The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 3
As learning advanced, and genius received cultivation, these stories were embellished with the graces of poetry, that they might the better recommend themselves to the attention; they were sung in public, at festivals, for the instruction and delight of the audience; and rehearsed before battle, as incentives to deeds of glory.
Con il progredire del sapere e con la coltivazione del genio, queste storie furono abbellite con le grazie della poesia, affinché potessero meglio raccomandare sé stesse all'attenzione; venivano cantate in pubblico, durante le feste, per l'istruzione e il diletto del pubblico; e recitate prima della battaglia, come incentivi a compiere gesta gloriose.
Thus tragedy and the epic muse were born, and, in the progress of taste, arrived at perfection.
Così nacquero la tragedia e la musa epica, e, nel progresso del gusto, giunsero alla perfezione.
It is no wonder that the ancients could not relish a fable in prose, after they had seen so many remarkable events celebrated in verse by their best poets; we therefore find no romance among them during the era of their excellence, unless the _Cyropædia_ of Xenophon may be so called; and it was not till arts and sciences began to revive after the irruption of the barbarians into Europe, that anything of this kind appeared.
Non c'è da meravigliarsi che gli antichi non potessero apprezzare una favola in prosa, dopo aver visto così tanti eventi straordinari celebrati in versi dai loro migliori poeti; non troviamo quindi alcun romanzo tra loro durante l'era della loro eccellenza, a meno che la _Ciropedia_ di Senofonte non possa essere così definita; e non fu che le arti e le scienze cominciarono a rinascere dopo l'irruzione dei barbari in Europa, che qualcosa di questo genere apparve.
But when the minds of men were debauched by the imposition of priestcraft to the most absurd pitch of credulity, the authors of romance arose, and losing sight of probability, filled their performances with the most monstrous hyperboles.
Ma quando le menti degli uomini furono corrotte dall'imposizione del clericalismo fino al più assurdo grado di credulità, sorsero gli autori di romanzi, e perdendo di vista la verosimiglianza, riempirono le loro opere delle più mostruose iperboli.
If they could not equal the ancient poets in point of genius they were resolved to excel them in fiction, and apply to the wonder, rather than the judgment, of their readers.
Se non potevano uguagliare i poeti antichi quanto a genio, erano decisi a superarli nella finzione, e ad appellarsi alla meraviglia, piuttosto che al giudizio, dei loro lettori.
Accordingly, they brought necromancy to their aid, and instead of supporting the character of their heroes by dignity of sentiment and practice, distinguished them by their bodily strength, activity, and extravagance of behaviour.
Di conseguenza, ricorsero alla negromanzia in loro aiuto, e invece di sostenere il carattere dei loro eroi mediante la dignità di sentimento e di condotta, li distinsero per la loro forza fisica, la loro energia e l'stravaganza del comportamento.
Vocabulary
- con
- with; together with
- il
- the (masculine singular article)
- progredire
- to progress; to advance forward
- del
- of the; some (partitive article)
- sapere
- knowledge; to know
- la
- the (feminine singular article)
- coltivazione
- cultivation; farming; development of skills
- genio
- genius; talent; spirit or character
- queste
- these (feminine plural demonstrative)
- storie
- stories; histories
- furono
- were; past tense of essere
- abbellite
- embellished; beautified; enhanced
- le
- the (feminine plural article)
- grazie
- graces; thanks; plural of grazia
- della
- of the; from the (feminine singular)
- poesia
- poetry; poems; poetic composition
- affinché
- so that; in order that; in order to
- potessero
- could; were able to (subjunctive past)
- meglio
- better; best; more effectively
- raccomandare
- to recommend; to commend; to suggest
- sé
- self; oneself (reflexive pronoun)
- stesse
- same; themselves (feminine plural)
- attenzione
- attention; notice; care
- venivano
- came; were coming (imperfect tense)
- cantate
- sung; chanted; performed songs
- pubblico
- public; audience; people in general
- durante
- during; throughout; in the course of
- feste
- festivals; celebrations; parties; feasts
- per
- for; by; in order to
- istruzione
- instruction; education; teaching; learning
- diletto
- pleasure; delight; enjoyment
- recitate
- recited; performed; acted out
- prima
- before; first; previously
- battaglia
- battle; combat; fight
- come
- like; as; how
- incentivi
- incentives; motivations; encouragements
- compiere
- to accomplish; to complete; to perform
- gesta
- deeds; exploits; achievements
- gloriose
- glorious; honored; noble; illustrious
- così
- thus; so; in this way
- nacquero
- were born; originated; came into being
- tragedia
- tragedy; tragic drama; serious play
- musa
- muse; inspiration; creative spirit
- epica
- epic; epic poetry; heroic narrative
- nel
- in the; on the (masculine singular)
- progresso
- progress; advancement; improvement
- gusto
- taste; preference; style; flavor
- giunsero
- arrived; reached; came to
- alla
- to the; at the (feminine singular)
- perfezione
- perfection; completeness; excellence
- non
- not; no
- da
- from; by; at; since
- meravigliarsi
- to be amazed; to wonder at
- che
- that; which; what
- gli
- to him; them (indirect object pronoun)
- antichi
- ancients; ancient people; ancient times
- apprezzare
- to appreciate; to value; to esteem
- una
- a; an (feminine singular article)
- favola
- fable; fairy tale; story
- prosa
- prose; ordinary speech; non-poetic writing
- dopo
- after; afterwards; later
- aver
- to have; having (infinitive form)
- visto
- seen; viewed; witnessed
- tanti
- so many; many; such great
- eventi
- events; occurrences; happenings
- straordinari
- extraordinary; unusual; remarkable
- celebrati
- celebrated; honored; praised
- versi
- verses; lines of poetry; poems
- dai
- from the; by the (masculine plural)
- loro
- their; theirs; them
- migliori
- best; finest; superior
- poeti
- poets; writers of poetry
- troviamo
- we find; we discover; we locate
- quindi
- therefore; thus; so; then
- alcun
- some; any; a certain
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