The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 10
It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
Non fu la coscienza a farmi agire così: fu una sorta di codardia.
I take no credit to myself for trying to escape."
Non mi attribuisco alcun merito per aver cercato di fuggire."
"Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
«La coscienza e la codardia sono davvero la stessa cosa, Basil.
Conscience is the trade-name of the firm.
La coscienza è il nome commerciale della ditta.
That is all."
Nient'altro.»
"I don't believe that, Harry, and I don't believe you do either.
«Non ci credo, Harry, e non credo che ci creda nemmeno tu.
However, whatever was my motive—and it may have been pride, for I used to be very proud—I certainly struggled to the door.
Tuttavia, qualunque fosse il mio motivo — e potrebbe essere stato l'orgoglio, poiché un tempo ero molto orgoglioso — mi diressi a fatica verso la porta.
There, of course, I stumbled against Lady Brandon.
Lì, naturalmente, mi imbattei in Lady Brandon.
'You are not going to run away so soon, Mr. Hallward?' she screamed out.
«Non starete mica andando via così presto, signor Hallward?» gridò.
You know her curiously shrill voice?"
Conoscete la sua voce stranamente stridula?»
"Yes; she is a peacock in everything but beauty," said Lord Henry, pulling the daisy to bits with his long nervous fingers.
«Sì; è un pavone in tutto tranne che nella bellezza», disse Lord Henry, strappando la margherita a pezzetti con le sue lunghe dita nervose.
"I could not get rid of her.
«Non riuscivo a liberarmene.
She brought me up to royalties, and people with stars and garters, and elderly ladies with gigantic tiaras and parrot noses.
Mi condusse da membri della famiglia reale, e da persone con stelle e giarrettiere, e da anziane signore con tiare gigantesche e nasi da pappagallo.
She spoke of me as her dearest friend.
Mi presentava come il suo più caro amico.
I had only met her once before, but she took it into her head to lionize me.
L'avevo incontrata solo una volta in precedenza, ma le era saltato in testa di trattarmi come una celebrità.
I believe some picture of mine had made a great success at the time, at least had been chattered about in the penny newspapers, which is the nineteenth-century standard of immortality.
Credo che un mio quadro avesse avuto un grande successo in quel periodo, o almeno era stato chiacchierato nei giornali da quattro soldi, che è il metro dell'immortalità nel diciannovesimo secolo.
Suddenly I found myself face to face with the young man whose personality had so strangely stirred me.
All'improvviso mi ritrovai faccia a faccia con il giovane la cui personalità mi aveva così stranamente commosso.
We were quite close, almost touching.
Eravamo molto vicini, quasi a toccarci.
Our eyes met again.
I nostri occhi si incontrarono di nuovo.
Vocabulary
- Non
- Not; used to negate verbs and statements.
- fu
- Was; past tense of essere in third person singular.
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article or direct object pronoun.
- coscienza
- Conscience; moral sense of right and wrong.
- agire
- To act; to behave or take action.
- così
- Thus; in this manner or way.
- una
- A; feminine singular indefinite article.
- sorta
- Sort; kind or type of something.
- di
- Of; preposition indicating possession or relationship.
- codardia
- Cowardice; lack of courage or bravery.
- mi
- Me; first person singular indirect or direct object pronoun.
- attribuisco
- I attribute; first person singular present tense of attribuire.
- alcun
- Any; some; used before nouns in negative contexts.
- merito
- Merit; deserving praise or recognition for something.
- per
- For; preposition indicating purpose or reason.
- aver
- To have; infinitive form of avere.
- cercato
- Sought; past participle of cercare, to search.
- fuggire
- To flee; to escape or run away from.
- La
- The; feminine singular definite article (capitalized).
- sono
- I am; first person singular present of essere.
- davvero
- Really; truly or indeed in reality.
- stessa
- Same; identical or very similar thing.
- cosa
- Thing; object or matter under discussion.
- il
- The; masculine singular definite article.
- nome
- Name; word by which person or thing is known.
- commerciale
- Commercial; relating to trade or business activity.
- della
- Of the; contraction of di and la.
- ditta
- Firm; business company or commercial enterprise.
- Nient
- Nothing; not anything at all.
- altro
- Other; different or additional thing.
- ci
- Us; first person plural object pronoun or reflexive.
- credo
- I believe; first person singular present of credere.
- non
- Not; used to negate verbs and statements.
- che
- That; which or who in relative clauses.
- creda
- Believes; third person singular subjunctive of credere.
- nemmeno
- Not even; neither or not at all.
- tu
- You; second person singular informal pronoun.
- Tuttavia
- However; nevertheless or yet despite that.
- qualunque
- Whatever; any or whichever thing one chooses.
- fosse
- Were; third person singular imperfect subjunctive of essere.
- mio
- My; first person singular possessive adjective.
- motivo
- Reason; cause or motivation behind something.
- potrebbe
- Could; third person singular conditional of potere.
- essere
- To be; fundamental verb expressing existence.
- stato
- Been; past participle of essere.
- orgoglio
- Pride; feeling of self-respect and dignity.
- poiché
- Since; because or as a result of.
- un
- A; masculine singular indefinite article.
- tempo
- Time; period or moment in duration.
- ero
- I was; first person singular imperfect of essere.
- molto
- Very; to a great extent or degree.
- orgoglioso
- Proud; feeling or showing pride or self-respect.
- diressi
- I directed; first person singular past of dirigere.
- fatica
- Effort; hard work or physical exertion needed.
- verso
- Toward; in direction of a place.
- porta
- Door; entrance or opening to enter space.
- Lì
- There; in that place or location.
- naturalmente
- Naturally; of course or as expected.
- imbattei
- I encountered; first person singular past of imbattere.
- in
- In; preposition indicating location or position.
- Lady
- Lady; title of respect for woman.
- starete
- You will be; second person plural future of stare.
- mica
- Not; colloquial negation used in questions.
- andando
- Going; present participle of andare.
- via
- Away; indicating departure or exit direction.
- presto
- Soon; in the near future or quickly.
- signor
- Mr.; title of respect for man.
- gridò
- Cried out; third person singular past of gridare.
- Conoscete
- Do you know; second person plural present of conoscere.
- sua
- Her; third person singular feminine possessive adjective.
- voce
- Voice; sound produced by person speaking.
- stranamente
- Strangely; in an odd or unusual manner.
- stridula
- Shrill; high-pitched or piercing in sound.
- Sì
- Yes; affirmative response or agreement.
- pavone
- Peacock; large colorful bird with long tail.
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