The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 4
"
"
"Be a little more explicit," I said.
«Siate un po' più esplicito» dissi.
"Well, I may venture so far as to say that the paper gives its holder a certain power in a certain quarter where such power is immensely valuable."
«Ebbene, posso spingermi fino ad affermare che il documento conferisce al suo detentore un certo potere in un certo ambiente dove tale potere è immensamente prezioso.»
The Prefect was fond of the cant of diplomacy.
Il Prefetto era incline al gergo della diplomazia.
"Still I do not quite understand," said Dupin.
«Non capisco ancora del tutto» disse Dupin.
"No? Well; the disclosure of the document to a third person, who shall be nameless, would bring in question the honor of a personage of most exalted station; and this fact gives the holder of the document an ascendancy over the illustrious personage whose honor and peace are so jeopardized."
«No? Ebbene; la divulgazione del documento a una terza persona, che resterà innominata, metterebbe in discussione l'onore di un personaggio di altissimo rango; e questo fatto conferisce al detentore del documento un'ascendenza sul illustre personaggio il cui onore e la cui pace sono così messi a repentaglio.»
"But this ascendancy," I interposed, "would depend upon the robber's knowledge of the loser's knowledge of the robber. Who would dare—"
«Ma questa ascendenza» interruppi «dipenderebbe dalla consapevolezza del ladro che la vittima sa chi è il ladro. Chi oserebbe—»
"The thief," said G., "is the Minister D——, who dares all things, those unbecoming as well as those becoming a man.
«Il ladro» disse G. «è il Ministro D——, che osa tutto, ciò che è indegno di un uomo come ciò che è degno.
The method of the theft was not less ingenious than bold.
Il metodo del furto non era meno ingegnoso che audace.
The document in question—a letter, to be frank—had been received by the personage robbed while alone in the royal boudoir.
Il documento in questione—una lettera, a dire il vero—era stato ricevuto dal personaggio derubato mentre si trovava sola nel boudoir reale.
During its perusal she was suddenly interrupted by the entrance of the other exalted personage from whom especially it was her wish to conceal it.
Durante la sua lettura fu improvvisamente interrotta dall'ingresso dell'altro illustre personaggio dal quale soprattutto desiderava tenerla nascosta.
After a hurried and vain endeavor to thrust it in a drawer, she was forced to place it, open as it was, upon a table.
Dopo un affrettato e vano tentativo di infilarla in un cassetto, fu costretta a posarla, aperta com'era, su un tavolo.
The address, however, was uppermost, and, the contents thus unexposed, the letter escaped notice.
L'indirizzo, tuttavia, era rivolto verso l'alto, e, il contenuto così non visibile, la lettera sfuggì all'attenzione.
At this juncture enters the Minister D——.
In questo frangente entra il Ministro D——.
Vocabulary
- Siate
- Be (you all, formal or subjunctive form)
- un
- A, an (indefinite article)
- po
- A little, a bit (informal for 'poco')
- più
- More, most (comparative/superlative adverb)
- esplicito
- Explicit, clear, clearly stated or expressed
- dissi
- I said (past tense of 'dire')
- Ebbene
- Well, well then (discourse particle)
- posso
- I can, I am able to do something
- spingermi
- Push myself forward, venture, go so far
- fino
- Until, up to, as far as (preposition)
- ad
- To (preposition, variant of 'a' before vowel)
- affermare
- To assert, state, claim something as true
- che
- That, which, who (relative pronoun)
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- documento
- Document, official written record or evidence
- conferisce
- Confers, grants, bestows (gives authority/power)
- al
- To the (contraction of 'a il')
- suo
- His, her, its, your (possessive adjective)
- detentore
- Holder, possessor, one who holds something
- certo
- Certain, sure, particular (adjective)
- potere
- Power, ability, authority (noun or verb)
- in
- In, at, into (preposition)
- ambiente
- Environment, setting, circle, milieu (noun)
- dove
- Where, in which (adverb or relative pronoun)
- tale
- Such, such a (demonstrative adjective)
- immensamente
- Immensely, greatly, to huge extent
- prezioso
- Precious, valuable, highly esteemed thing
- Il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- Prefetto
- Prefect, chief administrator of a region
- era
- Was (past tense of 'essere')
- incline
- Inclined, disposed, tending toward something
- gergo
- Jargon, slang, technical language of group
- della
- Of the (feminine singular contraction)
- diplomazia
- Diplomacy, formal state relations and conduct
- Non
- Not, no (negation adverb)
- capisco
- I understand (present tense of 'capire')
- ancora
- Still, yet, again (adverb of time)
- del
- Of the (masculine singular contraction)
- tutto
- All, everything, completely (adverb/noun)
- disse
- He/she said (past tense of 'dire')
- No
- No, not (negation or discourse particle)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- divulgazione
- Divulgation, disclosure, revelation to public
- una
- A, an (feminine indefinite article)
- terza
- Third (feminine ordinal number)
- persona
- Person, individual, character in narrative
- resterà
- Will remain, stay (future tense)
- innominata
- Unnamed, unnamed person (unnamed/not named)
- metterebbe
- Would put, would place (conditional tense)
- discussione
- Discussion, debate, argument (noun)
- onore
- Honor, dignity, reputation (noun)
- di
- Of, from (preposition)
- personaggio
- Character, figure, person in story
- altissimo
- Highest, most elevated (superlative adjective)
- rango
- Rank, status, level of importance
- questo
- This, this one (demonstrative pronoun)
- fatto
- Fact, deed, action, thing done
- ascendenza
- Ascendancy, influence, ancestry (noun)
- sul
- On the (masculine singular contraction)
- illustre
- Illustrious, distinguished, famous, renowned
- cui
- Whose, whom, which (relative pronoun)
- pace
- Peace, rest, quiet (noun)
- sono
- Am, are (present tense of 'essere')
- così
- So, thus, therefore (adverb)
- messi
- Put, placed (past participle of 'mettere')
- repentaglio
- Jeopardy, danger, risk, peril (noun)
- Ma
- But, however (conjunction)
- questa
- This, this one (feminine demonstrative)
- interruppi
- I interrupted (past tense of 'interrompere')
- dipenderebbe
- Would depend (conditional of 'dipendere')
- dalla
- From the (feminine singular contraction)
- consapevolezza
- Awareness, consciousness, understanding (noun)
- ladro
- Thief, robber, criminal stealing property
- vittima
- Victim, one who suffers (noun)
- sa
- Knows (present tense of 'sapere')
- chi
- Who, whom (interrogative pronoun)
- Chi
- Who, whom (interrogative pronoun)
- oserebbe
- Would dare (conditional of 'osare')
- Ministro
- Minister, government official, cabinet member
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →