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Heart of Darkness — Page 9

English → It Full Text Level 9/10

It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind—as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness.

Era solo rapina con violenza, omicidio aggravato su vasta scala, e uomini che vi si gettavano alla cieca—come è del tutto appropriato per coloro che affrontano le tenebre.

The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

La conquista della terra, che per lo più significa sottrarla a coloro che hanno una carnagione diversa o nasi leggermente più piatti dei nostri, non è una bella cosa quando la si esamina troppo da vicino.

What redeems it is the idea only.

Ciò che la riscatta è soltanto l'idea.

An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea—something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to....

Un'idea dietro di essa; non una finzione sentimentale ma un'idea; e una fede disinteressata nell'idea—qualcosa che si può erigere, e dinanzi a cui inchinarsi, e a cui offrire un sacrificio....

He broke off.

Si interruppe.

Flames glided in the river, small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separating slowly or hastily.

Fiamme scivolavano nel fiume, piccole fiamme verdi, fiamme rosse, fiamme bianche, che si inseguivano, si sorpassavano, si univano, si incrociavano—poi si separavano lentamente o in fretta.

The traffic of the great city went on in the deepening night upon the sleepless river.

Il traffico della grande città continuava nel buio sempre più fitto della notte sul fiume insonne.

We looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else to do till the end of the flood; but it was only after a long silence, when he said, in a hesitating voice, "I suppose you fellows remember I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit," that we knew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to hear about one of Marlow's inconclusive experiences.

Osservavamo, aspettando pazientemente—non c'era altro da fare fino alla fine della piena; ma fu solo dopo un lungo silenzio, quando disse, con voce esitante, «Suppongo che voi ragazzi ricordiate che una volta feci il marinaio d'acqua dolce per un po'», che capimmo di essere destinati, prima che la marea cominciasse a defluire, a sentire una delle esperienze inconcludenti di Marlow.

Vocabulary

Era
Past tense of 'essere'; it was, there was
solo
Alone, only, just
rapina
Robbery, plunder, violent theft
con
With, together with
violenza
Violence, force, brutality
omicidio
Homicide, murder, killing of a person
aggravato
Aggravated, worsened, made more serious
su
On, upon, over
vasta
Vast, wide, extensive
scala
Scale, staircase, ladder
e
And, connecting two elements
uomini
Men, human males, people
che
That, which, who, what
vi
There, to it, yourselves (pronoun/adverb)
si
Reflexive pronoun; oneself, themselves
gettavano
They were throwing themselves, hurling
alla
To the, at the (feminine contraction)
cieca
Blind (feminine); blindly, without sight
come
As, like, how
è
Is, third person singular of 'essere'
del
Of the (masculine singular contraction)
tutto
All, everything, completely
appropriato
Appropriate, suitable, fitting
per
For, through, in order to
coloro
Those (people), those who, they
affrontano
They face, confront, tackle
le
The (feminine plural article)
tenebre
Darkness, shadows, gloom
La
The (feminine singular article)
conquista
Conquest, acquisition, takeover
della
Of the (feminine singular contraction)
terra
Earth, land, ground, soil
lo
It, him (masculine singular pronoun)
più
More, most, plus
significa
Means, signifies, indicates
sottrarla
To take it away, subtract, remove it
a
To, at, in (preposition)
hanno
They have, third person plural of 'avere'
una
A, an (feminine indefinite article)
carnagione
Skin tone, complexion, flesh color
diversa
Different, diverse, varied
o
Or, either
nasi
Noses, plural of naso
leggermente
Slightly, lightly, a little
piatti
Flat, plates; here flat (adjective plural)
dei
Of the (masculine plural contraction)
nostri
Ours, our (masculine plural)
non
Not, negation particle
bella
Beautiful, nice, lovely (feminine)
cosa
Thing, what, matter
quando
When, at the time that
esamina
Examines, inspects, looks closely at
troppo
Too much, too, excessively
da
From, by, since, as
vicino
Near, close, nearby
Ciò
This, that, it (demonstrative pronoun)
riscatta
Redeems, ransoms, rescues
soltanto
Only, solely, just
l'
The (elided article before vowel)
idea
Idea, thought, concept
Un'
A, an (elided feminine article)
dietro
Behind, back, after
di
Of, from, by
essa
It, she (third person feminine pronoun)
finzione
Fiction, pretense, fabrication
sentimentale
Sentimental, emotional, overly tender
ma
But, however, yet
fede
Faith, belief, trust, ring
disinteressata
Disinterested, selfless, unselfish
nell'
In the (elided preposition with article)
qualcosa
Something, anything
può
Can, is able to, may
erigere
To erect, raise up, build
dinanzi
Before, in front of, ahead
cui
Which, whom, to whom (relative pronoun)
inchinarsi
To bow down, bend, submit oneself
offrire
To offer, give, provide
un
A, an (masculine indefinite article)
sacrificio
Sacrifice, offering, selfless act
Si
Reflexive pronoun; oneself, he/she stopped
interruppe
Interrupted, stopped, broke off speaking
Fiamme
Flames, fires, tongues of fire
scivolavano
They were sliding, gliding, slipping
nel
In the (masculine singular contraction)
fiume
River, stream, large waterway
piccole
Small, little, tiny (feminine plural)
fiamme
Flames, fires (plural of fiamma)
verdi
Green (plural adjective)
rosse
Red (feminine plural adjective)
bianche
White (feminine plural adjective)
inseguivano
They were chasing, pursuing, following
sorpassavano
They were overtaking, passing, surpassing
univano
They were joining, uniting, merging
incrociavano
They were crossing, intersecting, meeting
poi
Then, afterwards, later
separavano
They were separating, parting, dividing
lentamente
Slowly, at a slow pace
in
In, into, within
fretta
Haste, hurry, rush
Il
The (masculine singular article)
traffico
Traffic, movement, flow of vehicles
grande
Big, large, great
città
City, town, urban area
continuava
Continued, kept going, persisted
buio
Dark, darkness, obscurity
sempre
Always, ever, still
fitto
Dense, thick, heavy (of darkness or fog)
notte
Night, nighttime
insonne
Sleepless, insomniac, without sleep
Osservavamo
We were observing, watching, looking at
aspettando
Waiting, expecting (gerund of aspettare)
pazientemente
Patiently, with patience, calmly
c'
There (elided form of ci before vowel)
altro
Other, else, another
fare
To do, to make
fino
Until, up to, as far as
fine
End, finish, purpose
piena
Full, high tide, flood (feminine)
fu
Was, it was (past absolute of essere)
dopo
After, afterwards, later
lungo
Long, lengthy, along
silenzio
Silence, quiet, stillness
disse
Said, spoke (past absolute of dire)
voce
Voice, sound of speaking
esitante
Hesitant, wavering, uncertain
Suppongo
I suppose, I assume, I imagine
voi
You (plural), you all
ragazzi
Boys, guys, young people
ricordiate
You (plural) remember, recall
volta
Time, occasion, once
feci
I did, I made (past absolute of fare)
marinaio
Sailor, seaman, mariner
d'
Of (elided preposition before vowel)
acqua
Water, liquid
dolce
Sweet, fresh (water), gentle
po'
A little, a bit (shortened poco)
capimmo
We understood, we realized (past absolute)
essere
To be (infinitive of primary verb)
destinati
Destined, fated, meant to (plural)
prima
Before, first, earlier
marea
Tide, tidal flow, surge of water
cominciasse
Would begin, started (subjunctive of cominciare)
defluire
To flow away, ebb, drain out
sentire
To hear, feel, sense, listen
delle
Of the, some (feminine plural contraction)
esperienze
Experiences, experiments, instances
inconcludenti
Inconclusive, unresolved, leading nowhere
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