← Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 14

English → It Full Text Level 8/10

"—Let it never be forgotten, that no slaveholder or overseer can be convicted of any outrage perpetrated on the person of a slave, however diabolical it may be, on the testimony of colored witnesses, whether bond or free.

"—Non si dimentichi mai che nessun proprietario di schiavi o sorvegliante può essere condannato per qualsiasi violenza perpetrata sulla persona di uno schiavo, per quanto diabolica essa possa essere, sulla base della testimonianza di testimoni di colore, siano essi schiavi o liberi.

By the slave code, they are adjudged to be as incompetent to testify against a white man, as though they were indeed a part of the brute creation.

In base al codice degli schiavi, essi sono giudicati tanto incompetenti a testimoniare contro un uomo bianco, come se fossero davvero parte della creazione bruta.

Hence, there is no legal protection in fact, whatever there may be in form, for the slave population; and any amount of cruelty may be inflicted on them with impunity.

Di conseguenza, non esiste di fatto alcuna protezione legale, qualunque essa possa essere nella forma, per la popolazione schiavizzata; e qualsiasi quantità di crudeltà può essere inflitta loro con impunità.

Is it possible for the human mind to conceive of a more horrible state of society?

È possibile per la mente umana concepire uno stato della società più orribile?

The effect of a religious profession on the conduct of southern masters is vividly described in the following Narrative, and shown to be any thing but salutary.

L'effetto di una professione religiosa sulla condotta dei padroni del Sud è vivacemente descritto nella seguente Narrazione, e risulta essere tutt'altro che salutare.

In the nature of the case, it must be in the highest degree pernicious.

Per la natura stessa della questione, deve essere nel massimo grado pernicioso.

The testimony of _Mr. Douglass_, on this point, is sustained by a cloud of witnesses, whose veracity is unimpeachable.

La testimonianza del _Sig. Douglass_, su questo punto, è sostenuta da una moltitudine di testimoni, la cui veridicità è inconfutabile.

"A slaveholder's profession of Christianity is a palpable imposture.

"La professione di cristianesimo di un proprietario di schiavi è una palese impostura.

He is a felon of the highest grade.

Egli è un criminale del più alto grado.

He is a man-stealer.

È un ladro di uomini.

It is of no importance what you put in the other scale."

Non ha alcuna importanza ciò che si mette sull'altro piatto della bilancia."

Reader! are you with the man-stealers in sympathy and purpose, or on the side of their down-trodden victims?

Lettore! sei dalla parte dei ladri di uomini in simpatia e intento, o dalla parte delle loro vittime oppresse?

If with the former, then are you the foe of God and man.

Se con i primi, allora sei il nemico di Dio e degli uomini.

Vocabulary

Non: Negation word meaning 'not' or 'no'.
si: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'.
dimentichi: Subjunctive form of 'dimenticare,' meaning 'forget'.
mai: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'.
che: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'who'.
nessun: Adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any'.
proprietario: Noun meaning 'owner' or 'proprietor'.
di: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'by'.
schiavi: Plural noun meaning 'slaves'.
o: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
sorvegliante: Noun meaning 'overseer,' 'supervisor,' or 'warden'.
può: Third-person singular of 'potere,' meaning 'can' or 'may'.
essere: Infinitive verb meaning 'to be'.
condannato: Past participle of 'condannare,' meaning 'convicted' or 'condemned'.
per: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'.
qualsiasi: Adjective meaning 'any' or 'whatever kind of'.
violenza: Noun meaning 'violence' or 'force'.
perpetrata: Past participle of 'perpetrare,' meaning 'perpetrated' or 'committed'.
sulla: Contraction of 'su' and 'la,' meaning 'on the'.
persona: Noun meaning 'person' or 'individual'.
uno: Indefinite article or numeral meaning 'a' or 'one'.
schiavo: Noun meaning 'slave'.
quanto: Adverb or pronoun meaning 'how much' or 'as much as'.
diabolica: Adjective meaning 'diabolical,' 'fiendish,' or 'devilish'.
essa: Third-person singular pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it'.
possa: Subjunctive form of 'potere,' meaning 'may' or 'can'.
base: Noun meaning 'basis,' 'base,' or 'foundation'.
della: Contraction of 'di' and 'la,' meaning 'of the'.
testimonianza: Noun meaning 'testimony,' 'evidence,' or 'witness account'.
testimoni: Plural noun meaning 'witnesses'.
colore: Noun meaning 'color' or 'complexion'.
siano: Subjunctive form of 'essere,' meaning 'may be' or 'are'.
essi: Third-person plural pronoun meaning 'they'.
liberi: Adjective meaning 'free' or 'liberated'.
In: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'within'.
al: Contraction of 'a' and 'il,' meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
codice: Noun meaning 'code,' 'law code,' or 'statute'.
degli: Contraction of 'di' and 'gli,' meaning 'of the' (plural masculine).
sono: First-person plural or third-person plural of 'essere,' meaning 'I am' or 'they are'.
giudicati: Past participle of 'giudicare,' meaning 'judged' or 'deemed'.
tanto: Adverb meaning 'so much,' 'as much,' or 'equally'.
incompetenti: Adjective meaning 'incompetent' or 'unqualified'.
a: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'.
testimoniare: Verb meaning 'to testify' or 'to bear witness'.
contro: Preposition meaning 'against' or 'versus'.
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
uomo: Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being'.
bianco: Adjective meaning 'white' in color or race.
come: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'as,' 'like,' or 'how'.
se: Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'.
fossero: Past subjunctive of 'essere,' meaning 'were' (hypothetical).
davvero: Adverb meaning 'really,' 'truly,' or 'indeed'.
parte: Noun meaning 'part,' 'portion,' or 'side'.
creazione: Noun meaning 'creation' or 'act of creating'.
bruta: Adjective meaning 'brute,' 'brutish,' or 'irrational'.
Di: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
conseguenza: Noun meaning 'consequence,' 'result,' or 'outcome'.
non: Negation adverb meaning 'not'.
esiste: Third-person singular of 'esistere,' meaning 'exists' or 'there is'.
fatto: Noun or past participle meaning 'fact' or 'done'.
alcuna: Adjective meaning 'any' or 'no' (used in negation).
protezione: Noun meaning 'protection' or 'safeguard'.
legale: Adjective meaning 'legal' or 'lawful'.
qualunque: Adjective meaning 'whatever,' 'whichever,' or 'any'.
nella: Contraction of 'in' and 'la,' meaning 'in the'.
forma: Noun meaning 'form,' 'shape,' or 'manner'.
la: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
popolazione: Noun meaning 'population' or 'people of a region'.
schiavizzata: Past participle meaning 'enslaved' or 'put into slavery'.
e: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
quantità: Noun meaning 'quantity,' 'amount,' or 'number'.
crudeltà: Noun meaning 'cruelty' or 'harshness'.
inflitta: Past participle of 'infliggere,' meaning 'inflicted' or 'imposed'.
loro: Pronoun meaning 'them,' 'their,' or 'they'.
con: Preposition meaning 'with' or 'by means of'.
impunità: Noun meaning 'impunity' or 'freedom from punishment'.
È: Third-person singular of 'essere,' meaning 'is'.
possibile: Adjective meaning 'possible' or 'feasible'.
mente: Noun meaning 'mind' or 'intellect'.
umana: Adjective meaning 'human' (feminine form).
concepire: Verb meaning 'to conceive,' 'imagine,' or 'comprehend'.
stato: Noun or past participle meaning 'state,' 'condition,' or 'been'.
società: Noun meaning 'society,' 'community,' or 'company'.
più: Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most'.
orribile: Adjective meaning 'horrible,' 'dreadful,' or 'terrible'.
L': Elided definite article meaning 'the' before a vowel.
effetto: Noun meaning 'effect,' 'result,' or 'impact'.
una: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine).
professione: Noun meaning 'profession,' 'occupation,' or 'declaration'.
religiosa: Adjective meaning 'religious' or 'pertaining to religion'.
condotta: Noun meaning 'conduct,' 'behavior,' or 'management'.
dei: Contraction of 'di' and 'i,' meaning 'of the' (plural masculine).
padroni: Plural noun meaning 'masters,' 'owners,' or 'landlords'.
del: Contraction of 'di' and 'il,' meaning 'of the'.
Sud: Noun meaning 'South' as a geographic direction or region.
è: Third-person singular of 'essere,' meaning 'is'.
vivacemente: Adverb meaning 'vividly,' 'lively,' or 'vigorously'.
descritto: Past participle of 'descrivere,' meaning 'described' or 'depicted'.
seguente: Adjective meaning 'following' or 'next'.
Narrazione: Noun meaning 'narration,' 'narrative,' or 'account'.
risulta: Third-person singular of 'risultare,' meaning 'results' or 'turns out'.
tutt': Elided form of 'tutto' meaning 'all' or 'entirely'.
altro: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other,' 'another,' or 'else'.
salutare: Adjective meaning 'wholesome,' 'beneficial,' or 'healthy'.
Per: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'.
natura: Noun meaning 'nature,' 'character,' or 'essence'.
stessa: Adjective meaning 'same' or 'itself' (feminine).
questione: Noun meaning 'question,' 'issue,' or 'matter'.
deve: Third-person singular of 'dovere,' meaning 'must' or 'has to'.
nel: Contraction of 'in' and 'il,' meaning 'in the'.
massimo: Adjective meaning 'maximum,' 'greatest,' or 'utmost'.
grado: Noun meaning 'degree,' 'grade,' or 'level'.
pernicioso: Adjective meaning 'pernicious,' 'harmful,' or 'destructive'.
La: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
Sig: Abbreviation for 'Signore,' meaning 'Mr.' or 'Sir'.
su: Preposition meaning 'on,' 'upon,' or 'about'.
questo: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'.
punto: Noun meaning 'point,' 'dot,' or 'issue'.
sostenuta: Past participle of 'sostenere,' meaning 'supported' or 'sustained'.
da: Preposition meaning 'by,' 'from,' or 'since'.
moltitudine: Noun meaning 'multitude,' 'crowd,' or 'great number'.
cui: Relative pronoun meaning 'whose,' 'of which,' or 'whom'.
veridicità: Noun meaning 'truthfulness,' 'veracity,' or 'accuracy'.
inconfutabile: Adjective meaning 'irrefutable,' 'undeniable,' or 'indisputable'.
cristianesimo: Noun meaning 'Christianity' as a religion.
palese: Adjective meaning 'evident,' 'obvious,' or 'manifest'.
impostura: Noun meaning 'imposture,' 'fraud,' or 'deception'.
Egli: Formal third-person singular pronoun meaning 'he'.
criminale: Noun or adjective meaning 'criminal' or 'relating to crime'.
alto: Adjective meaning 'high,' 'tall,' or 'great'.
ladro: Noun meaning 'thief' or 'robber'.
uomini: Plural noun meaning 'men' or 'people'.
ha: Third-person singular of 'avere,' meaning 'has' or 'have'.
importanza: Noun meaning 'importance,' 'significance,' or 'relevance'.
ciò: Pronoun meaning 'this,' 'that,' or 'what'.
mette: Third-person singular of 'mettere,' meaning 'puts' or 'places'.
sull': Elided contraction of 'su' and 'l',' meaning 'on the'.
piatto: Noun meaning 'plate,' 'dish,' or 'pan of a scale'.
bilancia: Noun meaning 'scale,' 'balance,' or 'weighing instrument'.
Lettore: Noun meaning 'reader' or 'lecturer'.
sei: Second-person singular of 'essere,' meaning 'you are'.
dalla: Contraction of 'da' and 'la,' meaning 'from the' (feminine).
ladri: Plural noun meaning 'thieves' or 'robbers'.
in: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'within'.
simpatia: Noun meaning 'sympathy,' 'fondness,' or 'affinity'.
intento: Adjective or noun meaning 'intent,' 'focused,' or 'purpose'.
delle: Contraction of 'di' and 'le,' meaning 'of the' (plural feminine).
vittime: Plural noun meaning 'victims' or 'those who suffer harm'.
oppresse: Past participle of 'opprimere,' meaning 'oppressed' or 'downtrodden'.
Se: Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'.
i: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural).
primi: Adjective meaning 'first' or 'the former' (plural).
allora: Adverb meaning 'then,' 'at that time,' or 'therefore'.
il: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular).
nemico: Noun meaning 'enemy,' 'foe,' or 'adversary'.
Dio: Noun meaning 'God' as a supreme divine being.

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