The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People — Page 5
And before I allow you to marry her, you will have to clear up the whole question of Cecily.
E prima di permetterti di sposarla, dovrai chiarire tutta la questione di Cecily.
[Rings bell.]
[Suona il campanello.]
Cecily! What on earth do you mean?
Cecily! Che diavolo vuoi dire?
What do you mean, Algy, by Cecily!
Cosa intendi dire, Algy, con Cecily!
I don't know any one of the name of Cecily.
Non conosco nessuno di nome Cecily.
[Enter Lane.]
[Entra Lane.]
Bring me that cigarette case Mr. Worthing left in the smoking-room the last time he dined here.
Portami quel portasigarette che il signor Worthing ha lasciato nel fumoir l'ultima volta che ha cenato qui.
Yes, sir.
Sì, signore.
[Lane goes out.]
[Lane esce.]
Do you mean to say you have had my cigarette case all this time?
Vuoi dire che hai avuto il mio portasigarette per tutto questo tempo?
I wish to goodness you had let me know.
Avrei tanto voluto che tu me lo avessi fatto sapere.
I have been writing frantic letters to Scotland Yard about it.
Ho scritto lettere frenetiche a Scotland Yard al riguardo.
I was very nearly offering a large reward.
Stavo quasi per offrire una grossa ricompensa.
Well, I wish you would offer one.
Beh, vorrei che tu ne offrissi una.
I happen to be more than usually hard up.
Mi trovo ad essere a corto di denaro più del solito.
There is no good offering a large reward now that the thing is found.
Non ha senso offrire una grossa ricompensa ora che la cosa è stata trovata.
[Enter Lane with the cigarette case on a salver. Algernon takes it at once. Lane goes out.]
[Entra Lane con il portasigarette su un vassoio. Algernon lo prende subito. Lane esce.]
I think that is rather mean of you, Ernest, I must say.
Devo dire che trovo ciò piuttosto meschino da parte tua, Ernest.
[Opens case and examines it.]
[Apre il portasigarette e lo esamina.]
However, it makes no matter, for, now that I look at the inscription inside, I find that the thing isn't yours after all.
Tuttavia, non importa, perché, ora che guardo l'iscrizione all'interno, scopro che la cosa non è tua dopotutto.
Of course it's mine.
Certo che è mia.
[Moving to him.]
[Avvicinandosi a lui.]
You have seen me with it a hundred times, and you have no right whatsoever to read what is written inside.
Mi hai visto con esso cento volte, e non hai assolutamente alcun diritto di leggere ciò che è scritto all'interno.
Vocabulary
- prima
- Before; earlier in time or order.
- permetterti
- To allow yourself; to permit oneself to do something.
- sposarla
- To marry her; to wed a woman.
- dovrai
- You will have to; future tense of 'dovere'.
- chiarire
- To clarify; to make something clear or understandable.
- tutta
- All; the whole of something, feminine form.
- questione
- A matter, issue, or question to be resolved.
- Suona
- Rings or sounds; third person singular of 'suonare'.
- campanello
- A small bell or doorbell used to call someone.
- diavolo
- Devil; used in expressions like 'what the devil'.
- vuoi
- You want; second person singular of 'volere'.
- dire
- To say or to mean; a common Italian verb.
- intendi
- You mean or intend; second person of 'intendere'.
- conosco
- I know (a person or place); from 'conoscere'.
- nessuno
- Nobody, no one, or none; indicates absence of someone.
- nome
- A name given to a person, place, or thing.
- Entra
- Enters; stage direction indicating someone comes in.
- Portami
- Bring me; imperative form asking someone to fetch.
- quel
- That; demonstrative adjective, masculine singular form.
- portasigarette
- A cigarette case used to hold cigarettes.
- signor
- Mister; a title of respect for a man.
- lasciato
- Left behind; past participle of 'lasciare'.
- fumoir
- Smoking room; a room designated for smoking.
- ultima
- Last; the final occurrence of something, feminine form.
- volta
- Time or occasion; as in 'the last time'.
- cenato
- Dined; past participle of 'cenare', to have dinner.
- qui
- Here; indicating the current location or place.
- signore
- Sir or mister; polite form of address for men.
- esce
- Exits or goes out; third person singular of 'uscire'.
- Vuoi
- Do you want; second person singular of 'volere'.
- avuto
- Had; past participle of 'avere', to have.
- tutto
- All or everything; masculine singular form of 'tutto'.
- questo
- This; demonstrative pronoun or adjective, masculine singular.
- tempo
- Time or weather; a very common Italian noun.
- Avrei
- I would have; conditional tense of 'avere'.
- tanto
- So much or very; indicating a large degree.
- voluto
- Wanted; past participle of 'volere', to want.
- avessi
- Had (subjunctive); past subjunctive of 'avere'.
- fatto
- Done or made; past participle of 'fare'.
- sapere
- To know something; knowledge of facts or information.
- scritto
- Written; past participle of 'scrivere', to write.
- lettere
- Letters; written communications sent to someone.
- frenetiche
- Frantic or frenzied; done with great urgency and agitation.
- riguardo
- Regarding; with respect to a particular matter.
- Stavo
- I was; imperfect tense of 'stare', used with gerunds.
- quasi
- Almost or nearly; indicating something close but not complete.
- offrire
- To offer; to present something to someone as a gift.
- grossa
- Big or large; feminine adjective indicating large size.
- ricompensa
- A reward given for finding or returning something.
- Beh
- Well; an interjection used to introduce a response.
- vorrei
- I would like; polite conditional of 'volere'.
- ne
- Of it or some; pronoun replacing a partitive expression.
- offrissi
- You offered (subjunctive); past subjunctive of 'offrire'.
- trovo
- I find myself; first person singular of 'trovarsi'.
- essere
- To be; the infinitive of the verb 'essere'.
- corto
- Short or lacking; here meaning short of money.
- denaro
- Money; a common noun for currency or cash.
- più
- More; comparative adverb indicating a greater degree.
- solito
- Usual; what is customary or habitual normally.
- senso
- Sense or meaning; understanding of something's significance.
- ora
- Now; at the present moment in time.
- cosa
- Thing or what; referring to an object or matter.
- stata
- Been; past participle of 'essere', feminine form.
- trovata
- Found; past participle of 'trovare', feminine form.
- vassoio
- A tray used to carry and serve items.
- prende
- Takes or grabs; third person singular of 'prendere'.
- subito
- Immediately or at once; without any delay.
- Devo
- I must or I have to; first person of 'dovere'.
- ciò
- This or that; neuter demonstrative pronoun in Italian.
- piuttosto
- Rather or quite; indicating a moderate degree of something.
- meschino
- Mean or petty; describing a small-minded or cheap act.
- parte
- Part or side; as in 'on your part'.
- Apre
- Opens; third person singular of 'aprire'.
- esamina
- Examines or inspects; third person singular of 'esaminare'.
- Tuttavia
- However or nevertheless; used to introduce a contrast.
- importa
- Matters or is important; from 'importare', to matter.
- perché
- Because or why; used to explain reasons or ask questions.
- guardo
- I look at or I watch; first person of 'guardare'.
- iscrizione
- Inscription or engraving written inside an object.
- interno
- Inside or interior; the inner part of something.
- scopro
- I discover; first person singular of 'scoprire'.
- dopotutto
- After all; when everything is considered or said.
- Certo
- Certainly or of course; expressing agreement or confidence.
- Avvicinandosi
- Approaching or drawing near; reflexive gerund of 'avvicinarsi'.
- visto
- Seen; past participle of 'vedere', to see.
- esso
- It; third person singular neuter pronoun, formal register.
- cento
- One hundred; the number 100 in Italian.
- volte
- Times; plural of 'volta', indicating repeated occasions.
- assolutamente
- Absolutely; completely or without any doubt whatsoever.
- alcun
- Any or no; used in negative contexts, masculine form.
- diritto
- Right or entitlement to do something lawfully.
- leggere
- To read; the infinitive of the verb 'leggere'.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →