Beyond Good and Evil — Page 6
They all pose as though their real opinions had been discovered and attained through the self-evolving of a cold, pure, divinely indifferent dialectic (in contrast to all sorts of mystics, who, fairer and foolisher, talk of "inspiration"), whereas, in fact, a prejudiced proposition, idea, or "suggestion," which is generally their heart's desire abstracted and refined, is defended by them with arguments sought out after the event.
Tutti posano come se le loro vere opinioni fossero state scoperte e raggiunte attraverso l'auto-evoluzione di una dialettica fredda, pura, divinamente indifferente (in contrasto con ogni sorta di mistici, che, più onesti e più sciocchi, parlano di «ispirazione»), mentre, in realtà, una proposizione, idea o «suggestione» preconcetta, che è generalmente il desiderio del loro cuore astratto e raffinato, viene da loro difesa con argomenti cercati dopo il fatto.
They are all advocates who do not wish to be regarded as such, generally astute defenders, also, of their prejudices, which they dub "truths,"--and VERY far from having the conscience which bravely admits this to itself, very far from having the good taste of the courage which goes so far as to let this be understood, perhaps to warn friend or foe, or in cheerful confidence and self-ridicule.
Sono tutti avvocati che non desiderano essere considerati tali, generalmente abili difensori, anche, dei loro pregiudizi, che chiamano «verità», — e MOLTO lontani dall'avere la coscienza che coraggiosamente lo ammette a se stessa, molto lontani dall'avere il buon gusto del coraggio che arriva fino al punto di lasciar intendere ciò, forse per mettere in guardia amico o nemico, o in allegra fiducia e autoironia.
The spectacle of the Tartuffery of old Kant, equally stiff and decent, with which he entices us into the dialectic by-ways that lead (more correctly mislead) to his "categorical imperative"--makes us fastidious ones smile, we who find no small amusement in spying out the subtle tricks of old moralists and ethical preachers.
Lo spettacolo della tartuferìa del vecchio Kant, ugualmente rigido e composto, con cui ci attira nelle vie traverse della dialettica che conducono (più correttamente: traggono in inganno) al suo «imperativo categorico», fa sorridere noi schizzinosi, noi che troviamo non poco divertimento nello scoprire i sottili artifici dei vecchi moralisti e predicatori etici.
Vocabulary
- Tutti
- TOO-tee — All, everyone; referring to a whole group
- posano
- POH-zah-noh — They pose, act as if; third person plural present
- come
- KOH-meh — As, like, how; common conjunction and adverb
- se
- seh — If, as if; common conditional conjunction
- loro
- LOH-roh — Their, they, them; third person plural pronoun
- vere
- VEH-reh — True, real (feminine plural adjective)
- opinioni
- oh-pee-NYOH-nee — Opinions, views; plural of opinione
- fossero
- FOHS-seh-roh — Were (subjunctive); third person plural past subjunctive of essere
- state
- STAH-teh — Been (feminine plural past participle of essere)
- scoperte
- skoh-PEHR-teh — Discovered, uncovered (feminine plural past participle)
- raggiunte
- rah-JOON-teh — Reached, attained (feminine plural past participle)
- attraverso
- aht-trah-VEHR-soh — Through, across; common preposition indicating passage
- auto-evoluzione
- OW-toh eh-voh-loo-TSYOH-neh — Self-evolution; autonomous development of thought or being
- dialettica
- dyah-LEHT-tee-kah — Dialectic; philosophical method of logical argumentation
- fredda
- FRED-dah — Cold (feminine singular adjective)
- pura
- POO-rah — Pure, clean (feminine singular adjective)
- divinamente
- dee-vee-nah-MEN-teh — Divinely; in a divine or godlike manner
- indifferente
- een-deef-feh-REN-teh — Indifferent, unconcerned; showing no preference or concern
- contrasto
- kon-TRAHS-toh — Contrast, opposition; difference between two things
- ogni
- OH-nyee — Every, each; adjective indicating totality
- sorta
- SOHR-tah — Sort, kind, type; used in expressions like ogni sorta
- mistici
- MEES-tee-chee — Mystics (plural); those who seek spiritual hidden truths
- più
- pyoo — More, most; common adverb of degree
- onesti
- oh-NES-tee — Honest (masculine plural adjective)
- sciocchi
- SHOK-kee — Foolish, silly; also used as noun meaning fools
- parlano
- PAHR-lah-noh — They speak, talk; third person plural present of parlare
- ispirazione
- ees-pee-rah-TSYOH-neh — Inspiration; creative or divine influence on the mind
- mentre
- MEN-treh — While, whereas; conjunction of time or contrast
- realtà
- reh-ahl-TAH — Reality; the actual state of things
- proposizione
- proh-poh-zee-TSYOH-neh — Proposition, statement; a claim put forward for consideration
- idea
- ee-DEH-ah — Idea, thought; a mental concept or notion
- suggestione
- sood-jes-TYOH-neh — Suggestion, influence; an idea proposed to the mind
- preconcetta
- preh-kon-CHET-tah — Preconceived (feminine); formed before examination or evidence
- generalmente
- jeh-neh-rahl-MEN-teh — Generally, usually; in most cases
- desiderio
- deh-zee-DEH-ryoh — Desire, wish; a strong longing for something
- cuore
- KWOH-reh — Heart; the seat of emotion and feeling
- astratto
- ahs-TRAHT-toh — Abstract; not concrete, theoretical in nature
- raffinato
- rahf-fee-NAH-toh — Refined, sophisticated; polished in manner or thought
- viene
- VYEH-neh — Comes; third person singular present of venire
- difesa
- dee-FEH-zah — Defense; protection or justification of a position
- argomenti
- ahr-goh-MEN-tee — Arguments, topics; reasons offered in support of a claim
- cercati
- chehr-KAH-tee — Sought, searched for (masculine plural past participle)
- dopo
- DOH-poh — After, afterwards; preposition or adverb of time
- fatto
- FAHT-toh — Fact, deed; also past participle of fare (to do)
- Sono
- SOH-noh — They are / I am; present tense of essere
- tutti
- TOO-tee — All, everyone; referring to the whole group
- avvocati
- ahv-voh-KAH-tee — Lawyers, attorneys; legal professionals
- desiderano
- deh-zee-DEH-rah-noh — They desire, want; third person plural present of desiderare
- essere
- ES-seh-reh — To be; fundamental Italian infinitive verb
- considerati
- kon-see-deh-RAH-tee — Considered, regarded (masculine plural past participle)
- tali
- TAH-lee — Such, as such; demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- abili
- AH-bee-lee — Able, skilled (plural adjective)
- difensori
- dee-fen-SOH-ree — Defenders, advocates; those who defend a cause
- anche
- AHN-keh — Also, even, too; additive adverb
- pregiudizi
- preh-joo-DEE-tsee — Prejudices, biases; preconceived unfair opinions
- chiamano
- KYAH-mah-noh — They call; third person plural present of chiamare
- verità
- veh-ree-TAH — Truth; conformity with fact or reality
- MOLTO
- MOL-toh — Very, much; adverb emphasizing degree or quantity
- lontani
- lon-TAH-nee — Far, distant (masculine plural adjective)
- avere
- ah-VEH-reh — To have; fundamental Italian auxiliary verb infinitive
- coscienza
- koh-SHEN-tsah — Conscience, consciousness; moral awareness of right and wrong
- coraggiosamente
- koh-rahd-joh-zah-MEN-teh — Courageously, bravely; in a bold and fearless manner
- lo
- loh — It, him (masculine); direct object pronoun
- ammette
- ahm-MET-teh — Admits, acknowledges; third person singular present of ammettere
- stessa
- STES-sah — Same, herself (feminine); reflexive intensifier adjective
- molto
- MOL-toh — Very, much, a lot; common adverb of degree
- buon
- bwon — Good (before masculine noun); elided form of buono
- gusto
- GOO-stoh — Taste, style; aesthetic sense or flavor
- coraggio
- koh-RAHD-joh — Courage, bravery; the quality of facing fear boldly
- arriva
- ahr-REE-vah — Arrives, reaches; third person singular present of arrivare
- fino
- FEE-noh — Until, up to; preposition or adjective indicating limit
- punto
- POON-toh — Point, spot; a specific moment, degree, or location
- lasciar
- lah-SHAHR — To let, allow; elided infinitive of lasciare
- intendere
- een-TEN-deh-reh — To understand, to imply; to mean or suggest something
- ciò
- choh — That, this; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- forse
- FOHR-seh — Perhaps, maybe; adverb expressing uncertainty
- mettere
- MET-teh-reh — To put, place; common Italian infinitive verb
- guardia
- GWAHR-dyah — Guard, watch; a state of alert or watchfulness
- amico
- ah-MEE-koh — Friend; a person one has a close bond with
- nemico
- neh-MEE-koh — Enemy, foe; one who is hostile or opposed
- allegra
- ahl-LEH-grah — Cheerful, merry (feminine); in a lighthearted manner
- fiducia
- fee-DOO-chah — Trust, confidence; firm belief in someone or something
- autoironia
- ow-toh-ee-ROH-nyah — Self-irony; the ability to laugh at oneself
- spettacolo
- speht-TAH-koh-loh — Spectacle, show; a remarkable or entertaining sight
- tartuferìa
- tahr-too-feh-REE-ah — Hypocrisy, sanctimony; false display of virtue or piety
- vecchio
- VEK-kyoh — Old (masculine); referring to age or long existence
- ugualmente
- oo-gwahl-MEN-teh — Equally, likewise; in the same manner or degree
- rigido
- REE-jee-doh — Rigid, stiff; inflexible in manner or thinking
- composto
- kom-POH-stoh — Composed, calm; collected and dignified in manner
- cui
- kwee — Whom, which; relative pronoun used after prepositions
- ci
- chee — Us, there, ourselves; versatile Italian pronoun
- attira
- aht-TEE-rah — Attracts, draws; third person singular present of attirare
- vie
- VEE-eh — Ways, paths, roads; plural of via
- traverse
- trah-VEHR-seh — Side paths, detours; indirect or roundabout routes
- conducono
- kon-DOO-koh-noh — They lead, conduct; third person plural present of condurre
- correttamente
- kor-reht-tah-MEN-teh — Correctly, properly; in an accurate or appropriate manner
- traggono
- TRAHG-goh-noh — They draw, derive; third person plural present of trarre
- inganno
- een-GAHN-noh — Deception, trickery; an act of misleading someone
- suo
- SOO-oh — His, her, its (masculine); possessive adjective
- imperativo
- eem-peh-rah-TEE-voh — Imperative; a commanding or binding principle or rule
- categorico
- kah-teh-GOH-ree-koh — Categorical; absolute, unconditional, without exception
- fa
- fah — Makes, does; third person singular present of fare
- sorridere
- sohr-REE-deh-reh — To smile; infinitive verb expressing amusement or pleasure
- noi
- noy — We, us; first person plural subject pronoun
- schizzinosi
- skit-tsee-NOH-zee — Fussy, squeamish (plural); overly particular or fastidious
- troviamo
- troh-VYAH-moh — We find; first person plural present of trovare
- poco
- POH-koh — Little, few; a small amount or degree
- divertimento
- dee-vehr-tee-MEN-toh — Fun, amusement; entertainment or enjoyment
- scoprire
- skoh-PREE-reh — To discover, uncover; to find or reveal something hidden
- sottili
- sot-TEE-lee — Subtle, thin (plural); delicate or not easily noticed
- artifici
- ahr-tee-FEE-chee — Tricks, artifices; clever or deceptive devices used strategically
- vecchi
- VEK-kee — Old (masculine plural); referring to aged persons or things
- moralisti
- moh-rah-LEES-tee — Moralists; those who teach or enforce moral principles
- predicatori
- preh-dee-kah-TOH-ree — Preachers; those who deliver moral or religious sermons
- etici
- EH-tee-chee — Ethical (masculine plural adjective); relating to ethics or morality
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