A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick — Page 5
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasee, or a ragoust.
Sono stato assicurato da un americano molto sapiente di mia conoscenza a Londra, che un bambino giovane e sano ben nutrito è, a un anno di età, un cibo deliziosissimo, nutriente e salutare, che sia stufato, arrostito, cotto al forno o bollito; e non ho alcun dubbio che servirà ugualmente in una fricassea o in un ragù.
I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration, that of the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to serve four females.
Pertanto offro umilmente alla pubblica considerazione che, dei centoventiamila bambini già calcolati, ventimila possano essere riservati alla riproduzione, dei quali solo un quarto siano maschi; il che è più di quanto concediamo a pecore, bovini o suini, e la mia ragione è che questi bambini sono raramente frutto del matrimonio, una circostanza a cui i nostri selvaggi badano poco, pertanto un maschio sarà sufficiente a servire quattro femmine.
That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune, through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table.
Che i restanti centomila possano, a un anno di età, essere messi in vendita alle persone di qualità e di fortuna in tutto il regno, consigliando sempre alla madre di lasciarli poppare abbondantemente nell'ultimo mese, così da renderli paffuti e grassi per una buona tavola.
A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.
Un bambino fornirà due portate a un banchetto per gli amici, e quando la famiglia cena da sola, il quarto anteriore o posteriore costituirà un piatto ragionevole e, condito con un po' di pepe o di sale, sarà ottimo bollito il quarto giorno, specialmente in inverno.
Vocabulary
- Sono
- First person singular or plural form of 'essere' (to be)
- stato
- Past participle of 'essere'; also means 'state' or 'status'
- assicurato
- Assured, guaranteed, or insured by someone
- da
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'from,' or 'since'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- americano
- Adjective or noun referring to someone from America
- molto
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'very' or 'much'
- sapiente
- Wise, knowledgeable, learned person or quality
- di
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- mia
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (feminine singular)
- conoscenza
- Knowledge, acquaintance, or familiarity with someone
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
- Londra
- Italian name for the city of London, England
- che
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'who'
- bambino
- A young child, baby, or infant; boy
- giovane
- Adjective or noun meaning 'young' or 'youth'
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses
- sano
- Adjective meaning 'healthy,' 'sound,' or 'wholesome'
- ben
- Adverb meaning 'well,' shortened form of 'bene'
- nutrito
- Past participle of 'nutrire'; meaning 'nourished' or 'fed'
- è
- Third person singular present of 'essere' (to be)
- anno
- Noun meaning 'year,' a unit of time
- età
- Noun meaning 'age,' referring to years of life
- cibo
- Noun meaning 'food,' general term for nourishment
- deliziosissimo
- Superlative adjective meaning 'absolutely delicious' or 'most delightful'
- nutriente
- Adjective meaning 'nutritious,' providing nourishment or sustenance
- salutare
- Adjective meaning 'healthful,' 'wholesome,' or 'beneficial'
- sia
- Subjunctive form of 'essere'; means 'whether' or 'be'
- stufato
- Noun or adjective meaning 'stew' or 'stewed'
- arrostito
- Past participle of 'arrostire'; meaning 'roasted' or 'grilled'
- cotto
- Past participle of 'cuocere'; meaning 'cooked' or 'baked'
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'il,' meaning 'to the' or 'at the'
- forno
- Noun meaning 'oven' or 'bakery'
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or,' presenting an alternative option
- bollito
- Past participle of 'bollire'; meaning 'boiled' food or water
- non
- Adverb of negation meaning 'not'
- ho
- First person singular present of 'avere' (to have)
- alcun
- Adjective meaning 'any' or 'no,' used in negative contexts
- dubbio
- Noun meaning 'doubt,' uncertainty about something
- servirà
- Future tense of 'servire'; meaning 'will serve' or 'will be useful'
- ugualmente
- Adverb meaning 'equally,' 'likewise,' or 'in the same way'
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'at'
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- fricassea
- Noun meaning 'fricassee,' a dish of stewed or fried meat
- ragù
- Noun meaning 'ragù,' a meat-based sauce for pasta
- Pertanto
- Conjunction meaning 'therefore,' 'thus,' or 'consequently'
- offro
- First person singular present of 'offrire'; meaning 'I offer'
- umilmente
- Adverb meaning 'humbly,' in a modest or respectful manner
- alla
- Contraction of 'a' and 'la,' meaning 'to the' (feminine)
- pubblica
- Adjective meaning 'public,' relating to the general community
- considerazione
- Noun meaning 'consideration,' careful thought or regard
- dei
- Contraction of 'di' and 'i,' meaning 'of the' (masculine plural)
- bambini
- Plural noun meaning 'children' or 'babies'
- già
- Adverb meaning 'already,' 'yet,' or 'formerly'
- calcolati
- Past participle of 'calcolare'; meaning 'calculated' or 'estimated'
- possano
- Subjunctive form of 'potere'; meaning 'may be able to'
- essere
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to be,' fundamental Italian verb
- riservati
- Past participle of 'riservare'; meaning 'reserved' or 'set aside'
- riproduzione
- Noun meaning 'reproduction,' the process of producing offspring
- quali
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who' (plural)
- solo
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'only,' 'alone,' or 'just'
- quarto
- Adjective or noun meaning 'fourth' or 'quarter'
- siano
- Subjunctive form of 'essere'; meaning 'they/you may be'
- maschi
- Plural noun meaning 'males,' referring to male individuals
- il
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
- più
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'more' or 'most'
- quanto
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'how much,' 'as much as'
- concediamo
- First person plural of 'concedere'; meaning 'we grant' or 'allow'
- pecore
- Plural noun meaning 'sheep,' farm animals raised for wool or meat
- bovini
- Plural noun meaning 'cattle' or 'bovines,' farm livestock
- suini
- Plural noun meaning 'pigs' or 'swine,' farm livestock
- la
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her' (feminine)
- ragione
- Noun meaning 'reason,' rational explanation or justification
- questi
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these' (masculine plural)
- raramente
- Adverb meaning 'rarely,' seldom happening or occurring
- frutto
- Noun meaning 'fruit,' result, or product of something
- del
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il,' meaning 'of the' (masculine singular)
- matrimonio
- Noun meaning 'marriage,' the legal union of two people
- circostanza
- Noun meaning 'circumstance,' a condition or surrounding situation
- cui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which,' 'whom,' or 'whose'
- i
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
- nostri
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (masculine plural)
- selvaggi
- Adjective or noun meaning 'savages,' wild or uncivilized people
- badano
- Third person plural of 'badare'; meaning 'they pay attention to'
- poco
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little,' 'few,' or 'not much'
- pertanto
- Conjunction meaning 'therefore' or 'consequently'
- maschio
- Noun or adjective meaning 'male,' a male animal or person
- sarà
- Future tense of 'essere'; meaning 'will be'
- sufficiente
- Adjective meaning 'sufficient,' enough for a purpose
- servire
- Infinitive meaning 'to serve,' to provide service or function
- quattro
- Number meaning 'four'
- femmine
- Plural noun meaning 'females,' female animals or persons
- Che
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'who'
- restanti
- Adjective meaning 'remaining,' the ones left over
- messi
- Past participle of 'mettere'; meaning 'placed,' 'put,' or 'offered'
- vendita
- Noun meaning 'sale,' the act of selling something
- alle
- Contraction of 'a' and 'le,' meaning 'to the' (feminine plural)
- persone
- Plural noun meaning 'people' or 'persons'
- qualità
- Noun meaning 'quality,' a characteristic or degree of excellence
- fortuna
- Noun meaning 'fortune,' luck, or wealth
- tutto
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'whole,' or 'everything'
- regno
- Noun meaning 'kingdom' or 'realm,' a territory ruled by a king
- consigliando
- Gerund of 'consigliare'; meaning 'advising' or 'recommending'
- sempre
- Adverb meaning 'always,' at all times or on every occasion
- madre
- Noun meaning 'mother,' a female parent
- lasciarli
- Infinitive 'lasciare' with pronoun; meaning 'to let them' or 'leave them'
- poppare
- Infinitive meaning 'to nurse' or 'to suckle,' feeding at the breast
- abbondantemente
- Adverb meaning 'abundantly,' in a plentiful or generous manner
- nell'
- Contraction of 'in' and 'il/la,' meaning 'in the' (before vowel)
- ultimo
- Adjective meaning 'last,' 'final,' or 'most recent'
- mese
- Noun meaning 'month,' one of twelve divisions of a year
- così
- Adverb meaning 'so,' 'thus,' or 'in this way'
- renderli
- Infinitive 'rendere' with pronoun; meaning 'to make them' or 'render them'
- paffuti
- Adjective meaning 'chubby,' 'plump,' or 'pudgy'
- grassi
- Adjective meaning 'fat,' 'greasy,' or 'plump' (plural)
- per
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'through,' or 'in order to'
- buona
- Adjective meaning 'good' (feminine singular)
- tavola
- Noun meaning 'table,' especially a dining table
- Un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine singular)
- fornirà
- Future tense of 'fornire'; meaning 'will provide' or 'will supply'
- due
- Number meaning 'two'
- portate
- Plural noun meaning 'courses,' as in courses of a meal
- banchetto
- Noun meaning 'banquet,' a large formal meal or feast
- gli
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'to him' (masculine plural)
- amici
- Plural noun meaning 'friends'
- quando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
- famiglia
- Noun meaning 'family,' a group of related individuals
- cena
- Noun meaning 'dinner' or 'supper,' the evening meal
- sola
- Adjective meaning 'alone,' 'only,' or 'sole' (feminine singular)
- anteriore
- Adjective meaning 'front,' 'anterior,' or 'fore' part
- posteriore
- Adjective meaning 'rear,' 'back,' or 'posterior' part
- costituirà
- Future tense of 'costituire'; meaning 'will constitute' or 'will form'
- piatto
- Noun meaning 'dish,' 'plate,' or a course of a meal
- ragionevole
- Adjective meaning 'reasonable,' fair, or sensible
- condito
- Past participle of 'condire'; meaning 'seasoned' or 'dressed'
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- po'
- Contraction of 'poco'; meaning 'a little' or 'a bit'
- pepe
- Noun meaning 'pepper,' a common spice used in cooking
- sale
- Noun meaning 'salt,' a mineral used to season food
- ottimo
- Adjective meaning 'excellent,' 'very good,' or 'optimal'
- giorno
- Noun meaning 'day,' a period of twenty-four hours
- specialmente
- Adverb meaning 'especially,' 'particularly,' or 'mainly'
- inverno
- Noun meaning 'winter,' the coldest season of the year
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