The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 1
The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.
Lo studio era pieno del ricco profumo delle rose, e quando il leggero vento estivo si agitava tra gli alberi del giardino, giungeva attraverso la porta aperta il pesante aroma del lillà, o il più delicato profumo del biancospino dai fiori rosa.
From the corner of the divan of Persian saddle-bags on which he was lying, smoking, as was his custom, innumerable cigarettes, Lord Henry Wotton could just catch the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-coloured blossoms of a laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly able to bear the burden of a beauty so flamelike as theirs; and now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in flight flitted across the long tussore-silk curtains that were stretched in front of the huge window, producing a kind of momentary Japanese effect, and making him think of those pallid, jade-faced painters of Tokyo who, through the medium of an art that is necessarily immobile, seek to convey the sense of swiftness and motion.
Dall'angolo del divano di bisacce persiane sul quale stava disteso, fumando, come era sua abitudine, innumerevoli sigarette, Lord Henry Wotton riusciva appena a scorgere il bagliore dei fiori dolci come il miele e color del miele di un maggiociondolo, i cui rami tremanti sembravano a malapena in grado di reggere il peso di una bellezza così ardente come la loro; e di tanto in tanto le fantastiche ombre di uccelli in volo guizzavano attraverso le lunghe tende di seta tussore stese davanti all'enorme finestra, producendo una sorta di momentaneo effetto giapponese, e facendolo pensare a quei pittori pallidi dal volto di giada di Tokyo che, attraverso il mezzo di un'arte necessariamente immobile, cercano di trasmettere il senso della velocità e del movimento.
The sullen murmur of the bees shouldering their way through the long unmown grass, or circling with monotonous insistence round the dusty gilt horns of the straggling woodbine, seemed to make the stillness more oppressive.
Il cupo mormorio delle api che si facevano strada a fatica attraverso l'erba alta e non falciata, o che giravano in cerchio con monotona insistenza attorno ai polverosi corni dorati del caprifoglio sparso, sembrava rendere il silenzio ancora più opprimente.
The dim roar of London was like the bourdon note of a distant organ.
Il sordo rombo di Londra era come la nota del bordone di un organo lontano.
Vocabulary
- Lo
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- studio
- Study; office or workspace for creative work
- era
- Was (imperfect tense of essere)
- pieno
- Full; filled with something
- del
- Of the (contraction of di + il)
- ricco
- Rich; abundant in fragrance or flavor
- profumo
- Perfume; fragrance or pleasant smell
- delle
- Of the (contraction of di + le)
- rose
- Roses; plural of rosa, the flower
- quando
- When; at what time or during which
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- leggero
- Light; not heavy or weighty
- vento
- Wind; moving air currents
- estivo
- Summer; relating to or characteristic of summer
- si
- Himself, herself, itself (reflexive pronoun)
- agitava
- Stirred; moved or shook (imperfect)
- tra
- Between; among or in the middle of
- gli
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- alberi
- Trees; plural of albero
- giardino
- Garden; cultivated outdoor space with plants
- giungeva
- Arrived; came or reached a place (imperfect)
- attraverso
- Through; passing from one side to other
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- porta
- Door; entrance to a building or room
- aperta
- Open; not closed or shut
- pesante
- Heavy; having great weight or burden
- aroma
- Aroma; distinctive pleasant smell or fragrance
- lillà
- Lilac; shrub with fragrant purple flowers
- più
- More; greater in quantity or degree
- delicato
- Delicate; fragile or requiring gentle handling
- dai
- From the (contraction of da + i)
- fiori
- Flowers; plural of fiore, blooms
- rosa
- Rose; pink color or the flower
- Dall
- From the (contraction of da + il)
- angolo
- Corner; angle where two surfaces meet
- divano
- Sofa; upholstered seating furniture for multiple people
- sul
- On the (contraction of su + il)
- quale
- Which; used to refer to things or persons
- stava
- Was (imperfect tense of stare)
- disteso
- Stretched out; lying extended on surface
- fumando
- Smoking; drawing in tobacco smoke
- come
- Like; as or in the manner of
- sua
- His, her (feminine singular possessive adjective)
- abitudine
- Habit; customary behavior or regular practice
- sigarette
- Cigarettes; rolled tobacco products for smoking
- riusciva
- Managed; succeeded or was able to do
- appena
- Barely; scarcely or only just
- scorgere
- To discern; perceive or catch sight of
- dei
- Of the (contraction of di + i)
- dolci
- Sweet; having sugary taste or gentle manner
- miele
- Honey; sweet substance made by bees
- color
- Color; hue or shade of appearance
- un
- A; one (masculine singular indefinite article)
- cui
- Whose; of which or to which
- rami
- Branches; plural of ramo from tree
- tremanti
- Trembling; shaking or quivering slightly
- sembravano
- Seemed; appeared or looked like (imperfect)
- in
- In; inside or within a location
- grado
- Grade; degree or state of condition
- reggere
- To bear; support or hold up weight
- peso
- Weight; heaviness or burden of something
- una
- A; one (feminine singular indefinite article)
- bellezza
- Beauty; aesthetic quality or attractive appearance
- così
- So; in this or that manner
- ardente
- Ardent; passionate, enthusiastic or intensely hot
- loro
- Their; belonging to multiple people
- tanto
- So much; a large quantity or degree
- le
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- fantastiche
- Fantastic; imaginative or existing in fantasy
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