Dom Casmurro 136.3 · 136.3

Necessidade de coragem

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Nem era só imitá-lo nisso; tinha necessidade de incutir em mim a coragem dele, assim como ele precisara dos sentimentos do filósofo, para intrepidamente morrer. Um dos males da ignorância é não ter este remédio à última hora.

Not even was it only to imitate him in that; he had need of instilling in me the courage of him, just as he had needed the feelings of the philosopher, to intrepidly die. One of the evils of ignorance is not having this remedy at the last hour.

Word by word

Nemnaynot eveneraEH-rahwassawonlyimitá-loee-mee-TAH-looto imitate himnissoNEE-sooin that;tinhaCHEE-nyahhadnecessidadeneh-seh-see-DAH-deeneeddejeeofincutireen-koo-TEERto instillemayinmimmeemmeaahthecoragemkoh-RAH-jaycouragedeleDEH-leeof him,assimah-SEEMthuscomoKOH-mooaseleEH-leeheprecisarapreh-see-ZAH-rahhad neededdosdoosof thesentimentossen-tee-MEN-toosfeelingsdodooof thefilósofofee-LAW-zoh-foophilosopher,paraPAH-rahtointrepidamenteeen-treh-pee-dah-MEN-teeintrepidlymorrermoh-REHRto die.Umoomadosdoosof themalesMAH-leesevilsdadahof theignorânciaee-gnoh-RAHN-see-ahignoranceéehisnãonah-oonottertehrto haveesteES-teethisremédioheh-MEH-jee-ooremedyàahat theúltimaOOL-chee-mahlasthoraAW-rahhour.

The setting

The narrator reflects on the need to emulate someone's courage, comparing it to a philosopher's sentiments needed to die intrepidly, and notes the lack of such remedy in ignorance.

A note on this passage

The narrator explains that it was not merely about imitating someone, but about needing to instill that person's courage in himself, just as that person had needed the philosopher's sentiments to die bravely. He notes that ignorance's misfortune is lacking such a remedy at the final moment.

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