The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 8
In a report written for his superior in 1680 he outlines the method clearly: "In order that those whom we have assembled in the three villages may persevere in their settlements, the most efficacious fear and the one most suited to their nature is that the Spaniards of the fort and presidio of Paynaven [2] of whom they have a very great fear, may come very often to the said villages and overrun the land, and penetrate even into their old recesses where they formerly lived; and if perchance they should find anything planted in the said recesses that they would destroy it and cut it down without leaving them anything.
En un informe escrito para su superior en 1680, describe el método con claridad: «Para que aquellos que hemos reunido en los tres pueblos perseveren en sus asentamientos, el temor más eficaz y el más adecuado a su naturaleza es que los españoles del fuerte y presidio de Paynaven [2], a quienes temen en gran medida, vengan con mucha frecuencia a dichos pueblos y recorran la tierra, y penetren incluso en sus antiguos refugios donde antes vivían; y si acaso encontraran algo plantado en dichos refugios, que lo destruyan y lo talen sin dejarles nada.
And so that they may see the father protects them, when the said Spaniards come to the village, the father opposes them and takes the part of the Indians.
Y para que vean que el padre los protege, cuando dichos españoles llegan al pueblo, el padre se les opone y toma partido por los indios.
But it is always necessary in this matter for the soldiers to conquer, and the father is always very careful always to inform the Spaniards by whom and where anything is planted which it may be necessary to destroy, and that the edicts which his Lordship, the governor, sent them be carried out ....
Pero en este asunto siempre es necesario que los soldados venzan, y el padre siempre tiene mucho cuidado de informar a los españoles sobre quién y dónde se ha plantado algo que pueda ser necesario destruir, y de que se cumplan los edictos que Su Señoría, el gobernador, les envió….
But at all events said Spaniards are to make no trouble for the Indians whom they find in the villages, but rather must treat them well."
Pero en todo caso, dichos españoles no deben causar ningún problema a los indios que encuentren en los pueblos, sino que, por el contrario, deben tratarlos bien.»
Vocabulary
- informe
- A formal written report or official document
- escrito
- Written; something composed in written form
- superior
- A person of higher rank or authority above someone
- describe
- To explain or depict something in words clearly
- método
- A systematic procedure or way of doing something
- claridad
- The quality of being clear, easy to understand
- aquellos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (people or things)
- reunido
- Past participle of reunir; gathered or brought together
- pueblos
- Villages, towns, or indigenous communities of people
- perseveren
- Subjunctive form; to persist or continue steadfastly
- asentamientos
- Settlements or established places where people live
- temor
- Fear or dread of something or someone threatening
- eficaz
- Effective; producing the desired result efficiently
- adecuado
- Appropriate, suitable, or adequate for a purpose
- naturaleza
- Nature; the inherent character or essence of something
- españoles
- Spaniards; people from Spain or of Spanish origin
- fuerte
- A military fort or fortified defensive structure
- presidio
- A Spanish colonial military garrison or fortified outpost
- quienes
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'those who'
- temen
- Third-person plural of 'temer'; they fear something
- medida
- Measure; extent or degree of something; a proportion
- vengan
- Subjunctive of 'venir'; that they come or arrive
- frecuencia
- Frequency; how often something happens or recurs
- dichos
- Said; the aforementioned; those previously mentioned people
- recorran
- Subjunctive of 'recorrer'; to travel through or patrol
- tierra
- Land, earth, or territory; ground beneath one's feet
- penetren
- Subjunctive of 'penetrar'; to enter deeply into somewhere
- incluso
- Adverb meaning 'even' or 'including,' adding emphasis
- antiguos
- Old, ancient, or former; relating to previous times
- refugios
- Refuges, shelters, or safe places where people hide
- vivían
- Imperfect of 'vivir'; they used to live somewhere
- acaso
- Perhaps, by chance; used in conditional or uncertain contexts
- encontraran
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'encontrar'; if they were to find
- plantado
- Past participle of plantar; something planted or cultivated
- destruyan
- Subjunctive of 'destruir'; that they destroy or demolish
- talen
- Subjunctive of 'talar'; to cut down or fell trees
- dejarles
- Infinitive 'dejar' plus pronoun; to leave them anything
- vean
- Subjunctive of 'ver'; that they see or observe
- padre
- Father; also used for a Catholic priest or friar
- protege
- Third-person singular of 'proteger'; he/she protects someone
- llegan
- Third-person plural of 'llegar'; they arrive at a place
- pueblo
- A town, village, or indigenous community settlement
- opone
- Third-person singular of 'oponerse'; he/she opposes or resists
- toma
- Third-person singular of 'tomar'; takes or takes sides
- partido
- Side or position taken in a dispute; a political party
- indios
- Historical term for indigenous or Native American people
- asunto
- Matter, issue, or affair requiring attention or action
- necesario
- Adjective meaning 'necessary' or 'required' for something
- soldados
- Soldiers; armed military personnel serving in an army
- venzan
- Subjunctive of 'vencer'; that they overcome or defeat
- cuidado
- Care, caution, or careful attention to something important
- informar
- To inform or report; to provide information to someone
- pueda
- Subjunctive of 'poder'; that one may or can do
- destruir
- To destroy, demolish, or completely ruin something
- cumplan
- Subjunctive of 'cumplir'; that they comply with or fulfill
- edictos
- Edicts; official orders or decrees issued by authority
- Señoría
- 'Your Lordship'; a formal title of address for officials
- gobernador
- A governor; the official ruler of a colonial territory
- envió
- Third-person singular preterite of 'enviar'; he/she sent
- caso
- Case, instance, or situation; 'en todo caso' means 'in any case'
- deben
- Third-person plural of 'deber'; they must or should do
- causar
- To cause, produce, or bring about a result or problem
- ningún
- Adjective meaning 'no,' 'not any,' negating a noun
- problema
- A problem, difficulty, or issue needing a solution
- encuentren
- Subjunctive of 'encontrar'; that they find or encounter
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather,' contrasting after negation
- contrario
- Opposite, contrary; 'al contrario' means 'on the contrary'
- tratarlos
- Infinitive 'tratar' plus pronoun; to treat them in some way
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