← The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 5

English → It THE PURLOINED LETTER Level 8/10

His lynx eye immediately perceives the paper, recognises the handwriting of the address, observes the confusion of the personage addressed, and fathoms her secret.

Il suo occhio di lince percepisce immediatamente il foglio, riconosce la calligrafia dell'indirizzo, osserva il turbamento della persona a cui è indirizzato, e intuisce il suo segreto.

After some business transactions, hurried through in his ordinary manner, he produces a letter somewhat similar to the one in question, opens it, pretends to read it, and then places it in close juxtaposition to the other.

Dopo alcune transazioni d'affari, sbrigate alla sua maniera consueta, tira fuori una lettera alquanto simile a quella in questione, la apre, finge di leggerla, e poi la pone in stretta vicinanza all'altra.

Again he converses, for some fifteen minutes, upon the public affairs.

Di nuovo conversa, per circa quindici minuti, sulle faccende pubbliche.

At length, in taking leave, he takes also from the table the letter to which he had no claim.

Infine, nel congedarsi, preleva anche dal tavolo la lettera alla quale non aveva alcun diritto.

Its rightful owner saw, but, of course, dared not call attention to the act, in the presence of the third personage who stood at her elbow.

La legittima proprietaria vide, ma, naturalmente, non osò richiamare l'attenzione sull'atto, in presenza del terzo personaggio che le stava a fianco.

The minister decamped; leaving his own letter—one of no importance—upon the table."

Il ministro se ne andò; lasciando sul tavolo la propria lettera — di nessuna importanza."

"Here, then," said Dupin to me, "you have precisely what you demand to make the ascendancy complete—the robber's knowledge of the loser's knowledge of the robber."

"Ecco, dunque," disse Dupin a me, "avete esattamente ciò che richiedete per rendere completo il predominio — la consapevolezza del ladro riguardo alla consapevolezza della vittima riguardo al ladro."

"Yes," replied the Prefect; "and the power thus attained has, for some months past, been wielded, for political purposes, to a very dangerous extent.

"Sì," rispose il Prefetto; "e il potere così acquisito è stato, negli ultimi mesi, esercitato, a fini politici, in misura assai pericolosa.

The personage robbed is more thoroughly convinced, every day, of the necessity of reclaiming her letter.

La persona derubata è sempre più convinta, ogni giorno, della necessità di riavere la sua lettera.

But this, of course, cannot be done openly.

Ma questo, naturalmente, non può essere fatto apertamente.

In fine, driven to despair, she has committed the matter to me."

Alla fine, spinta dalla disperazione, ha affidato la questione a me."

"Than whom," said Dupin, amid a perfect whirlwind of smoke, "no more sagacious agent could, I suppose, be desired, or even imagined.

"Del quale," disse Dupin, in mezzo a un vero turbine di fumo, "nessun agente più sagace avrebbe potuto, suppongo, essere desiderato, o anche solo immaginato.

Vocabulary

Il
The (masculine singular definite article)
suo
His, her, its (possessive adjective)
occhio
Eye; sight or attention
di
Of; from (preposition)
lince
Lynx; keen-eyed person
percepisce
Perceives; notices or detects something
immediatamente
Immediately; at once without delay
foglio
Sheet; piece of paper or leaf
riconosce
Recognizes; identifies or acknowledges
la
The (feminine singular definite article)
dell
Of the (contraction of di + il)
indirizzo
Address; direction or destination
osserva
Observes; watches or examines carefully
della
Of the (feminine singular contraction)
persona
Person; individual human being
cui
Whom; to whom (relative pronoun)
indirizzato
Addressed; directed to someone
intuisce
Intuits; understands instinctively without reasoning
segreto
Secret; something hidden or confidential
Dopo
After; following in time or sequence
alcune
Some; a few (feminine plural)
transazioni
Transactions; business deals or exchanges
affari
Business; affairs or matters
sbrigate
Disposed of; dealt with or completed
alla
To the; in the manner of
maniera
Manner; way or style of doing
tira
Pulls; draws or takes out
fuori
Out; outside or forth
una
A; one (feminine singular article)
lettera
Letter; written message or correspondence
simile
Similar; alike or resembling
quella
That; that one (feminine singular)
in
In; inside or within
questione
Question; matter or issue under discussion
apre
Opens; unfolds or starts something
finge
Pretends; feigns or makes believe
leggerla
To read it (infinitive with pronoun)
poi
Then; afterwards or subsequently
pone
Places; puts or sets down
stretta
Close; tight or near in proximity
vicinanza
Proximity; closeness or nearness
all
To the (contraction of a + il)
altra
Other; another (feminine singular)
Di
Of; from (preposition at start)
nuovo
Again; once more or afresh
conversa
Converses; talks or chats with
per
For; during or in order to
circa
About; approximately or roughly
quindici
Fifteen; the number 15
minuti
Minutes; units of time
sulle
On the; about (feminine plural)
faccende
Matters; affairs or business issues
pubbliche
Public; pertaining to the people
Infine
Finally; in the end or lastly
nel
In the (masculine singular contraction)
congedarsi
To say goodbye; to take leave
preleva
Takes; withdraws or removes
anche
Also; even or likewise
dal
From the (masculine singular)
tavolo
Table; piece of furniture for work
quale
Which; that or what
non
Not; negation or refusal
aveva
Had; possessed in past time
alcun
Any; not a single one
diritto
Right; law or legal entitlement
La
The; feminine singular definite article
legittima
Legitimate; lawful or rightful
proprietaria
Owner; female proprietor or possessor
vide
Saw; perceived with eyes
ma
But; however or nevertheless
naturalmente
Naturally; of course or obviously
osò
Dared; ventured or was bold
richiamare
To call back; to draw attention
attenzione
Attention; notice or concentration
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