The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 14
Native levies had fought loyally under Spanish leadership against Dutch and British invaders, or in suppressing local revolts among their own people, which were always due to some specific grievance, never directed definitely against the Spanish sovereignty.
Le leve native avevano combattuto lealmente sotto la guida spagnola contro gli invasori olandesi e britannici, o nella repressione di rivolte locali tra il loro stesso popolo, che erano sempre dovute a qualche specifico torto subito, mai dirette in modo definitivo contro la sovranità spagnola.
The Philippines were shut off from contact with any country but Spain, and even this communication was restricted and carefully guarded.
Le Filippine erano isolate da qualsiasi contatto con qualsiasi paese eccetto la Spagna, e anche questa comunicazione era limitata e attentamente controllata.
There was an elaborate central government which, however, hardly touched the life of the native peoples, who were guided and governed by the parish priests, each town being in a way an independent entity.
Esisteva un elaborato governo centrale che, tuttavia, sfiorava a malapena la vita dei popoli nativi, i quali erano guidati e governati dai parroci, essendo ogni città in un certo senso un'entità indipendente.
Of this halcyon period, just before the process of disintegration began, there has fortunately been left a record which may be characterized as the most notable Spanish literary production relating to the Philippines, being the calm, sympathetic, judicial account of one who had spent his manhood in the work there and who, full of years and experience, sat down to tell the story of their life.
Di questo periodo felice, appena prima che il processo di disgregazione avesse inizio, è stata fortunatamente lasciata una testimonianza che può essere definita come la più notevole produzione letteraria spagnola relativa alle Filippine, essendo il resoconto calmo, empatico e ponderato di colui che aveva trascorso la sua maturità nel lavoro là svolto e che, ricco di anni ed esperienza, si mise a raccontare la storia della loro vita.
[4] In it there are no puerile whinings, no querulous curses that tropical Malays do not order their lives as did the people of the Spanish village where he may have been reared, no selfish laments of ingratitude over blessings unasked and only imperfectly understood by the natives, no fatuous self-deception as to the real conditions, but a patient consideration of the difficulties encountered, the good accomplished, and the unavoidable evils incident to any human work.
[4] In essa non vi sono lamentele puerili, né querule maledizioni perché i Malesi tropicali non ordinano le loro vite come faceva la gente del villaggio spagnolo dove egli potrebbe essere stato allevato, né egoistici lamenti di ingratitudine per benedizioni non richieste e solo imperfettamente comprese dai nativi, né fatua autoillusione riguardo alle condizioni reali, bensì una paziente considerazione delle difficoltà incontrate, del bene compiuto e dei mali inevitabili inerenti a qualsiasi opera umana.
Vocabulary
- Le
- The (feminine plural article)
- leve
- Light in weight or minor in importance
- avevano
- Had (third person plural imperfect of avere)
- combattuto
- Fought (past participle of combattere)
- lealmente
- Loyally; in a faithful and honest manner
- sotto
- Under; beneath; below in position or authority
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- guida
- Guide; leadership or person who directs others
- spagnola
- Spanish (feminine adjective form)
- contro
- Against; in opposition to something or someone
- gli
- The (masculine plural article); him (indirect object)
- invasori
- Invaders; those who enter forcibly with intent to conquer
- olandesi
- Dutch (people or relating to Netherlands)
- britannici
- British (people or relating to Great Britain)
- nella
- In the; within the (feminine singular contraction)
- repressione
- Suppression; forceful prevention of rebellion or uprising
- di
- Of; from; about (preposition indicating possession or origin)
- rivolte
- Revolts; uprisings or rebellions against authority
- locali
- Local; relating to a particular place or region
- tra
- Between; among; in the space separating things
- il
- The (masculine singular article)
- loro
- Their; belonging to them (possessive pronoun)
- stesso
- Same; identical or not different from another
- popolo
- People; the population or inhabitants of a place
- che
- That; which; who (relative pronoun)
- erano
- Were (third person plural imperfect of essere)
- sempre
- Always; at all times; continuously or repeatedly
- dovute
- Due; owed or caused (feminine plural past participle)
- qualche
- Some; a few or a certain amount of
- specifico
- Specific; clearly defined or particular in nature
- torto
- Wrong; injustice or unfair treatment suffered
- subito
- Suffered; experienced something unpleasant (past participle)
- mai
- Never; not at any time or occasion
- dirette
- Directed; aimed or managed toward a goal
- in
- In; within or inside a place or thing
- modo
- Way; manner or method of doing something
- definitivo
- Definitive; final or conclusive without further change
- sovranità
- Sovereignty; supreme power and independence of a state
- Filippine
- Philippines; island nation in Southeast Asia
- isolate
- Isolated; separated from others or cut off
- da
- From; by; indicating origin or agent of action
- qualsiasi
- Any; whatever or whichever without restriction
- contatto
- Contact; communication or touching between persons
- con
- With; accompanied by or together with someone
- paese
- Country; nation or region with defined boundaries
- eccetto
- Except; excluding or with exception of something
- Spagna
- Spain; European country on Iberian Peninsula
- anche
- Also; in addition to or furthermore
- questa
- This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned
- comunicazione
- Communication; exchange of information between persons
- era
- Was (third person singular imperfect of essere)
- limitata
- Limited; restricted in extent or amount
- attentamente
- Carefully; with close attention and thoroughness
- controllata
- Controlled; regulated or kept in check
- Esisteva
- Existed; was present or present in reality
- un
- A; an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- elaborato
- Elaborate; complex or developed with much detail
- governo
- Government; system of ruling a state or region
- centrale
- Central; relating to the middle or main part
- tuttavia
- However; nevertheless or despite this fact
- sfiorava
- Barely touched; slightly grazed or affected lightly
- malapena
- Barely; with great difficulty or almost not at all
- vita
- Life; existence or manner of living
- dei
- Of the; from the (masculine plural contraction)
- popoli
- Peoples; plural of people or populations
- nativi
- Native; indigenous or original inhabitants of place
- quali
- Which; what or that (plural relative pronoun)
- guidati
- Guided; directed or led by someone
- governati
- Governed; ruled or administered by authority
- dai
- By the; from the (masculine plural contraction)
- parroci
- Priests; clergy members in charge of parishes
- essendo
- Being; existing or in the state of existence
- ogni
- Every; each or all without exception
- città
- City; large urban settlement or municipal center
- certo
- Certain; sure or fixed in a particular way
- senso
- Sense; meaning or feeling or physical perception
- entità
- Entity; thing or being with distinct existence
- indipendente
- Independent; not governed by or relying on others
- Di
- Of; from (preposition at sentence beginning)
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