Sense and Sensibility — Page 7
The assistance he thought of, I dare say, was only such as might be reasonably expected of you; for instance, such as looking out for a comfortable small house for them, helping them to move their things, and sending them presents of fish and game, and so forth, whenever they are in season.
L'assistenza a cui pensava, oso dire, era solo quella che ci si potrebbe ragionevolmente aspettare da voi; per esempio, cercare loro una comoda casetta, aiutarli a trasportare le loro cose, e mandar loro in dono pesce e selvaggina, e così via, ogni volta che è di stagione.
I'll lay my life that he meant nothing farther; indeed, it would be very strange and unreasonable if he did.
Scommetterei la vita che non intendeva nulla di più; anzi, sarebbe molto strano e irragionevole se così fosse.
Do but consider, my dear Mr. Dashwood, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds, besides the thousand pounds belonging to each of the girls, which brings them in fifty pounds a year a-piece, and, of course, they will pay their mother for their board out of it.
Considerate pure, mio caro signor Dashwood, quanto comodamente possano vivere vostra suocera e le sue figlie con gli interessi di settemila sterline, oltre alle mille sterline spettanti a ciascuna delle ragazze, che fruttano loro cinquanta sterline all'anno a testa, e naturalmente pagheranno la madre per il vitto con quella somma.
Altogether, they will have five hundred a-year amongst them, and what on earth can four women want for more than that?—They will live so cheap!
In tutto, avranno cinquecento sterline all'anno tra di loro, e che diamine possono volere di più quattro donne?—Vivranno con una spesa così ridotta!
Their housekeeping will be nothing at all.
Le spese domestiche saranno praticamente nulle.
They will have no carriage, no horses, and hardly any servants; they will keep no company, and can have no expenses of any kind!
Non avranno carrozza, né cavalli, e quasi nessun domestico; non terranno compagnia, e non potranno avere spese di alcun genere!
Only conceive how comfortable they will be! Five hundred a year!
Pensate solo quanto staranno a loro agio! Cinquecento sterline all'anno!
I am sure I cannot imagine how they will spend half of it; and as to your giving them more, it is quite absurd to think of it.
Sono certa di non riuscire a immaginare come spenderanno la metà di quella somma; e quanto al dargli di più, è del tutto assurdo pensarci.
They will be much more able to give _you_ something."
Saranno molto più in grado di dare qualcosa a _voi_."
"Upon my word," said Mr. Dashwood, "I believe you are perfectly right.
«In parola mia,» disse il signor Dashwood, «credo che abbiate perfettamente ragione.
Vocabulary
- assistenza
- as-sis-TEN-za — Assistance, help, or support provided to someone
- cui
- KU-i — Relative pronoun meaning 'whom', 'which', or 'whose'
- pensava
- pen-SA-va — He/she was thinking or had in mind
- oso
- O-zo — I dare; first person singular of 'osare'
- dire
- DI-re — To say or to tell something to someone
- potrebbe
- po-TREB-be — Could; third person singular conditional of 'potere'
- ragionevolmente
- ra-jo-ne-vol-MEN-te — Reasonably, in a sensible or rational manner
- aspettare
- as-pet-TA-re — To wait for or to expect something from someone
- esempio
- e-ZEM-pjo — Example; an instance used to illustrate a point
- cercare
- cher-KA-re — To search for, look for, or seek something
- comoda
- KO-mo-da — Comfortable, convenient; feminine adjective
- casetta
- ka-ZET-ta — Small house or cottage; diminutive of 'casa'
- aiutarli
- a-ju-TAR-li — To help them; infinitive with clitic pronoun
- trasportare
- tras-por-TA-re — To transport, carry, or move things from place
- mandar
- man-DAR — To send; truncated infinitive of 'mandare'
- dono
- DO-no — Gift, present; something given to someone freely
- pesce
- PES-che — Fish; aquatic animal often given as food gift
- selvaggina
- sel-vad-JI-na — Game; wild animals hunted for food
- ogni
- ON-ji — Every, each; Italian adjective of totality
- volta
- VOL-ta — Time, occasion; as in 'ogni volta' (every time)
- stagione
- sta-JO-ne — Season; one of four seasons or a time period
- Scommetterei
- skom-met-te-REI — I would bet; conditional of 'scommettere'
- vita
- VI-ta — Life; one's existence or lifetime
- intendeva
- in-ten-DE-va — He/she meant or intended; imperfect of 'intendere'
- nulla
- NUL-la — Nothing; more emphatic than 'niente' in some contexts
- anzi
- AN-zi — On the contrary, in fact; corrective Italian conjunction
- sarebbe
- sa-REB-be — Would be; third person singular conditional of 'essere'
- strano
- STRA-no — Strange, odd, unusual; describing something unexpected
- irragionevole
- ir-ra-jo-NE-vo-le — Unreasonable, irrational; contrary to good sense
- fosse
- FOS-se — Were; third person singular imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'
- Considerate
- kon-si-de-RA-te — Consider! (imperative plural); think carefully about something
- pure
- PU-re — Just, even, also; Italian particle adding emphasis
- caro
- KA-ro — Dear, expensive; used as affectionate form of address
- signor
- si-NYOR — Mr., sir; title used before a man's name
- quanto
- KWAN-to — How much, how; Italian interrogative or exclamative adverb
- comodamente
- ko-mo-da-MEN-te — Comfortably, conveniently; in a comfortable manner
- possano
- POS-sa-no — They may/can; third person plural present subjunctive of 'potere'
- vivere
- VI-ve-re — To live; to exist or dwell somewhere
- suocera
- SWO-che-ra — Mother-in-law; spouse's mother
- figlie
- FI-lje — Daughters; plural of 'figlia'
- interessi
- in-te-RES-si — Interest(s); money earned from investments or capital
- sterline
- ster-LI-ne — Pounds sterling; British currency unit
- oltre
- OL-tre — Beyond, in addition to, over; Italian preposition
- spettanti
- spet-TAN-ti — Due to, belonging to; present participle of 'spettare'
- ciascuna
- cha-SKU-na — Each one, every one; feminine singular pronoun
- ragazze
- ra-GAT-tse — Girls, young women; plural of 'ragazza'
- fruttano
- FRUT-ta-no — They yield, produce; third person plural of 'fruttare'
- anno
- AN-no — Year; a period of twelve calendar months
- testa
- TES-ta — Head; per person, per capita in financial context
- naturalmente
- na-tu-ral-MEN-te — Naturally, of course; as expected or obviously
- pagheranno
- pa-ge-RAN-no — They will pay; third person plural future of 'pagare'
- madre
- MA-dre — Mother; female parent
- vitto
- VIT-to — Board, food, sustenance; meals and daily nourishment
- somma
- SOM-ma — Sum, total; an amount of money
- avranno
- av-RAN-no — They will have; third person plural future of 'avere'
- diamine
- dja-MI-ne — For goodness' sake! An exclamation of mild exasperation
- volere
- vo-LE-re — To want, to wish; Italian verb of desire
- donne
- DON-ne — Women; plural of 'donna'
- Vivranno
- viv-RAN-no — They will live; third person plural future of 'vivere'
- spesa
- SPE-za — Expense, cost; money spent on something
- ridotta
- ri-DOT-ta — Reduced, diminished; feminine past participle of 'ridurre'
- spese
- SPE-ze — Expenses, costs; plural of 'spesa'
- domestiche
- do-MES-ti-ke — Domestic, household; relating to home management
- saranno
- sa-RAN-no — They will be; third person plural future of 'essere'
- praticamente
- pra-ti-ka-MEN-te — Practically, virtually; almost or nearly entirely
- nulle
- NUL-le — Zero, null, none; feminine plural of 'nullo'
- carrozza
- kar-ROT-tsa — Carriage, coach; horse-drawn vehicle for transportation
- né
- né — Nor, neither; Italian negative coordinating conjunction
- cavalli
- ka-VAL-li — Horses; plural of 'cavallo'
- quasi
- KWA-zi — Almost, nearly; Italian adverb of approximation
- nessun
- nes-SUN — No, none, not any; masculine singular indefinite adjective
- domestico
- do-MES-ti-ko — Servant, domestic worker; person employed in household
- terranno
- ter-RAN-no — They will keep/hold; third person plural future of 'tenere'
- compagnia
- kom-pa-NI-a — Company, companionship; being together with others
- potranno
- po-TRAN-no — They will be able to; future of 'potere'
- alcun
- al-KUN — Any, some; indefinite adjective (often used in negation)
- genere
- JE-ne-re — Kind, type, sort; category or variety of something
- Pensate
- pen-SA-te — Think! (imperative plural); consider something carefully
- staranno
- sta-RAN-no — They will be/stay; third person plural future of 'stare'
- agio
- A-jo — Ease, comfort; living comfortably and without hardship
- certa
- CHER-ta — Certain, sure; feminine adjective expressing confidence
- riuscire
- rjus-CHI-re — To manage to, succeed in; to be able to do
- immaginare
- im-ma-ji-NA-re — To imagine; to picture something in one's mind
- spenderanno
- spen-de-RAN-no — They will spend; third person plural future of 'spendere'
- metà
- me-TA — Half; one of two equal parts of something
- dargli
- DAR-gli — To give him/it; infinitive with indirect object clitic
- assurdo
- as-SUR-do — Absurd, ridiculous; contrary to reason or common sense
- pensarci
- pen-SAR-chi — To think about it; infinitive with reflexive/locative clitic
- Saranno
- sa-RAN-no — They will be; future tense of 'essere'
- grado
- GRA-do — Degree; in 'essere in grado di' means to be able
- dare
- DA-re — To give; fundamental Italian verb of giving
- qualcosa
- kwal-KO-za — Something; an indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified thing
- parola
- pa-RO-la — Word; a unit of language; also one's pledge
- disse
- DIS-se — Said, told; third person singular past of 'dire'
- credo
- KRE-do — I believe, I think; first person singular of 'credere'
- abbiate
- ab-BIA-te — You have (subjunctive); second person plural present subjunctive
- perfettamente
- per-fet-ta-MEN-te — Perfectly, completely; in an entirely correct manner
- ragione
- ra-JO-ne — Reason, right; 'avere ragione' means to be right
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