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English → It Preface Level 7/10

Lane's appreciation of this picture, and the wealth of illustration lavished upon it in his Notes, that render his edition the most complete commentary we possess on Muslim life and manners, religion and literature, and make it an indispensable supplement to his famous _Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians_.

L'apprezzamento di Lane di questo quadro, e la ricchezza di illustrazioni profuse nelle sue Note, rendono la sua edizione il commentario più completo che possediamo sulla vita e sui costumi musulmani, sulla religione e sulla letteratura, e ne fanno un supplemento indispensabile al suo famoso _Resoconto dei Costumi e delle Usanze degli Egiziani Moderni_.

The poetry of Eastern life is rapidly fading away under the effacing touch of European civilisation; the characteristic society in which an Haroon-Er-Rasheed, an Aboo-Nuwas, a Káfoor, a Saladin, or a Kaït-Bey, revelled and jested and conquered, is fast becoming matter of history rather than of experience, a field for the antiquary instead of the traveller; and it is well that we can reconstruct it in the pages of the _Thousand and One Nights_, whose compiler saw it when it was still almost in its Golden Prime, and in the _Modern Egyptians_, whose author knew it when it still preserved the romantic character which has charmed and fascinated readers of every age and condition.

La poesia della vita orientale sta rapidamente svanendo sotto il tocco cancellante della civiltà europea; la società caratteristica in cui un Haroon-Er-Rasheed, un Aboo-Nuwas, un Káfoor, un Saladino, o un Kaït-Bey, gozzovigliavano e scherzavano e conquistavano, sta rapidamente diventando materia di storia piuttosto che di esperienza, un campo per l'antiquario invece che per il viaggiatore; ed è bene che possiamo ricostruirla nelle pagine delle _Mille e una Notte_, il cui compilatore la vide quando era ancora quasi nel suo Aureo Splendore, e negli _Egiziani Moderni_, il cui autore la conobbe quando conservava ancora il carattere romantico che ha affascinato e incantato i lettori di ogni età e condizione.

STANLEY LANE-POOLE.

STANLEY LANE-POOLE.

THE DAY OF TELL-EL-KEBEER, 1882.

IL GIORNO DI TELL-EL-KEBEER, 1882.

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

PREFAZIONE DEL CURATORE.

A new edition of this work having been required, Mr. Lane was requested to undertake the correction of the press.

Essendo stata richiesta una nuova edizione di quest'opera, il signor Lane fu pregato di intraprendere la correzione delle bozze.

But severe literary labours allowing him no leisure for this object, he named me, as his pupil in the study of Arabic, familiar with his writings, and for many years resident with him in Cairo, to fill, in some measure, his place.

Ma i gravosi lavori letterari non lasciandogli alcun tempo libero per questo scopo, egli designò me, in quanto suo allievo nello studio dell'arabo, familiare con i suoi scritti, e residente con lui al Cairo per molti anni, a ricoprire, in qualche misura, il suo posto.

Vocabulary

apprezzamento
Appreciation, recognition of value or quality
questo
Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'
quadro
Picture, painting, or overall framework
ricchezza
Richness, wealth, or abundance of something
illustrazioni
Illustrations, pictures accompanying a text
profuse
Profuse, abundant, plentiful in quantity
Note
Notes, scholarly annotations accompanying a text
rendono
Third person plural of 'rendere,' to make or render
edizione
Edition, a published version of a book
commentario
Commentary, scholarly explanatory work on a text
completo
Complete, thorough, comprehensive in coverage
possediamo
We possess, own, or have available
vita
Life, the manner or way of living
costumi
Customs, habits, traditional practices of a culture
musulmani
Muslims, followers of the Islamic faith
religione
Religion, system of faith and worship
letteratura
Literature, body of written artistic works
ne
Pronoun meaning 'of it/them' or 'from there'
fanno
Third person plural of 'fare,' to make or do
supplemento
Supplement, addition that completes something else
indispensabile
Indispensable, absolutely necessary and essential
famoso
Famous, well-known, widely recognized
_Resoconto
Account, report, detailed written description
Costumi
Customs, traditional habits and practices
Usanze
Usages, customs, habitual practices of a group
Egiziani
Egyptians, people from or relating to Egypt
Moderni_
Modern, relating to the contemporary or recent period
poesia
Poetry, literary art form using rhythmic language
orientale
Eastern, relating to the Orient or East
sta
Third person singular of 'stare,' to be or stay
rapidamente
Rapidly, quickly, at a fast pace
svanendo
Vanishing, fading away gradually
sotto
Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
tocco
Touch, contact, or light stroke
cancellante
Erasing, obliterating, wiping out something
civiltà
Civilization, advanced human society and culture
europea
European, relating to or from Europe
società
Society, community, or social group
caratteristica
Characteristic, distinctive feature or trait
cui
Relative pronoun meaning 'whom' or 'which'
gozzovigliavano
They caroused, feasted, and reveled boisterously
scherzavano
They joked, played, or jested together
conquistavano
They conquered, won, or gained by force
diventando
Becoming, transforming into something else
materia
Matter, subject, or material of study
storia
History or story, narrative of past events
piuttosto
Rather, instead, or somewhat; indicating preference
esperienza
Experience, knowledge gained through direct involvement
campo
Field, domain, or area of activity
antiquario
Antiquarian, scholar or dealer in ancient artifacts
invece
Instead, on the contrary, rather than
viaggiatore
Traveler, person who journeys to different places
bene
Well, good; adverb indicating something done properly
possiamo
We can, we are able to do something
ricostruirla
To reconstruct it, to rebuild or restore something
pagine
Pages, individual leaves or sides of a book
_Mille
Thousand, as in 'One Thousand and One Nights'
Notte_
Night, period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
compilatore
Compiler, person who assembles a collection of texts
vide
Saw, past tense of 'vedere,' to see
quando
When, at the time that something occurred
era
Was, imperfect tense of 'essere,' to be
ancora
Still, yet, or again; indicating continuation
quasi
Almost, nearly, approximately but not quite
Aureo
Golden, relating to gold or a golden age
Splendore
Splendor, brilliant magnificence or radiant beauty
autore
Author, writer who created or composed a work
conobbe
Knew, met, or became acquainted with someone
conservava
Preserved, maintained, or kept something intact
carattere
Character, distinctive nature or quality of something
romantico
Romantic, characterized by romance or idealism
affascinato
Fascinated, captivated, charmed by something
incantato
Enchanted, bewitched, or delighted by something
lettori
Readers, people who read books or texts
ogni
Every, each, all without exception
età
Age, a period of life or historical era
condizione
Condition, state, or social circumstance
GIORNO
Day, a period of twenty-four hours
PREFAZIONE
Preface, introductory section of a book
CURATORE
Editor, curator who oversees a publication
Essendo
Being, gerund of 'essere,' indicating a state
stata
Been, past participle of 'essere' (feminine form)
richiesta
Requested, asked for, or demanded
nuova
New, fresh, or recently produced (feminine)
quest'
This, demonstrative adjective before a vowel
opera
Work, literary or artistic creation
signor
Mister, title of respect for a man
fu
Was, simple past tense of 'essere,' to be
pregato
Asked, requested, or urged to do something
intraprendere
To undertake, to begin a task or project
correzione
Correction, act of fixing errors in a text
bozze
Proofs, draft copies of text for review
gravosi
Burdensome, heavy, oppressive in weight or demand
lavori
Works, jobs, or tasks being carried out
letterari
Literary, relating to literature or written works
lasciandogli
Leaving him, allowing him to have something
alcun
Any, some; used in negative or indefinite contexts
tempo
Time, a measured or available period
libero
Free, available, unoccupied, or unrestricted
scopo
Purpose, aim, or goal of an action
egli
He, third person singular masculine pronoun
designò
Designated, appointed, or chose someone for a role
quanto
As, how much, inasmuch as something applies
allievo
Student, pupil, or disciple learning from a teacher
studio
Study, learning, or scholarly investigation
arabo
Arabic, language or person of Arab origin
familiare
Familiar, acquainted with, or well-known
scritti
Writings, texts composed by an author
residente
Resident, person living in a particular place
molti
Many, a large number of (masculine plural)
anni
Years, plural of 'anno,' unit of time
ricoprire
To cover, fill, or take on a role
qualche
Some, a certain amount or degree of
misura
Measure, extent, or degree of something
posto
Place, position, or role in a context
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