Little Women — Page 13
Or a nurse, so I could be near him and help him," exclaimed Jo, with a groan.
O un'infermiera, così potrei stargli vicino e aiutarlo," esclamò Jo, con un gemito.
"It must be very disagreeable to sleep in a tent, and eat all sorts of bad-tasting things, and drink out of a tin mug," sighed Amy.
«Deve essere molto sgradevole dormire in una tenda, e mangiare ogni tipo di cose dal cattivo sapore, e bere da una tazza di latta,» sospirò Amy.
"When will he come home, Marmee?" asked Beth, with a little quiver in her voice.
«Quando tornerà a casa, Marmee?» chiese Beth, con un leggero tremito nella voce.
"Not for many months, dear, unless he is sick.
«Non per molti mesi, cara, a meno che non si ammali.
He will stay and do his work faithfully as long as he can, and we won't ask for him back a minute sooner than he can be spared.
Resterà e farà il suo lavoro fedelmente finché potrà, e noi non lo chiederemo indietro un minuto prima di quando potrà essere lasciato andare.
Now come and hear the letter."
Ora venite ad ascoltare la lettera.»
They all drew to the fire, Mother in the big chair with Beth at her feet, Meg and Amy perched on either arm of the chair, and Jo leaning on the back, where no one would see any sign of emotion if the letter should happen to be touching.
Si avvicinarono tutte al fuoco, la Madre nella grande poltrona con Beth ai suoi piedi, Meg e Amy appollaiate su ciascun bracciolo della sedia, e Jo appoggiata allo schienale, dove nessuno avrebbe visto alcun segno di emozione nel caso in cui la lettera si fosse rivelata commovente.
Very few letters were written in those hard times that were not touching, especially those which fathers sent home.
Pochissime lettere venivano scritte in quei tempi difficili che non fossero commoventi, specialmente quelle che i padri mandavano a casa.
In this one little was said of the hardships endured, the dangers faced, or the homesickness conquered.
In questa si diceva poco delle difficoltà sopportate, dei pericoli affrontati, o della nostalgia di casa vinta.
It was a cheerful, hopeful letter, full of lively descriptions of camp life, marches, and military news, and only at the end did the writer's heart over-flow with fatherly love and longing for the little girls at home.
Era una lettera allegra e piena di speranza, ricca di vivaci descrizioni della vita nel campo, delle marce e delle notizie militari, e solo alla fine il cuore dello scrivente traboccava di amore paterno e di nostalgia per le bambine a casa.
"Give them all of my dear love and a kiss.
«Date loro tutto il mio caro affetto e un bacio.
Vocabulary
- un'
- Feminine indefinite article before vowel
- infermiera
- Female nurse who cares for patients
- così
- So, thus, in this way
- potrei
- I could, first person conditional of potere
- stargli
- To stay near him, be close to him
- vicino
- Near, close, nearby
- aiutarlo
- To help him, assist him
- esclamò
- Exclaimed, cried out suddenly
- gemito
- A groan or moan of distress
- Deve
- Must, has to, third person of dovere
- essere
- To be, the infinitive of the verb be
- molto
- Very, much, a lot
- sgradevole
- Unpleasant, disagreeable, not enjoyable
- dormire
- To sleep, the act of sleeping
- tenda
- Tent, portable shelter used outdoors
- mangiare
- To eat, consume food
- ogni
- Every, each, all types of
- tipo
- Type, kind, sort of thing
- cose
- Things, objects, matters
- cattivo
- Bad, poor, unpleasant in quality
- sapore
- Taste, flavor of food or drink
- bere
- To drink liquids
- tazza
- Cup, small vessel for drinking
- latta
- Tin, metal container or sheet
- sospirò
- Sighed, exhaled deeply expressing emotion
- Quando
- When, at what time
- tornerà
- Will return, come back home
- casa
- Home, house, place of residence
- chiese
- Asked, inquired, past tense of chiedere
- leggero
- Light, slight, gentle in degree
- tremito
- Tremor, slight trembling or quiver
- voce
- Voice, sound produced when speaking
- molti
- Many, a large number of
- mesi
- Months, plural of mese
- cara
- Dear, beloved, affectionate address
- meno
- Less, fewer, unless in expressions
- ammali
- Gets sick, falls ill, subjunctive of ammalarsi
- Resterà
- Will stay, remain, future of restare
- farà
- Will do, will make, future of fare
- lavoro
- Work, job, occupation
- fedelmente
- Faithfully, loyally, with dedication
- finché
- Until, as long as, while
- potrà
- Will be able to, future of potere
- chiederemo
- We will ask, future of chiedere
- indietro
- Back, backward, returning to prior place
- minuto
- Minute, unit of sixty seconds
- prima
- Before, earlier, sooner
- quando
- When, at the time that
- lasciato
- Let, allowed, past participle of lasciare
- andare
- To go, move from one place
- Ora
- Now, at this moment
- venite
- Come, second person plural imperative of venire
- ascoltare
- To listen, pay attention to sounds
- lettera
- Letter, written message sent to someone
- avvicinarono
- They drew near, approached, past of avvicinarsi
- tutte
- All, every one, feminine plural of tutto
- fuoco
- Fire, flames, source of heat and light
- Madre
- Mother, female parent
- grande
- Large, big, great in size
- poltrona
- Armchair, comfortable upholstered chair with armrests
- piedi
- Feet, lower extremities of the body
- appollaiate
- Perched, settled like birds on something
- ciascun
- Each, every one individually
- bracciolo
- Armrest, side support of a chair
- sedia
- Chair, seat for one person
- appoggiata
- Leaning, resting against something
- schienale
- Backrest, the back part of a chair
- dove
- Where, in which place
- nessuno
- No one, nobody, not anyone
- avrebbe
- Would have, conditional of avere
- visto
- Seen, past participle of vedere
- alcun
- Any, some, used in negative contexts
- segno
- Sign, indication, trace of something
- emozione
- Emotion, strong feeling experienced inside
- caso
- Case, instance, situation or circumstance
- cui
- Whom, which, relative pronoun
- fosse
- Were, subjunctive imperfect of essere
- rivelata
- Revealed, disclosed, past participle of rivelare
- commovente
- Moving, touching, emotionally affecting
- Pochissime
- Very few, hardly any, superlative of poche
- lettere
- Letters, plural written messages
- venivano
- Were being, imperfect passive of venire
- scritte
- Written, past participle plural of scrivere
- quei
- Those, demonstrative adjective masculine plural
- tempi
- Times, periods, eras
- difficili
- Difficult, hard, challenging, plural adjective
- fossero
- Were, subjunctive imperfect plural of essere
- commoventi
- Moving, touching, emotionally stirring, plural
- specialmente
- Especially, particularly, above all others
- quelle
- Those, demonstrative pronoun feminine plural
- padri
- Fathers, male parents, plural of padre
- mandavano
- Were sending, imperfect of mandare
- diceva
- Said, was saying, imperfect of dire
- poco
- Little, not much, a small amount
- difficoltà
- Difficulties, hardships, challenges faced
- sopportate
- Endured, tolerated, past participle of sopportare
- pericoli
- Dangers, perils, risks, plural of pericolo
- affrontati
- Faced, confronted, past participle of affrontare
- nostalgia
- Nostalgia, homesickness, longing for home
- vinta
- Overcome, conquered, past participle of vincere
- allegra
- Cheerful, happy, lively in mood
- piena
- Full, filled, abundant with something
- speranza
- Hope, optimistic expectation for the future
- ricca
- Rich, full, abundant in content
- vivaci
- Vivid, lively, vibrant, plural adjective
- descrizioni
- Descriptions, detailed accounts of something
- vita
- Life, existence, way of living
- campo
- Camp, field, military encampment
- marce
- Marches, military processions on foot
- notizie
- News, information, reports about events
- militari
- Military, relating to armed forces
- solo
- Only, just, alone
- fine
- End, conclusion, final part
- cuore
- Heart, organ symbolizing love and emotion
- scrivente
- Writer, the one who is writing
- traboccava
- Overflowed, brimmed over, imperfect of traboccare
- amore
- Love, deep affection for someone
- paterno
- Paternal, fatherly, relating to a father
- bambine
- Girls, young female children
- Date
- Give, second person plural imperative of dare
- tutto
- All, everything, the whole of something
- caro
- Dear, beloved, precious affectionate term
- affetto
- Affection, warmth, tender feeling for someone
- bacio
- Kiss, touching lips to show affection
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