A Tale of Two Cities — Page 5

English → It CHAPTER I. Level 8/10

In the midst of them, the hangman, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and now burning pamphlets at the door of Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of a wretched pilferer who had robbed a farmer's boy of sixpence.

In mezzo a tutto ciò, il boia, sempre indaffarato e sempre più inutile che utile, era in costante richiesta; ora appendendo lunghe file di criminali d'ogni sorta; ora impiccando un ladro di case il sabato che era stato catturato il martedì; ora marchiando a fuoco la mano alla gente a Newgate a dozzine, e ora bruciando pamphlet alla porta di Westminster Hall; oggi togliendo la vita a un atroce assassino, e domani a un miserabile ladruncolo che aveva derubato il figlio di un contadino di sei penny.

All these things, and a thousand like them, came to pass in and close upon the dear old year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

Tutte queste cose, e mille altre simili, accaddero nel corso e a ridosso del caro vecchio anno millesettecentosettantacinque.

Environed by them, while the Woodman and the Farmer worked unheeded, those two of the large jaws, and those other two of the plain and the fair faces, trod with stir enough, and carried their divine rights with a high hand.

Circondati da esse, mentre il Boscaiolo e il Contadino lavoravano ignorati, quei due dalle mascelle grandi, e quegli altri due dai volti comuni e avvenenti, camminavano con gran clamore, e portavano i loro diritti divini con pugno fermo.

Thus did the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five conduct their Greatnesses, and myriads of small creatures--the creatures of this chronicle among the rest--along the roads that lay before them.

Così l'anno millesettecentosettantacinque guidò le loro Grandezze, e miriadi di piccole creature — tra le quali le creature di questa cronaca — lungo le strade che si distendevano dinanzi a loro.

Vocabulary

mezzo: meddzo — Middle or center of something
tutto: tutto — All, everything, or the whole of something
ciò: tʃo — That, this; refers to something previously mentioned
boia: boja — Executioner; person who carries out death sentences
sempre: sempre — Always, ever, continually without interruption
indaffarato: indaffarato — Busy, occupied with many tasks or duties
più: pju — More; used for comparisons or greater quantity
inutile: inutile — Useless, serving no practical purpose whatsoever
utile: utile — Useful, serving a practical or beneficial purpose
era: era — Was; third-person singular imperfect of 'essere'
costante: kostante — Constant, steady, happening without interruption or change
richiesta: rikjesta — Request, demand; something asked for or required
ora: ora — Now, at this moment; also means 'hour'
appendendo: appendendo — Hanging; present participle of 'appendere,' to hang
lunghe: luŋge — Long; feminine plural adjective describing extended length
file: file — Rows or lines of people or things arranged sequentially
criminali: kriminali — Criminals; people who have committed illegal acts
ogni: oɲɲi — Every, each; refers to all members of a group
sorta: sorta — Sort, kind, type of person or thing
impiccando: impikkando — Hanging; present participle of 'impiccare,' to hang someone
ladro: ladro — Thief; person who steals from others
case: kaze — Houses, homes; plural of 'casa'
sabato: sabato — Saturday; the seventh day of the week
stato: stato — Been; past participle of 'essere'; also means 'state'
catturato: katturato — Captured, caught; past participle of 'catturare'
martedì: martedi — Tuesday; the third day of the week
marchiando: markjando — Branding; present participle of 'marchiare,' to brand
fuoco: fwoko — Fire; burning flame used as heat or light
mano: mano — Hand; the body part at the end of the arm
gente: dʒente — People; a group of persons in general
dozzine: doddzine — Dozens; groups of twelve people or things
bruciando: brutʃando — Burning; present participle of 'bruciare,' to burn
porta: porta — Door, gate; entrance to a building or place
oggi: oddʒi — Today; this current day we are living
togliendo: toʎʎendo — Taking away, removing; present participle of 'togliere'
vita: vita — Life; the state of being alive and living
atroce: atrotʃe — Atrocious, terrible, horrifying in degree or nature
assassino: assassino — Murderer, assassin; one who kills another person
domani: domani — Tomorrow; the day following today
miserabile: miserabile — Miserable, wretched, pitiable person or situation
ladruncolo: ladrunkolo — Petty thief; someone who steals small, trivial things
aveva: aveva — Had; third-person singular imperfect of 'avere'
derubato: derubato — Robbed; past participle of 'derubare,' to rob someone
figlio: fiʎʎo — Son; male child in relation to his parents
contadino: kontadino — Peasant farmer; rural agricultural worker of low status
sei: sei — Six; the cardinal number between five and seven
Tutte: tutte — All, every; feminine plural form of 'tutto'
queste: kweste — These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
cose: koze — Things; objects, matters, or affairs of any kind
mille: mille — Thousand; the cardinal number 1000
altre: altre — Other, others; feminine plural of 'altro'
simili: simili — Similar, alike; resembling something else in nature
accaddero: akkaddero — Happened, occurred; third-person plural past of 'accadere'
corso: korso — Course; flow or progression of time or events
ridosso: ridosso — Close proximity; used in 'a ridosso di' meaning 'close to'
caro: karo — Dear, beloved; also means expensive or costly
vecchio: vekkjo — Old, aged; describing something or someone of age
anno: anno — Year; a period of twelve months
Circondati: tʃirkondati — Surrounded, encircled; past participle of 'circondare'
esse: esse — Them; third-person feminine plural pronoun
mentre: mentre — While, whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions
Boscaiolo: boskajoло — Woodcutter, lumberjack; person who cuts wood in forests
Contadino: kontadino — Peasant farmer; rural laborer working the land
lavoravano: lavoravano — Were working; third-person plural imperfect of 'lavorare'
ignorati: iɲɲorati — Ignored, overlooked; past participle of 'ignorare'
quei: kwej — Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
due: due — Two; the cardinal number between one and three
mascelle: maʃelle — Jaws; bony structures forming the mouth framework
grandi: grandi — Big, large, great; plural adjective describing size
quegli: kweʎʎi — Those; masculine plural demonstrative used before vowels
altri: altri — Others; masculine plural of 'altro,' meaning other people
volti: volti — Faces; plural of 'volto,' the human face
comuni: komuni — Common, ordinary; plural adjective meaning not distinctive
avvenenti: avvenenti — Attractive, good-looking; pleasing in physical appearance
camminavano: kamminavano — Were walking; third-person plural imperfect of 'camminare'
gran: gran — Great, big; shortened form of 'grande' before nouns
clamore: klamore — Clamor, uproar; loud noise or public outcry
portavano: portavano — Were carrying; third-person plural imperfect of 'portare'
loro: loro — Their, they, them; third-person plural pronoun or adjective
diritti: diritti — Rights; entitlements or claims one is legally entitled to
divini: divini — Divine; relating to God or of heavenly origin
pugno: puɲɲo — Fist; clenched hand used for striking or emphasis
fermo: fermo — Firm, steady, still; not moving or wavering
Così: kozi — So, thus, in this way; indicates manner or result
guidò: gwido — Led, guided; third-person singular past of 'guidare'
Grandezze: grandeddze — Greatnesses, majesties; titles or states of grandeur
miriadi: mirjadi — Myriads; vast uncountable numbers of things or people
piccole: pikkole — Small, little; feminine plural adjective of 'piccolo'
creature: kreature — Creatures; living beings, whether human or animal
tra: tra — Among, between; preposition indicating position or relation
quali: kwali — Which, who; relative pronoun used with 'tra le quali'
questa: kwesta — This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
cronaca: kronaka — Chronicle, account; narrative record of historical events
lungo: luŋgo — Along; preposition meaning 'alongside' or 'throughout'
strade: strade — Streets, roads; paths used for travel in a city
si: si — Reflexive pronoun 'oneself'; also used in passive constructions
distendevano: distendevano — Stretched out, extended; imperfect of 'distendersi'
dinanzi: dinanttsi — Before, in front of; indicating position ahead of something

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