The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 8
The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."
Il motivo per cui non esporrò questo quadro è che temo di aver rivelato in esso il segreto della mia stessa anima."
Lord Henry laughed. "And what is that?" he asked.
Lord Henry rise. "E cos'è?" chiese.
"I will tell you," said Hallward; but an expression of perplexity came over his face.
"Ve lo dirò," disse Hallward; ma un'espressione di perplessità si diffuse sul suo volto.
"I am all expectation, Basil," continued his companion, glancing at him.
"Sono tutto orecchi, Basil," continuò il suo compagno, lanciandogli un'occhiata.
"Oh, there is really very little to tell, Harry," answered the painter; "and I am afraid you will hardly understand it. Perhaps you will hardly believe it."
"Oh, c'è davvero molto poco da raccontare, Harry," rispose il pittore; "e temo che difficilmente lo capirai. Forse difficilmente lo crederai."
Lord Henry smiled, and leaning down, plucked a pink-petalled daisy from the grass and examined it.
Lord Henry sorrise, e chinandosi, colse una margherita dai petali rosa dall'erba e la esaminò.
"I am quite sure I shall understand it," he replied, gazing intently at the little golden, white-feathered disk, "and as for believing things, I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible."
"Sono abbastanza sicuro che lo capirò," rispose, fissando intensamente il piccolo disco dorato dalle piume bianche, "e quanto al credere alle cose, posso credere a qualsiasi cosa, a patto che sia del tutto incredibile."
The wind shook some blossoms from the trees, and the heavy lilac-blooms, with their clustering stars, moved to and fro in the languid air.
Il vento scosse alcuni fiori dagli alberi, e i pesanti fiori di lillà, con i loro grappoli di stelle, si muovevano avanti e indietro nell'aria languida.
A grasshopper began to chirrup by the wall, and like a blue thread a long thin dragon-fly floated past on its brown gauze wings.
Una cavalletta cominciò a frinire vicino al muro, e come un filo blu una lunga e sottile libellula planò nell'aria con le sue ali di garza marrone.
Lord Henry felt as if he could hear Basil Hallward's heart beating, and wondered what was coming.
Lord Henry sentiva come se potesse udire il cuore di Basil Hallward battere, e si chiese cosa stesse per accadere.
"The story is simply this," said the painter after some time. "Two months ago I went to a crush at Lady Brandon's.
"La storia è semplicemente questa," disse il pittore dopo un po'. "Due mesi fa andai a un ricevimento affollato da Lady Brandon.
Vocabulary
- motivo
- Reason, motive, or musical theme
- cui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom'
- esporrò
- First person future of 'esporre': 'I will exhibit/show'
- quadro
- Painting, picture, or framed artwork
- temo
- First person singular of 'temere': 'I fear'
- rivelato
- Past participle of 'rivelare': 'revealed' or 'disclosed'
- esso
- Third person singular pronoun meaning 'it'
- segreto
- Secret, something hidden or concealed
- stessa
- Feminine form of 'stesso': 'same' or 'herself'
- anima
- Soul, spirit, or inner self of a person
- rise
- Third person past of 'ridere': 'laughed' or 'smiled'
- chiese
- Third person past of 'chiedere': 'asked' or 'inquired'
- Ve
- Indirect object pronoun: 'to you' (plural)
- dirò
- First person future of 'dire': 'I will tell'
- disse
- Third person past of 'dire': 'said' or 'told'
- un'espressione
- An expression, look, or facial appearance
- perplessità
- Perplexity, bewilderment, or state of confusion
- diffuse
- Third person past of 'diffondersi': 'spread' over something
- volto
- Face, countenance, or facial expression of someone
- orecchi
- Plural of 'orecchio': ears; used in 'sono tutto orecchi' (all ears)
- continuò
- Third person past of 'continuare': 'continued' speaking or doing
- compagno
- Companion, mate, or fellow person
- lanciandogli
- Gerund of 'lanciare' + 'gli': 'throwing him' a glance
- un'occhiata
- A quick look or glance at someone or something
- davvero
- Adverb meaning 'really', 'truly', or 'indeed'
- raccontare
- To tell a story, narrate, or recount events
- rispose
- Third person past of 'rispondere': 'replied' or 'answered'
- pittore
- Painter, an artist who paints pictures
- difficilmente
- Adverb meaning 'hardly', 'with difficulty', or 'scarcely'
- capirai
- Second person future of 'capire': 'you will understand'
- Forse
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps', 'maybe', or 'possibly'
- crederai
- Second person future of 'credere': 'you will believe'
- sorrise
- Third person past of 'sorridere': 'smiled' gently
- chinandosi
- Gerund of 'chinarsi': 'bending down' or 'stooping'
- colse
- Third person past of 'cogliere': 'picked' or 'plucked'
- margherita
- Daisy, a common white-petalled flower
- petali
- Plural of 'petalo': petals of a flower
- rosa
- Pink (color) or rose (flower)
- esaminò
- Third person past of 'esaminare': 'examined' carefully
- abbastanza
- Adverb meaning 'enough', 'quite', or 'fairly'
- sicuro
- Adjective meaning 'sure', 'safe', or 'certain'
- capirò
- First person future of 'capire': 'I will understand'
- fissando
- Gerund of 'fissare': 'staring at' or 'gazing fixedly'
- intensamente
- Adverb meaning 'intensely' or 'with great concentration'
- disco
- Disc, circular flat shape; also a music record
- dorato
- Adjective meaning 'golden' or 'gilded'
- piume
- Plural of 'piuma': feathers or plumes
- quanto
- Adverb or pronoun meaning 'how much' or 'as for'
- credere
- To believe, trust, or think something is true
- qualsiasi
- Adjective meaning 'any', 'whatever', or 'whichever'
- patto
- Pact, agreement, or condition; also 'a patto che' meaning 'provided that'
- sia
- Third person singular subjunctive of 'essere': 'is' or 'be'
- incredibile
- Adjective meaning 'incredible', 'unbelievable', or 'amazing'
- vento
- Wind, moving air; also used figuratively
- scosse
- Third person past of 'scuotere': 'shook' or 'jolted'
- alcuni
- Plural adjective or pronoun meaning 'some' or 'a few'
- fiori
- Plural of 'fiore': flowers or blossoms
- alberi
- Plural of 'albero': trees
- pesanti
- Plural of 'pesante': heavy, weighty, or burdensome
- lillà
- Lilac; a flowering shrub with fragrant purple blooms
- grappoli
- Plural of 'grappolo': clusters, bunches of grapes or flowers
- stelle
- Plural of 'stella': stars or star-shaped objects
- muovevano
- Third person plural imperfect of 'muoversi': 'were moving'
- avanti
- Adverb meaning 'forward', 'ahead', or 'back and forth'
- indietro
- Adverb meaning 'backward', 'behind', or 'back'
- languida
- Feminine of 'languido': languid, lazy, or dreamy
- cavalletta
- Grasshopper, a jumping insect that chirps
- cominciò
- Third person past of 'cominciare': 'began' or 'started'
- frinire
- To chirp or stridulate, as a cricket or grasshopper does
- vicino
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'near', 'close', or 'nearby'
- muro
- Wall, a vertical structure made of brick or stone
- filo
- Thread, wire, or thin line of material
- sottile
- Adjective meaning 'thin', 'slender', or 'subtle'
- libellula
- Dragonfly, a slender insect with transparent wings
- planò
- Third person past of 'planare': 'glided' or 'soared'
- ali
- Plural of 'ala': wings of a bird or insect
- garza
- Gauze, a thin translucent fabric or medical dressing
- marrone
- Adjective meaning 'brown' in color
- sentiva
- Third person imperfect of 'sentire': 'felt' or 'heard'
- potesse
- Third person imperfect subjunctive of 'potere': 'could' or 'might be able'
- udire
- To hear, to perceive sounds with the ears
- cuore
- Heart, the organ; also used figuratively for emotions
- battere
- To beat, strike, or throb, as a heart does
- stesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'stare': 'were' happening or occurring
- accadere
- To happen, occur, or take place
- storia
- Story, history, or narrative of events
- semplicemente
- Adverb meaning 'simply' or 'just'
- po'
- Shortened form of 'poco': 'a little' or 'a bit'
- mesi
- Plural of 'mese': months
- fa
- Used with time expressions to mean 'ago'
- andai
- First person past of 'andare': 'I went'
- ricevimento
- Reception, party, or formal social gathering
- affollato
- Adjective meaning 'crowded', 'packed', or 'full of people'
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