Adam Smith: Let us suppose that the great empire of China was suddenly swallowed up by an earthquake, and let us consider how a  man of humanity in Europe would react on receiving intelligence of this dreadful calamity.
Adam Smith: Supponiamo  che il grande impero cinese venga  inghiottito da un terremoto, e consideriamo come un umanista europeo reagirebbe venendo a conoscenza di questa terrificante calamità.