A Tale of Two Cities — Page 1
The Mail
La Diligenza
It was the Dover road that lay, on a Friday night late in November, before the first of the persons with whom this history has business.
Era la strada di Dover che si stendeva, in una notte di venerdì a fine novembre, davanti alla prima delle persone con cui questa storia ha da fare.
The Dover road lay, as to him, beyond the Dover mail, as it lumbered up Shooter's Hill.
La strada di Dover si estendeva, per quanto lo riguardava, al di là della diligenza di Dover, mentre questa arrancava su per Shooter's Hill.
He walked up hill in the mire by the side of the mail, as the rest of the passengers did; not because they had the least relish for walking exercise, under the circumstances, but because the hill, and the harness, and the mud, and the mail, were all so heavy, that the horses had three times already come to a stop, besides once drawing the coach across the road, with the mutinous intent of taking it back to Blackheath.
Saliva a piedi la collina nel fango accanto alla diligenza, come facevano gli altri passeggeri; non perché avessero il minimo desiderio di fare una passeggiata, nelle circostanze date, ma perché la collina, i finimenti, il fango e la diligenza erano tutti così pesanti che i cavalli si erano già fermati tre volte, oltre ad aver trascinato una volta la carrozza attraverso la strada, con il proposito ribelle di riportarla a Blackheath.
Reins and whip and coachman and guard, however, in combination, had read that article of war which forbade a purpose otherwise strongly in favour of the argument, that some brute animals are endued with Reason; and the team had capitulated and returned to their duty.
Le redini e la frusta e il cocchiere e la guardia, tuttavia, insieme, avevano fatto rispettare quell'articolo di guerra che vietava un proposito altrimenti fortemente a favore della tesi che certi animali bruti siano dotati di Ragione; e la pariglia aveva capitolato ed era tornata al proprio dovere.
With drooping heads and tremulous tails, they mashed their way through the thick mud, floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if they were falling to pieces at the larger joints.
Con le teste chine e le code tremanti, si facevano strada a fatica attraverso il fango denso, dibattendosi e inciampando di tanto in tanto, come se stessero andando in pezzi nelle giunture più grosse.
As often as the driver rested them and brought them to a stand, with a wary "Wo-ho! so-ho-then!" the near leader violently shook his head and everything upon it--like an unusually emphatic horse, denying that the coach could be got up the hill.
Ogni volta che il conducente li faceva riposare e li portava a fermarsi, con un cauto «Wo-ho! so-ho-then!», il cavallo di testa più vicino scuoteva violentemente la testa e tutto ciò che vi era sopra -- come un cavallo insolitamente enfatico, a negare che la carrozza potesse essere portata su per la collina.
Vocabulary
- Diligenza
- di-li-GEN-tsa — Stagecoach; also means diligence or care
- Era
- E-ra — Third person singular past tense of 'essere' (to be)
- strada
- STRA-da — Road or street
- stendeva
- sten-DE-va — Imperfect tense of 'stendere'; stretched or extended
- notte
- NOT-te — Night, the period of darkness
- venerdì
- ve-ner-DI — Friday, the sixth day of the week
- fine
- FI-ne — End or close of a period of time
- novembre
- no-VEM-bre — November, the eleventh month of the year
- davanti
- da-VAN-ti — In front of; ahead of something or someone
- prima
- PRI-ma — First; before others in order or time
- persone
- per-SO-ne — Persons or people, plural of 'persona'
- cui
- ku-i — Relative pronoun meaning 'whom,' 'which,' or 'that'
- questa
- KWE-sta — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine)
- storia
- STO-rya — Story or history; a narrative account of events
- fare
- FA-re — To do or to make; a very common Italian verb
- estendeva
- es-ten-DE-va — Imperfect of 'estendere'; extended or stretched out
- quanto
- KWAN-to — How much or as far as; used in comparisons
- riguardava
- ri-gwar-DA-va — Imperfect of 'riguardare'; concerned or regarded him
- là
- la — There; indicating a place at a distance
- diligenza
- di-li-GEN-tsa — Stagecoach; also means diligence or hard work
- mentre
- MEN-tre — While or whereas; introducing a simultaneous action
- arrancava
- ar-ran-KA-va — Imperfect of 'arrancare'; struggled or labored uphill
- Saliva
- sa-LI-va — Imperfect of 'salire'; was climbing or going up
- piedi
- PYE-di — Feet; plural of 'piede,' unit of body or measurement
- collina
- kol-LI-na — Hill, a raised area of land smaller than a mountain
- fango
- FAN-go — Mud; soft wet earth found on roads or ground
- accanto
- ak-KAN-to — Beside or next to; close to something or someone
- facevano
- fa-CHE-va-no — Imperfect of 'fare'; they were doing or making
- altri
- AL-tri — Others; the rest of a group of people
- passeggeri
- pas-sed-JE-ri — Passengers; people traveling in a vehicle
- perché
- per-KE — Because or why; introduces reason or question
- avessero
- a-VES-se-ro — Imperfect subjunctive of 'avere'; they had
- minimo
- MI-ni-mo — Minimum or slightest; the least possible amount
- desiderio
- de-zi-DE-ryo — Desire or wish; a strong feeling of wanting something
- passeggiata
- pas-sed-JA-ta — Walk or stroll; a leisurely walk outdoors
- circostanze
- chir-ko-STAN-tse — Circumstances; conditions surrounding an event
- date
- DA-te — Given; referring to specified or particular conditions
- finimenti
- fi-ni-MEN-ti — Harnesses; straps and equipment used on draft animals
- erano
- E-ra-no — Imperfect of 'essere'; they were
- tutti
- TUT-ti — All or everyone; referring to an entire group
- così
- ko-ZI — So or thus; indicating a degree or manner
- pesanti
- pe-ZAN-ti — Heavy; having great weight, hard to carry
- cavalli
- ka-VAL-li — Horses; plural of 'cavallo,' large domesticated animals
- già
- ja — Already or yet; indicating something has occurred before
- fermati
- fer-MA-ti — Past participle of 'fermarsi'; stopped or halted
- volte
- VOL-te — Times; plural of 'volta,' referring to occurrences
- oltre
- OL-tre — Beyond or besides; in addition to something else
- trascinato
- tra-shi-NA-to — Past participle of 'trascinare'; dragged or hauled along
- volta
- VOL-ta — Time or occasion; a single instance of something
- carrozza
- kar-ROT-tsa — Carriage or coach; a horse-drawn passenger vehicle
- attraverso
- at-tra-VER-so — Through or across; passing from one side to another
- proposito
- pro-PO-zi-to — Purpose or intention; a deliberate aim or goal
- ribelle
- ri-BEL-le — Rebellious or defiant; resisting authority or control
- riportarla
- ri-por-TAR-la — To bring it back; infinitive plus object pronoun
- redini
- RE-di-ni — Reins; straps used to guide and control a horse
- frusta
- FRUS-ta — Whip; a flexible instrument used to urge horses
- cocchiere
- kok-KYE-re — Coachman; the driver of a horse-drawn carriage
- guardia
- GWAR-dya — Guard; a person who watches over or protects others
- tuttavia
- tut-ta-VI-a — Nevertheless or however; introduces a contrasting statement
- insieme
- in-SYE-me — Together; in company or cooperation with others
- avevano
- a-VE-va-no — Imperfect of 'avere'; they had
- fatto
- FAT-to — Past participle of 'fare'; done or made
- rispettare
- ris-pet-TA-re — To respect or enforce; to make someone comply
- quell'articolo
- kwel-lar-TI-ko-lo — That article; referring to a specific rule or clause
- guerra
- GWER-ra — War; armed conflict between groups or nations
- vietava
- vye-TA-va — Imperfect of 'vietare'; prohibited or forbade
- altrimenti
- al-tri-MEN-ti — Otherwise; if not, or in a different situation
- fortemente
- for-te-MEN-te — Strongly; with great force or intensity
- favore
- fa-VO-re — Favor; support or approval for something
- tesi
- TE-zi — Thesis or taut; stretched tight or a main argument
- certi
- CHER-ti — Certain or some; referring to particular unspecified things
- animali
- a-ni-MA-li — Animals; plural of 'animale,' living non-human creatures
- bruti
- BRU-ti — Brutes; rough or brutish animals or people
- siano
- SYA-no — Present subjunctive of 'essere'; they are
- dotati
- do-TA-ti — Gifted or endowed; possessing a particular quality
- Ragione
- ra-JO-ne — Reason; the capacity for rational thought or logic
- pariglia
- pa-RI-lya — Team of horses; a pair hitched together to a vehicle
- aveva
- a-VE-va — Imperfect of 'avere'; had (third person singular)
- capitolato
- ka-pi-to-LA-to — Past participle of 'capitolare'; surrendered or given in
- tornata
- tor-NA-ta — Past participle of 'tornare'; returned or come back
- proprio
- PRO-pryo — Own or exactly; emphasizing belonging or precision
- dovere
- do-VE-re — Duty or obligation; also the infinitive 'to have to'
- teste
- TE-ste — Heads; plural of 'testa,' the upper part of the body
- chine
- KI-ne — Bowed or inclined; heads lowered downward in effort
- code
- KO-de — Tails; plural of 'coda,' the tail of an animal
- tremanti
- tre-MAN-ti — Trembling or shaking; quivering from effort or cold
- fatica
- fa-TI-ka — Fatigue or effort; tiredness from hard physical work
- denso
- DEN-so — Dense or thick; referring to heavy mud or fog
- dibattendosi
- di-bat-TEN-do-si — Struggling reflexively; thrashing about with great effort
- inciampando
- in-cham-PAN-do — Gerund of 'inciampare'; stumbling or tripping along
- tanto
- TAN-to — So much or so; indicating a high degree of something
- se
- se — If or as if; introduces conditional or hypothetical clauses
- stessero
- STES-se-ro — Imperfect subjunctive of 'stare'; they were (doing)
- andando
- an-DAN-do — Gerund of 'andare'; going or moving along
- pezzi
- PET-tsi — Pieces; plural of 'pezzo,' fragments or parts of something
- giunture
- jun-TU-re — Joints; points where bones or parts connect together
- più
- pyu — More or most; indicates greater degree or quantity
- grosse
- GROS-se — Large or big; referring to size, often thick or bulky
- Ogni
- O-nyi — Every or each; referring to all members of a group
- conducente
- kon-du-CHEN-te — Driver; the person who drives a vehicle
- faceva
- fa-CHE-va — Imperfect of 'fare'; was making or causing
- riposare
- ri-po-ZA-re — To rest; to stop and recover from physical effort
- portava
- por-TA-va — Imperfect of 'portare'; was bringing, leading, or causing
- fermarsi
- fer-MAR-si — Reflexive infinitive of 'fermare'; to stop or halt
- cauto
- KAU-to — Cautious or careful; proceeding with care and prudence
- cavallo
- ka-VAL-lo — Horse; a large domesticated animal used for riding
- testa
- TE-sta — Head; the uppermost part of the body
- vicino
- vi-CHI-no — Near or close; in proximity to something or someone
- scuoteva
- skwo-TE-va — Imperfect of 'scuotere'; was shaking or rattling
- violentemente
- vyo-len-te-MEN-te — Violently; with great force or intensity
- tutto
- TUT-to — All or everything; the entirety of something
- ciò
- cho — That or this; a demonstrative pronoun referring to things
- vi
- vi — Pronoun meaning 'there,' 'you,' or reflexive 'yourselves'
- sopra
- SO-pra — Above or on top of; in a higher position
- insolitamente
- in-so-li-ta-MEN-te — Unusually; in a manner that is not typical or common
- enfatico
- en-FA-ti-ko — Emphatic; expressed with strong emphasis or force
- negare
- ne-GA-re — To deny or negate; to declare something is not true
- potesse
- po-TES-se — Imperfect subjunctive of 'potere'; could or was able
- essere
- ES-se-re — To be; the fundamental Italian verb of existence
- portata
- por-TA-ta — Past participle of 'portare'; brought, carried, or range
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