Treasure Island — Page 4
When a seaman did put up at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did, making by the coast road for Bristol) he would look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when any such was present.
Quando un marinaio si fermava all'Admiral Benbow (come di tanto in tanto qualcuno faceva, percorrendo la strada costiera verso Bristol) questi spiava attraverso la porta con la tenda prima di entrare nel salotto; ed era sempre sicuro di stare zitto come un topo quando qualcuno del genere era presente.
For me, at least, there was no secret about the matter, for I was, in a way, a sharer in his alarms.
Per me, almeno, non c'era nessun segreto sulla questione, poiché ero, in un certo senso, partecipe delle sue preoccupazioni.
He had taken me aside one day and promised me a silver fourpenny on the first of every month if I would only keep my "weather-eye open for a seafaring man with one leg" and let him know the moment he appeared.
Un giorno mi aveva preso da parte e mi aveva promesso una moneta d'argento da quattro penny il primo di ogni mese se avessi tenuto il mio "occhio di vedetta aperto per un uomo di mare con una gamba sola" e lo avessi avvertito nel momento in cui fosse apparso.
Often enough when the first of the month came round and I applied to him for my wage, he would only blow through his nose at me and stare me down, but before the week was out he was sure to think better of it, bring me my four-penny piece, and repeat his orders to look out for "the seafaring man with one leg."
Abbastanza spesso, quando arrivava il primo del mese e gli chiedevo la mia paga, si limitava a sbuffare dal naso e a fissarmi in modo intimidatorio, ma prima che la settimana finisse era sicuro di ricredersi, portarmi la mia moneta da quattro penny e ripetere i suoi ordini di stare all'erta per "l'uomo di mare con una gamba sola."
How that personage haunted my dreams, I need scarcely tell you.
Quanto quel personaggio tormentasse i miei sogni, non ho quasi bisogno di dirtelo.
On stormy nights, when the wind shook the four corners of the house and the surf roared along the cove and up the cliffs, I would see him in a thousand forms, and with a thousand diabolical expressions.
Nelle notti tempestose, quando il vento scuoteva i quattro angoli della casa e le onde ruggivano lungo la cala e su per le scogliere, lo vedevo in mille forme e con mille espressioni diaboliche.
Vocabulary
- Quando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', indicating time
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- marinaio
- A sailor or seaman who works at sea
- si
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', 'oneself'
- fermava
- Past tense of fermarsi: stopped or came to halt
- all'
- Contraction of 'a' and 'la/lo', meaning 'at the'
- come
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', 'how'
- di
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'
- tanto
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'so much', 'so many'
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'at', or 'into'
- qualcuno
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'somebody'
- faceva
- Imperfect tense of fare: was doing or making
- percorrendo
- Gerund of percorrere: traveling or covering a route
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
- strada
- A road, street, or path for travel
- costiera
- Adjective meaning 'coastal', relating to the coast
- verso
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- questi
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this one' (masculine)
- spiava
- Imperfect of spiare: was spying or peeping at something
- attraverso
- Preposition meaning 'through' or 'across' something
- porta
- A door or gate of a building or room
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment
- tenda
- A curtain, drape, or tent used as covering
- prima
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'before' or 'first'
- entrare
- Infinitive meaning 'to enter' or 'to go inside'
- nel
- Contraction of 'in' and 'il', meaning 'in the'
- salotto
- A sitting room, parlor, or living room
- ed
- Variant of 'e', conjunction meaning 'and'
- era
- Imperfect of essere: was, indicating past state
- sempre
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'
- sicuro
- Adjective meaning 'sure', 'safe', or 'certain'
- stare
- Infinitive meaning 'to stay', 'to be', 'to remain'
- zitto
- Adjective meaning 'quiet', 'silent', making no noise
- topo
- A mouse or rat, a small rodent
- quando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', referring to a time
- del
- Contraction of 'di' and 'il', meaning 'of the'
- genere
- Noun meaning 'type', 'kind', 'sort', or 'gender'
- presente
- Adjective meaning 'present' or 'in attendance'
- Per
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'
- me
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'me'
- almeno
- Adverb meaning 'at least' or 'if only'
- non
- Negation adverb meaning 'not' or 'no'
- c'
- Short form of 'ci', used in 'c'è' (there is)
- nessun
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any'
- segreto
- A secret or something kept hidden from others
- sulla
- Contraction of 'su' and 'la', meaning 'on the'
- questione
- A question, matter, or issue under consideration
- poiché
- Conjunction meaning 'since', 'because', or 'as'
- ero
- Imperfect of essere: 'I was', indicating past state
- certo
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'certain', 'sure', 'indeed'
- senso
- Meaning 'sense', 'meaning', or 'direction'
- partecipe
- Adjective meaning 'participant in' or 'sharing in'
- delle
- Contraction of 'di' and 'le', meaning 'of the'
- sue
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its'
- preoccupazioni
- Plural of preoccupazione: worries, concerns, or anxieties
- Un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
- giorno
- A day, the period from sunrise to sunset
- mi
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'me', 'to me'
- aveva
- Imperfect of avere: 'had', indicating past possession
- preso
- Past participle of prendere: taken or grabbed
- da
- Preposition meaning 'from', 'by', or 'since'
- parte
- A part, side, or portion of something
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses
- promesso
- Past participle of promettere: promised or pledged
- una
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
- moneta
- A coin or currency piece used for payment
- d'
- Elided form of 'di', meaning 'of' before vowel
- argento
- The metal silver or its silvery color
- quattro
- The number four
- il
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
- primo
- Ordinal adjective meaning 'first' in order or rank
- ogni
- Adjective meaning 'every', 'each', or 'any'
- mese
- A month, one of twelve divisions of a year
- se
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or reflexive pronoun 'himself'
- avessi
- Subjunctive of avere: 'had' (conditional or hypothetical)
- tenuto
- Past participle of tenere: kept, held, or maintained
- mio
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine singular)
- occhio
- An eye, the organ used for seeing
- vedetta
- A lookout, watchman, or sentinel keeping watch
- aperto
- Adjective meaning 'open', 'unclosed', or 'frank'
- per
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'
- uomo
- A man or adult male human being
- mare
- The sea or ocean, a large body of water
- gamba
- A leg, the limb used for walking
- sola
- Adjective meaning 'alone', 'only', or 'single' (feminine)
- lo
- Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'him' or 'it'
- avvertito
- Past participle of avvertire: warned or notified someone
- momento
- A moment, brief period of time
- cui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which', 'whom', or 'whose'
- fosse
- Past subjunctive of essere: 'were', used hypothetically
- apparso
- Past participle of apparire: appeared or come into view
- Abbastanza
- Adverb meaning 'enough', 'quite', or 'fairly'
- spesso
- Adverb meaning 'often' or 'frequently'
- arrivava
- Imperfect of arrivare: was arriving or used to arrive
- gli
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him' or 'to them'
- chiedevo
- Imperfect of chiedere: was asking or used to ask
- mia
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (feminine singular)
- paga
- Pay, wages, or salary received for work done
- limitava
- Imperfect of limitare: was limiting or restricting
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
- sbuffare
- To snort, puff, or huff with impatience or irritation
- dal
- Contraction of 'da' and 'il', meaning 'from the'
- naso
- The nose, the organ used for smelling and breathing
- fissarmi
- To stare at me, fix one's gaze on me
- modo
- A way, manner, or method of doing something
- intimidatorio
- Adjective meaning 'intimidating' or 'threatening' in manner
- ma
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast
- che
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', 'who'
- settimana
- A week, a period of seven days
- finisse
- Past subjunctive of finire: would end or finish
- ricredersi
- Reflexive verb meaning 'to change one's mind'
- portarmi
- Infinitive with pronoun: to bring me or carry me
- ripetere
- To repeat or say again, reiterate something stated before
- i
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
- suoi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its' (plural)
- ordini
- Plural of ordine: orders, commands, or instructions given
- erta
- Alert or lookout; state of vigilant watchfulness
- l'
- Elided definite article 'la' or 'lo' before vowel
- Quanto
- Adverb or pronoun meaning 'how much' or 'how'
- quel
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (masculine singular)
- personaggio
- A character, figure, or notable person in a story
- tormentasse
- Past subjunctive of tormentare: tormented or troubled
- miei
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine plural)
- sogni
- Plural of sogno: dreams experienced while sleeping
- ho
- First-person singular of avere: 'I have'
- quasi
- Adverb meaning 'almost', 'nearly', or 'hardly'
- bisogno
- A need, necessity, or requirement for something
- dirtelo
- Infinitive with pronouns: to tell it to you
- Nelle
- Contraction of 'in' and 'le', meaning 'in the'
- notti
- Plural of notte: nights, the dark hours after sunset
- tempestose
- Adjective meaning 'stormy' or 'tempestuous' (feminine plural)
- vento
- Wind, the moving air during weather conditions
- scuoteva
- Imperfect of scuotere: was shaking or rattling something
- angoli
- Plural of angolo: corners or angles of a structure
- della
- Contraction of 'di' and 'la', meaning 'of the'
- casa
- A house or home where people live
- le
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' (feminine plural)
- onde
- Plural of onda: waves of the sea or ocean
- ruggivano
- Imperfect of ruggire: were roaring or thundering loudly
- lungo
- Preposition or adjective meaning 'along' or 'long'
- cala
- A small cove, inlet, or bay along the coast
- su
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'over'
- scogliere
- Plural of scogliera: cliffs or rocky coastal formations
- vedevo
- Imperfect of vedere: was seeing or used to see
- mille
- The number one thousand; also meaning 'countless'
- forme
- Plural of forma: forms, shapes, or appearances
- espressioni
- Plural of espressione: expressions, looks, or facial features
- diaboliche
- Adjective meaning 'diabolical', 'devilish', or 'fiendish'
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →