Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Page 3

English → It Preface Level 5/10

Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: "Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual.

Alice prese il ventaglio e i guanti, e, siccome l'ingresso era molto caldo, continuò a farsi vento per tutto il tempo che parlò: «Caro, caro! Com'è strano tutto oggi! E ieri le cose andavano proprio come al solito.

I wonder if I've been changed in the night?

Mi chiedo se sono stata cambiata durante la notte?

Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning?

Fammi pensare: ero la stessa quando mi sono alzata stamattina?

I almost think I can remember feeling a little different.

Quasi quasi credo di ricordare di essermi sentita un po' diversa.

But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I?

Ma se non sono la stessa, la domanda successiva è: chi sono mai io?

Ah, _that's_ the great puzzle!"

Ah, questo è il grande enigma!»

And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them.

E cominciò a passare in rassegna tutti i bambini che conosceva che erano della sua stessa età, per vedere se avrebbe potuto essere stata scambiata con uno di loro.

"I'm sure I'm not Ada," she said, "for her hair goes in such long ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at all; and I'm sure I can't be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a very little!

«Sono sicura di non essere Ada,» disse, «perché i suoi capelli hanno dei riccioli così lunghi, e i miei non vanno affatto in riccioli; e sono sicura di non poter essere Mabel, perché io so ogni genere di cose, e lei, oh! lei sa così poco!

Besides, _she's_ she, and _I'm_ I, and—oh dear, how puzzling it all is!

Inoltre, lei è lei, e io sono io, e—oh caro, com'è tutto così complicato!

I'll try if I know all the things I used to know.

Proverò a vedere se so ancora tutte le cose che sapevo.

Let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is—oh dear!

Vediamo: quattro per cinque fa dodici, e quattro per sei fa tredici, e quattro per sette fa—oh caro!

I shall never get to twenty at that rate!

Non arriverò mai a venti di questo passo!

However, the Multiplication Table doesn't signify: let's try Geography.

Comunque, la Tavola Pitagorica non conta: proviamo con la Geografia.

Vocabulary

prese: She/he took; past tense of 'prendere'.
il: The; masculine singular definite article.
ventaglio: A handheld fan used to create a breeze.
e: And; basic coordinating conjunction.
i: The; masculine plural definite article.
guanti: Gloves; coverings worn on the hands.
siccome: Since, as; conjunction introducing a reason.
l': The; elided form of definite article before vowel.
ingresso: Entrance, entry; the way into a place.
era: Was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'.
molto: Very, much; adverb expressing high degree.
caldo: Hot, warm; describing high temperature.
continuò: Continued; past tense of 'continuare'.
a: To, at; common Italian preposition.
farsi: To make oneself; reflexive form of 'fare'.
vento: Wind; moving air or breeze.
per: For, through; common Italian preposition.
tutto: All, entire; referring to the whole of something.
tempo: Time, weather; duration or atmospheric conditions.
che: That, which, who; versatile conjunction and pronoun.
parlò: Spoke; third person singular past of 'parlare'.
Caro: Dear, expensive; term of affection or high cost.
Com': How; elided form of 'come' before vowel.
è: Is; third person singular present of 'essere'.
strano: Strange, odd; something unusual or unexpected.
oggi: Today; referring to the current day.
E: And; coordinating conjunction connecting clauses.
ieri: Yesterday; referring to the day before today.
le: The; feminine plural definite article.
cose: Things; general objects or matters.
andavano: Were going; imperfect tense of 'andare'.
proprio: Really, exactly; adverb for emphasis or precision.
come: Like, how, as; conjunction or adverb of manner.
al: To the, at the; contraction of 'a' and 'il'.
solito: Usual; what normally or habitually happens.
Mi: Me, myself; first person singular reflexive pronoun.
chiedo: I wonder, I ask; first person of 'chiedere'.
se: If, whether; conditional conjunction.
sono: I am, they are; present tense of 'essere'.
stata: Been; feminine past participle of 'essere'.
cambiata: Changed; feminine past participle of 'cambiare'.
durante: During; preposition indicating time within a period.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
notte: Night; the dark hours between dusk and dawn.
Fammi: Let me; imperative of 'fare' with 'mi' attached.
pensare: To think; to reflect or consider something mentally.
ero: I was; first person singular imperfect of 'essere'.
stessa: Same; feminine adjective indicating identity or sameness.
quando: When; temporal conjunction or adverb.
mi: Myself, me; first person singular reflexive pronoun.
alzata: Got up; feminine past participle of 'alzarsi'.
stamattina: This morning; referring to earlier today.
Quasi: Almost, nearly; adverb of approximation.
credo: I believe, I think; first person of 'credere'.
di: Of, from; very common Italian preposition.
ricordare: To remember; to recall something from memory.
essermi: Having been for myself; reflexive infinitive of 'essere'.
sentita: Felt; feminine past participle of 'sentirsi'.
un: A, an; masculine singular indefinite article.
po': A little, a bit; shortened form of 'poco'.
diversa: Different; feminine adjective meaning not the same.
Ma: But; adversative conjunction contrasting two ideas.
non: Not; basic negation adverb in Italian.
domanda: Question; an inquiry or request for information.
successiva: Next, following; feminine adjective meaning coming after.
chi: Who; interrogative or relative pronoun.
mai: Ever, never; adverb used in questions or negations.
io: I; first person singular subject pronoun.
questo: This; masculine demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
grande: Great, big; adjective indicating large size or importance.
enigma: Enigma, puzzle; something mysterious or hard to understand.
cominciò: Began; third person singular past of 'cominciare'.
passare: To pass, to go through; common motion verb.
in: In, into; common Italian preposition of location.
rassegna: Review, survey; systematic examination of a group.
tutti: All, everyone; masculine plural of 'tutto'.
bambini: Children; plural of 'bambino', young boys or kids.
conosceva: Knew; imperfect tense of 'conoscere', to know someone.
erano: Were; third person plural imperfect of 'essere'.
della: Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'la'.
sua: Her, his, its; feminine possessive adjective.
età: Age; the number of years someone has lived.
vedere: To see; to perceive visually.
avrebbe: Would have; conditional of 'avere'.
potuto: Been able; past participle of 'potere'.
essere: To be; fundamental Italian linking verb.
scambiata: Mistaken, exchanged; feminine past participle of 'scambiare'.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
uno: One, a; masculine singular indefinite article or number.
loro: Their, them; third person plural pronoun or adjective.
Sono: I am, they are; present tense of 'essere'.
sicura: Sure, certain; feminine adjective expressing confidence.
disse: Said; third person singular past of 'dire'.
perché: Because, why; conjunction or question word.
suoi: Her/his; masculine plural possessive adjective.
capelli: Hair; referring to the hair on one's head.
hanno: They have; third person plural present of 'avere'.
dei: Some, of the; contraction of 'di' and 'i'.
riccioli: Curls; spiral or wavy locks of hair.
così: So, thus; adverb of manner or degree.
lunghi: Long; masculine plural adjective of length.
miei: My; masculine plural possessive adjective.
vanno: Go, suit; third person plural present of 'andare'.
affatto: At all, not at all; adverb used with negations.
poter: To be able; truncated infinitive of 'potere'.
so: I know; first person singular present of 'sapere'.
ogni: Every, each; adjective indicating all instances.
genere: Kind, type, genre; a category or sort of thing.
lei: She, her; third person singular feminine pronoun.
sa: She/he knows; third person singular of 'sapere'.
poco: Little, few; adjective or adverb of small quantity.
Inoltre: Furthermore, moreover; adverb adding additional information.
com': How; elided 'come' used before a vowel.
complicato: Complicated, complex; adjective for something difficult.
Proverò: I will try; future tense of 'provare'.
ancora: Still, again, yet; adverb of continuation or repetition.
tutte: All; feminine plural of 'tutto'.
sapevo: I knew; first person imperfect of 'sapere'.
Vediamo: Let's see; first person plural present of 'vedere'.
quattro: Four; the cardinal number 4.
cinque: Five; the cardinal number 5.
fa: Makes, ago; present of 'fare' or time marker.
dodici: Twelve; the cardinal number 12.
sei: Six, you are; cardinal number 6 or present of 'essere'.
tredici: Thirteen; the cardinal number 13.
sette: Seven; the cardinal number 7.
Non: Not; basic Italian negation adverb.
arriverò: I will reach; future tense of 'arrivare'.
venti: Twenty; the cardinal number 20.
passo: Step, pass; a pace or I pass, present of 'passare'.
Comunque: Anyway, however; adverb conceding or changing subject.
Tavola: Table; a flat surface, here in multiplication table context.
Pitagorica: Pythagorean; relating to Pythagoras, here multiplication table.
conta: Counts, matters; third person singular of 'contare'.
proviamo: Let's try; first person plural present of 'provare'.
Geografia: Geography; the study of Earth's lands and features.

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