Dracula — Page 8
Finally she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.
Alla fine si inginocchiò e mi implorò di non andare; almeno di aspettare un giorno o due prima di partire.
It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable.
Era tutto molto ridicolo ma non mi sentivo a mio agio.
However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.
Tuttavia, c'era del lavoro da fare, e non potevo permettere che nulla vi si frapponesse.
I therefore tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go.
Cercai quindi di rialzarla, e dissi, con tutta la serietà che potevo, che la ringraziavo, ma che il mio dovere era imperativo e che dovevo andare.
She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.
Ella si alzò quindi e si asciugò gli occhi, e togliendo un crocifisso dal collo me lo offrì.
I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind.
Non sapevo cosa fare, poiché, in quanto membro della Chiesa d'Inghilterra, mi è stato insegnato a considerare tali cose come in qualche misura idolatre, eppure sembrava così scortese rifiutare una vecchia signora con così buone intenzioni e in tale stato d'animo.
She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.
Vide, suppongo, il dubbio sul mio viso, perché mi mise il rosario al collo e disse: "Per amor di tua madre", e uscì dalla stanza.
I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck.
Sto scrivendo questa parte del diario mentre aspetto la carrozza, che è, naturalmente, in ritardo; e il crocifisso è ancora al mio collo.
Whether it is the old lady's fear, or the many ghostly traditions of this place, or the crucifix itself, I do not know, but I am not feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual.
Che sia la paura della vecchia signora, o le molte tradizioni spettrali di questo luogo, o il crocifisso stesso, non lo so, ma non mi sento affatto tranquillo come al solito.
Vocabulary
- Alla
- Contraction of 'a la'; to the, at the
- fine
- End, conclusion of something
- si
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself
- inginocchiò
- Knelt down on one or both knees
- mi
- First person singular object pronoun; me, to me
- implorò
- Begged or pleaded desperately with someone
- andare
- To go, to move from one place
- almeno
- At least, as a minimum
- aspettare
- To wait, to await someone or something
- giorno
- Day, a period of twenty-four hours
- due
- The number two
- prima
- Before, earlier in time or order
- partire
- To leave, to depart from a place
- Era
- Third person singular imperfect of essere; was
- tutto
- Everything, all, the whole of something
- molto
- Very, much, a great deal
- ridicolo
- Ridiculous, absurd, worthy of mockery
- sentivo
- I felt or heard; imperfect of sentire
- mio
- Possessive adjective meaning my
- agio
- Ease, comfort, feeling at ease
- Tuttavia
- Nevertheless, however, yet, still
- c'
- Contraction of ci; there (as in c'è)
- era
- There was; third person imperfect of essere
- del
- Partitive article; some, of the
- lavoro
- Work, job, task to be done
- da
- Preposition meaning from, by, since
- fare
- To do, to make something
- potevo
- I could, I was able to; imperfect of potere
- permettere
- To allow, to permit something to happen
- nulla
- Nothing, not anything at all
- vi
- There, to it; indirect pronoun or adverb
- frapponesse
- Interposed, stood between; imperfect subjunctive of frapporre
- Cercai
- I tried, I sought; past simple of cercare
- quindi
- Therefore, so, consequently
- rialzarla
- To raise her back up, to lift her again
- dissi
- I said; past simple of dire
- tutta
- All, entire, the whole; feminine form of tutto
- serietà
- Seriousness, gravity of manner or tone
- ringraziavo
- I was thanking; imperfect of ringraziare
- dovere
- Duty, obligation; also modal verb must
- imperativo
- Imperative, compelling, absolutely necessary
- dovevo
- I had to, I must; imperfect of dovere
- Ella
- She; formal third person feminine subject pronoun
- alzò
- She rose, stood up; past simple of alzarsi
- asciugò
- She dried, wiped away; past simple of asciugare
- gli
- Masculine plural definite article or pronoun; the, him
- occhi
- Eyes, the organs of sight
- togliendo
- Removing, taking off; gerund of togliere
- crocifisso
- Crucifix, a cross bearing the figure of Christ
- dal
- Contraction of da + il; from the
- collo
- Neck, the part between head and shoulders
- me
- Me; stressed first person singular pronoun
- lo
- Him, it; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- offrì
- She offered, presented; past simple of offrire
- sapevo
- I knew, I was aware; imperfect of sapere
- cosa
- Thing, what, something
- poiché
- Since, because, given that
- quanto
- How much, as, since; in quanto means as
- membro
- Member, part of a group or organization
- Chiesa
- Church, Christian religious institution or building
- Inghilterra
- England, the country in the British Isles
- è
- Is; third person singular of essere
- stato
- Been; past participle of essere, also state
- insegnato
- Taught; past participle of insegnare
- considerare
- To consider, to regard, to think about
- tali
- Such, those kinds of; plural of tale
- cose
- Things, objects, matters; plural of cosa
- come
- As, like, how
- qualche
- Some, a certain, any; used before nouns
- misura
- Measure, degree, extent of something
- idolatre
- Idolatrous, relating to idol worship
- eppure
- And yet, nevertheless, but still
- sembrava
- It seemed; imperfect of sembrare
- così
- So, thus, in this way
- scortese
- Rude, impolite, discourteous in manner
- rifiutare
- To refuse, to reject something offered
- vecchia
- Old woman; elderly female person
- signora
- Lady, woman, Mrs.; polite form of address
- buone
- Good; feminine plural adjective from buono
- intenzioni
- Intentions, aims, purposes; plural of intenzione
- tale
- Such, like that, of that kind
- animo
- Spirit, heart, state of mind or soul
- Vide
- She saw; past simple of vedere
- suppongo
- I suppose, I assume; first person of supporre
- dubbio
- Doubt, uncertainty, hesitation about something
- sul
- On the; contraction of su + il
- viso
- Face, the front of someone's head
- perché
- Because, why; conjunction and interrogative
- mise
- She put, placed; past simple of mettere
- rosario
- Rosary, string of beads used for prayer
- al
- To the; contraction of a + il
- disse
- He/she said; past simple of dire
- amor
- Love; elided form of amore used in phrases
- tua
- Your; feminine singular possessive adjective
- madre
- Mother, female parent
- uscì
- She went out, exited; past simple of uscire
- dalla
- From the; contraction of da + la
- stanza
- Room, enclosed space inside a building
- Sto
- I am; present of stare, used with gerunds
- scrivendo
- Writing; gerund of scrivere
- questa
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- parte
- Part, section, portion of something
- diario
- Diary, personal journal of daily events
- mentre
- While, as, during the time that
- aspetto
- I wait; also appearance, aspect of something
- carrozza
- Carriage, horse-drawn vehicle for passengers
- naturalmente
- Naturally, of course, as expected
- ritardo
- Delay, lateness, being behind schedule
- ancora
- Still, again, yet, once more
- Che
- That, which, what; subordinating conjunction
- sia
- May be, is; present subjunctive of essere
- paura
- Fear, fright, anxiety about something
- le
- The (feminine plural) or to her; pronoun
- molte
- Many, a large number; feminine plural of molto
- tradizioni
- Traditions, customs passed down through generations
- spettrali
- Ghostly, spectral, relating to phantoms
- questo
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- luogo
- Place, location, spot
- stesso
- Same, himself, itself; emphatic adjective
- so
- I know; first person singular of sapere
- sento
- I feel, I hear; first person of sentire
- affatto
- At all, not at all; used with negation
- tranquillo
- Calm, quiet, peaceful, undisturbed
- solito
- Usual, habitual, customary; as usual
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