Anna Karenina — Page 4

English → It Chapter 1 Level 7/10

Most unpleasant of all was the first minute when, on coming, happy and good-humored, from the theater, with a huge pear in his hand for his wife, he had not found his wife in the drawing-room, to his surprise had not found her in the study either, and saw her at last in her bedroom with the unlucky letter that revealed everything in her hand.

La cosa più spiacevole di tutte era stato il primo momento in cui, tornando a casa felice e di buon umore dal teatro, con una grossa pera in mano per sua moglie, non aveva trovato sua moglie in salotto, e con sua sorpresa non l'aveva trovata nemmeno nello studio, e l'aveva vista infine nella sua camera da letto con la fatale lettera che rivelava tutto in mano.

She, his Dolly, forever fussing and worrying over household details, and limited in her ideas, as he considered, was sitting perfectly still with the letter in her hand, looking at him with an expression of horror, despair, and indignation.

Lei, la sua Dolly, sempre indaffarata e preoccupata per i dettagli domestici, e limitata nelle sue idee, come egli riteneva, era seduta perfettamente immobile con la lettera in mano, guardandolo con un'espressione di orrore, disperazione e indignazione.

"What's this? this?" she asked, pointing to the letter.

«Cos'è questo? questo?» chiese, indicando la lettera.

And at this recollection, Stepan Arkadyevitch, as is so often the case, was not so much annoyed at the fact itself as at the way in which he had met his wife's words.

E a questo ricordo, Stepan Arkad'evič, come accade così spesso, non era tanto infastidito dal fatto in sé quanto dal modo in cui aveva accolto le parole di sua moglie.

There happened to him at that instant what does happen to people when they are unexpectedly caught in something very disgraceful.

In quell'istante gli accadde ciò che accade alle persone quando vengono colte inaspettatamente in qualcosa di molto vergognoso.

He did not succeed in adapting his face to the position in which he was placed towards his wife by the discovery of his fault.

Non riuscì ad adattare la propria espressione alla situazione in cui lo aveva posto, nei confronti di sua moglie, la scoperta della sua colpa.

Instead of being hurt, denying, defending himself, begging forgiveness, instead of remaining indifferent even—anything would have been better than what he did do—his face utterly involuntarily (reflex spinal action, reflected Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was fond of physiology)—utterly involuntarily assumed its habitual, good-humored, and therefore idiotic smile.

Invece di mostrarsi ferito, di negare, di difendersi, di chiedere perdono, invece di restare persino indifferente — qualsiasi cosa sarebbe stata meglio di quello che fece — il suo volto del tutto involontariamente (azione riflessa spinale, rifletté Stepan Arkad'evič, che era appassionato di fisiologia) — del tutto involontariamente assunse il suo solito sorriso bonario e perciò idiota.

This idiotic smile he could not forgive himself.

Quel sorriso idiota non riusciva a perdonarselo.

Vocabulary

cosa: ko-za — A thing or object; general noun for 'thing'.
più: pyoo — More; used in comparisons or superlatives.
spiacevole: spya-che-vo-le — Unpleasant, disagreeable, or annoying.
tutte: toot-te — All; feminine plural form of 'tutto'.
era: e-ra — Was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'.
stato: sta-to — Been; past participle of 'essere' (to be).
primo: pree-mo — First; ordinal number indicating position one.
momento: mo-men-to — A moment; a brief point in time.
cui: kwee — Relative pronoun meaning 'which', 'whom', or 'that'.
tornando: tor-nan-do — Returning; gerund of 'tornare', to return.
casa: ka-za — Home or house; one's place of residence.
felice: fe-lee-che — Happy or joyful; in a cheerful emotional state.
buon umore: bwon oo-mo-re — Good mood; a cheerful and pleasant disposition.
teatro: te-a-tro — Theater; a venue or art form for stage performances.
grossa: gros-sa — Large or big; feminine adjective describing size.
pera: pe-ra — A pear; a sweet fruit with a round bottom.
mano: ma-no — Hand; the body part at the end of the arm.
moglie: mo-lye — Wife; a female spouse in a marriage.
aveva: a-ve-va — Had; third person singular imperfect of 'avere'.
trovato: tro-va-to — Found; past participle of 'trovare', to find.
salotto: sa-lot-to — Living room or parlor; a sitting room in a home.
sorpresa: sor-pre-za — Surprise; an unexpected event or discovery.
trovata: tro-va-ta — Found; feminine past participle of 'trovare'.
nemmeno: nem-me-no — Not even; used to strengthen a negation.
studio: stoo-dyo — Study or office; a room used for work or reading.
vista: vees-ta — Seen; past participle of 'vedere'; also means 'view'.
infine: een-fee-ne — Finally or at last; after a long period of time.
camera da letto: ka-me-ra da let-to — Bedroom; the room in a home for sleeping.
fatale: fa-ta-le — Fatal or fateful; causing ruin or decisive consequences.
lettera: let-te-ra — A letter; a written message sent to someone.
rivelava: ri-ve-la-va — Was revealing; imperfect of 'rivelare', to reveal.
tutto: toot-to — Everything; all, the whole of something.
sempre: sem-pre — Always; at all times, without exception.
indaffarata: een-daf-fa-ra-ta — Busy or occupied; constantly engaged with many tasks.
preoccupata: pre-ok-koo-pa-ta — Worried or preoccupied; mentally concerned with something.
dettagli: det-ta-lyi — Details; small specific elements or particulars.
domestici: do-mes-tee-chee — Domestic; relating to the home and household affairs.
limitata: lee-mee-ta-ta — Limited; restricted in scope, ability, or range.
idee: ee-de-e — Ideas; thoughts or concepts held in the mind.
egli: e-lyi — He; formal third person singular masculine pronoun.
riteneva: ri-te-ne-va — Considered or believed; imperfect of 'ritenere'.
seduta: se-doo-ta — Seated or sitting; feminine past participle of 'sedersi'.
perfettamente: per-fet-ta-men-te — Perfectly; in a completely flawless or still manner.
immobile: eem-mo-bee-le — Motionless; completely still, not moving at all.
guardandolo: gwar-dan-do-lo — Looking at him; gerund of 'guardare' with pronoun.
espressione: es-pres-syo-ne — Expression; a look on someone's face conveying emotion.
orrore: or-ro-re — Horror; a feeling of intense shock or disgust.
disperazione: dis-pe-ra-tsyo-ne — Desperation or despair; a state of hopeless anguish.
indignazione: een-di-nya-tsyo-ne — Indignation; anger aroused by something unjust or wrong.
Cos': koz — What; contraction of 'cosa' before a vowel.
questo: kwes-to — This; masculine demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
chiese: kye-ze — Asked; third person singular past of 'chiedere'.
indicando: een-dee-kan-do — Pointing or indicating; gerund of 'indicare'.
ricordo: ri-kor-do — Memory or recollection; something remembered from the past.
accade: ak-ka-de — Happens; third person singular present of 'accadere'.
così: ko-zee — So or thus; in this way or to this degree.
spesso: spes-so — Often; frequently occurring at many times.
tanto: tan-to — So much; to such a degree or extent.
infastidito: een-fas-tee-dee-to — Annoyed or irritated; bothered by something unpleasant.
fatto: fat-to — Fact or deed; also past participle of 'fare', to do.
sé: se — Himself or herself; reflexive pronoun for third person.
quanto: kwan-to — How much or as much; used in comparisons.
modo: mo-do — Way or manner; the method in which something is done.
accolto: ak-kol-to — Received or welcomed; past participle of 'accogliere'.
parole: pa-ro-le — Words; units of spoken or written language.
quell': kwel — That; demonstrative adjective before a vowel.
istante: ees-tan-te — Instant; a very brief point or moment in time.
accadde: ak-kad-de — Happened; third person singular past of 'accadere'.
ciò: cho — That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something mentioned.
persone: per-so-ne — People or persons; human beings in general.
quando: kwan-do — When; a conjunction referring to a time or moment.
vengono: ven-go-no — Are caught or come; third person plural of 'venire'.
colte: kol-te — Caught; feminine plural past participle of 'cogliere'.
inaspettatamente: een-as-pet-ta-ta-men-te — Unexpectedly; in a manner that was not anticipated.
qualcosa: kwal-ko-za — Something; an unspecified thing or matter.
molto: mol-to — Very or much; to a great degree or extent.
vergognoso: ver-go-nyo-zo — Shameful or disgraceful; causing embarrassment or shame.
riuscì: ryoo-shee — Managed or succeeded; past tense of 'riuscire'.
adattare: a-dat-ta-re — To adapt or adjust; to make suitable for a situation.
propria: pro-prya — Own; feminine adjective meaning one's own.
situazione: si-twa-tsyo-ne — Situation; a set of circumstances in a given moment.
posto: pos-to — Place or position; a location or spot.
confronti: kon-fron-tee — Regards; used in 'nei confronti di' meaning 'toward'.
scoperta: sko-per-ta — Discovery; the act of finding something previously unknown.
colpa: kol-pa — Fault or guilt; responsibility for a wrongdoing.
Invece: een-ve-che — Instead; on the contrary or as an alternative.
mostrarsi: mos-trar-si — To show oneself; reflexive verb meaning to appear or act.
ferito: fe-ree-to — Hurt or wounded; injured physically or emotionally.
negare: ne-ga-re — To deny; to declare something is not true.
difendersi: di-fen-der-si — To defend oneself; to protect against blame or attack.
chiedere: kye-de-re — To ask or request; to seek information or forgiveness.
perdono: per-do-no — Forgiveness or pardon; absolution for a wrongdoing.
invece: een-ve-che — Instead or on the contrary; introducing an alternative.
restare: res-ta-re — To stay or remain; to continue to be in a place.
persino: per-see-no — Even; used to emphasize an extreme or unexpected case.
indifferente: een-dif-fe-ren-te — Indifferent; showing no interest or concern.
qualsiasi: kwal-sya-zi — Any or whatever; no matter which, of any kind.
sarebbe: sa-reb-be — Would be; conditional of 'essere', to be.
stata: sta-ta — Been; feminine past participle of 'essere'.
meglio: me-lyo — Better; comparative adverb indicating superior quality.
quello: kwel-lo — That; masculine demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
fece: fe-che — Did or made; third person singular past of 'fare'.
volto: vol-to — Face; the front part of a person's head.
involontariamente: een-vo-lon-ta-rya-men-te — Involuntarily; without conscious intention or control.
azione: a-tsyo-ne — Action; something done, an act or deed.
riflessa: ri-fles-sa — Reflex; an automatic involuntary physical response.
spinale: spee-na-le — Spinal; relating to the spine or spinal cord.
rifletté: ri-flet-te — Reflected or pondered; past tense of 'riflettere'.
appassionato: ap-pas-syo-na-to — Passionate enthusiast; deeply devoted to a subject.
fisiologia: fi-zyo-lo-jee-a — Physiology; the science of bodily functions and processes.
assunse: as-soon-ze — Assumed or took on; past tense of 'assumere'.
solito: so-lee-to — Usual or habitual; the customary or typical thing.
sorriso: sor-ree-zo — Smile; a facial expression of warmth or happiness.
bonario: bo-na-ryo — Good-natured or kind; having a gentle, benevolent manner.
perciò: per-cho — Therefore or so; as a result or consequence.
idiota: ee-dyo-ta — Idiot or foolish; a very stupid or senseless person.
Quel: kwel — That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective.
riusciva: ryoo-shee-va — Was managing or succeeding; imperfect of 'riuscire'.
perdonarselo: per-do-nar-se-lo — To forgive himself for it; reflexive verb with pronoun.

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