On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 6
Branches of the trees met overhead at the height of five feet, and under them I saw newly fallen leaves; so I knew that the horse had brushed some of the branches, and was therefore five feet high.
I rami degli alberi si incontravano in alto a un'altezza di cinque piedi, e sotto di essi vidi foglie cadute di fresco; così sapevo che il cavallo aveva sfiorato alcuni dei rami, e che quindi era alto cinque piedi.
As to his bit, it must have been made of twenty-three carat gold, for he had rubbed it against a stone, which turned out to be a touchstone, with the properties of which I am familiar by experiment.
Quanto al suo morso, doveva essere fatto d'oro a ventitré carati, poiché lo aveva strofinato contro una pietra, che si rivelò essere una pietra di paragone, con le cui proprietà ho familiarità per esperienza.
Lastly, by the marks which his shoes left upon pebbles of another kind, I was led to think that his shoes were of fine silver.'
Infine, dalle impronte che i suoi ferri lasciarono su ciottoli di un altro tipo, fui indotto a pensare che i suoi ferri fossero d'argento fino.'
"All the judges admired Zadig's profound and subtle discernment; and the fame of it reached even the King and the Queen.
"Tutti i giudici ammirarono il profondo e sottile discernimento di Zadig; e la sua fama giunse persino al Re e alla Regina.
From the ante-rooms to the presence-chamber, Zadig's name was in everybody's mouth; and, although many of the magi were of opinion that he ought to be burnt as a sorcerer, the King commanded that the four hundred ounces of gold which he had been fined should be restored to him.
Dalle anticamere alla sala del trono, il nome di Zadig era sulla bocca di tutti; e, sebbene molti dei magi fossero dell'opinione che dovesse essere bruciato come stregone, il Re ordinò che le quattrocento once d'oro per cui era stato multato gli fossero restituite.
So the officers of the court went in state with the four hundred ounces; only they retained three hundred and ninety-eight for legal expenses, and their servants expected fees."
Così gli ufficiali della corte si recarono in pompa magna con le quattrocento once; solo ne trattennero trecentonovantotto per le spese legali, e i loro servitori si aspettavano delle mance."
Vocabulary
- rami
- Branches of a tree or plant
- alberi
- Trees, plural of albero
- incontravano
- They were meeting or coming together
- alto
- High, tall, or elevated in position
- altezza
- Height or elevation of something
- piedi
- Feet, unit of measurement or body part
- sotto
- Below or underneath something
- essi
- Third person plural pronoun: 'they' (formal)
- vidi
- I saw; past tense of vedere
- foglie
- Leaves of a plant or tree
- cadute
- Fallen, having dropped down from above
- fresco
- Fresh or cool in temperature
- così
- So, thus, or in this way
- sapevo
- I knew; imperfect tense of sapere
- cavallo
- A horse, domesticated riding or working animal
- sfiorato
- Grazed or lightly touched something in passing
- alcuni
- Some or a few of something
- quindi
- Therefore, so, or consequently
- Quanto
- How much or as for something
- morso
- Bit or bite; a horse's metal mouthpiece
- doveva
- He/she had to; imperfect tense of dovere
- oro
- Gold, a precious yellow metallic element
- carati
- Carats, unit measuring gold purity or gemstone weight
- poiché
- Since or because, introducing a reason
- strofinato
- Rubbed or scrubbed against a surface
- contro
- Against or in opposition to something
- pietra
- Stone or rock material
- rivelò
- He/she revealed or disclosed something
- paragone
- Comparison or benchmark used to evaluate something
- cui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'whose' or 'which'
- proprietà
- Properties, qualities, or ownership of something
- familiarità
- Familiarity or close acquaintance with something
- esperienza
- Experience gained through practice or observation
- Infine
- Finally or in the end, concluding a sequence
- impronte
- Prints or marks left on a surface
- ferri
- Horseshoes or irons; metal implements
- lasciarono
- They left or left behind something
- ciottoli
- Pebbles or small smooth stones
- altro
- Other, another, or different
- tipo
- Type, kind, or sort of something
- fui
- I was; simple past tense of essere
- indotto
- Induced or led to do something
- pensare
- To think or to consider something
- fossero
- They were; imperfect subjunctive of essere
- argento
- Silver, a precious metallic element
- fino
- Fine or pure, often describing metals
- Tutti
- All or everyone, referring to a whole group
- giudici
- Judges, people who make official decisions
- ammirarono
- They admired someone or something greatly
- profondo
- Deep or profound in thought or feeling
- sottile
- Subtle, fine, or sharp in perception
- discernimento
- Discernment or keen judgment and perception
- fama
- Fame or reputation known by many people
- giunse
- He/she arrived or reached; past tense of giungere
- persino
- Even, emphasizing inclusion of something unexpected
- Re
- King, a male monarch ruling a kingdom
- Regina
- Queen, a female monarch or king's consort
- anticamere
- Antechambers, waiting rooms before main hall
- sala
- Hall or large room in a building
- trono
- Throne, the seat of a monarch
- nome
- Name, the word used to identify someone
- bocca
- Mouth, the opening used for speaking or eating
- sebbene
- Although or even though, introducing a concession
- molti
- Many, a large number of people or things
- magi
- Magi or sorcerers; learned or magical men
- opinione
- Opinion or personal view on a matter
- dovesse
- He/she should; imperfect subjunctive of dovere
- bruciato
- Burned or set on fire
- stregone
- Sorcerer or wizard, a practitioner of magic
- ordinò
- He/she ordered or commanded something
- quattrocento
- Four hundred; also refers to the 1400s
- once
- Ounces, a unit of weight measurement
- stato
- Been; past participle of essere, or 'state'
- multato
- Fined, penalized with a monetary payment
- restituite
- Returned or given back to the original owner
- Così
- So or thus, indicating consequence or manner
- ufficiali
- Officials or officers in an organization
- corte
- Court, a royal or judicial assembly
- recarono
- They brought or carried something to someone
- pompa
- Pomp, ceremonial splendor and grandeur
- magna
- Great, used in 'pompa magna' meaning great ceremony
- solo
- Only, alone, or just one thing
- ne
- Pronoun meaning 'of it/them' or 'from there'
- trattennero
- They withheld or kept back a portion
- spese
- Expenses or costs incurred for something
- legali
- Legal, relating to the law or lawyers
- servitori
- Servants or attendants who serve others
- aspettavano
- They were waiting or expecting something
- mance
- Tips or gratuities given to service workers
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