The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 4
He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-dong-dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat.
Stava mangiando una mela, e lanciava di tanto in tanto un lungo e melodioso grido, seguito da un cupo din-don-don, din-don-don, poiché stava impersonando un battello a vapore.
As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water.
Avvicinandosi, rallentò l'andatura, prese il centro della strada, si inclinò molto verso tribordo e virò ponderosamente e con faticosa pompa e solennità—poiché stava impersonando il Grande Missouri, e si riteneva in navigazione con un pescaggio di nove piedi.
He was boat and captain and engine-bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:
Era il battello, il capitano e i campanelli del motore tutti insieme, quindi doveva immaginarsi in piedi sul proprio ponte di comando a impartire gli ordini e ad eseguirli:
"Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!" The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.
«Fermatela, signore! Ting-a-ling-ling!» L'abbrivio si esaurì quasi del tutto, ed egli avanzò lentamente verso il marciapiede.
"Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!" His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.
«Pronta alla retromarcia! Ting-a-ling-ling!» Le sue braccia si allungarono e si irrigidirono lungo i fianchi.
"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! ch-chow-wow! Chow!" His right hand, mean-time, describing stately circles—for it was representing a forty-foot wheel.
«Indietro sul tribordo! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! ch-chow-wow! Chow!» La sua mano destra, nel frattempo, descriveva ampi cerchi maestosi—poiché rappresentava una ruota di quaranta piedi.
"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.
«Indietro sul babordo! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-chow!» La mano sinistra cominciò a descrivere cerchi.
"Stop the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ow-ow! Get out that head-line! _lively_ now! Come—out with your spring-line—what're you about there! Take a turn round that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now—let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling! SH'T! S'H'T! SH'T!" (trying the gauge-cocks).
«Ferma il tribordo! Ting-a-ling-ling! Ferma il babordo! Avanti sul tribordo! Fermatela! Lascia girare lentamente il lato esterno! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ow-ow! Fuori con la gomena di prua! _Svelti_ adesso! Forza—fuori con la spring-line—cosa state facendo là! Fate un giro intorno a quel ceppo con l'occhio del cavo! Pronti al portellone, adesso—lasciatela andare! Motori spenti, signore! Ting-a-ling-ling! SH'T! S'H'T! SH'T!» (controllando i rubinetti di spurgo).
Tom went on whitewashing—paid no attention to the steamboat.
Tom continuò a imbiancare—senza prestare alcuna attenzione al battello a vapore.
Ben stared a moment and then said: "_Hi-Yi!
Ben lo fissò per un momento e poi disse: «_Hi-Yi!
Vocabulary
- Stava
- Was (imperfect tense of stare)
- mangiando
- Eating (present participle)
- una
- A, an (feminine indefinite article)
- mela
- Apple (fruit)
- lanciava
- Was throwing or casting (imperfect tense)
- di
- Of, from (preposition)
- tanto
- So much, as much (adverb/adjective)
- in
- In (preposition)
- un
- A, an (masculine indefinite article)
- lungo
- Long (adjective)
- melodioso
- Melodious, tuneful (adjective)
- grido
- Cry, shout (noun)
- seguito
- Followed (past participle of seguire)
- da
- By, from (preposition)
- cupo
- Dark, gloomy, deep (adjective)
- poiché
- Because, since (conjunction)
- impersonando
- Impersonating, playing the role of (present participle)
- battello
- Boat, small vessel (noun)
- vapore
- Steamboat, steam (noun)
- Avvicinandosi
- Drawing near, approaching (present participle)
- rallentò
- Slowed down (past tense of rallentare)
- andatura
- Gait, pace, manner of walking (noun)
- prese
- Took (past tense of prendere)
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- centro
- Center, middle (noun)
- della
- Of the (contraction of di + la)
- strada
- Street, road (noun)
- si
- Himself, herself, oneself (reflexive pronoun)
- inclinò
- Leaned, tilted (past tense of inclinare)
- molto
- Very, much (adverb)
- verso
- Toward, towards (preposition)
- virò
- Turned, changed direction (past tense of virare)
- con
- With (preposition)
- faticosa
- Tiring, exhausting, laborious (adjective)
- pompa
- Pomp, ceremony, pump (noun)
- solennità
- Solemnity, formality, ceremony (noun)
- Grande
- Great, large, big (adjective)
- riteneva
- Believed, held, considered (imperfect tense)
- navigazione
- Navigation, sailing (noun)
- nove
- Nine (number)
- piedi
- Feet (plural noun)
- Era
- Was (imperfect tense of essere)
- capitano
- Captain (noun)
- campanelli
- Small bells (plural noun)
- motore
- Engine, motor (noun)
- tutti
- All, everyone (pronoun/adjective)
- insieme
- Together (adverb)
- quindi
- Therefore, thus, then (conjunction/adverb)
- doveva
- Had to, must have (imperfect tense)
- immaginarsi
- To imagine oneself (reflexive verb)
- sul
- On the (contraction of su + il)
- proprio
- Own, one's own (adjective/pronoun)
- ponte
- Bridge, deck (noun)
- comando
- Command, control, headquarters (noun)
- impartire
- To give, impart, issue orders (verb)
- ordini
- Orders, commands (plural noun)
- ad
- To (preposition, used before vowels)
- eseguirli
- To execute them, carry them out (verb)
- Fermatela
- Stop it (imperative with pronoun)
- signore
- Sir, mister, gentleman (noun)
- esaurì
- Exhausted, used up (past tense)
- quasi
- Almost, nearly, practically (adverb)
- ed
- And (conjunction, used before vowels)
- egli
- He (pronoun, formal/literary)
- avanzò
- Advanced, moved forward (past tense)
- lentamente
- Slowly (adverb)
- marciapiede
- Sidewalk, pavement (noun)
- Pronta
- Ready, prepared (feminine adjective)
- alla
- To the (contraction of a + la)
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