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Voltaire's Candide or Optimism, Chapter 15

Chapter 15

XV HOW CANDIDE KILLED THE BROTHER OF HIS DEAR CUNEGONDE.

"I shall have ever present to my memory the dreadful day, on which I saw my father and mother killed, and my sister ravished. When the Bulgarians retired, my dear sister could not be found; but my mother, my father, and myself, with two maid-servants and three little boys all of whom had been slain, were put in a hearse, to be conveyed for interment to a chapel belonging to the Jesuits, within two leagues of our family seat. A Jesuit sprinkled us with some holy water; it was horribly salt; a few drops of it fell into my eyes; the father perceived that my eyelids stirred a little; he put his hand upon my heart and felt it beat. I received assistance, and at the end of three weeks I recovered. You know, my dear Candide, I was very pretty; but I grew much prettier, and the reverend Father Didrie,[16] Superior of that House, conceived the tenderest friendship for me; he gave me the habit of the order, some years after I was sent to Rome. The Father-General[Pg 65] needed new levies of young German-Jesuits. The sovereigns of Paraguay admit as few Spanish Jesuits as possible; they prefer those of other nations as being more subordinate to their commands. I was judged fit by the reverend Father-General to go and work in this vineyard. We set out—a Pole, a Tyrolese, and myself. Upon my arrival I was honoured with a sub-deaconship and a lieutenancy. I am to-day colonel and priest. We shall give a warm reception to the King of Spain's troops; I will answer for it that they shall be excommunicated and well beaten. Providence sends you here to assist us. But is it, indeed, true that my dear sister Cunegonde is in the neighbourhood, with the Governor of Buenos Ayres?" Candide assured him on oath that nothing was more true, and their tears began afresh.

The Baron could not refrain from embracing Candide; he called him his brother, his saviour.

"Ah! perhaps," said he, "we shall together, my dear Candide, enter the town as conquerors, and recover my sister Cunegonde." "That is all I want," said Candide, "for I intended to marry her, and I still hope to do so." "You insolent!" replied the Baron, "would you have the impudence to marry my sister who has seventy-two quarterings! I find thou hast[Pg 66] the most consummate effrontery to dare to mention so presumptuous a design!" Candide, petrified at this speech, made answer:

"Reverend Father, all the quarterings in the world signify nothing; I rescued your sister from the arms of a Jew and of an Inquisitor; she has great obligations to me, she wishes to marry me; Master Pangloss always told me that all men are equal, and certainly I will marry her." "We shall see that, thou scoundrel!" said the Jesuit Baron de Thunder-ten-Tronckh, and that instant struck him across the face with the flat of his sword. Candide in an instant drew his rapier, and plunged it up to the hilt in the Jesuit's belly; but in pulling it out reeking hot, he burst into tears.

"Good God!" said he, "I have killed my old master, my friend, my brother-in-law! I am the best-natured creature in the world, and yet I have already killed three men, and of these three two were priests." Cacambo, who stood sentry by the door of the arbour, ran to him.

"We have nothing more for it than to sell our lives as dearly as we can," said his master to him, "without doubt some one will soon enter the arbour, and we must die sword in hand." Cacambo, who had been in a great many[Pg 67] scrapes in his lifetime, did not lose his head; he took the Baron's Jesuit habit, put it on Candide, gave him the square cap, and made him mount on horseback. All this was done in the twinkling of an eye.

"Let us gallop fast, master, everybody will take you for a Jesuit, going to give directions to your men, and we shall have passed the frontiers before they will be able to overtake us." He flew as he spoke these words, crying out aloud in Spanish:

"Make way, make way, for the reverend Father Colonel."

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Chapter 15 Capítulo 15 Bölüm 15

XV HOW CANDIDE KILLED THE BROTHER OF HIS DEAR CUNEGONDE. XV COMMENT CANDIDE A TUÉ LE FRÈRE DE SON CHER CUNEGONDE.

"I shall have ever present to my memory the dreadful day, on which I saw my father and mother killed, and my sister ravished. When the Bulgarians retired, my dear sister could not be found; but my mother, my father, and myself, with two maid-servants and three little boys all of whom had been slain, were put in a hearse, to be conveyed for interment to a chapel belonging to the Jesuits, within two leagues of our family seat. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||household| Quand les Bulgares se sont retirés, ma chère sœur n'a pas pu être trouvée; mais ma mère, mon père et moi-même, avec deux servantes et trois petits garçons qui avaient tous été tués, furent mis dans un corbillard, pour être transportés pour inhumation dans une chapelle appartenant aux jésuites, à moins de deux lieues de notre siège familial. A Jesuit sprinkled us with some holy water; it was horribly salt; a few drops of it fell into my eyes; the father perceived that my eyelids stirred a little; he put his hand upon my heart and felt it beat. Un jésuite nous a aspergés d'eau bénite; c'était horriblement sel; quelques gouttes sont tombées dans mes yeux; le père s'aperçut que mes paupières remuaient un peu; il posa sa main sur mon cœur et le sentit battre. I received assistance, and at the end of three weeks I recovered. J'ai reçu de l'aide et au bout de trois semaines, j'ai récupéré. You know, my dear Candide, I was very pretty; but I grew much prettier, and the reverend Father Didrie,[16] Superior of that House, conceived the tenderest friendship for me; he gave me the habit of the order, some years after I was sent to Rome. |||||||||||||more attractive||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Vous savez, ma chère Candide, j'étais très jolie; mais je suis devenu beaucoup plus joli, et le révérend père Didrie, [16] supérieur de cette maison, a conçu pour moi la plus tendre amitié; il m'a donné l'habit de l'ordre, quelques années après mon envoi à Rome. The Father-General[Pg 65] needed new levies of young German-Jesuits. Le Père Général [Pg 65] avait besoin de nouvelles taxes de jeunes jésuites allemands. The sovereigns of Paraguay admit as few Spanish Jesuits as possible; they prefer those of other nations as being more subordinate to their commands. Les souverains du Paraguay admettent le moins de jésuites espagnols possible; ils préfèrent ceux des autres nations comme étant plus subordonnés à leurs commandements. I was judged fit by the reverend Father-General to go and work in this vineyard. J'ai été jugé apte par le révérend Père général à aller travailler dans ce vignoble. We set out—a Pole, a Tyrolese, and myself. Nous sommes partis - un Polonais, un Tyrolais et moi-même. Upon my arrival I was honoured with a sub-deaconship and a lieutenancy. |||||||||deaconship|||lieutenancy A mon arrivée, j'ai été honoré d'une sous-diaconie et d'une lieutenance. I am to-day colonel and priest. ||||military officer|| Je suis aujourd'hui colonel et prêtre. We shall give a warm reception to the King of Spain’s troops; I will answer for it that they shall be excommunicated and well beaten. Nous accueillerons chaleureusement les troupes du roi d'Espagne; J'en répondrai qu'ils seront excommuniés et bien battus. Providence sends you here to assist us. But is it, indeed, true that my dear sister Cunegonde is in the neighbourhood, with the Governor of Buenos Ayres?" Candide assured him on oath that nothing was more true, and their tears began afresh. Candide l'assura sous serment que rien n'était plus vrai, et leurs larmes recommencèrent.

The Baron could not refrain from embracing Candide; he called him his brother, his saviour. ||||||||||||||rescuer deliverer Le baron ne put s'empêcher d'embrasser Candide; il l'appelait son frère, son sauveur.

"Ah! perhaps," said he, "we shall together, my dear Candide, enter the town as conquerors, and recover my sister Cunegonde." |||||||||||||conquerors||||| "That is all I want," said Candide, "for I intended to marry her, and I still hope to do so." «C'est tout ce que je veux», dit Candide, «car j'avais l'intention de l'épouser, et j'espère encore le faire. "You insolent!" |disrespectful person replied the Baron, "would you have the impudence to marry my sister who has seventy-two quarterings! |||||||audacity|||||||||noble ancestry I find thou hast[Pg 66] the most consummate effrontery to dare to mention so presumptuous a design!" |||||||supreme|shameless boldness||||||arrogant|| Je trouve que tu as [Pg 66] l'effronterie la plus consommée pour oser évoquer un dessin aussi présomptueux! " Candide, petrified at this speech, made answer: |frozen in shock|||||

"Reverend Father, all the quarterings in the world signify nothing; I rescued your sister from the arms of a Jew and of an Inquisitor; she has great obligations to me, she wishes to marry me; Master Pangloss always told me that all men are equal, and certainly I will marry her." «Révérend Père, tous les cantonnements du monde ne signifient rien; j'ai sauvé votre sœur des bras d'un juif et d'un inquisiteur; elle a de grandes obligations envers moi, elle veut m'épouser; Maître Pangloss m'a toujours dit que tous les hommes sont égal, et certainement je l’épouserai. " "We shall see that, thou scoundrel!" |||||rascal «Nous verrons cela, scélérat! said the Jesuit Baron de Thunder-ten-Tronckh, and that instant struck him across the face with the flat of his sword. dit le baron jésuite de Tonnerre-ten-Tronckh, et cet instant le frappa au visage avec le plat de son épée. Candide in an instant drew his rapier, and plunged it up to the hilt in the Jesuit’s belly; but in pulling it out reeking hot, he burst into tears. ||||||||||||||||||||||out of|||||| Candide tira en un instant sa rapière et la plongea jusqu'à la garde du ventre du jésuite; mais en le sortant puant, il fondit en larmes.

"Good God!" said he, "I have killed my old master, my friend, my brother-in-law! I am the best-natured creature in the world, and yet I have already killed three men, and of these three two were priests." Je suis la créature la plus naturelle du monde, et pourtant j'ai déjà tué trois hommes, et de ces trois deux étaient des prêtres. " Cacambo, who stood sentry by the door of the arbour, ran to him. |||guard||||||garden shelter||| Cacambo, qui se tenait sentinelle près de la porte de la tonnelle, courut vers lui.

"We have nothing more for it than to sell our lives as dearly as we can," said his master to him, "without doubt some one will soon enter the arbour, and we must die sword in hand." «Nous n'avons rien de plus pour cela que de vendre notre vie aussi cher que possible, lui dit son maître, sans doute quelqu'un entrera bientôt sous la tonnelle, et nous devons mourir l'épée à la main. Cacambo, who had been in a great many[Pg 67] scrapes in his lifetime, did not lose his head; he took the Baron’s Jesuit habit, put it on Candide, gave him the square cap, and made him mount on horseback. |||||||||mishaps||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Cacambo, qui avait subi de nombreuses éraflures au cours de sa vie, ne perdit pas la tête; il prit l'habit jésuite du baron, le mit sur Candide, lui donna le bonnet carré et le fit monter à cheval. All this was done in the twinkling of an eye. Tout cela a été fait en un clin d'œil.

"Let us gallop fast, master, everybody will take you for a Jesuit, going to give directions to your men, and we shall have passed the frontiers before they will be able to overtake us." «Galopons vite, maître, tout le monde vous prendra pour un jésuite, va donner des directions à vos hommes, et nous aurons passé les frontières avant qu'ils ne puissent nous rattraper. He flew as he spoke these words, crying out aloud in Spanish: Il a volé en prononçant ces mots, criant à haute voix en espagnol:

"Make way, make way, for the reverend Father Colonel." «Faites place, faites place au révérend Père Colonel.