Piccolissima — Page 12
The wings of the insect fluttered, and made a little sharp noise, which, however, had nothing terrible in it, and Piccolissima perceived that her companion was laughing.
Le ali dell'insetto fremettero, e produssero un piccolo rumore acuto, che tuttavia non aveva nulla di terribile, e Piccolissima si accorse che il suo compagno stava ridendo.
It was evident that the fly must laugh with his wings, because he could not laugh in any other way.
Era evidente che la mosca doveva ridere con le sue ali, perché non poteva ridere in nessun altro modo.
It was with his antennae that he had listened; they evidently served him as ears; and, when he recovered his gravity, he flew on the little girl's hand, and began to talk with her; then Piccolissima observed him more intelligently.
Era con le sue antenne che aveva ascoltato; esse gli servivano evidentemente da orecchie; e, quando riacquistò la sua serietà, volò sulla mano della bambina e cominciò a parlare con lei; allora Piccolissima lo osservò più attentamente.
"It appears to me, little pet," said the fly, "thou must be very green to compare my delicate trunk, this instrument so nicely made, with the enormous and coarse cylinder upon which, in hot weather, I have often travelled.
«Mi sembra, piccola mia,» disse la mosca, «che tu debba essere molto inesperta per paragonare il mio delicato proboscide, questo strumento così finemente costruito, all'enorme e grossolano cilindro sul quale, nelle giornate calde, ho spesso viaggiato.
How can any one suppose that I have any relationship to the deformed and gigantic monster of which you have just now spoken?"
Come si può supporre che io abbia qualche relazione con il deforme e gigantesco mostro del quale hai appena parlato?»
Piccolissima thought that the little person was not wanting in vanity, and, while the fly was taking breath, observed that the trunk had disappeared, and that there was no possibility of discovering what the insect had done with it.
Piccolissima pensò che il piccolo personaggio non mancasse di vanità, e, mentre la mosca riprendeva fiato, osservò che il proboscide era scomparso, e che non vi era alcuna possibilità di scoprire che cosa l'insetto ne avesse fatto.
Vocabulary
- Le
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- ali
- Wings of an insect or bird
- dell
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il' (of the)
- insetto
- A small arthropod with six legs
- produssero
- They produced or generated
- un
- A, an (masculine indefinite article)
- piccolo
- Small in size or stature
- rumore
- Sound or noise
- acuto
- Sharp, piercing, or high-pitched in sound
- che
- That, which, or who (relative pronoun)
- tuttavia
- However, nevertheless, or still
- non
- Not (negation particle)
- aveva
- He/she/it had (imperfect tense)
- nulla
- Nothing at all
- di
- Of, from, or by (preposition)
- terribile
- Terrible, dreadful, or frightening
- Piccolissima
- Very small or tiny (superlative)
- si
- Himself/herself/itself (reflexive pronoun)
- accorse
- Noticed or became aware of
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- suo
- His, her, its, or your (possessive)
- compagno
- Companion, friend, or mate
- stava
- He/she/it was (imperfect tense)
- ridendo
- Laughing or smiling (present participle)
- Era
- He/she/it was (past tense)
- evidente
- Clear, obvious, or apparent
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- mosca
- A fly (common insect)
- doveva
- Had to or must have (imperfect)
- ridere
- To laugh or smile
- con
- With or together with (preposition)
- perché
- Why or because (conjunction/question word)
- poteva
- Could or was able to (imperfect)
- in
- In, into, or within (preposition)
- nessun
- No, none, or not any
- altro
- Other, another, or else
- modo
- Way, manner, or method
- antenne
- Antennae or feelers of insects
- ascoltato
- Listened to or heard (past participle)
- esse
- Them (feminine plural pronoun)
- gli
- Him, to him, or them (pronoun)
- servivano
- Served or were useful (imperfect)
- evidentemente
- Obviously, clearly, or apparently
- da
- From, by, or at (preposition)
- orecchie
- Ears (plural form)
- quando
- When or at which time
- riacquistò
- Recovered or regained (past tense)
- serietà
- Seriousness or gravity of manner
- volò
- Flew or moved through air
- sulla
- On the (feminine singular preposition)
- mano
- Hand or paw
- della
- Of the (feminine singular preposition)
- bambina
- Girl or young female child
- cominciò
- Began or started (past tense)
- parlare
- To speak or talk
- lei
- She or her (personal pronoun)
- allora
- Then, at that time, or well
- lo
- Him or it (masculine singular pronoun)
- osservò
- Observed or noticed (past tense)
- più
- More or most (adverb/adjective)
- attentamente
- Carefully or attentively
- Mi
- Me (indirect object pronoun)
- sembra
- Seems or appears to be
- mia
- My or mine (feminine possessive)
- disse
- Said or told (past tense)
- tu
- You (familiar singular pronoun)
- debba
- Should or must (subjunctive mood)
- essere
- To be or to exist
- molto
- Very, much, or a lot
- inesperta
- Inexperienced or unskilled
- per
- For, to, or in order to
- paragonare
- To compare or liken to
- mio
- My or mine (masculine possessive)
- delicato
- Delicate, tender, or refined
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