Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None — Page 13
My health was not very good; the winter was cold and exceptionally rainy; and the small inn in which I lived was so close to the water that at night my sleep would be disturbed if the sea were high.
La mia salute non era molto buona; l'inverno era freddo e insolitamente piovoso; e la piccola locanda in cui vivevo era così vicina all'acqua che di notte il mio sonno veniva disturbato se il mare era agitato.
These circumstances were surely the very reverse of favourable; and yet in spite of it all, and as if in demonstration of my belief that everything decisive comes to life in spite of every obstacle, it was precisely during this winter and in the midst of these unfavourable circumstances that my 'Zarathustra' originated.
Queste circostanze erano certamente l'esatto contrario del favorevole; eppure nonostante tutto ciò, e come a dimostrazione della mia convinzione che tutto ciò che è decisivo prende vita nonostante ogni ostacolo, fu precisamente durante quest'inverno e in mezzo a queste circostanze sfavorevoli che nacque il mio 'Zarathustra'.
In the morning I used to start out in a southerly direction up the glorious road to Zoagli, which rises aloft through a forest of pines and gives one a view far out into the sea.
Al mattino ero solito partire in direzione sud lungo la gloriosa strada per Zoagli, che sale in alto attraverso una foresta di pini e offre una vista che si estende lontano sul mare.
In the afternoon, as often as my health permitted, I walked round the whole bay from Santa Margherita to beyond Porto Fino.
Nel pomeriggio, ogni volta che la mia salute lo permetteva, percorrevo a piedi tutta la baia da Santa Margherita fino oltre Porto Fino.
This spot was all the more interesting to me, inasmuch as it was so dearly loved by the Emperor Frederick III.
Questo luogo mi era tanto più interessante, in quanto era così caro all'imperatore Federico III.
In the autumn of 1886 I chanced to be there again when he was revisiting this small, forgotten world of happiness for the last time.
Nell'autunno del 1886 mi trovai di nuovo lì per caso, quando egli stava rivisitando per l'ultima volta questo piccolo, dimenticato mondo di felicità.
It was on these two roads that all 'Zarathustra' came to me, above all Zarathustra himself as a type;—I ought rather to say that it was on these walks that these ideas waylaid me.
Fu su queste due strade che tutto lo 'Zarathustra' mi venne in mente, soprattutto Zarathustra stesso come tipo;—dovrei piuttosto dire che fu durante queste passeggiate che queste idee mi assalirono.
Vocabulary
- La
- Definite article; the (feminine singular)
- mia
- Possessive adjective; my (feminine singular)
- salute
- Health; physical well-being or condition
- non
- Negation; not (primary negative adverb)
- era
- Was; past tense of essere (to be)
- molto
- Very; much; to a great degree
- buona
- Good; positive quality (feminine singular)
- inverno
- Winter; coldest season of the year
- freddo
- Cold; low temperature (adjective or noun)
- insolitamente
- Unusually; in an uncommon or exceptional way
- piovoso
- Rainy; characterized by much rainfall
- piccola
- Small; little in size (feminine singular)
- locanda
- Inn; small hotel or lodging establishment
- vivevo
- I lived; past tense of vivere (to live)
- così
- So; thus; in this manner or way
- vicina
- Close; near; adjacent (feminine singular)
- acqua
- Water; essential liquid for life
- notte
- Night; time of darkness between sunset
- sonno
- Sleep; rest or unconscious state
- veniva
- Was coming; imperfect of venire (come)
- disturbato
- Disturbed; interrupted or troubled (masculine)
- mare
- Sea; large body of salt water
- agitato
- Agitated; rough or turbulent (masculine)
- circostanze
- Circumstances; conditions or situations
- erano
- Were; plural past of essere (to be)
- certamente
- Certainly; definitely; without doubt
- esatto
- Exact; precise; correct (masculine singular)
- contrario
- Contrary; opposite; opposed (masculine singular)
- favorevole
- Favorable; advantageous or positive
- eppure
- Yet; nevertheless; still; however
- nonostante
- Despite; in spite of; notwithstanding
- ostacolo
- Obstacle; barrier or hindrance to progress
- precisamente
- Precisely; exactly; in exact manner
- nacque
- Was born; past tense of nascere
- mattino
- Morning; early part of the day
- solito
- Usual; customary; habitual (masculine singular)
- partire
- To leave; to depart or begin journey
- direzione
- Direction; way toward a destination
- sud
- South; cardinal direction opposite north
- gloriosa
- Glorious; magnificent; splendid (feminine singular)
- strada
- Road; path or route for travel
- alto
- High; elevated or tall (masculine singular)
- attraverso
- Through; across; by way of
- foresta
- Forest; large wooded area with trees
- pini
- Pines; evergreen trees with needle leaves
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