Great Expectations — Page 4

English → It Chapter I. Level 8/10

"Darn me if I couldn't eat 'em," said the man, with a threatening shake of his head, "and if I han't half a mind to't!"

«Che mi venga un accidente se non potrei mangiarli», disse l'uomo, con una scrollata di testa minacciosa, «e se non ho mezza voglia di farlo!»

I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn't, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.

Espressi con fervore la speranza che non lo facesse, e mi aggrappai più forte alla lapide sulla quale mi aveva posto; in parte, per restare in equilibrio su di essa; in parte, per non mettermi a piangere.

"Now lookee here!" said the man. "Where's your mother?"

«Ora senti un po'!» disse l'uomo. «Dov'è tua madre?»

"There, sir!" said I.

«Là, signore!» dissi io.

He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder.

Trasalì, fece qualche passo di corsa, poi si fermò e guardò oltre la spalla.

"There, sir!" I timidly explained. "Also Georgiana. That's my mother."

«Là, signore!» spiegai timidamente. «Anche Georgiana. Quella è mia madre.»

"Oh!" said he, coming back. "And is that your father alonger your mother?"

«Oh!» disse lui, tornando indietro. «E quello vicino a tua madre è tuo padre?»

"Yes, sir," said I; "him too; late of this parish."

«Sì, signore», dissi io; «anche lui; fu di questa parrocchia.»

"Ha!" he muttered then, considering. "Who d'ye live with,—supposin' you're kindly let to live, which I han't made up my mind about?"

«Ha!» borbottò poi, riflettendo. «Con chi vivi, — ammesso che ti si lasci gentilmente vivere, cosa su cui non ho ancora deciso?»

"My sister, sir,—Mrs. Joe Gargery,—wife of Joe Gargery, the blacksmith, sir."

«Mia sorella, signore, — la signora Joe Gargery, — moglie di Joe Gargery, il fabbro, signore.»

"Blacksmith, eh?" said he. And looked down at his leg.

«Fabbro, eh?» disse lui. E abbassò lo sguardo sulla sua gamba.

After darkly looking at his leg and me several times, he came closer to my tombstone, took me by both arms, and tilted me back as far as he could hold me; so that his eyes looked most powerfully down into mine, and mine looked most helplessly up into his.

Dopo aver lanciato più volte uno sguardo cupo alla sua gamba e a me, si avvicinò alla mia lapide, mi prese per entrambe le braccia e mi inclinò all'indietro quanto più riusciva a tenermi; così i suoi occhi guardavano con grande intensità nei miei dall'alto, e i miei guardavano con grande impotenza nei suoi dal basso.

"Now lookee here," he said, "the question being whether you're to be let to live. You know what a file is?"

«Ora senti un po'», disse, «la questione è se ti si debba lasciar vivere. Sai cos'è una lima?»

"Yes, sir.

«Sì, signore.

Vocabulary

Che: That; what; which; used as conjunction or pronoun.
mi: Me; myself; first-person singular object pronoun.
venga: May come; subjunctive form of venire.
un: A; an; indefinite masculine singular article.
accidente: Curse; stroke; misfortune; used in exclamations.
se: If; whether; conditional conjunction.
non: Not; negation particle used before verbs.
potrei: I could; conditional first-person singular of potere.
mangiarli: To eat them; infinitive with third-person plural pronoun.
disse: Said; third-person singular past tense of dire.
l': The; elided definite article before vowel sounds.
uomo: Man; adult male human being.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner.
una: A; an; indefinite feminine singular article.
scrollata: Shake; a shaking gesture, often of the head.
di: Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
testa: Head; the uppermost part of the human body.
minacciosa: Threatening; menacing; conveying danger or hostility.
e: And; basic coordinating conjunction linking elements.
ho: I have; first-person singular present of avere.
mezza: Half; mid; feminine form of mezzo.
voglia: Desire; urge; strong wish to do something.
farlo: To do it; infinitive fare with object pronoun attached.
Espressi: I expressed; first-person singular past tense of esprimere.
fervore: Fervor; intense enthusiasm or passionate feeling.
la: The; definite feminine singular article.
speranza: Hope; expectation that something desired will happen.
che: That; conjunction introducing a subordinate clause.
lo: Him; it; third-person masculine singular object pronoun.
facesse: Would do; past subjunctive of fare, third-person singular.
aggrappai: I clung; first-person singular past tense of aggrapparsi.
più: More; most; adverb indicating greater degree.
forte: Strongly; tightly; hard; with great force.
alla: To the; combined preposition a and feminine article la.
lapide: Gravestone; commemorative stone slab marking a burial.
sulla: On the; combined preposition su and feminine article la.
quale: Which; that; relative pronoun referring to a noun.
aveva: Had; third-person singular imperfect of avere.
posto: Placed; put; past participle of porre.
in: In; at; into; basic locative preposition.
parte: Part; portion; partly; in part.
per: For; in order to; through; preposition of purpose.
restare: To stay; to remain; to keep one's position.
equilibrio: Balance; equilibrium; stable physical or mental state.
su: On; upon; above; basic locative preposition.
essa: It; she; third-person feminine singular pronoun.
mettermi: To put myself; infinitive mettersi with first-person pronoun.
a: To; at; basic directional and locative preposition.
piangere: To cry; to weep; to shed tears.
Ora: Now; at this moment; current time adverb.
senti: Listen; hear; imperative of sentire, second-person singular.
po': A little; a bit; short form of poco.
Dov': Where; elided form of dove before vowels.
è: Is; third-person singular present of essere.
tua: Your; feminine singular possessive adjective.
madre: Mother; female parent.
Là: There; over there; at that place.
signore: Sir; mister; polite form of address for a man.
dissi: I said; first-person singular past tense of dire.
io: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
Trasalì: He startled; third-person singular past tense of trasalire.
fece: Did; made; third-person singular past tense of fare.
qualche: Some; a few; indefinite adjective indicating small quantity.
passo: Step; pace; a single movement of the foot.
corsa: Run; race; running at speed toward a destination.
poi: Then; afterward; subsequently in time or sequence.
si: Himself; herself; itself; reflexive pronoun.
fermò: Stopped; third-person singular past tense of fermarsi.
guardò: Looked; third-person singular past tense of guardare.
oltre: Beyond; over; past a point or boundary.
spalla: Shoulder; the joint connecting arm and torso.
spiegai: I explained; first-person singular past tense of spiegare.
timidamente: Timidly; shyly; in a hesitant or fearful manner.
Anche: Also; too; as well; inclusive adverb.
Quella: That; that one; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun.
mia: My; mine; feminine singular possessive adjective.
Oh: Oh; exclamation expressing surprise or realization.
lui: He; him; third-person masculine singular pronoun.
tornando: Returning; gerund of tornare, indicating ongoing return.
indietro: Back; backward; in the direction behind oneself.
E: And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
quello: That; that one; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun.
vicino: Near; close; nearby; adjacent in space.
tuo: Your; masculine singular possessive adjective.
padre: Father; male parent.
Sì: Yes; affirmative response particle.
anche: Also; too; likewise; inclusive adverb.
fu: Was; third-person singular past tense of essere.
questa: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
parrocchia: Parish; local church community and its district.
Ha: Has; third-person singular present of avere.
borbottò: Muttered; grumbled; third-person singular past of borbottare.
riflettendo: Reflecting; thinking; gerund of riflettere.
Con: With; preposition indicating association or means.
chi: Who; whom; interrogative or relative pronoun for persons.
vivi: You live; second-person singular present of vivere.
ammesso: Assuming; granted; past participle of ammettere, used conditionally.
ti: You; yourself; second-person singular object pronoun.
lasci: Lets; allows; third-person singular present of lasciare.
gentilmente: Kindly; gently; in a polite or tender manner.
vivere: To live; to be alive; to exist.
cosa: Thing; what; object or matter being discussed.
cui: Whom; which; relative pronoun used with prepositions.
ancora: Still; yet; again; adverb of continuity or repetition.
deciso: Decided; determined; past participle of decidere.
Mia: My; feminine singular first-person possessive adjective.
sorella: Sister; female sibling.
signora: Mrs.; madam; polite form of address for a woman.
moglie: Wife; a woman married to someone.
il: The; definite masculine singular article.
fabbro: Blacksmith; craftsman who works with iron and metal.
Fabbro: Blacksmith; used here as a repeated noun for emphasis.
eh: Eh; interjection expressing surprise or seeking confirmation.
abbassò: Lowered; third-person singular past tense of abbassare.
sguardo: Gaze; glance; the act or direction of looking.
sua: His; her; its; feminine singular possessive adjective.
gamba: Leg; the lower limb of the human body.
Dopo: After; afterward; following in time or sequence.
aver: Having; short form of avere in compound infinitives.
lanciato: Cast; thrown; past participle of lanciare.
volte: Times; occasions; plural of volta.
uno: One; a; indefinite masculine singular article or numeral.
cupo: Gloomy; dark; sullen; expressing gloom or menace.
me: Me; stressed first-person singular object pronoun.
avvicinò: Approached; came closer; past tense of avvicinarsi.
prese: Grabbed; took; third-person singular past tense of prendere.
entrambe: Both; feminine form of entrambi, referring to two things.
le: The; definite feminine plural article.
braccia: Arms; plural of braccio, the upper limbs.
inclinò: Tilted; leaned; third-person singular past tense of inclinare.
all': To the; elided form of alla before vowels.
quanto: As much as; how much; to the extent that.
riusciva: Was able; managed; imperfect tense of riuscire.
tenermi: To hold me; infinitive tenere with first-person pronoun.
così: So; thus; in this way; adverb of manner.
i: The; definite masculine plural article.
suoi: His; her; masculine plural possessive adjective.
occhi: Eyes; plural of occhio, the organs of sight.
guardavano: Were looking; imperfect third-person plural of guardare.
grande: Great; large; intense; of considerable size or degree.
intensità: Intensity; great strength or concentration of feeling.
nei: In the; combined preposition in and masculine plural article.
miei: My; mine; masculine plural possessive adjective.
dall': From the; elided combined preposition da and article.
alto: High; above; from a higher position downward.
impotenza: Powerlessness; helplessness; inability to act or resist.
dal: From the; combined preposition da and masculine article il.
basso: Low; below; from a lower position upward.
questione: Question; issue; matter under discussion or debate.
debba: Must; should; first/third-person subjunctive of dovere.
lasciar: To let; to allow; short form of lasciare.
Sai: You know; second-person singular present of sapere.
cos': What; elided form of cosa before vowels.
lima: File; metal tool used for smoothing or cutting material.

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