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Piccolissima — Page 3

English → It Full Text Level 3/10

She adhered to the old-fashioned notions, and could not suppose it possible that her little one could sleep without rocking.

Era attaccata alle idee antiquate, e non poteva supporre possibile che la sua piccina potesse dormire senza essere dondolata.

What the good little mother found the most trouble from, in the extreme smallness and delicacy of the limbs of her new-born doll baby, was the impossibility of swathing and dressing it.

Ciò che causava maggior difficoltà alla buona piccola madre, nell'estrema piccolezza e delicatezza delle membra della sua bambola neonata, era l'impossibilità di fasciarla e vestirla.

So she was forced to resign herself to doing as the birds do, and bring up her little one on a bed of moss and down.

Così fu costretta a rassegnarsi a fare come fanno gli uccelli, e ad allevare la sua piccina su un letto di muschio e di piumino.

She hardly dared to put upon the little arm, smaller than her own little finger, a little shift made of the fine white skin of the inside of an eggshell.

Osava a malapena mettere sul piccolo braccino, più sottile del suo mignolo, una piccola camiciola fatta della fine pelle bianca dell'interno di un guscio d'uovo.

The boots of the little one had soles cut out of the inside husks of the corn; a poppy leaf made her an ample bonnet.

Gli stivaletti della piccina avevano suole tagliate dalle bucce interne del grano; una foglia di papavero le faceva un ampio cappellino.

The spider's web which the dew whitens, and the wind winds up in balls, seemed too coarse too weave her sheets with, and the cup of an acorn was big enough for Piccolissima.

La tela del ragno che la rugiada imbianca, e che il vento arrotola in gomitoli, sembrava troppo grossolana per tessere le sue lenzuola, e la cupola di una ghianda era abbastanza grande per Piccolissima.

Her parents obtained all her wardrobe, and all the small furniture for her use from those thousands of skilful laborers, so adroit, and yet of whom we think so little, who hide themselves in all the walls, in the leaves of the trees turned up like horns, under the bark of the trees; in short, that are found in all the corners and crevices of creation.

I suoi genitori ottennero tutto il suo guardaroba, e tutti i piccoli mobili per il suo uso da quei migliaia di abili lavoratori, così destri, eppure ai quali pensiamo così poco, che si nascondono in tutti i muri, nelle foglie degli alberi arrotolate come corni, sotto la corteccia degli alberi; in breve, che si trovano in tutti gli angoli e le fessure del creato.

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb were not people who could be astonished.

Il signor e la signora Pollicino non erano persone che si potessero stupire.

Vocabulary

Era
She/he/it was; past tense of essere
attaccata
Attached, stuck to something
alle
Contraction of a+le, meaning to the
idee
Ideas, thoughts, concepts
antiquate
Antiquated, old-fashioned, outdated ideas
e
And; basic coordinating conjunction
non
Not; basic negation word
poteva
Could, was able to; imperfect of potere
supporre
To suppose, to assume something
possibile
Possible, feasible, capable of happening
che
That, which, who; versatile conjunction
la
The; feminine singular definite article
sua
Her, his; feminine possessive adjective
piccina
Little one; affectionate term for small child
potesse
Could; imperfect subjunctive of potere
dormire
To sleep; basic infinitive verb
senza
Without; preposition indicating absence
essere
To be; fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
dondolata
Rocked, swayed gently back and forth
Ciò
This, that; demonstrative pronoun referring back
causava
Caused, was causing; imperfect of causare
maggior
Greater, more; comparative adjective form
difficoltà
Difficulty, hardship, trouble
alla
To the; contraction of a+la
buona
Good; feminine adjective of quality
piccola
Small, little; feminine adjective
madre
Mother; female parent
nell'
In the; contraction of in+la before vowel
estrema
Extreme, utmost; feminine superlative adjective
piccolezza
Smallness, tininess, extreme small size
delicatezza
Delicacy, fragility, fineness of form
delle
Of the; contraction of di+le
membra
Limbs, body parts of a figure
della
Of the; contraction of di+la
bambola
Doll; small toy in human form
neonata
Newborn baby girl; newly born female
era
Was; third person singular imperfect essere
l'
The; elided definite article before vowel
impossibilità
Impossibility; state of being impossible
di
Of, from; very common Italian preposition
fasciarla
To swaddle her; wrap infant in cloth
vestirla
To dress her; put clothes on her
Così
So, thus, therefore; consequential adverb
fu
Was; third person singular passato remoto essere
costretta
Forced, compelled; feminine past participle
a
To, at; basic Italian preposition
rassegnarsi
To resign oneself, to accept reluctantly
fare
To do, to make; fundamental Italian verb
come
Like, as, how; comparison conjunction
fanno
They do, they make; third plural fare
gli
The; masculine plural definite article
uccelli
Birds; plural of uccello
ad
To, at; preposition before vowel sound
allevare
To raise, to rear young offspring
su
On, upon; basic Italian preposition
un
A, an; masculine indefinite article
letto
Bed; piece of furniture for sleeping
muschio
Moss; soft green plant found outdoors
piumino
Down, soft feather filling; small duvet
Osava
Dared; imperfect of osare, to dare
malapena
Hardly, barely; adverbial phrase of scarcity
mettere
To put, to place something somewhere
sul
On the; contraction of su+il
piccolo
Small, little; masculine adjective
braccino
Tiny little arm; diminutive of braccio
più
More; comparative adverb of quantity
sottile
Thin, slender, fine in width
del
Of the; contraction of di+il
suo
His, her; masculine possessive adjective
mignolo
Little finger, pinky; smallest finger
una
A, an; feminine indefinite article
camiciola
Small shirt; diminutive of camicia, shirt
fatta
Made; feminine past participle of fare
fine
Fine, delicate, thin; adjective of texture
pelle
Skin, hide, leather material
bianca
White; feminine adjective of color
interno
Interior, inner part of something
guscio
Shell; protective outer casing of egg
d'
Of; elided preposition di before vowel
uovo
Egg; common food and natural object
Gli
The; masculine plural definite article
stivaletti
Little boots; diminutive plural of stivale
avevano
They had; imperfect of avere, third plural
suole
Soles; bottom parts of shoes or boots
tagliate
Cut, trimmed; feminine plural past participle
bucce
Peels, husks, outer skins of grain
interne
Inner, internal; feminine plural adjective
grano
Grain, wheat; cereal crop plant
foglia
Leaf; flat green part of a plant
papavero
Poppy; flowering plant with red petals
le
Her, them; feminine pronoun or article
faceva
Made, did; imperfect of fare, third singular
ampio
Wide, ample, broad; masculine adjective
cappellino
Little hat; diminutive of cappello
tela
Cloth, canvas, web; woven material
ragno
Spider; eight-legged web-spinning arachnid
rugiada
Dew; water droplets forming on surfaces overnight
il
The; masculine singular definite article
vento
Wind; moving air current
arrotola
Rolls up, coils; third singular present arrotolare
in
In, into; basic Italian preposition
gomitoli
Balls of yarn or thread; plural of gomitolo
sembrava
Seemed, appeared; imperfect of sembrare
troppo
Too, too much; adverb of excess
grossolana
Coarse, rough, crude in texture
per
For, to, through; versatile preposition
tessere
To weave; to interlace threads into fabric
sue
Her; feminine plural possessive adjective
lenzuola
Bed sheets; plural of lenzuolo
cupola
Dome, cupola; rounded architectural or natural shape
ghianda
Acorn; nut produced by an oak tree
abbastanza
Enough, sufficiently; adverb of adequacy
grande
Big, large, great; common adjective
Piccolissima
Tiniest, very very small; superlative of piccolo
I
The; masculine plural definite article
suoi
His, her; masculine plural possessive adjective
genitori
Parents; mother and father together
ottennero
Obtained, got; passato remoto of ottenere
tutto
All, everything, whole; common pronoun/adjective
guardaroba
Wardrobe, clothing collection; closet or armoire
tutti
All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
i
The; masculine plural definite article
piccoli
Small, little; masculine plural adjective
mobili
Furniture; movable household objects
uso
Use, usage; purpose or function of something
da
From, by, since; versatile preposition
quei
Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
migliaia
Thousands; plural of migliaio, thousands
abili
Skilled, able, capable; plural adjective
lavoratori
Workers, laborers; plural of lavoratore
così
So, thus, in this way; common adverb
destri
Dexterous, skilled, nimble; plural adjective
eppure
And yet, nevertheless; conjunctive adverb
ai
To the; contraction of a+i
quali
Which, whom; relative or interrogative pronoun
pensiamo
We think; first plural present of pensare
poco
Little, not much; adverb/adjective of quantity
si
Themselves, oneself; reflexive pronoun
nascondono
They hide; third plural present of nascondersi
muri
Walls; plural of muro
nelle
In the; contraction of in+le
foglie
Leaves; plural of foglia
degli
Of the; contraction of di+gli
alberi
Trees; plural of albero
arrotolate
Rolled up, coiled; feminine plural past participle
corni
Horns; plural of corno, natural or musical horn
sotto
Under, beneath; common spatial preposition
corteccia
Bark; outer covering of a tree trunk
breve
Brief, short; adjective of time or length
trovano
They find; third plural present of trovare
angoli
Corners, angles; plural of angolo
fessure
Cracks, crevices, narrow gaps; plural of fessura
creato
Created; past participle of creare
Il
The; masculine singular definite article
signor
Mister, Mr.; title of address for men
signora
Mrs., madam; title of address for women
erano
Were; third plural imperfect of essere
persone
People, persons; plural of persona
potessero
Could; imperfect subjunctive of potere, plural
stupire
To amaze, to astonish, to stupefy
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