The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 10
In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory.
In un istante entrambi i ragazzi si rotolarono e si agitarono nella polvere, avvinghiati l'uno all'altro come gatti; e per lo spazio di un minuto si tirarono e strapparono i capelli e i vestiti a vicenda, si colpirono e si graffiarono il naso, e si coprirono di polvere e di gloria.
Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists.
Ben presto la confusione prese forma, e attraverso la nebbia della battaglia apparve Tom, seduto a cavalcioni sul nuovo ragazzo, che lo colpiva con i pugni.
"Holler 'nuff!" said he.
«Grida 'basta'!» disse lui.
The boy only struggled to free himself.
Il ragazzo cercò solo di liberarsi.
He was crying—mainly from rage.
Stava piangendo — soprattutto per la rabbia.
"Holler 'nuff!"—and the pounding went on.
«Grida 'basta'!» — e i colpi continuarono.
At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said:
Alla fine lo straniero riuscì a emettere un soffocato «Basta!» e Tom lo lasciò rialzare e disse:
"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time."
«Ora ti sarà di lezione. La prossima volta stai più attento con chi ti metti a fare il bullo.»
The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out."
Il nuovo ragazzo se ne andò spazzolando la polvere dai suoi vestiti, singhiozzando, tirando su col naso, e ogni tanto guardandosi indietro e scuotendo la testa e minacciando ciò che avrebbe fatto a Tom la «prossima volta che lo avesse preso in fallo».
To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope.
Al che Tom rispose con scherni, e si avviò tutto baldanzoso, e non appena gli ebbe voltato le spalle il nuovo ragazzo raccolse un sasso, lo lanciò e lo colpì tra le spalle, poi voltò i tacchi e corse via come un'antilope.
Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived.
Tom inseguì il traditore fino a casa sua, e scoprì così dove abitava.
He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined.
Si appostò quindi al cancello per un po', sfidando il nemico a uscire fuori, ma il nemico si limitò a fargli delle smorfie attraverso la finestra e rifiutò.
Vocabulary
- istante
- ee-STAHN-teh — A very brief moment in time
- entrambi
- en-TRAHM-bee — Both of two people or things together
- ragazzi
- rah-GAHT-tsee — Boys or young guys, plural of ragazzo
- rotolarono
- roh-toh-LAH-roh-noh — They rolled around on the ground
- agitarono
- ah-jee-TAH-roh-noh — They thrashed or shook themselves about wildly
- polvere
- POL-veh-reh — Dust or powder found on the ground
- avvinghiati
- ahv-veen-GYAH-tee — Clinging tightly or grappling with each other
- altro
- AHL-troh — The other one of two people or things
- gatti
- GAHT-tee — Cats, the plural form of gatto
- spazio
- SPAH-tsyoh — Space or span of time or physical area
- minuto
- mee-NOO-toh — A minute, sixty seconds of time
- tirarono
- tee-RAH-roh-noh — They pulled or yanked something forcefully
- strapparono
- strahp-PAH-roh-noh — They tore or ripped something away forcefully
- capelli
- kah-PEL-lee — Hair on a person's head, plural form
- vestiti
- veh-STEE-tee — Clothes or garments worn on the body
- vicenda
- vee-CHEN-dah — Used in a vicenda meaning each other or mutually
- colpirono
- kol-PEE-roh-noh — They hit or struck someone or something
- graffiarono
- grahf-FYAH-roh-noh — They scratched someone with nails or claws
- naso
- NAH-zoh — The nose, the facial organ for smelling
- coprirono
- koh-PREE-roh-noh — They covered something or themselves with something
- gloria
- GLOH-ryah — Glory or fame, great honor and renown
- presto
- PREH-stoh — Soon or quickly, in a short time
- confusione
- kon-foo-ZYOH-neh — Confusion, disorder, or chaotic situation
- prese
- PREH-zeh — Took or assumed, past tense of prendere
- forma
- FOR-mah — Form or shape that something takes
- attraverso
- aht-trah-VERS-soh — Through or across a space or medium
- nebbia
- NEB-byah — Fog or mist obscuring visibility
- battaglia
- baht-TAHL-yah — Battle or fight between opposing parties
- apparve
- ahp-PAR-veh — Appeared or came into sight suddenly
- seduto
- seh-DOO-toh — Seated or sitting in a position
- cavalcioni
- kah-vahl-CHOH-nee — Astride, sitting with legs on both sides
- nuovo
- NWOH-voh — New or recently introduced person or thing
- ragazzo
- rah-GAHT-tsoh — Boy or young man, a male youth
- colpiva
- kol-PEE-vah — Was hitting or striking repeatedly and continuously
- pugni
- POON-yee — Fists or punches thrown in a fight
- Grida
- GREE-dah — Shout or yell, imperative of gridare
- basta
- BAH-stah — Enough, stop, used to signal cessation
- disse
- DEES-seh — Said, past tense of dire, to say
- cercò
- cher-KOH — Tried or attempted to do something
- solo
- SOH-loh — Only or just, indicating a sole action
- liberarsi
- lee-beh-RAR-see — To free oneself from a grip or constraint
- piangendo
- pyan-JEN-doh — Crying or weeping, present participle of piangere
- soprattutto
- soh-praht-TOOT-toh — Above all, especially, or most importantly
- rabbia
- RAHB-byah — Anger or rage, intense emotional fury
- colpi
- KOL-pee — Blows or hits, plural of colpo
- continuarono
- kon-tee-NWAH-roh-noh — They continued or kept on doing something
- fine
- FEE-neh — End or conclusion of something
- straniero
- strah-NYEH-roh — Stranger or foreigner, someone unknown or from elsewhere
- riuscì
- ryoo-SHEE — Managed to or succeeded in doing something
- emettere
- eh-MET-teh-reh — To emit or produce a sound or signal
- soffocato
- sof-foh-KAH-toh — Suffocated or muffled, stifled in sound
- lasciò
- lah-SHOH — Let or allowed someone to do something
- rialzare
- ryahl-TSAH-reh — To get back up or raise oneself again
- Ora
- OH-rah — Now, at the present moment in time
- lezione
- leh-TSYOH-neh — A lesson or something learned from experience
- prossima
- PROS-see-mah — Next or nearest, referring to upcoming occurrence
- volta
- VOL-tah — Time or occasion when something occurs
- attento
- aht-TEN-toh — Careful or attentive, paying close attention
- metti
- MET-tee — You put or place, second person present
- bullo
- BOOL-loh — A bully, someone who intimidates others
- andò
- ahn-DOH — Went, third person past tense of andare
- spazzolando
- spaht-tsoh-LAHN-doh — Brushing off dust or dirt from clothes
- singhiozzando
- sin-gyot-TSAHN-doh — Sobbing or crying with hiccup-like sounds
- tirando
- tee-RAHN-doh — Pulling or drawing, present participle of tirare
- ogni
- ON-yee — Every or each, used before nouns
- tanto
- TAHN-toh — So much, a lot, used as intensifier
- guardandosi
- gwahr-DAHN-doh-see — Looking at oneself or looking back reflexively
- indietro
- een-DYEH-troh — Back or backward, direction behind oneself
- scuotendo
- skwoh-TEN-doh — Shaking, present participle of scuotere
- testa
- TEH-stah — Head, the uppermost part of the body
- minacciando
- mee-naht-CHAHN-doh — Threatening, making menacing gestures or statements
- ciò
- choh — That or this thing, a demonstrative pronoun
- avrebbe
- ahv-REHB-beh — Would have, conditional perfect auxiliary verb
- avesse
- ah-VES-seh — Had, subjunctive form of avere
- preso
- PREH-zoh — Caught or taken, past participle of prendere
- fallo
- FAHL-loh — Fault or error, in fallo means off guard
- rispose
- ree-SPOH-zeh — Replied or responded, past tense of rispondere
- scherni
- SKEHR-nee — Taunts or mockeries, gestures of derision
- avviò
- ahv-VYOH — Set off or started moving in a direction
- baldanzoso
- bahl-dahn-TSOH-zoh — Swaggering or cocky, moving with arrogant confidence
- appena
- ahp-PEH-nah — As soon as or just, barely a moment after
- ebbe
- EB-beh — Had, third person past absolute of avere
- voltato
- vol-TAH-toh — Turned around, past participle of voltare
- spalle
- SPAHL-leh — Shoulders or back of the body
- raccolse
- rahk-KOL-seh — Picked up or gathered, past tense of raccogliere
- sasso
- SAHS-soh — A stone or rock found on the ground
- lanciò
- lahn-CHOH — Threw or launched something through the air
- colpì
- kol-PEE — Hit or struck, past tense of colpire
- tra
- trah — Between or among, a common preposition
- poi
- poy — Then or afterwards, indicating sequence of events
- voltò
- vol-TOH — Turned, past tense of voltare
- tacchi
- TAHK-kee — Heels of the feet or shoes
- corse
- KOR-seh — Ran, past tense of correre
- via
- VEE-ah — Away or road, indicating departure or direction
- antilope
- ahn-TEE-loh-peh — An antelope, a fast-running hoofed animal
- inseguì
- een-seh-GWEE — Chased or pursued, past tense of inseguire
- traditore
- trah-dee-TOH-reh — Traitor, one who betrays or deceives others
- fino
- FEE-noh — Until or up to a point or place
- casa
- KAH-zah — House or home where someone lives
- scoprì
- skoh-PREE — Discovered or found out, past tense of scoprire
- così
- koh-ZEE — So or in this way, indicating manner
- dove
- DOH-veh — Where, interrogative or relative adverb of place
- abitava
- ah-bee-TAH-vah — Was living or used to live somewhere
- appostò
- ahp-poh-STOH — Lay in wait or stationed himself secretly
- quindi
- KWEEN-dee — Therefore or then, indicating logical consequence
- cancello
- kahn-CHEL-loh — A gate, typically at an entrance or fence
- po'
- poh — A little, short form of poco
- sfidando
- sfee-DAHN-doh — Challenging or daring someone to do something
- nemico
- neh-MEE-koh — Enemy or opponent, someone hostile toward you
- uscire
- oo-SHEE-reh — To come out or exit from somewhere
- fuori
- FWOH-ree — Outside or out, beyond an enclosed space
- limitò
- lee-mee-TOH — Limited or restricted oneself to doing something
- smorfie
- SMOR-fyeh — Grimaces or funny faces made to mock someone
- finestra
- fee-NEH-strah — A window in a wall of a building
- rifiutò
- ree-fyoo-TOH — Refused or declined to do something
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