My Library

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Translator’s Note
that he will only look at examples that are relevant, but
this sort of defensiveness is not the author’s way. Why
would the reader have suspected him of introducing irrele-
vant examples?
One modern Italian translation gives: ‘e in parte indi-
cherò quei fatti che sono important per chi si interessa alla
storia di quei tempi.’ Literally: ‘and in part I will indicate
those facts that are important for people interested in the
history of those times.’
This is now extremely close to our literal translation of
Machiavelli’s original but still not particularly helpful.
What is the author getting at? What does the phrase add
to what has already been said?
Another Italian translation gives: ‘nello stesso tempo
indicherò i fatti che devono essere messi in evidenza da chi
si interessa alla storia di quei tempi.’ Literally: ‘at the same
time I will indicate the facts that must be put in evidence
by people interested in the history of those times.’
Despite the fact that ‘parte’ has once again been mysteri-
ously transformed into ‘at the same time’ – ​a classic filler
when a translator is lost – a​ n idea at last emerges: that there
are facts that people interested in those times ‘must put in
evidence’, and the implication is that without these facts
we won’t understand what has to be understood if we are
to be persuaded by the author’s argument.
At this point the translator tries to enter Machiavelli’s
reasoning, reassured by the knowledge that here we have
an author who always put sense and clarity before anything