The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 4
There was no organized priesthood to be overcome, the primitive religious observances consisting almost entirely of occasional orgies presided over by an old woman, who filled the priestly offices of interpreter for the unseen powers and chief eater at the sacrificial feast.
Non c'era un sacerdozio organizzato da superare, poiché le primitive pratiche religiose consistevano quasi interamente in orge occasionali presiedute da una vecchia donna, che svolgeva le funzioni sacerdotali di interprete delle potenze invisibili e di principale commensale al banchetto sacrificale.
With their unflagging zeal, their organization, their elaborate forms and ceremonies, the missionaries were enabled to win the confidence of the natives, especially as the greater part of them learned the local language and identified their lives with the communities under their care.
Con il loro instancabile zelo, la loro organizzazione, le loro elaborate forme e cerimonie, i missionari furono in grado di conquistare la fiducia dei nativi, specialmente poiché la maggior parte di loro imparò la lingua locale e identificò la propria vita con le comunità affidate alle loro cure.
Accordingly, the people took kindly to their new teachers and rulers, so that in less than a generation Spanish authority was generally recognized in the settled portions of the Philippines, and in the succeeding years the missionaries gradually extended this area by forming settlements from among the wilder peoples, whom they persuaded to abandon the more objectionable features of their old roving, often predatory, life and to group themselves into towns and villages "under the bell."
Di conseguenza, il popolo accolse benevolmente i propri nuovi insegnanti e governanti, così che in meno di una generazione l'autorità spagnola fu generalmente riconosciuta nelle zone abitate delle Filippine, e negli anni successivi i missionari estesero gradualmente quest'area formando insediamenti tra i popoli più selvaggi, che essi persuasero ad abbandonare gli aspetti più deprecabili della loro vecchia vita nomade, spesso predatoria, e a raggrupparsi in città e villaggi «sotto la campana».
Vocabulary
- c'
- Contraction of 'ci', meaning 'there' (existential).
- era
- Past tense of 'essere'; 'there was' or 'was'.
- sacerdozio
- The office or institution of priesthood.
- organizzato
- Adjective meaning organized, structured, or systematically arranged.
- superare
- To overcome, surpass, or exceed something.
- poiché
- Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because'.
- primitive
- Adjective meaning primitive, early, or original in nature.
- pratiche
- Noun meaning practices, customs, or habitual activities.
- religiose
- Adjective meaning religious, relating to faith or worship.
- consistevano
- Imperfect tense of 'consistere'; they consisted of something.
- quasi
- Adverb meaning almost, nearly, or practically.
- interamente
- Adverb meaning entirely, wholly, or completely.
- orge
- Noun meaning orgies or wild, unrestrained ritual gatherings.
- occasionali
- Adjective meaning occasional, happening only sometimes.
- presiedute
- Past participle of 'presiedere'; presided over or chaired.
- vecchia
- Adjective or noun meaning old woman or elderly female.
- donna
- Noun meaning woman or lady.
- svolgeva
- Imperfect of 'svolgere'; was carrying out or performing tasks.
- funzioni
- Noun meaning functions, roles, or official duties.
- sacerdotali
- Adjective meaning priestly or relating to a priest's duties.
- interprete
- Noun meaning interpreter, mediator, or go-between.
- potenze
- Noun meaning powers, forces, or supernatural entities.
- invisibili
- Adjective meaning invisible or unseen.
- principale
- Adjective meaning principal, main, or most important.
- commensale
- Noun meaning fellow diner or person sharing a meal.
- banchetto
- Noun meaning banquet or formal feast.
- sacrificale
- Adjective meaning sacrificial, relating to ritual sacrifice.
- instancabile
- Adjective meaning tireless, indefatigable, or never wearying.
- zelo
- Noun meaning zeal, fervor, or enthusiastic dedication.
- organizzazione
- Noun meaning organization, arrangement, or structured system.
- elaborate
- Adjective meaning elaborate, detailed, or carefully developed.
- forme
- Noun meaning forms, shapes, or types of something.
- cerimonie
- Noun meaning ceremonies or formal religious rituals.
- missionari
- Noun meaning missionaries, people spreading religious faith abroad.
- furono
- Past tense of 'essere'; they were (passato remoto).
- grado
- Noun meaning degree, rank, or in phrase 'in grado di' able.
- conquistare
- To conquer, win over, or gain someone's trust.
- fiducia
- Noun meaning trust, confidence, or faith in someone.
- nativi
- Noun or adjective meaning natives or indigenous inhabitants.
- specialmente
- Adverb meaning especially, particularly, or above all.
- maggior
- Adjective meaning greater or major, short form of 'maggiore'.
- parte
- Noun meaning part, portion, or in 'la maggior parte' most.
- imparò
- Past tense of 'imparare'; he/she learned something.
- lingua
- Noun meaning language or tongue.
- locale
- Adjective meaning local, relating to a specific area.
- identificò
- Past tense of 'identificare'; he/she identified or associated closely.
- propria
- Possessive adjective meaning one's own (feminine singular).
- vita
- Noun meaning life or lifestyle.
- comunità
- Noun meaning community or group of people sharing something.
- affidate
- Past participle of 'affidare'; entrusted or placed in someone's care.
- cure
- Noun meaning care, attention, or responsibility for others.
- conseguenza
- Noun meaning consequence or result; 'di conseguenza' means consequently.
- popolo
- Noun meaning people, population, or nation.
- accolse
- Past tense of 'accogliere'; welcomed or received someone warmly.
- benevolmente
- Adverb meaning benevolently, kindly, or with goodwill.
- propri
- Possessive adjective meaning one's own (masculine plural).
- nuovi
- Adjective meaning new (masculine plural).
- insegnanti
- Noun meaning teachers or instructors.
- governanti
- Noun meaning rulers, governors, or those in power.
- così
- Adverb or conjunction meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'in this way'.
- meno
- Adverb meaning less; in 'meno di' meaning fewer than.
- generazione
- Noun meaning generation or a single stage of descent.
- autorità
- Noun meaning authority, power, or official governing body.
- spagnola
- Adjective meaning Spanish (feminine singular).
- fu
- Past tense of 'essere'; it was (passato remoto, third person singular).
- generalmente
- Adverb meaning generally, usually, or for the most part.
- riconosciuta
- Past participle of 'riconoscere'; recognized or acknowledged officially.
- zone
- Noun meaning zones, areas, or regions.
- abitate
- Past participle of 'abitare'; inhabited or populated (feminine plural).
- Filippine
- Proper noun referring to the Philippines archipelago in Southeast Asia.
- anni
- Noun meaning years.
- successivi
- Adjective meaning subsequent, following, or next in sequence.
- estesero
- Past tense of 'estendere'; they extended or expanded something.
- gradualmente
- Adverb meaning gradually or step by step.
- area
- Noun meaning area, zone, or defined geographical space.
- formando
- Gerund of 'formare'; forming or establishing something new.
- insediamenti
- Noun meaning settlements or newly established communities.
- tra
- Preposition meaning 'among', 'between', or 'amid'.
- popoli
- Noun meaning peoples or distinct ethnic groups.
- più
- Adverb meaning more or most; used in comparisons.
- selvaggi
- Adjective or noun meaning wild, savage, or uncivilized people.
- essi
- Pronoun meaning 'they' (third person plural, formal).
- persuasero
- Past tense of 'persuadere'; they persuaded or convinced someone.
- abbandonare
- To abandon, give up, or leave something behind.
- aspetti
- Noun meaning aspects, features, or characteristics of something.
- deprecabili
- Adjective meaning deplorable, reprehensible, or worthy of condemnation.
- nomade
- Adjective or noun meaning nomadic or wandering without fixed home.
- spesso
- Adverb meaning often or frequently.
- predatoria
- Adjective meaning predatory, involving raiding or plundering others.
- raggrupparsi
- Reflexive verb meaning to gather together or form groups.
- città
- Noun meaning city or town.
- villaggi
- Noun meaning villages or small rural settlements.
- sotto
- Preposition or adverb meaning 'under' or 'below'.
- campana
- Noun meaning bell; 'sotto la campana' under the church bell.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →