Heart of Darkness — Page 15

English → It Full Text Level 9/10

"I flew around like mad to get ready, and before forty-eight hours I was crossing the Channel to show myself to my employers, and sign the contract.

«Mi affannai come un pazzo per prepararmi, e prima che fossero trascorse quarantotto ore stavo attraversando la Manica per presentarmi ai miei datori di lavoro e firmare il contratto.

In a very few hours I arrived in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre.

In pochissime ore arrivai in una città che mi fa sempre pensare a un sepolcro imbiancato.

Prejudice no doubt.

Pregiudizio, senza dubbio.

I had no difficulty in finding the Company's offices.

Non ebbi difficoltà a trovare gli uffici della Compagnia.

It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it.

Era la cosa più importante della città, e tutti quelli che incontravo ne erano pieni.

They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade.

Stavano per gestire un impero d'oltremare, e guadagnare una quantità enorme di denaro con il commercio.

"A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting between the stones, imposing carriage archways right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar.

«Una strada stretta e deserta immersa in una profonda ombra, case alte, innumerevoli finestre con persiane alla veneziana, un silenzio di morte, erba che spuntava tra le pietre, imponenti portoni carrai a destra e a sinistra, immense porte doppie socchiuse con pesantezza.

I slipped through one of these cracks, went up a swept and ungarnished staircase, as arid as a desert, and opened the first door I came to.

Mi infilai attraverso una di queste fessure, salii una scala spazzata e spoglia, arida come un deserto, e aprii la prima porta che incontrai.

Two women, one fat and the other slim, sat on straw-bottomed chairs, knitting black wool.

Due donne, una grassa e l'altra magra, sedevano su sedie con sedile di paglia, lavorando a maglia con lana nera.

The slim one got up and walked straight at me—still knitting with downcast eyes—and only just as I began to think of getting out of her way, as you would for a somnambulist, stood still, and looked up.

Quella magra si alzò e mi venne incontro dritta—continuando a lavorare a maglia con gli occhi abbassati—e solo nel momento in cui cominciai a pensare di spostarmi dal suo cammino, come si farebbe con una sonnambula, si fermò e alzò lo sguardo.

Her dress was as plain as an umbrella-cover, and she turned round without a word and preceded me into a waiting-room.

Il suo abito era semplice come un fodero da ombrello, e si girò senza dire una parola e mi precedette in una sala d'attesa.

I gave my name, and looked about.

Diedi il mio nome e mi guardai intorno.

Vocabulary

Mi: Reflexive/object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
affannai: I frantically rushed or struggled with great effort
come: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like' or 'as'
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
pazzo: Crazy or mad person; someone acting irrationally
per: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'through'
prepararmi: To prepare myself; reflexive form of 'preparare'
e: Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses
prima: Before; earlier in time or sequence
che: Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
fossero: Subjunctive past of 'essere'; 'were' in hypothetical contexts
trascorse: Passed or elapsed, referring to time going by
quarantotto: The number forty-eight
ore: Hours; units of time equal to sixty minutes
stavo: I was; imperfect of 'stare' indicating ongoing past action
attraversando: Crossing or passing through a place or area
la: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'
Manica: The English Channel, body of water between England and France
presentarmi: To present or introduce myself to someone
ai: Contraction of 'a' and 'i,' meaning 'to the'
miei: My; possessive adjective, plural masculine form
datori: Givers or providers; used in 'datori di lavoro' (employers)
di: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
lavoro: Work, job, or employment
firmare: To sign a document or contract
il: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
contratto: A formal agreement or contract between parties
In: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'within'
pochissime: Very few; superlative of 'poco' in feminine plural form
arrivai: I arrived; past tense of 'arrivare'
in: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'within'
una: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'an'
città: City or town; an urban settlement
mi: Object or reflexive pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
fa: Third person singular of 'fare'; makes or does
sempre: Always; at all times without exception
pensare: To think or reflect on something
a: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
sepolcro: A tomb or sepulcher; a burial place
imbiancato: Whitewashed; painted or coated white on the outside
Pregiudizio: Prejudice or bias; a preconceived unfair judgment
senza: Without; lacking something or someone
dubbio: Doubt; uncertainty about something's truth or outcome
Non: Negation adverb meaning 'not'
ebbi: I had; past tense (passato remoto) of 'avere'
difficoltà: Difficulty or trouble encountered in doing something
trovare: To find or locate something or someone
gli: Definite article or pronoun; 'the' (masc. plural) or 'him'
uffici: Offices; places where administrative work is conducted
della: Contraction of 'di' and 'la,' meaning 'of the'
Compagnia: Company or corporation; a business organization
Era: It was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'
cosa: Thing or matter; a general object or subject
più: More; comparative adverb indicating greater quantity
importante: Important; of great significance or relevance
tutti: All or everyone; referring to an entire group
quelli: Those; demonstrative pronoun referring to distant things or people
incontravo: I was meeting or encountering; imperfect of 'incontrare'
ne: Pronoun meaning 'of it,' 'of them,' or 'some'
erano: They were; third person plural imperfect of 'essere'
pieni: Full; completely filled with something
Stavano: They were (doing); imperfect of 'stare' with gerund
gestire: To manage or run an organization or business
impero: Empire; a vast territory under one authority
d': Elided form of 'di,' meaning 'of' before a vowel
oltremare: Overseas; referring to territories across the sea
guadagnare: To earn or gain money or profit
quantità: Quantity or amount of something
enorme: Enormous; very large in size or degree
denaro: Money; currency used in financial transactions
con: Preposition meaning 'with' or 'together with'
commercio: Commerce or trade; buying and selling of goods
Una: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
strada: Street or road; a path for travel
stretta: Narrow; having little width or space
deserta: Deserted or empty; having no people present
immersa: Immersed or plunged; deeply surrounded by something
profonda: Deep; extending far down or inward
ombra: Shadow or shade; darkness caused by blocking light
case: Houses or buildings; residential structures
alte: Tall or high; having great vertical extent
innumerevoli: Innumerable; too many to be counted
finestre: Windows; openings in a wall fitted with glass
persiane: Shutters or blinds fitted on windows for shade
alla: Contraction of 'a' and 'la,' meaning 'to the' or 'in the'
veneziana: Venetian; in the style or manner of Venice
silenzio: Silence; the complete absence of sound
morte: Death; the end of life
erba: Grass or herb; low-growing green plant
spuntava: Was sprouting or emerging; growing up through a surface
tra: Between or among; in the middle of things
le: Definite feminine plural article meaning 'the'
pietre: Stones or rocks; solid mineral pieces
imponenti: Imposing or impressive; commanding attention by size
portoni: Large gates or main entrance doors of buildings
carrai: Carriage entrances; large gates for vehicles to pass
destra: Right; the direction opposite to left
sinistra: Left; the direction opposite to right
immense: Immense; extremely large or vast in size
porte: Doors or gates; movable barriers at entrances
doppie: Double; consisting of two parts or layers
socchiuse: Half-open or ajar; not fully opened or closed
pesantezza: Heaviness; the quality of being heavy or ponderous
infilai: I slipped or threaded through a narrow opening
attraverso: Through; from one side to the other of something
queste: These; demonstrative adjective referring to nearby things
fessure: Cracks or gaps; narrow openings in a surface
salii: I climbed or went up; past tense of 'salire'
scala: Staircase or ladder; structure used for climbing
spazzata: Swept; cleaned by brushing away dust or debris
spoglia: Bare or stripped; lacking decoration or furnishing
arida: Arid or dry; lacking moisture or life
deserto: Desert or deserted; barren and uninhabited place
aprii: I opened; past tense (passato remoto) of 'aprire'
porta: Door; a movable barrier at an entrance
incontrai: I met or encountered someone; past of 'incontrare'
Due: Two; the number 2
donne: Women; adult female human beings
grassa: Fat or stout; having excess body weight
l': Elided definite article 'la' or 'lo' before a vowel
altra: Other; a different one of the same kind
magra: Thin or lean; having little body fat
sedevano: They were sitting; imperfect of 'sedere'
su: On or upon; positioned above a surface
sedie: Chairs; pieces of furniture for sitting
sedile: Seat; a surface or object designed for sitting
paglia: Straw; dried stalks used for weaving or stuffing
lavorando: Working; present participle of 'lavorare'
maglia: Knitting or a knitted garment; also a jersey
lana: Wool; fiber from sheep used to make fabric
nera: Black; the darkest color, absence of light
Quella: That one; demonstrative pronoun referring to a distant thing
si: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'herself,' 'himself,' or 'itself'
alzò: She/he stood up or rose; past of 'alzarsi'
venne: She/he came; past tense of 'venire'
incontro: Toward me; meeting or heading in someone's direction
dritta: Straight or upright; moving directly without deviation
continuando: Continuing; present participle of 'continuare'
lavorare: To work; to perform labor or a task
occhi: Eyes; the organs of sight
abbassati: Lowered; directed downward, as eyes cast down
solo: Only or alone; without others or just at that moment
nel: Contraction of 'in' and 'il,' meaning 'in the'
momento: Moment; a very brief period of time
cui: Relative pronoun meaning 'which,' 'whom,' or 'that'
cominciai: I began or started; past tense of 'cominciare'
spostarmi: To move myself out of the way or to shift position
dal: Contraction of 'da' and 'il,' meaning 'from the'
suo: His, her, or its; third person singular possessive
cammino: Path or way; the route one is walking along
farebbe: She/he would do; conditional of 'fare'
sonnambula: Sleepwalker; a person who walks while asleep
fermò: She/he stopped; past tense of 'fermarsi'
lo: Direct object pronoun meaning 'him' or 'it'
sguardo: Gaze or glance; a look directed at something
Il: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
abito: Dress or outfit; a garment worn as clothing
era: Was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'
semplice: Simple or plain; not complex or elaborate
fodero: Sheath or cover; a casing that encloses something
da: Preposition meaning 'from,' 'by,' or 'since'
ombrello: Umbrella; a device used for protection from rain
girò: She/he turned around; past tense of 'girare'
dire: To say or speak; to communicate with words
parola: Word; a unit of language used in speech or writing
precedette: She/he preceded or led the way ahead of someone
sala: Room or hall; a large interior space in a building
attesa: Waiting; the act of remaining until something happens
Diedi: I gave; past tense (passato remoto) of 'dare'
mio: My; first person singular possessive adjective
nome: Name; the word used to identify a person or thing
guardai: I looked or watched; past tense of 'guardare'
intorno: Around; in the surrounding area or vicinity

← Previous

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

Create free account →