Anna Karenina — Page 3
The liberal party said that marriage is an institution quite out of date, and that it needs reconstruction; and family life certainly afforded Stepan Arkadyevitch little gratification, and forced him into lying and hypocrisy, which was so repulsive to his nature.
Il partito liberale sosteneva che il matrimonio è un'istituzione del tutto antiquata e che necessita di una ricostruzione; e la vita familiare certamente offriva a Stepan Arkad'evič poca soddisfazione, e lo costringeva alla menzogna e all'ipocrisia, che erano così repulsive alla sua natura.
The liberal party said, or rather allowed it to be understood, that religion is only a curb to keep in check the barbarous classes of the people; and Stepan Arkadyevitch could not get through even a short service without his legs aching from standing up, and could never make out what was the object of all the terrible and high-flown language about another world when life might be so very amusing in this world.
Il partito liberale sosteneva, o piuttosto lasciava intendere, che la religione è solo un freno per tenere a bada le classi barbare del popolo; e Stepan Arkad'evič non riusciva a sopportare nemmeno una breve funzione senza che le gambe gli dolессero per il troppo stare in piedi, e non capiva mai quale fosse lo scopo di tutto quel linguaggio terribile e ampolloso riguardo a un altro mondo, quando la vita poteva essere così piacevole in questo mondo.
And with all this, Stepan Arkadyevitch, who liked a joke, was fond of puzzling a plain man by saying that if he prided himself on his origin, he ought not to stop at Rurik and disown the first founder of his family—the monkey.
E con tutto ciò, Stepan Arkad'evič, che amava scherzare, si divertiva a sconcertare un uomo semplice dicendo che se si vantava della propria origine, non doveva fermarsi a Rurik e rinnegare il primo capostipite della sua famiglia — la scimmia.
And so Liberalism had become a habit of Stepan Arkadyevitch's, and he liked his newspaper, as he did his cigar after dinner, for the slight fog it diffused in his brain.
E così il Liberalismo era diventato un'abitudine di Stepan Arkad'evič, e gli piaceva il suo giornale, come il sigaro dopo cena, per la leggera nebbia che diffondeva nel suo cervello.
Vocabulary
- partito
- par-TI-to — Political party or faction
- liberale
- li-be-RA-le — Liberal; relating to liberal political or social views
- sosteneva
- so-ste-NE-va — He/she maintained, argued, or upheld a position
- matrimonio
- ma-tri-MO-nio — Marriage; the legal or formal union of partners
- istituzione
- i-sti-tu-TSIO-ne — Institution; an established social or legal organization
- antiquata
- an-ti-KWA-ta — Outdated, antiquated, no longer relevant or modern
- necessita
- ne-ces-SI-ta — Requires, needs; third person singular present tense
- ricostruzione
- ri-co-stru-TSIO-ne — Reconstruction; rebuilding or reorganizing something completely
- familiare
- fa-mi-LIA-re — Family-related; pertaining to family life
- certamente
- cer-ta-MEN-te — Certainly, definitely; used to express assurance
- offriva
- of-FRI-va — Was offering, provided; imperfect tense of 'offrire'
- soddisfazione
- sod-dis-fa-TSIO-ne — Satisfaction; feeling of fulfillment or contentment
- costringeva
- co-strin-GE-va — Was forcing, compelling someone to do something
- menzogna
- men-ZO-nya — Lie, falsehood; a deliberately untrue statement
- ipocrisia
- i-po-cri-ZI-a — Hypocrisy; pretending to have virtues one lacks
- repulsive
- re-PUL-si-ve — Repulsive, disgusting; causing a strong feeling of aversion
- natura
- na-TU-ra — Nature; innate character or personality of someone
- piuttosto
- piu-TOS-to — Rather, quite; used to introduce a correction or preference
- lasciava
- la-SCIA-va — Was leaving, letting; imperfect of 'lasciare'
- intendere
- in-TEN-de-re — To understand, imply; to make something understood
- religione
- re-li-GIO-ne — Religion; organized system of faith and worship
- freno
- FRE-no — Brake, restraint; something that checks or controls
- tenere
- te-NE-re — To hold, keep; common Italian verb of retention
- bada
- BA-da — Watch over; used in 'tenere a bada' meaning keep in check
- classi
- CLAS-si — Classes; social or economic groups in society
- barbare
- BAR-ba-re — Barbaric, uncivilized; referring to savage or crude peoples
- popolo
- PO-po-lo — People, folk; the common people of a nation
- riusciva
- riu-SCI-va — Managed, succeeded; imperfect of 'riuscire'
- sopportare
- sop-por-TA-re — To bear, endure, put up with something difficult
- nemmeno
- nem-ME-no — Not even; a stronger form of negation
- breve
- BRE-ve — Brief, short; of small duration or length
- funzione
- fun-TSIO-ne — Function, ceremony; a formal event or service
- senza
- SEN-tsa — Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- gambe
- GAM-be — Legs; the lower limbs of the human body
- dolessero
- do-LES-se-ro — Were aching; subjunctive imperfect of 'dolere'
- piedi
- PIE-di — Feet; the lower extremities of the legs
- capiva
- ca-PI-va — Was understanding; imperfect tense of 'capire'
- fosse
- FOS-se — Were; subjunctive imperfect of 'essere'
- scopo
- SCO-po — Purpose, goal; the aim or objective of something
- linguaggio
- lin-GUAG-gio — Language, speech; a system of communication used
- terribile
- ter-RI-bi-le — Terrible, dreadful; inspiring great fear or discomfort
- ampolloso
- am-pol-LO-so — Bombastic, pompous; overly inflated or grandiloquent in style
- riguardo
- ri-GUAR-do — Regard, concerning; with reference or respect to
- piacevole
- pia-CE-vo-le — Pleasant, agreeable; causing enjoyment or satisfaction
- ciò
- ciò — This, that; demonstrative pronoun referring to a fact
- scherzare
- scher-ZA-re — To joke, jest; to speak or act in a playful way
- divertiva
- di-ver-TI-va — Was amused, enjoyed; imperfect of 'divertirsi'
- sconcertare
- scon-cer-TA-re — To disconcert, unsettle; to confuse or disturb someone
- semplice
- SEM-pli-ce — Simple, plain; not complex or sophisticated
- dicendo
- di-CEN-do — Saying; gerund of 'dire', used for ongoing speech
- vantava
- van-TA-va — Was boasting, bragging; imperfect of 'vantarsi'
- propria
- PRO-pria — Own; possessive adjective emphasizing personal ownership
- origine
- o-RI-gi-ne — Origin, ancestry; one's descent or lineage
- fermarsi
- fer-MAR-si — To stop oneself; reflexive verb meaning to halt
- rinnegare
- rin-ne-GA-re — To renounce, disown; to deny or reject someone/something
- capostipite
- ca-po-STI-pi-te — Ancestor, progenitor; founder of a family or lineage
- scimmia
- SCIM-mia — Monkey, ape; a primate used here metaphorically
- Liberalismo
- li-be-ra-LIS-mo — Liberalism; political philosophy favoring individual freedoms
- diventato
- di-ven-TA-to — Become; past participle of 'diventare'
- abitudine
- a-bi-TU-di-ne — Habit, custom; a regular practice or tendency
- piaceva
- pia-CE-va — Was pleasing, liked; imperfect of 'piacere'
- giornale
- gior-NA-le — Newspaper; a daily printed publication of news
- sigaro
- SI-ga-ro — Cigar; a rolled tobacco product for smoking
- cena
- CE-na — Dinner, supper; the main evening meal
- leggera
- leg-GE-ra — Light, gentle; of little weight or intensity
- nebbia
- NEB-bia — Fog, mist; dense atmospheric vapor reducing visibility
- diffondeva
- dif-fon-DE-va — Was spreading, diffusing; imperfect of 'diffondersi'
- cervello
- cer-VEL-lo — Brain; the organ of thought and intelligence
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