The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 3
It is situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from its beginning.
È situato quasi sotto la linea equatoriale, e si estende lungo la costa per circa 170 miglia, ma si addentra nella parte interna dell'Africa fino a una distanza che finora, credo, non sia stata esplorata da alcun viaggiatore; e sembra terminare soltanto con l'impero dell'Abissinia, a circa 1500 miglia dal suo inizio.
This kingdom is divided into many provinces or districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named Essaka.
Questo regno è diviso in molte province o distretti: in una delle più remote e fertili di esse, chiamata Eboe, nacqui nell'anno 1745, in una deliziosa e feconda valle, chiamata Essaka.
The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted by the chiefs or elders of the place.
La distanza di questa provincia dalla capitale del Benin e dalla costa marina dev'essere molto considerevole; poiché non avevo mai sentito parlare di uomini bianchi o europei, né del mare: e la nostra soggezione al re del Benin era poco più che nominale; poiché ogni atto del governo, per quanto si estendesse la mia modesta osservazione, era condotto dai capi o dagli anziani del luogo.
The manners and government of a people who have little commerce with other countries are generally very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village may serve as a specimen of a nation.
I costumi e il governo di un popolo che ha scarsi rapporti con altri paesi sono generalmente molto semplici; e la storia di ciò che accade in una famiglia o in un villaggio può servire come esempio di una nazione.
My father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our language a mark of grandeur.
Mio padre era uno di quegli anziani o capi di cui ho parlato, e veniva chiamato Embrenche; un termine che, per quanto ricordo, indicava la più alta distinzione, e significava nella nostra lingua un segno di grandezza.
Vocabulary
- È
- Third person singular present tense of 'essere' (to be).
- situato
- Located or positioned in a particular place.
- quasi
- Almost, nearly, approximately.
- sotto
- Under, below, beneath something.
- linea
- A line, boundary, or linear mark.
- equatoriale
- Relating to or near the equator.
- si
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'.
- estende
- Extends, stretches, or spreads out over an area.
- lungo
- Along; also means 'long' as an adjective.
- costa
- Coast, shoreline, or coastal region.
- circa
- Approximately, about, roughly a given amount.
- miglia
- Miles, plural of 'miglio', unit of distance.
- addentra
- Penetrates, goes deep into an interior region.
- parte
- Part, portion, or section of something.
- interna
- Internal, interior, inland area or part.
- fino
- Until, up to, as far as a point.
- distanza
- Distance, the measure of space between two points.
- finora
- Until now, up to this point in time.
- credo
- I believe, I think; first person singular of 'credere'.
- sia
- Subjunctive form of 'essere': 'be' or 'is'.
- stata
- Past participle of 'essere', feminine: 'been'.
- esplorata
- Explored, investigated, surveyed by someone.
- alcun
- Any, some; used in negative or indefinite contexts.
- viaggiatore
- A traveler, someone who journeys to different places.
- sembra
- Seems, appears to be; third person of 'sembrare'.
- terminare
- To end, to finish, to come to a conclusion.
- soltanto
- Only, solely, just; expressing exclusivity.
- impero
- Empire, a large realm ruled by an emperor.
- inizio
- Beginning, start, or origin of something.
- Questo
- Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this'.
- regno
- Kingdom, realm, or domain of a ruler.
- diviso
- Divided, split into parts or sections.
- molte
- Many, a large number of (feminine plural).
- province
- Provinces, administrative subdivisions of a country.
- distretti
- Districts, administrative or geographic subdivisions.
- più
- More; used for comparisons or greater degree.
- remote
- Remote, distant, far from populated or central areas.
- fertili
- Fertile, productive, capable of supporting plant growth.
- esse
- Third person feminine plural pronoun: 'they' or 'them'.
- chiamata
- Called, named; past participle of 'chiamare'.
- nacqui
- I was born; first person singular past of 'nascere'.
- anno
- Year, a period of twelve calendar months.
- deliziosa
- Delightful, charming, wonderfully pleasant or beautiful.
- feconda
- Fertile, fruitful, abundantly productive of vegetation.
- valle
- Valley, a low area between hills or mountains.
- questa
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine singular).
- provincia
- Province, a regional administrative division of a country.
- capitale
- Capital city, the principal city of a region or country.
- marina
- Sea coast, navy, or maritime area near the ocean.
- dev'
- Elided form of 'deve': must, has to, should.
- essere
- To be; the fundamental Italian linking verb.
- molto
- Very, much, a great deal; intensifier adverb.
- considerevole
- Considerable, significant, notably large in size or extent.
- poiché
- Because, since; introduces a reason or cause.
- avevo
- I had; first person singular imperfect of 'avere'.
- mai
- Never, ever; used with negation to mean 'never'.
- sentito
- Heard or felt; past participle of 'sentire'.
- parlare
- To speak, to talk, to converse with others.
- uomini
- Men, the plural of 'uomo' (man).
- bianchi
- White; plural adjective describing color or ethnicity.
- europei
- Europeans, people originating from the continent of Europe.
- né
- Neither, nor; used in negative correlative constructions.
- mare
- Sea, a large body of saltwater.
- nostra
- Our; possessive adjective, feminine singular form.
- soggezione
- Subjection, submission, or subordination to authority.
- re
- King, a male monarch ruling over a kingdom.
- era
- Was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'.
- poco
- Little, a small amount; not much.
- nominale
- Nominal, in name only, not substantial or real.
- ogni
- Every, each; referring to all members of a group.
- atto
- Act, action, deed; a specific instance of doing something.
- governo
- Government, the governing body of a state or region.
- quanto
- How much, as much as; used in comparisons or questions.
- estendesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'estendere': extended or spread.
- modesta
- Modest, humble, limited in scope or presumption.
- osservazione
- Observation, a remark or act of carefully watching something.
- condotto
- Conducted, led, carried out; past participle of 'condurre'.
- capi
- Chiefs, leaders, heads of a community or group.
- anziani
- Elders, elderly or senior members of a community.
- luogo
- Place, location, a specific spot or setting.
- costumi
- Customs, habits, traditions of a people or culture.
- popolo
- People, a nation or community sharing culture and identity.
- scarsi
- Scarce, limited, few; lacking in quantity or extent.
- rapporti
- Relations, contacts, or connections with other groups.
- altri
- Other, others; referring to different people or things.
- paesi
- Countries or villages; plural of 'paese'.
- generalmente
- Generally, usually, in most cases or situations.
- semplici
- Simple, plain, uncomplicated; plural of 'semplice'.
- storia
- History or story; a narrative of past events.
- ciò
- This, that; a demonstrative pronoun referring to something mentioned.
- accade
- Happens, occurs; third person singular of 'accadere'.
- famiglia
- Family, a group of related people living together.
- villaggio
- Village, a small rural community or settlement.
- può
- Can, is able to; third person singular of 'potere'.
- servire
- To serve, to be useful, to function as something.
- come
- As, like, how; used for comparison or manner.
- esempio
- Example, an illustrative instance or representative case.
- nazione
- Nation, a country or large community sharing culture.
- padre
- Father, a male parent.
- quegli
- Those; demonstrative adjective or pronoun, masculine plural.
- cui
- Whom, which; relative pronoun used after a preposition.
- parlato
- Spoken; past participle of 'parlare'.
- veniva
- Was coming, used to come; imperfect of 'venire'.
- chiamato
- Called, named; past participle of 'chiamare'.
- termine
- Term, word, or expression in a language or field.
- ricordo
- Memory or souvenir; also 'I remember' (verb).
- indicava
- Indicated, signified; imperfect tense of 'indicare'.
- alta
- High, tall, elevated; feminine adjective form.
- distinzione
- Distinction, honor, a mark of special recognition.
- significava
- Meant, signified; imperfect tense of 'significare'.
- lingua
- Language or tongue; a system of communication.
- segno
- Sign, mark, symbol indicating something meaningful.
- grandezza
- Greatness, grandeur, majesty, or large size.
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