The Souls of Black Folk — Page 12

English → Pt Full Text Level 8/10

For the first time he sought to analyze the burden he bore upon his back, that dead-weight of social degradation partially masked behind a half-named Negro problem.

Pela primeira vez ele buscou analisar o fardo que carregava nas costas, aquele peso morto de degradação social parcialmente mascarado por trás de um problema negro apenas vagamente nomeado.

He felt his poverty; without a cent, without a home, without land, tools, or savings, he had entered into competition with rich, landed, skilled neighbors.

Ele sentiu sua pobreza; sem um centavo, sem um lar, sem terra, ferramentas ou poupança, havia entrado em competição com vizinhos ricos, proprietários de terras e habilidosos.

To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships.

Ser um homem pobre é difícil, mas ser uma raça pobre numa terra de dólares é o mais fundo de todas as penúrias.

He felt the weight of his ignorance,—not simply of letters, but of life, of business, of the humanities; the accumulated sloth and shirking and awkwardness of decades and centuries shackled his hands and feet.

Ele sentiu o peso de sua ignorância — não apenas das letras, mas da vida, dos negócios, das humanidades; a preguiça acumulada, a negligência e a torpeza de décadas e séculos acorrentavam suas mãos e seus pés.

Nor was his burden all poverty and ignorance.

Nem era seu fardo composto apenas de pobreza e ignorância.

The red stain of bastardy, which two centuries of systematic legal defilement of Negro women had stamped upon his race, meant not only the loss of ancient African chastity, but also the hereditary weight of a mass of corruption from white adulterers, threatening almost the obliteration of the Negro home.

A mancha vermelha da bastardia, que dois séculos de profanação legal sistemática das mulheres negras haviam imprimido sobre sua raça, significava não apenas a perda da antiga castidade africana, mas também o peso hereditário de uma massa de corrupção proveniente de adúlteros brancos, ameaçando quase que a obliteração do lar negro.

A people thus handicapped ought not to be asked to race with the world, but rather allowed to give all its time and thought to its own social problems.

Um povo assim prejudicado não deveria ser chamado a competir com o mundo, mas sim ser autorizado a dedicar todo o seu tempo e pensamento aos seus próprios problemas sociais.

But alas! while sociologists gleefully count his bastards and his prostitutes, the very soul of the toiling, sweating black man is darkened by the shadow of a vast despair.

Mas ai! enquanto sociólogos alegremente contam seus bastardos e suas prostitutas, a própria alma do homem negro que labuta e sua é ensombrecida pela sombra de um vasto desespero.

Vocabulary

Pela: Contraction of 'por' and 'a', meaning 'by the'
primeira: First, referring to the earliest occurrence of something
vez: Time or instance, as in 'first time'
ele: Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
buscou: Past tense of 'buscar'; sought or tried to do something
analisar: To analyze or examine something carefully and thoroughly
fardo: A burden or heavy load carried by someone
carregava: Imperfect tense of 'carregar'; was carrying or bearing something
nas: Contraction of 'em' and 'as', meaning 'in the' (feminine plural)
costas: Back of the body; also means 'backs' or 'coasts'
aquele: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (masculine, distant)
peso: Weight or heaviness; figuratively a burden or pressure
morto: Dead; also used figuratively as deadweight or inert
degradação: Degradation or decline in social or moral condition
social: Relating to society or social conditions and relationships
parcialmente: Partially or in part, not completely or fully
mascarado: Masked or disguised; hidden behind a false appearance
trás: Behind or in back of something; used in 'por trás'
problema: Problem or issue requiring attention or a solution
negro: Black; used as adjective or noun referring to race
apenas: Only, just, or merely; limiting scope or quantity
vagamente: Vaguely or in an unclear and imprecise manner
nomeado: Named or designated; given a specific label or title
sentiu: Past tense of 'sentir'; felt or perceived emotionally
pobreza: Poverty or the state of being extremely poor
sem: Preposition meaning 'without' lacking something entirely
centavo: Cent or penny; smallest unit of Brazilian currency
lar: Home or household; one's place of residence and belonging
terra: Land, earth, or soil; also means homeland or ground
ferramentas: Tools or instruments used for work or craftsmanship
poupança: Savings; money set aside for future use or security
havia: Past form of 'haver'; had or there had been
entrado: Past participle of 'entrar'; entered into a situation
competição: Competition or contest between parties for resources or status
vizinhos: Neighbors; people who live nearby or in proximity
ricos: Rich or wealthy; having abundant money or resources
proprietários: Owners or proprietors, especially of land or property
terras: Lands or territories; plural of 'terra' referring to land
habilidosos: Skilled or talented; having great ability and proficiency
Ser: To be; infinitive of the permanent state verb 'ser'
homem: Man or human being; adult male person
pobre: Poor; lacking financial resources or material wealth
difícil: Difficult or hard; not easy to accomplish or endure
mas: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast or exception
raça: Race or ethnic group; classification of people by origin
numa: Contraction of 'em' and 'uma', meaning 'in a' (feminine)
dólares: Dollars; unit of currency, especially American dollars
mais: More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree or quantity
fundo: Deep or bottom; also means fund in financial contexts
todas: All or every; feminine plural of 'todo'
penúrias: Hardships or dire deprivations; extreme poverty and suffering
ignorância: Ignorance; lack of knowledge, education, or awareness
letras: Letters of the alphabet; also literature or written knowledge
vida: Life; the experience of being alive and living
negócios: Business or commerce; commercial affairs or transactions
humanidades: Humanities; academic disciplines studying human culture and society
preguiça: Laziness or sloth; reluctance to work or be active
acumulada: Accumulated or built up over time; gathered progressively
negligência: Negligence or neglect; failure to take proper care
torpeza: Torpor or dullness; sluggishness of mind or body
décadas: Decades; periods of ten years each
séculos: Centuries; periods of one hundred years each
acorrentavam: Imperfect of 'acorrentar'; chained or shackled someone's movement
mãos: Hands; the body part used for grasping and working
pés: Feet; the body parts used for standing and walking
Nem: Nor or not even; conjunction used in negative constructions
era: Imperfect tense of 'ser'; was or used to be
composto: Composed or made up; a mixture or compound of elements
mancha: Stain or blemish; a mark that taints or disgraces
vermelha: Red; the color red, feminine form of 'vermelho'
bastardia: Bastardy; the state of being born outside of marriage
dois: Two; the cardinal number 2
profanação: Profanation or desecration; treating something sacred with disrespect
legal: Legal; relating to law or legally sanctioned systems
sistemática: Systematic; done according to a fixed plan or method
mulheres: Women; plural of 'mulher', adult female persons
negras: Black women; feminine plural adjective referring to race
haviam: Third-person plural pluperfect of 'haver'; had (done something)
imprimido: Past participle of 'imprimir'; printed, stamped, or imprinted upon
sobre: On, over, or about; preposition indicating position or topic
significava: Imperfect of 'significar'; meant or signified something important
perda: Loss; the act of losing something valuable or irreplaceable
antiga: Ancient or old; existing or belonging to earlier times
castidade: Chastity; the state of being sexually pure or abstinent
africana: African; relating to Africa or its peoples and cultures
também: Also or too; indicating addition to what was already stated
hereditário: Hereditary; passed down through generations genetically or culturally
massa: Mass or large quantity; a bulk or aggregation of something
corrupção: Corruption; moral decay or dishonest and fraudulent behavior
proveniente: Coming from or originating; derived from a particular source
adúlteros: Adulterers; those who commit adultery or marital infidelity
brancos: White people; masculine plural of 'branco' referring to race
ameaçando: Threatening or menacing; posing a danger to something
quase: Almost or nearly; very close to but not quite
obliteração: Obliteration; complete destruction or erasure of something
povo: People or a nation; a group sharing culture or identity
assim: Thus, so, or in this way; indicating manner or result
prejudicado: Harmed or disadvantaged; suffering damage or unfair treatment
deveria: Conditional of 'dever'; should or ought to do something
chamado: Called or summoned; referred to by a particular name
competir: To compete; to strive against others for the same goal
mundo: World; the earth or all of human civilization and society
sim: Yes; affirmative response or confirmation in Portuguese
autorizado: Authorized or permitted; officially allowed to do something
dedicar: To dedicate or devote time and effort to something
todo: All or every; indicating totality or the whole of something
tempo: Time or weather; the passing of moments or atmospheric conditions
pensamento: Thought or thinking; a mental idea or cognitive process
próprios: Own or one's own; belonging specifically to oneself
problemas: Problems or issues; difficulties requiring attention or resolution
sociais: Social; relating to society, community life, or social conditions
Mas: But; conjunction expressing contrast or exception
ai: Alas or oh; exclamation expressing pain or lament
enquanto: While or whereas; indicating simultaneous or contrasting actions
sociólogos: Sociologists; academics who study society and social behavior
alegremente: Cheerfully or happily; in a joyful and lighthearted manner
contam: Present tense of 'contar'; count or tell stories about
bastardos: Bastards; those born outside of legally recognized marriage
prostitutas: Prostitutes; those who engage in sexual activity for payment
própria: Own or very; belonging to oneself, feminine singular form
alma: Soul or spirit; the immaterial essence of a person
labuta: Toil or hard labor; exhausting and difficult daily work
ensombrecida: Darkened or overshadowed; made gloomy by a heavy presence
pela: Contraction of 'por' and 'a'; 'by the' or 'through the'
sombra: Shadow or shade; darkness cast by something blocking light
vasto: Vast or immense; very large in extent or degree
desespero: Despair or hopelessness; a complete loss of hope

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