The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 4
This mark is conferred on the person entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead.
Questo segno viene conferito alla persona che ne ha diritto, tagliando la pelle trasversalmente in cima alla fronte e tirandola verso il basso fino alle sopracciglia; e mentre si trova in questa posizione applicando una mano calda e strofinandola finché non si ritira formando un spesso _cercine_ nella parte inferiore della fronte.
Most of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also _destined_ to receive it by my parents.
La maggior parte dei giudici e dei senatori era così contrassegnata; mio padre lo portava da lungo tempo: lo avevo visto conferire a uno dei miei fratelli, e anch'io ero _destinato_ a riceverlo dai miei genitori.
Those Embrence, or chief men, decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always assembled together.
Quegli Embrence, o uomini principali, risolvevano le dispute e punivano i crimini; a tale scopo si riunivano sempre insieme.
The proceedings were generally short; and in most cases the law of retaliation prevailed.
I procedimenti erano generalmente brevi; e nella maggior parte dei casi prevaleva la legge del taglione.
I remember a man was brought before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to make recompense by a man or woman slave.
Ricordo che un uomo fu portato davanti a mio padre e agli altri giudici per aver rapito un ragazzo; e, sebbene fosse figlio di un capo o senatore, fu condannato a risarcire con uno schiavo uomo o donna.
Adultery, however, was sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives.
L'adulterio, tuttavia, era talvolta punito con la schiavitù o la morte; una punizione che credo venga inflitta in quasi tutte le nazioni dell'Africa[A]: così sacro è tra loro l'onore del letto matrimoniale, e così gelosi sono della fedeltà delle loro mogli.
Of this I recollect an instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished.
Di ciò ricordo un esempio: una donna fu condannata davanti ai giudici per adulterio e consegnata, come era consuetudine, al marito per essere punita.
Vocabulary
- segno
- SEN-yoh — Sign, mark, or symbol indicating something
- viene
- VYEN-eh — Comes; third person singular present of venire
- conferito
- kon-feh-REE-toh — Conferred, granted, or bestowed upon someone officially
- ne
- neh — Of it, of them; partitive or genitive pronoun
- diritto
- dee-REET-toh — Right, entitlement; also means straight or upright
- tagliando
- tahl-YAHN-doh — Cutting; gerund of tagliare, to cut
- pelle
- PEL-leh — Skin; outer covering of the human body
- trasversalmente
- traz-vehr-zahl-MEN-teh — Transversely, crosswise, in a horizontal crossing direction
- cima
- CHEE-mah — Top, summit, peak of something
- fronte
- FRON-teh — Forehead; front part of the face above eyes
- tirandola
- tee-RAHN-doh-lah — Pulling it; gerund of tirare with feminine pronoun attached
- verso
- VEHR-soh — Toward, towards; preposition indicating direction
- basso
- BAHS-soh — Low, down; adjective or noun indicating low position
- fino
- FEE-noh — Until, up to, as far as; preposition of limit
- sopracciglia
- soh-praht-CHEEL-yah — Eyebrows; the arched hairs above the eyes
- mentre
- MEN-treh — While, whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous action
- trova
- TROH-vah — Finds itself, is located; from trovarsi, to be situated
- posizione
- poh-zee-TSYOH-neh — Position, posture, placement of a body or object
- applicando
- ahp-plee-KAHN-doh — Applying; gerund of applicare, to apply something
- calda
- KAHL-dah — Warm, hot; feminine adjective describing temperature
- strofinandola
- stroh-fee-NAHN-doh-lah — Rubbing it; gerund of strofinare with pronoun attached
- finché
- feen-KEH — Until, as long as; conjunction of time or condition
- ritira
- ree-TEE-rah — Withdraws, retracts, pulls back; from ritirare
- formando
- for-MAHN-doh — Forming, creating; gerund of formare
- spesso
- SPES-soh — Thick; adjective meaning dense or substantial in depth
- cercine
- CHEHR-chee-neh — Ridge, rolled fold; a thick circular or ring-shaped fold
- parte
- PAR-teh — Part, portion, section of something
- inferiore
- een-feh-RYOH-reh — Lower, inferior; adjective indicating a lower position
- maggior
- mahd-JOR — Greater, most; short form of maggiore, comparative adjective
- giudici
- JOO-dee-chee — Judges; people with authority to decide legal matters
- senatori
- seh-nah-TOH-ree — Senators; members of a senate or governing council
- così
- koh-ZEE — So, thus, in this way; adverb of manner
- contrassegnata
- kon-trahs-sen-YAH-tah — Marked, branded, distinguished by a sign or mark
- portava
- por-TAH-vah — Was wearing, carried; imperfect of portare
- lungo
- LOON-goh — Long; adjective indicating great length or duration
- visto
- VEE-stoh — Seen; past participle of vedere
- conferire
- kon-feh-REE-reh — To confer, bestow, grant an honor or title
- fratelli
- frah-TEL-lee — Brothers; male siblings
- anch'io
- ahn-KEE-oh — I too, me also; indicates inclusion of the speaker
- destinato
- des-tee-NAH-toh — Destined, meant for; past participle of destinare
- riceverlo
- ree-cheh-VEHR-loh — To receive it; infinitive of ricevere with pronoun
- genitori
- jeh-nee-TOH-ree — Parents; father and mother collectively
- Quegli
- KWEL-yee — Those; demonstrative adjective masculine plural, distant reference
- uomini
- WOH-mee-nee — Men; plural of uomo, adult male humans
- principali
- preen-chee-PAH-lee — Principal, main, leading; plural adjective of importance
- risolvevano
- ree-zol-VEH-vah-noh — They resolved, settled; imperfect of risolvere
- dispute
- dees-POO-teh — Disputes, disagreements, conflicts between parties
- punivano
- poo-NEE-vah-noh — They punished; imperfect of punire
- crimini
- KREE-mee-nee — Crimes; plural of crimine, illegal acts
- tale
- TAH-leh — Such, this; adjective indicating a specific type or purpose
- scopo
- SKOH-poh — Purpose, aim, goal of an action
- riunivano
- ryoo-nee-VAH-noh — They gathered, assembled; imperfect of riunirsi
- sempre
- SEM-preh — Always, ever; adverb of frequency
- insieme
- een-SYEH-meh — Together, jointly; adverb indicating collective action
- procedimenti
- proh-cheh-dee-MEN-tee — Proceedings, procedures; formal legal or official processes
- generalmente
- jeh-neh-rahl-MEN-teh — Generally, usually; adverb indicating typical occurrence
- brevi
- BREH-vee — Brief, short; plural adjective indicating short duration
- casi
- KAH-zee — Cases; plural of caso, instances or legal cases
- prevaleva
- preh-vah-LEH-vah — Prevailed, predominated; imperfect of prevalere
- legge
- LED-jeh — Law; system of rules governing a community
- taglione
- tahl-YOH-neh — Retaliation; principle of an eye for an eye
- Ricordo
- ree-KOR-doh — I remember; first person singular present of ricordare
- fu
- foo — Was; third person singular passato remoto of essere
- portato
- por-TAH-toh — Brought, taken; past participle of portare
- davanti
- dah-VAHN-tee — Before, in front of; preposition indicating frontal position
- altri
- AHL-tree — Others; plural pronoun or adjective referring to other people
- rapito
- rah-PEE-toh — Kidnapped, abducted; past participle of rapire
- sebbene
- seb-BEH-neh — Although, even though; concessive conjunction
- fosse
- FOS-seh — Were; third person singular imperfect subjunctive of essere
- figlio
- FEEL-yoh — Son; male child in relation to parents
- capo
- KAH-poh — Chief, head, leader of a group or community
- senatore
- seh-nah-TOH-reh — Senator; member of a senate or elder council
- condannato
- kon-dahn-NAH-toh — Condemned, sentenced; past participle of condannare
- risarcire
- ree-zahr-CHEE-reh — To compensate, make restitution for a wrong done
- schiavo
- SKYAH-voh — Slave; person owned and forced to serve another
- L'adulterio
- lahd-ool-TEH-ryoh — Adultery; sexual infidelity within a marriage
- tuttavia
- toot-tah-VEE-ah — However, nevertheless; adversative adverb expressing contrast
- talvolta
- tahl-VOL-tah — Sometimes, occasionally; adverb of frequency
- punito
- poo-NEE-toh — Punished; past participle of punire
- schiavitù
- skyah-vee-TOO — Slavery; the condition of being enslaved
- morte
- MOR-teh — Death; the end of life
- punizione
- poo-nee-TSYOH-neh — Punishment, penalty imposed for a wrongdoing
- credo
- KREH-doh — I believe, I think; first person singular of credere
- venga
- VEN-gah — Comes; third person singular present subjunctive of venire
- inflitta
- een-FLEET-tah — Inflicted; past participle of infliggere, to impose suffering
- quasi
- KWAH-zee — Almost, nearly; adverb indicating approximate quantity
- tutte
- TOOT-teh — All; feminine plural pronoun or adjective of totality
- nazioni
- nah-TSYOH-nee — Nations; plural of nazione, countries or peoples
- sacro
- SAH-kroh — Sacred, holy; adjective indicating religious or moral sanctity
- tra
- trah — Among, between; preposition indicating position within a group
- l'onore
- loh-NOH-reh — Honor; high respect and moral integrity
- letto
- LET-toh — Bed; furniture for sleeping; also past participle of leggere
- matrimoniale
- mah-tree-moh-NYAH-leh — Matrimonial, marital; adjective relating to marriage
- gelosi
- jeh-LOH-zee — Jealous; plural adjective describing possessive emotional state
- fedeltà
- feh-del-TAH — Fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty in a relationship
- mogli
- MOL-yee — Wives; plural of moglie, female spouses
- ciò
- choh — This, that; neutral demonstrative pronoun referring to things
- esempio
- eh-ZEM-pyoh — Example, instance; a case illustrating a point
- condannata
- kon-dahn-NAH-tah — Condemned woman; feminine past participle of condannare
- adulterio
- ah-dool-TEH-ryoh — Adultery; marital infidelity, sexual betrayal of a spouse
- consegnata
- kon-sen-YAH-tah — Handed over, delivered; feminine past participle of consegnare
- consuetudine
- kon-sweh-TOO-dee-neh — Custom, tradition, usual practice in a community
- marito
- mah-REE-toh — Husband; male spouse in a marriage
- punita
- poo-NEE-tah — Punished; feminine past participle of punire
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