Testo in lingua inglese che riflette sul concetto di curiosità, definendola come desiderio di conoscenza legato alla natura umana. L'autrice cita l'episodio biblico di Adamo ed Eva nel Giardino dell'Eden come esempio di curiosità che porta alla perdita del Paradiso. Distingue tra curiosità intellettuale, propria di chi osserva e si interroga per acquisire conoscenza, e curiosità superficiale o pettegola, tipica di chi indaga sulla vita altrui per pettegolezzo. Chiude con un breve dialogo scenico esemplificativo tra donne che commentano un vestito nuovo, per illustrare la curiosità meschina, e un invito ironico ai lettori italiani a scrivere in inglese.
Curiosity is one of the most important factors in our lives. Webster’s Dictionary refers to it as “a desire for knowledge to gratify the senses with a sight of what is new or unusual,,.
That thirst for knowledge which will drive youngsters to break a new wristwatch or try to see how the machinery works, may be classified as curiosity. According to Johnson, “Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect,,. Without this instinctive disease of curiosity, man could not live. He would never know how the elements and women could be conquered, what he must do to eat, or how to live a fuller, richer life. This inquisitiveness creates medicines, machines, and food: Without the want to pry, we would lack existence; there would have been no life from the beginning.
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they might have just sat there till they perished, but an element of curiosity made them see each other, walk about their garden, and ask God questions. It was curiosity that made the first couple eat, and want to taste the different foods. The tempting serpent used that desire of wanting to know, as a trap to make Eve curious about a certain forbidden tree. Too much curiosity made man lose Paradise.
This mental acquisitiveness known as curiosity, is generally interpreted too broadly, and it therefore loses its meaning. Moderate curiosity is what is vital in our lives so that we may learn to observe what is around us.
The male, in most cases, is intellectually curious. He observes and questions what is around him for the sake of knowledge. Many members of the female species, I’m sorry to say, usually have other intentions. A representative of such a group will hide herself under the blanket of intellectual curiosity of offset the real reason: she is searching for food for her nosey mind. Madame does not study a new invention; she studies a new dress that Matilda is wearing. She’ll be very coy and sweet to Matilda. The following is an outline generally followed:
Then off to the Saturday Night Evening Ladies’ Club which meets every afternoon, to gossip about poor Matilda, and how cheap she is.
Curiosity ceases when one becomes a newsmonger or Peeping Tom.
Grace Sacchetti – New York C.
I lettori d’America ci han chiesto di scrivere qualcosa nella loro lingua. Eccoli accontentati!
Altri si chiederanno: – Che mal dirà? È curiosità la vostra, e lo scritto non dice che di questa.
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