The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 3
I'm a laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know.
So che sto accumulando peccato e sofferenza per entrambi.
He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, somehow.
È pieno del diavolo, ma insomma! è il figlio della mia povera sorella defunta, poverino, e in qualche modo non ho cuore di frustarlo.
Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks.
Ogni volta che lo lascio andare, la mia coscienza mi tormenta così tanto, e ogni volta che lo colpisco il mio vecchio cuore si spezza quasi.
Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so.
Beh, l'uomo che nasce da donna è di pochi giorni e pieno di tribolazioni, come dice la Scrittura, e credo che sia proprio così.
He'll play hookey this evening,[*] and I'll just be obleeged to make him work, tomorrow, to punish him.
Oggi pomeriggio farà marinare la scuola, e sarò costretta a farlo lavorare domani per punirlo.
It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've _got_ to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruination of the child.
È terribilmente difficile farlo lavorare di sabato, quando tutti i ragazzi sono in vacanza, ma lui odia il lavoro più di qualsiasi altra cosa, e devo compiere il mio dovere nei suoi confronti, o sarò la rovina del bambino.
[*] Southwestern for "afternoon"
[*] Nel dialetto del Sud-Ovest sta per "pomeriggio"
Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time.
Tom fece davvero marinare la scuola, e si divertì moltissimo.
He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's wood and split the kindlings before supper—at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the work.
Tornò a casa appena in tempo per aiutare Jim, il ragazzino di colore, a segare la legna del giorno dopo e a spaccare i ramoscelli prima di cena — o almeno era lì in tempo per raccontare le sue avventure a Jim mentre Jim faceva i tre quarti del lavoro.
Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, trouble-some ways.
Il fratello minore di Tom (o piuttosto fratellastro) Sid aveva già finito la sua parte del lavoro (raccogliere i trucioli di legna), poiché era un ragazzo tranquillo, e non aveva modi avventurosi o turbolenti.
Vocabulary
- So
- so — I know; first person singular of sapere
- che
- ke — That, which, or what; versatile conjunction/pronoun
- sto
- sto — I am (doing); auxiliary for present continuous tense
- accumulando
- akkumulando — Accumulating, piling up, gathering over time
- peccato
- pekkato — Sin; also used to mean 'what a pity'
- sofferenza
- sofferɛntsa — Suffering, pain, or distress experienced by someone
- entrambi
- entrambi — Both; referring to two people or things together
- pieno
- pjɛno — Full; filled completely with something
- diavolo
- djavolo — Devil; evil supernatural figure or mischievous person
- insomma
- insomma — In short, well, or anyway; common filler expression
- figlio
- fiʎʎo — Son; male child of a parent
- povera
- pɔvera — Poor; lacking money or inspiring pity
- sorella
- sorɛlla — Sister; female sibling
- defunta
- defunta — Deceased, late; referring to a dead female person
- poverino
- poverino — Poor little thing; expression of sympathy for someone
- qualche
- kwalke — Some, any; indefinite adjective before singular nouns
- modo
- mɔdo — Way, manner, or means of doing something
- cuore
- kwɔre — Heart; organ or emotional center of a person
- frustarlo
- frustarlo — To whip or flog him; to beat with a strap
- Ogni
- oɲɲi — Every, each; adjective used before singular nouns
- volta
- vɔlta — Time, instance; used in expressions like 'ogni volta'
- lascio
- laʃʃo — I let, I allow; first person singular of lasciare
- andare
- andare — To go; fundamental Italian verb of movement
- coscienza
- koʃʃɛntsa — Conscience or consciousness; moral inner awareness
- tormenta
- tormɛnta — Torments, troubles; causes great mental anguish
- così
- kozi — So, thus, like this; common Italian adverb
- tanto
- tanto — So much, a lot; indicating great degree or quantity
- colpisco
- kolpiʃʃo — I hit, I strike; first person singular of colpire
- vecchio
- vekkjo — Old; aged, or used affectionately for elderly person
- spezza
- spɛttsa — Breaks, snaps; third person singular of spezzare
- quasi
- kwazi — Almost, nearly; adverb indicating near completion
- Beh
- bɛ — Well; informal interjection expressing hesitation or reflection
- l'uomo
- lwɔmo — The man; masculine noun referring to a human male
- nasce
- naʃʃe — Is born; third person singular of nascere
- donna
- dɔnna — Woman; adult female person
- pochi
- poki — Few, not many; masculine plural of poco
- giorni
- dʒorni — Days; plural of giorno
- tribolazioni
- tribolatsjoni — Tribulations, hardships; serious troubles or sufferings
- dice
- diʧe — Says; third person singular of dire (to say)
- Scrittura
- skrittura — Scripture; sacred written text, usually the Bible
- credo
- krɛdo — I believe; first person singular of credere
- sia
- sia — Is (subjunctive); used in clauses of doubt or belief
- proprio
- prɔprjo — Exactly, really, own; emphatic adverb or adjective
- Oggi
- ɔdʤi — Today; referring to the current day
- pomeriggio
- pomeriʤʤo — Afternoon; part of the day after noon
- farà
- fara — Will do/make; third person singular future of fare
- marinare
- marinare — To skip (school); also means to marinate food
- scuola
- skwɔla — School; institution of learning for children
- sarò
- sarɔ — I will be; first person singular future of essere
- costretta
- kostrɛtta — Forced, compelled; feminine past participle of costringere
- lavorare
- lavorare — To work; to perform labor or tasks
- domani
- domani — Tomorrow; the day after today
- punirlo
- punirlo — To punish him; infinitive of punire with pronoun
- terribilmente
- terribilmente — Terribly, horribly; adverb intensifying a negative quality
- difficile
- diffiʧile — Difficult, hard; not easy to do or understand
- sabato
- sabato — Saturday; sixth day of the week
- quando
- kwando — When; temporal conjunction or interrogative adverb
- tutti
- tutti — All, everyone; masculine plural of tutto
- ragazzi
- ragatsi — Boys, kids, guys; plural of ragazzo
- vacanza
- vakantsa — Vacation, holiday; time off from work or school
- odia
- ɔdja — Hates; third person singular of odiare
- lavoro
- lavɔro — Work, job; labor or employment
- più
- pju — More; comparative adverb or adjective
- qualsiasi
- kwalziazi — Any, whatever; indefinite adjective meaning any at all
- altra
- altra — Other, another; feminine singular of altro
- cosa
- kɔza — Thing; general noun for an object or matter
- devo
- dɛvo — I must, I have to; first person singular of dovere
- compiere
- kompjɛre — To fulfill, to carry out; to complete a duty or action
- dovere
- dovɛre — Duty, obligation; also the modal verb meaning must
- confronti
- konfront i — Regard, respect; used in phrase 'nei confronti di'
- rovina
- rovina — Ruins, destroys; or ruin as a noun
- bambino
- bambino — Child, little boy; young male child
- dialetto
- djalɛtto — Dialect; regional variety of a language
- Sud
- sud — South; cardinal geographic direction
- Ovest
- ovest — West; cardinal geographic direction
- sta
- sta — Is (doing); third person singular of stare
- fece
- feʧe — Did, made; third person singular past of fare
- davvero
- davvɛro — Really, truly; adverb expressing genuineness or surprise
- divertì
- divertì — Enjoyed himself; third person singular past of divertirsi
- moltissimo
- moltissimo — Very much, a great deal; superlative of molto
- Tornò
- tornɔ — Returned, came back; third person singular past of tornare
- casa
- kaza — Home, house; place where one lives
- appena
- appena — Just, barely, as soon as; adverb or conjunction
- tempo
- tɛmpo — Time, weather; fundamental noun with multiple meanings
- aiutare
- ajutare — To help; to assist someone with a task
- ragazzino
- ragattsino — Little boy; diminutive of ragazzo
- colore
- kolore — Color; also used here to indicate skin color
- segare
- segare — To saw; to cut wood using a saw
- legna
- leɲɲa — Firewood; wood cut for burning
- giorno
- dʒorno — Day; a 24-hour period
- dopo
- dɔpo — After, then, later; common temporal preposition or adverb
- spaccare
- spakkare — To split, to chop; to break something forcefully apart
- ramoscelli
- ramoʃʃɛlli — Twigs, small branches; plural of ramoscello
- prima
- prima — Before, first; temporal adverb or adjective
- cena
- ʧena — Dinner, supper; the evening meal
- almeno
- almɛno — At least; indicating a minimum or concession
- era
- ɛra — Was; third person singular imperfect of essere
- lì
- li — There; adverb indicating a place near the listener
- raccontare
- rak:ontare — To tell, to narrate; to recount stories or events
- avventure
- avventʊre — Adventures; exciting or unusual experiences
- mentre
- mɛntre — While, whereas; temporal or contrastive conjunction
- faceva
- faʧeva — Was doing/making; third person singular imperfect of fare
- quarti
- kwarti — Quarters, fourths; plural of quarto
- fratello
- fratɛllo — Brother; male sibling
- minore
- minore — Minor, younger, lesser; comparative adjective
- piuttosto
- pjuttosto — Rather, quite, instead; adverb expressing preference or degree
- fratellastro
- fratellas tro — Half-brother or stepbrother; sibling of partial relation
- aveva
- aveva — Had; third person singular imperfect of avere
- già
- dʒa — Already; adverb indicating prior completion of action
- finito
- finito — Finished, done; past participle of finire
- parte
- parte — Part, portion, role; share of a task or whole
- raccogliere
- rakkoʎʎere — To collect, to gather, to pick up things
- trucioli
- truʧoli — Wood shavings, chips; small pieces left from cutting wood
- poiché
- poike — Since, because, as; causal conjunction
- ragazzo
- ragattso — Boy, guy; young male person
- tranquillo
- trankwillo — Calm, quiet, peaceful; describing a relaxed person
- modi
- mɔdi — Manners, ways; plural of modo referring to behavior
- avventurosi
- avventurozi — Adventurous; fond of excitement and new experiences
- turbolenti
- turbolenti — Turbulent, unruly; chaotic or disruptive in behavior
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