Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 12
As if it were less cruel to reduce a human being to the condition of a thing, than to give him a severe flagellation, or to deprive him of necessary food and clothing!
Come se fosse meno crudele ridurre un essere umano alla condizione di una cosa, che dargli una severa flagellazione, o privarlo del cibo e dell'abbigliamento necessari!
As if whips, chains, thumb-screws, paddles, blood-hounds, overseers, drivers, patrols, were not all indispensable to keep the slaves down, and to give protection to their ruthless oppressors!
Come se fruste, catene, viti da pollice, palette, segugi, sorveglianti, conducenti, pattuglie, non fossero tutti indispensabili per tenere a bada gli schiavi, e per dare protezione ai loro spietati oppressori!
As if, when the marriage institution is abolished, concubinage, adultery, and incest, must not necessarily abound; when all the rights of humanity are annihilated, any barrier remains to protect the victim from the fury of the spoiler; when absolute power is assumed over life and liberty, it will not be wielded with destructive sway!
Come se, quando l'istituzione del matrimonio viene abolita, il concubinato, l'adulterio e l'incesto non debbano necessariamente abbondare; quando tutti i diritti dell'umanità sono annientati, rimanga qualche barriera a proteggere la vittima dalla furia del predatore; quando un potere assoluto viene assunto sulla vita e sulla libertà, esso non verrà esercitato con un dominio distruttivo!
Skeptics of this character abound in society.
Gli scettici di questo tipo abbondano nella società.
In some few instances, their incredulity arises from a want of reflection; but, generally, it indicates a hatred of the light, a desire to shield slavery from the assaults of its foes, a contempt of the colored race, whether bond or free.
In alcuni rari casi, la loro incredulità nasce da una mancanza di riflessione; ma, in generale, indica un odio per la luce, un desiderio di proteggere la schiavitù dagli assalti dei suoi nemici, un disprezzo per la razza di colore, che sia schiava o libera.
Such will try to discredit the shocking tales of slaveholding cruelty which are recorded in this truthful Narrative; but they will labor in vain.
Costoro cercheranno di screditare i raccapriccianti racconti della crudeltà degli schiavisti che sono riportati in questa veritiera Narrazione; ma faticheranno invano.
_Mr. Douglass_ has frankly disclosed the place of his birth, the names of those who claimed ownership in his body and soul, and the names also of those who committed the crimes which he has alleged against them.
Il signor Douglass ha francamente rivelato il luogo della sua nascita, i nomi di coloro che rivendicavano la proprietà del suo corpo e della sua anima, e anche i nomi di coloro che hanno commesso i crimini che egli ha imputato loro.
His statements, therefore, may easily be disproved, if they are untrue.
Le sue affermazioni, quindi, possono essere facilmente confutate, se sono false.
Vocabulary
- Come
- How; in what manner or way
- se
- If; conditional conjunction
- fosse
- Were; subjunctive past tense of essere
- meno
- Less; fewer in quantity or degree
- crudele
- Cruel; causing pain or suffering deliberately
- ridurre
- To reduce; to make smaller or fewer
- un
- A; indefinite article masculine singular
- essere
- To be; fundamental verb of existence
- umano
- Human; relating to people or mankind
- alla
- To the; contraction of a+la
- condizione
- Condition; state or circumstances of something
- di
- Of; preposition showing possession or relation
- una
- A; indefinite article feminine singular
- cosa
- Thing; object or matter in general
- che
- That; relative pronoun connecting clauses
- dargli
- To give him; verb+pronoun combination
- severa
- Severe; strict, harsh, or rigorous
- privarlo
- To deprive him; remove something from him
- del
- Of the; contraction of di+il
- fibo
- Food; nourishment for sustaining life
- dell
- Of the; contraction of di+l
- abbigliamento
- Clothing; garments worn on the body
- necessari
- Necessary; required or essential items
- catene
- Chains; metal links for restraining people
- da
- From; preposition indicating origin or agent
- pollice
- Thumb; first digit of the hand
- pattuglie
- Patrols; groups monitoring an area regularly
- non
- Not; negation particle for verbs
- fossero
- Were; subjunctive past plural of essere
- tutti
- All; every person or thing included
- indispensabili
- Indispensable; absolutely necessary or essential
- per
- For; preposition showing purpose or reason
- tenere
- To keep; to hold or maintain
- gli
- The; definite article masculine plural
- schiavi
- Slaves; persons held in bondage
- dare
- To give; to transfer or provide
- protezione
- Protection; act of defending from harm
- ai
- To the; contraction of a+i
- loro
- Their; possessive pronoun third person plural
- spietati
- Merciless; showing no pity or compassion
- oppressori
- Oppressors; those who suppress or burden others
- quando
- When; at what time or occasion
- istituzione
- Institution; established organization or custom
- matrimonio
- Marriage; legal union between two people
- viene
- Is; third person singular present of venire
- abolita
- Abolished; officially ended or eliminated
- il
- The; definite article masculine singular
- adulterio
- Adultery; unfaithfulness in marriage
- incesto
- Incest; sexual relations between family members
- necessariamente
- Necessarily; as an unavoidable consequence
- abbondare
- To abound; to exist in great quantity
- diritti
- Rights; legal or moral entitlements
- umanità
- Humanity; human beings collectively or compassion
- sono
- Are; first or third person plural present
- annientati
- Annihilated; completely destroyed or eliminated
- rimanga
- Remains; subjunctive of rimanere
- qualche
- Some; a few or several items
- barriera
- Barrier; obstacle or structure blocking passage
- proteggere
- To protect; to defend from danger
- la
- The; definite article feminine singular
- vittima
- Victim; person harmed or suffering
- dalla
- From the; contraction of da+la
- furia
- Fury; violent rage or intense anger
- predatore
- Predator; animal or person that hunts others
- potere
- Power; ability to do or influence
- assoluto
- Absolute; complete without limitations or conditions
- assunto
- Assumed; taken on or undertaken
- sulla
- On the; contraction of su+la
- vita
- Life; state of living or existence
- libertà
- Freedom; state of being free or unbound
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