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Voltaire's Candide or Optimism, Chapter 3

Chapter 3

III HOW CANDIDE MADE HIS ESCAPE FROM THE BULGARIANS, AND WHAT AFTERWARDS BECAME OF HIM.

There was never anything so gallant, so spruce, so brilliant, and so well disposed as the two armies. Trumpets, fifes, hautboys, drums, and cannon made music such as Hell itself had never heard. The cannons first of all laid flat about six thousand men on each side; the muskets swept away from this best of worlds nine or ten thousand ruffians who infested its surface. The bayonet was also a sufficient reason for the death of several thousands. The whole might amount to thirty thousand souls. Candide, who trembled like a philosopher, hid himself as well as he could during this heroic butchery.

At length, while the two kings were causing Te Deum to be sung each in his own camp, Candide resolved to go and reason elsewhere on effects and causes. He passed over heaps of dead and dying, and first reached a neighbouring village; it was in cinders, it was an Abare village which the Bulgarians had burnt according[Pg 10] to the laws of war. Here, old men covered with wounds, beheld their wives, hugging their children to their bloody breasts, massacred before their faces; there, their daughters, disembowelled and breathing their last after having satisfied the natural wants of Bulgarian heroes; while others, half burnt in the flames, begged to be despatched. The earth was strewed with brains, arms, and legs.

Candide fled quickly to another village; it belonged to the Bulgarians; and the Abarian heroes had treated it in the same way. Candide, walking always over palpitating limbs or across ruins, arrived at last beyond the seat of war, with a few provisions in his knapsack, and Miss Cunegonde always in his heart. His provisions failed him when he arrived in Holland; but having heard that everybody was rich in that country, and that they were Christians, he did not doubt but he should meet with the same treatment from them as he had met with in the Baron's castle, before Miss Cunegonde's bright eyes were the cause of his expulsion thence. He asked alms of several grave-looking people, who all answered him, that if he continued to follow this trade they would confine him to the house of correction, where he should be taught to get a living. [Pg 11]

The next he addressed was a man who had been haranguing a large assembly for a whole hour on the subject of charity. But the orator, looking askew, said:

"What are you doing here? Are you for the good cause?" "There can be no effect without a cause," modestly answered Candide; "the whole is necessarily concatenated and arranged for the best. It was necessary for me to have been banished from the presence of Miss Cunegonde, to have afterwards run the gauntlet, and now it is necessary I should beg my bread until I learn to earn it; all this cannot be otherwise." "My friend," said the orator to him, "do you believe the Pope to be Anti-Christ?" "I have not heard it," answered Candide; "but whether he be, or whether he be not, I want bread." "Thou dost not deserve to eat," said the other. "Begone, rogue; begone, wretch; do not come near me again." The orator's wife, putting her head out of the window, and spying a man that doubted whether the Pope was Anti-Christ, poured over him a full.... Oh, heavens! to what excess does religious zeal carry the ladies.

"Master Pangloss has well said that all is for the best in this world, for I am infinitely more touched by your extreme generosity than with the inhumanity of that gentleman in the black coat and his lady." The next day, as he took a walk, he met a beggar all covered with scabs, his eyes diseased, the end of his nose eaten away, his mouth distorted, his teeth black, choking in his throat, tormented with a violent cough, and spitting out a tooth at each effort.

Chapter 3 Capítulo 3 Bölüm 3

III HOW CANDIDE MADE HIS ESCAPE FROM THE BULGARIANS, AND WHAT AFTERWARDS BECAME OF HIM. III COMMENT CANDIDE A FAIT SON ÉVASION DES BULGARES, ET CE QUI EST DEVENU DE LUI.

There was never anything so gallant, so spruce, so brilliant, and so well disposed as the two armies. locative adverb|||||noble||neat||impressive||||well organized||||military forces Il n'y eut jamais rien d'aussi galant, d'aussi épicéa, d'aussi brillant et d'aussi bien disposé que les deux armées. Trumpets, fifes, hautboys, drums, and cannon made music such as Hell itself had never heard. brass instruments|small flutes|oboes|percussion instruments||||||||||| The cannons first of all laid flat about six thousand men on each side; the muskets swept away from this best of worlds nine or ten thousand ruffians who infested its surface. |||||||||||||||firearms|removed|||||||||||scoundrels|||| Les canons posèrent d'abord à plat environ six mille hommes de chaque côté; les mousquets ont balayé de ce meilleur des mondes neuf ou dix mille voyous qui infestaient sa surface. Działa przede wszystkim położyły około sześciu tysięcy ludzi po każdej stronie; muszkiety zmiotły z tego najlepszego ze światów dziewięć lub dziesięć tysięcy łotrów, którzy zaatakowali jego powierzchnię. The bayonet was also a sufficient reason for the death of several thousands. |weapon attachment||||||||||several thousand| La baïonnette était également une raison suffisante pour la mort de plusieurs milliers de personnes. Bagnet był również wystarczającym powodem śmierci kilku tysięcy ludzi. The whole might amount to thirty thousand souls. |||total||||people Le tout pourrait s'élever à trente mille âmes. Całość może wynosić trzydzieści tysięcy dusz. Candide, who trembled like a philosopher, hid himself as well as he could during this heroic butchery. ||||||concealed|||||||||heroic|slaughter Kandyd, który drżał jak filozof, ukrył się najlepiej jak potrafił podczas tej heroicznej rzezi.

At length, while the two kings were causing Te Deum to be sung each in his own camp, Candide resolved to go and reason elsewhere on effects and causes. |||||||causing to be sung|the|God|||sung|||||military encampment||||||||||| Enfin, tandis que les deux rois faisaient chanter Te Deum chacun dans son camp, Candide résolut d'aller raisonner ailleurs sur les effets et les causes. W końcu, podczas gdy dwaj królowie kazali śpiewać Te Deum, każdy w swoim obozie, Kandyd postanowił udać się i rozważyć gdzie indziej skutki i przyczyny. He passed over heaps of dead and dying, and first reached a neighbouring village; it was in cinders, it was an Abare village which the Bulgarians had burnt according[Pg 10] to the laws of war. |||piles||deceased||in the process of dying||||||||||ashes||||Abare||||||||||||| Here, old men covered with wounds, beheld their wives, hugging their children to their bloody breasts, massacred before their faces; there, their daughters, disembowelled and breathing their last after having satisfied the natural wants of Bulgarian heroes; while others, half burnt in the flames, begged to be despatched. |||covered in||injuries|saw||spouses|holding tightly||their children|||bloodied|bloody breasts|killed|||eyes|||their daughters|disemboweled||taking last breaths|||||fulfilled|||needs||Bulgarian heroes|||||half burnt|||fire|pleaded|||put to death Ici, des vieillards couverts de blessures voyaient leurs femmes, serrant leurs enfants contre leurs seins ensanglantés, massacrées devant leurs visages; là, leurs filles éventrées et respirant leur dernier après avoir satisfait les besoins naturels des héros bulgares; tandis que d'autres, à moitié brûlés dans les flammes, demandaient d'être expédiés. The earth was strewed with brains, arms, and legs. |planet||covered with|||limbs|| La terre était parsemée de cerveaux, de bras et de jambes.

Candide fled quickly to another village; it belonged to the Bulgarians; and the Abarian heroes had treated it in the same way. |ran away|in haste|||||was owned||||||Abarian heroes||past perfect|treated||||| Candide, walking always over palpitating limbs or across ruins, arrived at last beyond the seat of war, with a few provisions in his knapsack, and Miss Cunegonde always in his heart. ||||trembling|bodies||over|ruins|reached|||||||||||supplies|||backpack||||||| Candide, marchant toujours sur des membres palpitants ou sur des ruines, arrivait enfin au-delà du siège de la guerre, avec quelques provisions dans son sac à dos, et miss Cunégonde toujours dans son cœur. His provisions failed him when he arrived in Holland; but having heard that everybody was rich in that country, and that they were Christians, he did not doubt but he should meet with the same treatment from them as he had met with in the Baron's castle, before Miss Cunegonde's bright eyes were the cause of his expulsion thence. ||let him down||||reached||the Netherlands||||||||||||||were|followers of Christ||||did not doubt||||||||hospitality|||||had met||||||||||shining||were|||||banishment from there|from there Ses provisions lui manquèrent à son arrivée en Hollande; mais ayant entendu dire que tout le monde était riche dans ce pays, et qu'ils étaient chrétiens, il ne doutait pas, mais il devait subir le même traitement de leur part que celui qu'il avait rencontré au château du baron, avant que les yeux brillants de miss Cunégonde ne fussent la cause de son expulsion de là. He asked alms of several grave-looking people, who all answered him, that if he continued to follow this trade they would confine him to the house of correction, where he should be taught to get a living. he||charity donations|||||||||||||persisted||pursue|this trade|occupation||would verb|restrict||||||reform school||||||||| Il demanda l'aumône à plusieurs personnes d'apparence grave, qui lui répondirent toutes, que s'il continuait à exercer ce métier, elles le confineraient dans la maison de correction, où il faudrait lui apprendre à vivre. [Pg 11]

The next he addressed was a man who had been haranguing a large assembly for a whole hour on the subject of charity. |||spoke to|||||past participle|past participle|speaking passionately|||gathering of people||||sixty minutes|||topic||philanthropy Il s'adressa ensuite à un homme qui haranguait une grande assemblée depuis une heure entière sur le thème de la charité. But the orator, looking askew, said: ||speaker|glancing|with a sideways glance| Mais l'orateur, regardant de travers, dit:

"What are you doing here? ||||in this place Are you for the good cause?" |||||cause "There can be no effect without a cause," modestly answered Candide; "the whole is necessarily concatenated and arranged for the best. ||||||||he said modestly|||||||linked together||organized||| «Il ne peut y avoir d'effet sans cause», répondit modestement Candide; «le tout est forcément concaténé et arrangé pour le mieux. It was necessary for me to have been banished from the presence of Miss Cunegonde, to have afterwards run the gauntlet, and now it is necessary I should beg my bread until I learn to earn it; all this cannot be otherwise." ||essential||||have been|past participle|exiled|||presence||||||after that|||trial||||||||ask for|||||||to earn|||||| Il m'a fallu avoir été banni de la présence de miss Cunégonde, pour avoir ensuite couru le gant, et maintenant il faut que je mendie mon pain jusqu'à ce que j'apprenne à le gagner; tout cela ne peut être autrement. " "My friend," said the orator to him, "do you believe the Pope to be Anti-Christ?" ||||||||||||||against| "I have not heard it," answered Candide; "but whether he be, or whether he be not, I want bread." - Je ne l'ai pas entendu, répondit Candide; «mais qu'il soit ou non, je veux du pain. "Thou dost not deserve to eat," said the other. you|do||merit||||| «Tu ne mérites pas de manger», dit l'autre. "Begone, rogue; begone, wretch; do not come near me again." |scoundrel|get away|miserable person|||||| «Pars, voyou; pars, misérable; ne viens plus près de moi. The orator's wife, putting her head out of the window, and spying a man that doubted whether the Pope was Anti-Christ, poured over him a full.... Oh, heavens! |the speaker's||||||||||observing||||questioned|||||||||||||heavens above L'épouse de l'orateur, passant la tête par la fenêtre, et espionnant un homme qui doutait que le pape soit Anti-Christ, en répandit sur lui un plein ... Oh, cieux! to what excess does religious zeal carry the ladies. ||extent||zealous|enthusiasm||| à quel excès le zèle religieux porte les dames.

A man who had never been christened, a good Anabaptist, named James, beheld the cruel and[Pg 12] ignominious treatment shown to one of his brethren, an unfeathered biped with a rational soul, he took him home, cleaned him, gave him bread and beer, presented him with two florins, and even wished to teach him the manufacture of Persian stuffs which they make in Holland. ||||||baptized|||Anabaptist|called||||harsh|||shameful|||||||fellow humans||bare human|two-legged creature|||rational soul||||||washed||||||ale|gave||||currency units|||||instruct|||production||Persian fabrics|fabrics||||| Un homme qui n'avait jamais été baptisé, un bon anabaptiste, nommé James, a vu le traitement cruel et ignominieux infligé à l'un de ses frères, un bipède à plumes à l'âme rationnelle, il l'a ramené chez lui, l'a nettoyé, lui a donné du pain et de la bière, lui ont offert deux florins, et ont même voulu lui apprendre la fabrication des étoffes persanes qu'ils fabriquent en Hollande. Candide, almost prostrating himself before him, cried: ||bowing down||||exclaimed Candide, se prosternant presque devant lui, s'écria:

"Master Pangloss has well said that all is for the best in this world, for I am infinitely more touched by your extreme generosity than with the inhumanity of that gentleman in the black coat and his lady." |||||||||||||||||extremely||moved|||great|kindness||||cruelty||||||black coat|black coat||| «Maître Pangloss a bien dit que tout va pour le mieux dans ce monde, car je suis infiniment plus touché par votre extrême générosité que par l'inhumanité de ce monsieur au manteau noir et de sa dame. The next day, as he took a walk, he met a beggar all covered with scabs, his eyes diseased, the end of his nose eaten away, his mouth distorted, his teeth black, choking in his throat, tormented with a violent cough, and spitting out a tooth at each effort. |||||went for||||||a homeless person||||sores|||ill infected||||||eroded||||twisted or deformed||||gasping for air|||in his throat|afflicted||||violent cough||expelling saliva|||tooth||| Le lendemain, en se promenant, il rencontra un mendiant tout couvert de croûtes, les yeux malades, le bout du nez rongé, la bouche déformée, les dents noires, s'étouffant dans la gorge, tourmenté d'une violente toux, et cracher une dent à chaque effort.