Treasure Island — Page 6
For in these fits he was the most overriding companion ever known; he would slap his hand on the table for silence all round; he would fly up in a passion of anger at a question, or sometimes because none was put, and so he judged the company was not following his story.
Poiché in questi accessi era il compagno più prepotente che si fosse mai conosciuto; batteva la mano sul tavolo per imporre il silenzio a tutti; andava su tutte le furie per una domanda, o a volte perché non ne veniva posta nessuna, e così giudicava che la compagnia non stesse seguendo il suo racconto.
Nor would he allow anyone to leave the inn till he had drunk himself sleepy and reeled off to bed.
Né avrebbe permesso a nessuno di lasciare la locanda finché non si fosse ubriacato al punto da assopirsi e barcollare verso il letto.
His stories were what frightened people worst of all.
Erano le sue storie ciò che spaventava la gente più di ogni altra cosa.
Dreadful stories they were--about hanging, and walking the plank, and storms at sea, and the Dry Tortugas, and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main.
Erano storie terribili -- di impiccagioni, e di camminare sulla passerella, e di tempeste in mare, e delle Dry Tortugas, e di gesta selvagge e luoghi lungo la rotta spagnola.
By his own account he must have lived his life among some of the wickedest men that God ever allowed upon the sea, and the language in which he told these stories shocked our plain country people almost as much as the crimes that he described.
A sentir lui, doveva aver trascorso la sua vita tra alcuni degli uomini più malvagi che Dio avesse mai lasciato solcare i mari, e il linguaggio con cui raccontava queste storie scandalizzava la nostra semplice gente di campagna quasi quanto i crimini che descriveva.
My father was always saying the inn would be ruined, for people would soon cease coming there to be tyrannized over and put down, and sent shivering to their beds; but I really believe his presence did us good.
Mio padre diceva sempre che la locanda sarebbe andata in rovina, perché la gente avrebbe presto smesso di venirci per essere tiranneggiata e umiliata, e mandata a letto tutta tremante; ma credo davvero che la sua presenza ci facesse del bene.
Vocabulary
- Poiché
- Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because'
- questi
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'these'
- accessi
- Fits of rage or outbursts of strong emotion
- compagno
- Companion, partner, or fellow associate
- più
- More; most; used in comparisons and superlatives
- prepotente
- Overbearing, bullying, or domineering person or behavior
- fosse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'; were (subjunctive)
- mai
- Ever; never (with negation); at any time
- conosciuto
- Past participle of 'conoscere'; known or met
- batteva
- Imperfect of 'battere'; he struck or hit repeatedly
- mano
- Hand; the human body part at the end of the arm
- tavolo
- Table; a piece of furniture with a flat surface
- imporre
- To impose, enforce, or compel obedience or silence
- silenzio
- Silence; complete absence of sound or noise
- tutti
- Everyone; all people present in a given context
- furie
- Furies; rages; andare su tutte le furie means to fly into a rage
- domanda
- Question; a query posed to someone for an answer
- volte
- Times; instances of occurrence (plural of 'volta')
- perché
- Because; why; conjunction or interrogative adverb
- ne
- Pronoun meaning 'of it,' 'of them,' or 'some'
- veniva
- Imperfect of 'venire'; was coming or was being (auxiliary)
- posta
- Past participle of 'porre'; placed, posed, or asked
- nessuna
- None; not any (feminine singular negative pronoun)
- così
- So; thus; in this way or manner
- giudicava
- Imperfect of 'giudicare'; he judged or was judging
- compagnia
- Company; a group of people gathered together
- stesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'stare'; were staying or following
- seguendo
- Gerund of 'seguire'; following or paying attention to
- racconto
- Story, tale, or short narrative account
- Né
- Nor; neither; negative correlative conjunction
- avrebbe
- Conditional of 'avere'; he/she would have
- permesso
- Past participle of 'permettere'; allowed or permitted
- nessuno
- Nobody; no one; not anyone (negative pronoun)
- lasciare
- To let, allow, or leave someone or something
- locanda
- Inn; a small establishment offering lodging and food
- finché
- Until; as long as; conjunction of time or condition
- ubriacato
- Past participle of 'ubriacare'; made drunk or intoxicated
- punto
- Point; degree; extent; also means 'period' punctuation
- assopirsi
- Reflexive verb meaning to doze off or fall asleep
- barcollare
- To stagger, totter, or stumble while walking unsteadily
- verso
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- letto
- Bed; the piece of furniture used for sleeping
- storie
- Stories, tales, or narratives (plural of 'storia')
- ciò
- That; this; what; a demonstrative pronoun referring to things
- spaventava
- Imperfect of 'spaventare'; frightened or scared people
- gente
- People; folks; a collective noun for human beings
- ogni
- Every; each; used before singular nouns
- altra
- Other; another; different (feminine singular adjective)
- cosa
- Thing; something; an object or matter
- terribili
- Terrible, dreadful, or frightening (plural adjective)
- impiccagioni
- Hangings; executions carried out by hanging
- camminare
- To walk; the act of moving on foot
- passerella
- Gangplank; a narrow walkway, especially on a ship
- tempeste
- Storms; violent weather conditions at sea or on land
- mare
- Sea; the large body of salt water
- gesta
- Deeds, exploits, or heroic acts (archaic/literary plural)
- selvagge
- Wild, savage, or fierce (feminine plural adjective)
- luoghi
- Places, locations, or spots (plural of 'luogo')
- lungo
- Along; long; preposition indicating extension in space
- rotta
- Route or course, especially of a ship or voyage
- spagnola
- Spanish (feminine adjective); relating to Spain
- sentir
- Shortened form of 'sentire'; to hear or listen to
- doveva
- Imperfect of 'dovere'; he must have or had to
- trascorso
- Past participle of 'trascorrere'; spent (time) or passed
- vita
- Life; one's existence or lifetime
- tra
- Preposition meaning 'among,' 'between,' or 'amid'
- alcuni
- Some; a few; certain (masculine plural pronoun/adjective)
- uomini
- Men; human males (plural of 'uomo')
- malvagi
- Wicked, evil, or villainous (masculine plural adjective)
- Dio
- God; the supreme divine being in monotheistic religion
- avesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'avere'; had (subjunctive mood)
- lasciato
- Past participle of 'lasciare'; left, allowed, or let
- solcare
- To furrow, sail across, or cut through water
- mari
- Seas; large bodies of salt water (plural of 'mare')
- linguaggio
- Language; manner of speaking or expression used
- cui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'whom,' 'which,' or 'whose'
- raccontava
- Imperfect of 'raccontare'; he narrated or told stories
- queste
- These (feminine plural demonstrative pronoun/adjective)
- scandalizzava
- Imperfect of 'scandalizzare'; shocked or scandalized people
- semplice
- Simple, plain, or uncomplicated (adjective)
- campagna
- Countryside; rural area outside of cities and towns
- quasi
- Almost; nearly; approximately; as if
- quanto
- How much; as much as; used in comparisons
- crimini
- Crimes; illegal acts or serious offenses (plural)
- descriveva
- Imperfect of 'descrivere'; he described or was describing
- padre
- Father; male parent
- diceva
- Imperfect of 'dire'; he/she said or was saying
- sempre
- Always; at all times; continuously
- sarebbe
- Conditional of 'essere'; he/she/it would be
- rovina
- Ruin; destruction; financial or moral downfall
- presto
- Soon; quickly; early; in a short time
- smesso
- Past participle of 'smettere'; stopped or ceased doing something
- venirci
- Infinitive 'venire' with 'ci'; to come there or to us
- tiranneggiata
- Past participle of 'tiranneggiare'; tyrannized or oppressed
- umiliata
- Past participle of 'umiliare'; humiliated or degraded
- mandata
- Past participle of 'mandare'; sent away or dispatched
- tremante
- Trembling, shaking, or quivering with fear or cold
- credo
- First person singular of 'credere'; I believe or think
- davvero
- Really; truly; indeed; used to emphasize truth
- presenza
- Presence; the state of being present in a place
- ci
- Us; here; there; reflexive or locative pronoun
- facesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'fare'; made or did (subjunctive)
- bene
- Good; well; benefit; used in fare del bene (to do good)
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