Harrigan — Page 2
He carried a contradiction in his face.
Portava una contraddizione nel suo volto.
The heavy, hard-cut jaw, the massive cheekbones, the stiff, straight upper lip indicated merely brutal endurance and energy, but these qualities were tempered by possibilities of tenderness about the lips and by the singular lights forever changing in the blue eyes.
La mascella pesante e dal taglio duro, gli zigomi massicci, il labbro superiore rigido e diritto indicavano soltanto una brutale resistenza ed energia, ma queste qualità erano temperate da possibilità di tenerezza intorno alle labbra e dalle luci singolari che cambiavano continuamente negli occhi azzurri.
He would be hard for the shrewdest judge to understand, for the simple reason that he did not know himself.
Sarebbe stato difficile da capire persino per il giudice più acuto, per il semplice motivo che non conosceva se stesso.
In looking at McTee, one asked: "What is he?"
Guardando McTee, ci si chiedeva: «Cos'è?»
In looking at Harrigan, the question was: "What will he become?"
Guardando Harrigan, la domanda era: «Cosa diventerà?»
"Stayin' in town long?" asked Harrigan, and his voice was a little wistful.
«Resti in città a lungo?» chiese Harrigan, e la sua voce era un po' malinconica.
"I'm bound out tonight."
«Parto stanotte.»
"So long, then."
«Allora arrivederci.»
"So long."
«Arrivederci.»
They turned on their heels into opposite streets without further words, with no thanks given for service rendered, with no exchange of congratulations for the danger they had just escaped.
Si girarono sui tacchi imboccando strade opposte senza altre parole, senza ringraziamenti per i servigi resi, senza scambiarsi congratulazioni per il pericolo che avevano appena scampato.
That parting proved them hardened knights of the road which leads across the world and never turns back home.
Quella separazione li rivelò come cavalieri incalliti della strada che attraversa il mondo e non fa mai ritorno a casa.
Harrigan strode on full of thought.
Harrigan camminava a grandi passi, pieno di pensieri.
His uncertain course brought him at last to the waterfront, and he idled along the black, odorous docks until he came to a pier where a ship was under steam, making ready to put out to sea.
Il suo cammino incerto lo portò infine al lungomare, e vagabondò lungo i moli neri e maleodoranti finché non giunse a un molo dove una nave era sotto vapore, pronta a prendere il largo.
The spur touched the heart of Harrigan.
Lo sprone toccò il cuore di Harrigan.
The urge never failed to prick him when he heard the scream of a steamer's horn as it put to sea.
L'impulso non mancava mai di pungerlo quando udiva il grido del fischio di un piroscafo che prendeva il mare.
It brought the thoughts of far lands and distant cities.
Portava con sé i pensieri di terre lontane e città distanti.
Vocabulary
- Portava
- He/she was carrying or bearing something
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular: a, an
- contraddizione
- A contradiction or inconsistency between two things
- nel
- Contraction of 'in il': in the
- suo
- His, her, or its possessive adjective
- volto
- Face or countenance of a person
- La
- Definite article, feminine singular: the
- mascella
- The jaw or jawbone of the face
- pesante
- Heavy, weighty, or burdensome in character
- e
- Coordinating conjunction meaning and
- dal
- Contraction of 'da il': from the
- taglio
- A cut, shape, or sharp defining line
- duro
- Hard, tough, or stern in quality
- gli
- Definite article or pronoun, masculine plural: the/him
- zigomi
- Cheekbones prominent on the face
- massicci
- Massive, solid, or strongly built in structure
- il
- Definite article, masculine singular: the
- labbro
- Lip, typically of the mouth
- superiore
- Upper, higher, or superior in position
- rigido
- Rigid, stiff, or inflexible in appearance
- diritto
- Straight, direct, or upright in form
- indicavano
- They indicated or pointed toward something
- soltanto
- Only, merely, or solely nothing else
- brutale
- Brutal, savage, or raw in nature
- resistenza
- Resistance, endurance, or capacity to withstand
- ed
- Variant of 'e' (and) before vowels
- energia
- Energy, vigor, or vitality in action
- ma
- Conjunction meaning but or however
- queste
- Demonstrative adjective: these (feminine plural)
- qualità
- Qualities, traits, or characteristics of someone
- erano
- Third person plural imperfect of essere: were
- temperate
- Tempered, moderated, or softened by something
- da
- Preposition meaning by, from, or since
- possibilità
- Possibility or potential for something to occur
- tenerezza
- Tenderness, gentleness, or warmth of feeling
- intorno
- Around or surrounding a place or area
- alle
- Contraction of 'a le': at the (feminine plural)
- labbra
- Lips (plural form of labbro)
- dalle
- Contraction of 'da le': from the (feminine plural)
- luci
- Lights or glimmers, often in eyes
- singolari
- Singular, unique, or unusual in character
- che
- Relative pronoun or conjunction: that, which, who
- cambiavano
- They were changing or shifting continuously
- continuamente
- Continuously, constantly, without interruption
- negli
- Contraction of 'in gli': in the (masculine plural)
- occhi
- Eyes, the organs of sight
- azzurri
- Blue, specifically a bright sky blue
- Sarebbe
- Conditional of essere: it would be
- stato
- Past participle of essere: been; also state
- difficile
- Difficult, hard, or challenging to do
- capire
- To understand or comprehend something
- persino
- Even, emphasizing inclusion of an extreme case
- per
- Preposition meaning for, through, or in order to
- giudice
- A judge or evaluator of situations
- più
- More or most, used in comparisons
- acuto
- Acute, sharp, or keenly perceptive
- semplice
- Simple, plain, or uncomplicated in nature
- motivo
- Motive, reason, or cause for something
- non
- Negation word meaning not or no
- conosceva
- He/she knew or was acquainted with someone
- se
- Reflexive pronoun or conditional conjunction: if, himself
- stesso
- Same or himself, used for emphasis
- Guardando
- Looking at or observing someone or something
- ci
- Reflexive or locative pronoun: us, there, oneself
- si
- Reflexive pronoun: oneself, each other
- chiedeva
- One wondered or asked oneself something
- Cos'è
- Contraction of 'cosa è': what is it?
- la
- Definite article or pronoun, feminine: the/her
- domanda
- A question or inquiry posed to someone
- era
- Third person singular imperfect of essere: was
- Cosa
- What; used to introduce a question
- diventerà
- He/she/it will become in the future
- Resti
- You stay or remain (formal imperative/present)
- in
- Preposition meaning in or into
- città
- City or town as a place
- a
- Preposition meaning at, to, or in
- lungo
- Long or for a long time
- chiese
- He/she asked; also churches (noun plural)
- voce
- Voice or spoken sound of a person
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular: a, an
- po'
- A little or somewhat, short form of poco
- malinconica
- Melancholic, sad, or tinged with sadness
- Parto
- I depart or leave; also childbirth (noun)
- stanotte
- Tonight or this night
- Allora
- Then, so, or at that point in time
- arrivederci
- Goodbye, until we see each other again
- Arrivederci
- Goodbye, a formal farewell in Italian
- Si
- Reflexive pronoun: they turned themselves around
- girarono
- They turned or spun around on heels
- sui
- Contraction of 'su i': on the (masculine plural)
- tacchi
- Heels of shoes or boots
- imboccando
- Entering or taking a road or path
- strade
- Streets or roads as pathways
- opposte
- Opposite, contrary, or facing directions
- senza
- Without, lacking something entirely
- altre
- Other or additional (feminine plural)
- parole
- Words or spoken expressions
- ringraziamenti
- Thanks or expressions of gratitude
- i
- Definite article, masculine plural: the
- servigi
- Services or favors rendered to someone
- resi
- Rendered or given (past participle of rendere)
- scambiarsi
- To exchange with each other mutually
- congratulazioni
- Congratulations offered between people
- pericolo
- Danger or peril faced by someone
- avevano
- They had (imperfect of avere, third plural)
- appena
- Just, barely, or just now in time
- scampato
- Escaped or narrowly avoided danger
- Quella
- That (feminine singular demonstrative adjective)
- separazione
- Separation or parting between two people
- li
- Direct object pronoun: them (masculine)
- rivelò
- It revealed or disclosed something about them
- come
- As, like, or how in comparison
- cavalieri
- Knights or riders, experienced travelers of roads
- incalliti
- Hardened, calloused, or toughened by experience
- della
- Contraction of 'di la': of the (feminine)
- strada
- Road or street; also figurative life path
- attraversa
- Crosses or travels through a place
- mondo
- World or earth as a whole
- fa
- Does or makes; ago (in time expressions)
- mai
- Never or ever in negative contexts
- ritorno
- Return or coming back to a place
- casa
- Home or house as a dwelling place
- camminava
- He/she was walking with a steady pace
- grandi
- Large, great, or big in size or significance
- passi
- Steps or paces taken while walking
- pieno
- Full or filled with something entirely
- pensieri
- Thoughts or ideas occupying the mind
- Il
- Definite article, masculine singular: the
- cammino
- Path, journey, or way traveled on foot
- incerto
- Uncertain, unsure, or wandering without direction
- lo
- Direct object pronoun: him or it (masculine)
- portò
- It brought or led him somewhere (past)
- infine
- Finally, at last, or in the end
- al
- Contraction of 'a il': to the (masculine)
- lungomare
- Seafront promenade along the waterfront or coast
- vagabondò
- He wandered or roamed aimlessly about
- moli
- Piers or wharves at a harbor
- neri
- Black or dark (masculine plural adjective)
- maleodoranti
- Foul-smelling or malodorous in a place
- finché
- Until or as long as a condition holds
- giunse
- He/she arrived or reached a destination
- molo
- A pier, dock, or jetty at harbor
- dove
- Where, indicating a location or place
- nave
- Ship or large vessel on water
- sotto
- Under, below, or beneath something
- vapore
- Steam or vapor; also a steamship
- pronta
- Ready or prepared to do something
- prendere
- To take, grab, or set off
- largo
- Wide, broad; prendere il largo means to set sail
- Lo
- Direct object pronoun: him or it
- sprone
- A spur or stimulus urging action
- toccò
- It touched or affected someone deeply
- cuore
- Heart, both physical organ and emotional center
- L'
- Elided definite article: the (before vowel)
- impulso
- An impulse or sudden urge to act
- mancava
- It was missing or lacking; he missed something
- pungerlo
- To prick or sting him into action
- quando
- When, used to introduce a time clause
- udiva
- He/she heard or perceived a sound
- grido
- A cry, shout, or loud sound
- del
- Contraction of 'di il': of the (masculine)
- fischio
- A whistle or whistling sound signal
- piroscafo
- A steamship or steam-powered vessel
- prendeva
- He/she was taking or setting off (imperfect)
- mare
- The sea or ocean as a body
- con
- Preposition meaning with or together with
- sé
- Himself, herself, itself as reflexive pronoun
- terre
- Lands or territories in distant places
- lontane
- Far or distant (feminine plural adjective)
- distanti
- Distant, remote, or far away (plural)
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