Anna Karenina — Page 2
Stepan Arkadyevitch took in and read a liberal paper, not an extreme one, but one advocating the views held by the majority.
Stepan Arkadyevitch riceveva e leggeva un giornale liberale, non estremo, ma uno che sosteneva le opinioni condivise dalla maggioranza.
And in spite of the fact that science, art, and politics had no special interest for him, he firmly held those views on all these subjects which were held by the majority and by his paper, and he only changed them when the majority changed them—or, more strictly speaking, he did not change them, but they imperceptibly changed of themselves within him.
E nonostante il fatto che la scienza, l'arte e la politica non avessero per lui alcun interesse particolare, egli manteneva fermamente quelle opinioni su tutti questi argomenti che erano condivise dalla maggioranza e dal suo giornale, e le cambiava solo quando la maggioranza le cambiava — o, per dirla più precisamente, non le cambiava lui, ma esse cambiavano impercettibilmente da sole dentro di lui.
Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his views; these political opinions and views had come to him of themselves, just as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and coat, but simply took those that were being worn.
Stepan Arkadyevitch non aveva scelto le sue opinioni politiche né le sue vedute; queste opinioni politiche e vedute erano venute a lui da sole, proprio come non sceglieva la forma del suo cappello e del suo cappotto, ma prendeva semplicemente quelli che si portavano.
And for him, living in a certain society—owing to the need, ordinarily developed at years of discretion, for some degree of mental activity—to have views was just as indispensable as to have a hat.
E per lui, che viveva in una certa società — a causa del bisogno, che si sviluppa ordinariamente con gli anni del discernimento, di una certa attività mentale — avere delle opinioni era altrettanto indispensabile quanto avere un cappello.
If there was a reason for his preferring liberal to conservative views, which were held also by many of his circle, it arose not from his considering liberalism more rational, but from its being in closer accordance with his manner of life.
Se vi era una ragione per cui preferiva le opinioni liberali a quelle conservatrici, condivise anch'esse da molti della sua cerchia, essa non nasceva dal ritenere il liberalismo più razionale, ma dall'essere esso in più stretto accordo con il suo modo di vivere.
The liberal party said that in Russia everything is wrong, and certainly Stepan Arkadyevitch had many debts and was decidedly short of money.
Il partito liberale diceva che in Russia tutto va male, e certamente Stepan Arkadyevitch aveva molti debiti ed era decisamente a corto di denaro.
Vocabulary
- riceveva
- ri-che-VE-va — He/she was receiving or used to receive something
- e
- e — Conjunction meaning and connecting words or clauses
- leggeva
- led-JE-va — He/she was reading or used to read regularly
- un
- un — Indefinite article meaning a or an
- giornale
- jor-NA-le — A newspaper or daily publication of news
- liberale
- li-be-RA-le — Relating to liberal political or social views
- non
- non — Negation word meaning not or no
- estremo
- es-TRE-mo — Extreme, furthest, or most radical in degree
- ma
- ma — Conjunction meaning but introducing a contrast
- uno
- U-no — Indefinite article or number meaning one
- che
- ke — Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning that or which
- sosteneva
- sos-te-NE-va — He/she was supporting or upholding an idea
- le
- le — Definite article or pronoun meaning the or her
- opinioni
- o-pi-NIO-ni — Opinions or personal views on a topic
- condivise
- kon-di-VI-ze — Shared or held in common by many people
- dalla
- DAL-la — Contraction of da and la meaning from the
- maggioranza
- mad-jo-RAN-tsa — The majority or greater part of a group
- E
- e — Conjunction meaning and at sentence start
- nonostante
- no-nos-TAN-te — Despite or notwithstanding a circumstance or fact
- il
- il — Definite article meaning the for masculine nouns
- fatto
- FAT-to — Fact or something that has occurred or happened
- la
- la — Definite article meaning the for feminine nouns
- scienza
- SHEN-tsa — Science or systematic knowledge about the world
- l'
- l — Elided definite article the before a vowel
- arte
- AR-te — Art or creative expression in various forms
- politica
- po-LI-ti-ka — Politics or the science of government and power
- avessero
- a-VES-se-ro — They had, subjunctive past form of avere
- per
- per — Preposition meaning for, by, or through
- lui
- lu-i — Third person singular pronoun meaning him or he
- alcun
- al-KUN — Any or some, used in negative constructions
- interesse
- in-te-RES-se — Interest or curiosity toward a subject or activity
- particolare
- par-ti-ko-LA-re — Particular, specific, or special in nature
- egli
- EL-ji — Third person singular pronoun meaning he
- manteneva
- man-te-NE-va — He/she was maintaining or keeping something steadily
- fermamente
- fer-ma-MEN-te — Firmly or steadfastly in a determined manner
- quelle
- KWEL-le — Those, feminine plural demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- su
- su — Preposition meaning on, about, or concerning something
- tutti
- TUT-ti — All or everyone, masculine plural adjective or pronoun
- questi
- KWES-ti — These, masculine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- argomenti
- ar-go-MEN-ti — Arguments, topics, or subjects under discussion
- erano
- E-ra-no — They were, third person plural imperfect of essere
- dal
- dal — Contraction of da and il meaning from the
- suo
- SU-o — His, her, or its possessive adjective or pronoun
- cambiava
- kam-BIA-va — He/she was changing or used to change something
- solo
- SO-lo — Only or alone, indicating exclusivity or solitude
- quando
- KWAN-do — When, temporal conjunction introducing a time clause
- o
- o — Conjunction meaning or presenting an alternative choice
- dirla
- DIR-la — To say it or express it more precisely
- più
- pju — More or most, comparative adverb or adjective
- precisamente
- pre-tsi-za-MEN-te — Precisely or exactly, in a very accurate manner
- esse
- ES-se — They, feminine third person plural pronoun
- cambiavano
- kam-BIA-va-no — They were changing or used to change gradually
- impercettibilmente
- im-per-chet-ti-bil-MEN-te — Imperceptibly or in an unnoticeable gradual manner
- da
- da — Preposition meaning from, by, or since
- sole
- SO-le — Alone or by themselves without external influence
- dentro
- DEN-tro — Inside or within a place or abstract space
- di
- di — Preposition meaning of, from, or about something
- aveva
- a-VE-va — He/she had, third person singular imperfect of avere
- scelto
- SHEL-to — Chosen or selected, past participle of scegliere
- sue
- SU-e — His or her, feminine plural possessive adjective
- politiche
- po-LI-ti-ke — Political views or policies held by a person
- né
- ne — Neither or nor, negative correlative conjunction
- vedute
- ve-DU-te — Views or perspectives on a subject or issue
- queste
- KWES-te — These, feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- venute
- ve-NU-te — Come or arrived, feminine past participle of venire
- a
- a — Preposition meaning to, at, or in a place
- proprio
- PROP-rio — Own, exactly, or precisely belonging to oneself
- come
- KO-me — As, like, or how, used for comparisons
- sceglieva
- shel-JE-va — He/she was choosing or used to select something
- forma
- FOR-ma — Form, shape, or style of an object
- del
- del — Contraction of di and il meaning of the
- cappello
- kap-PEL-lo — Hat or cap worn on the head
- cappotto
- kap-POT-to — Overcoat or long coat worn outdoors in winter
- prendeva
- pren-DE-va — He/she was taking or used to take something
- semplicemente
- sem-pli-che-MEN-te — Simply or just, in a straightforward uncomplicated way
- quelli
- KWEL-li — Those ones, masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
- si
- si — Reflexive pronoun or impersonal subject meaning one
- portavano
- por-TA-va-no — They were worn or carried, imperfect of portare
- viveva
- vi-VE-va — He/she was living or used to live somewhere
- in
- in — Preposition meaning in, into, or within a place
- una
- U-na — Indefinite article meaning a for feminine nouns
- certa
- CHER-ta — Certain or particular, feminine adjective indicating specificity
- società
- so-che-TA — Society or social circle one belongs to
- causa
- KAU-za — Cause, reason, or motive behind an action
- bisogno
- bi-ZON-jo — Need or necessity required in a situation
- sviluppa
- zvi-LUP-pa — Develops or grows, third person singular present
- ordinariamente
- or-di-na-ria-MEN-te — Ordinarily or usually in a normal regular way
- con
- kon — Preposition meaning with, together, or alongside something
- gli
- ʎi — Definite article or pronoun meaning the or him
- anni
- AN-ni — Years, plural of anno referring to periods of time
- discernimento
- di-sher-ni-MEN-to — Discernment or keen judgment in understanding situations
- attività
- at-ti-vi-TA — Activity or occupation requiring mental or physical effort
- mentale
- men-TA-le — Mental or relating to the mind and intellect
- avere
- a-VE-re — To have, infinitive of the auxiliary verb avere
- delle
- DEL-le — Of the or some, feminine plural partitive article
- era
- E-ra — Was, third person singular imperfect of essere
- altrettanto
- al-tret-TAN-to — Just as much or equally as something else
- indispensabile
- in-dis-pen-SA-bi-le — Indispensable or absolutely necessary for a purpose
- quanto
- KWAN-to — As much as or how much in comparisons
- Se
- se — If or whether, conditional conjunction introducing a clause
- vi
- vi — There or to you, pronoun or locative adverb
- ragione
- ra-JO-ne — Reason or cause justifying a belief or action
- cui
- ku-i — Whom or which, relative pronoun after prepositions
- preferiva
- pre-fe-RI-va — He/she preferred or used to prefer something
- liberali
- li-be-RA-li — Liberals or those holding progressive political views
- conservatrici
- kon-ser-va-TRI-chi — Conservative women or conservative political tendencies
- anch'
- ank — Also or too, elided form of anche
- molti
- MOL-ti — Many or a large number of people or things
- della
- DEL-la — Of the, contraction of di and la
- sua
- SU-a — His or her, feminine singular possessive adjective
- cerchia
- CHER-kia — Circle or social group of acquaintances or friends
- essa
- ES-sa — It or she, feminine third person singular pronoun
- nasceva
- na-SHE-va — It was born or arose from a source
- ritenere
- ri-te-NE-re — To consider or deem something to be true
- liberalismo
- li-be-ra-LIZ-mo — Liberalism as a political or philosophical ideology
- razionale
- rat-tsio-NA-le — Rational or based on reason and logical thinking
- dall'
- dall — From the, elided contraction of da and il
- essere
- ES-se-re — To be, infinitive of the fundamental Italian verb
- esso
- ES-so — It, neutral third person singular pronoun
- stretto
- STRET-to — Strict, narrow, or close in agreement or fit
- accordo
- ak-KOR-do — Agreement or accord between parties or ideas
- modo
- MO-do — Way, manner, or method of doing something
- vivere
- VI-ve-re — To live, infinitive expressing the act of living
- Il
- il — Definite article the for masculine singular nouns
- partito
- par-TI-to — Political party or faction with shared ideological goals
- diceva
- di-CHE-va — He/she was saying or used to say something
- tutto
- TUT-to — Everything or all, masculine singular adjective or pronoun
- va
- va — Goes or is going, third person singular of andare
- male
- MA-le — Badly or poorly, adverb indicating something going wrong
- certamente
- cher-ta-MEN-te — Certainly or definitely, expressing strong confidence
- debiti
- DE-bi-ti — Debts or financial obligations owed to others
- ed
- ed — And, variant of e used before vowels
- decisamente
- de-tsi-za-MEN-te — Decidedly or clearly in an obvious unmistakable way
- corto
- KOR-to — Short or lacking sufficient amount of something
- denaro
- de-NA-ro — Money or currency used for financial transactions
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