The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 5
Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child.
Di conseguenza egli decise di metterla a morte: ma essendosi scoperto, poco prima della sua esecuzione, che aveva un bambino al seno; e non essendosi trovata alcuna donna disposta a svolgere il ruolo di nutrice, fu risparmiata a causa del bambino.
The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two.
Gli uomini, tuttavia, non serbano alle loro mogli la stessa fedeltà che si aspettano da loro; poiché si concedono la poligamia, sebbene raramente con più di due mogli.
Their mode of marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves).
Il loro modo di celebrare il matrimonio è il seguente: entrambe le parti vengono di solito fidanzate da giovani dai loro genitori, (sebbene io abbia saputo di maschi che si fidanzano da soli).
On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her.
In tale occasione viene preparato un banchetto, e la sposa e lo sposo si alzano in piedi in mezzo a tutti i loro amici, radunati a tale scopo, mentre egli dichiara che d'ora in poi ella dovrà essere considerata sua moglie, e che nessun'altra persona dovrà rivolgerle le proprie attenzioni.
This is also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly.
Ciò viene anche immediatamente proclamato nel vicinato, dopodiché la sposa si ritira dall'assemblea.
Vocabulary
- Di
- dee — Of, from; preposition indicating origin or possession
- conseguenza
- kon-se-GWEN-tsa — Consequence, result of a prior action or event
- egli
- EL-yee — He; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun
- decise
- de-CHEE-ze — He/she decided; past tense of decidere
- metterla
- MET-ter-la — To put her; infinitive with feminine object pronoun
- morte
- MOR-te — Death; end of life
- ma
- mah — But; conjunction indicating contrast
- essendosi
- es-SEN-do-see — Having been; reflexive gerund of essere
- scoperto
- sko-PER-to — Discovered, found out; past participle of scoprire
- poco
- POH-ko — Little, a short time; indicating small amount or time
- prima
- PREE-ma — Before, earlier; referring to a prior moment
- della
- DEL-la — Of the; contraction of di and la
- sua
- SOO-ah — Her/his; third-person singular possessive adjective
- esecuzione
- e-ze-ku-TSYO-ne — Execution; carrying out a sentence of death
- aveva
- a-VE-va — He/she had; imperfect tense of avere
- bambino
- bam-BEE-no — Baby, young child; infant at the breast
- seno
- SE-no — Breast; part of the body used for nursing
- trovata
- tro-VAH-ta — Found; feminine past participle of trovare
- alcuna
- al-KOO-na — Any; feminine indefinite adjective in negative context
- donna
- DON-na — Woman; adult female person
- disposta
- dis-POS-ta — Willing, disposed; ready to do something
- svolgere
- ZVOL-je-re — To carry out, perform; to fulfill a role or task
- ruolo
- RWO-lo — Role, part; function one plays in a situation
- nutrice
- noo-TREE-che — Wet nurse; woman who breastfeeds another's child
- fu
- foo — Was; third-person singular passato remoto of essere
- risparmiata
- ris-par-MYA-ta — Spared, saved; feminine past participle of risparmiare
- causa
- KAW-za — Cause, reason; that which produces an effect
- uomini
- WO-mi-ni — Men; plural of uomo, adult male humans
- tuttavia
- tut-ta-VEE-a — Nevertheless, however; conjunction showing contrast
- serbano
- SER-ba-no — They keep, preserve; third-person plural of serbare
- loro
- LO-ro — Their, them; third-person plural possessive or pronoun
- mogli
- MOL-yee — Wives; plural of moglie, married women
- stessa
- STES-sa — Same; feminine adjective indicating identity or sameness
- fedeltà
- fe-del-TAH — Faithfulness, fidelity; loyalty in a relationship
- aspettano
- as-PET-ta-no — They expect; third-person plural of aspettarsi
- poiché
- poi-KE — Since, because; causal conjunction in formal Italian
- concedono
- kon-CHE-do-no — They allow, grant; third-person plural of concedere
- poligamia
- po-li-GA-mya — Polygamy; practice of having multiple spouses simultaneously
- sebbene
- seb-BE-ne — Although, even though; concessive conjunction in Italian
- raramente
- ra-ra-MEN-te — Rarely, seldom; occurring only on few occasions
- più
- pyoo — More, plus; comparative adverb of quantity
- modo
- MOH-do — Way, manner; method of doing something
- celebrare
- che-le-BRA-re — To celebrate, solemnize; to officially perform a ceremony
- matrimonio
- ma-tri-MO-nyo — Marriage, wedding; legal union of two people
- seguente
- se-GWEN-te — Following, next; that which comes immediately after
- entrambe
- en-TRAM-be — Both; referring to two feminine parties together
- parti
- PAR-ti — Parties, sides; groups involved in an agreement
- vengono
- VEN-go-no — They come, are; third-person plural of venire
- solito
- SO-li-to — Usual, customary; what is normally or habitually done
- fidanzate
- fi-dan-TSA-te — Engaged, betrothed; women promised in marriage
- giovani
- JO-va-ni — Young; adjective or noun referring to youthful people
- genitori
- je-ni-TO-ri — Parents; father and mother together
- abbia
- AB-bya — Have; first-person singular subjunctive of avere
- saputo
- sa-POO-to — Known, found out; past participle of sapere
- maschi
- MAS-ki — Males, boys; masculine plural of maschio
- fidanzano
- fi-dan-TSA-no — They get engaged; third-person plural of fidanzarsi
- soli
- SO-li — Alone, by themselves; masculine plural of solo
- tale
- TA-le — Such, this kind of; adjective indicating a specific type
- occasione
- ok-ka-ZYO-ne — Occasion, event; a particular time or opportunity
- viene
- VYE-ne — Comes, is; third-person singular of venire (passive use)
- preparato
- pre-pa-RA-to — Prepared, made ready; past participle of preparare
- banchetto
- ban-KET-to — Banquet, feast; large celebratory meal for guests
- sposa
- SPO-za — Bride, wife; woman being married or already married
- sposo
- SPO-zo — Groom, husband; man being married or already married
- alzano
- al-TSA-no — They raise, stand up; third-person plural of alzarsi
- piedi
- PYE-di — Feet; plural of piede; stare in piedi means to stand
- mezzo
- MED-zo — Middle, midst; central point among a group
- tutti
- TOOT-ti — All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
- amici
- a-MEE-chi — Friends; plural of amico, persons one has affection for
- radunati
- ra-du-NA-ti — Gathered, assembled; past participle of radunarsi
- scopo
- SKO-po — Purpose, goal; aim or objective of an action
- mentre
- MEN-tre — While, whereas; temporal or contrastive conjunction
- dichiara
- di-KYA-ra — He/she declares; third-person singular of dichiarare
- ora
- O-ra — Now, hour; present moment or unit of time
- poi
- poi — Then, afterward; adverb indicating subsequent time
- ella
- EL-la — She; formal third-person singular feminine subject pronoun
- dovrà
- do-VRA — She/he will have to; future tense of dovere
- essere
- ES-se-re — To be; fundamental Italian infinitive verb
- considerata
- kon-si-de-RA-ta — Considered, regarded; feminine past participle of considerare
- moglie
- MOL-ye — Wife; married woman in relation to her husband
- nessun'
- nes-SOON — No one, none; elided form of nessuno before vowel
- altra
- AL-tra — Other, another; feminine adjective indicating a different one
- persona
- per-SO-na — Person; individual human being
- rivolgerle
- ri-VOL-jer-le — To address her, turn attention to her; with indirect pronoun
- proprie
- PRO-prye — Own; feminine plural adjective indicating personal ownership
- attenzioni
- at-ten-TSYO-ni — Attentions, courtesies; acts of romantic or social interest
- Ciò
- cho — This, that; neuter demonstrative pronoun in formal Italian
- anche
- AN-ke — Also, too; adverb indicating addition or inclusion
- immediatamente
- im-me-dya-ta-MEN-te — Immediately, at once; without any delay whatsoever
- proclamato
- pro-kla-MA-to — Proclaimed, announced; past participle of proclamare
- vicinato
- vi-chi-NA-to — Neighborhood, vicinity; the surrounding local community
- dopodiché
- do-po-di-KE — After which, whereupon; then following that event
- ritira
- ri-TI-ra — Withdraws, retires; third-person singular of ritirarsi
- assemblea
- as-sem-BLE-a — Assembly, gathering; group of people convened together
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