← 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

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 14

English → It Full Text Level 9/10

Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither clothes, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants.

Pertanto nessuno mi parli di altri espedienti: di tassare i nostri assenti con cinque scellini per libbra: di non usare né abiti né mobili domestici, eccetto quelli di nostra produzione e manifattura: di rifiutare del tutto i materiali e gli strumenti che promuovono il lusso straniero: di curare la spesa eccessiva dovuta all'orgoglio, alla vanità, all'oziosità e al gioco d'azzardo nelle nostre donne: di introdurre una vena di parsimonia, prudenza e temperanza: di imparare ad amare il nostro paese, nel quale differiremo persino dai Lapponi e dagli abitanti di Topinamboo: di abbandonare le nostre animosità e fazioni, e di non comportarci più come gli Ebrei, che si massacravano l'un l'altro nel momento stesso in cui la loro città veniva conquistata: di essere un poco cauti nel non vendere il nostro paese e la nostra coscienza per nulla: di insegnare ai proprietari terrieri ad avere almeno un minimo di misericordia verso i loro affittuari.

Lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.

Infine, di infondere uno spirito di onestà, laboriosità e competenza nei nostri bottegai, i quali, se si prendesse ora la decisione di acquistare soltanto i nostri prodotti locali, si unirebbero immediatamente per imbrogliarci e spillarci denaro sul prezzo, sulla misura e sulla qualità, né si è mai riusciti a indurli a fare una sola proposta equa di commercio onesto, sebbene spesso e sinceramente invitati a farlo.

Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.

Pertanto ripeto, nessuno mi parli di questi e simili espedienti, finché non abbia almeno un barlume di speranza che vi sarà mai un tentativo sincero e convinto di metterli in pratica.

Vocabulary

Pertanto
Therefore; used to introduce a logical conclusion
nessuno
Nobody, no one, not anyone
mi
Me; first-person singular object pronoun
parli
Speak (to me); second-person singular present subjunctive
di
Of, about; very common Italian preposition
altri
Others, other people or things
espedienti
Expedients, makeshift solutions, tricks to manage
tassare
To tax, impose a financial levy on something
i
The; masculine plural definite article
nostri
Our; masculine plural possessive adjective
assenti
Absent persons, those not present
con
With; common Italian preposition
cinque
Five; the number 5
scellini
Shillings; old British currency units
per
For, per, by; common Italian preposition
libbra
Pound; unit of weight or old currency
non
Not; basic Italian negation word
usare
To use, to make use of something
né
Neither, nor; used in negative correlations
abiti
Clothes, garments, articles of clothing
mobili
Furniture; movable household items
domestici
Domestic, household; relating to the home
eccetto
Except, apart from, excluding
quelli
Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
nostra
Our; feminine singular possessive adjective
produzione
Production, manufacturing output of goods
e
And; basic Italian coordinating conjunction
manifattura
Manufacture, craftsmanship, industrial production
rifiutare
To refuse, reject, turn something down
del
Of the; contracted masculine singular preposition
tutto
Everything, all, completely
materiali
Materials, substances used in making things
gli
The; masculine plural definite article
strumenti
Instruments, tools, devices used for tasks
che
That, which, who; versatile Italian conjunction
promuovono
They promote, encourage, or advance something
il
The; masculine singular definite article
lusso
Luxury, extravagance, lavish indulgence
straniero
Foreign, alien, from another country
curare
To cure, care for, attend to something
la
The; feminine singular definite article
spesa
Expense, spending, cost incurred
eccessiva
Excessive, too much, beyond normal limits
dovuta
Due to, caused by, owed to something
all'
To the; elided contracted Italian preposition
orgoglio
Pride, arrogance, excessive self-esteem
alla
To the; feminine singular contracted preposition
vanità
Vanity, conceit, excessive pride in appearance
oziosità
Idleness, laziness, the state of being idle
al
To the; masculine singular contracted preposition
gioco
Game, play, gambling
d'
Of; elided form of preposition di
azzardo
Hazard, chance; gioco d'azzardo means gambling
nelle
In the; feminine plural contracted preposition
nostre
Our; feminine plural possessive adjective
donne
Women, ladies
introdurre
To introduce, bring in, insert something new
una
A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
vena
Vein; also a streak or touch of something
parsimonia
Parsimony, thriftiness, careful economy of resources
prudenza
Prudence, caution, wise and careful judgment
temperanza
Temperance, moderation, self-restraint in behavior
imparare
To learn, to acquire knowledge or skills
ad
To, at; variant of a before vowels
amare
To love, to feel deep affection for
nostro
Our; masculine singular possessive adjective
paese
Country, nation, homeland; also small town
nel
In the; masculine singular contracted preposition
quale
Which, in which; relative or interrogative pronoun
differiremo
We will differ, be distinct from others
persino
Even, as far as, going so far as
dai
From the; masculine plural contracted preposition
dagli
From the; masculine plural contracted preposition
abitanti
Inhabitants, residents, people living in a place
abbandonare
To abandon, give up, forsake something or someone
le
The; feminine plural definite article
animosità
Animosity, hostility, strong ill feeling toward others
fazioni
Factions, rival groups, partisan divisions
comportarci
To behave ourselves, conduct ourselves
più
More, most; common Italian comparative adverb
come
Like, as, how; Italian comparison word
si
Themselves, each other; reflexive pronoun
massacravano
They were massacring each other, slaughtering
l'
The; elided definite article before vowel
un
A, one; masculine singular indefinite article
altro
Other, another, else
momento
Moment, instant, a brief period of time
stesso
Same, very, identical
in
In, into; basic Italian preposition of location
cui
Whom, which; relative pronoun used with prepositions
loro
Their, them, they; third-person plural pronoun
città
City, town, urban settlement
veniva
Was coming, was being; imperfect of venire
conquistata
Conquered, seized, taken over by force
essere
To be; fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
poco
Little, few, not much
cauti
Cautious, careful, wary of risks
vendere
To sell, to exchange goods for money
coscienza
Conscience, consciousness, moral awareness
nulla
Nothing, null, not anything at all
insegnare
To teach, to instruct, to impart knowledge
ai
To the; masculine plural contracted preposition
proprietari
Owners, landlords, proprietors of property
terrieri
Landowners, relating to land ownership
avere
To have; fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
almeno
At least, at a minimum
minimo
Minimum, the least amount possible
misericordia
Mercy, compassion, clemency toward others
verso
Toward, towards; preposition of direction
affittuari
Tenants, renters who lease property from landlords
Infine
Finally, in the end, lastly
infondere
To instil, infuse, inspire a quality in someone
uno
A, one; masculine singular indefinite article
spirito
Spirit, soul, attitude, disposition
onestà
Honesty, integrity, truthfulness in conduct
laboriosità
Industriousness, diligence, hard-working nature
competenza
Competence, skill, professional ability or expertise
nei
In the; masculine plural contracted preposition
bottegai
Shopkeepers, small traders, owners of shops
quali
Whom, which; plural relative pronoun
se
If; conditional conjunction introducing hypotheses
prendesse
Were to take; third-person singular imperfect subjunctive
ora
Now, at this moment; also hour
decisione
Decision, resolution, a firm choice made
acquistare
To purchase, buy, acquire something
soltanto
Only, solely, exclusively, just
prodotti
Products, goods, items produced or manufactured
locali
Local, from the local area or community
unirebbero
They would unite, join together immediately
immediatamente
Immediately, instantly, without any delay
imbrogliarci
To cheat us, swindle, deceive us
spillarci
To fleece us, drain money from us
denaro
Money, cash, currency
sul
On the; masculine singular contracted preposition
prezzo
Price, cost, the amount charged for goods
sulla
On the; feminine singular contracted preposition
misura
Measure, size, quantity, dimension
qualità
Quality, standard, degree of excellence
è
Is; third-person singular present of essere
mai
Ever, never; Italian temporal adverb
riusciti
Managed, succeeded; past participle of riuscire
a
To, at; basic Italian preposition
indurli
To induce them, persuade them to do something
fare
To do, to make; fundamental Italian verb
sola
Single, alone, only one, solitary
proposta
Proposal, offer, suggestion put forward
equa
Fair, equitable, just, impartial
commercio
Trade, commerce, buying and selling of goods
onesto
Honest, fair, upright in dealings
sebbene
Although, even though; concessive conjunction
spesso
Often, frequently, many times
sinceramente
Sincerely, genuinely, in an honest manner
invitati
Invited, asked, called upon to do something
farlo
To do it; fare combined with pronoun lo
ripeto
I repeat, I say again, I reiterate
questi
These; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
simili
Similar, like, such; resembling something else
finché
As long as, until, while a condition holds
abbia
Have; first-person singular present subjunctive of avere
barlume
Glimmer, faint ray of light or hope
speranza
Hope, expectation of something desired
vi
There, you; Italian locative or object pronoun
sarà
Will be; third-person singular future of essere
tentativo
Attempt, try, an effort to achieve something
sincero
Sincere, genuine, honest and heartfelt
convinto
Convinced, persuaded, firmly believing something
metterli
To put them, implement them into practice
pratica
Practice, application, putting something into action
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