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]
As táticas empregadas na conquista e o comportamento subsequente dos conquistadores eram fiéis à velha natureza espanhola, tão sucintamente caracterizada por um inglês de fala direta do reinado de Maria, quando o grito de guerra de Castela circundava o globo e pairava de forma ameaçadora sobre a "ilha coroada", quando na embriaguez do poder o caráter se revela tão nitidamente definido: "São muito sábios e políticos, e podem, através de sua sabedoria, reformar e refrear suas próprias naturezas por um tempo, e adaptar suas condições aos modos daqueles homens com quem de bom grado se relacionam pela amizade; cujos modos perniciosos jamais se conhecerão até que se caia sob sua sujeição; mas então se os perceberá e sentirá perfeitamente: pois em dissimulações até alcançarem seus propósitos, e depois em opressão e tirania, quando os podem obter, superam todas as outras nações da terra." [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.
Na manifestação desse espírito, com toda a coragem indomável e o ardor fanático derivados das longas lutas contra os mouros, reduziram os povos nativos à submissão, mas ainda não ao jugo opressivo que impuseram aos aborígenes da América, para fazer um Las Casas brilhar em meio à horda de Pizarros.
Vocabulary
- táticas
- Tactics; planned methods used to achieve a goal
- empregadas
- Employed; used or applied in a situation
- conquista
- Conquest; the act of defeating and taking control
- comportamento
- Behavior; the way a person or group acts
- subsequente
- Subsequent; coming after or following something else
- conquistadores
- Conquerors; Spanish or Portuguese colonial military leaders
- eram
- Were; past tense of 'ser' (to be)
- fiéis
- Faithful; loyal and true to something or someone
- velha
- Old; referring to something aged or long-established
- natureza
- Nature; inherent character or qualities of something
- espanhola
- Spanish; relating to Spain or its people
- tão
- So; to such a degree or extent
- sucintamente
- Succinctly; expressed briefly and clearly
- caracterizada
- Characterized; described by distinctive qualities or features
- inglês
- English; relating to England or its language
- fala
- Speech; the act of speaking or a manner of speaking
- direta
- Direct; straightforward and honest in communication
- reinado
- Reign; the period during which a monarch rules
- quando
- When; conjunction indicating time or condition
- grito
- Cry or shout; a loud vocalization or war cry
- guerra
- War; armed conflict between groups or nations
- Castela
- Castile; historical kingdom and region of Spain
- circundava
- Encircled; surrounded or went around something completely
- globo
- Globe; the world or a spherical representation of Earth
- pairava
- Hovered; floated or lingered threateningly above something
- forma
- Form or manner; the way something appears or is done
- ameaçadora
- Threatening; conveying danger or intent to harm
- sobre
- Over or about; preposition indicating position or topic
- ilha
- Island; a land mass surrounded by water
- coroada
- Crowned; having a crown or holding royal authority
- embriaguez
- Intoxication; state of being drunk or overwhelmed
- poder
- Power; ability, authority, or capacity to act
- caráter
- Character; the moral and psychological qualities of a person
- revela
- Reveals; makes known or discloses something hidden
- nitidamente
- Clearly; in a sharp, distinct, and evident manner
- definido
- Defined; clearly outlined or established in character
- São
- They are; third-person plural of 'ser' (to be)
- muito
- Very or much; indicating a high degree or quantity
- sábios
- Wise; having great knowledge, judgment, or experience
- políticos
- Politicians or political; relating to governance and power
- podem
- Can; third-person plural of 'poder' (to be able)
- através
- Through; by means of or across something
- sabedoria
- Wisdom; the quality of having experience and good judgment
- reformar
- To reform; to change or improve something fundamentally
- refrear
- To restrain; to hold back or control impulses or behavior
- próprias
- Own; belonging to oneself, emphasizing personal possession
- naturezas
- Natures; the inherent characters or dispositions of people
- tempo
- Time; the progression of events or a period
- adaptar
- To adapt; to adjust to new conditions or circumstances
- condições
- Conditions; circumstances or states affecting a situation
- modos
- Ways or manners; customs or styles of behavior
- daqueles
- Of those; contraction of 'de' and 'aqueles'
- homens
- Men; adult male human beings
- quem
- Whom or who; relative pronoun referring to people
- bom
- Good; having positive qualities or being satisfactory
- grado
- Will or pleasure; used in 'de bom grado' meaning willingly
- relacionam
- Relate; engage in social or friendly connections with others
- amizade
- Friendship; a close and caring relationship between people
- cujos
- Whose; relative possessive pronoun referring to people
- perniciosos
- Pernicious; harmful or destructive in a subtle way
- jamais
- Never; at no time, a strong negation
- conhecerão
- Will know; future tense of 'conhecer' (to know/meet)
- até
- Until or even; preposition indicating a limit or extent
- caia
- Falls; subjunctive of 'cair', to fall under something
- sob
- Under; preposition indicating being beneath or subject to
- sujeição
- Subjection; the state of being under someone's control
- mas
- But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- então
- Then; at that time or as a consequence
- perceberá
- Will perceive; future tense of 'perceber', to notice
- sentirá
- Will feel; future tense of 'sentir', to sense or feel
- perfeitamente
- Perfectly; in a complete and flawless manner
- pois
- For or because; conjunction explaining a reason
- dissimulações
- Dissimulations; acts of concealing true intentions or feelings
- alcançarem
- To reach or achieve; attaining goals through effort
- propósitos
- Purposes or goals; intended aims or objectives
- depois
- After or later; indicating a subsequent time or event
- opressão
- Oppression; unjust and cruel exercise of authority
- tirania
- Tyranny; cruel and oppressive rule over others
- obter
- To obtain; to gain or acquire something desired
- superam
- Surpass; exceed or go beyond others in something
- todas
- All; every one of a group, feminine plural form
- outras
- Other; different or additional ones in a group
- nações
- Nations; sovereign states or peoples with shared identity
- terra
- Earth or land; the ground or the world
- manifestação
- Manifestation; an outward display or expression of something
- desse
- Of this; contraction of 'de' and 'esse'
- espírito
- Spirit; the essence or character animating a group
- toda
- All or every; indicating totality in feminine singular
- coragem
- Courage; bravery and the ability to face danger
- indomável
- Indomitable; impossible to subdue or conquer
- ardor
- Ardor; intense passion, enthusiasm, or fervor
- fanático
- Fanatic; filled with extreme and uncritical zeal
- derivados
- Derived; originating or resulting from something else
- longas
- Long; extended in duration or distance, feminine plural
- lutas
- Struggles or fights; prolonged conflicts or battles
- contra
- Against; in opposition to someone or something
- mouros
- Moors; Muslim inhabitants of medieval Iberian Peninsula
- reduziram
- Reduced; brought down or forced into a lesser state
- povos
- Peoples; distinct groups sharing culture or ethnicity
- nativos
- Natives; people born in or indigenous to a place
- submissão
- Submission; the act of yielding to authority or control
- ainda
- Still or yet; indicating continuity or an additional point
- jugo
- Yoke; a symbol of oppressive domination or subjugation
- opressivo
- Oppressive; unjustly harsh and burdensome in nature
- impuseram
- Imposed; forced something upon others against their will
- aborígenes
- Aborigines; original indigenous inhabitants of a region
- fazer
- To make or do; a fundamental and common Portuguese verb
- brilhar
- To shine; to stand out brilliantly among others
- meio
- Middle or midst; among or in the center of something
- horda
- Horde; a large and often threatening group of people
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