Dracula — Page 6
" She smiled, and gave some message to an elderly man in white shirt-sleeves, who had followed her to the door.
" Ella sorrise, e diede qualche messaggio a un uomo anziano in maniche di camicia bianca, che l'aveva seguita alla porta.
He went, but immediately returned with a letter:--
Egli andò, ma tornò immediatamente con una lettera:--
"My Friend.--Welcome to the Carpathians.
"Mio Amico.--Benvenuto ai Carpazi.
I am anxiously expecting you.
Vi aspetto con ansia.
Sleep well to-night.
Dormite bene stanotte.
At three to-morrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you.
Alle tre di domani la diligenza partirà per la Bucovina; un posto su di essa è riservato per voi.
At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me.
Al Passo Borgo la mia carrozza vi aspetterà e vi porterà da me.
I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.
Confido che il vostro viaggio da Londra sia stato felice, e che godiate del vostro soggiorno nella mia bella terra.
"Your friend, "DRACULA."
"Il vostro amico, "DRACULA."
_4 May._--I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me;
_4 Maggio._--Scoprii che il mio locandiere aveva ricevuto una lettera dal Conte, che gli ordinava di assicurarmi il posto migliore sulla carrozza;
but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German.
ma quando feci domande sui dettagli sembrò alquanto reticente, e finse di non capire il mio tedesco.
This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did.
Questo non poteva essere vero, perché fino ad allora lo aveva capito perfettamente; almeno, rispondeva alle mie domande esattamente come se lo capisse.
He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way.
Lui e sua moglie, la vecchia signora che mi aveva accolto, si guardarono in modo spaventato.
He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew.
Borbottò che il denaro era stato inviato in una lettera, e che era tutto ciò che sapeva.
When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further.
Quando gli chiesi se conoscesse il Conte Dracula, e se potesse dirmi qualcosa del suo castello, sia lui che sua moglie si fecero il segno della croce, e, dicendo che non sapevano assolutamente nulla, si rifiutarono semplicemente di parlare ulteriormente.
Vocabulary
- Ella
- Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'
- sorrise
- Past tense of 'sorridere'; she smiled
- diede
- Past tense of 'dare'; she/he gave
- qualche
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'a few'
- messaggio
- A written or spoken communication; message
- uomo
- An adult male human being; man
- anziano
- Adjective describing someone of advanced age; elderly
- maniche
- Plural of 'manica'; the sleeves of a garment
- camicia
- A garment worn on the upper body; shirt
- bianca
- Feminine adjective describing the color white
- seguita
- Past participle of 'seguire'; followed
- porta
- An entrance or exit of a building; door
- Egli
- Formal third person singular masculine pronoun; he
- andò
- Past tense of 'andare'; he/she went
- tornò
- Past tense of 'tornare'; he/she returned
- immediatamente
- Adverb meaning without delay; immediately
- lettera
- A written message sent to someone; letter
- Amico
- A person one knows well and likes; friend
- Benvenuto
- A greeting expressing warm reception; welcome
- aspetto
- First person of 'aspettare'; I await or expect
- ansia
- A feeling of worry or eager anticipation; anxiety
- Dormite
- Imperative plural of 'dormire'; sleep (command form)
- stanotte
- Adverb referring to the current night; tonight
- diligenza
- A horse-drawn public carriage; stagecoach
- partirà
- Future tense of 'partire'; will depart or leave
- posto
- A location or reserved seat; place or seat
- riservato
- Past participle of 'riservare'; reserved or set aside
- Passo
- A route through mountains; mountain pass
- Borgo
- A small town or village; hamlet or borough
- carrozza
- A horse-drawn vehicle for passengers; carriage
- porterà
- Future tense of 'portare'; will bring or carry
- Confido
- First person of 'confidare'; I trust or hope
- viaggio
- The act of traveling from place to place; journey
- felice
- Adjective describing a state of happiness; happy
- godiate
- Subjunctive of 'godere'; that you may enjoy
- soggiorno
- A period of time spent in a place; stay
- bella
- Feminine adjective describing pleasing appearance; beautiful
- terra
- A geographic area or the ground; land or earth
- Maggio
- The fifth month of the Gregorian calendar; May
- Scoprii
- Past tense of 'scoprire'; I discovered or found out
- locandiere
- The owner or manager of an inn; innkeeper
- ricevuto
- Past participle of 'ricevere'; received
- Conte
- A European noble title ranking below a marquess; count
- ordinava
- Imperfect of 'ordinare'; he/she was ordering or instructing
- assicurarmi
- Infinitive with pronoun; to assure or guarantee me
- migliore
- Adjective meaning superior in quality; best or better
- domande
- Plural of 'domanda'; questions or inquiries
- dettagli
- Plural of 'dettaglio'; specific particulars or details
- sembrò
- Past tense of 'sembrare'; he/she/it seemed
- alquanto
- Adverb meaning to a considerable degree; rather or somewhat
- reticente
- Adjective describing reluctance to speak; reticent
- finse
- Past tense of 'fingere'; he/she pretended
- capire
- To understand or comprehend something; to understand
- tedesco
- Adjective or noun relating to Germany; German
- poteva
- Imperfect of 'potere'; he/she/it could or was able
- perfettamente
- Adverb meaning in a flawless manner; perfectly
- almeno
- Adverb introducing a minimum condition; at least
- rispondeva
- Imperfect of 'rispondere'; he/she was responding
- esattamente
- Adverb meaning with precision or correctness; exactly
- capisse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'capire'; as if he understood
- moglie
- A woman in relation to her husband; wife
- vecchia
- Feminine adjective describing advanced age; old woman
- signora
- A polite title or term for a woman; lady or Mrs.
- accolto
- Past participle of 'accogliere'; welcomed or received
- guardarono
- Past tense of 'guardarsi'; they looked at each other
- modo
- A manner or way of doing something; way or manner
- spaventato
- Past participle of 'spaventare'; frightened or scared
- Borbottò
- Past tense of 'borbottare'; he/she muttered or grumbled
- denaro
- A medium of exchange used in transactions; money
- inviato
- Past participle of 'inviare'; sent or dispatched
- sapeva
- Imperfect of 'sapere'; he/she knew or was aware
- chiesi
- Past tense of 'chiedere'; I asked or requested
- conoscesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'conoscere'; whether he knew
- potesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'potere'; whether he could
- qualcosa
- An indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified thing; something
- castello
- A large fortified medieval building; castle
- fecero
- Past tense of 'fare'; they made or did
- segno
- A gesture or symbol conveying meaning; sign
- croce
- A symbol formed by two intersecting lines; cross
- dicendo
- Gerund of 'dire'; saying or telling
- sapevano
- Imperfect of 'sapere' plural; they knew nothing
- assolutamente
- Adverb expressing total completeness; absolutely or utterly
- nulla
- Pronoun meaning not anything at all; nothing
- rifiutarono
- Past tense of 'rifiutare'; they refused or declined
- semplicemente
- Adverb meaning in a straightforward manner; simply
- parlare
- Infinitive meaning to communicate verbally; to speak
- ulteriormente
- Adverb meaning beyond what has occurred; further
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