A knot to be cut, not untied
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As difficuldades erão grandes, e constituião um nó, que poderia ser cortado, mas nunca desatado.
The difficulties were great, and formed a knot that might be cut, but never untied.
The Gordian knot, unmistakably. Legend says Alexander, unable to loose the impossible knot, cut it with his sword — and Guimarães hands Leôncio the same choice. To 'untie' the knot would mean honouring every claim on Isaura's freedom, honestly; to 'cut' it means force, brute mastery slicing through law and promise alike. The metaphor tells us, before he acts, which he will choose.
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A Escrava Isaura 8.24 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/escravaisaura/8.24/