The Souls of Black Folk — Page 8
The would-be black savant was confronted by the paradox that the knowledge his people needed was a twice-told tale to his white neighbors, while the knowledge which would teach the white world was Greek to his own flesh and blood.
Il aspirante intellettuale nero si trovava di fronte al paradosso che la conoscenza di cui il suo popolo aveva bisogno era una storia già nota ai suoi vicini bianchi, mentre la conoscenza che avrebbe potuto istruire il mondo bianco era arabo per la sua stessa carne e sangue.
The innate love of harmony and beauty that set the ruder souls of his people a-dancing and a-singing raised but confusion and doubt in the soul of the black artist; for the beauty revealed to him was the soul-beauty of a race which his larger audience despised, and he could not articulate the message of another people.
L'innato amore per l'armonia e la bellezza che spingeva le anime più rozze del suo popolo a danzare e cantare non suscitava che confusione e dubbio nell'anima dell'artista nero; poiché la bellezza che gli veniva rivelata era la bellezza dell'anima di una razza che il suo pubblico più vasto disprezzava, e lui non riusciva ad articolare il messaggio di un altro popolo.
This waste of double aims, this seeking to satisfy two unreconciled ideals, has wrought sad havoc with the courage and faith and deeds of ten thousand thousand people,—has sent them often wooing false gods and invoking false means of salvation, and at times has even seemed about to make them ashamed of themselves.
Questo spreco di doppi obiettivi, questo tentativo di soddisfare due ideali irreconciliabili, ha devastato tristemente il coraggio, la fede e le azioni di decine di milioni di persone, spingendole spesso a corteggiare falsi dèi e a invocare falsi mezzi di salvezza, e a volte è sembrato persino sul punto di renderle vergognose di sé stesse.
Away back in the days of bondage they thought to see in one divine event the end of all doubt and disappointment; few men ever worshipped Freedom with half such unquestioning faith as did the American Negro for two centuries.
Molto indietro nei giorni della schiavitù, credevano di vedere in un solo evento divino la fine di ogni dubbio e delusione; pochi uomini hanno mai adorato la Libertà con una fede così incondizionata come fece il Negro americano per due secoli.
To him, so far as he thought and dreamed, slavery was indeed the sum of all villainies, the cause of all sorrow, the root of all prejudice; Emancipation was the key to a promised land of sweeter beauty than ever stretched before the eyes of wearied Israelites.
Per lui, per quanto pensasse e sognasse, la schiavitù era davvero la somma di tutte le scelleratezze, la causa di ogni dolore, la radice di ogni pregiudizio; l'Emancipazione era la chiave di una terra promessa di bellezza più dolce di quella che si era mai estesa davanti agli occhi degli stanchi Israeliti.
Vocabulary
- aspirante
- Aspiring; one who aspires to something
- intellettuale
- Intellectual; relating to the mind or intellect
- nero
- Black; of the color black
- trovava
- Found; past tense of trovare (to find)
- fronte
- Front; facing side or direction
- paradosso
- Paradox; statement that seems contradictory or absurd
- conoscenza
- Knowledge; understanding or familiarity with something
- cui
- Whom; which; relative pronoun for objects
- popolo
- People; population or nation as a whole
- bisogno
- Need; necessity or requirement for something
- storia
- History; story or narrative of events
- già
- Already; previously or in the past
- nota
- Known; familiar or well-acquainted with
- vicini
- Neighbors; people living nearby
- bianchi
- White; of the color white or pale
- mentre
- While; at the same time as something
- avrebbe
- Would have; conditional past of avere
- potuto
- Been able; past participle of potere
- istruire
- Instruct; to teach or educate someone
- mondo
- World; the earth or global society
- arabo
- Arab; relating to Arabs or Arabic culture
- stessa
- Same; identical or the very same
- carne
- Flesh; the soft tissue of a body
- sangue
- Blood; the red fluid in veins
- innato
- Innate; naturally present from birth
- amore
- Love; deep affection or attachment
- armonia
- Harmony; pleasing combination of elements
- bellezza
- Beauty; pleasing or attractive qualities
- spingeva
- Pushed; drove forward or urged on
- anime
- Souls; spiritual or immaterial essence
- più
- More; greater in amount or degree
- rozze
- Rough; coarse or lacking refinement
- danzare
- Dance; move rhythmically to music
- cantare
- Sing; produce musical sounds with voice
- suscitava
- Aroused; provoked or caused to arise
- confusione
- Confusion; state of being confused or unclear
- dubbio
- Doubt; uncertainty or lack of conviction
- anima
- Soul; spirit or spiritual essence within
- artista
- Artist; person who creates art
- poiché
- Because; for the reason that
- veniva
- Came; was coming or used to come
- rivelata
- Revealed; disclosed or made known
- razza
- Race; group distinguished by inherited traits
- pubblico
- Public; relating to people in general
- vasto
- Vast; very great in extent or amount
- disprezzava
- Despised; regarded with contempt or scorn
- riusciva
- Managed; succeeded or was able to
- articolare
- Articulate; express clearly and distinctly
- messaggio
- Message; communication conveying information or meaning
- altro
- Other; another or different thing
- Questo
- This; referring to something nearby or present
- spreco
- Waste; squandering or excessive use
- doppi
- Double; twice as much or twofold
- obiettivi
- Objectives; goals or intended outcomes
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