Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None — Page 12
His friends caused him many disappointments, which were the more bitter to him, inasmuch as he regarded friendship as such a sacred institution; and for the first time in his life he realised the whole horror of that loneliness to which, perhaps, all greatness is condemned.
Ses amis lui causèrent de nombreuses déceptions, qui lui furent d'autant plus amères qu'il considérait l'amitié comme une institution si sacrée ; et pour la première fois de sa vie, il prit conscience de toute l'horreur de cette solitude à laquelle, peut-être, toute grandeur est condamnée.
But to be forsaken is something very different from deliberately choosing blessed loneliness.
Mais être abandonné est quelque chose de très différent que de choisir délibérément la bienheureuse solitude.
How he longed, in those days, for the ideal friend who would thoroughly understand him, to whom he would be able to say all, and whom he imagined he had found at various periods in his life from his earliest youth onwards.
Comme il aspirait, en ces jours-là, à l'ami idéal qui le comprendrait pleinement, à qui il pourrait tout dire, et qu'il croyait avoir trouvé à diverses périodes de sa vie depuis sa plus tendre jeunesse.
Now, however, that the way he had chosen grew ever more perilous and steep, he found nobody who could follow him: he therefore created a perfect friend for himself in the ideal form of a majestic philosopher, and made this creation the preacher of his gospel to the world.
Or, comme la voie qu'il avait choisie devenait toujours plus périlleuse et escarpée, il ne trouva personne qui pût le suivre : il créa donc pour lui-même un ami parfait sous la forme idéale d'un philosophe majestueux, et fit de cette création le prédicateur de son évangile au monde.
Whether my brother would ever have written "Thus Spake Zarathustra" according to the first plan sketched in the summer of 1881, if he had not had the disappointments already referred to, is now an idle question; but perhaps where "Zarathustra" is concerned, we may also say with Master Eckhardt: "The fleetest beast to bear you to perfection is suffering."
Que mon frère eût jamais écrit « Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra » selon le premier plan esquissé à l'été 1881, s'il n'avait pas connu les déceptions déjà mentionnées, est désormais une question vaine ; mais peut-être en ce qui concerne « Zarathoustra », pouvons-nous dire aussi avec Maître Eckhart : « La bête la plus rapide pour vous porter à la perfection, c'est la souffrance. »
My brother writes as follows about the origin of the first part of "Zarathustra":—"In the winter of 1882–83, I was living on the charming little Gulf of Rapallo, not far from Genoa, and between Chiavari and Cape Porto Fino.
Mon frère écrit ce qui suit au sujet de l'origine de la première partie de « Zarathoustra » : « Durant l'hiver 1882-83, je vivais sur le charmant petit golfe de Rapallo, non loin de Gênes, entre Chiavari et le cap Porto Fino.
Vocabulary
- Ses
- His, her, its (plural possessive adjective).
- amis
- Friends, companions, people one is close to.
- lui
- Him, to him (third-person singular pronoun).
- causèrent
- Caused, brought about (past tense of causer).
- de
- Of, from (very common preposition or article).
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many (feminine plural adjective).
- déceptions
- Disappointments, letdowns, feelings of being let down.
- qui
- Who, which, that (relative or interrogative pronoun).
- furent
- Were (third-person plural simple past of être).
- d'
- Of, from (elided form of de before vowel).
- autant
- As much, as many, to the same degree.
- plus
- More, most (comparative or superlative adverb).
- amères
- Bitter, harsh (feminine plural adjective).
- qu'
- That, than (elided conjunction or comparative particle).
- il
- He, it (third-person masculine singular subject pronoun).
- considérait
- Considered, regarded (imperfect tense of considérer).
- l'
- The (elided definite article before a vowel).
- amitié
- Friendship, the bond between close friends.
- comme
- As, like, such as (conjunction or preposition).
- une
- A, an (feminine indefinite article).
- institution
- Institution, established organization or valued concept.
- si
- So, such (intensifying adverb); if (conjunction).
- sacrée
- Sacred, holy, deeply revered (feminine adjective).
- et
- And (coordinating conjunction).
- pour
- For, in order to (preposition or conjunction).
- la
- The (feminine definite article).
- première
- First (feminine ordinal adjective).
- fois
- Time, occasion (as in for the first time).
- sa
- His, her, its (feminine singular possessive adjective).
- vie
- Life, one's existence or lifetime.
- prit
- Took (third-person singular simple past of prendre).
- conscience
- Awareness, consciousness, realization of something.
- toute
- All, entire, whole (feminine singular adjective).
- horreur
- Horror, dread, extreme fear or repulsion.
- cette
- This, that (feminine singular demonstrative adjective).
- solitude
- Solitude, loneliness, state of being alone.
- à
- To, at, in (very common preposition).
- laquelle
- Which (feminine relative pronoun referring to a noun).
- peut-être
- Perhaps, maybe (adverb expressing uncertainty).
- grandeur
- Greatness, grandeur, exceptional quality or stature.
- est
- Is (third-person singular present of être).
- condamnée
- Condemned, doomed (feminine past participle of condamner).
- Mais
- But, however (coordinating conjunction of contrast).
- être
- To be (infinitive of the most common French verb).
- abandonné
- Abandoned, deserted, left behind by others.
- quelque
- Some, a certain (indefinite adjective or adverb).
- chose
- Thing, something, an unspecified object or matter.
- très
- Very, extremely (intensifying adverb).
- différent
- Different, distinct, not the same as another.
- que
- That, than, which (conjunction or relative pronoun).
- choisir
- To choose, to select deliberately among options.
- délibérément
- Deliberately, intentionally, on purpose.
- bienheureuse
- Blissful, blessed, deeply happy (feminine adjective).
- Comme
- How, as, since (conjunction introducing clause).
- aspirait
- Aspired, longed for (imperfect tense of aspirer).
- en
- In, on, by (preposition or pronoun).
- ces
- These, those (plural demonstrative adjective).
- jours-là
- Those days, that particular period of time.
- ami
- Friend, a close companion (masculine singular).
- idéal
- Ideal, perfect, representing the best possible standard.
- le
- The (masculine definite article or direct object pronoun).
- comprendrait
- Would understand (conditional tense of comprendre).
- pleinement
- Fully, completely, to the fullest extent.
- pourrait
- Could, would be able to (conditional of pouvoir).
- tout
- Everything, all, completely (pronoun or adverb).
- dire
- To say, to tell, to express in words.
- croyait
- Believed, thought (imperfect tense of croire).
- avoir
- To have (infinitive of common auxiliary verb).
- trouvé
- Found, discovered (past participle of trouver).
- diverses
- Various, several, different (feminine plural adjective).
- périodes
- Periods, spans of time, distinct phases or eras.
- depuis
- Since, for (preposition indicating starting point in time).
- tendre
- Tender, gentle; also to extend or reach out.
- jeunesse
- Youth, the period of being young.
- Or
- Now, yet, however (conjunction introducing new point).
- voie
- Path, way, road, course one follows.
- avait
- Had (third-person singular imperfect of avoir).
- choisie
- Chosen (feminine past participle of choisir).
- devenait
- Was becoming (imperfect tense of devenir).
- toujours
- Always, still, ever (temporal adverb).
- périlleuse
- Perilous, dangerous, full of risk (feminine adjective).
- escarpée
- Steep, precipitous, sharply inclined (feminine adjective).
- ne
- Not (negative particle used with pas or other negatives).
- trouva
- Found (third-person singular simple past of trouver).
- personne
- Nobody, no one; also person (noun or pronoun).
- pût
- Could (imperfect subjunctive of pouvoir).
- suivre
- To follow, to accompany, to keep up with.
- créa
- Created (third-person singular simple past of créer).
- donc
- Therefore, so, thus (conjunction of consequence).
- lui-même
- Himself (emphatic reflexive pronoun, third person).
- un
- A, an, one (masculine indefinite article or numeral).
- parfait
- Perfect, flawless, without any defect (adjective).
- sous
- Under, beneath (preposition indicating position below).
- forme
- Form, shape, manner or guise of something.
- philosophe
- Philosopher, one who studies wisdom and existence.
- majestueux
- Majestic, grand, imposing in appearance or manner.
- fit
- Made, did (third-person singular simple past of faire).
- création
- Creation, the act of making something new.
- prédicateur
- Preacher, one who proclaims or spreads a message.
- son
- His, her, its (masculine singular possessive adjective).
- évangile
- Gospel, a message or doctrine one champions.
- au
- To the, at the (contraction of à + le).
- monde
- World, all people, humanity in general.
- Que
- That, what (conjunction or interrogative word).
- mon
- My (masculine singular possessive adjective).
- frère
- Brother, a male sibling.
- eût
- Had (imperfect subjunctive of avoir).
- jamais
- Never, ever (adverb of time or negation).
- écrit
- Written (past participle of écrire).
- Ainsi
- Thus, so, in this way (adverb of manner).
- parlait
- Spoke, was speaking (imperfect of parler).
- selon
- According to, following (preposition).
- premier
- First (masculine ordinal adjective).
- plan
- Plan, draft, outline of a project or idea.
- esquissé
- Sketched, outlined (past participle of esquisser).
- été
- Been (past participle of être); also summer (noun).
- s'
- Himself, herself, itself (elided reflexive pronoun).
- n'
- Not (elided negative particle before vowel).
- pas
- Not (negative adverb used with ne).
- connu
- Known, experienced (past participle of connaître).
- les
- The (plural definite article, masculine or feminine).
- déjà
- Already, previously (adverb of time).
- mentionnées
- Mentioned, referred to (feminine plural past participle).
- désormais
- Henceforth, from now on, hereafter (adverb).
- question
- Question, issue, matter under consideration.
- vaine
- Vain, futile, pointless (feminine adjective).
- mais
- But, yet (coordinating conjunction of contrast).
- ce
- This, it, that (demonstrative pronoun or adjective).
- concerne
- Concerns, relates to (present tense of concerner).
- pouvons-nous
- Can we, are we able to (inverted question form).
- aussi
- Also, too, as well (adverb).
- avec
- With, together with (preposition).
- Maître
- Master, teacher, a title of great respect.
- La
- The (feminine singular definite article).
- bête
- Beast, animal; also stupid (adjective informally).
- rapide
- Fast, swift, quick (adjective).
- vous
- You (second-person plural or formal singular pronoun).
- porter
- To carry, to bear, to bring toward something.
- perfection
- Perfection, the state of being flawless or complete.
- c'
- It is, this is (elided demonstrative pronoun ce).
- souffrance
- Suffering, pain, distress endured by someone.
- Mon
- My (masculine singular possessive adjective).
- suit
- Follows (third-person singular present of suivre).
- sujet
- Subject, topic, the matter being discussed.
- origine
- Origin, source, beginning or cause of something.
- partie
- Part, portion, section of a whole.
- Durant
- During, throughout (preposition indicating time span).
- hiver
- Winter, the coldest season of the year.
- je
- I (first-person singular subject pronoun).
- vivais
- Was living, used to live (imperfect of vivre).
- sur
- On, upon, over (preposition of position).
- charmant
- Charming, delightful, very pleasing (adjective).
- petit
- Small, little (masculine singular adjective).
- golfe
- Gulf, bay, a curved coastal body of water.
- non
- No, not (negative adverb or response).
- loin
- Far, distant, not close (adverb of distance).
- entre
- Between, among (preposition indicating middle position).
- cap
- Cape, headland, a pointed land projection into sea.
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