Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World — Page 2
Likewise in the account of the academy of projectors, and several passages of my discourse to my master _Houyhnhnm_, you have either omitted some material circumstances, or minced or changed them in such a manner, that I do hardly know my own work.
Allo stesso modo, nel resoconto dell'accademia dei progettisti, e in vari passaggi del mio discorso al mio padrone _Houyhnhnm_, avete omesso alcune circostanze importanti, o le avete alterate o modificate in tal modo, che fatico a riconoscere la mia stessa opera.
When I formerly hinted to you something of this in a letter, you were pleased to answer that you were afraid of giving offence; that people in power were very watchful over the press, and apt not only to interpret, but to punish every thing which looked like an _innuendo_ (as I think you call it).
Quando in precedenza vi accennai qualcosa di ciò in una lettera, vi degnaste di rispondere che avevate paura di dare offesa; che i potenti vigilavano attentamente sulla stampa, ed erano inclini non solo a interpretare, ma a punire qualsiasi cosa che sembrasse un'_allusione_ (come credo la chiamiate voi).
But, pray how could that which I spoke so many years ago, and at about five thousand leagues distance, in another reign, be applied to any of the _Yahoos_, who now are said to govern the herd; especially at a time when I little thought, or feared, the unhappiness of living under them?
Ma, vi prego, come potrebbe ciò che dissi tanti anni fa, a circa cinquemila leghe di distanza, sotto un altro regno, essere applicato a qualcuno degli _Yahoo_, che ora si dice governino il branco; specialmente in un momento in cui pensavo poco, o temevo, la sventura di vivere sotto di loro?
Have not I the most reason to complain, when I see these very _Yahoos_ carried by _Houyhnhnms_ in a vehicle, as if they were brutes, and those the rational creatures?
Non ho forse io la maggiore ragione di lamentarmi, quando vedo questi stessi _Yahoo_ trasportati dagli _Houyhnhnm_ in una vettura, come se fossero le bestie, e questi le creature razionali?
And indeed to avoid so monstrous and detestable a sight was one principal motive of my retirement hither.
E in effetti evitare uno spettacolo così mostruoso e detestabile fu uno dei principali motivi del mio ritiro in questo luogo.
Thus much I thought proper to tell you in relation to yourself, and to the trust I reposed in you.
Tutto ciò ho ritenuto opportuno dirvi riguardo a voi stesso, e alla fiducia che ho riposto in voi.
Vocabulary
- Allo
- To the (contraction of 'a' + 'lo')
- stesso
- Same, identical
- modo
- Way, manner, mode
- nel
- In the (contraction of 'in' + 'il')
- resoconto
- Report, account, summary
- dell
- Of the (contraction of 'di' + 'il')
- accademia
- Academy, learned institution or society
- dei
- Of the, some (plural of 'di')
- in
- In, within, into
- vari
- Various, different, several
- passaggi
- Passages, sections, passages of text
- del
- Of the (contraction of 'di' + 'il')
- mio
- My, mine
- discorso
- Speech, discourse, talk
- al
- To the (contraction of 'a' + 'il')
- padrone
- Master, owner, landlord
- avete
- You have (second person plural)
- omesso
- Omitted, left out, passed over
- alcune
- Some, certain, a few (feminine plural)
- circostanze
- Circumstances, situations, conditions
- importanti
- Important, significant, noteworthy
- le
- The (feminine plural direct object)
- alterate
- Altered, changed, modified (feminine)
- modificate
- Modified, changed, altered (feminine)
- che
- That, which, who, what
- riconoscere
- To recognize, to acknowledge
- la
- The (feminine singular)
- mia
- My (feminine singular)
- stessa
- Same, identical (feminine)
- opera
- Work, opus, piece of work
- Quando
- When, as, at which time
- vi
- You, to you (direct or indirect object)
- accennai
- I hinted at, I alluded to
- qualcosa
- Something, anything
- di
- Of, about, from
- ciò
- That, this, it
- una
- A, one (feminine)
- lettera
- Letter (correspondence)
- rispondere
- To answer, to respond, to reply
- paura
- Fear, fright, dread
- dare
- To give, to hand
- offesa
- Offense, insult, affront
- potenti
- Powerful, mighty, potent
- vigilavano
- They watched, they kept watch
- attentamente
- Attentively, carefully, closely
- sulla
- On the, over the (feminine)
- stampa
- Press, printing, print
- ed
- And (variant of 'e' before vowels)
- erano
- They were, were (third person plural)
- inclini
- Inclined, disposed, prone to
- non
- Not, no
- solo
- Only, sole, alone
- interpretare
- To interpret, to understand, to construe
- ma
- But, yet, however
- punire
- To punish, to penalize
- qualsiasi
- Any, whatever, whichever
- cosa
- Thing, matter, something
- sembrasse
- Seemed, appeared (subjunctive imperfect)
- un
- A, an, one (masculine)
- _allusione_
- Allusion, indirect reference or hint
- come
- How, as, like, in the manner that
- credo
- I believe, I think (first person)
- chiamiate
- You call, you name (second person plural)
- voi
- You (plural, formal or informal)
- Ma
- But, yet, however
- prego
- Please, I beg, I pray
- potrebbe
- Could, might, would be able to
- dissi
- I said, I told (past tense)
- tanti
- Many, so many, a lot of
- anni
- Years, ages
- fa
- Ago, in the past
- circa
- About, approximately, around
- cinquemila
- Five thousand
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