Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 7
Nothing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries!
Nulla è stato tralasciato per menomare il loro intelletto, oscurare le loro menti, degradare la loro natura morale, cancellare ogni traccia del loro rapporto con l'umanità; eppure quanto meravigliosamente hanno sopportato il peso enorme di una schiavitù quanto mai terribile, sotto la quale hanno gemuto per secoli!
To illustrate the effect of slavery on the white man,—to show that he has no powers of endurance, in such a condition, superior to those of his black brother,—_Daniel O'Connell_, the distinguished advocate of universal emancipation, and the mightiest champion of prostrate but not conquered Ireland, relates the following anecdote in a speech delivered by him in the Conciliation Hall, Dublin, before the Loyal National Repeal Association, March 31, 1845.
Per illustrare l'effetto della schiavitù sull'uomo bianco, — per dimostrare che egli non possiede, in tale condizione, capacità di resistenza superiori a quelle del suo fratello nero, — _Daniel O'Connell_, il distinto sostenitore dell'emancipazione universale e il più potente campione di un'Irlanda prostrata ma non conquistata, racconta il seguente aneddoto in un discorso da lui pronunciato alla Conciliation Hall di Dublino, dinanzi alla Loyal National Repeal Association, il 31 marzo 1845.
"No matter," said _Mr. O'Connell_, "under what specious term it may disguise itself, slavery is still hideous.
«Non importa», disse _il signor O'Connell_, «sotto quale specioso termine essa possa camuffarsi, la schiavitù è ancora orribile.
_It has a natural, an inevitable tendency to brutalize every noble faculty of man._
_Essa ha una tendenza naturale, inevitabile, a imbestialire ogni nobile facoltà dell'uomo._
An American sailor, who was cast away on the shore of Africa, where he was kept in slavery for three years, was, at the expiration of that period, found to be imbruted and stultified—he had lost all reasoning power; and having forgotten his native language, could only utter some savage gibberish between Arabic and English, which nobody could understand, and which even he himself found difficulty in pronouncing.
Un marinaio americano, che era naufragato sulle coste dell'Africa, dove fu tenuto in schiavitù per tre anni, fu, allo scadere di quel periodo, trovato imbestialito e istupidito — aveva perso ogni capacità di ragionamento; e avendo dimenticato la sua lingua madre, riusciva soltanto a emettere uno strano gergo selvaggio tra l'arabo e l'inglese, che nessuno poteva capire, e che persino lui stesso faticava a pronunciare.
So much for the humanizing influence of _The Domestic Institution_!
Tanto per l'influenza civilizzatrice de _L'Istituzione Domestica_!
Vocabulary
- Nulla
- Nothing; not anything at all.
- stato
- State; condition; past participle of essere.
- tralasciato
- Omitted; left out; neglected.
- per
- For; in order to; by means of.
- menomare
- To diminish; to reduce; to impair.
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article).
- loro
- Their; them (plural pronoun).
- intelletto
- Intellect; intelligence; mind; understanding.
- oscurare
- To darken; to obscure; to cloud.
- le
- The (feminine plural definite article).
- menti
- Minds; intellects (plural of mente).
- degradare
- To degrade; to lower in rank or status.
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article).
- natura
- Nature; natural character; essence.
- morale
- Moral; ethics; morale; spiritual condition.
- cancellare
- To cancel; to erase; to delete.
- ogni
- Every; each; all; any.
- traccia
- Trace; track; sign; vestige; footprint.
- del
- Of the (contraction of di + il).
- rapporto
- Relationship; connection; ratio; report.
- con
- With; accompanied by; in company with.
- umanità
- Humanity; mankind; human race; compassion.
- eppure
- Yet; and yet; nevertheless; however.
- quanto
- How much; as much as; how.
- hanno
- They have (third person plural of avere).
- sopportato
- Endured; tolerated; borne; suffered.
- peso
- Weight; burden; heaviness; importance.
- enorme
- Enormous; huge; immense; very large.
- di
- Of; from; about; by; some.
- una
- A; an (feminine singular indefinite article).
- schiavitù
- Slavery; bondage; servitude; captivity.
- mai
- Never; ever; at any time.
- terribile
- Terrible; dreadful; awful; horrific.
- sotto
- Under; beneath; below; underneath.
- quale
- Which; what; that which; who.
- secoli
- Centuries (plural of secolo).
- illustrare
- To illustrate; to clarify; to explain.
- effetto
- Effect; result; consequence; impression.
- della
- Of the (feminine form of del).
- sull
- On the (contraction of su + il).
- uomo
- Man; human being; male person.
- bianco
- White; Caucasian; blank; pale.
- dimostrare
- To demonstrate; to show; to prove.
- che
- That; which; who; what; because.
- egli
- He; him (formal third person singular).
- non
- Not; no; none (negation marker).
- possiede
- Possesses; owns; has (third person singular).
- in
- In; into; within; at; on.
- tale
- Such; like that; such a.
- condizione
- Condition; state; circumstance; situation.
- capacità
- Capacity; ability; capability; competence.
- resistenza
- Resistance; endurance; stamina; opposition.
- superiori
- Superior; higher; upper; greater; better.
- quelle
- Those (feminine plural demonstrative pronoun).
- suo
- His; her; its (singular possessive adjective).
- fratello
- Brother; male sibling; companion.
- nero
- Black; dark; African; gloomy.
- distinto
- Distinguished; eminent; noted; separate.
- sostenitore
- Supporter; upholder; advocate; champion.
- dell
- Of the (contraction of di + il).
- emancipazione
- Emancipation; liberation; freedom; release.
- universale
- Universal; general; common to all.
- potente
- Powerful; strong; mighty; forceful.
- campione
- Champion; defender; supporter; winner.
- un
- A; an (masculine singular indefinite article).
- Irlanda
- Ireland (country in northwestern Europe).
- conquistata
- Conquered; subjugated; won over; captured.
- racconta
- Recounts; tells; narrates; relates.
- seguente
- Following; next; subsequent; ensuing.
- aneddoto
- Anecdote; short amusing story; tale.
- discorso
- Discourse; speech; talk; conversation; lecture.
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