The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 12
It was his custom of a Sunday, when this meal was over, to sit close by the fire, a volume of some dry divinity on his reading desk, until the clock of the neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly and gratefully to bed.
Era sua abitudine, la domenica, quando il pasto era terminato, sedersi vicino al fuoco, con un volume di qualche arida teologia sul leggio, finché l'orologio della chiesa vicina non batteva le dodici, dopodiché andava a letto sobriamente e con gratitudine.
On this night however, as soon as the cloth was taken away, he took up a candle and went into his business room.
Quella sera, tuttavia, non appena fu tolta la tovaglia, prese un candeliere e si recò nel suo studio.
There he opened his safe, took from the most private part of it a document endorsed on the envelope as Dr. Jekyll's Will and sat down with a clouded brow to study its contents.
Lì aprì la cassaforte, estrasse dalla parte più riservata di essa un documento recante sull'involucro la dicitura «Testamento del Dottor Jekyll» e si sedette con la fronte aggrottata a studiarne il contenuto.
The will was holograph, for Mr. Utterson though he took charge of it now that it was made, had refused to lend the least assistance in the making of it; it provided not only that, in case of the decease of Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc., all his possessions were to pass into the hands of his "friend and benefactor Edward Hyde," but that in case of Dr. Jekyll's "disappearance or unexplained absence for any period exceeding three calendar months," the said Edward Hyde should step into the said Henry Jekyll's shoes without further delay and free from any burthen or obligation beyond the payment of a few small sums to the members of the doctor's household.
Il testamento era olografo, poiché il signor Utterson, pur avendone preso in custodia la redazione, si era rifiutato di prestare il minimo aiuto nella sua stesura; esso stabiliva non solo che, in caso di decesso di Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., ecc., tutte le sue proprietà sarebbero passate nelle mani del suo «amico e benefattore Edward Hyde», ma anche che in caso di «scomparsa o assenza inspiegabile per qualsiasi periodo superiore a tre mesi di calendario», il suddetto Edward Hyde avrebbe dovuto subentrare al suddetto Henry Jekyll senza ulteriore indugio e libero da qualsiasi onere o obbligo al di là del pagamento di alcune piccole somme ai membri della servitù del dottore.
This document had long been the lawyer's eyesore.
Questo documento era da tempo una spina nel fianco per l'avvocato.
Vocabulary
- sua
- His, her, or its (possessive adjective, singular).
- abitudine
- A habit or customary practice regularly followed.
- domenica
- Sunday, the last day of the week.
- quando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
- pasto
- A meal eaten at a particular time of day.
- terminato
- Finished or completed, past participle of 'terminare'.
- sedersi
- Reflexive verb meaning to sit oneself down.
- vicino
- Near, close to, or nearby in space.
- fuoco
- Fire, a flame or burning source of heat.
- volume
- A book or bound publication of written content.
- qualche
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain' (singular).
- arida
- Dry, arid, or lacking interest and liveliness.
- teologia
- Theology, the academic study of religious doctrine.
- leggio
- A lectern or book stand for holding open volumes.
- finché
- Conjunction meaning 'until' or 'as long as'.
- orologio
- A clock or watch used to measure time.
- chiesa
- A church, a Christian place of worship.
- vicina
- Nearby or neighboring, feminine form of 'vicino'.
- batteva
- Imperfect of 'battere': was striking or chiming.
- dodici
- The number twelve.
- dopodiché
- Adverb meaning 'after which' or 'thereafter'.
- letto
- A bed for sleeping; also past participle of 'leggere'.
- sobriamente
- Soberly, in a restrained and temperate manner.
- gratitudine
- Gratitude, a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.
- Quella
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (feminine singular).
- sera
- Evening, the period between afternoon and night.
- tuttavia
- Adverb meaning 'however', 'nevertheless', or 'yet'.
- appena
- Adverb meaning 'as soon as' or 'just barely'.
- tolta
- Removed or taken away, past participle of 'togliere'.
- tovaglia
- A tablecloth spread over a dining table.
- candeliere
- A candlestick or candle holder for carrying light.
- recò
- Past tense of 'recarsi': made his way or went.
- studio
- A private study or office room for intellectual work.
- Lì
- Adverb of place meaning 'there'.
- cassaforte
- A safe or strongbox for storing valuables securely.
- estrasse
- Past tense of 'estrarre': extracted or pulled out.
- parte
- A part, portion, or section of something.
- riservata
- Reserved, private, or set aside for specific use.
- documento
- A document, an official written or printed paper.
- recante
- Bearing or carrying (present participle of 'recare').
- involucro
- An envelope, wrapper, or outer covering of something.
- dicitura
- A wording, inscription, or label written on something.
- Testamento
- A last will and testament, a legal inheritance document.
- sedette
- Past tense of 'sedersi': sat down.
- fronte
- Forehead; also 'in front of' when used as a preposition.
- aggrottata
- Furrowed or knitted, describing a frowning brow expression.
- studiarne
- To study it, infinitive 'studiare' combined with 'ne'.
- contenuto
- Content or contents of a document or container.
- testamento
- A will or testament setting out one's final wishes.
- olografo
- Holographic, entirely handwritten by the testator personally.
- poiché
- Conjunction meaning 'since', 'because', or 'given that'.
- pur
- Concessive particle meaning 'even though' or 'although'.
- avendone
- Having it; 'avendo' combined with particle 'ne'.
- custodia
- Custody or safekeeping of an object or person.
- redazione
- The drafting or editing of a written document.
- rifiutato
- Refused or rejected, past participle of 'rifiutare'.
- prestare
- To lend or provide assistance to someone.
- minimo
- Minimum or slightest; the least amount possible.
- aiuto
- Help or assistance given to someone in need.
- stesura
- The drafting or writing out of a text.
- stabiliva
- Imperfect of 'stabilire': established or stipulated.
- solo
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just'; adjective meaning 'alone'.
- caso
- A case, situation, or instance; also 'in case of'.
- decesso
- Death or decease, the formal end of a person's life.
- ecc.
- Abbreviation for 'eccetera': et cetera, and so forth.
- tutte
- All, every one (feminine plural form of 'tutto').
- proprietà
- Property or possessions owned by an individual.
- mani
- Hands, the body parts at the end of one's arms.
- amico
- A friend or close acquaintance of someone.
- benefattore
- A benefactor, someone who provides financial or other support.
- anche
- Adverb meaning 'also', 'too', or 'even'.
- scomparsa
- Disappearance or vanishing of a person or thing.
- assenza
- Absence, the state of being away or not present.
- inspiegabile
- Inexplicable, impossible to explain or account for.
- qualsiasi
- Any whatsoever, used to indicate any without restriction.
- periodo
- A period or span of time.
- superiore
- Superior, greater, or exceeding a specified amount.
- mesi
- Months, plural of 'mese'.
- calendario
- A calendar used to measure or track dates and months.
- suddetto
- Aforementioned, referring to the previously mentioned person.
- dovuto
- Had to, owed; past participle of 'dovere'.
- subentrare
- To take over or step into another's place or role.
- senza
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- ulteriore
- Further or additional, going beyond what already exists.
- indugio
- Delay or hesitation before taking an action.
- libero
- Free, unrestrained, or released from obligation.
- onere
- A burden, obligation, or duty imposed on someone.
- obbligo
- An obligation or binding duty one must fulfill.
- là
- Adverb of place meaning 'there', at a distance.
- pagamento
- Payment, the act of giving money owed to someone.
- alcune
- Some, a few (feminine plural of 'alcuno').
- piccole
- Small or little, feminine plural of 'piccolo'.
- somme
- Sums, amounts of money (plural of 'somma').
- membri
- Members, individuals belonging to a group or household.
- servitù
- Domestic servants or household staff as a collective.
- dottore
- A doctor, either medical or holder of a doctorate.
- Questo
- Demonstrative pronoun/adjective meaning 'this' (masculine).
- tempo
- Time; also weather, depending on context.
- spina
- A thorn or spine; figuratively a painful irritation.
- fianco
- Side or flank of the body; figuratively a weak point.
- avvocato
- A lawyer or attorney who practices law professionally.
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