Little Women — Page 5

English → It CHAPTER ONE Level 6/10

And Jo shook the blue army sock till the needles rattled like castanets, and her ball bounded across the room.

E Jo scosse il calzino blu dell'esercito finché i ferri non tintinnarono come nacchere, e il suo gomitolo rimbalzò attraverso la stanza.

"Poor Jo! It's too bad, but it can't be helped. So you must try to be contented with making your name boyish, and playing brother to us girls," said Beth, stroking the rough head with a hand that all the dish washing and dusting in the world could not make ungentle in its touch.

«Povera Jo! È un peccato, ma non ci si può fare nulla. Quindi devi cercare di accontentarti di dare al tuo nome un'aria da ragazzo, e di fare da fratello a noi ragazze», disse Beth, accarezzando la testa arruffata con una mano che tutto il lavare i piatti e spolverare del mondo non avrebbe potuto rendere ruvida nel suo tocco.

"As for you, Amy," continued Meg, "you are altogether too particular and prim. Your airs are funny now, but you'll grow up an affected little goose, if you don't take care. I like your nice manners and refined ways of speaking, when you don't try to be elegant. But your absurd words are as bad as Jo's slang."

«Quanto a te, Amy», continuò Meg, «sei del tutto troppo schizzinosa e compita. Le tue arie sono divertenti adesso, ma diventerai una piccola oca affettata, se non stai attenta. Mi piacciono le tue belle maniere e i tuoi modi raffinati di parlare, quando non cerchi di essere elegante. Ma le tue parole assurde sono tanto cattive quanto il gergo di Jo.»

"If Jo is a tomboy and Amy a goose, what am I, please?" asked Beth, ready to share the lecture.

«Se Jo è un maschiaccio e Amy un'oca, cosa sono io, di grazia?» chiese Beth, pronta a ricevere la sua parte di rimprovero.

"You're a dear, and nothing else," answered Meg warmly, and no one contradicted her, for the 'Mouse' was the pet of the family.

«Sei un tesoro, e nient'altro», rispose Meg calorosamente, e nessuno la contraddisse, poiché il 'Topolino' era il cocco della famiglia.

As young readers like to know 'how people look', we will take this moment to give them a little sketch of the four sisters, who sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheerfully within.

Poiché ai giovani lettori piace sapere 'come sono fatte le persone', coglieremo questo momento per dar loro un piccolo ritratto delle quattro sorelle, che sedevano a lavorare a maglia al crepuscolo, mentre la neve di dicembre cadeva silenziosa fuori, e il fuoco scoppiettava allegramente dentro.

Vocabulary

E: Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
scosse: Shook or jolted something with a quick movement.
il: Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns.
calzino: A sock worn on the foot inside a shoe.
blu: The color blue, used to describe objects.
dell': Contraction of 'di' and 'l'', meaning 'of the'.
esercito: A military army or large organized armed force.
finché: Conjunction meaning 'until' or 'as long as'.
i: Definite article 'the' for masculine plural nouns.
ferri: Knitting needles or iron tools used for crafts.
non: Negation word meaning 'not' in Italian sentences.
tintinnarono: Clinked or jingled with a light metallic sound.
come: Means 'like' or 'as', used for comparisons.
nacchere: Castanets, small percussion instruments clicked by hand.
e: Conjunction meaning 'and', linking words or phrases.
suo: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
gomitolo: A ball of yarn or wool used for knitting.
rimbalzò: Bounced or rebounded across a surface or space.
attraverso: Preposition meaning 'across' or 'through' a space.
la: Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns.
stanza: A room within a building or dwelling.
Povera: Adjective meaning 'poor' or 'unfortunate', feminine form.
È: Third person singular of 'essere', meaning 'is'.
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' for masculine singular nouns.
peccato: A shame or pity; also means 'sin' religiously.
ma: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting clause.
ci: Reflexive or impersonal pronoun meaning 'us' or 'there'.
si: Reflexive pronoun used in impersonal or reflexive constructions.
può: Third person singular of 'potere', meaning 'can'.
fare: To do or to make; very common Italian verb.
nulla: Nothing; used to express the absence of anything.
Quindi: Conjunction meaning 'so' or 'therefore', indicating consequence.
devi: Second person singular of 'dovere', meaning 'you must'.
cercare: To try or to search for something or someone.
di: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from' in Italian.
accontentarti: To content yourself or be satisfied with something.
dare: To give something to someone; a fundamental Italian verb.
al: Contraction of 'a' and 'il', meaning 'to the'.
tuo: Possessive adjective meaning 'your', masculine singular form.
nome: A name given to a person, place, or thing.
un': Feminine indefinite article 'a' before a vowel.
aria: An air or manner; also means 'air' literally.
da: Preposition meaning 'from', 'by', or 'like'.
ragazzo: A boy or young man; also means 'boyfriend'.
fratello: A brother, male sibling in a family.
a: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
noi: First person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
ragazze: Girls or young women; plural of ragazza.
disse: Past tense of 'dire', meaning 'said' or 'told'.
accarezzando: Stroking or caressing gently with affection.
testa: The head, top part of a human body.
arruffata: Disheveled or ruffled, used to describe messy hair.
con: Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment or means.
una: Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
mano: A hand, the body part at end of arm.
che: Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'.
tutto: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everything'.
lavare: To wash something, such as dishes or clothes.
piatti: Plates or dishes used for serving food.
spolverare: To dust surfaces, removing dust from furniture or objects.
del: Contraction of 'di' and 'il', meaning 'of the'.
mondo: The world; the entire earth or universe.
avrebbe: Conditional of 'avere', meaning 'would have' in Italian.
potuto: Past participle of 'potere', meaning 'been able to'.
rendere: To make or render something a certain way.
ruvida: Rough or coarse in texture, feminine singular form.
nel: Contraction of 'in' and 'il', meaning 'in the'.
tocco: A touch or light contact with the hand.
Quanto: Meaning 'as for' or 'regarding'; also 'how much'.
te: Second person pronoun meaning 'you', used after prepositions.
continuò: Past tense of 'continuare', meaning 'continued' or 'went on'.
sei: Second person singular of 'essere', meaning 'you are'.
troppo: Adverb meaning 'too' or 'too much' in quantity.
schizzinosa: Fussy or picky, especially about food or manners.
compita: Polite, well-mannered, or proper in behavior.
Le: Definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns.
tue: Possessive adjective meaning 'your', feminine plural form.
arie: Airs or affected manners; also means 'arias' musically.
sono: Third person plural or first person of 'essere', 'are/am'.
divertenti: Amusing or entertaining; plural adjective form.
adesso: Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment'.
diventerai: Future of 'diventare', meaning 'you will become'.
piccola: Small or little, feminine singular adjective form.
oca: A goose; also used figuratively to mean a silly person.
affettata: Affected or pretentious in manner or behavior.
se: Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing a conditional clause.
stai: Second person singular of 'stare', meaning 'you are/stay'.
attenta: Careful or attentive; feminine singular adjective form.
Mi: First person reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me'.
piacciono: Third person plural of 'piacere', meaning 'are pleasing to'.
le: Definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns.
belle: Beautiful or lovely, feminine plural adjective form.
maniere: Manners or ways of behaving in social situations.
tuoi: Possessive adjective meaning 'your', masculine plural form.
modi: Manners or ways of doing something; plural of modo.
raffinati: Refined or sophisticated in manner or taste.
parlare: To speak or talk; a fundamental Italian verb.
quando: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when' in Italian.
cerchi: Second person singular of 'cercare', meaning 'you try/seek'.
essere: The infinitive 'to be'; one of the most essential verbs.
elegante: Elegant or stylish in appearance or manner.
Ma: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast or opposition.
parole: Words or terms used in speech or writing.
assurde: Absurd or ridiculous, feminine plural adjective form.
tanto: So much or as much; used for comparisons or emphasis.
cattive: Bad or wicked, feminine plural adjective form.
quanto: As much as; used in comparisons of equality.
gergo: Slang or jargon, informal nonstandard language usage.
Se: Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing a conditional clause.
è: Third person singular of 'essere', meaning 'is'.
maschiaccio: Tomboy; a girl who behaves in a boyish way.
cosa: A thing or object; also used as 'what'.
io: First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
grazia: Grace or elegance in movement or manner.
chiese: Past tense of 'chiedere', meaning 'asked' or 'requested'.
pronta: Ready or prepared, feminine singular adjective form.
ricevere: To receive or accept something given by someone.
sua: Possessive adjective meaning 'her', 'his', or 'its', feminine.
parte: A part, share, or portion of something larger.
rimprovero: A reprimand or scolding for a mistake or fault.
Sei: Second person singular of 'essere', meaning 'you are'.
tesoro: A treasure; used as a term of endearment.
nient': Nothing; shortened form of 'niente' before a vowel.
altro: Other or else; indicates something additional or different.
rispose: Past tense of 'rispondere', meaning 'replied' or 'answered'.
calorosamente: Warmly, in an affectionate or heartfelt manner.
nessuno: Nobody or no one; used in negative sentences.
contraddisse: Past tense of 'contraddire', meaning 'contradicted' or 'disputed'.
poiché: Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because', giving a reason.
Topolino: Little mouse; nickname used as a term of endearment.
era: Past tense of 'essere', meaning 'was' or 'were'.
cocco: Darling or favorite; a term of fondness and affection.
della: Contraction of 'di' and 'la', meaning 'of the'.
famiglia: A family, the basic social unit of relatives.
Poiché: Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because', explaining a reason.
ai: Contraction of 'a' and 'i', meaning 'to the'.
giovani: Young people or youth; plural adjective meaning 'young'.
lettori: Readers; plural of lettore, those who read texts.
piace: Third person singular of 'piacere', meaning 'pleases' or 'likes'.
sapere: To know facts or information; an important Italian verb.
fatte: Past participle of 'fare', meaning 'made' or 'done', feminine plural.
persone: People or persons; plural of persona.
coglieremo: Future of 'cogliere', meaning 'we will seize or take'.
questo: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'.
momento: A moment or brief period of time.
per: Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'through'.
dar: Shortened infinitive of 'dare', meaning 'to give'.
loro: Third person plural pronoun meaning 'them' or 'their'.
piccolo: Small or little, masculine singular adjective form.
ritratto: A portrait or description of a person's appearance.
delle: Contraction of 'di' and 'le', meaning 'of the'.
quattro: The number four in Italian.
sorelle: Sisters; plural of sorella, female siblings.
sedevano: Past imperfect of 'sedere', meaning 'were sitting'.
lavorare: To work or labor; also to knit in some contexts.
maglia: Knitting or a knitted garment; mesh or jersey fabric.
crepuscolo: Twilight or dusk, the dim light after sunset.
mentre: Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'whereas' in Italian.
neve: Snow, precipitation that falls as white flakes.
dicembre: December, the twelfth and last month of the year.
cadeva: Past imperfect of 'cadere', meaning 'was falling'.
silenziosa: Silent or quiet, feminine singular adjective form.
fuori: Outside or outdoors, indicating exterior location.
fuoco: Fire; also means 'focus' in certain contexts.
scoppiettava: Past imperfect of 'scoppiettare', meaning 'was crackling'.
allegramente: Cheerfully or joyfully, in a happy lively manner.
dentro: Inside or within, indicating interior location or direction.

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