The King in Yellow — Page 1
I
I
"Ne raillons pas les fous; leur folie dure plus longtemps que la nôtre.... Voila toute la différence."
"Non prendiamo in giro i pazzi; la loro follia dura più a lungo della nostra.... Ecco tutta la differenza."
Toward the end of the year 1920 the Government of the United States had practically completed the programme, adopted during the last months of President Winthrop's administration.
Verso la fine dell'anno 1920 il Governo degli Stati Uniti aveva praticamente completato il programma, adottato durante gli ultimi mesi dell'amministrazione del Presidente Winthrop.
The country was apparently tranquil.
Il paese era apparentemente tranquillo.
Everybody knows how the Tariff and Labour questions were settled.
Tutti sanno come furono risolte le questioni della Tariffa e del Lavoro.
The war with Germany, incident on that country's seizure of the Samoan Islands, had left no visible scars upon the republic, and the temporary occupation of Norfolk by the invading army had been forgotten in the joy over repeated naval victories, and the subsequent ridiculous plight of General Von Gartenlaube's forces in the State of New Jersey.
La guerra con la Germania, conseguenza dell'occupazione da parte di quel paese delle Isole Samoa, non aveva lasciato cicatrici visibili sulla repubblica, e la temporanea occupazione di Norfolk da parte dell'esercito invasore era stata dimenticata nella gioia per le ripetute vittorie navali, e per la successiva ridicola situazione in cui si trovavano le forze del Generale Von Gartenlaube nello Stato del New Jersey.
The Cuban and Hawaiian investments had paid one hundred per cent and the territory of Samoa was well worth its cost as a coaling station.
Gli investimenti cubani e hawaiani avevano reso cento per cento e il territorio di Samoa valeva bene il suo costo come stazione di rifornimento del carbone.
The country was in a superb state of defence.
Il paese era in uno stato superbo di difesa.
Every coast city had been well supplied with land fortifications; the army under the parental eye of the General Staff, organized according to the Prussian system, had been increased to 300,000 men, with a territorial reserve of a million; and six magnificent squadrons of cruisers and battle-ships patrolled the six stations of the navigable seas, leaving a steam reserve amply fitted to control home waters.
Ogni città costiera era stata ben fornita di fortificazioni terrestri; l'esercito, sotto l'occhio paterno dello Stato Maggiore, organizzato secondo il sistema prussiano, era stato portato a 300.000 uomini, con una riserva territoriale di un milione; e sei magnifici squadroni di incrociatori e corazzate pattugliavano le sei stazioni dei mari navigabili, lasciando una riserva a vapore ampiamente attrezzata per controllare le acque nazionali.
Vocabulary
- I
- First person plural subject pronoun meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
- Non
- Negation word meaning 'not'
- prendiamo
- We take; first person plural of prendere
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
- giro
- Turn, round, or spin; prendere in giro means to mock
- i
- Masculine plural definite article meaning 'the'
- pazzi
- Crazy people, madmen; plural of pazzo
- la
- Feminine singular definite article meaning 'the'
- loro
- Pronoun or adjective meaning 'their' or 'they'
- follia
- Madness, folly, or insanity
- dura
- Lasts, endures; third person singular of durare
- più
- More; comparative adverb used in comparisons
- a
- Preposition meaning 'at,' 'to,' or 'in'
- lungo
- Long; adjective describing extended duration or length
- della
- Contraction of 'di' and 'la,' meaning 'of the'
- nostra
- Our; feminine singular possessive adjective
- Ecco
- Here is, there is; exclamation pointing something out
- tutta
- All, entire; feminine singular form of tutto
- differenza
- Difference; distinction between two things or concepts
- Verso
- Toward, around; preposition indicating direction or approximation
- fine
- End, conclusion; also means fine or delicate
- dell'
- Contraction of 'di' and 'l',' meaning 'of the'
- anno
- Year; unit of time equal to twelve months
- il
- Masculine singular definite article meaning 'the'
- Governo
- Government; the ruling body of a nation
- degli
- Contraction of 'di' and 'gli,' meaning 'of the'
- Stati
- States; plural of stato, as in nation or territory
- Uniti
- United; past participle of unire, joined together
- aveva
- Had; third person singular imperfect of avere
- praticamente
- Practically, virtually; adverb indicating near completion
- completato
- Completed, finished; past participle of completare
- programma
- Program, plan, or schedule of activities
- adottato
- Adopted; past participle of adottare, formally accepted
- durante
- During; preposition indicating a period of time
- gli
- Masculine plural definite article or indirect object pronoun
- ultimi
- Last, final; plural adjective indicating the most recent
- mesi
- Months; plural of mese
- amministrazione
- Administration; management of government or organization
- del
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il,' meaning 'of the'
- Presidente
- President; head of state or organization leader
- paese
- Country, nation; also small town or village
- era
- Was; third person singular imperfect of essere
- apparentemente
- Apparently, seemingly; adverb suggesting outward appearance
- tranquillo
- Calm, quiet, peaceful; adjective describing serene state
- Tutti
- Everyone, all; plural pronoun referring to all people
- sanno
- Know; third person plural present of sapere
- come
- How, as, like; conjunction or interrogative adverb
- furono
- Were; third person plural past absolute of essere
- risolte
- Resolved, solved; feminine plural past participle of risolvere
- le
- Feminine plural definite article or indirect pronoun
- questioni
- Questions, issues, matters; plural of questione
- Tariffa
- Tariff, rate, duty; tax on imported goods
- e
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- Lavoro
- Work, labor; employment or the act of working
- guerra
- War; armed conflict between nations or groups
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association
- conseguenza
- Consequence, result; outcome following from an event
- occupazione
- Occupation; military takeover or act of occupying territory
- da
- From, by, since; versatile Italian preposition
- parte
- Part, side; da parte di means 'on the part of'
- quel
- That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- delle
- Contraction of 'di' and 'le,' meaning 'of the'
- Isole
- Islands; plural of isola
- non
- Not; Italian negation adverb
- lasciato
- Left, left behind; past participle of lasciare
- cicatrici
- Scars; plural of cicatrice, marks left by wounds
- visibili
- Visible; adjective meaning able to be seen
- sulla
- Contraction of 'su' and 'la,' meaning 'on the'
- repubblica
- Republic; democratic form of government or state
- temporanea
- Temporary; adjective describing something not permanent
- esercito
- Army; organized military land force
- invasore
- Invader; one who enters territory by force
- stata
- Been; feminine past participle of essere
- dimenticata
- Forgotten; feminine past participle of dimenticare
- nella
- Contraction of 'in' and 'la,' meaning 'in the'
- gioia
- Joy, happiness; a feeling of great pleasure
- per
- For, through, in order to; common preposition
- ripetute
- Repeated; feminine plural adjective from ripetere
- vittorie
- Victories; plural of vittoria, successful outcomes in battle
- navali
- Naval; adjective relating to ships and the navy
- successiva
- Subsequent, following; feminine adjective indicating what came next
- ridicola
- Ridiculous, absurd; feminine adjective for something laughable
- situazione
- Situation; set of circumstances at a given moment
- cui
- Which, whom; relative pronoun used after prepositions
- si
- Reflexive pronoun or impersonal subject particle
- trovavano
- Found themselves, were located; imperfect of trovarsi
- forze
- Forces; plural of forza, strength or military units
- Generale
- General; high-ranking military officer
- nello
- Contraction of 'in' and 'lo,' meaning 'in the'
- Stato
- State; political territory or condition of being
- investimenti
- Investments; plural of investimento, financial commitments
- avevano
- Had; third person plural imperfect of avere
- reso
- Rendered, made; past participle of rendere
- cento
- One hundred; the number 100
- territorio
- Territory; geographic area under a jurisdiction
- valeva
- Was worth; third person singular imperfect of valere
- bene
- Well; adverb indicating something done satisfactorily
- suo
- His, her, its; masculine singular possessive adjective
- costo
- Cost, price; the amount paid for something
- stazione
- Station; facility or stopping point for transport
- rifornimento
- Resupply, refueling; act of replenishing supplies
- carbone
- Coal; black fossil fuel used for energy
- uno
- One; indefinite article or the number one
- stato
- State; also past participle of essere meaning 'been'
- superbo
- Superb, magnificent; adjective describing something excellent
- difesa
- Defense; protection or act of defending against attack
- Ogni
- Every, each; distributive adjective covering all members
- città
- City; large urban settlement or municipality
- costiera
- Coastal; feminine adjective relating to the coastline
- ben
- Well; shortened form of bene used before adjectives
- fornita
- Supplied, provided; feminine past participle of fornire
- fortificazioni
- Fortifications; military defensive structures and installations
- terrestri
- Land-based, terrestrial; plural adjective relating to earth
- l'
- Elided form of definite article 'la' or 'lo'
- sotto
- Under, below; preposition indicating position beneath something
- occhio
- Eye; the organ of sight
- paterno
- Paternal, fatherly; adjective relating to a father
- dello
- Contraction of 'di' and 'lo,' meaning 'of the'
- Maggiore
- Major; military rank or adjective meaning greater
- organizzato
- Organized; past participle of organizzare, arranged systematically
- secondo
- According to; preposition or adjective meaning second
- sistema
- System; organized set of principles or methods
- portato
- Brought; past participle of portare, to carry or bring
- uomini
- Men; plural of uomo, adult male humans
- una
- A, an; feminine indefinite article or number one
- riserva
- Reserve; backup supply or military reserve force
- territoriale
- Territorial; adjective relating to a defined territory
- un
- A, an; masculine indefinite article
- milione
- Million; the number 1,000,000
- sei
- Six; the number 6, or informal 'you are'
- magnifici
- Magnificent, splendid; masculine plural of magnifico
- squadroni
- Squadrons; plural of squadrone, groups of military vessels
- pattugliavano
- Patrolled; third person plural imperfect of pattugliare
- stazioni
- Stations; plural of stazione, designated posts or stops
- dei
- Contraction of 'di' and 'i,' meaning 'of the'
- mari
- Seas; plural of mare, large bodies of saltwater
- navigabili
- Navigable; adjective describing waters passable by ships
- lasciando
- Leaving; present participle of lasciare
- vapore
- Steam; also steamship, vessel powered by steam engine
- ampiamente
- Amply, widely; adverb indicating broad or sufficient extent
- attrezzata
- Equipped; feminine past participle of attrezzare
- controllare
- To control, to check; infinitive verb of oversight
- acque
- Waters; plural of acqua, referring to bodies of water
- nazionali
- National; plural adjective relating to a nation
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →