Heart of Darkness — Page 11

English → It Full Text Level 9/10

I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration.

Passavo ore a guardare il Sud America, o l'Africa, o l'Australia, e mi perdevo in tutte le glorie dell'esplorazione.

At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say, 'When I grow up I will go there.'

A quei tempi c'erano molti spazi bianchi sulla terra, e quando ne vedevo uno che sembrava particolarmente invitante su una carta geografica (ma li sembrano tutti così) ci mettevo sopra il dito e dicevo: 'Quando sarò grande andrò lì.'

The North Pole was one of these places, I remember.

Il Polo Nord era uno di questi posti, lo ricordo.

Well, I haven't been there yet, and shall not try now.

Ebbene, non ci sono ancora stato, e non tenterò di andarci ora.

The glamour's off.

Il fascino è svanito.

Other places were scattered about the hemispheres.

Altri luoghi erano sparsi per gli emisferi.

I have been in some of them, and... well, we won't talk about that.

Sono stato in alcuni di essi, e... beh, non ne parleremo.

But there was one yet—the biggest, the most blank, so to speak—that I had a hankering after.

Ma ce n'era ancora uno — il più grande, il più bianco, per così dire — verso cui sentivo una forte attrazione.

"True, by this time it was not a blank space any more.

«In verità, a quel punto non era più uno spazio bianco.

It had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names.

Si era riempito, dalla mia infanzia, di fiumi e laghi e nomi.

It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery—a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over.

Aveva cessato di essere uno spazio bianco di deliziosa mistero — una macchia bianca su cui un ragazzo poteva sognare gloriosamente.

It had become a place of darkness.

Era diventato un luogo di tenebre.

But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land.

Ma vi scorreva un fiume in particolare, un fiume immenso, che si poteva vedere sulla carta geografica, simile a un enorme serpente disteso, con la testa nel mare, il corpo adagiato che si curvava lontano su un vasto paese, e la coda perduta nelle profondità della terra.

Vocabulary

Passavo: pas-SA-vo — I used to spend (time), imperfect of passare
ore: O-re — Hours; units of time
a: a — To, at; preposition indicating direction or purpose
guardare: guar-DA-re — To look at, to watch
Sud: sud — South; cardinal direction
o: o — Or; conjunction presenting an alternative
mi: mi — Me, myself; reflexive or indirect object pronoun
perdevo: per-DE-vo — I used to lose myself, imperfect of perdersi
tutte: TUT-te — All, every; feminine plural of tutto
glorie: GLO-rje — Glories; splendors or great achievements
dell'esplorazione: del-les-plo-ra-TSJO-ne — Of exploration; discovery of unknown places
quei: KWEJ — Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
tempi: TEM-pi — Times; periods or eras
c'erano: CHE-ra-no — There were; imperfect of esserci
molti: MOL-ti — Many; a large number of
spazi: SPA-tsi — Spaces; open or blank areas
bianchi: BJAN-ki — White; masculine plural of bianco
sulla: SUL-la — On the; contraction of su and la
terra: TER-ra — Earth, land; the ground or world
quando: KWAN-do — When; conjunction or adverb of time
ne: ne — Of it, of them; partitive pronoun
vedevo: ve-DE-vo — I used to see, imperfect of vedere
uno: U-no — One; masculine singular numeral or article
sembrava: sem-BRA-va — Seemed, appeared; imperfect of sembrare
particolarmente: par-ti-ko-lar-MEN-te — Particularly, especially; adverb of degree
invitante: in-vi-TAN-te — Inviting, enticing; attractive or appealing
su: su — On, upon; preposition of position
carta: KAR-ta — Map, paper, card; sheet or document
geografica: dʒe-o-GRA-fi-ka — Geographic; relating to geography or maps
ma: ma — But; conjunction of contrast or opposition
li: li — There; adverb of place
sembrano: SEM-bra-no — They seem; third plural of sembrare
tutti: TUT-ti — All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
così: ko-ZI — So, thus, like this; adverb of manner
ci: chi — There, us; adverbial pronoun or object pronoun
mettevo: met-TE-vo — I used to put, place; imperfect of mettere
sopra: SO-pra — On top, above; preposition of position
dito: DI-to — Finger; digit of the hand
dicevo: di-CHE-vo — I used to say; imperfect of dire
Quando: KWAN-do — When; temporal conjunction or adverb
sarò: sa-RO — I will be; future tense of essere
grande: GRAN-de — Big, great; large in size or grown up
andrò: an-DRO — I will go; future tense of andare
lì: li — There; adverb indicating that place
Polo: PO-lo — Pole; geographic extremity of the Earth
Nord: nord — North; cardinal direction
era: E-ra — Was; third singular imperfect of essere
questi: KWES-ti — These; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
posti: POS-ti — Places, spots; locations or seats
lo: lo — It, him; masculine singular direct object pronoun
ricordo: ri-KOR-do — I remember; first singular of ricordare
Ebbene: eb-BE-ne — Well then, now; discourse marker introducing conclusion
ancora: an-KO-ra — Still, yet; adverb of continuation
stato: STA-to — Been; past participle of essere
tenterò: ten-te-RO — I will attempt; future tense of tentare
andarci: an-DAR-chi — To go there; infinitive with locative pronoun
ora: O-ra — Now; adverb of present time
fascino: FA-shi-no — Charm, fascination; alluring appeal or attraction
svanito: sva-NI-to — Vanished, faded; past participle of svanire
Altri: AL-tri — Other; masculine plural of altro
luoghi: LWO-gi — Places, locations; plural of luogo
erano: E-ra-no — Were; third plural imperfect of essere
sparsi: SPAR-si — Scattered, spread; past participle of spargere
per: per — For, through; preposition of purpose or movement
emisferi: e-mis-FE-ri — Hemispheres; halves of the Earth or a sphere
alcuni: al-KU-ni — Some, a few; indefinite plural pronoun
essi: ES-si — They, them; third plural personal pronoun
beh: be — Well; interjection expressing hesitation or thought
parleremo: par-le-RE-mo — We will talk; future tense of parlare
Ma: ma — But; conjunction of contrast
ce: che — There, us; unstressed pronoun before ne
n'era: NE-ra — There was one of them; contraction of ne era
più: pju — More; comparative adverb of quantity
bianco: BJAN-ko — White; color or blank space
dire: DI-re — To say, to tell; basic verb of speech
verso: VER-so — Toward; preposition of direction
cui: kwi — Which, whom; relative pronoun
sentivo: sen-TI-vo — I felt, I used to feel; imperfect of sentire
forte: FOR-te — Strong, loud; adjective or adverb of intensity
attrazione: at-tra-TSJO-ne — Attraction; pull or drawing force toward something
verità: ve-ri-TA — Truth; reality or honest statement
quel: kwel — That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
punto: PUN-to — Point, dot; a specific spot or moment
spazio: SPA-tsjo — Space; open area or outer space
Si: si — Reflexive pronoun; oneself or passive construction
riempito: rjemp-PI-to — Filled up; past participle of riempire
dalla: DAL-la — From the; contraction of da and la
infanzia: in-FAN-tsja — Childhood; the early years of one's life
fiumi: FJU-mi — Rivers; large natural flowing bodies of water
laghi: LA-gi — Lakes; inland bodies of standing water
nomi: NO-mi — Names; words identifying people or places
Aveva: a-VE-va — Had; third singular imperfect of avere
cessato: ches-SA-to — Ceased, stopped; past participle of cessare
essere: ES-se-re — To be; fundamental verb of existence
deliziosa: de-li-TSJO-za — Delightful, delicious; feminine adjective of delight
mistero: mis-TE-ro — Mystery; something unknown or unexplained
macchia: MAK-kja — Stain, blotch, spot; a mark or patch
ragazzo: ra-GAT-tso — Boy, young man; male child or youth
poteva: po-TE-va — Could, was able to; imperfect of potere
sognare: soɲ-NA-re — To dream; to imagine while asleep or awake
gloriosamente: glo-rjo-za-MEN-te — Gloriously; in a magnificent or splendid manner
Era: E-ra — Was; third singular imperfect of essere
diventato: di-ven-TA-to — Become; past participle of diventare
luogo: LWO-go — Place, location; a specific site or spot
tenebre: TE-ne-bre — Darkness; deep shadow or obscurity
vi: vi — There, you; locative or second plural pronoun
scorreva: skor-RE-va — Flowed, ran; imperfect of scorrere
fiume: FJU-me — River; large natural watercourse
particolare: par-ti-ko-LA-re — Particular, specific; notable or distinct
immenso: im-MEN-so — Immense, vast; extremely large in size
si: si — Oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person
vedere: ve-DE-re — To see; to perceive with the eyes
simile: SI-mi-le — Similar, like; resembling something else
enorme: e-NOR-me — Enormous, huge; extremely large
serpente: ser-PEN-te — Snake, serpent; a legless reptile
disteso: dis-TE-zo — Stretched out, lying; past participle of distendere
con: kon — With; preposition of accompaniment or means
testa: TES-ta — Head; upper part of the body
nel: nel — In the; contraction of in and il
mare: MA-re — Sea; large saltwater body
corpo: KOR-po — Body; the physical form of a person or thing
adagiato: a-da-DʒA-to — Resting, laid down gently; past participle of adagiare
curvava: kur-VA-va — Was curving, bent; imperfect of curvare
lontano: lon-TA-no — Far, distant; far away in space
vasto: VAS-to — Vast, wide; very large in extent
paese: pa-E-ze — Country, village; a nation or small town
coda: KO-da — Tail; the rear appendage of an animal
perduta: per-DU-ta — Lost; feminine past participle of perdere
nelle: NEL-le — In the; contraction of in and le
profondità: pro-fon-di-TA — Depths; great distance downward or inward
della: DEL-la — Of the; contraction of di and la

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →