← The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere

The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 10

English → Pt Preface Level 6/10

Only with the passing of the years and the increase of wealth and influence, the ease and luxury invited by these, and the consequent corruption so induced, with the insatiable longing ever for more wealth and greater influence, did the poison of greed and grasping power enter the system to work its insidious way into every part, slowly transforming the beneficent institution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries into an incubus weighing upon all the activities of the people in the nineteenth, an unyielding bar to the development of the country, a hideous anachronism in these modern times.

Somente com o passar dos anos e o aumento da riqueza e da influência, a comodidade e o luxo por estes convidados, e a consequente corrupção assim induzida, com o anseio insaciável sempre por mais riqueza e maior influência, é que o veneno da ganância e do poder opressor penetrou no sistema para abrir seu caminho insidioso em cada parte, transformando lentamente a benéfica instituição dos séculos XVI e XVII num íncubo que pesava sobre todas as atividades do povo no século XIX, uma barreira inflexível ao desenvolvimento do país, um horrendo anacronismo nestes tempos modernos.

It must be remembered also that Spain, in the years following her brilliant conquests of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, lost strength and vigor through the corruption at home induced by the unearned wealth that flowed into the mother country from the colonies, and by the draining away of her best blood.

Deve-se lembrar também que a Espanha, nos anos que se seguiram às suas brilhantes conquistas dos séculos XV e XVI, perdeu força e vigor pela corrupção interna induzida pela riqueza imerecida que fluía das colônias para a metrópole, e pelo escoamento de seu melhor sangue.

Nor did her sons ever develop that economic spirit which is the permanent foundation of all empire, but they let the wealth of the Indies flow through their country, principally to London and Amsterdam, there to form in more practical hands the basis of the British and Dutch colonial empires.

Tampouco seus filhos desenvolveram alguma vez aquele espírito econômico que é a base permanente de todo império, mas deixaram que a riqueza das Índias fluísse pelo seu país, principalmente para Londres e Amsterdã, ali para formar em mãos mais práticas a base dos impérios coloniais britânico e holandês.

The priest and the soldier were supreme, so her best sons took up either the cross or the sword to maintain her dominion in the distant colonies, a movement which, long continued, spelled for her a form of national suicide.

O sacerdote e o soldado eram supremos, de modo que seus melhores filhos abraçavam ou a cruz ou a espada para manter seu domínio nas distantes colônias, um movimento que, prolongado por longo tempo, representou para ela uma forma de suicídio nacional.

Vocabulary

Somente
Only; exclusively; merely
com
With; accompanied by
passar
To pass; to go by; to spend time
dos
Of the; from the (plural)
anos
Years; ages
aumento
Increase; growth; rise
da
Of the; from the (feminine singular)
riqueza
Wealth; richness; abundance
influência
Influence; effect; power
comodidade
Comfort; convenience; ease
luxo
Luxury; elegance; extravagance
por
By; through; for; per
estes
These; these ones (masculine plural)
convidados
Guests; invited people
consequente
Consequent; resulting; following logically
corrupção
Corruption; decay; moral degradation
assim
Thus; so; in this way; therefore
induzida
Induced; caused; brought about
anseio
Yearning; longing; desire; craving
insaciável
Insatiable; never satisfied; unquenchable
sempre
Always; ever; continually
mais
More; greater; additional; plus
maior
Greater; larger; biggest
que
That; which; who; than
veneno
Poison; venom; toxin
ganância
Greed; avarice; covetousness
do
Of the; from the (masculine singular)
poder
Power; strength; ability; authority
opressor
Oppressor; tyrant; one who oppresses
penetrou
Penetrated; entered; pierced through
no
In the; on the (masculine singular)
sistema
System; structure; organization
para
For; to; in order to; towards
abrir
To open; to unlock; to commence
seu
His; her; its; your (formal)
caminho
Path; way; road; journey
insidioso
Insidious; treacherous; subtle and harmful
em
In; on; at; inside
cada
Each; every; one by one
parte
Part; portion; piece; role
transformando
Transforming; converting; changing; altering
lentamente
Slowly; gradually; at slow pace
benéfica
Beneficial; advantageous; favorable
instituição
Institution; establishment; organization; foundation
séculos
Centuries; ages; long periods of time
XVI
Sixteenth; Roman numeral 16
XVII
Seventeenth; Roman numeral 17
num
In a; into a (contraction)
pesava
Weighed; was heavy; burdened
sobre
On; over; about; upon
todas
All; every; everything (feminine plural)
as
The (feminine plural); these
atividades
Activities; actions; operations; undertakings
povo
People; population; nation; folk
século
Century; age; long period of time
XIX
Nineteenth; Roman numeral 19
uma
A; an; one (feminine singular)
barreira
Barrier; obstacle; wall; blockade
inflexível
Inflexible; rigid; unyielding; unbending
ao
To the; at the (masculine singular)
desenvolvimento
Development; progress; growth; advancement
país
Country; nation; land
um
A; an; one (masculine singular)
horrendo
Horrible; horrendous; dreadful; appalling
anacronismo
Anachronism; thing out of proper time
nestes
In these; on these (masculine plural)
tempos
Times; periods; ages; eras
modernos
Modern; contemporary; recent; up-to-date
Deve-se
One should; must; ought to be
lembrar
To remember; to recall; to remind
também
Also; too; as well; besides
Espanha
Spain; European country
nos
Us; ourselves; in us
se
If; whether; oneself (reflexive)
seguiram
Followed; came after; succeeded
às
To the; at the (feminine plural)
suas
His; her; their; its (feminine plural)
brilhantes
Brilliant; shining; splendid; outstanding
conquistas
Conquests; victories; achievements; acquisitions
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