Beyond Good and Evil — Page 3

English → It Preface Level 9/10

The philosophy of the dogmatists, it is to be hoped, was only a promise for thousands of years afterwards, as was astrology in still earlier times, in the service of which probably more labour, gold, acuteness, and patience have been spent than on any actual science hitherto: we owe to it, and to its "super-terrestrial" pretensions in Asia and Egypt, the grand style of architecture.

La filosofia dei dogmatisti, è lecito sperarlo, fu soltanto una promessa per le migliaia di anni successivi, così come lo fu l'astrologia in epoche ancora più remote, al servizio della quale sono stati probabilmente impiegati più lavoro, oro, acume e pazienza che in qualsiasi scienza effettiva fino ad oggi: ad essa, e alle sue pretese «sopraterrene» in Asia e in Egitto, dobbiamo il grande stile dell'architettura.

It seems that in order to inscribe themselves upon the heart of humanity with everlasting claims, all great things have first to wander about the earth as enormous and awe-inspiring caricatures: dogmatic philosophy has been a caricature of this kind--for instance, the Vedanta doctrine in Asia, and Platonism in Europe.

Sembra che per imprimersi nel cuore dell'umanità con pretese eterne, tutte le grandi cose debbano prima vagare per la terra come enormi e maestose caricature: la filosofia dogmatica è stata una caricatura di questo genere — per esempio, la dottrina Vedanta in Asia e il Platonismo in Europa.

Let us not be ungrateful to it, although it must certainly be confessed that the worst, the most tiresome, and the most dangerous of errors hitherto has been a dogmatist error--namely, Plato's invention of Pure Spirit and the Good in Itself.

Non siamole ingrati, benché si debba certamente ammettere che il peggiore, il più noioso e il più pericoloso degli errori fino ad oggi sia stato un errore dogmatista — vale a dire, l'invenzione platonica dello Spirito Puro e del Bene in Sé.

But now when it has been surmounted, when Europe, rid of this nightmare, can again draw breath freely and at least enjoy a healthier--sleep, we, WHOSE DUTY IS WAKEFULNESS ITSELF, are the heirs of all the strength which the struggle against this error has fostered.

Ma ora che esso è stato superato, ora che l'Europa, liberata da questo incubo, può di nuovo respirare liberamente e godere almeno di un sonno più sano, noi, IL CUI DOVERE È LA VEGLIA STESSA, siamo gli eredi di tutta la forza che la lotta contro questo errore ha alimentato.

It amounted to the very inversion of truth, and the denial of the PERSPECTIVE--the fundamental condition--of life, to speak of Spirit and the Good as Plato spoke of them; indeed one might ask, as a physician: "How did such a malady attack that finest product of antiquity, Plato?

Parlare dello Spirito e del Bene come ne parlava Platone equivaleva al puro rovesciamento della verità, e alla negazione della PROSPETTIVA — condizione fondamentale — della vita; anzi, si potrebbe domandare, come farebbe un medico: «Come poté una tale malattia colpire quel più raffinato prodotto dell'antichità, Platone?

Vocabulary

filosofia: fi-lo-SO-fi-a — The study of fundamental questions about existence and knowledge
dogmatisti: dog-ma-TIS-ti — Thinkers who assert doctrines as absolute truths
lecito: LE-chi-to — Permitted, lawful, or allowable by rules
sperarlo: spe-RAR-lo — To hope for it; infinitive with pronoun attached
soltanto: sol-TAN-to — Only, merely, exclusively
promessa: pro-MES-sa — A commitment or pledge to do something
migliaia: mi-LYA-ia — Thousands; plural form of migliaio
successivi: suc-ces-SI-vi — Following, subsequent, coming after in sequence
astrologia: a-stro-LO-gi-a — Study of celestial bodies believed to influence human affairs
epoche: E-po-ke — Historical periods or eras
ancora: an-CO-ra — Still, yet, again
remote: re-MO-te — Distant in time or place; far removed
servizio: ser-VI-tsio — Service; act of serving or assisting
probabilmente: pro-ba-bil-MEN-te — Probably, in all likelihood
impiegati: im-pie-GA-ti — Employed, utilized; past participle plural of impiegare
lavoro: la-VO-ro — Work, labor, employment
oro: O-ro — Gold; precious yellow metal
acume: a-CU-me — Sharpness of mind; keen intellectual insight
pazienza: pa-TSIEN-tsa — Patience; calm endurance of delay or difficulty
qualsiasi: qual-SIA-si — Any, whatever, whichever kind
scienza: SHIEN-tsa — Science; systematic knowledge through observation
effettiva: ef-fet-TI-va — Actual, real, genuine, effective
pretese: pre-TE-se — Claims, pretensions, demands
sopraterrene: so-pra-ter-RE-ne — Supernatural, otherworldly, above the earthly realm
dobbiamo: dob-BIA-mo — We owe or we must; first person plural of dovere
stile: STI-le — Style; characteristic manner of expression or design
architettura: ar-ki-tet-TU-ra — Architecture; art and practice of designing buildings
Sembra: SEM-bra — It seems, it appears; third person singular of sembrare
imprimersi: im-PRI-mer-si — To imprint or impress itself upon something
cuore: CUO-re — Heart; vital organ also symbolizing emotion and love
umanità: u-ma-ni-TÀ — Humanity; all human beings collectively
eterne: e-TER-ne — Eternal, everlasting, without end
debbano: DEB-ba-no — They must; third person plural subjunctive of dovere
vagare: va-GA-re — To wander, roam, drift without direction
terra: TER-ra — Earth, land, ground, soil
enormi: e-NOR-mi — Enormous, huge, very large in size
maestose: ma-es-TO-se — Majestic, stately, impressive in appearance
caricature: ka-ri-ka-TU-re — Exaggerated distorted representations, often for satire
dogmatica: dog-MA-ti-ka — Dogmatic; relating to rigid, unquestioned doctrine
caricatura: ka-ri-ka-TU-ra — A caricature; exaggerated distorted imitation or portrayal
genere: GE-ne-re — Kind, type, genre, sort
esempio: e-SEM-pio — Example; an instance illustrating a general rule
dottrina: dot-TRI-na — Doctrine; a set of beliefs taught as authoritative
siamole: SIA-mo-le — Let us be to it; we are to it (combined form)
ingrati: in-GRA-ti — Ungrateful; not showing thanks or appreciation
benché: ben-KÉ — Although, even though; concessive conjunction
debba: DEB-ba — One must; third person singular subjunctive of dovere
certamente: cer-ta-MEN-te — Certainly, definitely, without doubt
ammettere: am-MET-te-re — To admit, acknowledge, or allow something
peggiore: peg-GIO-re — Worse; comparative form of cattivo
noioso: noi-O-so — Boring, tedious, tiresome
pericoloso: pe-ri-co-LO-so — Dangerous, hazardous, risky
errori: er-RO-ri — Errors, mistakes; plural of errore
stato: STA-to — State, condition; also past participle of essere
errore: er-RO-re — An error, mistake, or blunder
dogmatista: dog-ma-TIS-ta — A dogmatist; one who adheres to fixed doctrines
vale: VA-le — It is worth; third person singular of valere
dire: DI-re — To say, to tell, to speak
invenzione: in-ven-TSIO-ne — Invention; creation of something new or fictional
platonica: pla-TO-ni-ka — Platonic; relating to Plato's philosophy
Spirito: SPI-ri-to — Spirit; immaterial essence or soul
Puro: PU-ro — Pure; unmixed, uncontaminated, absolute
Bene: BE-ne — Good; well; the concept of goodness
Sé: sé — Self; reflexive pronoun referring to oneself
superato: su-pe-RA-to — Overcome, surpassed, left behind; past participle
liberata: li-be-RA-ta — Freed, liberated; feminine past participle of liberare
incubo: IN-cu-bo — Nightmare; a frightening or oppressive dream
respirare: res-pi-RA-re — To breathe; to inhale and exhale air
liberamente: li-be-ra-MEN-te — Freely, without restriction or constraint
godere: go-DE-re — To enjoy, to take pleasure in something
almeno: al-ME-no — At least; as a minimum
sonno: SON-no — Sleep; the natural state of rest and unconsciousness
sano: SA-no — Healthy, wholesome, sound
CUI: cui — Whose, of whom; relative pronoun
DOVERE: do-VE-re — Duty, obligation; also infinitive 'must'
VEGLIA: VE-glia — Vigil, wakefulness; state of being awake
STESSA: STES-sa — Herself, itself, same; feminine of stesso
eredi: e-RE-di — Heirs, inheritors; plural of erede
forza: FOR-tsa — Force, strength, power
lotta: LOT-ta — Struggle, fight, battle
contro: CON-tro — Against; in opposition to
alimentato: a-li-men-TA-to — Fed, nourished, fueled; past participle of alimentare
Parlare: par-LA-re — To speak, to talk; infinitive verb
ne: ne — Partitive or pronominal particle meaning 'of it'
parlava: par-LA-va — Was speaking; third person singular imperfect of parlare
equivaleva: e-qui-va-LE-va — Was equivalent to; imperfect of equivalere
puro: PU-ro — Pure, clean, absolute, unmixed
rovesciamento: ro-ve-sha-MEN-to — Overturning, reversal, inversion
verità: ve-ri-TÀ — Truth; that which is true or accurate
negazione: ne-ga-TSIO-ne — Negation, denial, refusal of something
PROSPETTIVA: pros-pet-TI-va — Perspective; point of view or visual outlook
condizione: con-di-TSIO-ne — Condition, circumstance, requirement
fondamentale: fon-da-men-TA-le — Fundamental, essential, basic, primary
vita: VI-ta — Life; the state of being alive
anzi: AN-tsi — Rather, on the contrary, in fact
potrebbe: po-TREB-be — Could, might; third person singular conditional of potere
domandare: do-man-DA-re — To ask, to inquire, to question
farebbe: fa-REB-be — Would do; third person singular conditional of fare
medico: ME-di-co — Doctor, physician; a medical professional
poté: po-TÉ — Could, was able to; past tense of potere
tale: TA-le — Such, such a, a kind of
malattia: ma-lat-TI-a — Illness, disease, sickness
colpire: col-PI-re — To hit, strike, affect powerfully
raffinato: raf-fi-NA-to — Refined, sophisticated, cultured, polished
prodotto: pro-DOT-to — Product, result; outcome of a process
antichità: an-ti-chi-TÀ — Antiquity; the ancient past or ancient world

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