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Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None — Page 6

English → Fr Preface Level 9/10

But it is meant to be a possibility which men of the present could realise with all their spiritual and physical energies, provided they adopted the new values.

Mais elle est censée être une possibilité que les hommes du présent pourraient réaliser avec toutes leurs énergies spirituelles et physiques, à condition qu'ils adoptent les nouvelles valeurs.

The author of "Zarathustra" never lost sight of that egregious example of a transvaluation of all values through Christianity, whereby the whole of the deified mode of life and thought of the Greeks, as well as strong Romedom, was almost annihilated or transvalued in a comparatively short time.

L'auteur de « Zarathoustra » n'a jamais perdu de vue cet exemple insigne d'une transvaluation de toutes les valeurs par le christianisme, par lequel l'ensemble du mode de vie et de pensée déifié des Grecs, ainsi que la puissante romanité, fut presque anéanti ou transvalué en un temps relativement court.

Could not a rejuvenated Graeco-Roman system of valuing (once it had been refined and made more profound by the schooling which two thousand years of Christianity had provided) effect another such revolution within a calculable period of time, until that glorious type of manhood shall finally appear which is to be our new faith and hope, and in the creation of which Zarathustra exhorts us to participate?

Un système gréco-romain de valorisation rajeuni (une fois affiné et approfondi par l'enseignement que deux mille ans de christianisme avaient fourni) ne pourrait-il pas effectuer une autre telle révolution dans un laps de temps calculable, jusqu'à ce que ce type glorieux de l'humanité apparaisse enfin, qui doit être notre nouvelle foi et notre nouvel espoir, et à la création duquel Zarathoustra nous exhorte à participer ?

In his private notes on the subject the author uses the expression "Superman" (always in the singular, by-the-bye), as signifying "the most thoroughly well-constituted type," as opposed to "modern man"; above all, however, he designates Zarathustra himself as an example of the Superman.

Dans ses notes privées sur le sujet, l'auteur emploie l'expression « Surhomme » (toujours au singulier, soit dit en passant), pour désigner « le type le plus parfaitement bien constitué », par opposition à « l'homme moderne » ; mais surtout, il désigne Zarathoustra lui-même comme un exemple du Surhomme.

In "Ecco Homo" he is careful to enlighten us concerning the precursors and prerequisites to the advent of this highest type, in referring to a certain passage in the "Gay Science":—

Dans « Ecce Homo », il prend soin de nous éclairer sur les précurseurs et les conditions préalables à l'avènement de ce type suprême, en se référant à un certain passage du « Gai Savoir » :

"In order to understand this type, we must first be quite clear in regard to the leading physiological condition on which it depends: this condition is what I call GREAT HEALTHINESS.

« Pour comprendre ce type, nous devons d'abord être tout à fait clairs en ce qui concerne la condition physiologique principale dont il dépend : cette condition est ce que j'appelle la GRANDE SANTÉ.

Vocabulary

Mais: Conjunction meaning 'but,' used to contrast ideas.
elle: Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it'.
est: Third-person singular form of 'être,' meaning 'is'.
censée: Supposed or expected to be something, feminine form.
être: Infinitive verb meaning 'to be'.
une: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
possibilité: A possibility or potential option available to someone.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'whom'.
les: Definite plural article meaning 'the'.
hommes: Plural noun meaning 'men' or 'human beings'.
du: Contracted article meaning 'of the' or 'from the'.
présent: The present time; also an adjective meaning 'current'.
pourraient: Conditional form of 'pouvoir,' meaning 'could' or 'might'.
réaliser: To realize, achieve, or bring something into being.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'.
toutes: Feminine plural form of 'all' or 'every'.
leurs: Plural possessive adjective meaning 'their'.
énergies: Plural noun meaning 'energies' or 'forces'.
spirituelles: Adjective meaning 'spiritual,' relating to the spirit or soul.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
physiques: Adjective meaning 'physical,' relating to the body.
à: Preposition meaning 'at,' 'to,' or 'in'.
condition: A condition or requirement that must be met.
qu': Contracted form of 'que' used before a vowel.
ils: Third-person masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they'.
adoptent: Subjunctive/present form of 'adopter,' meaning 'to adopt'.
nouvelles: Feminine plural adjective meaning 'new'.
valeurs: Plural noun meaning 'values' or 'moral principles'.
L': Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before a vowel.
auteur: A noun meaning 'author' or 'writer'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'.
n': Contracted negative particle 'ne' used before a vowel.
a: Third-person singular present of 'avoir,' meaning 'has'.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' depending on context.
perdu: Past participle of 'perdre,' meaning 'lost'.
vue: Noun meaning 'sight' or 'view'; also past participle of 'voir'.
cet: Masculine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' before a vowel.
exemple: A noun meaning 'example' or 'model'.
insigne: Adjective meaning 'remarkable,' 'notable,' or 'distinguished'.
par: Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per'.
le: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'.
christianisme: Noun meaning 'Christianity,' the religion based on Christ.
lequel: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who,' masculine singular.
l': Contracted definite article before a vowel meaning 'the'.
ensemble: Noun or adverb meaning 'whole,' 'set,' or 'together'.
mode: Noun meaning 'mode,' 'way,' or 'manner'.
vie: Noun meaning 'life'.
pensée: Noun meaning 'thought' or 'thinking'.
des: Plural indefinite or partitive article meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
Grecs: Noun meaning 'Greeks,' the people of ancient or modern Greece.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way'.
la: Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'.
puissante: Feminine adjective meaning 'powerful' or 'mighty'.
fut: Simple past form of 'être,' meaning 'was'.
presque: Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'.
anéanti: Past participle meaning 'annihilated,' 'destroyed,' or 'wiped out'.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
en: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'as'.
un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
temps: Noun meaning 'time' or 'weather'.
relativement: Adverb meaning 'relatively' or 'comparatively'.
court: Adjective meaning 'short' in duration or length.
Un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
système: Noun meaning 'system,' an organized set of principles or rules.
valorisation: Noun meaning 'valorization,' the act of assigning or increasing value.
rajeuni: Past participle of 'rajeunir,' meaning 'rejuvenated' or 'renewed'.
fois: Noun meaning 'time' or 'times' in the sense of occasions.
affiné: Past participle meaning 'refined,' 'sharpened,' or 'perfected'.
approfondi: Past participle meaning 'deepened' or 'thoroughly studied'.
enseignement: Noun meaning 'teaching' or 'instruction'.
deux: Number meaning 'two'.
mille: Number meaning 'thousand'.
ans: Plural noun meaning 'years'.
avaient: Imperfect form of 'avoir,' meaning 'had' (plural).
fourni: Past participle of 'fournir,' meaning 'provided' or 'supplied'.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas' or alone to negate.
pourrait-il: Inverted conditional form asking 'could it' or 'might it'.
pas: Negative adverb meaning 'not,' used with 'ne'.
effectuer: To carry out, perform, or bring about an action.
autre: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
telle: Feminine adjective meaning 'such' or 'such a'.
révolution: Noun meaning 'revolution,' a radical transformation or uprising.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'inside,' or 'within'.
laps: Noun meaning 'lapse,' used in 'laps de temps' meaning a period.
jusqu': Contracted preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
ce: Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'.
type: Noun meaning 'type,' 'kind,' or 'model'.
glorieux: Adjective meaning 'glorious' or 'magnificent'.
humanité: Noun meaning 'humanity' or 'humankind'.
apparaisse: Subjunctive form of 'apparaître,' meaning 'to appear'.
enfin: Adverb meaning 'finally,' 'at last,' or 'in short'.
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that'.
doit: Third-person singular of 'devoir,' meaning 'must' or 'owes'.
notre: Possessive adjective meaning 'our'.
nouvelle: Feminine adjective meaning 'new'; also a noun for a short story.
foi: Noun meaning 'faith' or 'belief'.
nouvel: Masculine adjective meaning 'new,' used before a vowel.
espoir: Noun meaning 'hope'.
création: Noun meaning 'creation' or 'the act of creating'.
duquel: Contracted relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'from which'.
nous: First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
exhorte: Present form of 'exhorter,' meaning 'to urge' or 'to exhort'.
participer: Infinitive meaning 'to participate' or 'to take part'.
Dans: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'inside,' or 'within'.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its' (plural).
notes: Plural noun meaning 'notes,' written remarks or records.
privées: Feminine plural adjective meaning 'private' or 'personal'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on,' 'upon,' or 'about'.
sujet: Noun meaning 'subject,' 'topic,' or 'matter'.
emploie: Third-person singular of 'employer,' meaning 'uses' or 'employs'.
expression: Noun meaning 'expression,' a phrase or way of saying something.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'.
au: Contracted article 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
singulier: Adjective or noun meaning 'singular,' unique or grammatically singular.
soit: Subjunctive of 'être' meaning 'be'; also 'that is to say'.
dit: Past participle or present form of 'dire,' meaning 'said'.
passant: Present participle of 'passer'; 'en passant' means 'in passing'.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'on behalf of'.
désigner: Infinitive meaning 'to designate,' 'to indicate,' or 'to name'.
plus: Adverb meaning 'more,' 'most,' or 'no longer' with negation.
parfaitement: Adverb meaning 'perfectly' or 'completely'.
bien: Adverb or adjective meaning 'well' or 'good'.
constitué: Past participle meaning 'constituted' or 'well-built'.
opposition: Noun meaning 'opposition' or 'contrast'.
homme: Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being'.
moderne: Adjective meaning 'modern' or 'contemporary'.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but,' contrasting two ideas.
surtout: Adverb meaning 'above all,' 'especially,' or 'most importantly'.
il: Third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
désigne: Third-person singular of 'désigner,' meaning 'designates' or 'refers to'.
lui-même: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself' or 'itself'.
comme: Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as,' 'like,' or 'how'.
prend: Third-person singular of 'prendre,' meaning 'takes'.
soin: Noun meaning 'care'; 'prendre soin' means 'to take care'.
éclairer: Infinitive meaning 'to illuminate,' 'to clarify,' or 'to enlighten'.
précurseurs: Plural noun meaning 'precursors' or 'forerunners'.
conditions: Plural noun meaning 'conditions' or 'requirements'.
préalables: Plural adjective or noun meaning 'prerequisites' or 'prior conditions'.
avènement: Noun meaning 'advent,' 'coming,' or 'accession to power'.
suprême: Adjective meaning 'supreme,' 'highest,' or 'ultimate'.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself,' 'himself,' or 'herself'.
référant: Present participle of 'référer,' meaning 'referring' to something.
certain: Adjective meaning 'certain,' 'a certain,' or 'some'.
passage: Noun meaning 'passage,' a section of text or a transition.
Pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
comprendre: Infinitive meaning 'to understand' or 'to comprehend'.
devons: First-person plural of 'devoir,' meaning 'we must' or 'we owe'.
abord: Noun used in 'd'abord,' meaning 'first' or 'at first'.
tout: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'every,' or 'everything'.
fait: Noun meaning 'fact'; also past participle of 'faire,' meaning 'done'.
clairs: Masculine plural adjective meaning 'clear,' 'light,' or 'obvious'.
concerne: Third-person singular of 'concerner,' meaning 'concerns' or 'relates to'.
principale: Feminine adjective meaning 'main,' 'principal,' or 'primary'.
dont: Relative pronoun meaning 'of which,' 'whose,' or 'from which'.
dépend: Third-person singular of 'dépendre,' meaning 'depends on'.
cette: Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
j': Contracted first-person pronoun 'je' used before a vowel.
appelle: First-person singular of 'appeler,' meaning 'I call'.
GRANDE: Adjective meaning 'great,' 'large,' or 'grand,' here emphatic.
SANTÉ: Noun meaning 'health'; here emphasized as a key philosophical concept.

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