The Hound of the Baskervilles — Page 2
"
"
I looked over his shoulder at the yellow paper and the faded script.
Guardai oltre la sua spalla il foglio giallo e la scrittura sbiadita.
At the head was written: "Baskerville Hall," and below in large, scrawling figures: "1742."
In cima era scritto: «Baskerville Hall», e sotto in grandi cifre svolazzanti: «1742».
"It appears to be a statement of some sort."
«Sembra una dichiarazione di qualche tipo.»
"Yes, it is a statement of a certain legend which runs in the Baskerville family."
«Sì, è il resoconto di una certa leggenda che circola nella famiglia Baskerville.»
"But I understand that it is something more modern and practical upon which you wish to consult me?"
«Ma ho capito che è qualcosa di più moderno e pratico su cui desidera consultarmi?»
"Most modern. A most practical, pressing matter, which must be decided within twenty-four hours.
«Modernissimo. Una questione quanto mai pratica e urgente, che deve essere risolta entro ventiquattr'ore.
But the manuscript is short and is intimately connected with the affair.
Ma il manoscritto è breve ed è intimamente connesso con la faccenda.
With your permission I will read it to you."
Con il suo permesso glielo leggerò.»
Holmes leaned back in his chair, placed his finger-tips together, and closed his eyes, with an air of resignation.
Holmes si appoggiò allo schienale della sedia, unì i polpastrelli delle dita e chiuse gli occhi, con un'aria rassegnata.
Dr. Mortimer turned the manuscript to the light and read in a high, cracking voice the following curious, old-world narrative:
Il dottor Mortimer voltò il manoscritto verso la luce e lesse con voce alta e screpolata il seguente curioso racconto d'altri tempi:
"Of the origin of the Hound of the Baskervilles there have been many statements, yet as I come in a direct line from Hugo Baskerville, and as I had the story from my father, who also had it from his, I have set it down with all belief that it occurred even as is here set forth.
«Sull'origine del Mastino dei Baskerville sono state fatte molte dichiarazioni, tuttavia poiché discendo in linea diretta da Hugo Baskerville, e poiché ho avuto la storia da mio padre, che l'aveva avuta a sua volta dal suo, l'ho messa per iscritto con la piena convinzione che sia avvenuta così come qui viene esposta.
And I would have you believe, my sons, that the same Justice which punishes sin may also most graciously forgive it, and that no ban is so heavy but that by prayer and repentance it may be removed.
E vorrei che voi credeste, figli miei, che la stessa Giustizia che punisce il peccato può anche benignamente perdonarlo, e che non esiste maledizione così grave da non poter essere rimossa con la preghiera e il pentimento.
Vocabulary
- Guardai
- I looked; past tense of guardare
- oltre
- beyond, over, past a point
- spalla
- shoulder, part of the human body
- foglio
- sheet of paper, a single page
- giallo
- yellow, or aged and discolored paper
- scrittura
- writing, handwriting, or script
- sbiadita
- faded, discolored, worn away over time
- cima
- top, peak, summit of something
- scritto
- written; past participle of scrivere
- sotto
- under, below, beneath something
- cifre
- figures, digits, numerical characters
- svolazzanti
- flourishing, flowing, ornate script characters
- Sembra
- it seems, it appears, it looks like
- dichiarazione
- declaration, statement, formal announcement
- qualche
- some, a few, any (indefinite adjective)
- tipo
- type, kind, sort of something
- resoconto
- account, report, summary of events
- certa
- a certain, particular, specific (feminine adjective)
- leggenda
- legend, myth, traditional story passed down
- circola
- circulates, spreads, passes around among people
- capito
- understood; past participle of capire
- qualcosa
- something, anything (indefinite pronoun)
- moderno
- modern, contemporary, up-to-date
- pratico
- practical, useful, applied to real situations
- cui
- which, whom (relative pronoun used after preposition)
- desidera
- desires, wishes, wants (third-person singular)
- consultarmi
- to consult me, to seek my advice
- Modernissimo
- very modern, extremely contemporary (superlative adjective)
- questione
- question, issue, matter to be resolved
- quanto
- how much, as much as (quantity word)
- mai
- ever, never (depending on context)
- urgente
- urgent, pressing, requiring immediate attention
- deve
- must, has to (third-person singular of dovere)
- risolta
- resolved, solved, settled (feminine past participle)
- entro
- within, by, no later than a time
- ventiquattr'ore
- twenty-four hours, one full day
- manoscritto
- manuscript, handwritten or old document
- breve
- brief, short, not long in duration
- intimamente
- intimately, closely, in a deep manner
- connesso
- connected, linked, related to something
- faccenda
- matter, affair, business to deal with
- permesso
- permission, leave, consent to do something
- glielo
- it to him/her (combined indirect and direct pronoun)
- leggerò
- I will read; first-person future of leggere
- appoggiò
- leaned, rested against something (past tense)
- schienale
- backrest of a chair or seat
- sedia
- chair, a seat with back support
- unì
- joined, united, brought together (past tense)
- polpastrelli
- fingertips, the soft tips of fingers
- dita
- fingers, the digits of the hand
- chiuse
- closed, shut (third-person singular past tense)
- occhi
- eyes, the organs of sight
- un'aria
- an air, an expression, a manner
- rassegnata
- resigned, accepting without protest (feminine adjective)
- dottor
- doctor, title used before a proper name
- voltò
- turned (third-person singular past tense of voltare)
- verso
- toward, in the direction of something
- luce
- light, brightness, illumination
- lesse
- read aloud; third-person singular past of leggere
- voce
- voice, the sound produced when speaking
- alta
- high, loud, tall (feminine adjective)
- screpolata
- cracked, hoarse, rough (describing a voice)
- seguente
- following, next, the one coming after
- curioso
- curious, strange, interesting, or unusual
- racconto
- story, tale, short narrative account
- d'altri
- of other (times); from another era
- tempi
- times, eras, historical periods
- Sull'origine
- on the origin, regarding the beginning of
- Mastino
- mastiff, a large powerful breed of dog
- tuttavia
- nevertheless, however, yet, still
- poiché
- since, because, given that (conjunction)
- discendo
- I descend, I am descended (first-person present)
- linea
- line, lineage, direct descent from ancestor
- diretta
- direct, straight, unbroken (feminine adjective)
- storia
- story, history, account of past events
- volta
- time, turn, instance; once upon a time
- messa
- put, placed; feminine past participle of mettere
- iscritto
- writing; per iscritto means in written form
- piena
- full, complete (feminine adjective)
- convinzione
- conviction, belief, firm persuasion
- sia
- be; third-person singular present subjunctive of essere
- avvenuta
- occurred, happened (feminine past participle)
- così
- so, thus, in this way
- esposta
- exposed, presented, set out (feminine past participle)
- vorrei
- I would like; conditional of volere
- credeste
- you believed; past subjunctive of credere
- figli
- sons, children, offspring (masculine plural)
- stessa
- same, the very same (feminine adjective)
- Giustizia
- justice, fairness, legal righteousness
- punisce
- punishes; third-person singular present of punire
- peccato
- sin, wrongdoing, moral transgression
- benignamente
- benignly, kindly, mercifully (adverb)
- perdonarlo
- to forgive it; infinitive with direct object pronoun
- esiste
- exists; third-person singular present of esistere
- maledizione
- curse, hex, evil spell placed on someone
- grave
- serious, grave, severe (adjective)
- rimossa
- removed, lifted (feminine past participle)
- preghiera
- prayer, supplication, religious entreaty
- pentimento
- repentance, remorse, feeling sorry for sins
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