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Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None — Page 15

English → It Preface Level 9/10

" My brother was very much discouraged by the feebleness of the response he was given, and as he was striving just then to give up the practice of taking hydrate of chloral—a drug he had begun to take while ill with influenza,—the following spring, spent in Rome, was a somewhat gloomy one for him.

Mio fratello fu molto scoraggiato dalla debolezza della risposta che gli fu data, e poiché si sforzava proprio allora di abbandonare l'abitudine di prendere idrato di cloralio—una droga che aveva cominciato ad assumere mentre era malato di influenza,—la primavera seguente, trascorsa a Roma, fu per lui alquanto malinconica.

He writes about it as follows:—"I spent a melancholy spring in Rome, where I only just managed to live,—and this was no easy matter.

Egli ne scrive come segue:—«Trascorsi una primavera malinconica a Roma, dove riuscii appena a sopravvivere,—e ciò non fu cosa facile.

This city, which is absolutely unsuited to the poet-author of 'Zarathustra', and for the choice of which I was not responsible, made me inordinately miserable.

Questa città, che è assolutamente inadatta al poeta-autore di 'Zarathustra', e per la scelta della quale non ero responsabile, mi rese smisuratamente infelice.

I tried to leave it.

Cercai di lasciarla.

I wanted to go to Aquila—the opposite of Rome in every respect, and actually founded in a spirit of enmity towards that city (just as I also shall found a city some day), as a memento of an atheist and genuine enemy of the Church—a person very closely related to me,—the great Hohenstaufen, the Emperor Frederick II.

Volevo andare all'Aquila—l'opposto di Roma sotto ogni aspetto, e fondata appunto in uno spirito di ostilità verso quella città (proprio come anch'io fonderò una città un giorno), come ricordo di un ateo e autentico nemico della Chiesa—una persona a me molto affine,—il grande Hohenstaufen, l'imperatore Federico II.

But Fate lay behind it all: I had to return again to Rome.

Ma il Destino era dietro a tutto ciò: dovetti tornare di nuovo a Roma.

In the end I was obliged to be satisfied with the Piazza Barberini, after I had exerted myself in vain to find an anti-Christian quarter.

Alla fine fui costretto ad accontentarmi di Piazza Barberini, dopo essermi adoperato invano per trovare un quartiere anticristiano.

I fear that on one occasion, to avoid bad smells as much as possible, I actually inquired at the Palazzo del Quirinale whether they could not provide a quiet room for a philosopher.

Temo che in un'occasione, per evitare per quanto possibile i cattivi odori, mi sia effettivamente informato presso il Palazzo del Quirinale se non potessero fornire una stanza tranquilla per un filosofo.

Vocabulary

Mio: mee-oh — Possessive adjective meaning 'my', first person singular.
fratello: frah-tel-loh — Male sibling; brother.
fu: foo — Third person singular past tense of 'essere'; was.
molto: mol-toh — Adverb or adjective meaning very, much, or a lot.
scoraggiato: skoh-rad-jah-toh — Feeling discouraged, disheartened, or dispirited.
dalla: dal-lah — Contraction of 'da' and 'la'; from the (feminine).
debolezza: deh-boh-let-tsah — State of being weak; weakness or feebleness.
della: del-lah — Contraction of 'di' and 'la'; of the (feminine).
risposta: ree-spos-tah — A reply or answer given to a question.
che: keh — Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning that, which, who.
gli: lyee — Indirect object pronoun meaning to him or to them.
data: dah-tah — Past participle of 'dare'; given; also means date.
e: eh — Coordinating conjunction meaning and.
poiché: poy-keh — Conjunction meaning since, because, or given that.
si: see — Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive and impersonal verbs.
sforzava: sfor-tsah-vah — Imperfect tense of 'sforzarsi'; was striving or making effort.
proprio: proh-pryoh — Adjective or adverb meaning own, exactly, or just.
allora: al-loh-rah — Adverb meaning then, at that time, or so.
di: dee — Preposition meaning of, from, or about.
abbandonare: ab-ban-doh-nah-reh — To abandon, give up, or leave something behind.
l': l — Elided definite article 'il' or 'la' before a vowel.
abitudine: ah-bee-too-dee-neh — A habit, custom, or regular practice.
prendere: pren-deh-reh — To take, grab, or get something.
una: oo-nah — Indefinite article meaning a or an (feminine).
droga: droh-gah — A drug, narcotic substance, or medication.
aveva: ah-veh-vah — Third person singular imperfect of 'avere'; had.
cominciato: koh-meen-chah-toh — Past participle of 'cominciare'; begun or started.
ad: ad — Variant of preposition 'a' used before vowels; to, at.
assumere: as-soo-meh-reh — To take, consume, or assume something such as a substance.
mentre: men-treh — Conjunction meaning while or whereas.
era: eh-rah — Third person singular imperfect of 'essere'; was.
malato: mah-lah-toh — Adjective or noun meaning sick, ill, or a sick person.
influenza: een-floo-en-tsah — The flu; an infectious respiratory illness.
la: lah — Definite article meaning the (feminine singular).
primavera: pree-mah-veh-rah — The season of spring.
seguente: seh-gwen-teh — Adjective meaning following, next, or subsequent.
trascorsa: tras-kor-sah — Past participle of 'trascorrere'; spent (time) or passed.
a: ah — Preposition meaning at, to, or in.
Roma: roh-mah — Rome; the capital city of Italy.
per: pehr — Preposition meaning for, by, through, or in order to.
lui: loo-ee — Third person singular masculine subject pronoun; he, him.
alquanto: al-kwan-toh — Adverb meaning rather, somewhat, or quite a bit.
malinconica: mah-leen-koh-nee-kah — Adjective meaning melancholic, sad, or gloomy (feminine).
Egli: el-yee — Formal third person masculine pronoun; he.
ne: neh — Pronoun meaning of it, about it, some of it.
scrive: skree-veh — Third person singular present of 'scrivere'; writes.
come: koh-meh — Adverb or conjunction meaning how, like, or as.
segue: seh-gweh — Third person singular of 'seguire'; follows; as follows.
Trascorsi: tras-kor-see — First person singular past of 'trascorrere'; I spent time.
dove: doh-veh — Adverb meaning where or wherever.
riuscii: ree-oo-shee — First person singular past of 'riuscire'; I managed, succeeded.
appena: ap-peh-nah — Adverb meaning barely, just, or as soon as.
sopravvivere: soh-prav-vee-veh-reh — To survive or to remain alive through difficulty.
ciò: choh — Demonstrative pronoun meaning this, that, or it.
cosa: koh-zah — Noun meaning thing; also used in questions meaning what.
facile: fah-chee-leh — Adjective meaning easy, simple, or not difficult.
Questa: kwes-tah — Demonstrative adjective meaning this (feminine singular).
città: cheet-tah — A city or town.
è: eh — Third person singular present of 'essere'; is.
assolutamente: as-soh-loo-tah-men-teh — Adverb meaning absolutely, completely, or totally.
inadatta: ee-nah-dat-tah — Adjective meaning unsuitable, unfit, or inappropriate (feminine).
al: al — Contraction of 'a' and 'il'; to the or at the (masculine).
poeta: poh-eh-tah — A poet; a person who writes poetry.
autore: ow-toh-reh — An author, writer, or creator of a work.
scelta: shel-tah — A choice, selection, or decision made.
quale: kwah-leh — Relative pronoun or adjective meaning which or what.
ero: eh-roh — First person singular imperfect of 'essere'; I was.
responsabile: reh-spon-sah-bee-leh — Adjective or noun meaning responsible or accountable person.
mi: mee — First person singular reflexive or object pronoun; me, myself.
rese: reh-zeh — Third person singular past of 'rendere'; made or rendered.
infelice: een-feh-lee-cheh — Adjective meaning unhappy, miserable, or unfortunate.
Cercai: cher-kai — First person singular past of 'cercare'; I tried or sought.
lasciarla: lah-shar-lah — Infinitive 'lasciare' plus pronoun 'la'; to leave it or her.
Volevo: voh-leh-voh — First person singular imperfect of 'volere'; I wanted.
andare: an-dah-reh — To go; verb of motion indicating movement.
all': al — Contraction of 'a' and 'l'' before vowel; to the.
opposto: op-pos-toh — Adjective meaning opposite, contrary, or contrasting.
sotto: sot-toh — Preposition or adverb meaning under, below, or beneath.
ogni: on-yee — Adjective meaning every or each.
aspetto: as-pet-toh — Noun meaning aspect, appearance, or I wait (first person).
fondata: fon-dah-tah — Past participle of 'fondare'; founded or established (feminine).
appunto: ap-poon-toh — Adverb meaning exactly, precisely, or just so.
in: een — Preposition meaning in, into, or within.
uno: oo-noh — Indefinite article or number meaning a, an, or one.
spirito: spee-ree-toh — Spirit, soul, mind, or essence of something.
ostilità: os-tee-lee-tah — Hostility, antagonism, or unfriendly opposition toward something.
verso: ver-soh — Preposition meaning toward or against; also a line of poetry.
quella: kwel-lah — Demonstrative adjective meaning that (feminine singular).
anch': ank — Contraction of 'anche' before vowel; also, too, even.
io: ee-oh — First person singular subject pronoun; I.
fonderò: fon-deh-roh — First person singular future of 'fondare'; I will found.
un: oon — Masculine indefinite article meaning a or an.
giorno: jor-noh — A day; a unit of time equal to twenty-four hours.
ricordo: ree-kor-doh — A memory or souvenir; first person singular of ricordare.
ateo: ah-teh-oh — Adjective or noun meaning atheist or non-believing person.
autentico: ow-ten-tee-koh — Adjective meaning authentic, genuine, or true.
nemico: neh-mee-koh — An enemy, adversary, or foe.
Chiesa: kyeh-zah — A church; religious institution or building of worship.
persona: per-soh-nah — A person, individual human being.
me: meh — First person singular stressed object pronoun; me.
affine: af-fee-neh — Adjective meaning related, akin, or kindred in spirit.
il: eel — Masculine singular definite article meaning the.
grande: gran-deh — Adjective meaning great, large, or important.
imperatore: eem-peh-rah-toh-reh — An emperor; ruler of an empire.
Ma: mah — Conjunction meaning but or however.
Destino: des-tee-noh — Fate, destiny, or what is meant to happen.
dietro: dyeh-troh — Preposition or adverb meaning behind, after, or in back.
tutto: toot-toh — Adjective or pronoun meaning all, everything, or whole.
dovetti: doh-vet-tee — First person singular past of 'dovere'; I had to, I must.
tornare: tor-nah-reh — To return, go back, or come back.
nuovo: nwoh-voh — Adjective meaning new; 'di nuovo' means again.
Alla: al-lah — Contraction of 'a' and 'la'; to the or at the (feminine).
fine: fee-neh — End, conclusion; also an adjective meaning fine or delicate.
fui: foo-ee — First person singular past of 'essere'; I was.
costretto: kos-tret-toh — Past participle of 'costringere'; forced or compelled to act.
accontentarmi: ak-kon-ten-tar-mee — Reflexive infinitive meaning to content myself or settle for.
Piazza: pyat-tsah — A public square or plaza in an Italian city.
dopo: doh-poh — Preposition or adverb meaning after or afterwards.
essermi: es-ser-mee — Reflexive infinitive 'essere' plus 'mi'; to have been for myself.
invano: een-vah-noh — Adverb meaning in vain, unsuccessfully, or fruitlessly.
trovare: troh-vah-reh — To find, locate, or discover something.
quartiere: kwar-tyeh-reh — A neighborhood, district, or quarter of a city.
Temo: teh-moh — First person singular present of 'temere'; I fear or dread.
un': oon — Elided feminine indefinite article before vowel; a, an.
occasione: ok-kah-zyoh-neh — An occasion, opportunity, or chance.
evitare: eh-vee-tah-reh — To avoid, evade, or stay away from something.
quanto: kwan-toh — Adverb or pronoun meaning how much, as much, or how.
possibile: pos-see-bee-leh — Adjective meaning possible or feasible.
i: ee — Masculine plural definite article meaning the.
cattivi: kat-tee-vee — Adjective meaning bad, wicked, or unpleasant (masculine plural).
odori: oh-doh-ree — Plural of 'odore'; smells, odors, or scents.
sia: see-ah — Third person singular subjunctive of 'essere'; may be, is.
effettivamente: ef-fet-tee-vah-men-teh — Adverb meaning effectively, actually, or in fact.
informato: een-for-mah-toh — Past participle of 'informare'; informed or made aware.
presso: pres-soh — Preposition meaning at, near, or in care of.
Palazzo: pah-lat-tsoh — A palace, large building, or stately mansion.
del: del — Contraction of 'di' and 'il'; of the (masculine singular).
se: seh — Conjunction meaning if or whether.
potessero: poh-tes-seh-roh — Third person plural imperfect subjunctive of 'potere'; they could.
fornire: for-nee-reh — To supply, provide, or furnish something to someone.
stanza: stan-tsah — A room in a building; also a stanza in poetry.
tranquilla: tran-kweel-lah — Adjective meaning quiet, calm, or peaceful (feminine).
filosofo: fee-loh-zoh-foh — A philosopher; a person who studies or practices philosophy.

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