Cranford — Page 9
The whole town knew and kindly regarded Miss Betsy Barker's Alderney; therefore great was the sympathy and regret when, in an unguarded moment, the poor cow tumbled into a lime-pit.
Tutta la città conosceva e benvoleva la vacca Alderney della signorina Betsy Barker; quindi grande fu la simpatia e il rimpianto quando, in un momento di distrazione, la povera mucca cadde in una fossa di calce.
She moaned so loudly that she was soon heard and rescued; but meanwhile the poor beast had lost most of her hair, and came out looking naked, cold, and miserable, in a bare skin.
Muggiva così forte che fu presto udita e soccorsa; ma nel frattempo la povera bestia aveva perso gran parte del suo pelo, e ne uscì apparendo nuda, infreddolita e miserevole, con la pelle a nudo.
Everybody pitied the animal, though a few could not restrain their smiles at her droll appearance.
Tutti compatirono l'animale, sebbene alcuni non riuscissero a trattenere i sorrisi dinanzi al suo buffo aspetto.
Miss Betsy Barker absolutely cried with sorrow and dismay; and it was said she thought of trying a bath of oil.
La signorina Betsy Barker pianse proprio di dolore e costernazione; e si diceva che avesse pensato di tentare un bagno d'olio.
This remedy, perhaps, was recommended by some one of the number whose advice she asked; but the proposal, if ever it was made, was knocked on the head by Captain Brown's decided "Get her a flannel waistcoat and flannel drawers, ma'am, if you wish to keep her alive.
Questo rimedio, forse, fu raccomandato da qualcuno tra coloro a cui ella chiese consiglio; ma la proposta, se mai fu avanzata, fu stroncata dal deciso intervento del capitano Brown: «Procuratele un gilè di flanella e dei mutandoni di flanella, signora, se desiderate tenerla in vita.
But my advice is, kill the poor creature at once."
Ma il mio consiglio è di abbattere subito la povera bestia.»
Miss Betsy Barker dried her eyes, and thanked the Captain heartily; she set to work, and by-and-by all the town turned out to see the Alderney meekly going to her pasture, clad in dark grey flannel.
La signorina Betsy Barker si asciugò gli occhi e ringraziò calorosamente il Capitano; si mise all'opera, e ben presto tutta la città uscì a vedere la vacca Alderney che si avviava docilmente al pascolo, avvolta in una flanella grigio scuro.
I have watched her myself many a time.
L'ho osservata io stessa molte volte.
Do you ever see cows dressed in grey flannel in London?
Si vedono mai mucche vestite di flanella grigia a Londra?
[Picture: Meekly going to her pasture]
[Immagine: Docilmente avviata al pascolo]
Captain Brown had taken a small house on the outskirts of the town, where he lived with his two daughters.
Il capitano Brown aveva preso in affitto una piccola casa alla periferia della città, dove viveva con le sue due figlie.
Vocabulary
- Tutta
- All, entire, the whole of something
- la
- The, feminine singular definite article
- città
- City, town, urban settlement
- conosceva
- Knew, was acquainted with someone or something
- e
- And, a basic coordinating conjunction
- benvoleva
- Was fond of, held in affectionate regard
- vacca
- Cow, adult female bovine animal
- della
- Of the, feminine singular preposition-article contraction
- signorina
- Miss, title for an unmarried woman
- quindi
- Therefore, so, consequently
- grande
- Great, large, big in size or degree
- fu
- Was, third person singular past of essere
- simpatia
- Sympathy, liking, warmth toward someone
- il
- The, masculine singular definite article
- rimpianto
- Regret, sorrow felt over a loss
- quando
- When, at the time that something happened
- in
- In, inside, within a place or time
- un
- A, an, masculine singular indefinite article
- momento
- Moment, a brief period of time
- di
- Of, from, a very common preposition
- distrazione
- Distraction, inattentiveness, lapse of concentration
- povera
- Poor, unfortunate, used to express sympathy
- mucca
- Cow, common word for female bovine
- cadde
- Fell, dropped down into something unexpectedly
- una
- A, an, feminine singular indefinite article
- fossa
- Pit, ditch, hole in the ground
- calce
- Lime, calcium-based white substance or powder
- Muggiva
- Was mooing, the lowing sound made by cattle
- così
- So, thus, in such a way
- forte
- Loud, strong, intensely or powerfully
- che
- That, which, who, a versatile conjunction
- presto
- Soon, quickly, in a short time
- udita
- Heard, past participle of udire, to hear
- soccorsa
- Rescued, aided, past participle of soccorrere
- ma
- But, however, a contrasting conjunction
- nel
- In the, masculine singular preposition-article contraction
- frattempo
- Meantime, meanwhile, the intervening period
- bestia
- Beast, animal, creature, often used colloquially
- aveva
- Had, third person singular past of avere
- perso
- Lost, past participle of perdere, to lose
- gran
- Great, large, shortened form of grande
- parte
- Part, portion, a section of something
- del
- Of the, masculine singular preposition-article contraction
- suo
- His, her, its, third person possessive adjective
- pelo
- Fur, hair, coat of an animal
- ne
- Of it, from it, a partitive pronoun
- uscì
- Came out, exited, emerged from somewhere
- apparendo
- Appearing, seeming, present gerund of apparire
- nuda
- Naked, bare, without covering or clothing
- infreddolita
- Chilled, feeling cold, shivering from the cold
- miserevole
- Miserable, wretched, in a pitiful condition
- con
- With, together with, accompanied by
- pelle
- Skin, hide, outer layer of a body
- a
- At, to, a common Italian preposition
- nudo
- Bare, naked, exposed without covering
- Tutti
- Everyone, all people, everybody present
- compatirono
- Pitied, felt compassion for someone's suffering
- l'
- The, elided definite article before a vowel
- animale
- Animal, a living creature, non-human being
- sebbene
- Although, even though, a concessive conjunction
- alcuni
- Some, a few, referring to an unspecified number
- non
- Not, negation word used before verbs
- riuscissero
- Managed, could, subjunctive of riuscire
- trattenere
- To hold back, restrain, suppress something
- i
- The, masculine plural definite article
- sorrisi
- Smiles, plural of sorriso, a smile
- dinanzi
- Before, in front of, facing something
- al
- To the, masculine singular preposition-article contraction
- buffo
- Funny, comical, amusing in appearance
- aspetto
- Appearance, look, aspect, outward presentation
- La
- Her, she, feminine direct object pronoun
- pianse
- Wept, cried, third person past of piangere
- proprio
- Really, truly, one's own, genuine
- dolore
- Pain, grief, sorrow, ache of body or mind
- costernazione
- Consternation, dismay, deep distress or anxiety
- si
- Oneself, reflexive pronoun, also impersonal subject
- diceva
- Said, was saying, imperfect of dire
- avesse
- Had, subjunctive imperfect of avere
- pensato
- Thought, considered, past participle of pensare
- tentare
- To try, attempt, to make an effort
- bagno
- Bath, bathroom, a wash or soaking
- d'
- Of, elided preposition di before a vowel
- olio
- Oil, liquid fat used in cooking or treatment
- Questo
- This, demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby
- rimedio
- Remedy, cure, solution to a problem
- forse
- Perhaps, maybe, expressing uncertainty or possibility
- raccomandato
- Recommended, suggested, past participle of raccomandare
- da
- By, from, since, a common Italian preposition
- qualcuno
- Someone, somebody, an unspecified person
- tra
- Among, between, within a group or space
- coloro
- Those, those people, third person plural pronoun
- cui
- Whom, which, a relative pronoun
- ella
- She, formal third person feminine subject pronoun
- chiese
- Asked, requested, past tense of chiedere
- consiglio
- Advice, counsel, suggestion given to someone
- proposta
- Proposal, suggestion, an idea put forward
- se
- If, whether, a conditional conjunction
- mai
- Ever, never, at any time
- avanzata
- Advanced, put forward, past participle of avanzare
- stroncata
- Cut down, crushed, decisively stopped or rejected
- dal
- By the, masculine singular preposition-article contraction
- deciso
- Decisive, firm, resolute in action or manner
- intervento
- Intervention, involvement, act of stepping in
- capitano
- Captain, a military or naval officer rank
- Procuratele
- Get her, obtain for her, imperative of procurare
- gilè
- Waistcoat, vest, sleeveless garment worn over shirt
- flanella
- Flannel, soft warm woven fabric
- dei
- Of the, masculine plural preposition-article contraction
- mutandoni
- Long underpants, large drawers, warm undergarment
- signora
- Madam, Mrs., polite title for a woman
- desiderate
- You desire, you wish, second plural of desiderare
- tenerla
- To keep her, to maintain her alive
- vita
- Life, existence, living state of a being
- Ma
- But, however, introducing a contrasting statement
- mio
- My, mine, first person possessive adjective
- è
- Is, third person singular present of essere
- abbattere
- To put down, slaughter, kill an animal
- subito
- Immediately, right away, at once
- asciugò
- Dried, wiped dry, past tense of asciugare
- gli
- The, to him, masculine plural article or pronoun
- occhi
- Eyes, plural of occhio, the organs of sight
- ringraziò
- Thanked, expressed gratitude, past of ringraziare
- calorosamente
- Warmly, cordially, with heartfelt friendliness
- Capitano
- Captain, title used to address an officer
- mise
- Put, placed, past tense of mettere
- all'
- To the, at the, elided preposition-article
- opera
- Work, task, operation, also musical opera
- ben
- Well, quite, shortened form of bene
- vedere
- To see, to observe, an infinitive verb
- avviava
- Was heading, was setting off toward a destination
- docilmente
- Docilely, obediently, in a meek manner
- pascolo
- Pasture, grazing land for livestock
- avvolta
- Wrapped, enveloped, past participle of avvolgere
- grigio
- Gray, grey, a neutral cool color
- scuro
- Dark, deep in shade or color
- L'
- Her, it, elided direct object pronoun
- ho
- I have, first person singular present of avere
- osservata
- Observed, watched, past participle of osservare
- io
- I, the first person singular subject pronoun
- stessa
- Herself, myself, same, an intensifying pronoun
- molte
- Many, numerous, feminine plural of molto
- volte
- Times, occasions, plural of volta
- Si
- One, you, impersonal or reflexive pronoun
- vedono
- One sees, they see, third plural of vedere
- mucche
- Cows, plural of mucca, female bovines
- vestite
- Dressed, clothed, past participle of vestire
- grigia
- Gray, grey, feminine form of grigio
- Londra
- London, the capital city of England
- Immagine
- Image, picture, illustration accompanying text
- Docilmente
- Docilely, obediently, in a compliant manner
- avviata
- Headed off, set on her way, guided along
- Il
- The, masculine singular definite article
- preso
- Taken, rented, past participle of prendere
- affitto
- Rent, rental, payment for use of property
- piccola
- Small, little, feminine form of piccolo
- casa
- House, home, a place of residence
- alla
- To the, at the, feminine preposition-article contraction
- periferia
- Outskirts, suburbs, area on the edge of a city
- dove
- Where, in which place, a relative adverb
- viveva
- Lived, was living, imperfect of vivere
- le
- The, to her, feminine plural article or pronoun
- sue
- Her, its, feminine plural possessive adjective
- due
- Two, the number two
- figlie
- Daughters, plural of figlia, a female child
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