The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 5

English → It Preface Level 8/10

I have attempted to represent modest merit struggling with every difficulty to which a friendless orphan is exposed, from his own want of experience, as well as from the selfishness, envy, malice, and base indifference of mankind.

Ho tentato di rappresentare un modesto merito che lotta con ogni difficoltà alla quale è esposto un orfano senza amici, per la sua mancanza di esperienza, così come per l'egoismo, l'invidia, la malvagità e la bassa indifferenza dell'umanità.

To secure a favourable prepossession, I have allowed him the advantages of birth and education, which in the series of his misfortunes will, I hope, engage the ingenuous more warmly in his behalf; and though I foresee, that some people will be offended at the mean scenes in which he is involved, I persuade myself that the judicious will not only perceive the necessity of describing those situations to which he must of course be confined, in his low estate, but also find entertainment in viewing those parts of life, where the humours and passions are undisguised by affectation, ceremony, or education; and the whimsical peculiarities of disposition appear as nature has implanted them.

Per assicurare un favorevole pregiudizio, gli ho concesso i vantaggi della nascita e dell'educazione, i quali nel corso delle sue disgrazie, spero, coinvolgeranno più calorosamente i lettori ingenui in suo favore; e sebbene preveda che alcune persone si offenderanno per le scene meschine in cui egli è coinvolto, mi convinco che i giudiziosi non solo percepiranno la necessità di descrivere quelle situazioni alle quali egli deve naturalmente essere confinato, nel suo basso stato, ma troveranno anche diletto nell'osservare quelle parti della vita in cui gli umori e le passioni non sono mascherati dall'affettazione, dalla cerimonia o dall'educazione; e le stravaganti peculiarità del carattere appaiono così come la natura le ha impiantate.

But I believe I need not trouble myself in vindicating a practice authorized by the best writers in this way, some of whom I have already named.

Ma credo di non dovermi affaticare a giustificare una pratica autorizzata dai migliori scrittori in questo genere, alcuni dei quali ho già nominato.

Every intelligent reader will, at first sight, perceive I have not deviated from nature in the facts, which are all true in the main, although the circumstances are altered and disguised, to avoid personal satire.

Ogni lettore intelligente percepirà, a prima vista, che non mi sono discostato dalla natura nei fatti, i quali sono tutti sostanzialmente veri, sebbene le circostanze siano state alterate e travestite, per evitare la satira personale.

Vocabulary

Ho: First person singular present of 'avere' (to have)
tentato: Past participle of 'tentare'; tried, attempted
di: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'to'
rappresentare: To represent, depict, or portray something
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
modesto: Modest, humble, or unassuming in character
merito: Merit, worth, or deserving quality of someone
che: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'who,' 'which'
lotta: Struggle, fight, or battle against difficulties
con: Preposition meaning 'with'
ogni: Every, each; used before singular nouns
difficoltà: Difficulty, hardship, or challenging obstacle faced
alla: Contraction of 'a' + 'la'; meaning 'to the'
quale: Which, who; relative pronoun or adjective
è: Third person singular present of 'essere' (to be)
esposto: Exposed, subjected, or vulnerable to something
orfano: Orphan; child who has lost both parents
senza: Preposition meaning 'without'
amici: Friends; plural of 'amico'
per: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'
la: Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'
sua: His, her, its; feminine possessive adjective
mancanza: Lack, absence, or deficiency of something
esperienza: Experience; knowledge gained through practice or events
così: So, thus, in this way
come: As, like, how; comparative or interrogative word
l': Elided definite article 'il' or 'la' before vowels
egoismo: Selfishness, egotism; excessive concern for oneself
invidia: Envy, jealousy toward another's advantages or possessions
malvagità: Wickedness, evil nature, or moral depravity
e: Conjunction meaning 'and'
bassa: Low, base; feminine adjective indicating low quality
indifferenza: Indifference; lack of interest or concern for others
dell': Contraction of 'di' + 'l''; meaning 'of the'
umanità: Humanity, mankind, or human nature collectively
Per: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to'
assicurare: To assure, ensure, or guarantee something to someone
favorevole: Favorable, positive, or supportive toward something
pregiudizio: Prejudice, bias, or preconceived opinion about someone
gli: Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/them'
ho: First person singular present of 'avere' (to have)
concesso: Granted, conceded; past participle of 'concedere'
i: Definite masculine plural article meaning 'the'
vantaggi: Advantages, benefits; plural of 'vantaggio'
della: Contraction of 'di' + 'la'; meaning 'of the'
nascita: Birth; the event of being born
educazione: Education, upbringing, or manner of being raised
quali: Which, who; plural relative pronoun or adjective
nel: Contraction of 'in' + 'il'; meaning 'in the'
corso: Course, progression; flow of events over time
delle: Contraction of 'di' + 'le'; meaning 'of the'
sue: His, her; feminine plural possessive adjective
disgrazie: Misfortunes, disasters; plural of 'disgrazia'
spero: First person singular present of 'sperare'; I hope
coinvolgeranno: Future tense of 'coinvolgere'; they will involve
più: More, most; comparative adverb or adjective
calorosamente: Warmly, cordially, with enthusiasm and affection
lettori: Readers; plural of 'lettore'
ingenui: Naive, ingenuous; plural adjective for simple-minded people
in: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
suo: His, her, its; masculine singular possessive adjective
favore: Favor, support, or approval given to someone
sebbene: Although, even though; concessive conjunction
preveda: Subjunctive of 'prevedere'; foresees, anticipates
alcune: Some, a few; feminine plural indefinite adjective
persone: People, persons; plural of 'persona'
si: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself,' 'himself,' 'herself'
offenderanno: Future of 'offendersi'; they will take offense
le: Definite feminine plural article meaning 'the'
scene: Scenes; settings or episodes within a narrative
meschine: Mean, petty, wretched; feminine plural adjective
cui: Whom, which; relative pronoun used after prepositions
egli: He; formal third person masculine singular pronoun
coinvolto: Involved, implicated; past participle of 'coinvolgere'
mi: Me, myself; first person singular reflexive pronoun
convinco: First person present of 'convincere'; I am convinced
giudiziosi: Judicious, wise, discerning; masculine plural adjective
non: Not; negation particle
solo: Only, alone; adverb or adjective
percepiranno: Future of 'percepire'; they will perceive or notice
necessità: Necessity, need; unavoidable requirement or condition
descrivere: To describe, depict, or give an account of
quelle: Those; feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
situazioni: Situations, circumstances; plural of 'situazione'
alle: Contraction of 'a' + 'le'; meaning 'to the'
deve: Third person singular present of 'dovere'; must, has to
naturalmente: Naturally, of course; in a natural manner
essere: To be; infinitive of the verb 'essere'
confinato: Confined, restricted, limited to a place or condition
basso: Low, base; adjective indicating lower social station
stato: State, condition; status or social standing
ma: But; adversative conjunction
troveranno: Future of 'trovare'; they will find or discover
anche: Also, too, even; additive adverb
diletto: Delight, pleasure, enjoyment derived from something
nell': Contraction of 'in' + 'l''; meaning 'in the'
osservare: To observe, watch, or notice carefully
parti: Parts, portions; plural of 'parte'
vita: Life; existence or way of living
umori: Humors, moods; dispositions or temperaments of people
passioni: Passions; strong emotions or intense feelings
sono: Third person plural present of 'essere'; they are
mascherati: Masked, disguised; concealed by an outer appearance
dall': Contraction of 'da' + 'l''; meaning 'by the'
affettazione: Affectation; artificial or pretentious behavior or manner
dalla: Contraction of 'da' + 'la'; meaning 'from the'
cerimonia: Ceremony; formal or ritualistic social behavior
o: Or; disjunctive conjunction
stravaganti: Extravagant, eccentric, bizarre; plural adjective
peculiarità: Peculiarity; distinctive or unusual characteristic of someone
del: Contraction of 'di' + 'il'; meaning 'of the'
carattere: Character, personality, or nature of a person
appaiono: Third person plural present of 'apparire'; they appear
natura: Nature; inherent qualities or the natural world
ha: Third person singular present of 'avere'; has
impiantate: Implanted, instilled; past participle feminine plural
Ma: But; adversative conjunction starting a new thought
credo: First person present of 'credere'; I believe, I think
dovermi: To have to, must; infinitive 'dovere' with reflexive clitic
affaticare: To tire, exhaust, or take great pains over something
a: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
giustificare: To justify, defend, or give reasons for something
una: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'an'
pratica: Practice, custom, or established method of doing
autorizzata: Authorized, sanctioned; approved by established authority
dai: Contraction of 'da' + 'i'; meaning 'by the'
migliori: Best, better; superlative or comparative plural adjective
scrittori: Writers, authors; plural of 'scrittore'
questo: This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
genere: Genre, kind, type; category of literary or artistic work
alcuni: Some, a few; masculine plural indefinite adjective
dei: Contraction of 'di' + 'i'; meaning 'of the'
già: Already, before now; temporal adverb
nominato: Named, mentioned; past participle of 'nominare'
Ogni: Every, each; used before singular nouns
lettore: Reader; person who reads a text or book
intelligente: Intelligent, clever, smart person or mind
percepirà: Future of 'percepire'; will perceive or notice
prima: Before, first; temporal adverb or adjective
vista: Sight, view; the act of seeing or a glance
discostato: Deviated, distanced; past participle of 'discostarsi'
nei: Contraction of 'in' + 'i'; meaning 'in the'
fatti: Facts; things that have actually happened or occurred
tutti: All, everyone; masculine plural adjective or pronoun
sostanzialmente: Substantially, essentially, in large part true
veri: True, real; masculine plural adjective
circostanze: Circumstances; conditions surrounding an event or fact
siano: Subjunctive of 'essere'; may be, that they are
state: Past participle of 'essere' feminine plural; been
alterate: Altered, changed; past participle feminine plural adjective
travestite: Disguised, dressed up; past participle feminine plural
evitare: To avoid, prevent, or steer clear of something
satira: Satire; use of irony or ridicule to criticize
personale: Personal; relating to a specific individual person

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