User:Marianika~enwikisource/Jonathan and his continent

by Max O'Rell (Paul Blouët)

French original	American translation	British translation
V	CHAPTER V.	CHAPTER V.
Tout ce qui brille n'est pas or, surtout en Amérique. - Le dollar est l'unité du système métrique. - Jonathan est positif. - Comment il juge l'homme. - Ce qui fait mordre à l'hameçon. - Le talent sans argent est un meuble inutile. - Boston et Kansas.	All that Glitters is Not Gold, especially in America — The Dollar is the Unity of the Metrical System — Jonathan is Matter-of-Fact — How he Judges Man — The Kind of Baits that Take — Talent without Money is a Useless Tool — Boston and Kansas.	All that Glitters is not Gold, especially in America. - The Dollar is the Unity of the Metrical System. - Jonathan is Matter-of-fact. - How he judges Man. - The Kind of Baits that Take. - Talent without Money is a Useless Tool. - Boston and Kansas.
Jonathan admire tout ce qui brille, même ce qui n'est pas or.	Jonathan admires all that glitters, even that which is not gold.	JONATHAN admires all that glitters, even that which is not gold.
Pour lui, le succès répond de la qualité, et le charlatanisme qui réussit est, à ses yeux, supérieur au mérite qui végète.	In his eyes, the success of a thing answers for its quality, and the charlatanism that succeeds is superior to the merit that vegetates.	In his eyes, the success of a thing answers for its quality, and the charlatanism that succeeds is superior to the merit that vegetates.
Le dollar n'est pas seulement l'unité du système monétaire, c'est aussi l'unité du système métrique.	The dollar is not only the unity of the monetary system, it is also the unity of the metrical system.	The dollar is not only the unity of the monetary system ; it is also the unity of the metrical system.
Avant de se prononcer sur la valeur d'un homme, on lui demande, en Angleterre : a Qui est ton père? » en France : « Qui es-tu? » en Amérique : « Combien as-tu? »	Before assigning a man his standing, people ask him in England, "Who is your father?" in France, "Who are you?" in America, "How much have you?"	Before assigning a man his standing, people ask him in England, " Who is your father ? " in France, "Who are you?" in America, "How much have you ? "
Comme le professeur Teufelsdröckh du Sartor Resartus de Carlyle, Jonathan juge les hommes avec une impartialité et un sans-gêne vraiment charmants. Il admire le talent parce que cela rapporte. Un succès littéraire ou artistique n'est un succès pour lui qu'à la condition d'être aussi un succès financier. L'homme, à ses yeux, possède avant tout une valeur commerciale, il vaut tant, il le cote. Telle ou telle célébrité ne lui inspire pas de respect et d'admiration parce qu'elle a produit une œuvre de génie, mais parce que cette œuvre a rapporté une fortune. On ne dit pas en Amérique que madame Patti a une voix incomparable, on dit qu'elle fait salle comble.	Like Professor Teufelsdröckh, the ordinary American judges men with a strange impartiality, a strange scientific freedom. He admires talent, because it is a paying commodity. A literary or artistic success is only a success in his eyes, on condition that it is a monetary one as well. He looks upon every man as possessing a certain commercial value. He is worth so much. Such and such a celebrity does not inspire his respect and admiration, because he or she has produced a work of genius, but because the work of genius has produced a fortune. In America, you hear people, when talking of Madame Adelina Patti, speak less of her incomparable voice than of the houses she draws.	Like Professor Teufelsdrockh, the ordinary American judges men with an impartiality and coolness really charming. He admires talent, because it is a paying commodity. A literary or artistic success is only a success, in his eyes, on condition that it is a monetary one as well. He looks upon every man as possessing a certain commercial value. He is worth so much. Such and such a celebrity does not inspire his respect and admiration because he or she has produced a work of genius, but because the work of genius has produced a fortune. In America, you hear people, when talking of Madame Adelina Patti, speak less of her incomparable voice than of the houses she draws.
Je causais un jour avec un Américain du fameux colonel Robert Ingersoll.	I was chatting one day with an American about the famous Colonel Robert Ingersoll.	I was chatting one day with an American about the famous Robert Ingersoll.
— C'est, je crois, votre plus grand orateur? lui dis-je.	"He is your greatest orator, I am told," I said.	" He is your greatest orator, I am told," I said.
— Oui, monsieur, répondit-il; Ingersoll peut n'importe quel jour remplir l'Opera-House, et la recette est de 5000 dollars.	"Yes," he replied, "Ingersoll can fill the Metropolitan Opera House any day, and have five thousand dollars in the house."	" Oh, yes," he replied. " Ingersoll can fill the Metropolitan Opera House any day, and have five thousand dollars in the house."
Certes, c'est là une curieuse façon de parler d'un grand orateur, d'un grand écrivain et d'un grand penseur.	Certainly that is a curious way to speak of a great orator, a great writer, and a great thinker.	Certainly that is a curious way to speak of a great orator, a great writer, and a great thinker.
	I need not say that I am now speaking of the average American, not the littérateur or the man of good society.	I need not say that I am now speaking of the ordinary American, not the man of refinement.
Telle actrice fera fureur de New-York à San-Franscisco, non pas parce qu'elle possède un talent incontestable, mais parce qu'elle voyage à travers les États-Unis dans un magnifique wagon qu'elle s'est fait construire elle-même par la maison Pullmann et Cie.	It would be quite possible for an actress to attract large audiences all through a tour from New York to San Francisco, not because of incontestable talent, but because she traveled in a magnificent palace car of her own.	It would be quite possible for an actress to attract large audiences all through a tour from New York to San Francisco, not because of incontestable talent, but because she travelled in a magnificent palace-car of her own.
J'ai vu les journaux américains annoncer l'apparition de mademoiselle Minnie Palmer — une jeune actrice de talent — dans les termes suivants :	I saw, in an American paper, the appearance of Miss Minnie Palmer spoken of in the following terms :	I saw, in an American paper, the appearance oi Miss Minnie Palmer spoken of in the following terms :
« Minnie Palmer portera tous ses diamants au troisième acte. »	"Minnie Palmer will wear all her diamonds in the third act."	"Minnie Palmer will wear all her diamonds in the third act."
Dans l'après-midi le bureau de location fut assiégé, et le soir on refusait du monde à la porte. Détail amusant : un bon quart des spectateurs arriva sur les dix heures pour voir les diamants au troisième acte.	The booking-office was besieged all day, and, in the evening, money was refused. An amusing detail was the arrival of a good fourth of the audience at ten o'clock, to see the diamonds in the third act.	The booking-office was besieged all day, and in the evening money was refused. An amusing detail was the arrival of a good fourth of the audience at ten o clock, to see the diamonds in the third act.
	* * *
Cette nécessité d'être riche est le revers de la médaille en Amérique où, plus encore que partout ailleurs, « le talent sans argent est un meuble inutile ».	This necessity for being rich is the reverse side of the medal in America, where, more than anywhere else, talent without money is a useless tool.	This necessity for being rich is the reverse side of the medal in America, where, more than any where else, talent without money is a useless tool.
L'Amérique souffre de cet état de choses. Le génie du pays, au lieu de consacrer tout son temps à produire des œuvres qui tendraient à élever les idées et les aspirations du peuple, est obligé de songer à faire de l'argent.	America suffers from this state of things. The country's genius, instead of consecrating all its time to the production of works which would tend to elevate the ideas and aspirations of the people, is obliged to think of money-making.	America suffers from this state of things. The country s genius, instead of consecrating all its time to the production of works which would tend to elevate the ideas and aspirations of the people, is obliged to think of money-making.
— Ah! mon ami, me disait un jour un des plus gracieux bardes de l'Amérique en se touchant le front, il me semble que j'ai là quelque chose, que je possède le feu sacré et que je pourrais par mes écrits faire un peu de bien au genre humain. Mais comment faire de la poésie, quand il court dans l'air de Wall Street4 des rumeurs de débâcle?... Excusez-moi, je n'ai pas un instant à perdre, il faut que je cours à la Bourse. 4. La rue de New-York où se trouve la Bourse.	"Ah, my friend," said one of America's most graceful bards to me one day, as he touched his forehead, " it seems to me that I have something there, that I possess the feu sacré, and that I might do a little share of good by my writings. But how write poems, when there are rumors of panic in Wall Street ? — Excuse me, I have not a moment to lose, I must rush to the Stock Exchange."	" Ah ! my friend," said one of America s most graceful bards to me one day as he touched his fore head, " it seems to me that I have something there, that I possess the feu sacré, and that I might do a little share of good by my writings. But how write poems, when there are rumours of panic in Wall Street ? Excuse me, I have not a moment to lose ; I must rush to the Stock Exchange."
Les écrivains de l'Amérique ne peuvent écrire, pour la plupart, que dans leurs moments perdus. Les affaires d'abord. Mark Twain est éditeur, Olivier Wendell Holmes est médecin, Edmond Clarence Stedman est agent de change, Robert Ingersoll est avocat, Georges Gable est conférencier public, James Russel Lowell est diplomate. Les autres sont journalistes. Il s'en trouve fort peu qui vivent de leur plume, car certes le journalisme, en Amérique, n'est point de la littérature.	The American authors, most of them, only take up the pen at odd hours. Business first. Mark Twain is a publisher, Oliver Wendell Holmes is a doctor, Edmund Clarence Stedman is a stock-broker, Robert Ingersoll an advocate, George W. Cable a public reader, James Russell Lowell a diplomatist. The rest are journalists, etc. There are few indeed who live by book-writing.	The American authors, most of them, only take up the pen at odd hours. Business first. Mark Twain is a publisher ; Oliver Wendell Holmes is a doctor ; Edmund Clarence Stedman is a stockbroker ; Robert Ingersoll, an advocate; George Cable, a public lecturer ; and James Russell Lowell is a diplomatist. The rest are journalists. There are few, indeed, who live by book-writing.
Peut-être, cependant, arrivera-t-il un jour que la loi, en Amérique, défendra aux éditeurs de voler les œuvres des écrivains européens et de les publier à vil prix, et que les auteurs américains, n'ayant plus à craindre cette concurrence injuste, pourront vendre leurs livres en assez grand nombre pour y trouver le moyen de payer leur propriétaire et leurs fournisseurs. Ce jour-là la littérature américaine, qui a produit des chefs-d'œuvre dans les conditions les plus défavorables, prendra son vol et atteindra à des hauteurs prodigieuses.	However, perhaps a day will come when American law will prevent publishers from stealing the works of European writers and publishing them at a few cents ; then American authors, having no longer to fear this unjust competition, may be able to sell their books in sufficient numbers to allow them to pay their landlords and tradesmen out of the profits. When that day comes, American literature will spread its pinions and rise to prodigious heights.	However, perhaps a day will come when American law will prevent publishers from stealing the works of European writers, and publishing them at low prices ; then American authors, having no longer to fear this unjust competition, may be able to sell their books in sufficient numbers to allow them to pay their landlord and tradesmen out of the profits, When that day comes, American literature will spread its pinions and rise to prodigious heights.
Dans un pays gouverné par des protectionnistes, il semble étrange que les produits nationaux soient tous protégés excepté les produits de l'intelligence. Pareille anomalie ne saurait exister longtemps. Le bon sens moral du peuple triomphera. Boston l'emportera sur Kansas.	In a country governed by protectionists, it does seem strange that national products should all be protected except the product of the brains. Such an anomaly can not certainly endure. The moral sense of the people will triumph.	In a country governed by Protectionists, it does seem strange that national products should all be protected except the products of the brain. Such an anomaly cannot certainly endure. The moral sense of the people will triumph. Boston, not Kansas, must win.
	Boston, not Kansas, must win.
	Unluckily, the Copyright Bill has the misfortune to be desired by the English ; and this is quite enough for the Washington politicians to refuse to pass it, although the Americans desire it no less than the English, if not more.	Unluckily, the Copyright Bill has the misfortune to be desired by the English; and this is quite enough for the Washington politicians to refuse to pass it, although the Americans desire it no less than the English, if not more.