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 8
But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge.
Ma con il dovuto rispetto per un amico così eccellente, e per un patriota così meritevole, non posso essere del tutto della sua opinione; poiché per quanto riguarda i maschi, il mio conoscente americano mi ha assicurato per frequente esperienza, che la loro carne era generalmente dura e magra, come quella dei nostri scolari, a causa dell'esercizio continuo, e il loro sapore sgradevole, e ingrassarli non varrebbe la spesa.
Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves: and besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended.
Poi per quanto riguarda le femmine, sarebbe, a mio modesto avviso, una perdita per il pubblico, perché presto diventerebbero esse stesse fattrici: e inoltre, non è improbabile che alcune persone scrupolose possano essere inclini a censurare tale pratica, (sebbene in verità del tutto ingiustamente) come qualcosa che rasenta un poco la crudeltà, che, lo confesso, è sempre stata per me la più forte obiezione contro qualsiasi progetto, per quanto ben intenzionato.
Vocabulary
- Ma
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introduces contrast
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- il
- Definite article, masculine singular, meaning 'the'
- dovuto
- Adjective meaning 'due' or 'owed', proper
- rispetto
- Noun meaning 'respect' or 'regard'
- per
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'through', or 'by'
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning 'a'
- amico
- Noun meaning 'friend', male companion
- così
- Adverb meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'such'
- eccellente
- Adjective meaning 'excellent', of very high quality
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and', connects words or clauses
- patriota
- Noun meaning 'patriot', devoted to one's country
- meritevole
- Adjective meaning 'worthy' or 'deserving'
- non
- Adverb of negation meaning 'not'
- posso
- First person singular of 'potere', meaning 'I can'
- essere
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to be'
- del
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il', meaning 'of the'
- tutto
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'whole', 'everything'
- della
- Contraction of 'di' and 'la', meaning 'of the' (feminine)
- sua
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'
- opinione
- Noun meaning 'opinion' or 'view'
- poiché
- Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because'
- quanto
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'how much' or 'as for'
- riguarda
- Verb meaning 'concerns' or 'regards', third person singular
- i
- Definite article, masculine plural, meaning 'the'
- maschi
- Noun meaning 'males', plural of 'maschio'
- mio
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my', masculine singular
- conoscente
- Noun meaning 'acquaintance', someone one knows
- americano
- Adjective or noun meaning 'American'
- mi
- Personal pronoun, first person singular indirect object, 'me'
- ha
- Third person singular of 'avere', meaning 'has'
- assicurato
- Past participle of 'assicurare', meaning 'assured' or 'guaranteed'
- frequente
- Adjective meaning 'frequent', occurring often
- esperienza
- Noun meaning 'experience', knowledge from practice
- che
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', or 'who'
- la
- Definite article or pronoun, feminine singular, 'the' or 'her'
- loro
- Pronoun meaning 'their', 'them', or 'they'
- carne
- Noun meaning 'meat' or 'flesh'
- era
- Imperfect form of 'essere', meaning 'was' or 'were'
- generalmente
- Adverb meaning 'generally' or 'usually'
- dura
- Adjective meaning 'hard', 'tough', or 'difficult'
- magra
- Adjective meaning 'lean', 'thin', or 'meager'
- come
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'how'
- quella
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (feminine singular)
- dei
- Contraction of 'di' and 'i', meaning 'of the' (masculine plural)
- nostri
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our', masculine plural
- scolari
- Noun meaning 'schoolchildren' or 'pupils', masculine plural
- a
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'
- causa
- Noun meaning 'cause', 'reason', or 'case'
- dell'
- Contraction of 'di' and 'l'', meaning 'of the'
- esercizio
- Noun meaning 'exercise', physical or mental activity
- continuo
- Adjective meaning 'continuous', 'constant', 'uninterrupted'
- sapore
- Noun meaning 'flavor' or 'taste'
- sgradevole
- Adjective meaning 'unpleasant' or 'disagreeable'
- ingrassarli
- Infinitive with pronoun, meaning 'to fatten them'
- varrebbe
- Conditional of 'valere', meaning 'it would be worth'
- spesa
- Noun meaning 'expense', 'cost', or 'expenditure'
- Poi
- Adverb meaning 'then', 'afterwards', or 'moreover'
- le
- Definite article or pronoun, feminine plural, 'the' or 'them'
- femmine
- Noun meaning 'females', plural of 'femmina'
- sarebbe
- Conditional of 'essere', meaning 'would be'
- modesto
- Adjective meaning 'modest' or 'humble'
- avviso
- Noun meaning 'opinion', 'notice', or 'advice'
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning 'a' or 'an'
- perdita
- Noun meaning 'loss' or 'waste'
- pubblico
- Adjective or noun meaning 'public' or 'audience'
- perché
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'because' or 'why'
- presto
- Adverb meaning 'soon', 'quickly', or 'early'
- diventerebbero
- Conditional of 'diventare', meaning 'they would become'
- esse
- Feminine pronoun meaning 'they', referring to feminine nouns
- stesse
- Reflexive adjective meaning 'themselves', feminine plural
- inoltre
- Adverb meaning 'furthermore', 'moreover', or 'besides'
- è
- Third person singular of 'essere', meaning 'is'
- improbabile
- Adjective meaning 'unlikely' or 'improbable'
- alcune
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'a few' (feminine)
- persone
- Noun meaning 'persons' or 'people', plural
- scrupolose
- Adjective meaning 'scrupulous', meticulous about ethics
- possano
- Subjunctive of 'potere', meaning 'may be able to'
- inclini
- Adjective meaning 'inclined' or 'prone to'
- censurare
- Verb meaning 'to censure' or 'to criticize'
- tale
- Adjective meaning 'such' or 'this kind of'
- pratica
- Noun meaning 'practice' or 'custom'
- sebbene
- Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'at', or 'into'
- verità
- Noun meaning 'truth' or 'reality'
- ingiustamente
- Adverb meaning 'unjustly' or 'unfairly'
- qualcosa
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'something'
- rasenta
- Verb meaning 'borders on' or 'verges on'
- poco
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'little', 'few', or 'not much'
- crudeltà
- Noun meaning 'cruelty' or 'harshness'
- lo
- Personal pronoun or article, meaning 'it' or 'him'
- confesso
- Verb meaning 'I confess' or 'I admit'
- sempre
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever'
- stata
- Past participle of 'essere', feminine, meaning 'been'
- me
- Personal pronoun, stressed form of 'mi', meaning 'me'
- più
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'more' or 'most'
- forte
- Adjective meaning 'strong', 'loud', or 'powerful'
- obiezione
- Noun meaning 'objection' or 'opposition'
- contro
- Preposition meaning 'against' or 'opposed to'
- qualsiasi
- Adjective meaning 'any' or 'whatever kind of'
- progetto
- Noun meaning 'project', 'plan', or 'scheme'
- ben
- Adverb meaning 'well', short form of 'bene'
- intenzionato
- Adjective meaning 'well-intentioned' or 'purposeful'
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