← Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus

Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 7

English → It Preface Level 7/10

But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy, and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil, I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection.

Ma ho un bisogno che non sono mai riuscito a soddisfare, e la mancanza di ciò che ora sento come un male gravissimo: non ho amici, Margaret; quando sono raggiante per l'entusiasmo del successo, non ci sarà nessuno che partecipi alla mia gioia; se vengo assalito dalla delusione, nessuno si adopererà per sostenermi nello sconforto.

I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling.

Affiderò i miei pensieri alla carta, è vero; ma è un mezzo povero per la comunicazione dei sentimenti.

I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me, whose eyes would reply to mine.

Desidero la compagnia di un uomo che possa simpatizzare con me, i cui occhi rispondano ai miei.

You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend.

Potreste ritenermi romantico, mia cara sorella, ma sento amaramente la mancanza di un amico.

I have no one near me, gentle yet courageous, possessed of a cultivated as well as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are like my own, to approve or amend my plans.

Non ho nessuno vicino a me, gentile eppure coraggioso, dotato di una mente colta e al tempo stesso capace, i cui gusti siano simili ai miei, per approvare o correggere i miei piani.

How would such a friend repair the faults of your poor brother!

Come potrebbe un tale amico rimediare ai difetti del vostro povero fratello!

I am too ardent in execution and too impatient of difficulties.

Sono troppo ardente nell'esecuzione e troppo impaziente dinanzi alle difficoltà.

But it is a still greater evil to me that I am self-educated: for the first fourteen years of my life I ran wild on a common and read nothing but our Uncle Thomas' books of voyages.

Ma è per me un male ancora maggiore essere autodidatta: per i primi quattordici anni della mia vita corsi libero su un terreno comune e non lessi altro che i libri di viaggi del nostro zio Thomas.

Vocabulary

Ma
But; however; yet
ho
I have (present tense of avere)
un
A, an (indefinite article)
bisogno
Need; necessity; requirement
che
That; which; who (relative pronoun)
non
Not; negation particle
sono
I am (present tense of essere)
mai
Never; ever (in questions)
riuscito
Succeeded; managed; was able to
soddisfare
To satisfy; to fulfill; to meet
la
The (feminine singular definite article)
mancanza
Lack; absence; shortage; deficiency
di
Of; from; by (preposition)
ciò
That; this (demonstrative pronoun)
ora
Now; at present; hour
sento
I feel; I sense; I hear
come
How; as; like; in the manner of
male
Badly; poorly; harm; evil; pain
gravissimo
Very serious; extremely grave; most severe
amici
Friends (plural of amico)
quando
When; whenever (temporal conjunction)
raggiante
Radiant; shining; beaming with joy
per
For; by; through; in order to
entusiasmo
Enthusiasm; keen interest; excitement
del
Of the; from the (contraction)
successo
Success; achievement; favorable outcome
ci
Us; to us; there (pronoun)
sarà
Will be; shall be (future tense)
nessuno
No one; nobody; no; not any
partecipi
Participates; shares; takes part in
alla
To the; at the (contraction)
mia
My; mine (possessive adjective feminine)
gioia
Joy; happiness; delight; gladness
se
If; whether (conditional conjunction)
vengo
I come; I am (present tense)
assalito
Assailed; attacked; overwhelmed by
dalla
From the; by the (contraction)
delusione
Disappointment; disillusionment; letdown
si
Oneself; himself; herself; themselves; reflexive
adopererà
Will employ; will use; will endeavor
sostenermi
To support me; to sustain me
nello
In the; in (contraction of in+il)
sconforto
Discouragement; despair; demoralization; dejection
Affiderò
I will entrust; I will confide
miei
My; mine (possessive adjective plural)
pensieri
Thoughts; ideas; reflections; concerns
carta
Paper; card; sheet; map
vero
True; real; genuine; authentic
mezzo
Half; middle; means; medium
povero
Poor; meager; unfortunate; pitiful
comunicazione
Communication; transmission of information
dei
Of the; from the (contraction plural)
sentimenti
Feelings; emotions; sentiments; affections
Desidero
I desire; I wish; I want
compagnia
Company; companionship; friendship; society
uomo
Man; human being; male person
possa
Can; may; might (subjunctive of potere)
simpatizzare
To sympathize; to get along with
con
With; accompanied by; in company of
me
Me; myself (first person pronoun)
cui
Whose; whom; which (relative pronoun)
occhi
Eyes (plural of occhio)
rispondano
Respond; answer; correspond (subjunctive)
ai
To the; at the (contraction plural)
Potreste
Could you; might you (conditional plural)
ritenermi
To consider me; to regard me as
romantico
Romantic; relating to romance or emotion
cara
Dear; beloved (feminine adjective)
sorella
Sister; female sibling
amaramente
Bitterly; painfully; with bitter feelings
amico
Friend; companion; friendly person
Non
Not; no; negation particle
vicino
Near; nearby; close; neighboring
gentile
Kind; gentle; courteous; polite person
eppure
And yet; nevertheless; still; however
coraggioso
Courageous; brave; bold; daring
dotato
Gifted; endowed; talented; blessed with
una
A; an (indefinite article feminine)
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