← The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People

The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People — Page 9

English → It FIRST ACT SCENE Level 7/10

Cecily, who addresses me as her uncle from motives of respect that you could not possibly appreciate, lives at my place in the country under the charge of her admirable governess, Miss Prism.

Cecily, che mi chiama zio per motivi di rispetto che tu non potresti mai capire, vive nella mia tenuta in campagna sotto la custodia della sua ammirevole governante, Miss Prism.

ALGERNON.

Where is that place in the country, by the way?

Dov'è questa tenuta in campagna, a proposito?

JACK.

That is nothing to you, dear boy. You are not going to be invited . .

Non è affar tuo, caro ragazzo. Non sarai invitato.

I may tell you candidly that the place is not in Shropshire.

Posso dirti candidamente che la tenuta non si trova nello Shropshire.

ALGERNON.

I suspected that, my dear fellow! I have Bunburyed all over Shropshire on two separate occasions.

Lo sospettavo, mio caro amico! Ho fatto il Bunbury in lungo e in largo per lo Shropshire in due occasioni separate.

Now, go on. Why are you Ernest in town and Jack in the country?

Ora, continua. Perché sei Ernest in città e Jack in campagna?

JACK.

My dear Algy, I don't know whether you will be able to understand my real motives.

Mio caro Algy, non so se riuscirai a capire i miei veri motivi.

You are hardly serious enough.

Non sei abbastanza serio.

When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects.

Quando ci si trova nella posizione di tutore, bisogna adottare un tono morale molto elevato su tutti gli argomenti.

It's one's duty to do so.

È un dovere farlo.

And as a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one's health or one's happiness, in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes.

E poiché si può difficilmente dire che un tono morale elevato contribuisca molto né alla salute né alla felicità, per poter venire in città ho sempre finto di avere un fratello minore di nome Ernest, che vive all'Albany e si caccia nei guai più terribili.

That, my dear Algy, is the whole truth pure and simple.

Questa, mio caro Algy, è tutta la verità, pura e semplice.

ALGERNON.

The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

La verità è raramente pura e non è mai semplice.

Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!

La vita moderna sarebbe molto noiosa se fosse l'una o l'altra cosa, e la letteratura moderna una completa impossibilità!

JACK.

Vocabulary

che: Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'who'.
mi: First person singular object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'to me'.
chiama: Third person singular of 'chiamare'; means 'calls' or 'names'.
zio: Male family member, parent's brother; means 'uncle'.
per: Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'.
motivi: Plural noun meaning 'reasons', 'motives', or 'grounds'.
di: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'.
rispetto: Noun meaning 'respect' or 'regard' toward someone.
tu: Second person singular subject pronoun meaning 'you'.
non: Negation adverb meaning 'not' or 'no'.
potresti: Second person conditional of 'potere'; means 'you could'.
mai: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' depending on context.
capire: Infinitive verb meaning 'to understand' or 'to grasp'.
vive: Third person singular of 'vivere'; means 'lives' or 'resides'.
nella: Contraction of 'in' and 'la'; means 'in the' (feminine).
mia: First person singular feminine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
tenuta: Noun meaning 'estate', 'property', or 'country house'.
in: Preposition meaning 'in', 'at', or 'to'.
campagna: Noun meaning 'countryside' or 'rural area'.
sotto: Preposition or adverb meaning 'under' or 'beneath'.
la: Definite article or pronoun, feminine singular, meaning 'the' or 'her'.
custodia: Noun meaning 'guardianship', 'custody', or 'care'.
della: Contraction of 'di' and 'la'; means 'of the' (feminine).
sua: Third person singular feminine possessive adjective meaning 'his/her'.
ammirevole: Adjective meaning 'admirable', worthy of admiration or praise.
governante: Noun meaning 'governess' or 'housekeeper' managing a household.
Dov'è: Contraction of 'dove' and 'è'; means 'where is'.
questa: Feminine demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'.
a: Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'.
proposito: Noun meaning 'purpose'; 'a proposito' means 'by the way'.
Non: Negation adverb meaning 'not'; used to negate verbs.
è: Third person singular of 'essere'; means 'is'.
affar: Shortened form of 'affare'; means 'business' or 'matter'.
tuo: Second person singular masculine possessive adjective meaning 'your'.
caro: Adjective meaning 'dear', 'beloved', or 'expensive'.
ragazzo: Noun meaning 'boy', 'young man', or 'guy'.
sarai: Second person singular future of 'essere'; means 'you will be'.
invitato: Past participle of 'invitare'; means 'invited' as a guest.
Posso: First person singular of 'potere'; means 'I can' or 'I may'.
dirti: Infinitive 'dire' plus clitic 'ti'; means 'to tell you'.
candidamente: Adverb meaning 'candidly', 'frankly', or 'openly'.
si: Reflexive or impersonal pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'one'.
trova: Third person singular of 'trovare'; means 'is located' or 'finds'.
nello: Contraction of 'in' and 'lo'; means 'in the' (masculine).
Lo: Masculine singular direct object pronoun meaning 'it' or 'him'.
sospettavo: First person imperfect of 'sospettare'; means 'I suspected'.
mio: First person singular masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
amico: Noun meaning 'friend' or 'mate' (masculine).
Ho: First person singular of 'avere'; means 'I have'.
fatto: Past participle of 'fare'; means 'done' or 'made'.
il: Definite article, masculine singular, meaning 'the'.
lungo: Adjective or preposition meaning 'long' or 'along'.
e: Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
largo: Adjective meaning 'wide', 'broad'; also 'far and wide'.
lo: Masculine singular pronoun or article meaning 'it' or 'the'.
due: Cardinal number meaning 'two'.
occasioni: Plural noun meaning 'occasions', 'opportunities', or 'instances'.
separate: Adjective meaning 'separate', 'distinct', or 'different'.
Ora: Adverb or noun meaning 'now' or 'hour'.
continua: Third person singular or imperative of 'continuare'; means 'continues' or 'continue'.
Perché: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'why' or 'because'.
sei: Second person singular of 'essere'; means 'you are'.
città: Noun meaning 'city' or 'town'; invariable plural form.
Mio: First person masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
so: First person singular of 'sapere'; means 'I know'.
se: Conjunction meaning 'if' or reflexive pronoun 'oneself'.
riuscirai: Second person singular future of 'riuscire'; means 'you will succeed'.
i: Masculine plural definite article meaning 'the'.
miei: First person plural masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
veri: Plural adjective meaning 'true', 'real', or 'genuine'.
abbastanza: Adverb meaning 'enough', 'quite', or 'fairly'.
serio: Adjective meaning 'serious', 'earnest', or 'grave'.
Quando: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
ci: Pronoun meaning 'us', 'to us', 'there', or 'here'.
posizione: Noun meaning 'position', 'stance', or 'status'.
tutore: Noun meaning 'guardian' or 'tutor' with legal responsibility.
bisogna: Impersonal verb meaning 'it is necessary' or 'one must'.
adottare: Infinitive meaning 'to adopt', 'to take on', or 'to assume'.
un: Masculine singular indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
tono: Noun meaning 'tone', 'manner', or 'attitude'.
morale: Adjective or noun meaning 'moral', 'ethical', or 'morale'.
molto: Adverb or adjective meaning 'very', 'much', or 'a lot'.
elevato: Adjective meaning 'high', 'elevated', or 'lofty'.
su: Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', 'about', or 'over'.
tutti: Plural adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'everyone', 'every'.
gli: Masculine plural article or indirect pronoun meaning 'the' or 'to him'.
argomenti: Plural noun meaning 'topics', 'subjects', or 'arguments'.
È: Third person singular of 'essere'; means 'it is' or 'is'.
dovere: Noun or verb meaning 'duty', 'obligation', or 'must'.
farlo: Infinitive 'fare' plus clitic 'lo'; means 'to do it'.
E: Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or sentences.
poiché: Conjunction meaning 'since', 'because', or 'given that'.
può: Third person singular of 'potere'; means 'can' or 'may'.
difficilmente: Adverb meaning 'hardly', 'with difficulty', or 'scarcely'.
dire: Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
contribuisca: Subjunctive of 'contribuire'; means '(that it) contributes'.
né: Conjunction meaning 'neither' or 'nor' in negative constructions.
alla: Contraction of 'a' and 'la'; means 'to the' (feminine).
salute: Noun meaning 'health'; also used as a toast 'cheers'.
felicità: Noun meaning 'happiness', 'joy', or 'bliss'.
poter: Truncated infinitive of 'potere'; means 'to be able to'.
venire: Infinitive meaning 'to come' or 'to arrive'.
ho: First person singular of 'avere'; means 'I have'.
sempre: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever'.
finto: Past participle of 'fingere'; means 'pretended' or 'feigned'.
avere: Infinitive meaning 'to have'; also auxiliary verb.
fratello: Noun meaning 'brother'.
minore: Adjective meaning 'younger', 'lesser', or 'minor'.
nome: Noun meaning 'name' or 'noun' in grammar.
caccia: Noun meaning 'hunt' or 'hunting'; also verb 'chases'.
nei: Contraction of 'in' and 'i'; means 'in the' (masculine plural).
guai: Plural noun meaning 'troubles', 'problems', or 'difficulties'.
più: Adverb meaning 'more', 'most', or 'no longer'.
terribili: Plural adjective meaning 'terrible', 'dreadful', or 'awful'.
Questa: Feminine demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this'.
tutta: Feminine adjective meaning 'all', 'whole', or 'entire'.
verità: Noun meaning 'truth'; invariable in plural form.
pura: Feminine adjective meaning 'pure', 'clean', or 'mere'.
semplice: Adjective meaning 'simple', 'plain', or 'straightforward'.
La: Feminine definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'.
raramente: Adverb meaning 'rarely' or 'seldom'.
vita: Noun meaning 'life' or 'existence'.
moderna: Feminine adjective meaning 'modern' or 'contemporary'.
sarebbe: Third person singular conditional of 'essere'; means 'would be'.
noiosa: Feminine adjective meaning 'boring', 'dull', or 'tedious'.
fosse: Imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'; means 'were' or 'if it were'.
l'una: Contraction of 'la' and 'una'; means 'the one' (feminine).
o: Conjunction meaning 'or', offering an alternative.
l'altra: Contraction of 'la' and 'altra'; means 'the other' (feminine).
cosa: Noun meaning 'thing', 'matter', or 'what'.
letteratura: Noun meaning 'literature', written works of artistic value.
una: Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
completa: Feminine adjective meaning 'complete', 'total', or 'utter'.
impossibilità: Noun meaning 'impossibility'; something that cannot be done.

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