The Great Gatsby — Page 4

English → It Full Text Level 7/10

Instead of being the warm centre of the world, the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe—so I decided to go East and learn the bond business.

Invece di essere il caldo centro del mondo, il Middle West sembrava ora come il lembo sgualcito dell'universo—così decisi di andare a Est e di imparare il mestiere delle obbligazioni.

Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man.

Tutti quelli che conoscevo erano nel settore delle obbligazioni, quindi supposi che potesse mantenere un altro uomo single.

All my aunts and uncles talked it over as if they were choosing a prep school for me, and finally said, "Why—ye-es," with very grave, hesitant faces.

Tutte le mie zie e i miei zii ne discussero come se stessero scegliendo una scuola preparatoria per me, e alla fine dissero: «Be'... sì», con facce molto serie ed esitanti.

Father agreed to finance me for a year, and after various delays I came East, permanently, I thought, in the spring of twenty-two.

Mio padre acconsentì a finanziarmi per un anno, e dopo vari ritardi venni a Est, permanentemente, credevo, nella primavera del ventidue.

The practical thing was to find rooms in the city, but it was a warm season, and I had just left a country of wide lawns and friendly trees, so when a young man at the office suggested that we take a house together in a commuting town, it sounded like a great idea.

La cosa pratica era trovare stanze in città, ma era una stagione calda, e avevo appena lasciato una terra di ampi prati e alberi ospitali, così quando un giovane in ufficio suggerì che prendessimo insieme una casa in una cittadina pendolare, sembrò una grande idea.

He found the house, a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month, but at the last minute the firm ordered him to Washington, and I went out to the country alone.

Trovò la casa, un bungalow di cartone sgualcito dalle intemperie a ottanta dollari al mese, ma all'ultimo minuto la ditta lo mandò a Washington, e io me ne andai in campagna da solo.

I had a dog—at least I had him for a few days until he ran away—and an old Dodge and a Finnish woman, who made my bed and cooked breakfast and muttered Finnish wisdom to herself over the electric stove.

Avevo un cane—almeno lo ebbi per qualche giorno finché non scappò—e una vecchia Dodge e una donna finlandese, che rifaceva il mio letto e cucinava la colazione e borbottava saggezza finlandese tra sé e sé davanti alla cucina elettrica.

It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road.

Fu solitario per un giorno o giù di lì, finché una mattina un tale, arrivato più di recente di me, mi fermò per strada.

Vocabulary

Invece: Instead; on the other hand; conversely.
di: Of; from; about; used for possession.
essere: To be; to exist; fundamental auxiliary verb.
il: The; masculine singular definite article.
caldo: Hot; warm; relating to high temperature.
centro: Center; middle; the central part of something.
del: Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'.
mondo: World; planet Earth; the entire human civilization.
sembrava: Seemed; appeared; past tense of sembrare.
ora: Now; at this moment; hour of time.
come: Like; as; how; in what manner.
dell: Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'.
universo: Universe; all of space and matter.
così: So; thus; in this manner.
decisi: I decided; past tense of decidere.
andare: To go; to move; to travel.
Est: East; eastern direction or region.
imparare: To learn; to acquire knowledge or skill.
mestiere: Trade; profession; craft; occupation or skill.
delle: Of the; feminine plural of 'del'.
obbligazioni: Bonds; obligations; financial securities or duties.
Tutti: Everyone; all people; the whole group.
quelli: Those; those ones; plural masculine demonstrative.
che: That; which; who; relative pronoun.
conoscevo: I knew; past imperfect of conoscere.
erano: They were; past tense of essere.
nel: In the; contraction of 'in' and 'il'.
settore: Sector; field; area of activity or industry.
quindi: Therefore; so; then; thus; consequently.
supposi: I supposed; past tense of supporre.
potesse: Could; might; subjunctive of potere.
mantenere: To maintain; to keep; to support.
un: A; an; masculine singular indefinite article.
altro: Other; another; different; additional one.
uomo: Man; male human being; mankind.
Tutte: All; everyone; feminine plural of tutti.
le: The; feminine plural definite article.
mie: My; feminine plural possessive adjective.
zie: Aunts; female relatives of parental generation.
miei: My; masculine plural possessive adjective.
zii: Uncles; male relatives of parental generation.
ne: About it; some; of it; pronoun.
discussero: They discussed; past tense of discutere.
se: If; whether; conditional conjunction.
stessero: Were; might be; subjunctive of stare.
scegliendo: Choosing; selecting; present participle of scegliere.
una: A; an; feminine singular indefinite article.
scuola: School; educational institution for learning.
preparatoria: Preparatory; preparing for higher education.
per: For; by; in order to; during.
me: Me; myself; object pronoun.
alla: To the; at the; feminine form.
fine: End; finally; conclusion; termination.
dissero: They said; past tense of dire.
sì: Yes; affirmative response or agreement.
con: With; accompanied by; together with.
facce: Faces; plural of faccia; expressions.
molto: Very; much; to a great extent.
serie: Serious; grave; solemn; series.
ed: And; used before vowels instead of 'e'.
esitanti: Hesitant; uncertain; reluctant; wavering.
Mio: My; masculine singular possessive adjective.
padre: Father; male parent; male ancestor.
acconsentì: Agreed; consented; past tense of acconsentire.
finanziarmi: To finance me; to fund my education.
anno: Year; period of twelve months.
dopo: After; following; subsequent to; later.
vari: Various; several; different; multiple.
ritardi: Delays; postponements; hindrances; setbacks.
venni: I came; past tense of venire.
permanentemente: Permanently; forever; in a lasting manner.
credevo: I believed; past imperfect of credere.
nella: In the; feminine singular; contraction.
primavera: Spring; season after winter; beginning season.

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