← The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments

The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 6

English → It Preface Level 7/10

The public appreciation of these notes, and of the advantage of correctly-written foreign words, is, I conceive, proved by the call for the present edition.

Il pubblico apprezzamento di queste note, e del vantaggio delle parole straniere scritte correttamente, è, a mio avviso, dimostrato dalla richiesta della presente edizione.

On the subject of the mode of writing oriental words in European characters, I need say little, for the controversy has well nigh died out.

Sul tema del modo di scrivere le parole orientali con caratteri europei, ho poco da dire, poiché la controversia è quasi del tutto sopita.

The present generation does not regard antiquated blunders as "the familiar names of childhood," but rather strives to attain accuracy in all things; and those few who still cling to "Mahomet" or "Mahomed" should consistently exhume the forgotten "Mahound" of the Crusades.

La generazione attuale non considera gli errori antiquati come «i nomi familiari dell'infanzia», ma piuttosto si sforza di raggiungere la precisione in ogni cosa; e quei pochi che ancora si aggrappano a «Mahomet» o «Mahomed» dovrebbero coerentemente dissotterrare il dimenticato «Mahound» delle Crociate.

The translator's views respecting the origin and literary history of "The Thousand and One Nights" will be found fully expressed in the Review at the end of the third volume.

Le opinioni del traduttore riguardo all'origine e alla storia letteraria de «Le Mille e una Notte» si trovano pienamente espresse nella Rassegna alla fine del terzo volume.

In his original preface, he stated, "The remarks which I here submit to the reader, being written when only one-third of the work to which they principally relate is printed, must unavoidably be more defective than they would be if reserved until a later period.

Nella sua prefazione originale, egli dichiarò: «Le osservazioni che qui sottopongo al lettore, essendo state scritte quando soltanto un terzo dell'opera a cui si riferiscono principalmente è stato stampato, devono necessariamente essere più incomplete di quanto sarebbero se riservate a un periodo successivo.

During the progress of the publication I may be enabled to form clearer and more complete views of the several subjects which might with propriety be fully discussed at the head of my translation, and I think it better, therefore, to append at the close of the work many observations which I originally intended to prefix to the first volume."

Nel corso della pubblicazione potrei essere in grado di formarmi idee più chiare e complete sui vari argomenti che potrebbero opportunamente essere trattati in modo esauriente all'inizio della mia traduzione, e ritengo pertanto preferibile aggiungere alla fine dell'opera molte osservazioni che originariamente intendevo premettere al primo volume.»

Vocabulary

pubblico
pubblico — The public; an audience or general population
apprezzamento
apprezzamento — Appreciation; recognition of value or quality
queste
queste — Feminine plural demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these'
note
note — Notes; written remarks or annotations
vantaggio
vantaggio — Advantage; a beneficial or favorable circumstance
parole
parole — Words; units of spoken or written language
straniere
straniere — Foreign; belonging to another country or language
scritte
scritte — Written; past participle of 'scrivere', to write
correttamente
correttamente — Correctly; in an accurate or proper manner
avviso
avviso — Opinion, notice, or advice given to someone
dimostrato
dimostrato — Demonstrated; shown or proven clearly
richiesta
richiesta — Request or demand; act of asking for something
presente
presente — Present; current, or this particular thing
edizione
edizione — Edition; a published version of a book or work
tema
tema — Theme or topic; the main subject of discussion
modo
modo — Way, manner, or method of doing something
scrivere
scrivere — To write; the infinitive form of the verb
orientali
orientali — Eastern; relating to the Orient or eastern regions
caratteri
caratteri — Characters; letters or symbols used in writing
europei
europei — European; relating to Europe or its peoples
poco
poco — Little; a small amount or degree of something
dire
dire — To say or tell; infinitive of the verb
poiché
poiché — Since or because; conjunction indicating cause
controversia
controversia — Controversy; a prolonged public dispute or debate
quasi
quasi — Almost or nearly; not quite completely
tutto
tutto — All, everything, or entirely
sopita
sopita — Lulled, quieted, or put to rest; subdued
generazione
generazione — Generation; a group of people born in the same era
attuale
attuale — Current or present; existing at this time
considera
considera — Considers; thinks about or regards something
errori
errori — Errors or mistakes; incorrect actions or beliefs
antiquati
antiquati — Antiquated; outdated or no longer in common use
nomi
nomi — Names or nouns; words identifying people or things
familiari
familiari — Familiar; well-known, informal, or family-related
infanzia
infanzia — Childhood; the early period of a person's life
piuttosto
piuttosto — Rather or instead; expressing preference or contrast
sforza
sforza — Strives or makes an effort to achieve something
raggiungere
raggiungere — To reach or achieve; to attain a goal or place
precisione
precisione — Precision or accuracy; exactness in detail
ogni
ogni — Every or each; referring to all individual items
cosa
cosa — Thing; an object or matter of any kind
quei
quei — Masculine plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'those'
pochi
pochi — Few; a small number of people or things
ancora
ancora — Still or yet; continuing up to the present time
aggrappano
aggrappano — Cling or hold on tightly to something
dovrebbero
dovrebbero — They should; third person plural conditional of 'dovere'
coerentemente
coerentemente — Consistently or coherently; in a logically connected manner
dissotterrare
dissotterrare — To unearth or dig up something buried or forgotten
dimenticato
dimenticato — Forgotten; no longer remembered or in use
Crociate
Crociate — Crusades; medieval religious military expeditions to Holy Land
opinioni
opinioni — Opinions; personal views or judgments on a subject
traduttore
traduttore — Translator; a person who renders text into another language
riguardo
riguardo — Regard or concern; used in phrases meaning 'regarding'
origine
origine — Origin; the starting point or source of something
storia
storia — History or story; a narrative or historical account
letteraria
letteraria — Literary; relating to literature or written works
Mille
mille — Thousand; the number 1000 in Italian
Notte
notte — Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise
trovano
trovano — They find or are found; third person plural of 'trovare'
pienamente
pienamente — Fully or completely; to the greatest possible extent
espresse
espresse — Expressed; communicated or conveyed in words
Rassegna
rassegna — Review or survey; a critical examination of works
fine
fine — End or conclusion; the last part of something
terzo
terzo — Third; ordinal number indicating position three
volume
volume — Volume; a book or a single book in a series
prefazione
prefazione — Preface; an introductory section of a book
originale
originale — Original; the first or initial version of something
egli
egli — He; formal third person masculine singular pronoun
dichiarò
dichiarò — Declared or stated; past tense of 'dichiarare'
osservazioni
osservazioni — Observations or remarks; noted comments on a subject
qui
qui — Here; in this place or at this point
sottopongo
sottopongo — I submit or present; first person of 'sottoporre'
lettore
lettore — Reader; a person who reads a text or book
essendo
essendo — Being; gerund of 'essere', used in compound forms
quando
quando — When; a conjunction or adverb indicating time
soltanto
soltanto — Only or merely; limiting to a single thing
opera
opera — Work; a literary, artistic, or musical creation
cui
cui — Relative pronoun meaning 'whom', 'which', or 'whose'
riferiscono
riferiscono — They refer; third person plural of 'riferirsi'
principalmente
principalmente — Mainly or primarily; above all other considerations
stato
stato — Been or state; past participle of 'essere'
stampato
stampato — Printed; past participle of 'stampare', to print
devono
devono — They must; third person plural present of 'dovere'
necessariamente
necessariamente — Necessarily; as an unavoidable result or conclusion
essere
essere — To be; the infinitive of the fundamental Italian verb
più
più — More; used in comparisons or to indicate greater degree
incomplete
incomplete — Incomplete; not finished or lacking necessary parts
quanto
quanto — How much or as much as; used in comparisons
sarebbero
sarebbero — They would be; conditional third person plural of 'essere'
se
se — If; conjunction introducing a conditional clause
riservate
riservate — Reserved or saved for a later time or purpose
periodo
periodo — Period; a length of time or grammatical sentence
successivo
successivo — Subsequent or following; coming after in sequence
corso
corso — Course; the progression or duration of something
pubblicazione
pubblicazione — Publication; the act or result of publishing a work
potrei
potrei — I could; first person conditional of 'potere'
grado
grado — Degree or ability; level or capacity to do something
formarmi
formarmi — To form for myself; reflexive infinitive of 'formare'
idee
idee — Ideas; thoughts or mental conceptions about something
chiare
chiare — Clear; easy to understand or perceive
complete
complete — Complete; having all necessary parts or information
vari
vari — Various; several different kinds or types
argomenti
argomenti — Topics or arguments; subjects discussed or debated
potrebbero
potrebbero — They could; conditional third person plural of 'potere'
opportunamente
opportunamente — Appropriately or suitably; at the right time or manner
trattati
trattati — Treated or dealt with; discussed or handled in text
esauriente
esauriente — Exhaustive or thorough; covering a topic completely
inizio
inizio — Beginning or start; the first part of something
traduzione
traduzione — Translation; converting text from one language to another
ritengo
ritengo — I consider or believe; first person of 'ritenere'
pertanto
pertanto — Therefore or consequently; indicating a logical conclusion
preferibile
preferibile — Preferable; more desirable or suitable than an alternative
aggiungere
aggiungere — To add; to include something additional
molte
molte — Many; a large number of feminine plural things
originariamente
originariamente — Originally; at the beginning or in the first instance
intendevo
intendevo — I intended; imperfect first person of 'intendere'
premettere
premettere — To preface or premise; to state something beforehand
primo
primo — First; the ordinal number indicating position one
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