Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 9
A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind.
Una disperazione stereotipata ma inconsapevole si cela persino sotto quelli che vengono chiamati i giochi e i divertimenti dell'umanità.
There is no play in them, for this comes after work.
Non c'è gioco in essi, poiché questo viene dopo il lavoro.
But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
Ma è una caratteristica della saggezza non fare cose disperate.
When we consider what, to use the words of the catechism, is the chief end of man, and what are the true necessaries and means of life, it appears as if men had deliberately chosen the common mode of living because they preferred it to any other.
Quando consideriamo quale sia, per usare le parole del catechismo, il fine supremo dell'uomo, e quali siano i veri bisogni e i mezzi della vita, sembra come se gli uomini avessero deliberatamente scelto il comune modo di vivere perché lo preferivano a qualsiasi altro.
Yet they honestly think there is no choice left.
Eppure pensano onestamente che non rimanga alcuna scelta.
But alert and healthy natures remember that the sun rose clear.
Ma le nature vigili e sane ricordano che il sole è sorto limpido.
It is never too late to give up our prejudices.
Non è mai troppo tardi per abbandonare i nostri pregiudizi.
No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof.
Nessun modo di pensare o di agire, per quanto antico, può essere considerato affidabile senza una prova.
What everybody echoes or in silence passes by as true to-day may turn out to be falsehood to-morrow, mere smoke of opinion, which some had trusted for a cloud that would sprinkle fertilizing rain on their fields.
Ciò che tutti ripetono o lasciano passare in silenzio come vero oggi potrebbe rivelarsi una menzogna domani, mero fumo di opinione, che alcuni avevano scambiato per una nuvola che avrebbe spruzzato pioggia fertilizzante sui loro campi.
What old people say you cannot do you try and find that you can.
Ciò che i vecchi dicono che non puoi fare, lo provi e scopri che puoi.
Old deeds for old people, and new deeds for new.
Vecchie azioni per i vecchi, e nuove azioni per i nuovi.
Old people did not know enough once, perchance, to fetch fresh fuel to keep the fire a-going; new people put a little dry wood under a pot, and are whirled round the globe with the speed of birds, in a way to kill old people, as the phrase is.
I vecchi una volta non sapevano abbastanza, forse, per procurarsi combustibile fresco per tenere vivo il fuoco; i nuovi mettono un po' di legna secca sotto una pentola, e vengono trascinati intorno al globo alla velocità degli uccelli, in un modo che uccide i vecchi, come si suol dire.
Vocabulary
- Una
- A; one (feminine singular article)
- disperazione
- Desperation; a state of hopelessness or despair
- stereotipata
- Stereotyped; conforming to fixed, conventional patterns
- ma
- But; however (conjunction)
- inconsapevole
- Unaware; lacking consciousness or knowledge of something
- si
- Oneself; reflexive pronoun (third person)
- cela
- Hides; conceals (third person singular present)
- persino
- Even; so much as; including or surprisingly
- sotto
- Under; beneath; below in position or status
- quelli
- Those; that ones (plural masculine demonstrative)
- che
- That; which; who (relative pronoun)
- vengono
- Come; are (third person plural present passive)
- chiamati
- Called; named (past participle, plural)
- giochi
- Games; plays (plural noun)
- divertimenti
- Amusements; entertainments; diversions or pastimes
- umanità
- Humanity; humankind; the human species collectively
- Non
- Not; negative adverb
- gioco
- Play; game (singular noun)
- in
- In; into (preposition)
- essi
- Them; those ones (plural masculine pronoun)
- poiché
- Since; because; for the reason that
- questo
- This; that which is present or near
- viene
- Comes; occurs (third person singular present)
- dopo
- After; following in time or sequence
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- lavoro
- Work; labor; employment or occupation
- Ma
- But; however (conjunction, capitalized)
- una
- A; one (feminine singular article)
- caratteristica
- Characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality
- della
- Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'la'
- saggezza
- Wisdom; the quality of being wise
- non
- Not; negative adverb
- fare
- To do; to make; to perform actions
- cose
- Things; objects; matters or affairs
- disperate
- Desperate; hopeless; in dire straits or circumstances
- Quando
- When; at the time that; during which
- consideriamo
- We consider; we take into account
- quale
- Which; what; that which (interrogative)
- sia
- Be; may be (third person singular subjunctive)
- per
- For; in order to; for the purpose of
- usare
- To use; to employ; to utilize
- le
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- parole
- Words; terms; units of language
- del
- Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'
- catechismo
- Catechism; religious instruction through questions and answers
- fine
- End; purpose; goal or objective sought
- supremo
- Supreme; highest in rank, power, or authority
- uomo
- Man; human being; male person
- quali
- Which; what (plural interrogative pronoun)
- siano
- Be; may be (third person plural subjunctive)
- veri
- True; genuine; authentic or real
- bisogni
- Needs; requirements; necessary wants or demands
- mezzi
- Means; resources; ways or methods
- vita
- Life; existence; the period of being alive
- sembra
- Seems; appears; gives the impression of
- come
- Like; as; in the manner that
- se
- If; in the event that; supposing that
- gli
- Them; to him (indirect object pronoun)
- uomini
- Men; human beings; males collectively
- avessero
- Had; would have (third person plural past subjunctive)
- deliberatamente
- Deliberately; intentionally; on purpose
- scelto
- Chosen; selected (past participle)
- comune
- Common; ordinary; shared by many people
- modo
- Mode; way; manner or method
- di
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or relation
- vivere
- To live; to exist; to be alive
- perché
- Why; because; for what reason or cause
- lo
- It; that (masculine singular direct object pronoun)
- preferivano
- Preferred; liked better (third person plural imperfect)
- qualsiasi
- Any; whatever; no matter which one
- altro
- Other; another; something else or different
- Eppure
- Yet; still; nevertheless or despite that
- pensano
- Think; believe (third person plural present)
- onestamente
- Honestly; sincerely; in a truthful manner
- rimanga
- Remain; stay (third person singular subjunctive)
- alcuna
- Any; some (feminine singular, often negative)
- scelta
- Choice; selection; the act of choosing
- nature
- Nature; natural disposition or character
- vigili
- Watchful; alert; vigilant or attentive
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