The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 4
There was no organized priesthood to be overcome, the primitive religious observances consisting almost entirely of occasional orgies presided over by an old woman, who filled the priestly offices of interpreter for the unseen powers and chief eater at the sacrificial feast.
Il n'y avait pas de clergé organisé à surmonter, les pratiques religieuses primitives consistant presque entièrement en des orgies occasionnelles présidées par une vieille femme, qui remplissait les fonctions sacerdotales d'interprète des puissances invisibles et de principale mangeuse au festin sacrificiel.
With their unflagging zeal, their organization, their elaborate forms and ceremonies, the missionaries were enabled to win the confidence of the natives, especially as the greater part of them learned the local language and identified their lives with the communities under their care.
Avec leur zèle infatigable, leur organisation, leurs formes et cérémonies élaborées, les missionnaires furent en mesure de gagner la confiance des indigènes, d'autant plus que la plus grande partie d'entre eux apprit la langue locale et identifia leur vie avec les communautés dont ils avaient la charge.
Accordingly, the people took kindly to their new teachers and rulers, so that in less than a generation Spanish authority was generally recognized in the settled portions of the Philippines, and in the succeeding years the missionaries gradually extended this area by forming settlements from among the wilder peoples, whom they persuaded to abandon the more objectionable features of their old roving, often predatory, life and to group themselves into towns and villages "under the bell."
Ainsi, le peuple accueillit favorablement ses nouveaux maîtres et dirigeants, de sorte qu'en moins d'une génération l'autorité espagnole fut généralement reconnue dans les parties peuplées des Philippines, et au cours des années suivantes les missionnaires étendirent progressivement ce territoire en formant des établissements parmi les peuples les plus sauvages, qu'ils persuadèrent d'abandonner les aspects les plus répréhensibles de leur ancienne vie nomade, souvent prédatrice, et de se regrouper en bourgs et en villages « sous la cloche ».
Vocabulary
- avait
- Past imperfect of 'avoir', meaning 'there was/were'
- clergé
- The clergy; organized body of religious ministers
- organisé
- Adjective meaning structured or formally arranged
- surmonter
- To overcome or surmount an obstacle or challenge
- pratiques
- Practices; habitual or customary actions or rituals
- religieuses
- Adjective meaning religious or relating to religion
- primitives
- Adjective meaning primitive, early, or rudimentary
- consistant
- Present participle of 'consister', meaning consisting of
- presque
- Adverb meaning almost or nearly
- entièrement
- Adverb meaning entirely or completely
- orgies
- Orgies; excessive indulgent or unrestrained celebrations
- occasionnelles
- Adjective meaning occasional or happening sometimes
- présidées
- Past participle of 'présider', meaning presided over
- vieille
- Adjective meaning old, referring to a woman
- remplissait
- Imperfect of 'remplir', meaning fulfilled or performed
- fonctions
- Functions; roles or duties performed by someone
- sacerdotales
- Adjective meaning priestly or relating to priesthood
- interprète
- Interpreter; one who explains or mediates meanings
- puissances
- Powers; forces or authorities, often supernatural
- invisibles
- Adjective meaning invisible or unseen
- principale
- Adjective meaning principal or main
- mangeuse
- Female eater; one who eats, often in excess
- festin
- Feast; a large ceremonial or celebratory meal
- sacrificiel
- Adjective meaning sacrificial or relating to sacrifice
- zèle
- Zeal; great enthusiasm or dedication to a cause
- infatigable
- Adjective meaning tireless or inexhaustible in effort
- organisation
- Organization; structured arrangement or system
- formes
- Forms; shapes or structured expressions of something
- cérémonies
- Ceremonies; formal rituals or official events
- élaborées
- Adjective meaning elaborate or carefully developed
- missionnaires
- Missionaries; people sent to spread religious beliefs
- furent
- Simple past of 'être', meaning 'were'
- mesure
- Measure; ability or means to do something
- gagner
- To gain, win, or earn something
- confiance
- Trust or confidence placed in someone
- indigènes
- Indigenous people; native inhabitants of a region
- autant
- Adverb meaning 'as much' or 'as many'
- partie
- Part or portion of a whole
- apprit
- Simple past of 'apprendre', meaning learned
- langue
- Language; a system of communication
- locale
- Adjective meaning local or of a particular area
- identifia
- Simple past of 'identifier', meaning identified with
- communautés
- Communities; groups of people living together
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'whose'
- avaient
- Imperfect of 'avoir', meaning 'they had'
- charge
- Responsibility or care over someone or something
- Ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus' or 'in this way'
- peuple
- The people; a population or nation
- accueillit
- Simple past of 'accueillir', meaning welcomed or received
- favorablement
- Adverb meaning favorably or in a positive manner
- maîtres
- Masters; those in authority or command over others
- dirigeants
- Leaders or rulers; those who direct or govern
- sorte
- Sort or kind; used in expressions like 'in such a way'
- moins
- Adverb meaning 'less' or 'fewer'
- génération
- Generation; a group of people born around the same time
- autorité
- Authority; power or right to give orders
- espagnole
- Adjective meaning Spanish (feminine)
- généralement
- Adverb meaning generally or in most cases
- reconnue
- Past participle of 'reconnaître', meaning recognized or acknowledged
- parties
- Parts or regions of a territory or area
- peuplées
- Adjective meaning populated or inhabited
- Philippines
- The Philippines; an archipelago nation in Southeast Asia
- cours
- Course; in 'au cours de', meaning during or throughout
- suivantes
- Adjective meaning following or subsequent
- étendirent
- Simple past of 'étendre', meaning extended or spread
- progressivement
- Adverb meaning progressively or gradually over time
- territoire
- Territory; a geographic area under particular authority
- formant
- Present participle of 'former', meaning forming or establishing
- établissements
- Establishments; settlements or institutions set up somewhere
- parmi
- Preposition meaning 'among' or 'amongst'
- peuples
- Peoples; distinct ethnic or cultural groups
- sauvages
- Adjective meaning wild, savage, or uncivilized
- persuadèrent
- Simple past of 'persuader', meaning persuaded or convinced
- abandonner
- To abandon or give up something
- aspects
- Aspects; particular features or elements of something
- répréhensibles
- Adjective meaning reprehensible or blameworthy
- ancienne
- Adjective meaning ancient, former, or old
- nomade
- Nomadic; relating to wandering or unsettled lifestyle
- souvent
- Adverb meaning often or frequently
- prédatrice
- Adjective meaning predatory or exploitative (feminine)
- regrouper
- To regroup or gather together in one place
- bourgs
- Market towns or small towns in France
- cloche
- Bell; a bell-shaped object, often a church bell
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