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Voltaire's Candide or Optimism, Chapter 23

Chapter 23

XXIII CANDIDE AND MARTIN TOUCHED UPON THE COAST OF ENGLAND, AND WHAT THEY SAW THERE.

"Ah, Pangloss! Pangloss! Ah, Martin! Martin! Ah, my dear Cunegonde, what sort of a world is this?" said Candide on board the Dutch ship.

"Something very foolish and abominable," said Martin. "You know England? Are they as foolish there as in France?" "It is another kind of folly," said Martin. "You know that these two nations are at war for a few acres of snow in Canada,[31] and that they spend over this beautiful war much more than Canada is worth. To tell you exactly, whether there are more people fit to send to a madhouse in one country than the other, is what my imperfect intelligence will not permit. I only know in general that the people we are going to see are very atrabilious." Talking thus they arrived at Portsmouth. The coast was lined with crowds of people, whose eyes were fixed on a fine man kneeling, with his[Pg 123] eyes bandaged, on board one of the men of war in the harbour. Four soldiers stood opposite to this man; each of them fired three balls at his head, with all the calmness in the world; and the whole assembly went away very well satisfied.

"What is all this?" said Candide; "and what demon is it that exercises his empire in this country?" He then asked who was that fine man who had been killed with so much ceremony. They answered, he was an Admiral. [32]

"And why kill this Admiral?" "It is because he did not kill a sufficient number of men himself. He gave battle to a French Admiral; and it has been proved that he was not near enough to him." "But," replied Candide, "the French Admiral was as far from the English Admiral." "There is no doubt of it; but in this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others." Candide was so shocked and bewildered by what he saw and heard, that he would not set foot on shore, and he made a bargain with the Dutch skipper (were he even to rob him like the Surinam captain) to conduct him without delay to Venice.

The skipper was ready in two days. They[Pg 124] coasted France; they passed in sight of Lisbon, and Candide trembled. They passed through the Straits, and entered the Mediterranean. At last they landed at Venice.

"God be praised!" said Candide, embracing Martin. "It is here that I shall see again my beautiful Cunegonde. I trust Cacambo as myself. All is well, all will be well, all goes as well as possible."

Chapter 23 Bölüm 23

XXIII CANDIDE AND MARTIN TOUCHED UPON THE COAST OF ENGLAND, AND WHAT THEY SAW THERE. XXIII CANDIDE ET MARTIN TOUCHÉ SUR LA CÔTE D'ANGLETERRE ET CE QU'ILS ONT VU LÀ.

"Ah, Pangloss! Pangloss! Ah, Martin! Martin! Ah, my dear Cunegonde, what sort of a world is this?" said Candide on board the Dutch ship.

"Something very foolish and abominable," said Martin. "You know England? Are they as foolish there as in France?" "It is another kind of folly," said Martin. "You know that these two nations are at war for a few acres of snow in Canada,[31] and that they spend over this beautiful war much more than Canada is worth. «Vous savez que ces deux nations sont en guerre pour quelques acres de neige au Canada [31] et qu'elles dépensent beaucoup plus pour cette belle guerre que le Canada ne vaut. To tell you exactly, whether there are more people fit to send to a madhouse in one country than the other, is what my imperfect intelligence will not permit. Vous dire exactement s'il y a plus de gens aptes à envoyer dans une maison de fous dans un pays que dans l'autre, c'est ce que mon intelligence imparfaite ne permettra pas. I only know in general that the people we are going to see are very atrabilious." Talking thus they arrived at Portsmouth. The coast was lined with crowds of people, whose eyes were fixed on a fine man kneeling, with his[Pg 123] eyes bandaged, on board one of the men of war in the harbour. La côte était bordée de foules de gens, dont les yeux étaient fixés sur un brave homme agenouillé, les yeux bandés, à bord d'un des hommes de guerre du port. Four soldiers stood opposite to this man; each of them fired three balls at his head, with all the calmness in the world; and the whole assembly went away very well satisfied.

"What is all this?" said Candide; "and what demon is it that exercises his empire in this country?" dit Candide; «et quel démon exerce son empire dans ce pays? He then asked who was that fine man who had been killed with so much ceremony. They answered, he was an Admiral. [32]

"And why kill this Admiral?" "It is because he did not kill a sufficient number of men himself. He gave battle to a French Admiral; and it has been proved that he was not near enough to him." "But," replied Candide, "the French Admiral was as far from the English Admiral." "There is no doubt of it; but in this country it is found good, from time to time, to kill one Admiral to encourage the others." «Cela ne fait aucun doute; mais dans ce pays, il est bon, de temps en temps, de tuer un amiral pour encourager les autres. Candide was so shocked and bewildered by what he saw and heard, that he would not set foot on shore, and he made a bargain with the Dutch skipper (were he even to rob him like the Surinam captain) to conduct him without delay to Venice. Candide a été tellement choqué et déconcerté par ce qu'il a vu et entendu, qu'il ne voulait pas mettre le pied à terre, et il a conclu un marché avec le skipper néerlandais (s'il devait même le voler comme le capitaine du Surinam) pour le conduire sans délai à Venise. .

The skipper was ready in two days. They[Pg 124] coasted France; they passed in sight of Lisbon, and Candide trembled. They passed through the Straits, and entered the Mediterranean. At last they landed at Venice.

"God be praised!" said Candide, embracing Martin. "It is here that I shall see again my beautiful Cunegonde. I trust Cacambo as myself. All is well, all will be well, all goes as well as possible."