Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 14
It would be some advantage to live a primitive and frontier life, though in the midst of an outward civilization, if only to learn what are the gross necessaries of life and what methods have been taken to obtain them; or even to look over the old day-books of the merchants, to see what it was that men most commonly bought at the stores, what they stored, that is, what are the grossest groceries.
Sería una ventaja vivir una vida primitiva y fronteriza, aunque en medio de una civilización exterior, aunque solo fuera para aprender cuáles son las necesidades básicas de la vida y qué métodos se han empleado para obtenerlas; o incluso para hojear los viejos libros de cuentas de los comerciantes, para ver qué era lo que los hombres compraban más comúnmente en las tiendas, qué almacenaban, es decir, cuáles son los víveres más elementales.
For the improvements of ages have had but little influence on the essential laws of man's existence; as our skeletons, probably, are not to be distinguished from those of our ancestors.
Pues los avances de los siglos han tenido escasa influencia en las leyes esenciales de la existencia del hombre; así como nuestros esqueletos, probablemente, no se pueden distinguir de los de nuestros antepasados.
By the words, _necessary of life_, I mean whatever, of all that man obtains by his own exertions, has been from the first, or from long use has become, so important to human life that few, if any, whether from savageness, or poverty, or philosophy, ever attempt to do without it.
Con las palabras, _necesidad de la vida_, quiero decir todo aquello que, de cuanto el hombre obtiene por su propio esfuerzo, ha sido desde el principio, o por el uso prolongado ha llegado a ser, tan importante para la vida humana que pocos, si alguno, ya sea por salvajismo, o por pobreza, o por filosofía, intentan jamás prescindir de ello.
To many creatures there is in this sense but one necessary of life, Food.
Para muchas criaturas no existe en este sentido más que una sola necesidad de la vida, el Alimento.
To the bison of the prairie it is a few inches of palatable grass, with water to drink; unless he seeks the Shelter of the forest or the mountain's shadow.
Para el bisonte de la pradera son unos pocos centímetros de hierba apetecible, con agua para beber; a menos que busque el Refugio del bosque o la sombra de la montaña.
None of the brute creation requires more than Food and Shelter.
Ninguna de las criaturas irracionales necesita más que Alimento y Refugio.
Vocabulary
- Sería
- Would be; conditional form of ser.
- una
- A, an; feminine indefinite article.
- ventaja
- Advantage; benefit or favorable circumstance.
- vivir
- To live; to exist or reside.
- vida
- Life; existence or way of living.
- primitiva
- Primitive; early or undeveloped stage.
- fronteriza
- Frontier; relating to border regions.
- aunque
- Although; even though or however.
- en
- In, on, at; common preposition.
- medio
- Middle; center or midst of something.
- de
- Of, from; common preposition indicating possession.
- civilización
- Civilization; advanced human society and culture.
- exterior
- Exterior; outside or outer part.
- solo
- Only, alone; solitary or exclusive.
- fuera
- Outside, out; beyond or exterior.
- para
- For, to; indicates purpose or direction.
- aprender
- To learn; to acquire knowledge or skill.
- cuáles
- Which ones; interrogative plural pronoun.
- son
- Are; plural present tense of ser.
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article.
- necesidades
- Necessities; required or essential things.
- básicas
- Basic; fundamental or essential elements.
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article.
- qué
- What; interrogative pronoun for questions.
- métodos
- Methods; procedures or systems for doing.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; indicates passive or reflexive action.
- han
- Have; auxiliary verb, third person plural.
- empleado
- Used; employed or put into use.
- obtenerlas
- To obtain them; to get or acquire.
- incluso
- Even, including; also or besides.
- hojear
- To leaf through; to browse pages.
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article.
- viejos
- Old; ancient or aged things.
- libros
- Books; written works bound together.
- cuentas
- Accounts; records or bills kept.
- comerciantes
- Merchants; traders or businesspeople.
- ver
- To see; to view or observe.
- era
- Was; past tense of ser.
- lo
- It, the; masculine singular pronoun.
- que
- That, which; relative pronoun.
- hombres
- Men; male human beings.
- compraban
- Bought; past tense of comprar.
- más
- More; greater in quantity or degree.
- comúnmente
- Commonly; usually or in general.
- tiendas
- Stores, shops; places where goods sold.
- almacenaban
- Stored; kept in storage or warehouse.
- es
- Is; singular present tense of ser.
- decir
- To say; to speak or tell.
- víveres
- Provisions, food; supplies for living.
- elementales
- Elementary; basic or fundamental things.
- Pues
- Well, then; thus or therefore.
- avances
- Advances; progress or developments.
- siglos
- Centuries; periods of one hundred years.
- tenido
- Had; past participle of tener.
- escasa
- Scant, scarce; limited or insufficient.
- influencia
- Influence; power to affect or change.
- leyes
- Laws; rules governing behavior or nature.
- esenciales
- Essential; absolutely necessary or vital.
- existencia
- Existence; the state of being alive.
- hombre
- Man; adult male human being.
- así
- Thus, so; in this manner.
- como
- As, like; used in comparisons.
- nuestros
- Our; possessive pronoun masculine plural.
- esqueletos
- Skeletons; bone structures of bodies.
- probablemente
- Probably; likely or presumably.
- no
- No, not; negation particle.
- pueden
- Can, are able; third person plural.
- distinguir
- To distinguish; to differentiate or tell apart.
- antepasados
- Ancestors; predecessors or earlier generations.
- Con
- With; accompaniment or association preposition.
- palabras
- Words; units of language communication.
- necesidad
- Necessity; something that is needed.
- quiero
- I want; first person singular deseo.
- todo
- All, everything; the whole of.
- aquello
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun.
- cuanto
- How much, as much as; quantity.
- obtiene
- Obtains; third person singular of obtener.
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