The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 1
Of my Birth and Parentage
Della mia nascita e della mia famiglia
I was born in the northern part of this united kingdom, in the house of my grandfather, a gentleman of considerable fortune and influence, who had on many occasions signalised himself in behalf of his country; and was remarkable for his abilities in the law, which he exercised with great success in the station of a judge, particularly against beggars, for whom he had a singular aversion.
Nacqui nella parte settentrionale di questo regno unito, nella casa di mio nonno, un gentiluomo di notevole fortuna e influenza, che si era distinto in molte occasioni in difesa della sua patria; ed era rimarchevole per le sue capacità nel diritto, che esercitava con grande successo nella carica di giudice, in particolare contro i mendicanti, per i quali nutriva una singolare avversione.
My father (his youngest son) falling in love with a poor relation, who lived with the old gentleman in quality of a housekeeper, espoused her privately; and I was the first fruit of that marriage.
Mio padre (il suo figlio più giovane), essendosi innamorato di una povera parente, che viveva con il vecchio gentiluomo in qualità di governante, la sposò in segreto; e io fui il primo frutto di quel matrimonio.
During her pregnancy, a dream discomposed my mother so much that her husband, tired with her importunity, at last consulted a highland seer, whose favourable interpretation he would have secured beforehand by a bribe, but found him incorruptible.
Durante la sua gravidanza, un sogno turbò talmente mia madre che suo marito, stanco delle sue insistenze, consultò infine un veggente delle highlands, di cui avrebbe voluto assicurarsi in anticipo un'interpretazione favorevole mediante una tangente, ma lo trovò incorruttibile.
She dreamed she was delivered of a tennis-ball, which the devil (who, to her great surprise, acted the part of a midwife) struck so forcibly with a racket that it disappeared in an instant; and she was for some time inconsolable for the lost of her offspring; when, all on a sudden, she beheld it return with equal violence, and enter the earth, beneath her feet, whence immediately sprang up a goodly tree covered with blossoms, the scent of which operated so strongly on her nerves that she awoke.
Sognò di partorire una palla da tennis, che il diavolo (il quale, con sua grande sorpresa, faceva le veci di ostetrica) colpì con una racchetta così violentemente che sparì in un istante; e per qualche tempo ella fu inconsolabile per la perdita della sua creatura; quando, all'improvviso, la vide tornare con uguale violenza, e penetrare nella terra sotto i suoi piedi, donde spuntò immediatamente un bell'albero coperto di fiori, il cui profumo agì così intensamente sui suoi nervi che si svegliò.
Vocabulary
- Della
- Of the, combining preposition and feminine article
- mia
- My, first-person singular feminine possessive adjective
- nascita
- Birth, the event of being born
- e
- And, basic coordinating conjunction
- della
- Of the, combining preposition and feminine article
- famiglia
- Family, a group of related people
- Nacqui
- I was born, first-person past tense of nascere
- nella
- In the, combining preposition and feminine article
- parte
- Part, portion, or region of something
- settentrionale
- Northern, relating to the north of a place
- di
- Of, preposition indicating origin or belonging
- questo
- This, demonstrative adjective for masculine nouns
- regno
- Kingdom, a territory ruled by a monarch
- unito
- United, joined together as one entity
- casa
- House or home, a dwelling place
- mio
- My, first-person singular masculine possessive adjective
- nonno
- Grandfather, the father of one's parent
- un
- A, indefinite article for masculine nouns
- gentiluomo
- Gentleman, a man of noble or refined character
- notevole
- Notable, remarkable, or considerable in degree
- fortuna
- Fortune, wealth, luck, or favorable circumstances
- influenza
- Influence, power to affect people or events
- che
- That, who, which, or what; relative pronoun
- si
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself
- era
- Was, third-person singular imperfect of essere
- distinto
- Distinguished, set apart by notable achievement
- in
- In, basic preposition indicating location or time
- molte
- Many, a large number of, feminine plural
- occasioni
- Occasions, specific times or opportunities for action
- difesa
- Defense, protection or act of defending something
- sua
- His, her, its; third-person feminine possessive adjective
- patria
- Homeland, one's native country or fatherland
- ed
- And, variant of e used before vowels
- rimarchevole
- Remarkable, worthy of special attention or notice
- per
- For, by, through; versatile Italian preposition
- le
- The, definite article for feminine plural nouns
- sue
- His, her, its; third-person feminine plural possessive
- capacità
- Abilities, skills, or capacities in a field
- nel
- In the, combining preposition and masculine article
- diritto
- Law, right, or legal system and its study
- esercitava
- He exercised or practiced, imperfect tense of esercitare
- con
- With, preposition indicating accompaniment or manner
- grande
- Great, large, or significant in size or quality
- successo
- Success, a favorable or desired outcome achieved
- carica
- Office, post, or official position of authority
- giudice
- Judge, an official who presides over legal matters
- particolare
- Particular, specific, or especially notable characteristic
- contro
- Against, preposition indicating opposition or conflict
- i
- The, definite article for masculine plural nouns
- mendicanti
- Beggars, people who ask for charity or alms
- quali
- Which, whom; relative pronoun for plural reference
- nutriva
- He nurtured or harbored, imperfect of nutrire
- una
- A, indefinite article for feminine singular nouns
- singolare
- Singular, unique, or extraordinary in character
- avversione
- Aversion, strong dislike or opposition toward something
- Mio
- My, first-person singular masculine possessive adjective
- padre
- Father, male parent of a child
- il
- The, definite article for masculine singular nouns
- figlio
- Son, a male child of a parent
- più
- More, used for comparisons or superlatives
- giovane
- Young, at an early stage of life
- essendosi
- Having found oneself, reflexive gerund of essere
- innamorato
- Fallen in love, enamored with someone
- povera
- Poor, lacking wealth or resources; humble
- parente
- Relative, a person related by blood or marriage
- viveva
- She lived, third-person imperfect of vivere
- vecchio
- Old man, elderly male person
- qualità
- Quality, capacity, or role in a given function
- governante
- Governess or housekeeper managing a household
- la
- Her, direct object pronoun; or the, article
- sposò
- He married, third-person past tense of sposare
- segreto
- Secret, something kept hidden or confidential
- io
- I, first-person singular subject pronoun
- fui
- I was, first-person past tense of essere
- primo
- First, the ordinal number one in sequence
- frutto
- Fruit, product, or result of something
- quel
- That, demonstrative adjective for masculine nouns
- matrimonio
- Marriage, the legal union of two people
- Durante
- During, preposition indicating time within a period
- gravidanza
- Pregnancy, the period of carrying an unborn child
- sogno
- Dream, images or experiences during sleep
- turbò
- Troubled or disturbed, past tense of turbare
- talmente
- So much, to such a degree or extent
- madre
- Mother, female parent of a child
- marito
- Husband, male spouse in a marriage
- stanco
- Tired, weary from exertion or annoyance
- delle
- Of the, combining preposition and feminine plural article
- insistenze
- Insistences, repeated urgent requests or demands
- consultò
- Consulted, sought advice from someone, past tense
- infine
- Finally, at last, after a long time
- veggente
- Seer or clairvoyant, one who predicts the future
- cui
- Whom, which; relative pronoun used after prepositions
- avrebbe
- Would have, conditional of avere
- voluto
- Wanted, past participle of volere
- assicurarsi
- To ensure or secure something for oneself
- anticipo
- Advance, something obtained or done beforehand
- un'
- A, feminine indefinite article before a vowel
- interpretazione
- Interpretation, explanation of the meaning of something
- favorevole
- Favorable, positive or advantageous in nature
- mediante
- By means of, through the use of something
- tangente
- Bribe, illicit payment to gain favor
- ma
- But, conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- lo
- Him, it; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- trovò
- Found, discovered; third-person past tense of trovare
- incorruttibile
- Incorruptible, unable to be bribed or corrupted
- Sognò
- She dreamed, third-person past tense of sognare
- partorire
- To give birth, to deliver a baby
- palla
- Ball, a round object used in sports
- da
- From, by, as; versatile Italian preposition
- diavolo
- Devil, an evil supernatural being
- quale
- Which, who; relative or interrogative pronoun
- sorpresa
- Surprise, an unexpected event or reaction
- faceva
- Was doing or making, imperfect of fare
- veci
- Role or function, as in fare le veci di
- ostetrica
- Midwife, a professional assisting in childbirth
- colpì
- Hit or struck, third-person past tense of colpire
- racchetta
- Racket, implement used to hit a ball in sports
- così
- So, thus, in this way or manner
- violentemente
- Violently, with great force or intensity
- sparì
- Disappeared, vanished; past tense of sparire
- istante
- Instant, a very brief moment in time
- qualche
- Some, a few; indefinite adjective for singular nouns
- tempo
- Time, weather; a general period or duration
- ella
- She, formal third-person feminine subject pronoun
- fu
- Was, third-person singular past tense of essere
- inconsolabile
- Inconsolable, unable to be comforted after grief
- perdita
- Loss, the fact of losing someone or something
- creatura
- Creature or baby, a living being
- quando
- When, a temporal conjunction or adverb
- all'
- At the, combining a and definite article
- improvviso
- Sudden, unexpected; as in all'improvviso, suddenly
- vide
- Saw, witnessed; third-person past tense of vedere
- tornare
- To return, to come back to a place
- uguale
- Equal, same, identical in force or manner
- violenza
- Violence, the use of physical force harmfully
- penetrare
- To penetrate, to pass or force into something
- terra
- Earth, ground, soil, or land
- sotto
- Under, below; preposition of position
- suoi
- His, her, its; third-person masculine plural possessive
- piedi
- Feet, the lower extremities of the legs
- spuntò
- Sprouted, emerged; past tense of spuntare
- immediatamente
- Immediately, without any delay whatsoever
- bell'
- Beautiful, handsome; elided form of bello before vowel
- albero
- Tree, a large woody perennial plant
- coperto
- Covered, past participle of coprire
- fiori
- Flowers, the blossoms of a plant
- profumo
- Perfume or fragrance, a pleasant sweet smell
- agì
- Acted or affected; past tense of agire
- intensamente
- Intensely, with great force or emotional strength
- sui
- On the, combining su and masculine plural article
- nervi
- Nerves, the fibers conveying impulses; also tension
- svegliò
- Woke up, past tense of svegliare
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