The Scarlet Letter — Page 4
The first time was three or four years since, when I favored the reader—inexcusably, and for no earthly reason, that either the indulgent reader or the intrusive author could imagine—with a description of my way of life in the deep quietude of an Old Manse.
La prima volta fu tre o quattro anni fa, quando gratificai il lettore—in modo imperdonabile, e senza alcuna ragione al mondo, che il lettore indulgente o l'autore importuno potessero immaginare—con una descrizione del mio modo di vivere nella profonda quiete di un Antico Presbiterio.
And now—because, beyond my deserts, I was happy enough to find a listener or two on the former occasion—I again seize the public by the button, and talk of my three years' experience in a Custom-House.
E ora—poiché, al di là di quanto meriti, ebbi la fortuna di trovare uno o due ascoltatori nella precedente occasione—afferro di nuovo il pubblico per un bottone, e parlo della mia esperienza di tre anni in una Dogana.
The example of the famous "P. P., Clerk of this Parish," was never more faithfully followed.
L'esempio del famoso «P. P., Chierico di questa Parrocchia» non fu mai seguito con maggiore fedeltà.
The truth seems to be, however, that, when he casts his leaves forth upon the wind, the author addresses, not the many who will fling aside his volume, or never take it up, but the few who will understand him, better than most of his schoolmates or lifemates.
La verità sembra essere, tuttavia, che quando getta le sue pagine al vento, l'autore si rivolge non ai molti che getteranno da parte il suo volume, o non lo prenderanno mai in mano, ma ai pochi che lo capiranno, meglio di quanto non facciano la maggior parte dei suoi compagni di scuola o di vita.
Some authors, indeed, do far more than this, and indulge themselves in such confidential depths of revelation as could fittingly be addressed, only and exclusively, to the one heart and mind of perfect sympathy; as if the printed book, thrown at large on the wide world, were certain to find out the divided segment of the writer's own nature, and complete his circle of existence by bringing him into communion with it.
Alcuni autori, in verità, fanno molto di più, e si abbandonano a profondità così riservate di rivelazione che potrebbero essere adeguatamente indirizzate, solo ed esclusivamente, all'unico cuore e alla mente di perfetta simpatia; come se il libro stampato, lanciato nel vasto mondo, fosse certo di trovare il segmento diviso della natura stessa dello scrittore, e di completare il suo cerchio d'esistenza portandolo in comunione con essa.
It is scarcely decorous, however, to speak all, even where we speak impersonally.
È tuttavia poco decoroso dire tutto, anche quando parliamo in modo impersonale.
Vocabulary
- prima
- prima — First, before others in order or time
- volta
- volta — Time, occasion, instance of something occurring
- fu
- fu — Was; third person singular past tense of essere
- fa
- fa — Ago; used with time expressions to indicate past
- gratificai
- gratificai — I gratified, pleased, or indulged someone
- lettore
- lettore — Reader; one who reads a text
- modo
- modo — Way, manner, mode of doing something
- imperdonabile
- imperdonabile — Unforgivable, inexcusable, not deserving pardon
- senza
- senza — Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
- alcuna
- alcuna — Any, some; feminine indefinite adjective
- ragione
- ragione — Reason, motive, justification for an action
- mondo
- mondo — World; the earth or all of existence
- indulgente
- indulgente — Indulgent, lenient, tolerant toward someone's faults
- autore
- autore — Author, writer of a literary work
- importuno
- importuno — Importunate, intrusive, bothersome, untimely person
- potessero
- potessero — They could; imperfect subjunctive of potere
- immaginare
- immaginare — To imagine, to picture something in one's mind
- descrizione
- descrizione — Description, detailed account of something
- vivere
- vivere — To live; the act or manner of living
- profonda
- profonda — Deep, profound; feminine adjective describing depth
- quiete
- quiete — Quiet, stillness, tranquility, peaceful silence
- Antico
- antico — Ancient, old, antique; of great age
- Presbiterio
- presbiterio — Presbytery; residence of a parish priest
- ora
- ora — Now; at the present moment
- poiché
- poiché — Since, because; causal conjunction
- là
- là — There; adverb indicating a place away
- quanto
- quanto — How much, as much as; quantity or degree
- meriti
- meriti — Merits, deserts; qualities deserving reward
- ebbi
- ebbi — I had; first person singular past tense of avere
- fortuna
- fortuna — Luck, fortune, good chance or fate
- trovare
- trovare — To find, to encounter or discover something
- ascoltatori
- ascoltatori — Listeners, audience members who listen attentively
- precedente
- precedente — Previous, preceding, former; occurring before
- occasione
- occasione — Occasion, opportunity, particular moment or event
- afferro
- afferro — I grasp, seize; first person present of afferrare
- nuovo
- nuovo — New; recently made or not previously known
- pubblico
- pubblico — Public, audience; group of readers or viewers
- bottone
- bottone — Button; small fastening or pushable device
- esperienza
- esperienza — Experience; knowledge or skill gained over time
- Dogana
- dogana — Customs house; office for inspecting imports
- esempio
- esempio — Example, model, instance illustrating a point
- famoso
- famoso — Famous, well-known, celebrated by many people
- Chierico
- chierico — Cleric, church official or ordained minister
- Parrocchia
- parrocchia — Parish; local church community and its territory
- mai
- mai — Never, ever; adverb of frequency or negation
- seguito
- seguito — Followed; past participle of seguire
- maggiore
- maggiore — Greater, larger, major; comparative adjective
- fedeltà
- fedeltà — Fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty to someone or something
- verità
- verità — Truth; conformity to fact or reality
- sembra
- sembra — Seems, appears; third person singular of sembrare
- tuttavia
- tuttavia — Nevertheless, however, yet; concessive conjunction
- getta
- getta — Throws, casts; third person singular of gettare
- pagine
- pagine — Pages; plural of pagina, sheets of a book
- vento
- vento — Wind; moving air, breeze or strong current
- rivolge
- rivolge — Turns to, addresses; third person of rivolgere
- molti
- molti — Many; masculine plural adjective indicating large number
- getteranno
- getteranno — They will throw, cast aside; future of gettare
- parte
- parte — Part, side, portion; segment of a whole
- volume
- volume — Volume, book; a bound printed publication
- prenderanno
- prenderanno — They will take, pick up; future of prendere
- mano
- mano — Hand; the part of the body used to grasp
- pochi
- pochi — Few; a small number of people or things
- capiranno
- capiranno — They will understand; future tense of capire
- meglio
- meglio — Better; comparative adverb of bene
- facciano
- facciano — They do, make; present subjunctive of fare
- maggior
- maggior — Greater, most; elided form of maggiore
- compagni
- compagni — Companions, classmates, fellow members of a group
- vita
- vita — Life; the existence of a living being
- Alcuni
- alcuni — Some, a few; indefinite plural adjective
- autori
- autori — Authors, writers; plural of autore
- molto
- molto — Much, very, a lot; adverb or adjective of degree
- abbandonano
- abbandonano — They abandon, surrender themselves to something
- profondità
- profondità — Depth, profundity; degree of being deep
- così
- così — So, thus, in this way; common adverb
- riservate
- riservate — Reserved, set aside; feminine plural past participle
- rivelazione
- rivelazione — Revelation, disclosure of something previously hidden
- potrebbero
- potrebbero — They could, might; conditional of potere
- adeguatamente
- adeguatamente — Adequately, sufficiently; in an appropriate manner
- indirizzate
- indirizzate — Addressed, directed toward; feminine plural participle
- solo
- solo — Only, alone; just one person or thing
- esclusivamente
- esclusivamente — Exclusively, solely, only and nothing else
- unico
- unico — Unique, sole, the only one of its kind
- cuore
- cuore — Heart; the emotional and spiritual center of a person
- mente
- mente — Mind; the seat of thought and intellect
- perfetta
- perfetta — Perfect, flawless; feminine adjective of perfetto
- simpatia
- simpatia — Sympathy, affinity, warm feeling toward someone
- stampato
- stampato — Printed, published; past participle of stampare
- lanciato
- lanciato — Launched, thrown; past participle of lanciare
- vasto
- vasto — Vast, immense, enormous in size or extent
- fosse
- fosse — Were; imperfect subjunctive of essere
- certo
- certo — Certain, sure; adjective indicating certainty
- segmento
- segmento — Segment, portion, section of something larger
- diviso
- diviso — Divided, separated; past participle of dividere
- natura
- natura — Nature; the innate character or essence of something
- stessa
- stessa — Same, herself, itself; feminine intensive pronoun
- scrittore
- scrittore — Writer, author; one who writes literary works
- completare
- completare — To complete, to finish, to make whole
- cerchio
- cerchio — Circle; a round closed curve or shape
- esistenza
- esistenza — Existence; the state of being alive or present
- portandolo
- portandolo — Bringing him, carrying it; gerund with pronoun
- comunione
- comunione — Communion, intimate fellowship, deep spiritual union
- poco
- poco — Little, not much; small amount or degree
- decoroso
- decoroso — Decorous, proper, seemly, fitting social behavior
- dire
- dire — To say, to tell; fundamental Italian verb
- tutto
- tutto — Everything, all; totality of things or persons
- anche
- anche — Also, even, too; additive adverb
- parliamo
- parliamo — We speak, we talk; first person plural of parlare
- impersonale
- impersonale — Impersonal; not involving personal feelings or identity
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