The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 9
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This in 1680: the Dominican transcriber of the record in 1906 has added a very illuminating note, revealing the immutability of the system and showing that the rulers possessed in a superlative degree the Bourbonesque trait of learning nothing and forgetting nothing:
Questo nel 1680: il trascrittore domenicano del documento nel 1906 ha aggiunto una nota molto illuminante, che rivela l'immutabilità del sistema e dimostra che i governanti possedevano in grado superlativo il tratto borbonico di non imparare nulla e di non dimenticare nulla:
"Even when I was a missionary to the heathens from 1882 to 1892, I had occasion to observe the said policy, to inform the chief of the fortress of the measures that he ought to take, and to make a false show on the other side so that it might have no influence on the fortress."
«Anche quando ero missionario tra i pagani dal 1882 al 1892, ebbi occasione di osservare la suddetta politica, di informare il comandante della fortezza delle misure che avrebbe dovuto adottare, e di fare una falsa dimostrazione dall'altro lato affinché non potesse avere alcuna influenza sulla fortezza.»
Thus it stands out in bold relief as a system built up and maintained by fraud and force, bound in the course of nature to last only as long as the deception could be carried on and the repressive force kept up to sufficient strength.
Emerge così in netto rilievo come un sistema costruito e mantenuto attraverso la frode e la forza, destinato per natura a durare soltanto finché l'inganno potesse essere portato avanti e la forza repressiva mantenuta a sufficiente intensità.
Its maintenance required that the different sections be isolated from each other so that there could be no growth toward a common understanding and cooeperation, and its permanence depended upon keeping the people ignorant and contented with their lot, held under strict control by religious and political fear.
Il suo mantenimento richiedeva che le diverse sezioni fossero isolate l'una dall'altra affinché non potesse svilupparsi alcuna tendenza verso una comprensione comune e una cooperazione, e la sua permanenza dipendeva dal tenere il popolo nell'ignoranza e soddisfatto della propria condizione, tenuto sotto stretto controllo dalla paura religiosa e politica.
Yet it was a vast improvement over their old mode of life and their condition was bettered as they grew up to such a system.
Eppure rappresentava un enorme miglioramento rispetto al loro antico modo di vivere e la loro condizione migliorò man mano che si adattarono a tale sistema.
Vocabulary
- Questo
- This; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
- nel
- In the; contraction of 'in' and 'il'.
- il
- The; definite article (masculine singular).
- del
- Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'.
- documento
- Document; written record or evidence.
- ha
- Has; third person singular present of 'avere'.
- aggiunto
- Added; past participle of 'aggiungere'.
- una
- A; indefinite article (feminine singular).
- nota
- Note; annotation or musical note.
- molto
- Very; much; extremely.
- illuminante
- Illuminating; enlightening; clarifying.
- che
- That; which; relative pronoun.
- rivela
- Reveals; third person singular of 'rivelare'.
- sistema
- System; organized procedure or method.
- dimostra
- Demonstrates; shows; proves.
- possedevano
- Possessed; owned; had (imperfect tense).
- in
- In; preposition indicating location or time.
- grado
- Degree; level; extent or rank.
- superlativo
- Superlative; highest degree or form.
- tratto
- Trait; characteristic; line or stroke.
- di
- Of; preposition indicating possession or origin.
- non
- Not; negation or negative adverb.
- imparare
- To learn; to acquire knowledge or skill.
- nulla
- Nothing; not anything; zero.
- dimenticare
- To forget; to fail to remember.
- Anche
- Also; even; moreover.
- quando
- When; at what time.
- ero
- Was; first person singular past of 'essere'.
- missionario
- Missionary; person sent to spread religion.
- tra
- Between; among; amid.
- dal
- From the; contraction of 'da' and 'il'.
- al
- To the; contraction of 'a' and 'il'.
- ebbi
- Had; first person singular perfect of 'avere'.
- occasione
- Occasion; opportunity; circumstance.
- osservare
- To observe; to watch or notice.
- la
- The; definite article (feminine singular).
- politica
- Politics; policy; political affairs.
- informare
- To inform; to notify or tell.
- comandante
- Commander; commanding officer; military leader.
- della
- Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'la'.
- fortezza
- Fortress; fortified place; strength.
- delle
- Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'le'.
- misure
- Measures; steps; dimensions or quantities.
- avrebbe
- Would have; conditional perfect of 'avere'.
- dovuto
- Had to; ought to; past participle of 'dovere'.
- adottare
- To adopt; to take on or assume.
- fare
- To do; to make; to perform.
- falsa
- False; incorrect; untrue.
- dimostrazione
- Demonstration; display; proof or evidence.
- dall
- From the; contraction of 'da' and 'il'.
- altro
- Other; another; else.
- lato
- Side; aspect; lateral part.
- affinché
- So that; in order that; so as to.
- potesse
- Could; might; past subjunctive of 'potere'.
- avere
- To have; to possess or own.
- alcuna
- Any; some; a certain.
- influenza
- Influence; effect; impact.
- sulla
- On the; contraction of 'su' and 'la'.
- Emerge
- Emerges; becomes visible or apparent.
- così
- Thus; so; in this way.
- netto
- Clear; distinct; net or clean.
- rilievo
- Relief; importance; prominence or notability.
- come
- Like; as; how; in what way.
- un
- A; an; indefinite article (masculine).
- costruito
- Built; constructed; past participle of 'costruire'.
- mantenuto
- Maintained; kept; past participle of 'mantenere'.
- attraverso
- Through; across; by means of.
- frode
- Fraud; deception; dishonest action.
- forza
- Force; strength; power.
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