The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 5
The tactics employed in the conquest and the subsequent behavior of the conquerors were true to the old Spanish nature, so succinctly characterized by a plain-spoken Englishman of Mary's reign, when the war-cry of Castile encircled the globe and even hovered ominously near the "sceptered isle," when in the intoxication of power character stands out so sharply defined: "They be verye wyse and politicke, and can, thorowe ther wysdome, reform and brydell theyr owne natures for a tyme, and applye ther conditions to the manners of those men with whom they meddell gladlye by friendshippe; whose mischievous maners a man shall never know untyll he come under ther subjection; but then shall he parfectlye parceve and fele them: for in dissimulations untyll they have ther purposes, and afterwards in oppression and tyrannye, when they can obtain them, they do exceed all other nations upon the earthe." [1]
Las tácticas empleadas en la conquista y el comportamiento posterior de los conquistadores eran fieles a la vieja naturaleza española, caracterizada tan sucintamente por un inglés de habla llana del reinado de María, cuando el grito de guerra de Castilla rodeaba el globo e incluso se cernía amenazadoramente cerca de la «isla con cetro», cuando en la embriaguez del poder el carácter se manifiesta tan nítidamente definido: «They be verye wyse and politicke, and can, thorowe ther wysdome, reform and brydell theyr owne natures for a tyme, and applye ther conditions to the manners of those men with whom they meddell gladlye by friendshippe; whose mischievous maners a man shall never know untyll he come under ther subjection; but then shall he parfectlye parceve and fele them: for in dissimulations untyll they have ther purposes, and afterwards in oppression and tyrannye, when they can obtain them, they do exceed all other nations upon the earthe.» [1]
In the working out of this spirit, with all the indomitable courage and fanatical ardor derived from the long contests with the Moors, they reduced the native peoples to submission, but still not to the galling yoke which they fastened upon the aborigines of America, to make one Las Casas shine amid the horde of Pizarros.
En la materialización de este espíritu, con todo el valor indomable y el ardor fanático derivados de las largas luchas contra los moros, sometieron a los pueblos nativos, aunque no hasta el yugo humillante que impusieron a los aborígenes de América, suficiente para hacer brillar a un Las Casas en medio de la horda de Pizarros.
Vocabulary
- tácticas
- Tactics; strategies or methods used to achieve goals
- empleadas
- Employed or used; applied to a situation or purpose
- conquista
- Conquest; the act of taking control by force
- comportamiento
- Behavior; the way a person or group acts
- posterior
- Later or subsequent; coming after in time or order
- conquistadores
- Conquerors; Spanish explorers who colonized the Americas
- eran
- Were; third-person plural imperfect form of 'ser'
- fieles
- Faithful or loyal; true to a particular nature or cause
- vieja
- Old; describing something or someone of advanced age
- naturaleza
- Nature; the inherent character or essence of something
- española
- Spanish; relating to Spain or its people and culture
- caracterizada
- Characterized; described by distinctive traits or features
- tan
- So or as; used in comparisons to indicate degree
- sucintamente
- Succinctly; expressed briefly and clearly without excess
- inglés
- English; relating to England or the English language
- habla
- Speech or language; also third-person singular of 'hablar'
- llana
- Plain or simple; straightforward and unadorned in style
- reinado
- Reign; the period during which a monarch rules
- cuando
- When; conjunction indicating time or circumstance
- grito
- Cry or shout; also past tense of 'gritar,' to shout
- guerra
- War; armed conflict between groups or nations
- Castilla
- Castile; historical kingdom and region of central Spain
- rodeaba
- Surrounded or encircled; imperfect tense of 'rodear'
- globo
- Globe; the entire world or a spherical representation of it
- incluso
- Even or including; used to emphasize an additional point
- cernía
- Hovered or loomed; imperfect tense of 'cernirse'
- amenazadoramente
- Threateningly; in a manner that poses danger or intimidation
- cerca
- Near or close; indicating proximity in space or time
- isla
- Island; a landmass surrounded entirely by water
- cetro
- Scepter; a ceremonial staff symbolizing royal authority
- embriaguez
- Intoxication or drunkenness; also figuratively, overwhelming excitement
- poder
- Power; the ability or authority to control or influence
- carácter
- Character; the set of qualities defining a person or group
- manifiesta
- Manifest or evident; clearly visible or obvious to observers
- nítidamente
- Clearly or sharply; in a precise and well-defined manner
- definido
- Defined; clearly described or outlined with precision
- materialización
- Materialization; the process of becoming real or concrete
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective or pronoun for nearby things
- espíritu
- Spirit; the non-physical essence or driving force of something
- todo
- All or every; indicating totality or completeness
- valor
- Valor or courage; bravery in the face of danger
- indomable
- Indomitable; impossible to subdue or overcome by force
- ardor
- Ardor; intense enthusiasm or passion for a cause
- fanático
- Fanatical; excessively zealous or extreme in one's beliefs
- derivados
- Derived; originating or resulting from a particular source
- largas
- Long; describing extended duration or great length
- luchas
- Struggles or fights; prolonged conflicts or battles
- contra
- Against; preposition indicating opposition or conflict
- moros
- Moors; Muslim inhabitants of medieval Iberian Peninsula
- sometieron
- Subjected or subdued; past tense of 'someter'
- pueblos
- Peoples or towns; communities or groups sharing culture
- nativos
- Natives; people indigenous to a particular region or land
- aunque
- Although or even though; conjunction expressing concession
- hasta
- Until or up to; indicating a limit in time or degree
- yugo
- Yoke; a symbol of oppression or burdensome subjugation
- humillante
- Humiliating; causing shame or a loss of dignity
- impusieron
- Imposed; past tense of 'imponer,' to force upon others
- aborígenes
- Aboriginals; the original or indigenous inhabitants of a region
- suficiente
- Sufficient or enough; adequate to meet a particular need
- hacer
- To make or do; a common versatile Spanish infinitive
- brillar
- To shine or stand out; to excel or be conspicuous
- medio
- Middle or half; also means 'means' or 'medium'
- horda
- Horde; a large, disorganized group acting aggressively
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