History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 9
It is in this sublime Gothic architecture of his work, in which the boundless range, the infinite variety, the, at first sight, incongruous gorgeousness of the separate parts, nevertheless are all subordinate to one main and predominant idea, that Gibbon is unrivalled.
È in questa sublime architettura gotica della sua opera, in cui la portata sconfinata, la varietà infinita, la, a prima vista, incongrua magnificenza delle parti separate, sono nondimeno tutte subordinate a un'idea principale e predominante, che Gibbon non ha rivali.
We cannot but admire the manner in which he masses his materials, and arranges his facts in successive groups, not according to chronological order, but to their moral or political connection; the distinctness with which he marks his periods of gradually increasing decay; and the skill with which, though advancing on separate parallels of history, he shows the common tendency of the slower or more rapid religious or civil innovations.
Non possiamo che ammirare il modo in cui egli raccoglie i suoi materiali e dispone i suoi fatti in gruppi successivi, non secondo l'ordine cronologico, ma secondo la loro connessione morale o politica; la chiarezza con cui segna i suoi periodi di decadenza gradualmente crescente; e l'abilità con cui, pur avanzando su parallele separate della storia, mostra la tendenza comune delle innovazioni religiose o civili più lente o più rapide.
However these principles of composition may demand more than ordinary attention on the part of the reader, they can alone impress upon the memory the real course, and the relative importance of the events.
Per quanto questi principi di composizione possano richiedere un'attenzione più che ordinaria da parte del lettore, essi soli possono imprimere nella memoria il corso reale e la relativa importanza degli eventi.
Whoever would justly appreciate the superiority of Gibbon's lucid arrangement, should attempt to make his way through the regular but wearisome annals of Tillemont, or even the less ponderous volumes of Le Beau.
Chiunque voglia apprezzare giustamente la superiorità della lucida organizzazione di Gibbon, dovrebbe tentare di farsi strada attraverso i regolari ma noiosi annali di Tillemont, o persino i meno ponderosi volumi di Le Beau.
Vocabulary
- sublime
- sublime — Adjective meaning elevated, noble, or awe-inspiring
- architettura
- architettura — Noun meaning 'architecture' or structural design
- gotica
- gotica — Adjective meaning 'Gothic', relating to medieval style
- opera
- opera — Noun meaning 'work', 'opus', or artistic creation
- cui
- cui — Relative pronoun meaning 'whose', 'whom', or 'which'
- portata
- portata — Noun meaning 'scope', 'range', or 'reach'
- sconfinata
- sconfinata — Adjective meaning 'boundless', 'unlimited', or 'vast'
- varietà
- varietà — Noun meaning 'variety' or 'diversity'
- infinita
- infinita — Adjective meaning 'infinite', 'endless', or 'limitless'
- vista
- vista — Noun meaning 'sight', 'view', or 'glance'
- incongrua
- incongrua — Adjective meaning 'incongruous', 'inconsistent', or 'mismatched'
- magnificenza
- magnificenza — Noun meaning 'magnificence', 'grandeur', or 'splendor'
- parti
- parti — Noun meaning 'parts', 'sections', or 'portions'
- separate
- separate — Adjective meaning 'separate', 'distinct', or 'individual'
- nondimeno
- nondimeno — Adverb meaning 'nevertheless', 'nonetheless', or 'yet'
- subordinate
- subordinate — Adjective meaning 'subordinated' or 'subject to'
- idea
- idea — Noun meaning 'idea', 'concept', or 'thought'
- principale
- principale — Adjective meaning 'main', 'principal', or 'primary'
- predominante
- predominante — Adjective meaning 'predominant', 'prevailing', or 'dominant'
- rivali
- rivali — Noun meaning 'rivals' or 'competitors'
- ammirare
- ammirare — Verb meaning 'to admire' or 'to marvel at'
- modo
- modo — Noun meaning 'way', 'manner', or 'method'
- egli
- egli — Subject pronoun meaning 'he' (formal/literary)
- raccoglie
- raccoglie — Verb meaning 'gathers', 'collects', or 'assembles'
- materiali
- materiali — Noun meaning 'materials', 'sources', or 'data'
- dispone
- dispone — Verb meaning 'arranges', 'organizes', or 'disposes'
- fatti
- fatti — Noun meaning 'facts' or 'events'
- gruppi
- gruppi — Noun meaning 'groups', 'clusters', or 'sets'
- successivi
- successivi — Adjective meaning 'successive', 'consecutive', or 'following'
- secondo
- secondo — Preposition/adjective meaning 'according to' or 'second'
- ordine
- ordine — Noun meaning 'order', 'arrangement', or 'sequence'
- cronologico
- cronologico — Adjective meaning 'chronological' or 'in time order'
- connessione
- connessione — Noun meaning 'connection', 'link', or 'relation'
- morale
- morale — Adjective/noun meaning 'moral' or 'ethical'
- politica
- politica — Noun/adjective meaning 'politics', 'policy', or 'political'
- chiarezza
- chiarezza — Noun meaning 'clarity', 'clearness', or 'lucidity'
- segna
- segna — Verb meaning 'marks', 'indicates', or 'notes'
- periodi
- periodi — Noun meaning 'periods', 'eras', or 'epochs'
- decadenza
- decadenza — Noun meaning 'decadence', 'decline', or 'decay'
- gradualmente
- gradualmente — Adverb meaning 'gradually' or 'step by step'
- crescente
- crescente — Adjective meaning 'growing', 'increasing', or 'rising'
- abilità
- abilità — Noun meaning 'ability', 'skill', or 'competence'
- pur
- pur — Adverb/conjunction meaning 'even', 'yet', or 'while'
- avanzando
- avanzando — Gerund meaning 'advancing', 'progressing', or 'moving forward'
- parallele
- parallele — Adjective/noun meaning 'parallel' lines or developments
- storia
- storia — Noun meaning 'history', 'story', or 'account'
- mostra
- mostra — Verb meaning 'shows', 'demonstrates', or 'displays'
- tendenza
- tendenza — Noun meaning 'tendency', 'trend', or 'inclination'
- comune
- comune — Adjective meaning 'common', 'shared', or 'mutual'
- innovazioni
- innovazioni — Noun meaning 'innovations', 'changes', or 'novelties'
- religiose
- religiose — Adjective meaning 'religious' or 'spiritual' (feminine plural)
- civili
- civili — Adjective meaning 'civil', 'civic', or 'civilian' (plural)
- lente
- lente — Adjective meaning 'slow' or 'gradual' (feminine plural)
- rapide
- rapide — Adjective meaning 'rapid', 'fast', or 'swift' (feminine plural)
- quanto
- quanto — Pronoun/adverb meaning 'how much' or 'however much'
- principi
- principi — Noun meaning 'principles', 'rules', or 'foundations'
- composizione
- composizione — Noun meaning 'composition', 'structure', or 'arrangement'
- possano
- possano — Subjunctive of 'potere', meaning 'may be able to'
- richiedere
- richiedere — Verb meaning 'to require', 'to demand', or 'to need'
- attenzione
- attenzione — Noun meaning 'attention', 'care', or 'concentration'
- ordinaria
- ordinaria — Adjective meaning 'ordinary', 'usual', or 'common'
- parte
- parte — Noun meaning 'part', 'side', or 'role'
- lettore
- lettore — Noun meaning 'reader' or 'one who reads'
- essi
- essi — Subject pronoun meaning 'they' (masculine, formal/literary)
- soli
- soli — Adjective meaning 'alone', 'only', or 'by themselves'
- imprimere
- imprimere — Verb meaning 'to imprint', 'to impress', or 'to engrave'
- memoria
- memoria — Noun meaning 'memory', 'recollection', or 'remembrance'
- corso
- corso — Noun meaning 'course', 'flow', or 'progression'
- reale
- reale — Adjective meaning 'real', 'actual', or 'genuine'
- relativa
- relativa — Adjective meaning 'relative', 'comparative', or 'respective'
- importanza
- importanza — Noun meaning 'importance', 'significance', or 'weight'
- eventi
- eventi — Noun meaning 'events', 'occurrences', or 'happenings'
- Chiunque
- chiunque — Pronoun meaning 'whoever', 'anyone who', or 'whomever'
- voglia
- voglia — Subjunctive of 'volere', meaning 'whoever wishes' or 'wants'
- apprezzare
- apprezzare — Verb meaning 'to appreciate', 'to value', or 'to esteem'
- giustamente
- giustamente — Adverb meaning 'rightly', 'fairly', or 'justly'
- superiorità
- superiorità — Noun meaning 'superiority', 'excellence', or 'supremacy'
- lucida
- lucida — Adjective meaning 'lucid', 'clear', or 'sharp' (feminine)
- organizzazione
- organizzazione — Noun meaning 'organization', 'arrangement', or 'structure'
- dovrebbe
- dovrebbe — Conditional of 'dovere', meaning 'should' or 'ought to'
- tentare
- tentare — Verb meaning 'to attempt', 'to try', or 'to endeavor'
- farsi
- farsi — Reflexive infinitive of 'fare', meaning 'to make oneself'
- strada
- strada — Noun meaning 'road', 'street', or 'way'
- attraverso
- attraverso — Preposition meaning 'through', 'across', or 'via'
- regolari
- regolari — Adjective meaning 'regular', 'orderly', or 'systematic' (plural)
- noiosi
- noiosi — Adjective meaning 'boring', 'tedious', or 'dull' (plural)
- annali
- annali — Noun meaning 'annals', 'chronicles', or 'historical records'
- persino
- persino — Adverb meaning 'even' or 'going so far as'
- ponderosi
- ponderosi — Adjective meaning 'ponderous', 'heavy', or 'weighty' (plural)
- volumi
- volumi — Noun meaning 'volumes', 'books', or 'tomes'
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