The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 7
A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg.
Un nuovo arrivato di qualsiasi età o sesso era una curiosità notevole nel povero e misero paesino di San Pietroburgo.
This boy was well dressed, too—well dressed on a week-day.
Anche questo ragazzo era ben vestito—ben vestito in un giorno feriale.
This was simply astounding.
Era semplicemente stupefacente.
His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons.
Il suo berretto era una cosa elegante, il suo giacchetto di panno blu abbottonato stretto era nuovo e azzimato, e così pure i suoi pantaloni.
He had shoes on—and it was only Friday.
Aveva le scarpe ai piedi—ed era solo venerdì.
He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon.
Indossava persino una cravatta, un vivace pezzetto di nastro.
He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals.
Aveva un'aria da cittadino che rodeva Tom fin nelle viscere.
The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow.
Più Tom fissava quello splendido prodigio, più arricciava il naso davanti alla sua eleganza e più il proprio abbigliamento gli sembrava misero e trasandato.
Neither boy spoke.
Nessuno dei due ragazzi parlò.
If one moved, the other moved—but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time.
Se uno si muoveva, l'altro si muoveva—ma solo di lato, in cerchio; rimasero sempre faccia a faccia e occhio nell'occhio.
Finally Tom said:
Alla fine Tom disse:
"I can lick you!"
«Ti faccio fuori!»
"I'd like to see you try it."
«Vorrei vederti provare.»
"Well, I can do it."
«Be', posso farcela.»
"No you can't, either."
«No, non puoi di certo.»
"Yes I can."
«Sì che posso.»
"No you can't."
«No che non puoi.»
"I can."
«Posso.»
"You can't."
«Non puoi.»
"Can!"
«Sì!»
"Can't!"
«No!»
An uncomfortable pause.
Una pausa imbarazzante.
Then Tom said:
Poi Tom disse:
"What's your name?"
«Come ti chiami?»
"'Tisn't any of your business, maybe."
«Forse non sono affari tuoi.»
"Well I 'low I'll _make_ it my business."
«Be', penso proprio che ne farò affari miei.»
"Well why don't you?"
«Be', perché non lo fai?»
"If you say much, I will."
«Se parli ancora, lo farò.»
"Much—much—_much_. There now."
«Ancora—ancora—_ancora_. Ecco fatto.»
"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, _don't_ you?
«Oh, credi di essere molto furbo, _vero_?
Vocabulary
- nuovo
- New, recent, or previously unknown
- arrivato
- Person who has arrived; newcomer
- qualsiasi
- Any, whatever, of any kind whatsoever
- età
- Age, period of life, or era
- sesso
- Sex, biological gender of a person
- curiosità
- Curiosity; something that arouses interest or wonder
- notevole
- Notable, remarkable, worthy of attention
- povero
- Poor, lacking money or resources
- misero
- Wretched, miserable, extremely poor or pitiful
- paesino
- Small village or tiny town
- ragazzo
- Boy, young man, or boyfriend
- vestito
- Dressed; wearing clothes; also means 'dress/suit'
- giorno
- Day, daytime, a 24-hour period
- feriale
- Weekday; ordinary working day, not a holiday
- semplicemente
- Simply, plainly, just, in a simple manner
- stupefacente
- Astonishing, astounding, amazingly surprising
- berretto
- Cap, beret; a small hat worn on the head
- cosa
- Thing, object; also used as 'what'
- elegante
- Elegant, stylish, refined in appearance
- giacchetto
- Short jacket or light coat
- panno
- Cloth, fabric, material used for clothing
- blu
- Blue; the color blue
- abbottonato
- Buttoned up, fastened with buttons
- stretto
- Tight, narrow, close-fitting
- azzimato
- Dapper, neatly dressed, smartly turned out
- pantaloni
- Trousers, pants worn on the lower body
- scarpe
- Shoes worn on the feet
- piedi
- Feet, the lower extremities of the legs
- venerdì
- Friday; the sixth day of the week
- Indossava
- Was wearing; imperfect of 'indossare'
- persino
- Even, going so far as, surprisingly including
- cravatta
- Necktie; decorative cloth worn around the neck
- vivace
- Vivid, lively, bright in color or manner
- pezzetto
- Small piece or little bit of something
- nastro
- Ribbon, tape, or narrow strip of fabric
- aria
- Air, manner, appearance, demeanor of a person
- cittadino
- City dweller, citizen, urban person
- rodeva
- Was gnawing at; imperfect of 'rodere'
- viscere
- Entrails, bowels, innermost depths of being
- fissava
- Was staring at; imperfect of 'fissare'
- splendido
- Splendid, magnificent, wonderfully impressive
- prodigio
- Prodigy, marvel, extraordinary wonder
- arricciava
- Was wrinkling or curling; imperfect of 'arricciare'
- naso
- Nose; the facial organ used for smelling
- davanti
- In front of, before, facing
- eleganza
- Elegance, refinement, stylishness in appearance
- proprio
- Own, one's own; also means 'really, exactly'
- abbigliamento
- Clothing, attire, outfit worn by someone
- sembrava
- Seemed, appeared; imperfect of 'sembrare'
- trasandato
- Shabby, slovenly, neglected in appearance
- Nessuno
- Nobody, no one, not anyone
- ragazzi
- Boys, guys, young men; plural of ragazzo
- parlò
- Spoke; past tense of 'parlare'
- muoveva
- Was moving; imperfect of 'muovere'
- lato
- Side; one side of an object or situation
- cerchio
- Circle; a round geometric shape or ring
- rimasero
- Remained, stayed; past tense of 'rimanere'
- sempre
- Always, ever, constantly, at all times
- faccia
- Face; the front of the head
- occhio
- Eye; the organ used for seeing
- fine
- End, finish; also means 'fine, thin'
- disse
- Said; past tense of 'dire'
- fuori
- Outside, out; also used in 'fare fuori' meaning eliminate
- Vorrei
- I would like; conditional of 'volere'
- vederti
- To see you; infinitive 'vedere' with clitic 'ti'
- provare
- To try, to attempt, to test or prove
- Be'
- Well; interjection expressing hesitation or challenge
- farcela
- To manage it, to be able to do it
- certo
- Certainly, of course; also means 'certain'
- pausa
- Pause, break, a moment of silence or rest
- imbarazzante
- Embarrassing, awkward, causing discomfort
- chiami
- You call yourself; second-person of 'chiamarsi'
- Forse
- Perhaps, maybe, possibly
- affari
- Business, affairs, matters, dealings
- ne
- Of it, of them; partitive pronoun
- farò
- I will make/do; future tense of 'fare'
- ancora
- Still, yet, again, once more
- Ancora
- Still, yet, again; repetition or continuation
- Ecco
- Here is, there you have it, look!
- fatto
- Done, made; past participle of 'fare'
- credi
- You believe, you think; second-person of 'credere'
- essere
- To be; fundamental linking verb
- furbo
- Clever, cunning, sly, crafty person
- vero
- True, real; also used as 'isn't it?'
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →