Coniston — Volume 01 — Page 4
Behind it is the long shed, and in front, rising out of the milkweed and the flowering thistle, the horse block of the first meeting-house, where many a pillion has left its burden in times bygone.
Dietro di essa c'è il lungo capannone, e davanti, che emerge dall'erba lattuga e dal cardo in fiore, il montatoio della prima casa di riunione, dove molti un sellino ha lasciato il suo carico in tempi passati.
Honest Jock Hallowell built that second meeting-house--was, indeed, still building it at the time of which we write.
L'onesto Jock Hallowell costruì quella seconda casa di riunione — stava, anzi, ancora costruendola al tempo di cui scriviamo.
He had hewn every beam and king post in it, and set every plate and slip.
Aveva intagliato ogni trave e ogni puntone principale, e posato ogni tavola e ogni assito.
And Jock Hallowell is the man who, unwittingly starts this chronicle.
E Jock Hallowell è l'uomo che, inconsapevolmente, dà avvio a questa cronaca.
At noon, on one of those madcap April days of that Coniston country, Jock descended from his work on the steeple to perceive the ungainly figure of Jethro Bass coming toward him across the green.
A mezzogiorno, in uno di quei pazzerelli giorni d'aprile di quella contrada di Coniston, Jock scese dal suo lavoro sul campanile per scorgere la goffa figura di Jethro Bass che gli veniva incontro attraverso il prato.
Jethro was about thirty years of age, and he wore a coonskin cap even in those days, and trousers tacked into his boots.
Jethro aveva circa trent'anni, e portava un berretto di procione anche in quei giorni, e i pantaloni infilati negli stivali.
He carried his big head bent forward, a little to one aide, and was not, at first sight, a prepossessing-looking person.
Portava la sua grossa testa china in avanti, leggermente di lato, e non era, a prima vista, una persona dall'aspetto attraente.
As our story largely concerns him and we must get started somehow, it may as well be to fix a little attention on him.
Poiché la nostra storia lo riguarda in gran parte e dobbiamo cominciare in qualche modo, potremmo anche soffermare un poco l'attenzione su di lui.
"Heigho!" said Jock, rubbing his hands on his leather apron.
«Ehi!» disse Jock, strofinandosi le mani sul grembiule di cuoio.
"H-how be you, Jock?" said Jethro, stopping.
«C-come stai, Jock?» disse Jethro, fermandosi.
"Heigho!" cried Jock, "what's this game of fox and geese you're a-playin' among the farmers?"
«Ehi!» esclamò Jock, «cos'è questo gioco della volpe e delle oche che stai facendo tra i contadini?»
"C-callate to git the steeple done before frost?" inquired Jethro, without so much as a smile.
«C-conti di finire il campanile prima del gelo?» chiese Jethro, senza nemmeno un sorriso.
"B-build it tight, Jock--b-build it tight."
«C-costruiscilo ben solido, Jock — c-costruiscilo ben solido.»
Vocabulary
- Dietro
- Behind; at the back of something or someone
- di
- Of; indicates possession or relationship between nouns
- essa
- She; it; feminine singular pronoun in Italian
- il
- The; masculine singular definite article in Italian
- lungo
- Long; also means along or alongside something
- capannone
- Large shed; warehouse or industrial building structure
- davanti
- In front; before or ahead of something
- che
- That; which; who; relative pronoun in Italian
- emerge
- Emerges; stands out or becomes visible clearly
- erba
- Grass; green vegetation covering ground surface
- lattuga
- Lettuce; leafy green vegetable eaten in salads
- dal
- From the; contraction of da plus il
- in
- In; inside or within a place or time
- fiore
- Flower; bloom of a plant or tree
- della
- Of the; feminine singular contraction of di plus la
- prima
- First; before others in sequence or time
- casa
- House; home or residential building structure
- riunione
- Meeting; gathering of people for discussion purposes
- dove
- Where; in what place or location
- molti
- Many; numerous or a large quantity
- un
- A; an; masculine singular indefinite article
- ha
- Has; third person singular present tense of avere
- lasciato
- Left; abandoned or departed from a place
- suo
- His; her; its; possessive adjective in Italian
- carico
- Load; cargo or heavy burden to carry
- tempi
- Times; periods or eras in history
- passati
- Past; preceding in time or gone by
- onesto
- Honest; truthful and morally upright person
- costruì
- Built; past tense of costruire in Italian
- quella
- That; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun
- seconda
- Second; next after first in order
- stava
- Was; past imperfect tense of stare
- anzi
- Rather; on the contrary or instead
- ancora
- Still; yet or continuing at present time
- al
- To the; contraction of a plus il
- tempo
- Time; period or duration of hours or days
- cui
- Which; whom; relative pronoun in Italian
- scriviamo
- We write; present tense of scrivere first person
- Aveva
- He had; past imperfect tense of avere
- ogni
- Every; each or all individual items
- principale
- Principal; main or most important element
- posato
- Placed; laid down or set in position
- tavola
- Board; wooden plank or table surface
- uomo
- Man; adult male human being or person
- dà
- Gives; third person singular present of dare
- avvio
- Start; beginning or commencement of something
- questa
- This; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun
- cronaca
- Chronicle; historical record or narrative account
- mezzogiorno
- Noon; midday or twelve o'clock time
- uno
- One; the number 1 or a person
- quei
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
- giorni
- Days; twenty-four hour periods of time
- aprile
- April; fourth month of the calendar year
- scese
- Descended; past tense of scendere in Italian
- lavoro
- Work; labor or employment activity
- sul
- On the; contraction of su plus il
- per
- For; in order to or expressing purpose
- scorgere
- Perceive; catch sight of or observe clearly
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- goffa
- Clumsy; awkward or lacking grace
- figura
- Figure; form or bodily shape of person
- gli
- Him; to him; masculine indirect object pronoun
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