War and Peace — Page 2
He had just entered, wearing an embroidered court uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had stars on his breast and a serene expression on his flat face.
Era appena entrato, indossando un ricamato abito di corte, calzoni al ginocchio e scarpe, e aveva delle stelle sul petto e un'espressione serena sul suo viso piatto.
He spoke in that refined French in which our grandfathers not only spoke but thought, and with the gentle, patronizing intonation natural to a man of importance who had grown old in society and at court.
Parlava in quel francese raffinato nel quale i nostri nonni non solo parlavano ma pensavano, e con la dolce, condiscendente intonazione naturale a un uomo di importanza che era invecchiato in società e a corte.
He went up to Anna Pávlovna, kissed her hand, presenting to her his bald, scented, and shining head, and complacently seated himself on the sofa.
Si avvicinò ad Anna Pávlovna, le baciò la mano, presentandole la sua testa calva, profumata e lucente, e si sedette compiaciuto sul divano.
"First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend's mind at rest," said he without altering his tone, beneath the politeness and affected sympathy of which indifference and even irony could be discerned.
«Prima di tutto, cara amica, dimmi come stai. Tranquillizza il tuo amico,» disse senza alterare il tono, sotto la cortesia e la simulata simpatia delle quali si potevano scorgere indifferenza e perfino ironia.
"Can one be well while suffering morally? Can one be calm in times like these if one has any feeling?" said Anna Pávlovna. "You are staying the whole evening, I hope?"
«Si può stare bene mentre si soffre moralmente? Si può essere calmi in tempi come questi se si ha un qualche sentimento?» disse Anna Pávlovna. «Resterai tutta la sera, spero?»
"And the fete at the English ambassador's? Today is Wednesday. I must put in an appearance there," said the prince. "My daughter is coming for me to take me there."
«E la festa dall'ambasciatore inglese? Oggi è mercoledì. Devo farmi vedere lì,» disse il principe. «Mia figlia viene a prendermi per portarmi lì.»
"I thought today's fete had been canceled. I confess all these festivities and fireworks are becoming wearisome."
«Pensavo che la festa di oggi fosse stata annullata. Confesso che tutte queste festività e questi fuochi d'artificio stanno diventando noiosi.»
"If they had known that you wished it, the entertainment would have been put off," said the prince, who, like a wound-up clock, by force of habit said things he did not even wish to be believed.
«Se avessero saputo che lo desideravi, il trattenimento sarebbe stato rimandato,» disse il principe, che, come un orologio caricato, per forza di abitudine diceva cose nelle quali non desiderava nemmeno essere creduto.
"Don't tease!
«Non stuzzicare!
Vocabulary
- Era
- Third person singular past tense of 'essere' (to be)
- appena
- Just, barely, or as soon as
- entrato
- Past participle of 'entrare'; having entered a place
- indossando
- Wearing, currently putting on or dressed in clothing
- ricamato
- Embroidered, decorated with needlework or ornate stitching
- abito
- Outfit, suit, or formal garment worn on the body
- corte
- Court, as in a royal or noble household setting
- calzoni
- Trousers or breeches worn as lower body garment
- ginocchio
- Knee, the joint connecting the upper and lower leg
- scarpe
- Shoes, footwear worn on the feet
- aveva
- Third person singular imperfect of 'avere'; he/she had
- stelle
- Stars, either celestial bodies or star-shaped decorations
- petto
- Chest, the front part of the human torso
- espressione
- Expression, a look or feeling shown on one's face
- serena
- Serene, calm, peaceful, or untroubled in appearance
- viso
- Face, the front part of a person's head
- piatto
- Flat, level; also means plate in other contexts
- Parlava
- He/she was speaking or used to speak (imperfect)
- francese
- French, relating to France or the French language
- raffinato
- Refined, sophisticated, polished in manner or style
- quale
- Which, that; used as relative or interrogative pronoun
- nonni
- Grandparents or grandfathers; older family generation
- solo
- Only, alone, or just; can also mean solitary
- parlavano
- They spoke or used to speak (imperfect third plural)
- pensavano
- They thought or used to think (imperfect third plural)
- dolce
- Sweet, gentle, soft; pleasing to the senses
- condiscendente
- Condescending, patronizingly tolerant or graciously superior
- intonazione
- Intonation, the rise and fall of voice in speech
- naturale
- Natural, innate, normal, or unaffected in character
- uomo
- Man, an adult male human being
- importanza
- Importance, significance, or prominence in a context
- era
- Was; third person singular imperfect of 'essere'
- invecchiato
- Aged, having grown old over time
- società
- Society, social circles, or high-class company
- avvicinò
- He/she approached or drew near to someone or something
- baciò
- He/she kissed (third person singular past historic)
- mano
- Hand, the body part at the end of the arm
- presentandole
- Presenting to her, showing her something in greeting
- testa
- Head, the uppermost part of the human body
- calva
- Bald, having little or no hair on the head
- profumata
- Perfumed, scented, having a pleasant fragrance applied
- lucente
- Shining, gleaming, bright or polished in appearance
- sedette
- He/she sat down (third person singular past historic)
- compiaciuto
- Pleased, satisfied, or self-satisfied in demeanor
- divano
- Sofa, couch; an upholstered piece of furniture for sitting
- Prima
- First, before, or firstly; indicates priority or order
- tutto
- Everything, all; used as pronoun or adjective
- cara
- Dear, beloved; affectionate address to a close person
- amica
- Female friend, a woman one knows and likes
- dimmi
- Tell me; imperative of 'dire' with clitic 'mi'
- come
- How, as, like; used in questions or comparisons
- stai
- You are (informal); second person singular of 'stare'
- Tranquillizza
- Reassure, calm down; imperative of 'tranquillizzare'
- amico
- Friend, a male person one knows and likes
- disse
- He/she said (third person singular past historic of 'dire')
- senza
- Without, lacking something or someone
- alterare
- To alter, change, distort, or upset something
- tono
- Tone, the manner or quality of one's voice
- sotto
- Under, beneath, below; indicates a lower position
- cortesia
- Courtesy, politeness, good manners toward others
- simulata
- Simulated, feigned, pretended; not genuine or real
- simpatia
- Sympathy, liking, warmth of feeling toward someone
- quali
- Which (plural); relative or interrogative pronoun
- potevano
- They could or were able to (imperfect of 'potere')
- scorgere
- To perceive, notice, or catch a glimpse of something
- indifferenza
- Indifference, lack of interest or concern for something
- perfino
- Even, as far as; emphasizes something unexpected or extreme
- ironia
- Irony, sarcasm, or a subtle mocking tone of expression
- può
- Can, is able to; third person singular of 'potere'
- stare
- To be, stay, or remain in a condition or place
- bene
- Well, fine, good; indicates a positive state or condition
- mentre
- While, whereas; indicates simultaneous or contrasting actions
- soffre
- He/she suffers; third person singular of 'soffrire'
- moralmente
- Morally, emotionally; in a moral or spiritual sense
- essere
- To be; the infinitive of the fundamental auxiliary verb
- calmi
- Calm, tranquil (masculine plural adjective or imperative)
- tempi
- Times, periods, eras; plural of 'tempo'
- se
- If, whether; conditional conjunction in Italian
- ha
- He/she has; third person singular present of 'avere'
- qualche
- Some, any, a few; indefinite adjective before singular noun
- sentimento
- Feeling, emotion, sentiment experienced within oneself
- Resterai
- You will stay; second person singular future of 'restare'
- tutta
- All, whole, entire (feminine singular adjective)
- sera
- Evening, the period of the day after afternoon
- spero
- I hope; first person singular present of 'sperare'
- festa
- Party, celebration, festivity, or holiday event
- ambasciatore
- Ambassador, a diplomatic representative of a country
- inglese
- English, relating to England or the English language
- Oggi
- Today, the current day
- mercoledì
- Wednesday, the fourth day of the week
- Devo
- I must, I have to; first person singular of 'dovere'
- farmi
- To make myself, to have myself; reflexive infinitive form
- vedere
- To see, to look at, to perceive visually
- lì
- There, in that place; adverb of place
- principe
- Prince, a male member of a royal or noble family
- figlia
- Daughter, a female child in relation to her parents
- viene
- He/she/it comes; third person singular of 'venire'
- prendermi
- To pick me up, to take me; infinitive with clitic
- portarmi
- To bring or take me; infinitive of 'portare' with clitic
- Pensavo
- I thought or was thinking (first person imperfect)
- fosse
- Were, was; imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'
- stata
- Been; past participle of 'essere' (feminine form)
- annullata
- Cancelled, annulled, called off (feminine past participle)
- Confesso
- I confess, I admit; first person singular of 'confessare'
- tutte
- All, every (feminine plural); refers to all of something
- festività
- Festivities, holidays, celebrations or festive occasions
- fuochi
- Fires, flames; plural of 'fuoco'
- artificio
- Artifice; 'fuochi d'artificio' means fireworks
- stanno
- They are (progressive); third person plural of 'stare'
- diventando
- Becoming; gerund of 'diventare', indicating ongoing change
- noiosi
- Boring, tedious, dull (masculine plural adjective)
- avessero
- They had; imperfect subjunctive of 'avere' (third plural)
- saputo
- Known; past participle of 'sapere' (to know)
- desideravi
- You desired or wanted (second person singular imperfect)
- trattenimento
- Entertainment, reception, a social gathering or amusement
- sarebbe
- Would be; third person singular conditional of 'essere'
- stato
- Been; past participle of 'essere' (masculine form)
- rimandato
- Postponed, put off, sent back (masculine past participle)
- orologio
- Clock or watch; a device for measuring time
- caricato
- Wound up, loaded, charged (past participle of 'caricare')
- forza
- Force, strength, habit; 'per forza di' means by force of
- abitudine
- Habit, custom, routine behavior repeated regularly
- diceva
- He/she was saying or used to say (imperfect of 'dire')
- cose
- Things, objects, matters; plural of 'cosa'
- desiderava
- He/she desired or wished (third person singular imperfect)
- nemmeno
- Not even, neither; strong negation or exclusion
- creduto
- Believed; past participle of 'credere' (to believe)
- stuzzicare
- To tease, provoke, or poke at someone playfully
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