A Tale of Two Cities — Page 3
As to the latter, when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in "the Captain's" pay, ranging from the landlord to the lowest stable non-descript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards.
Quanto all'ultima ipotesi, quando ogni stazione di posta e ogni taverna poteva sfornare qualcuno agli stipendi del "Capitano", dal locandiere al più infimo e anonimo stalliere, era la cosa più probabile del mondo.
So the guard of the Dover mail thought to himself, that Friday night in November, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, lumbering up Shooter's Hill, as he stood on his own particular perch behind the mail, beating his feet, and keeping an eye and a hand on the arm-chest before him, where a loaded blunderbuss lay at the top of six or eight loaded horse-pistols, deposited on a substratum of cutlass.
Così pensava tra sé la guardia della diligenza di Dover, quel venerdì notte di novembre del millesettecentosettantacinque, mentre arrancava su per Shooter's Hill, in piedi sul suo particulare predellino dietro la diligenza, battendo i piedi per il freddo e tenendo occhio e mano sul baule delle armi davanti a lui, dove un trombone carico giaceva in cima a sei od otto pistole da sella cariche, depositate su un substrato di sciabole.
The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.
La diligenza di Dover si trovava nella sua consueta piacevole situazione per cui la guardia sospettava dei passeggeri, i passeggeri sospettavano l'uno dell'altro e della guardia, tutti sospettavano di chiunque altro, e il cocchiere non era sicuro di nulla tranne che dei cavalli; bestie sulle quali avrebbe potuto giurare in tutta coscienza sui due Testamenti che non erano adatte al viaggio.
"Wo-ho!" said the coachman. "So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!--Joe!"
«Wo-ho!» disse il cocchiere. «Ecco, così! Un altro sforzo e siete in cima, e che vi venga un accidente, ché ho già abbastanza faticato per portarvi fin qui! Joe!»
"Halloa!" the guard replied.
«Olà!» rispose la guardia.
"What o'clock do you make it, Joe?"
«Che ora fai, Joe?»
"Ten minutes, good, past eleven."
«Le undici e dieci buoni.»
"My blood!" ejaculated the vexed coachman, "and not atop of Shooter's yet! Tst! Yah! Get on with you!
«Sangue mio!» esclamò il cocchiere stizzito, «e non siamo ancora in cima a Shooter's! Tss! Iah! Avanti, muovetevi!
Vocabulary
- Quanto
- KWAHN-toh — How much; to what extent or degree
- all'
- ahl — Contraction of 'a' and 'la/lo'; at the, to the
- ultima
- OOL-tee-mah — Last, final; feminine form of ultimo
- ipotesi
- ee-POH-teh-zee — Hypothesis, assumption, supposition
- quando
- KWAHN-doh — When; at the time that
- ogni
- OH-nyee — Every, each; used before singular nouns
- stazione
- stah-TSYOH-neh — Station; stopping place for transport
- di
- dee — Of, from; common Italian preposition
- posta
- POH-stah — Post, mail; also a posting inn for horses
- e
- eh — And; basic coordinating conjunction
- taverna
- tah-VEHR-nah — Tavern, inn; place serving food and drink
- poteva
- poh-TEH-vah — Could, was able to; imperfect of potere
- sfornare
- sfor-NAH-reh — To produce, churn out; literally to take from oven
- qualcuno
- kwahl-KOO-noh — Someone, somebody; an unspecified person
- agli
- AH-lyee — To the; contraction of 'a' and 'gli'
- stipendi
- stee-PEHN-dee — Salaries, wages, pay; plural of stipendio
- del
- dehl — Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'
- Capitano
- kah-pee-TAH-noh — Captain; military or naval officer of rank
- dal
- dahl — From the; contraction of 'da' and 'il'
- locandiere
- loh-kahn-DYEH-reh — Innkeeper; person who runs a lodging house
- al
- ahl — To the; contraction of 'a' and 'il'
- più
- pyoo — More, most; used in comparisons
- infimo
- EEN-fee-moh — Lowest, most inferior; of the humblest rank
- anonimo
- ah-NOH-nee-moh — Anonymous, nameless; unknown or unnamed person
- era
- EH-rah — Was; third person singular imperfect of essere
- la
- lah — The; feminine definite article
- cosa
- KOH-zah — Thing; object or matter; also 'what'
- probabile
- proh-BAH-bee-leh — Probable, likely; expected to happen
- mondo
- MOHN-doh — World; the earth or all people on it
- Così
- koh-ZEE — So, thus, like this; in this way
- pensava
- pehn-SAH-vah — Was thinking; imperfect tense of pensare
- tra
- trah — Between, among; also 'within' time expressions
- sé
- seh — Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
- guardia
- GWAHR-dyah — Guard; person protecting or watching over something
- della
- DEHL-lah — Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'la'
- diligenza
- dee-lee-JEHN-tsah — Stagecoach; also means diligence or carefulness
- quel
- kwehl — That; masculine demonstrative adjective
- venerdì
- veh-nehr-DEE — Friday; fifth day of the week
- notte
- NOHT-teh — Night; the dark period after sunset
- novembre
- noh-VEHM-breh — November; the eleventh month of the year
- mentre
- MEHN-treh — While, whereas; during the time that
- su
- soo — On, up, upon; common Italian preposition
- per
- pehr — For, through, by; common Italian preposition
- in
- een — In, at; common Italian preposition of place
- piedi
- PYEH-dee — Feet; plural of piede; also standing position
- sul
- sool — On the; contraction of 'su' and 'il'
- suo
- SWOH — His, her, its; possessive adjective third person
- dietro
- DYEH-troh — Behind, back; preposition of position
- battendo
- baht-TEHN-doh — Beating, hitting; gerund of battere
- i
- ee — The; masculine plural definite article
- il
- eel — The; masculine singular definite article
- freddo
- FREHD-doh — Cold; low temperature or feeling of coldness
- tenendo
- teh-NEHN-doh — Holding, keeping; gerund of tenere
- occhio
- OHK-kyoh — Eye; organ of sight; also attention
- mano
- MAH-noh — Hand; body part used for grasping
- baule
- bah-OO-leh — Trunk, large chest; luggage box on a coach
- delle
- DEHL-leh — Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'le'
- armi
- AHR-mee — Weapons, arms; instruments used in combat
- davanti
- dah-VAHN-tee — In front of, before; preposition of position
- a
- ah — To, at; very common Italian preposition
- lui
- LWEE — He, him; third person masculine pronoun
- dove
- DOH-veh — Where; used in questions and relative clauses
- un
- oon — A, an; masculine indefinite article
- carico
- KAH-ree-koh — Loaded, laden; charged or filled with something
- giaceva
- jah-CHEH-vah — Was lying; imperfect tense of giacere
- cima
- CHEE-mah — Top, summit, peak; the highest point
- sei
- seh-ee — Six; the cardinal number 6
- od
- ohd — Or; variant of 'o' used before vowels
- otto
- OHT-toh — Eight; the cardinal number 8
- pistole
- pee-STOH-leh — Pistols; small handheld firearms; plural
- da
- dah — From, by, since; common Italian preposition
- sella
- SEHL-lah — Saddle; seat for riding a horse
- cariche
- KAH-ree-keh — Loaded, charged; feminine plural of carico
- depositate
- deh-poh-zee-TAH-teh — Deposited, placed; stored in a specific location
- La
- lah — She, her; feminine pronoun or definite article
- si
- see — Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself
- trovava
- troh-VAH-vah — Was finding, was located; imperfect of trovare
- nella
- NEHL-lah — In the; contraction of 'in' and 'la'
- sua
- SOO-ah — His, her, its; feminine possessive adjective
- consueta
- kohn-SWEH-tah — Usual, customary, habitual; feminine adjective
- piacevole
- pyah-CHEH-voh-leh — Pleasant, agreeable, enjoyable; pleasing adjective
- situazione
- see-twah-TSYOH-neh — Situation, condition; state of affairs
- cui
- KWEE — Whom, which; relative pronoun used after prepositions
- sospettava
- sohs-peht-TAH-vah — Suspected; imperfect tense of sospettare
- dei
- deh-ee — Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'i'
- passeggeri
- pahs-sehd-JEH-ree — Passengers; people traveling on a vehicle
- sospettavano
- sohs-peht-TAH-vah-noh — They suspected; imperfect plural of sospettare
- l'
- l — The; elided form of 'la' or 'lo'
- uno
- OO-noh — One; masculine number and indefinite article
- dell'
- dehl — Of the; elided contraction of 'di' and article
- altro
- AHL-troh — Other, another; different or additional one
- tutti
- TOOT-tee — All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
- chiunque
- kyoon-KWEH — Anyone, whoever; indefinite pronoun
- non
- nohn — Not; basic negation word in Italian
- sicuro
- see-KOO-roh — Sure, safe, certain; confident or secure
- nulla
- NOOL-lah — Nothing; not anything at all
- tranne
- TRAHN-neh — Except, apart from; excluding something
- che
- keh — That, which, who; very versatile conjunction/pronoun
- cavalli
- kah-VAHL-lee — Horses; plural of cavallo
- bestie
- BEHS-tyeh — Beasts, animals; creatures; plural of bestia
- sulle
- SOOL-leh — On the; contraction of 'su' and 'le'
- quali
- KWAH-lee — Which, who; plural relative pronoun
- avrebbe
- ah-VREHB-beh — Would have; conditional of avere third person
- potuto
- poh-TOO-toh — Been able to; past participle of potere
- giurare
- joo-RAH-reh — To swear, to take an oath
- tutta
- TOOT-tah — All, entire; feminine form of tutto
- coscienza
- koh-SHEHN-tsah — Conscience, consciousness; moral awareness
- sui
- SWEE — On the; contraction of 'su' and 'i'
- due
- DOO-eh — Two; the cardinal number 2
- Testamenti
- tehs-tah-MEHN-tee — Testaments; as in Old and New Testament
- erano
- EH-rah-noh — Were; third person plural imperfect of essere
- adatte
- ah-DAHT-teh — Suitable, fit; feminine plural of adatto
- viaggio
- VYAHD-joh — Journey, trip, travel; an excursion
- disse
- DEES-seh — Said; third person singular past of dire
- Ecco
- EHK-koh — Here is, there is; expressing presence
- così
- koh-ZEE — So, like this; in such a way
- Un
- oon — A, an, one; masculine indefinite article
- sforzo
- SFOR-tsoh — Effort, exertion; straining to do something
- siete
- SYEH-teh — You are; second person plural of essere
- vi
- vee — You, yourselves; second person plural pronoun
- venga
- VEHN-gah — May come; subjunctive of venire
- accidente
- ahch-chee-DEHN-teh — Damn it, blast; exclamation expressing frustration
- ché
- keh — Because, for; causal conjunction in exclamations
- ho
- oh — I have; first person singular of avere
- già
- JAH — Already, yet; expressing something done before
- abbastanza
- ahb-bahs-TAHN-tsah — Enough, sufficiently; adequate amount
- faticato
- fah-tee-KAH-toh — Labored, toiled; past participle of faticare
- portarvi
- por-TAHR-vee — To bring you; infinitive with clitic pronoun
- fin
- feen — Until, up to; shortened form of fino
- qui
- kwee — Here; in this place
- rispose
- ree-SPOH-zeh — Answered, replied; third person past of rispondere
- Che
- keh — What; interrogative pronoun
- ora
- OH-rah — Hour, time; now; what time is it
- fai
- fah-ee — You do, you make; second person of fare
- Le
- leh — The; feminine plural article; also indirect pronoun
- undici
- OON-dee-chee — Eleven; the cardinal number 11
- dieci
- DYEH-chee — Ten; the cardinal number 10
- buoni
- BWOH-nee — Good; masculine plural of buono
- Sangue
- SAHN-gweh — Blood; vital red fluid; used in exclamations
- mio
- MEE-oh — My, mine; masculine possessive adjective
- esclamò
- ehs-klah-MOH — Exclaimed; third person past of esclamare
- stizzito
- steets-EE-toh — Irritated, annoyed, vexed; angry adjective
- siamo
- SYAH-moh — We are; first person plural of essere
- ancora
- ahn-KOH-rah — Still, yet, again; expressing continuation
- Avanti
- ah-VAHN-tee — Forward, ahead, come in; exclamation urging movement
- muovetevi
- MWOH-veh-teh-vee — Move yourselves, get moving; imperative plural reflexive
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