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]
Les tactiques employées dans la conquête et le comportement ultérieur des conquérants étaient fidèles à la vieille nature espagnole, si succinctement caractérisée par un Anglais au franc-parler du règne de Marie, lorsque le cri de guerre de Castille faisait le tour du globe et planait même de façon menaçante près de « l'île au sceptre », lorsque dans l'ivresse du pouvoir le caractère se dessine avec une telle netteté : « Ils sont fort sages et politiques, et peuvent, par leur sagesse, réformer et brider leur propre nature pour un temps, et adapter leurs dispositions aux mœurs de ceux avec lesquels ils se mêlent volontiers par amitié ; dont les manières pernicieuses un homme ne connaîtra jamais jusqu'à ce qu'il tombe sous leur sujétion ; mais alors il les percevra et les ressentira parfaitement : car dans les dissimulations jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient atteint leurs fins, et ensuite dans l'oppression et la tyrannie, lorsqu'ils peuvent les obtenir, ils surpassent toutes les autres nations sur la terre. » [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.
Dans la mise en œuvre de cet esprit, avec tout le courage indomptable et l'ardeur fanatique tirés des longues luttes contre les Maures, ils soumirent les peuples indigènes, mais sans leur imposer toutefois le joug humiliant qu'ils attachèrent aux aborigènes d'Amérique, pour faire briller un Las Casas au milieu de la horde des Pizarros.
Vocabulary
- tactiques
- tak-teek — Strategies or methods used to achieve a goal.
- employées
- ahm-plwah-yay — Used or applied, past participle of 'employer'.
- conquête
- kon-ket — The act of conquering a territory or people.
- comportement
- kom-por-tuh-mahn — The way a person or group behaves.
- ultérieur
- ul-tay-ryur — Coming later or afterward; subsequent.
- conquérants
- kon-kay-rahn — Those who conquer; conquerors of lands or peoples.
- fidèles
- fee-del — Loyal or faithful to something or someone.
- vieille
- vyay — Feminine adjective meaning old or aged.
- nature
- nah-tur — The innate character or essence of something.
- espagnole
- es-pan-yol — Adjective meaning Spanish; relating to Spain.
- succinctement
- suk-sankt-mahn — In a brief and concise manner.
- caractérisée
- kah-rak-tay-ree-zay — Described or defined by particular traits.
- Anglais
- ahn-gleh — An English person; relating to England.
- franc-parler
- frahn par-lay — The habit of speaking openly and candidly.
- règne
- ren-yuh — The period during which a monarch rules.
- lorsque
- lor-skuh — Conjunction meaning 'when' or 'at the time that'.
- cri
- kree — A shout or cry; a battle cry.
- guerre
- gair — Armed conflict between groups or nations; war.
- Castille
- kas-tee — Historical kingdom in central Spain.
- tour
- toor — A circuit or round; a tour or turn.
- globe
- glob — The entire world or a spherical representation of it.
- planait
- plah-neh — Past imperfect of 'planer'; was hovering or gliding.
- même
- mem — Adverb or adjective meaning 'even' or 'same'.
- façon
- fah-sohn — A manner or way of doing something.
- menaçante
- muh-nah-sahnt — Threatening or menacing in character or appearance.
- près
- preh — Preposition or adverb meaning 'near' or 'close'.
- l'île
- leel — The island; 'île' preceded by elided article.
- sceptre
- sep-truh — A ceremonial staff symbolizing royal authority.
- l'ivresse
- lee-vres — The state of intoxication or overwhelming excitement.
- pouvoir
- poo-vwahr — Power or authority; also the verb 'to be able'.
- caractère
- kah-rak-tair — The distinctive nature or personality of someone.
- dessine
- duh-seen — Takes shape or is drawn; present tense of 'dessiner'.
- telle
- tel — Feminine adjective meaning 'such' or 'like this'.
- netteté
- net-tay — Clarity or sharpness; precision in outline or expression.
- fort
- for — Adverb meaning 'very' or 'greatly'; also strong.
- sages
- sahj — Wise or prudent; showing good judgment.
- politiques
- po-lee-teek — Politically astute or relating to politics.
- sagesse
- sah-jes — Wisdom; the quality of being wise or judicious.
- réformer
- ray-for-may — To reform or reshape one's behavior or character.
- brider
- bree-day — To bridle or restrain; to curb one's impulses.
- propre
- pro-pruh — Own; also clean or proper.
- temps
- tahn — Time; also weather in certain contexts.
- adapter
- ah-dap-tay — To adjust or adapt to new circumstances.
- dispositions
- dee-spo-zee-syohn — Natural tendencies or arrangements of character.
- mœurs
- mur — Customs, morals, or social habits of a group.
- ceux
- suh — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'the ones'.
- lesquels
- leh-kel — Relative pronoun meaning 'whom' or 'which'.
- mêlent
- mel — Mix or mingle; third person plural of 'mêler'.
- volontiers
- vo-lohn-tyay — Willingly or gladly; with pleasure.
- amitié
- ah-mee-tyay — Friendship; a close and friendly relationship.
- dont
- dohn — Relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'whose'.
- manières
- mah-nyair — Manners or ways of behaving in society.
- pernicieuses
- pair-nee-syuz — Harmful or destructive in a subtle or gradual way.
- homme
- om — A man; also used to mean 'person' or 'one'.
- connaîtra
- ko-neh-trah — Will know or come to know; future of 'connaître'.
- jamais
- zhah-meh — Never; or ever in a negative construction.
- jusqu'à
- zhüs-kah — Until or up to a point in time or space.
- tombe
- tohm — Falls into; present subjunctive of 'tomber'.
- sous
- soo — Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'.
- sujétion
- sü-zhay-syohn — Subjection; the state of being under another's control.
- alors
- ah-lor — Then; at that time or in that case.
- percevra
- pair-suh-vrah — Will perceive or notice; future of 'percevoir'.
- ressentira
- ruh-sahn-tee-rah — Will feel or experience; future of 'ressentir'.
- parfaitement
- par-fet-mahn — Perfectly; in a complete or thorough manner.
- car
- kar — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
- dissimulations
- dee-see-mü-lah-syohn — Acts of concealing the truth; deceptions or pretenses.
- atteint
- ah-tan — Reached or achieved; past participle of 'atteindre'.
- fins
- fan — Ends or goals; purposes aimed at.
- ensuite
- ahn-süeet — Then; afterward or next in sequence.
- l'oppression
- lo-preh-syohn — The cruel exercise of authority over others.
- tyrannie
- tee-rah-nee — Cruel and oppressive government or rule.
- obtenir
- ob-tuh-neer — To obtain or get something desired.
- surpassent
- sür-pas — Surpass or exceed; third person plural of 'surpasser'.
- toutes
- toot — All; feminine plural of 'tout'.
- autres
- oh-truh — Others; the rest or different ones.
- nations
- nah-syohn — Countries or peoples sharing culture and territory.
- terre
- tair — Earth or land; the ground or soil.
- mise
- meez — Implementation or application; putting into action.
- œuvre
- uv-ruh — Work or endeavor; the product of effort.
- esprit
- es-pree — Spirit or mind; intellectual or moral disposition.
- tout
- too — All or every; the whole of something.
- courage
- koo-rahj — Bravery in the face of danger or difficulty.
- indomptable
- an-dohm-tah-bluh — Impossible to tame or subdue; unconquerable.
- l'ardeur
- lar-dur — Intense enthusiasm, passion, or fervor.
- fanatique
- fah-nah-teek — Extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or devotion.
- tirés
- tee-ray — Drawn or derived from; past participle of 'tirer'.
- longues
- lohng — Long in duration; feminine plural of 'long'.
- luttes
- lüt — Struggles or fights; conflicts over time.
- contre
- kohn-truh — Preposition meaning 'against'.
- Maures
- mor — Moors; Muslim inhabitants of medieval Iberia.
- soumirent
- soo-meer — Subjugated or submitted; simple past of 'soumettre'.
- peuples
- puh-pluh — Peoples or nations; groups sharing identity.
- indigènes
- an-dee-zhen — Indigenous or native people of a region.
- sans
- sahn — Preposition meaning 'without'.
- imposer
- an-po-zay — To impose or force upon someone.
- toutefois
- toot-fwah — Nevertheless or however; indicating a contrast.
- joug
- zhoog — A yoke; a symbol of oppressive control.
- humiliant
- ü-mee-lyahn — Humiliating; causing shame or loss of dignity.
- attachèrent
- ah-tah-shair — Attached or bound; simple past of 'attacher'.
- aborigènes
- ah-bo-ree-zhen — Aboriginal peoples; original inhabitants of a territory.
- faire
- fair — To do or to make; a core French infinitive.
- briller
- bree-yay — To shine or stand out; to excel.
- milieu
- mee-lyuh — The middle or surrounding environment; context.
- horde
- ord — A large disorganized group; a swarm or mob.
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