Encyclopedic

I have spent a pleasant afternoon reading a Franco-era (1952) encyclopedia for schools. Here are some of the choicest bits, with translations.

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship wasn't socialist:

'Damos el nombre propiedad al derecho que tenemos a usar las cosas que son nuestras, nos pertenecen. El instinto de la propiedad es tan antiguo como el hombre o, mejor dicho, tan antiguo como la vida [...]'

'The right which we have to use things which are ours, which belong to us, we call property. The instinct to property is as old as mankind, or rather, as old as life itself [...]'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship wasn't nice (this, by the way, is from the section Religion y moral):

'Los pueblos debiles se convirten en esclavos de los pueblos fuertes. Esparta dominó a sus enemigos porque era más fuerte que ellos. Roma dominó al mundo cuando nadie la superaba en fortaleza. Y España fué dueña de veinte naciones mientras su espada fué invencible y sus tercios poderosos.'

'A strong people will enslave a weak people. Sparta dominated her enemies because she was stronger than them. Rome dominated the world whe there was no one who exceeded her in strength. And Spain was the mistress of twenty nations while her sword was undefeatable and her regiments strong.'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship was muy católico and more than a little narcissistic:

'En las salas de clase de las escuelas - presididas siempre por el crucifijo, la imagen de la Purísima y el retrato de Generalísimo [...]'

'In the classrooms - watched over always by a crucifix, an image of the Blessed Virgin and a portrait of the Generalisimo [...]'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship couldn't deal with Raymond Chandler:

'Jamás, ni los niños ni los hombres, deben leer novelas detectivescas [...]'

'Neither children nor adults should ever read detective stories [...]'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship knew how to lay it on with a trowel:

'Entramos con esta lectura en el estudio de España, que es el más hermoso pais del mundo.'

'We will begin this lesson with the study of Spain, which is the most beautiful country in the world.'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship sometimes got it right:

'Cádiz, hermosa ciudad que es como un pañuelo con el que España dijera adios a los navegantes [...]'

'Cádiz, a beautiful city, like a handkerchief with which Spain wishes goodbye to her sailors [...]'

Further proof that the Francoist dictatorship knew how to lay it on with a trowel:

'Los grandes Estados europeos son: Inglaterra, cuyas posesiones se reparten por todos los rincones del mundo; Rusia, cuyo extenso territorio produze riquezas incalculables; Francia, sede de la elegancia y el buen gusto; Italia, cuna del arte y centro del orbe católico, por residir el sumo Pontífico en Roma, la ciudad eterna.
Pero, sobre todas, España, madre de veinte pueblos, rectora del mundo en siglos pasados, remanso de moral y cátedra de justicia. ¡España, a quien todas las naciones envidian su situación geográfica, su historia, su luz, su cielo y su alegría!'

The great States of Europe are: England, whose possessions are found in all corners of the world; Russia, whose extensive territory produces incalculable riches; France, seat of elegance and good taste; Italy, cradle of art and centre of the Catholic world, home of the Supreme Pontiff, in Rome, the eternal city.
But, above all of these is Spain, mother to twenty countries, the guiding light to the world in centuries past, oasis of morality and seat of justice. Spain, whom all other nations envy for her situation, her history, her light, her sky and her joy!'

Interesting, by the way, that the great States of Europe (excluding Catholic Italy) just happened to be the ones which could provide post-war aid to the impoverished Spanish state. Not envied for her wealth, you'll notice.

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship had its priorities a bit out of whack:

'El capítulo más bello y más noble de la gloriosa conquista de América es la obra admirable de los misioneros españoles.'

'The finest and most noble chapter in the glorious conquest of America is the admirable work of the Spanish missionaries.'

Proof that the Francoist dictatorship was the place where a lot of scoundrels took their last refuge:

'¡Bandera roja y gualda, cuyos labios abiertos al sol de la Historia cantan las triunfales glorias de la Patria, salve!
Todas las banderas son hermosas; pero ninguna tanto como la nuestra, que tiene el color de sol y del oro, el color de la llama y de la sangre: los dos colores más ilustres.'

'Greetings to you, red and gold flag, whose lips, opened to the sun of History, sing the glorious triumphs of the Fatherland!
All flags are beautiful, but none is so beautiful as ours, which shows the colour of the sun and of gold, the colour of flame and of blood, the two most illustrious colours.'