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:
Dans un rapport rédigé pour son supérieur en 1680, il décrit clairement la méthode :
"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;
« Afin que ceux que nous avons rassemblés dans les trois villages persévèrent dans leurs établissements, la crainte la plus efficace et la plus adaptée à leur nature est que les Espagnols du fort et du presidio de Paynaven [2], dont ils ont une très grande peur, viennent très souvent auxdits villages, parcourent le territoire et pénètrent même dans leurs anciens refuges où ils vivaient autrefois ;
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.
et si par hasard ils trouvaient quoi que ce soit de planté dans lesdits refuges, qu'ils le détruisent et le coupent sans leur en laisser quoi que ce soit.
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.
Et afin qu'ils voient que le père les protège, lorsque lesdits Espagnols viennent au village, le père s'oppose à eux et prend le parti des Indiens.
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 ....
Mais il est toujours nécessaire en cette matière que les soldats l'emportent, et le père prend toujours grand soin d'informer les Espagnols par qui et où quelque chose est planté qu'il pourrait être nécessaire de détruire, et que les édits que Son Excellence, le gouverneur, leur a envoyés soient exécutés….
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."
Mais en tout état de cause, lesdits Espagnols ne doivent causer aucun ennui aux Indiens qu'ils trouvent dans les villages, mais doivent au contraire les traiter avec bienveillance. »
Vocabulary
- Dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
- rapport
- A written report or account of something
- rédigé
- Written or drafted, past participle of rédiger
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
- son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
- supérieur
- A superior or person of higher authority
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in' often used with years
- il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- décrit
- Describes; third-person singular of décrire
- clairement
- Adverb meaning 'clearly' or 'plainly'
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' for feminine nouns
- méthode
- A method or systematic way of doing something
- Afin
- Conjunction used in 'afin que,' meaning 'so that'
- que
- Conjunction meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'than'
- ceux
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'those ones'
- nous
- First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'
- avons
- First-person plural of avoir meaning 'we have'
- rassemblés
- Gathered or assembled together, past participle
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'
- les
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'them'
- trois
- The number three
- villages
- Small rural settlements or communities
- persévèrent
- Persevere; third-person plural of persévérer
- leurs
- Possessive adjective meaning 'their'
- établissements
- Establishments or settlements, places set up
- crainte
- Fear or apprehension of something or someone
- plus
- More; used in comparisons or to indicate greater degree
- efficace
- Effective or efficient in achieving a result
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- adaptée
- Adapted or suited, feminine past participle of adapter
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
- leur
- Possessive adjective or pronoun meaning 'their' or 'them'
- nature
- Nature or inherent character of a person or thing
- est
- Third-person singular of être meaning 'is'
- Espagnols
- Spanish people or Spaniards
- du
- Contraction of de + le meaning 'of the'
- fort
- A military fortification or stronghold
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which,' 'whose,' or 'from which'
- ils
- Third-person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'
- ont
- Third-person plural of avoir meaning 'they have'
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
- très
- Adverb meaning 'very,' intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- grande
- Feminine adjective meaning 'great,' 'large,' or 'big'
- peur
- Fear; avoir peur means 'to be afraid'
- viennent
- Come; third-person plural of venir
- souvent
- Adverb meaning 'often' or 'frequently'
- parcourent
- Travel through or cover an area extensively
- le
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'it/him'
- territoire
- A territory or defined geographical area
- pénètrent
- Penetrate or enter forcefully into a place
- même
- Even; also means 'same' depending on context
- anciens
- Former or ancient; old places or people
- refuges
- Refuges or shelters used to hide or escape
- où
- Relative or interrogative adverb meaning 'where'
- vivaient
- Were living; imperfect tense of vivre
- autrefois
- Adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'in the past'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or adverb meaning 'so'
- par
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per'
- hasard
- Chance or luck; par hasard means 'by chance'
- trouvaient
- Were finding; imperfect tense of trouver
- quoi
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning 'what'
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'
- soit
- Subjunctive of être meaning 'be'; used in expressions
- planté
- Planted; past participle of planter, sown in ground
- qu'
- Shortened form of que before a vowel sound
- détruisent
- Destroy; third-person plural of détruire
- coupent
- Cut; third-person plural of couper
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- laisser
- To leave or to let; infinitive verb
- Et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- afin
- Used in afin que/de meaning 'so that/in order to'
- voient
- See; third-person plural subjunctive or indicative of voir
- père
- Father; here likely referring to a missionary priest
- protège
- Protects; third-person singular of protéger
- lorsque
- Conjunction meaning 'when' at a specific moment
- au
- Contraction of à + le meaning 'at the' or 'to the'
- village
- A small rural settlement or community
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun se shortened before a vowel
- oppose
- Opposes or stands against; from s'opposer
- eux
- Disjunctive pronoun meaning 'them' or 'they'
- prend
- Takes; third-person singular of prendre
- parti
- Side or party; prendre parti means 'to take sides'
- des
- Partial article or contraction meaning 'of the' or 'some'
- Indiens
- Indigenous people referred to as Indians historically
- Mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but'
- toujours
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'
- nécessaire
- Necessary or essential; required for a purpose
- cette
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' for feminine nouns
- matière
- Matter or subject; en cette matière means 'in this regard'
- soldats
- Soldiers or military personnel
- l'
- Definite article le/la shortened before a vowel
- emportent
- Carry away or prevail; third-person plural of emporter
- grand
- Adjective meaning 'great,' 'large,' or 'big'
- soin
- Care or attention; prendre soin means 'to take care'
- d'
- Preposition de shortened before a vowel
- informer
- To inform or notify someone about something
- qui
- Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'any'
- chose
- Thing; quelque chose means 'something'
- pourrait
- Could; conditional tense of pouvoir
- être
- To be; the infinitive of the verb être
- détruire
- To destroy or demolish something completely
- édits
- Edicts or official decrees issued by authority
- Son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
- Excellence
- A title of respect for high-ranking officials
- gouverneur
- Governor; a high-ranking administrative official
- a
- Third-person singular of avoir meaning 'has'
- envoyés
- Sent; past participle of envoyer
- soient
- Subjunctive plural of être meaning 'be'
- exécutés
- Executed or carried out; past participle of exécuter
- tout
- All or every; can mean 'entirely' as adverb
- état
- State or condition; en tout état de cause means 'in any case'
- cause
- Cause or reason; en tout état de cause means 'regardless'
- ne
- Negative particle used with pas, jamais, rien, etc.
- doivent
- Must or owe; third-person plural of devoir
- causer
- To cause or bring about something
- aucun
- No or none; used in negative constructions
- ennui
- Trouble or annoyance; also means boredom
- aux
- Contraction of à + les meaning 'to the' or 'at the'
- trouvent
- Find; third-person plural of trouver
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but'
- contraire
- Opposite or contrary; au contraire means 'on the contrary'
- traiter
- To treat or deal with someone in a certain way
- avec
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- bienveillance
- Benevolence or kindness toward others
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