought; notion
unique: Unique; single; one of a kind
laquelle: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (feminine singular)
l'ensemble: The whole; the entirety; the overall set
puisse: Subjunctive form of 'pouvoir'; may be able
être: To be; fundamental verb of existence
conçu: Conceived; designed; understood as a whole
doit: Must; has to; third person singular of 'devoir'
nécessairement: Necessarily; inevitably; of necessity
saisir: To grasp; to seize; to understand firmly
plus: More; most; used in comparatives and superlatives
vague: Vague; imprecise; unclear in meaning
générale: General; broad; feminine form of 'général'
Ainsi: Thus; so; in this way; therefore
n'est: Negative form of 'être'; is not
satisfait: Satisfied; content; pleased with something
des: Partitive or plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'
explications: Explanations; interpretations; clarifications
ordinaires: Ordinary; common; usual; not exceptional
République: Republic; refers to Plato's famous dialogue
s'imagine: Imagines oneself; believes; thinks reflexively
avoir: To have; auxiliary and lexical verb
trouvé: Found; discovered; past participle of 'trouver'
véritable: True; real; genuine; authentic
représentation: Representation; depiction; portrayal of something
vie: Life; existence; way of living
humaine: Human; relating to humanity; feminine form
État: State; nation; political entity or government
perfectionné: Perfected; improved; brought to highest standard
par: By; through; by means of
justice: Justice; fairness; legal or moral rightness
gouverné: Governed; ruled; administered by authority
selon: According to; in accordance with
l'idée: The idea; the concept; the notion
du: Contraction of 'de le' meaning 'of the'
bien: Good; well; the concept of goodness or virtue
Ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'
descriptions: Descriptions; accounts; depictions of something
générales: General; broad; feminine plural of 'général'
peuvent: Can; are able to; third plural of 'pouvoir'
quelque: Some; a little; a certain amount of
utilité: Usefulness; utility; practical value or benefit
mais: But; however; conjunction introducing contrast
on: One; we; people; indefinite subject pronoun
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas' or alone
peut: Can; is able to; third singular of 'pouvoir'
guère: Hardly; scarcely; barely; used in negation
dire: To say; to tell; to express in words
qu'elles: That they; contraction before feminine plural pronoun
expriment: Express; convey; represent the thought of someone
l'écrivain: The writer; the author; a literary person
La: Definite singular feminine article meaning 'the'
vérité: Truth; reality; what is true or accurate
est: Is; third person singular of 'être'
que: That; which; conjunction or relative pronoun
nous: We; us; first person plural pronoun
pouvons: Can; are able to; first plural of 'pouvoir'
tout: All; every; completely; entirely
aussi: Also; too; likewise; as well
parler: To speak; to talk; to discuss a topic
nombreux: Numerous; many; a large number of
desseins: Plans; intentions; purposes; plural of 'dessein'
d'un: Contraction of 'de un' meaning 'of a'
seul: Single; alone; only one; solitary
rien: Nothing; not anything; used in negation
exclu: Excluded; left out; not included
d'une: Contraction of 'de une' meaning 'of a' (feminine)
grande: Great; large; important; feminine of 'grand'
œuvre: Work; artistic or literary creation
vers: Toward; towards; in the direction of
lequel: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (masculine singular)
l'esprit: The mind; the spirit; the intellect
naturellement: Naturally; in a natural or expected way
conduit: Leads; guides; conducts toward something
l'association: The association; the linking; the connection of things
idées: Ideas; thoughts; concepts; plural of 'idée'
n'interfère: Does not interfere; does not meddle or disrupt
avec: With; together with; in the company of
l'objectif: The objective; the goal; the aim or purpose
Quel: What; which; interrogative adjective masculine singular
type: Type; kind; category; sort of thing
ou: Or; conjunction indicating an alternative choice
degré: Degree; level; extent; measure of something
d'unité: Of unity; of oneness; of cohesion
recherché: Sought; desired; looked for; sought after
bâtiment: Building; structure; architectural construction
arts: Arts; creative disciplines; plural of 'art'
plastiques: Plastic; visual; relating to visual or fine arts
poésie: Poetry; the art of writing verse
prose: Prose; ordinary written language; non-verse writing
problème: Problem; issue; question to be resolved
déterminé: Determined; defined; fixed; established precisely
relativement: Relatively; in relation to something else
sujet: Subject; topic; theme being discussed or treated
traité: Treated; dealt with; handled; also a treatise

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