A Tale of Two Cities — Page 3

English → It CHAPTER I. Level 8/10

It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution.

È abbastanza probabile che nei rozzi annessi di alcuni coltivatori delle terre pesanti adiacenti a Parigi, fossero riparati dalle intemperie proprio quel giorno, rozzi carri, imbrattati di fango rustico, annusati dai maiali e usati come pollaio dai volatili, che il Contadino, la Morte, aveva già messo da parte come suoi carri della Rivoluzione.

But that Woodman and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they went about with muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to entertain any suspicion that they were awake, was to be atheistical and traitorous.

Ma quel Taglialegna e quel Contadino, sebbene lavorassero incessantemente, lavoravano in silenzio, e nessuno li udì mentre andavano in giro con passo ovattato: tanto più che nutrire anche solo il sospetto che fossero svegli significava essere atei e traditori.

In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting.

In Inghilterra, vi era appena una tale quantità di ordine e protezione da giustificare un grande vanto nazionale.

Vocabulary

abbastanza: abbastanza — Fairly, quite, enough; indicates sufficient degree
probabile: probabile — Likely, probable; expressing possibility or likelihood
rozzi: rozzi — Rough, crude, coarse; describing unrefined people or things
annessi: annessi — Annexes, outbuildings; structures attached to main building
alcuni: alcuni — Some, a few; indefinite plural adjective or pronoun
coltivatori: coltivatori — Farmers, cultivators; people who work agricultural land
terre: terre — Lands, soils, earths; referring to ground or territories
pesanti: pesanti — Heavy, weighty; describing dense or burdensome things
adiacenti: adiacenti — Adjacent, neighboring; located next to or nearby something
Parigi: Parigi — Paris; the capital city of France
fossero: fossero — Were; third plural imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'
riparati: riparati — Sheltered, repaired, protected; shielded from external elements
intemperie: intemperie — Bad weather, elements; harsh outdoor atmospheric conditions
proprio: proprio — Own, exactly, just; emphasizing ownership or precision
giorno: giorno — Day; a 24-hour period or daytime hours
carri: carri — Carts, wagons; wheeled vehicles for transporting goods
imbrattati: imbrattati — Smeared, stained, soiled; covered with dirty substance
fango: fango — Mud, mire; wet, dirty mixture of soil and water
rustico: rustico — Rustic, rural, rough; relating to countryside or crude style
annusati: annusati — Sniffed, smelled; investigated by smelling with nose
maiali: maiali — Pigs, swine; domestic farm animals raised for meat
usati: usati — Used, employed; put into service or utilized regularly
pollaio: pollaio — Henhouse, chicken coop; enclosure for keeping poultry
volatili: volatili — Birds, fowl; creatures capable of flight; poultry
Contadino: Contadino — Peasant, farmer; rural agricultural laborer or villager
Morte: Morte — Death; the end of life, personified or literal
aveva: aveva — Had; third singular imperfect indicative of 'avere'
già: già — Already, yet; indicating something has occurred before now
messo: messo — Put, placed, set; past participle of 'mettere'
parte: parte — Part, side, share; a portion or section of whole
suoi: suoi — His, her, its; masculine plural possessive adjective
Rivoluzione: Rivoluzione — Revolution; a major political or social upheaval
Taglialegna: Taglialegna — Woodcutter, lumberjack; person who chops or cuts wood
sebbene: sebbene — Although, even though; concessive conjunction introducing contrast
lavorassero: lavorassero — Were working; third plural imperfect subjunctive of 'lavorare'
incessantemente: incessantemente — Incessantly, without stopping; continuously without any pause
lavoravano: lavoravano — Were working; third plural imperfect indicative of 'lavorare'
silenzio: silenzio — Silence, quiet; absence of sound or noise
nessuno: nessuno — Nobody, no one, none; negative indefinite pronoun
li: li — Them; third person masculine plural direct object pronoun
udì: udì — Heard; third singular past absolute of 'udire'
mentre: mentre — While, whereas; temporal or contrastive conjunction
andavano: andavano — Were going; third plural imperfect indicative of 'andare'
giro: giro — Round, tour, spin; circular movement or turn
passo: passo — Step, pace, footstep; manner or unit of walking
ovattato: ovattato — Muffled, padded, cotton-like; softened or deadened in sound
tanto: tanto — So much, so, as much; indicating large degree or quantity
nutrire: nutrire — To nourish, feed; to provide food or sustenance
anche: anche — Also, even, too; additive or emphatic adverb
solo: solo — Only, alone, just; indicating singularity or exclusivity
sospetto: sospetto — Suspicion, suspect; distrust or doubt about someone
svegli: svegli — Awake, alert, sharp; not sleeping, mentally quick
significava: significava — Meant, signified; third singular imperfect of 'significare'
essere: essere — To be; fundamental Italian verb of existence or state
atei: atei — Atheists; people who do not believe in God
traditori: traditori — Traitors, betrayers; those who betray trust or country
Inghilterra: Inghilterra — England; country forming southern part of Great Britain
vi: vi — There, you (plural); locative adverb or pronoun
era: era — Was, there was; third singular imperfect of 'essere'
appena: appena — Barely, just, hardly; indicating minimal degree or recency
tale: tale — Such, such a; demonstrative adjective of this kind
quantità: quantità — Quantity, amount; measurable degree or number of something
ordine: ordine — Order, arrangement; organized state or command given
protezione: protezione — Protection, shelter; defense or safeguarding from harm
giustificare: giustificare — To justify, to warrant; to give valid reason for something
grande: grande — Great, large, big; describing impressive size or importance
vanto: vanto — Boast, pride, glory; something one brags about proudly
nazionale: nazionale — National; relating to a nation or country as whole

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