Cranford — Page 1
OUR SOCIETY
LA NOSTRA SOCIETÀ
IN the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women.
In primo luogo, Cranford è in possesso delle Amazzoni; tutti i proprietari di case al di sopra di un certo affitto sono donne.
If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad.
Se una coppia sposata viene a stabilirsi in città, in qualche modo il gentiluomo scompare; o è letteralmente terrorizzato dall'essere l'unico uomo nei ricevimenti serali di Cranford, oppure lo si giustifica dicendo che è con il suo reggimento, con la sua nave, o intensamente impegnato negli affari per tutta la settimana nella grande città commerciale vicina di Drumble, distante solo venti miglia in ferrovia.
In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.
In breve, qualunque cosa accada ai gentiluomini, essi non sono a Cranford.
What could they do if they were there?
Cosa potrebbero fare se ci fossero?
The surgeon has his round of thirty miles, and sleeps at Cranford; but every man cannot be a surgeon.
Il chirurgo ha il suo giro di trenta miglia e dorme a Cranford; ma non ogni uomo può essere un chirurgo.
For keeping the trim gardens full of choice flowers without a weed to speck them; for frightening away little boys who look wistfully at the said flowers through the railings; for rushing out at the geese that occasionally venture in to the gardens if the gates are left open; for deciding all questions of literature and politics without troubling themselves with unnecessary reasons or arguments; for obtaining clear and correct knowledge of everybody's affairs in the parish; for keeping their neat maid-servants in admirable order; for kindness (somewhat dictatorial) to the poor, and real tender good offices to each other whenever they are in distress, the ladies of Cranford are quite sufficient.
Per tenere i curati giardini pieni di fiori pregiati senza un'erbaccia che li imbratti; per spaventare i ragazzini che guardano con malinconia i suddetti fiori attraverso le ringhiere; per scacciare le oche che di tanto in tanto si avventurano nei giardini se i cancelli vengono lasciati aperti; per decidere tutte le questioni di letteratura e politica senza disturbarsi con ragioni o argomenti non necessari; per ottenere una conoscenza chiara e precisa degli affari di tutti nella parrocchia; per tenere le loro ordinate domestiche in un ammirevole ordine; per la gentilezza (alquanto autoritaria) verso i poveri, e i veri e teneri buoni uffici le une verso le altre ogni volta che si trovano in difficoltà, le signore di Cranford sono del tutto sufficienti.
Vocabulary
- NOSTRA
- nostra — Our (feminine singular possessive adjective)
- SOCIETÀ
- so-chye-TAH — Society, company, or social group
- primo
- PREE-mo — First; primary in order or importance
- luogo
- LWOH-go — Place, location; also used in 'in primo luogo' (firstly)
- possesso
- pos-SES-so — Possession, ownership, control of something
- Amazzoni
- a-mad-ZOH-nee — Amazons; mythical warrior women; here, dominant women
- tutti
- TUT-tee — All, every (masculine plural)
- proprietari
- pro-prye-TAH-ree — Owners, proprietors of property or businesses
- case
- KAH-ze — Houses, homes (plural of casa)
- sopra
- SOH-pra — Above, over, beyond a certain level
- certo
- CHER-to — Certain, a specific, a particular amount
- affitto
- af-FIT-to — Rent; the payment made for property use
- donne
- DON-ne — Women (plural of donna)
- Se
- se — Conjunction meaning 'if' in conditional sentences
- coppia
- KOP-pya — A couple, a pair of two people together
- sposata
- spo-ZAH-ta — Married (feminine past participle of sposare)
- viene
- VYEH-ne — Comes; third person singular of venire
- stabilirsi
- sta-bee-LEER-see — To settle, to establish oneself in a place
- città
- chit-TAH — City, town, urban settlement
- qualche
- KWAHL-ke — Some, any, a few (before singular noun)
- modo
- MOH-do — Way, manner, method of doing something
- gentiluomo
- jen-tee-LWOH-mo — Gentleman; a man of refined manners and status
- scompare
- skom-PAH-re — Disappears; third person singular of scomparire
- letteralmente
- let-te-ral-MEN-te — Literally, in the exact or strict sense
- terrorizzato
- ter-ro-rid-ZAH-to — Terrified, frightened by something overwhelming
- essere
- ES-se-re — To be; also used as a noun meaning 'being'
- unico
- OO-nee-ko — Only, sole, unique; the single one present
- uomo
- WWOH-mo — Man, male human being
- ricevimenti
- ree-che-vee-MEN-tee — Receptions, evening gatherings, social parties
- serali
- se-RAH-lee — Evening (adjective, plural): pertaining to evenings
- oppure
- op-POO-re — Or else, otherwise; stronger alternative conjunction
- giustifica
- joos-TEE-fee-ka — Justifies; explains or excuses an absence
- dicendo
- dee-CHEN-do — Saying; gerund of dire, ongoing action of speech
- suo
- SOO-o — His, her, its (masculine singular possessive adjective)
- reggimento
- red-jee-MEN-to — Regiment; a military unit commanded by a colonel
- sua
- SOO-a — His, her, its (feminine singular possessive adjective)
- nave
- NAH-ve — Ship, vessel that travels on water
- intensamente
- in-ten-sa-MEN-te — Intensely, with great effort or concentration
- impegnato
- im-pen-YAH-to — Engaged, busy, committed to an activity
- affari
- af-FAH-ree — Business matters, affairs, commercial dealings
- tutta
- TUT-ta — All, whole, entire (feminine singular)
- settimana
- set-tee-MAH-na — Week; a period of seven consecutive days
- grande
- GRAN-de — Large, big, great in size or importance
- commerciale
- kom-mer-CHAH-le — Commercial, relating to trade and business
- vicina
- vee-CHEE-na — Nearby, close, neighboring (feminine singular)
- distante
- dis-TAN-te — Distant, far away by a certain measure
- solo
- SOH-lo — Only, just, alone; a mere amount
- venti
- VEN-tee — Twenty; the number 20
- miglia
- MEEL-ya — Miles; unit of distance (plural of miglio)
- ferrovia
- fer-ro-VEE-a — Railway, railroad; system of train transport
- breve
- BREH-ve — Brief, short in duration or distance
- qualunque
- kwa-LOON-kwe — Whatever, whichever, any kind of thing
- cosa
- KOH-za — Thing, matter; also used as 'what' in questions
- accada
- ak-KAH-da — May happen; subjunctive of accadere (to happen)
- gentiluomini
- jen-tee-LWOH-mee-nee — Gentlemen; refined men of social standing (plural)
- essi
- ES-see — They; third person masculine plural subject pronoun
- Cosa
- KOH-za — What; used to introduce a question
- potrebbero
- po-TREB-be-ro — They could; conditional of potere (to be able)
- fare
- To do, to make; fundamental Italian infinitive verb
- fossero
- FOS-se-ro — Were (imperfect subjunctive of essere, third plural)
- chirurgo
- kee-ROOR-go — Surgeon; a doctor who performs operations
- giro
- JEE-ro — Round, circuit; here refers to a doctor's rounds
- trenta
- TREN-ta — Thirty; the number 30
- dorme
- DOR-me — Sleeps; third person singular of dormire
- ogni
- ON-yee — Every, each (invariable adjective before singular noun)
- può
- pwò — Can, is able to; third person singular of potere
- tenere
- te-NEH-re — To keep, to hold, to maintain something
- curati
- ku-RAH-tee — Cared for, tended, well-maintained (masculine plural)
- giardini
- jar-DEE-nee — Gardens (plural of giardino)
- pieni
- PYEH-nee — Full of, filled with (masculine plural adjective)
- fiori
- FYOH-ree — Flowers (plural of fiore)
- pregiati
- pre-JAH-tee — Prized, precious, highly valued (masculine plural)
- senza
- SEN-tsa — Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- erbaccia
- er-BAT-cha — Weed; an unwanted plant in a garden
- imbratti
- im-BRAT-tee — Dirties, spoils, defaces (third person subjunctive)
- spaventare
- spa-ven-TAH-re — To frighten, to scare away unwanted intruders
- ragazzini
- ra-gat-SEE-nee — Little boys, young children (diminutive plural)
- guardano
- GWAR-da-no — Look at, watch; third person plural of guardare
- malinconia
- ma-lin-ko-NEE-a — Melancholy, sadness, wistful longing
- suddetti
- sud-DET-tee — Aforementioned, previously mentioned (masculine plural)
- attraverso
- at-tra-VER-so — Through, across; preposition of passage
- ringhiere
- rin-GYEH-re — Railings, iron fences around gardens or balconies
- scacciare
- skat-CHAH-re — To chase away, to drive out intruders
- oche
- OH-ke — Geese (plural of oca)
- tanto
- TAN-to — So much, so many; also 'whenever' in context
- avventurano
- av-ven-TOO-ra-no — Venture into; they dare to go somewhere risky
- cancelli
- kan-CHEL-lee — Gates, small iron gates of a garden or property
- vengono
- VEN-go-no — They come; also used in passive: they are (done)
- lasciati
- la-SHAH-tee — Left, allowed to be (past participle of lasciare)
- aperti
- a-PER-tee — Open (masculine plural past participle of aprire)
- decidere
- de-CHEE-de-re — To decide, to make a decision about something
- tutte
- TUT-te — All, every (feminine plural adjective/pronoun)
- questioni
- kwes-TYOH-nee — Questions, issues, matters to be resolved
- letteratura
- let-te-ra-TOO-ra — Literature; written works of artistic or scholarly value
- politica
- po-LEE-tee-ka — Politics; the activity of governing and public affairs
- disturbarsi
- dis-toor-BAR-see — To trouble oneself, to bother doing something
- ragioni
- ra-JOH-nee — Reasons, arguments, justifications for an opinion
- argomenti
- ar-go-MEN-tee — Arguments, topics, subjects of discussion
- necessari
- ne-ches-SAH-ree — Necessary, required, needed (masculine plural)
- ottenere
- ot-te-NEH-re — To obtain, to get, to achieve something desired
- conoscenza
- ko-no-SHEN-tsa — Knowledge, acquaintance, familiarity with something
- chiara
- KYAH-ra — Clear, evident, easy to understand (feminine)
- precisa
- pre-CHEE-za — Precise, exact, accurate (feminine singular adjective)
- parrocchia
- par-ROK-kya — Parish; local church community and its territory
- loro
- LOH-ro — Their, theirs; also third person plural pronoun
- ordinate
- or-dee-NAH-te — Orderly, tidy, well-organized (feminine plural)
- domestiche
- do-MES-tee-ke — Domestic, household-related (feminine plural adjective)
- ammirevole
- am-mee-REH-vo-le — Admirable, worthy of admiration and praise
- ordine
- OR-dee-ne — Order, tidiness, organized arrangement of things
- gentilezza
- jen-tee-LET-tsa — Kindness, gentleness, politeness in manner
- alquanto
- al-KWAN-to — Somewhat, rather, to a considerable degree
- autoritaria
- aw-to-ree-TAH-rya — Authoritarian, domineering in manner (feminine)
- verso
- VER-so — Toward; preposition indicating direction or attitude
- poveri
- POH-ve-ree — The poor; people lacking financial resources
- veri
- VEH-ree — True, real, genuine (masculine plural adjective)
- teneri
- TEH-ne-ree — Tender, gentle, affectionate (masculine plural)
- buoni
- BWOH-nee — Good, kind, virtuous (masculine plural adjective)
- uffici
- uf-FEE-chee — Offices, duties, good services rendered to others
- altre
- AL-tre — Others (feminine plural); other people or things
- volta
- VOL-ta — Time, occasion; una volta means 'once'
- trovano
- TROH-va-no — They find; third person plural of trovare
- difficoltà
- dif-fee-kol-TAH — Difficulty, obstacle, challenge encountered
- signore
- seen-YOH-re — Ladies; plural of signora; also sir/lord
- tutto
- TUT-to — All, everything, completely (masculine singular)
- sufficienti
- suf-fee-CHEN-tee — Sufficient, enough, adequate for the purpose
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