The King in Yellow — Page 4

English → It THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS I Level 7/10

In the following winter began that agitation for the repeal of the laws prohibiting suicide which bore its final fruit in the month of April, 1920, when the first Government Lethal Chamber was opened on Washington Square.

Nel corso dell'inverno seguente ebbe inizio quell'agitazione per l'abrogazione delle leggi che proibivano il suicidio, la quale portò il suo frutto finale nel mese di aprile del 1920, quando la prima Camera Letale governativa fu inaugurata a Washington Square.

I had walked down that day from Dr. Archer's house on Madison Avenue, where I had been as a mere formality.

Quel giorno avevo camminato fino in fondo a partire dalla casa del dottor Archer su Madison Avenue, dove mi ero recato come pura formalità.

Ever since that fall from my horse, four years before, I had been troubled at times with pains in the back of my head and neck, but now for months they had been absent, and the doctor sent me away that day saying there was nothing more to be cured in me.

Da quando ero caduto da cavallo, quattro anni prima, ero stato tormentato a tratti da dolori alla nuca e al collo, ma ora erano assenti da mesi, e il medico mi aveva congedato quel giorno dicendo che in me non vi era più nulla da curare.

It was hardly worth his fee to be told that; I knew it myself.

Valeva a malapena il suo onorario sentirsi dire una cosa simile; lo sapevo già da solo.

Still I did not grudge him the money.

Eppure non gli invidiai il denaro.

What I minded was the mistake which he made at first.

Ciò che mi disturbava era l'errore che aveva commesso all'inizio.

When they picked me up from the pavement where I lay unconscious, and somebody had mercifully sent a bullet through my horse's head, I was carried to Dr. Archer, and he, pronouncing my brain affected, placed me in his private asylum where I was obliged to endure treatment for insanity.

Quando mi raccolsero dal selciato dove giacevo privo di sensi, e qualcuno aveva pietosamente conficcato una pallottola nella testa del mio cavallo, fui portato dal dottor Archer, il quale, dichiarando che il mio cervello era compromesso, mi collocò nel suo manicomio privato dove fui costretto a sottopormi a cure per follia.

At last he decided that I was well, and I, knowing that my mind had always been as sound as his, if not sounder, "paid my tuition" as he jokingly called it, and left.

Alla fine decise che stavo bene, e io, sapendo che la mia mente era sempre stata sana quanto la sua, se non di più, «pagai la mia retta» come lui scherzosamente la chiamava, e me ne andai.

Vocabulary

corso: kor-so — Course, flow, or progression of time or events
inverno: in-ver-no — The coldest season of the year; winter
seguente: se-gwen-te — Coming immediately after; following or subsequent
ebbe: eb-be — Third person singular past of 'avere'; had
inizio: i-ni-tsyo — The beginning or starting point of something
agitazione: a-ji-ta-tsyo-ne — State of unrest, turmoil, or political agitation
abrogazione: a-bro-ga-tsyo-ne — Formal repeal or abolition of a law or rule
leggi: led-ji — Plural of 'legge'; laws or statutes
proibivano: pro-i-bi-va-no — They prohibited or forbade something by law
suicidio: swi-chi-dyo — The act of intentionally ending one's own life
portò: por-tò — Third person singular past; brought or led to something
frutto: frut-to — Fruit; also used figuratively for result or outcome
finale: fi-na-le — Last, concluding, or ultimate in a sequence
mese: me-ze — A unit of time; one month of the year
aprile: a-pri-le — The fourth month of the year; April
prima: pri-ma — First in order or time; before others
Camera: ka-me-ra — Room or chamber; also legislative assembly chamber
Letale: le-ta-le — Causing or capable of causing death; deadly
governativa: go-ver-na-ti-va — Relating to or operated by the government
fu: fu — Third person singular past of 'essere'; was
inaugurata: i-naw-gu-ra-ta — Officially opened or launched for the first time
giorno: jor-no — A single period of twenty-four hours; day
avevo: a-ve-vo — First person singular imperfect of 'avere'; I had
camminato: kam-mi-na-to — Past participle of 'camminare'; walked on foot
fino: fi-no — Preposition meaning 'until', 'as far as', 'up to'
fondo: fon-do — Bottom, far end, or depth of a place
partire: par-ti-re — To depart or leave from a place
casa: ka-za — A building where people live; home or house
dottor: dot-tor — Title used before a doctor's name; doctor
dove: do-ve — Adverb or conjunction meaning 'where'
ero: e-ro — First person singular imperfect of 'essere'; I was
recato: re-ka-to — Past participle of 'recarsi'; gone or directed oneself somewhere
pura: pu-ra — Pure, mere, or simple; nothing more than
formalità: for-ma-li-tà — A required procedure done for form's sake
caduto: ka-du-to — Past participle of 'cadere'; fallen down from somewhere
cavallo: ka-val-lo — A large domesticated animal used for riding; horse
quattro: kwat-tro — The number four in Italian
anni: an-ni — Plural of 'anno'; years of time
stato: sta-to — Past participle of 'essere'; been; also state or condition
tormentato: tor-men-ta-to — Plagued or afflicted by persistent pain or distress
tratti: trat-ti — Intervals or stretches; also features or traits
dolori: do-lo-ri — Plural of 'dolore'; pains or aches in the body
nuca: nu-ka — The back of the neck; nape
collo: kol-lo — The part of the body connecting head and torso; neck
ora: o-ra — Now, at the present moment; also 'hour'
erano: e-ra-no — Third person plural imperfect of 'essere'; they were
assenti: as-sen-ti — Absent, not present, or no longer occurring
mesi: me-zi — Plural of 'mese'; months of the year
medico: me-di-ko — A licensed practitioner of medicine; doctor or physician
aveva: a-ve-va — Third person singular imperfect of 'avere'; had
congedato: kon-je-da-to — Formally dismissed or discharged from care or service
dicendo: di-chen-do — Gerund of 'dire'; saying or telling someone something
vi: vi — Adverb meaning 'there'; also second person plural pronoun
era: e-ra — Third person singular imperfect of 'essere'; there was
più: More; no longer; used in negation with 'non'
nulla: nul-la — Nothing; used in negative constructions; not anything
curare: ku-ra-re — To treat medically; to care for or heal
Valeva: va-le-va — Third person singular imperfect of 'valere'; was worth
malapena: ma-la-pe-na — Barely, hardly, or scarcely; used in 'a malapena'
onorario: o-no-ra-ryo — A professional fee paid for services rendered
sentirsi: sen-tir-si — Reflexive verb; to feel or hear oneself told something
dire: di-re — To say or tell something to someone
cosa: ko-za — A thing, object, or matter of any kind
simile: si-mi-le — Similar, like, or such; resembling something else
sapevo: sa-pe-vo — First person singular imperfect of 'sapere'; I knew
già: jà — Already; previously known or done before now
solo: so-lo — Alone, only, or by oneself; just one
Eppure: ep-pu-re — Yet, still, nevertheless; despite what was just said
invidiai: in-vi-dyai — First person singular past; I envied someone something
denaro: de-na-ro — Money in general; currency or financial resources
Ciò: chò — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that thing'
disturbava: dis-tur-ba-va — It troubled, bothered, or disturbed someone emotionally
errore: er-ro-re — A mistake, fault, or incorrect action committed
commesso: kom-mes-so — Past participle of 'commettere'; committed or made an error
raccolsero: rak-kol-se-ro — Third person plural past; they gathered or picked up
selciato: sel-cha-to — A paved surface, cobblestone street or pavement
giacevo: ja-che-vo — First person singular imperfect of 'giacere'; I was lying
privo: pri-vo — Deprived of, lacking, or without something
sensi: sen-si — Plural of 'senso'; senses or consciousness
qualcuno: kwal-ku-no — Someone, somebody; an unspecified person
pietosamente: pye-to-za-men-te — In a merciful or compassionate manner; mercifully
conficcato: kon-fik-ka-to — Driven in, embedded, or lodged firmly into something
pallottola: pal-lot-to-la — A small projectile fired from a gun; bullet
testa: tes-ta — The uppermost part of the human body; head
fui: fui — First person singular past of 'essere'; I was
portato: por-ta-to — Past participle of 'portare'; carried or brought somewhere
dichiarando: dik-ya-ran-do — Gerund of 'dichiarare'; declaring or announcing officially
cervello: cher-vel-lo — The organ inside the skull; brain
compromesso: kom-pro-mes-so — Damaged, impaired, or put in a compromised state
collocò: kol-lo-kò — Third person singular past; placed or put someone somewhere
manicomio: ma-ni-ko-myo — An institution for the mentally ill; asylum
privato: pri-va-to — Not publicly owned; private or personal in nature
costretto: kos-tret-to — Past participle of 'costringere'; forced or compelled to act
sottopormi: sot-to-por-mi — To submit myself to a treatment or procedure
cure: ku-re — Plural of 'cura'; medical treatments or therapies
follia: fol-li-a — Madness, insanity, or extreme foolishness
fine: fi-ne — End or conclusion; also 'fine' or delicate
decise: de-chi-ze — Third person singular past of 'decidere'; decided
stavo: sta-vo — First person singular imperfect of 'stare'; I was feeling
bene: be-ne — Well; in good health or satisfactory condition
sapendo: sa-pen-do — Gerund of 'sapere'; knowing something to be true
mente: men-te — The faculty of thinking and reasoning; mind
sempre: sem-pre — Always, at all times, or continually
stata: sta-ta — Feminine past participle of 'essere'; been
sana: sa-na — Healthy, sound, or in good mental or physical condition
quanto: kwan-to — As much as; how much; in comparison with
pagai: pa-gai — First person singular past of 'pagare'; I paid
retta: ret-ta — Board and lodging fee; also a straight line
scherzosamente: sker-tso-za-men-te — In a joking or playful manner; jokingly
chiamava: kya-ma-va — Third person singular imperfect of 'chiamare'; called or named
ne: ne — Pronoun meaning 'of it', 'of them', or 'from there'
andai: an-dai — First person singular past of 'andare'; I went away

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