Dracula — Page 10

English → It CHAPTER I Level 7/10

They were evidently talking of me, for every now and then they looked at me, and some of the people who were sitting on the bench outside the door--which they call by a name meaning "word-bearer"--came and listened, and then looked at me, most of them pityingly.

Stavano evidentemente parlando di me, poiché di tanto in tanto mi guardavano, e alcune delle persone che erano sedute sulla panchina fuori dalla porta--che chiamano con un nome che significa "portatore di parole"--si avvicinarono ad ascoltare, e poi mi guardarono, la maggior parte di loro con aria di commiserazione.

I could hear a lot of words often repeated, queer words, for there were many nationalities in the crowd; so I quietly got my polyglot dictionary from my bag and looked them out.

Riuscivo a sentire molte parole ripetute spesso, parole strane, poiché nella folla vi erano molte nazionalità; così tirai fuori tranquillamente dalla mia borsa il dizionario poliglotta e le cercai.

I must say they were not cheering to me, for amongst them were "Ordog"--Satan, "pokol"--hell, "stregoica"--witch, "vrolok" and "vlkoslak"--both of which mean the same thing, one being Slovak and the other Servian for something that is either were-wolf or vampire.

Devo dire che non mi rallegrarono affatto, poiché tra esse vi erano "Ordog"--Satana, "pokol"--inferno, "stregoica"--strega, "vrolok" e "vlkoslak"--entrambe le quali significano la stessa cosa, una essendo la parola slovacca e l'altra serba per qualcosa che è o un lupo mannaro o un vampiro.

(_Mem._, I must ask the Count about these superstitions)

(_Mem._, Devo chiedere al Conte di queste superstizioni)

When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards me.

Quando partimmo, la folla intorno alla porta della locanda, che a quel punto si era ingrandita considerevolmente, fece tutti il segno della croce e puntò due dita verso di me.

With some difficulty I got a fellow-passenger to tell me what they meant; he would not answer at first, but on learning that I was English, he explained that it was a charm or guard against the evil eye.

Con una certa difficoltà riuscii a farmi spiegare da un compagno di viaggio cosa significasse; all'inizio non voleva rispondere, ma sapendo che ero inglese, spiegò che era un amuleto o una protezione contro il malocchio.

This was not very pleasant for me, just starting for an unknown place to meet an unknown man; but every one seemed so kind-hearted, and so sorrowful, and so sympathetic that I could not but be touched.

Questo non fu molto piacevole per me, che stavo partendo per un posto sconosciuto per incontrare un uomo sconosciuto; ma tutti sembravano così buoni di cuore, e così addolorati, e così premurosi che non potei fare a meno di esserne commosso.

Vocabulary

Stavano: They were (imperfect of stare, auxiliary use)
evidentemente: Evidently, obviously, clearly
parlando: Speaking, talking (gerund of parlare)
di: Of, about (common preposition)
me: Me (stressed personal pronoun)
poiché: Since, because, given that
tanto: So much, a lot, so many
in: In, into (common preposition)
mi: Me, myself (unstressed pronoun)
guardavano: They were looking at, watching
e: And (basic coordinating conjunction)
alcune: Some, a few (feminine plural)
delle: Of the, some (partitive article)
persone: People, persons (feminine plural noun)
che: Who, that, which (relative pronoun)
erano: They were (imperfect of essere)
sedute: Seated, sitting (past participle, feminine plural)
sulla: On the (contraction of su + la)
panchina: Bench, seat (outdoor wooden bench)
fuori: Outside, out (common adverb/preposition)
dalla: From the (contraction of da + la)
porta: Door, gate (entrance to a building)
chiamano: They call (present tense of chiamare)
con: With (common Italian preposition)
un: A, an (indefinite masculine article)
nome: Name, noun (word identifying someone)
significa: Means, signifies (third person singular)
portatore: Bearer, carrier (one who carries something)
parole: Words, speech (plural of parola)
si: Reflexive pronoun, oneself, themselves
avvicinarono: They approached, drew near (past tense)
ad: To, at (preposition before vowel)
ascoltare: To listen, to hear attentively
poi: Then, afterwards, later on
guardarono: They looked at (simple past of guardare)
la: The (definite feminine singular article)
maggior: Greater, larger, most (comparative adjective)
parte: Part, portion, side (common noun)
loro: Their, them, they (pronoun/adjective)
aria: Air, expression, manner, appearance
commiserazione: Commiseration, pity, compassionate sympathy
Riuscivo: I managed, was able to (imperfect)
a: To, at (common Italian preposition)
sentire: To hear, feel, sense, perceive
molte: Many, a lot (feminine plural adjective)
ripetute: Repeated, said again (feminine plural participle)
spesso: Often, frequently (common adverb)
strane: Strange, odd, unusual (feminine plural)
nella: In the (contraction of in + la)
folla: Crowd, throng, mass of people
vi: There, here, you (pronoun/adverb)
nazionalità: Nationality, national origin or identity
così: So, thus, therefore, in this way
tirai: I pulled out, drew (past tense)
tranquillamente: Calmly, quietly, in a tranquil manner
mia: My (feminine singular possessive adjective)
borsa: Bag, purse, satchel, handbag
il: The (definite masculine singular article)
dizionario: Dictionary, lexicon (reference word book)
poliglotta: Polyglot, multilingual (relating to many languages)
le: The, them, her (feminine plural article)
cercai: I searched, looked up (past tense)
Devo: I must, I have to (present tense)
dire: To say, to tell, to speak
non: Not (standard negation adverb)
rallegrarono: They cheered, gladdened (past tense)
affatto: At all, not at all (emphatic negation)
tra: Among, between, within (preposition)
esse: Them, they (feminine stressed pronoun)
inferno: Hell, inferno (place of damnation)
strega: Witch, sorceress (woman practicing magic)
entrambe: Both (feminine, referring to two things)
quali: Which, who (relative pronoun plural)
significano: They mean, they signify (present tense)
stessa: Same, itself (feminine singular adjective)
cosa: Thing, what, matter (common noun)
una: One, a (feminine indefinite article)
essendo: Being (gerund of essere)
parola: Word, term (unit of language)
slovacca: Slovak, Slovakian (feminine adjective)
l': The (elided definite article before vowel)
altra: Other, another (feminine singular adjective)
serba: Serbian, of Serbia (feminine adjective)
per: For, through, by (preposition)
qualcosa: Something, anything (indefinite pronoun)
è: Is (third person singular of essere)
o: Or (disjunctive conjunction)
lupo: Wolf (wild carnivorous canine animal)
mannaro: Werewolf (relating to lycanthropy transformation)
vampiro: Vampire (undead bloodsucking creature)
chiedere: To ask, to request, to inquire
al: To the (contraction of a + il)
Conte: Count, Earl (aristocratic title)
queste: These (feminine plural demonstrative adjective)
superstizioni: Superstitions, irrational beliefs (plural noun)
Quando: When (temporal conjunction/adverb)
partimmo: We departed, left (past tense)
intorno: Around, surrounding (preposition/adverb)
alla: At the, to the (a + la)
della: Of the (contraction of di + la)
locanda: Inn, tavern, roadside lodging establishment
quel: That (masculine singular demonstrative adjective)
punto: Point, moment, spot, dot
era: Was (third person imperfect of essere)
ingrandita: Enlarged, grown larger (feminine past participle)
considerevolmente: Considerably, significantly, to a great extent
fece: Made, did (third person past of fare)
tutti: All, everyone (masculine plural adjective/pronoun)
segno: Sign, gesture, mark, symbol
croce: Cross (Christian religious symbol)
puntò: Pointed, aimed (third person past tense)
due: Two (cardinal number)
dita: Fingers (irregular plural of dito)
verso: Toward, towards (directional preposition)
Con: With (common Italian preposition)
certa: Certain, some (feminine singular adjective)
difficoltà: Difficulty, trouble, hardship (noun)
riuscii: I managed, succeeded (past tense)
farmi: To have done to me (reflexive infinitive)
spiegare: To explain, to clarify, to make clear
da: From, by, since (preposition)
compagno: Companion, fellow traveler, partner
viaggio: Journey, trip, travel (noun)
significasse: Meant (imperfect subjunctive of significare)
all': At the, to the (elided contraction)
inizio: Beginning, start, outset (noun)
voleva: Wanted, wished (imperfect of volere)
rispondere: To respond, answer, reply
ma: But, however (coordinating conjunction)
sapendo: Knowing, since he knew (gerund)
ero: I was (first person imperfect of essere)
inglese: English (language or nationality adjective)
spiegò: Explained, clarified (third person past)
amuleto: Amulet, charm, protective talisman
protezione: Protection, defense, safeguard (noun)
contro: Against, versus (preposition)
malocchio: Evil eye (superstitious curse belief)
Questo: This (masculine singular demonstrative pronoun)
fu: Was (third person past of essere)
molto: Very, much, a lot (adverb/adjective)
piacevole: Pleasant, pleasing, agreeable (adjective)
stavo: I was (imperfect of stare)
partendo: Leaving, departing (gerund of partire)
posto: Place, location, spot, seat
sconosciuto: Unknown, unfamiliar, stranger (adjective/noun)
incontrare: To meet, encounter someone
uomo: Man, human being (masculine noun)
sembravano: They seemed, appeared (imperfect tense)
buoni: Good, kind (masculine plural adjective)
cuore: Heart (organ; center of emotion)
addolorati: Saddened, grieved, distressed (plural adjective)
premurosi: Caring, attentive, thoughtful (masculine plural)
potei: I was able to (past tense of potere)
fare: To do, to make (common verb)
meno: Less, fewer, minus (adverb/adjective)
esserne: To be by it, of it (clitic pronoun)
commosso: Moved, touched emotionally (past participle)

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