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Voltaire's Candide or Optimism, Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I HOW CANDIDE WAS BROUGHT UP IN A MAGNIFICENT CASTLE, AND HOW HE WAS EXPELLED THENCE.

In a castle of Westphalia, belonging to the Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh, lived a youth, whom nature had endowed with the most gentle manners. His countenance was a true picture of his soul. He combined a true judgment with simplicity of spirit, which was the reason, I apprehend, of his being called Candide. The old servants of the family suspected him to have been the son of the Baron's sister, by a good, honest gentleman of the neighborhood, whom that young lady would never marry because he had been able to prove only seventy-one quarterings, the rest of his genealogical tree having been lost through the injuries of time. The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle had not only a gate, but windows. His great hall, even, was[Pg 2] hung with tapestry. All the dogs of his farm-yards formed a pack of hounds at need; his grooms were his huntsmen; and the curate of the village was his grand almoner. They called him "My Lord," and laughed at all his stories. The Baron's lady weighed about three hundred and fifty pounds, and was therefore a person of great consideration, and she did the honours of the house with a dignity that commanded still greater respect. Her daughter Cunegonde was seventeen years of age, fresh-coloured, comely, plump, and desirable. The Baron's son seemed to be in every respect worthy of his father. The Preceptor Pangloss[1] was the oracle of the family, and little Candide heard his lessons with all the good faith of his age and character.

Pangloss was professor of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology. He proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause, and that, in this best of all possible worlds, the Baron's castle was the most magnificent of castles, and his lady the best of all possible Baronesses. "It is demonstrable," said he, "that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for all being created for an end, all is necessarily for the best end. Observe, that the nose has been formed to bear spectacles—thus we have spectacles. Legs are visibly designed for stockings[Pg 3]—and we have stockings. Stones were made to be hewn, and to construct castles—therefore my lord has a magnificent castle; for the greatest baron in the province ought to be the best lodged. Pigs were made to be eaten—therefore we eat pork all the year round. Consequently they who assert that all is well have said a foolish thing, they should have said all is for the best." Candide listened attentively and believed innocently; for he thought Miss Cunegonde extremely beautiful, though he never had the courage to tell her so. He concluded that after the happiness of being born of Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh, the second degree of happiness was to be Miss Cunegonde, the third that of seeing her every day, and the fourth that of hearing Master Pangloss, the greatest philosopher of the whole province, and consequently of the whole world.

One day Cunegonde, while walking near the castle, in a little wood which they called a park, saw between the bushes, Dr. Pangloss giving a lesson in experimental natural philosophy to her mother's chamber-maid, a little brown wench, very pretty and very docile. As Miss Cunegonde had a great disposition for the sciences, she breathlessly observed the repeated experiments of which she was a witness; she clearly perceived [Pg 4]the force of the Doctor's reasons, the effects, and the causes; she turned back greatly flurried, quite pensive, and filled with the desire to be learned; dreaming that she might well be a sufficient reason for young Candide, and he for her. She met Candide on reaching the castle and blushed; Candide blushed also; she wished him good morrow in a faltering tone, and Candide spoke to her without knowing what he said. The next day after dinner, as they went from table, Cunegonde and Candide found themselves behind a screen; Cunegonde let fall her handkerchief, Candide picked it up, she took him innocently by the hand, the youth as innocently kissed the young lady's hand with particular vivacity, sensibility, and grace; their lips met, their eyes sparkled, their knees trembled, their hands strayed. Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh passed near the screen and beholding this cause and effect chased Candide from the castle with great kicks on the backside; Cunegonde fainted away; she was boxed on the ears by the Baroness, as soon as she came to herself; and all was consternation in this most magnificent and most agreeable of all possible castles.

Chapter 1 الفصل 1 Capítulo 1 Capítulo 1 Bölüm 1 Розділ 1

I HOW CANDIDE WAS BROUGHT UP IN A MAGNIFICENT CASTLE, AND HOW HE WAS EXPELLED THENCE. I CÓMO CANDIDE FUE CRIADO EN UN MAGNÍFICO CASTILLO, Y CÓMO FUE EXPULSADO DE ALLÍ. I COMMENT CANDIDE A ÉTÉ AMENÉ DANS UN MAGNIFIQUE CHÂTEAU, ET COMMENT IL EN A ÉTÉ EXPULSÉ

In a castle of Westphalia, belonging to the Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh, lived a youth, whom nature had endowed with the most gentle manners. Dans un château de Westphalie, appartenant au baron de Tonnerre-ten-Tronckh, vivait une jeunesse que la nature avait douée des manières les plus douces. His countenance was a true picture of his soul. He combined a true judgment with simplicity of spirit, which was the reason, I apprehend, of his being called Candide. Il combinait un jugement vrai avec une simplicité d'esprit, ce qui était la raison, je le crois, de son nom de Candide. The old servants of the family suspected him to have been the son of the Baron's sister, by a good, honest gentleman of the neighborhood, whom that young lady would never marry because he had been able to prove only seventy-one quarterings, the rest of his genealogical tree having been lost through the injuries of time. Les vieux serviteurs de la famille le soupçonnaient d'avoir été le fils de la sœur du baron, par un bon et honnête monsieur du quartier, que cette demoiselle n'épouserait jamais parce qu'il n'avait pu prouver que soixante et onze quartiers, le reste de son arbre généalogique ayant été perdu à cause des blessures du temps. The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle had not only a gate, but windows. Le baron était l'un des seigneurs les plus puissants de Westphalie, car son château n'avait pas seulement une porte, mais des fenêtres. His great hall, even, was[Pg 2] hung with tapestry. All the dogs of his farm-yards formed a pack of hounds at need; his grooms were his huntsmen; and the curate of the village was his grand almoner. Tous les chiens de sa ferme formaient une meute de chiens au besoin; ses palefreniers étaient ses chasseurs; et le curé du village était son grand aumônier. They called him "My Lord," and laughed at all his stories. The Baron's lady weighed about three hundred and fifty pounds, and was therefore a person of great consideration, and she did the honours of the house with a dignity that commanded still greater respect. La señora del barón pesaba unas trescientas cincuenta libras, por lo que era una persona de gran consideración, y hacía los honores de la casa con una dignidad que inspiraba aún mayor respeto. La dame du baron pesait environ trois cent cinquante livres, et était donc une personne de grande considération, et elle faisait les honneurs de la maison avec une dignité qui exigeait encore plus de respect. Her daughter Cunegonde was seventeen years of age, fresh-coloured, comely, plump, and desirable. Sa fille Cunégonde avait dix-sept ans, de couleur fraîche, belle, dodue et désirable. The Baron's son seemed to be in every respect worthy of his father. El hijo del Barón parecía ser en todos los aspectos digno de su padre. Le fils du baron semblait à tous égards digne de son père. The Preceptor Pangloss[1] was the oracle of the family, and little Candide heard his lessons with all the good faith of his age and character. Le précepteur Pangloss [1] était l'oracle de la famille, et le petit Candide entendit ses leçons avec toute la bonne foi de son âge et de son caractère.

Pangloss was professor of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology. Pangloss était professeur de métaphysico-théologico-cosmolo-nigologie. He proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause, and that, in this best of all possible worlds, the Baron's castle was the most magnificent of castles, and his lady the best of all possible Baronesses. Il prouva admirablement qu'il n'y a pas d'effet sans cause, et que, dans ce meilleur de tous les mondes possibles, le château du baron était le plus magnifique des châteaux, et sa dame la meilleure de toutes les baronnesses possibles. "It is demonstrable," said he, "that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for all being created for an end, all is necessarily for the best end. «Il est démontrable, dit-il, que les choses ne peuvent être autrement que telles qu'elles sont, car tout étant créé pour une fin, tout est nécessairement pour la meilleure des fins. Observe, that the nose has been formed to bear spectacles—thus we have spectacles. Obsérvese que la nariz ha sido formada para llevar gafas, por eso tenemos gafas. Observez que le nez a été formé pour porter des lunettes - nous avons donc des lunettes. Legs are visibly designed for stockings[Pg 3]—and we have stockings. Stones were made to be hewn, and to construct castles—therefore my lord has a magnificent castle; for the greatest baron in the province ought to be the best lodged. Las piedras fueron hechas para ser labradas, y para construir castillos; por eso mi señor tiene un magnífico castillo; porque el mayor barón de la provincia debe ser el mejor alojado. Des pierres ont été faites pour être taillées et pour construire des châteaux - c'est pourquoi mon seigneur a un château magnifique; car le plus grand baron de la province doit être le mieux logé. Pigs were made to be eaten—therefore we eat pork all the year round. El cerdo está hecho para ser comido, por eso comemos cerdo todo el año. Consequently they who assert that all is well have said a foolish thing, they should have said all is for the best." Par conséquent, ceux qui affirment que tout est bien ont dit une chose insensée, ils auraient dû dire que tout est pour le mieux. " Candide listened attentively and believed innocently; for he thought Miss Cunegonde extremely beautiful, though he never had the courage to tell her so. Candide écoutait attentivement et croyait innocemment; car il trouvait miss Cunégonde extrêmement belle, bien qu'il n'eût jamais eu le courage de le lui dire. He concluded that after the happiness of being born of Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh, the second degree of happiness was to be Miss Cunegonde, the third that of seeing her every day, and the fourth that of hearing Master Pangloss, the greatest philosopher of the whole province, and consequently of the whole world. Il en conclut qu'après le bonheur d'être né du baron de Tonnerre-ten-Tronckh, le deuxième degré de bonheur était d'être miss Cunégonde, le troisième celui de la voir tous les jours, et le quatrième celui d'entendre maître Pangloss, le plus grand philosophe. de toute la province, et par conséquent du monde entier.

One day Cunegonde, while walking near the castle, in a little wood which they called a park, saw between the bushes, Dr. Pangloss giving a lesson in experimental natural philosophy to her mother's chamber-maid, a little brown wench, very pretty and very docile. Un jour, Cunégonde, en se promenant près du château, dans un petit bois qu'on appelait parc, vit entre les buissons, le Dr Pangloss donnant une leçon de philosophie naturelle expérimentale à la femme de chambre de sa mère, une petite fille brune, très jolie et très docile. As Miss Cunegonde had a great disposition for the sciences, she breathlessly observed the repeated experiments of which she was a witness; she clearly perceived [Pg 4]the force of the Doctor's reasons, the effects, and the causes; she turned back greatly flurried, quite pensive, and filled with the desire to be learned; dreaming that she might well be a  sufficient reason for young Candide, and he for her. Comme miss Cunégonde avait une grande disposition pour les sciences, elle observa à bout de souffle les expériences répétées dont elle était témoin; elle a clairement perçu [Pg 4] la force des raisons, des effets et des causes du Docteur; elle se retourna fort agitée, toute songeuse et remplie du désir d'être instruite; rêver qu'elle pourrait bien être une raison suffisante pour le jeune Candide, et lui pour elle. She met Candide on reaching the castle and blushed; Candide blushed also; she wished him good morrow in a faltering tone, and Candide spoke to her without knowing what he said. Elle rencontra Candide en atteignant le château et rougit; Candide rougit aussi; elle lui souhaita bon demain d'un ton hésitant, et Candide lui parla sans savoir ce qu'il disait. The next day after dinner, as they went from table, Cunegonde and Candide found themselves behind a screen; Cunegonde let fall her handkerchief, Candide picked it up, she took him innocently by the hand, the youth as innocently kissed the young lady's hand with particular vivacity, sensibility, and grace; their lips met, their eyes sparkled, their knees trembled, their hands strayed. Le lendemain après le dîner, en sortant de table, Cunégonde et Candide se trouvèrent derrière un paravent; Cunégonde laissa tomber son mouchoir, Candide le prit, elle le prit innocemment par la main, le jeune comme innocemment baisait la main de la demoiselle avec une vivacité, une sensibilité et une grâce particulières; leurs lèvres se rencontrèrent, leurs yeux pétillaient, leurs genoux tremblaient, leurs mains s'égaraient. Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh passed near the screen and beholding this cause and effect chased Candide from the castle with great kicks on the backside; Cunegonde fainted away; she was boxed on the ears by the Baroness, as soon as she came to herself; and all was consternation in this most magnificent and most agreeable of all possible castles. El barón Trueno-Diez-Tronckh pasó cerca del biombo y contemplando esta causa y efecto echó a Cándido del castillo con grandes patadas en el trasero; Cunegonde se desmayó; fue golpeada en las orejas por la baronesa, tan pronto como volvió en sí; y todo fue consternación en este más magnífico y más agradable de todos los castillos posibles. Le baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh passa près de l'écran et voyant cette cause et cet effet chassa Candide du château avec de grands coups de pied à l'arrière; Cunégonde s'évanouit; elle fut boxée aux oreilles par la baronne, dès qu'elle revint à elle-même; et tout était consterné dans ce plus magnifique et le plus agréable de tous les châteaux possibles. Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh przeszedł w pobliżu parawanu i widząc tę przyczynę i skutek wypędził Kandyda z zamku wielkimi kopniakami w tyłek; Kunegunda zemdlała; została uderzona w uszy przez baronową, gdy tylko doszła do siebie; i wszystko było konsternacją w tym najwspanialszym i najprzyjemniejszym ze wszystkich możliwych zamków.