Crime and Punishment — Page 7
The bell gave a faint tinkle as though it were made of tin and not of copper.
Il campanello emise un debole tintinnio come se fosse fatto di stagno e non di rame.
The little flats in such houses always have bells that ring like that.
I piccoli appartamenti in case simili hanno sempre campanelli che suonano in quel modo.
He had forgotten the note of that bell, and now its peculiar tinkle seemed to remind him of something and to bring it clearly before him....
Aveva dimenticato il suono di quel campanello, e ora il suo peculiare tintinnio sembrava ricordargli qualcosa e portarglielo chiaramente davanti....
He started, his nerves were terribly overstrained by now.
Trasalì, i suoi nervi erano ormai terribilmente a pezzi.
In a little while, the door was opened a tiny crack: the old woman eyed her visitor with evident distrust through the crack, and nothing could be seen but her little eyes, glittering in the darkness.
Dopo un momento, la porta fu aperta di una piccola fessura: la vecchia osservò il suo visitatore con evidente diffidenza attraverso la fessura, e non si poteva vedere altro che i suoi occhietti, luccicanti nell'oscurità.
But, seeing a number of people on the landing, she grew bolder, and opened the door wide.
Ma, vedendo alcune persone sul pianerottolo, si fece più audace e aprì la porta completamente.
The young man stepped into the dark entry, which was partitioned off from the tiny kitchen.
Il giovane entrò nell'ingresso buio, separato dalla piccola cucina da una parete divisoria.
The old woman stood facing him in silence and looking inquiringly at him.
La vecchia gli stava di fronte in silenzio e lo guardava con aria interrogativa.
She was a diminutive, withered up old woman of sixty, with sharp malignant eyes and a sharp little nose.
Era una vecchietta minuta e raggrinzita di sessant'anni, con occhi acuti e maligni e un nasino aguzzo.
Her colourless, somewhat grizzled hair was thickly smeared with oil, and she wore no kerchief over it.
I suoi capelli incolori, leggermente brizzolati, erano abbondantemente cosparsi di olio, e non portava alcun fazzoletto in testa.
Round her thin long neck, which looked like a hen's leg, was knotted some sort of flannel rag, and, in spite of the heat, there hung flapping on her shoulders, a mangy fur cape, yellow with age.
Attorno al suo collo sottile e lungo, che sembrava una zampa di gallina, era annodato una specie di straccio di flanella, e, nonostante il calore, sulle sue spalle pendeva svolazzante un mantello di pelliccia spelacchiata, ingiallita dal tempo.
The old woman coughed and groaned at every instant.
La vecchia tossiva e gemeva ad ogni istante.
Vocabulary
- campanello
- kam-pa-NEL-lo — A small bell or doorbell used to signal arrival.
- emise
- e-MI-ze — Past tense of 'emettere'; emitted or gave out a sound.
- debole
- DE-bo-le — Weak, faint, or lacking in strength.
- tintinnio
- tin-tin-NI-o — A light tinkling or jingling sound.
- fosse
- FOS-se — Past subjunctive of 'essere'; were or had been.
- fatto
- FAT-to — Made or done; past participle of 'fare'.
- stagno
- STAN-yo — Tin, a metallic element used in alloys.
- rame
- RA-me — Copper, a reddish metallic element.
- appartamenti
- ap-par-ta-MEN-ti — Apartments or flats used as residences.
- simili
- SI-mi-li — Similar or alike; resembling one another.
- campanelli
- kam-pa-NEL-li — Plural of campanello; small bells or doorbells.
- suonano
- SWO-na-no — They ring or sound; third person plural of 'suonare'.
- modo
- MO-do — Way, manner, or mode of doing something.
- dimenticato
- di-men-ti-KA-to — Forgotten; past participle of 'dimenticare'.
- suono
- SWO-no — Sound or tone produced by something.
- peculiare
- pe-ku-LYA-re — Peculiar, distinctive, or characteristic quality.
- sembrava
- sem-BRA-va — It seemed or appeared; imperfect of 'sembrare'.
- ricordargli
- ri-kor-DAR-lyi — To remind him of something from the past.
- portarglielo
- por-TAR-lye-lo — To bring it to him; infinitive with pronouns.
- chiaramente
- kya-ra-MEN-te — Clearly, in a clear and vivid manner.
- davanti
- da-VAN-ti — In front, before, or ahead of something.
- Trasalì
- tra-za-LI — He startled or flinched; past tense of 'trasalire'.
- nervi
- NER-vi — Nerves; referring to emotional or physical tension.
- ormai
- or-MAI — By now, already, at this point.
- terribilmente
- ter-ri-bil-MEN-te — Terribly, dreadfully, to an extreme degree.
- pezzi
- PET-tsi — Pieces or bits; in 'a pezzi' meaning falling apart.
- fu
- fu — It was; third person singular past of 'essere'.
- aperta
- a-PER-ta — Opened or open; feminine past participle of 'aprire'.
- fessura
- fes-SU-ra — A narrow crack, slit, or gap in something.
- vecchia
- VEK-kya — Old woman or elderly female person.
- osservò
- os-ser-VO — She observed or watched carefully; past tense.
- visitatore
- vi-zi-ta-TO-re — A visitor or caller arriving at a place.
- evidente
- e-vi-DEN-te — Evident, obvious, or clearly apparent.
- diffidenza
- dif-fi-DEN-tsa — Distrust, suspicion, or wariness toward someone.
- attraverso
- at-tra-VER-so — Through or across a space or opening.
- occhietti
- ok-KYET-ti — Little eyes; diminutive of 'occhi'.
- luccicanti
- lut-tshi-KAN-ti — Gleaming, glittering, or sparkling brightly.
- oscurità
- os-ku-ri-TA — Darkness or obscurity; absence of light.
- vedendo
- ve-DEN-do — Seeing; gerund of 'vedere'.
- alcune
- al-KU-ne — Some or a few; feminine plural adjective.
- pianerottolo
- pya-ne-ROT-to-lo — A landing or platform between flights of stairs.
- fece
- FE-tche — She did or made; past tense of 'fare'.
- audace
- aw-DA-tche — Bold, daring, or audacious in behavior.
- aprì
- a-PRI — She opened; past tense of 'aprire'.
- completamente
- kom-ple-ta-MEN-te — Completely, entirely, or fully.
- entrò
- en-TRO — He entered or went inside; past tense.
- ingresso
- in-GRES-so — Entrance, hallway, or entryway of a building.
- buio
- BU-yo — Dark or darkness; lacking light.
- separato
- se-pa-RA-to — Separated or divided from something else.
- parete
- pa-RE-te — A wall, especially an interior wall.
- divisoria
- di-vi-ZO-rya — A dividing or partition wall separating spaces.
- fronte
- FRON-te — Front or forehead; in 'di fronte' meaning facing.
- silenzio
- si-LEN-tsyo — Silence or quiet; absence of sound.
- guardava
- gwar-DA-va — She was looking at or watching; imperfect tense.
- aria
- A-rya — Air or manner; bearing or expression.
- interrogativa
- in-ter-ro-ga-TI-va — Questioning or inquiring in expression or tone.
- vecchietta
- vek-KYET-ta — A little old woman; affectionate diminutive.
- minuta
- mi-NU-ta — Tiny, slight, or of small build.
- raggrinzita
- rad-grin-ZI-ta — Wrinkled or shriveled; describing aged skin.
- acuti
- a-KU-ti — Sharp, keen, or piercing in perception.
- maligni
- ma-LIN-yi — Malicious, spiteful, or malignant in nature.
- nasino
- na-ZI-no — A little nose; diminutive of 'naso'.
- aguzzo
- a-GUT-tso — Pointed or sharp; describing a thin nose.
- incolori
- in-ko-LO-ri — Colorless or lacking distinct color.
- leggermente
- led-jer-MEN-te — Slightly, lightly, or to a small degree.
- brizzolati
- brit-tso-LA-ti — Salt-and-pepper or graying; describing mixed hair color.
- abbondantemente
- ab-bon-dan-te-MEN-te — Abundantly or copiously; in large quantities.
- cosparsi
- ko-SPAR-si — Sprinkled or covered with a substance.
- olio
- O-lyo — Oil used for cooking or cosmetic purposes.
- portava
- por-TA-va — She wore or carried; imperfect of 'portare'.
- alcun
- al-KUN — Any or no; used in negative constructions.
- fazzoletto
- fat-tso-LET-to — A handkerchief or small cloth head covering.
- Attorno
- at-TOR-no — Around or surrounding something.
- collo
- KOL-lo — Neck; the part connecting head to body.
- sottile
- sot-TI-le — Thin, slender, or fine.
- zampa
- TSAM-pa — Paw or claw of an animal.
- gallina
- gal-LI-na — A hen or female chicken.
- annodato
- an-no-DA-to — Knotted or tied; past participle of 'annodare'.
- specie
- SPE-tshe — A kind, sort, or species of something.
- straccio
- STRAT-tsho — A rag or tattered piece of cloth.
- flanella
- fla-NEL-la — Flannel; a soft woven fabric.
- nonostante
- no-nos-TAN-te — Notwithstanding, despite, or in spite of.
- calore
- ka-LO-re — Heat or warmth; high temperature.
- spalle
- SPAL-le — Shoulders; the upper part of the back.
- pendeva
- pen-DE-va — It was hanging or dangling; imperfect of 'pendere'.
- svolazzante
- zvo-lat-TSAN-te — Fluttering or flapping loosely in the air.
- mantello
- man-TEL-lo — A cloak or mantle worn over clothing.
- pelliccia
- pel-LIT-tsha — A fur coat or garment made of fur.
- spelacchiata
- spe-lak-KYA-ta — Threadbare or mangy; fur that has lost hair.
- ingiallita
- in-jal-LI-ta — Yellowed or turned yellow with age.
- tossiva
- tos-SI-va — She was coughing; imperfect tense of 'tossire'.
- gemeva
- je-ME-va — She was moaning or groaning; imperfect tense.
- istante
- is-TAN-te — An instant or moment; a very brief interval.
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