Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 8
It is hard to have a southern overseer; it is worse to have a northern one; but worst of all when you are the slave-driver of yourself.
Es difícil tener un capataz sureño; es peor tener uno norteño; pero lo peor de todo es cuando eres tu propio esclavizador.
Talk of a divinity in man!
¡Hablan de una divinidad en el hombre!
Look at the teamster on the highway, wending to market by day or night; does any divinity stir within him?
¡Mira al carretero en la carretera, dirigiéndose al mercado de día o de noche; ¿acaso se agita alguna divinidad en su interior?
His highest duty to fodder and water his horses!
¡Su deber más elevado es dar forraje y agua a sus caballos!
What is his destiny to him compared with the shipping interests?
¿Qué es su destino para él comparado con los intereses del comercio?
Does not he drive for Squire Make-a-stir?
¿Acaso no trabaja para el Señor Arma-un-alboroto?
How godlike, how immortal, is he?
¿Cuán divino, cuán inmortal, es él?
See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal nor divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself, a fame won by his own deeds.
Mira cómo se encoge y se arrastra, con qué vaga inquietud teme durante todo el día, no por no ser inmortal ni divino, sino por ser el esclavo y prisionero de su propia opinión de sí mismo, una fama ganada por sus propios actos.
Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion.
La opinión pública es un tirano débil comparada con nuestra propia opinión privada.
What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.
Lo que un hombre piensa de sí mismo es lo que determina, o más bien indica, su destino.
Self-emancipation even in the West Indian provinces of the fancy and imagination,—what Wilberforce is there to bring that about?
La autoemancipación incluso en las provincias antillanas de la fantasía y la imaginación, ¿qué Wilberforce existe para lograrla?
Think, also, of the ladies of the land weaving toilet cushions against the last day, not to betray too green an interest in their fates!
¡Piensa también en las damas del país tejiendo cojines de tocador para el día del juicio final, para no revelar un interés demasiado vivo en sus propios destinos!
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
Como si pudieras matar el tiempo sin perjudicar la eternidad.
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
La mayoría de los hombres llevan vidas de silenciosa desesperación.
What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.
Lo que se llama resignación es desesperación confirmada.
From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats.
De la desesperada ciudad pasas al desesperado campo, y tienes que consolarte con el valor de los visones y las ratas almizcleras.
Vocabulary
- Es
- Third person singular present of 'ser' (to be).
- difícil
- Difficult; hard to do or understand.
- tener
- To have; to possess or own something.
- un
- Indefinite article; a or an in English.
- sureño
- Southern; from or relating to the south.
- peor
- Worse; comparative form of 'malo' (bad).
- uno
- One; the number 1 or a person.
- norteño
- Northern; from or relating to the north.
- pero
- But; used to connect contrasting ideas or clauses.
- lo
- Direct object pronoun; it or the thing.
- de
- Of; preposition indicating possession or relationship.
- todo
- All; everything or the whole of something.
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens.
- eres
- Second person singular present of 'ser' (to be).
- tu
- Your; possessive adjective referring to listener.
- propio
- Own; belonging to oneself or itself.
- Hablan
- Third person plural present of 'hablar' (to speak).
- una
- Indefinite article feminine; a or an.
- en
- In; preposition indicating location or position.
- el
- The; definite article masculine singular.
- hombre
- Man; adult male human or mankind.
- Mira
- Look; second person singular imperative of 'mirar'.
- al
- To the; contraction of 'a el'.
- la
- The; definite article feminine singular.
- carretera
- Road; a main route for vehicle travel.
- dirigiéndose
- Heading; directing oneself toward a place or goal.
- mercado
- Market; a place where goods are bought and sold.
- día
- Day; the period of light between sunrise and sunset.
- noche
- Night; the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
- acaso
- Perhaps; possibly or by chance.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or himself/herself.
- agita
- Shakes or stirs; third person singular of 'agitar'.
- alguna
- Some; any or one of a group feminine.
- su
- His, her, its, your; possessive adjective.
- interior
- Interior; inner part or inside of something.
- Su
- His, her, its, your; possessive adjective capitalized.
- deber
- Duty or obligation; to owe or must.
- más
- More; greater in quantity or degree.
- elevado
- Elevated; high in position, rank, or quality.
- dar
- To give; to provide or offer something.
- agua
- Water; essential liquid needed by living organisms.
- sus
- Their or your; plural possessive adjective.
- caballos
- Horses; large domesticated animals used for riding or work.
- Qué
- What; interrogative word asking for information.
- destino
- Destiny or fate; where someone or something goes.
- para
- For; preposition indicating purpose or recipient.
- él
- He; third person singular masculine pronoun.
- comparado
- Compared; past participle of 'comparar' (to compare).
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association.
- los
- The; definite article masculine plural.
- intereses
- Interests; matters of concern or financial returns.
- del
- Of the; contraction of 'de el'.
- comercio
- Commerce; buying and selling of goods and services.
- Acaso
- Perhaps; by any chance or possibility.
- no
- No; negation or refusal of something.
- trabaja
- Works; third person singular of 'trabajar'.
- Señor
- Sir or mister; respectful title for a man.
- Arma
- Weapon or arm; device for fighting or defense.
- Cuán
- How; in what manner or to what degree.
- divino
- Divine; relating to or coming from God.
- inmortal
- Immortal; living or lasting forever without end.
- cómo
- How; in what way or by what means.
- encoge
- Shrinks or shrugs; third person singular of 'encoger'.
- arrastra
- Drags or trails; third person singular of 'arrastrar'.
- vaga
- Vague; unclear, indefinite, or not precisely defined.
- teme
- Fears; third person singular of 'temer'.
- durante
- During; throughout a period of time.
- por
- By or for; preposition indicating cause or agent.
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb expressing existence or identity.
- ni
- Nor; negative conjunction connecting two alternatives.
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