The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Page 10
From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.
Dalla parte inferiore del viso sembrava essere un uomo di forte carattere, con un labbro spesso e pendente, e un mento lungo e dritto che suggeriva una risolutezza spinta fino al limite dell'ostinazione.
"You had my note?" he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly marked German accent.
«Ha ricevuto il mio biglietto?» chiese con una voce profonda e aspra e un accento tedesco fortemente marcato.
"I told you that I would call."
«Le avevo detto che sarei venuto.»
He looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.
Ci guardò alternativamente, come se fosse incerto a chi rivolgersi.
"Pray take a seat," said Holmes.
«Prego, si accomodi,» disse Holmes.
"This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases.
«Questo è il mio amico e collega, il dottor Watson, che di tanto in tanto è così gentile da aiutarmi nei miei casi.
Whom have I the honour to address?"
Con chi ho l'onore di parlare?»
"You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman.
«Può rivolgersi a me come al Conte Von Kramm, un nobile boemo.
I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme importance.
Capisco che questo gentiluomo, il suo amico, è un uomo d'onore e di discrezione, al quale posso affidare una questione di estrema importanza.
If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone."
In caso contrario, preferirei di gran lunga comunicare con lei da solo.»
I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair.
Mi alzai per andarmene, ma Holmes mi afferrò per il polso e mi rispinse sulla sedia.
"It is both, or none," said he.
«O tutti e due, o nessuno,» disse lui.
"You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me."
«Può dire davanti a questo gentiluomo qualsiasi cosa che direbbe a me.»
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders.
Il Conte scrollò le sue larghe spalle.
"Then I must begin," said he, "by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance.
«Allora devo cominciare,» disse lui, «con il vincolarvi entrambi al più assoluto segreto per due anni; al termine di quel periodo la faccenda non avrà più alcuna importanza.
Vocabulary
- Dalla
- Contraction of 'da' and 'la', meaning 'from the'
- parte
- Part, side, or portion of something
- inferiore
- Lower or inferior in position or rank
- del
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il', meaning 'of the'
- viso
- Face, the front part of the head
- sembrava
- It seemed or appeared, imperfect tense of sembrare
- essere
- To be, fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
- uomo
- Man, an adult male human being
- forte
- Strong, powerful, or intense in character
- carattere
- Character, personality, or distinctive quality of a person
- labbro
- Lip, one of the fleshy parts of the mouth
- spesso
- Thick or often; adjective or adverb depending on context
- pendente
- Hanging, drooping, or pending in position
- mento
- Chin, the lower front part of the face
- lungo
- Long, extended in length or duration
- dritto
- Straight, upright, or direct in direction
- suggeriva
- It suggested or hinted at, imperfect tense
- risolutezza
- Resoluteness, firmness of purpose or determination
- spinta
- Push, drive, or impulse toward something
- fino
- Until, up to, or as far as a point
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'il', meaning 'to the'
- limite
- Limit, boundary, or extreme point of something
- ostinazione
- Obstinacy, stubborn persistence in opinion or action
- Ha
- Third person singular of 'avere', meaning 'has'
- ricevuto
- Received; past participle of ricevere
- mio
- My, belonging to the first person speaker
- biglietto
- Note, ticket, or short written message
- chiese
- Asked or requested; past tense of chiedere
- voce
- Voice, the sound produced by a person speaking
- profonda
- Deep, profound, or low in pitch or depth
- aspra
- Harsh, rough, or sharp in sound or manner
- accento
- Accent, stress, or distinctive pronunciation of a speaker
- tedesco
- German, relating to Germany or its language
- fortemente
- Strongly, intensely, or powerfully in manner
- marcato
- Marked, pronounced, or strongly emphasized
- Le
- To her/you; indirect object pronoun in Italian
- avevo
- I had; first person imperfect of avere
- detto
- Said or told; past participle of dire
- sarei
- I would be; first person conditional of essere
- venuto
- Come; past participle of venire
- Ci
- Us, there, or reflexive particle in Italian
- guardò
- He/she looked at; past tense of guardare
- alternativamente
- Alternatively, in an alternating or back-and-forth manner
- fosse
- Were; imperfect subjunctive of essere
- incerto
- Uncertain, unsure, or hesitant about something
- chi
- Who, whom; Italian interrogative or relative pronoun
- rivolgersi
- To address, turn to, or speak to someone
- Prego
- Please, you're welcome; polite Italian expression
- accomodi
- Please sit down; polite imperative of accomodarsi
- disse
- He/she said; past tense of dire
- Questo
- This; demonstrative pronoun or adjective in Italian
- amico
- Friend, a close or trusted companion
- collega
- Colleague, a fellow worker or professional associate
- dottor
- Doctor; abbreviated title used before a name
- tanto
- So much, so many; Italian intensifying adverb
- così
- So, thus, in this way; Italian adverb
- gentile
- Kind, polite, or courteous in manner
- aiutarmi
- To help me; infinitive with first person clitic
- miei
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- casi
- Cases, instances, or situations requiring attention
- ho
- I have; first person singular present of avere
- onore
- Honor, great respect or high regard for someone
- parlare
- To speak, to talk; common Italian verb
- Può
- Can, may; third person singular of potere
- Conte
- Count; noble title equivalent to an earl
- nobile
- Noble, aristocratic, or of high social rank
- boemo
- Bohemian, relating to the region of Bohemia
- Capisco
- I understand; first person present of capire
- questo
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- gentiluomo
- Gentleman, a man of noble or refined character
- suo
- His, her, your; third person singular possessive
- discrezione
- Discretion, prudent judgment in keeping sensitive matters
- quale
- Which, who; Italian relative or interrogative pronoun
- posso
- I can; first person singular present of potere
- affidare
- To entrust, to confide something to someone
- questione
- Question, issue, or matter under consideration
- estrema
- Extreme, utmost, or very great in degree
- importanza
- Importance, significance, or great relevance
- caso
- Case, situation, or hypothetical circumstance
- contrario
- Contrary, opposite; al contrario means 'on the contrary'
- preferirei
- I would prefer; first person conditional of preferire
- gran
- Great, large; short form of grande before nouns
- lunga
- Long; feminine form of lungo; di gran lunga means 'by far'
- comunicare
- To communicate, convey, or share information with someone
- lei
- She, her, or formal 'you' in Italian
- solo
- Alone, only; indicating exclusivity or solitude
- Mi
- Me, myself; first person singular reflexive pronoun
- alzai
- I stood up; past tense of alzarsi
- andarmene
- To leave, to go away from a place
- afferrò
- He/she grabbed or seized; past tense of afferrare
- polso
- Wrist or pulse; part of the arm joint
- rispinse
- He/she pushed back; past tense of rispingere
- sulla
- Contraction of 'su' and 'la', meaning 'on the'
- sedia
- Chair, a piece of furniture for sitting
- tutti
- All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
- nessuno
- Nobody, no one; Italian negative indefinite pronoun
- dire
- To say, to tell; fundamental Italian verb
- davanti
- In front of, before; Italian preposition of position
- qualsiasi
- Any, whatever; Italian indefinite adjective
- cosa
- Thing, what; common Italian noun or interrogative
- direbbe
- He/she would say; conditional tense of dire
- scrollò
- He/she shrugged or shook; past tense of scrollare
- sue
- His, her, your; feminine plural possessive adjective
- larghe
- Wide, broad; feminine plural of largo
- spalle
- Shoulders; plural of spalla
- Allora
- Then, so, well; Italian discourse marker or adverb
- devo
- I must, I have to; first person singular of dovere
- cominciare
- To begin, to start an action or process
- vincolarvi
- To bind you, to obligate both of you
- entrambi
- Both, the two of them; Italian pronoun/adjective
- più
- More, most; Italian comparative adverb
- assoluto
- Absolute, total, unconditional in nature
- segreto
- Secret, something kept hidden from others
- anni
- Years; plural of anno
- termine
- Term, end, or deadline of a period
- quel
- That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- periodo
- Period, interval, or span of time
- faccenda
- Matter, affair, or business requiring attention
- avrà
- Will have; third person singular future of avere
- alcuna
- Any, none; feminine form of alcuno used negatively
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