Middlemarch — Page 2
The pride of being ladies had something to do with it: the Brooke connections, though not exactly aristocratic, were unquestionably "good:" if you inquired backward for a generation or two, you would not find any yard-measuring or parcel-tying forefathers—anything lower than an admiral or a clergyman; and there was even an ancestor discernible as a Puritan gentleman who served under Cromwell, but afterwards conformed, and managed to come out of all political troubles as the proprietor of a respectable family estate.
L'orgoglio di essere dame aveva qualcosa a che fare con ciò: i legami dei Brooke, sebbene non esattamente aristocratici, erano indiscutibilmente «buoni»: se si fosse indagato a ritroso per una generazione o due, non si sarebbero trovati antenati misuratori di stoffe o imballatori di pacchi—nulla di più umile di un ammiraglio o di un ecclesiastico; e vi era persino un antenato riconoscibile come gentiluomo puritano che aveva servito sotto Cromwell, ma che in seguito si era conformato, e riuscì a uscire da tutti i guai politici come proprietario di un rispettabile patrimonio di famiglia.
Young women of such birth, living in a quiet country-house, and attending a village church hardly larger than a parlor, naturally regarded frippery as the ambition of a huckster's daughter.
Le giovani donne di tale nascita, che vivevano in una tranquilla casa di campagna e frequentavano una chiesa di villaggio appena più grande di un salotto, consideravano naturalmente i fronzoli come l'ambizione della figlia di un rigattiere.
Then there was well-bred economy, which in those days made show in dress the first item to be deducted from, when any margin was required for expenses more distinctive of rank.
Vi era poi la parsimonia da persone per bene, che in quei tempi faceva sì che l'ostentazione nell'abbigliamento fosse la prima voce da sacrificare, quando occorreva un qualche margine per spese più consone al rango.
Such reasons would have been enough to account for plain dress, quite apart from religious feeling; but in Miss Brooke's case, religion alone would have determined it; and Celia mildly acquiesced in all her sister's sentiments, only infusing them with that common-sense which is able to accept momentous doctrines without any eccentric agitation.
Tali ragioni sarebbero state sufficienti a giustificare un abbigliamento sobrio, indipendentemente dal sentimento religioso; ma nel caso di Miss Brooke, la religione da sola avrebbe bastato a determinarlo; e Celia acconsentiva docilmente a tutti i sentimenti di sua sorella, infondendovi soltanto quel buon senso che è capace di accettare dottrine di grande peso senza alcuna agitazione eccentrica.
Dorothea knew many passages of Pascal's Pensees and of Jeremy Taylor by heart; and to her the destinies of mankind, seen by the light of Christianity, made the solicitudes of feminine fashion appear an occupation for Bedlam.
Dorothea conosceva a memoria molti passi dei Pensieri di Pascal e di Jeremy Taylor; e per lei i destini dell'umanità, visti alla luce del Cristianesimo, facevano apparire le preoccupazioni per la moda femminile un'occupazione da manicomio.
Vocabulary
- orgoglio
- Pride; a feeling of self-respect and dignity.
- di
- Of; preposition indicating possession or relationship.
- essere
- To be; fundamental verb expressing existence or state.
- dame
- Ladies; women of high social status or rank.
- aveva
- Had; past tense of avere in third person singular.
- qualcosa
- Something; an unspecified thing or matter.
- che
- That; relative pronoun connecting clauses or phrases.
- fare
- To do; to make; fundamental action verb.
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association.
- ciò
- That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something mentioned.
- legami
- Bonds; ties or connections between people or things.
- dei
- Of the; contraction of di and the plural article.
- sebbene
- Although; even though; conjunction expressing contrast.
- non
- Not; negation particle for verbs and adjectives.
- esattamente
- Exactly; precisely; in an exact manner.
- aristocratici
- Aristocratic; relating to nobility or the upper class.
- erano
- Were; past tense of essere in third person plural.
- buoni
- Good; having positive qualities or virtues.
- se
- If; conditional conjunction introducing hypothetical situations.
- si
- Oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person actions.
- fosse
- Were; subjunctive past tense of essere.
- indagato
- Investigated; examined closely or inquired into thoroughly.
- per
- For; preposition indicating purpose, duration, or direction.
- una
- A; feminine singular indefinite article.
- generazione
- Generation; people born and living around same time.
- due
- Two; the number 2.
- sarebbero
- Would be; conditional tense of essere.
- trovati
- Found; discovered or located in the past.
- antenati
- Ancestors; forebears or predecessors in family lineage.
- stoffe
- Fabrics; materials or cloth for garments or furnishings.
- pacchi
- Packages; wrapped bundles or parcels of goods.
- nulla
- Nothing; not anything; zero or nil.
- più
- More; greater in amount or degree.
- umile
- Humble; modest or lowly in status.
- un
- A; masculine singular indefinite article.
- ammiraglio
- Admiral; high-ranking naval or military commander.
- ecclesiastico
- Ecclesiastical; relating to the church or clergy.
- vi
- There; adverb indicating location or existence.
- era
- Was; past tense of essere in third person singular.
- persino
- Even; furthermore or used for emphasis.
- antenato
- Ancestor; a forebear or predecessor in lineage.
- riconoscibile
- Recognizable; able to be identified or acknowledged.
- come
- As; like or in the manner of.
- gentiluomo
- Gentleman; man of noble or honorable status.
- puritano
- Puritan; religious reformer with strict moral standards.
- servito
- Served; worked for or provided service to.
- sotto
- Under; beneath or below in position.
- ma
- But; conjunction expressing contrast or contradiction.
- in
- In; preposition indicating location or state.
- seguito
- Following; afterward or subsequently in time.
- riuscì
- Managed; succeeded or was able to accomplish.
- uscire
- To exit; to go out or depart.
- da
- From; preposition indicating origin or separation.
- tutti
- All; every one or the whole group.
- guai
- Troubles; difficulties or problems causing distress.
- politici
- Political; relating to government or politics.
- proprietario
- Proprietor; owner of property or business.
- rispettabile
- Respectable; worthy of respect or esteem.
- patrimonio
- Heritage; inherited property or family estate.
- famiglia
- Family; group of related persons living together.
- Le
- The; feminine plural definite article.
- giovani
- Young; in early stage of life or age.
- donne
- Women; adult females collectively or individually.
- tale
- Such; of that kind or character.
- nascita
- Birth; origin or beginning of life.
- vivevano
- Lived; existed or resided in the past.
- tranquilla
- Quiet; peaceful or calm without disturbance.
- casa
- House; dwelling or residence where people live.
- campagna
- Countryside; rural areas outside cities or towns.
- frequentavano
- Attended; visited regularly or went to often.
- chiesa
- Church; religious building for Christian worship.
- villaggio
- Village; small community or settlement area.
- appena
- Barely; scarcely or hardly; just now.
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