War and Peace — Page 3
Well, and what has been decided about Novosíltsev's dispatch? You know everything."
"Bene, e cosa è stato deciso riguardo al dispaccio di Novosíltsev? Lei sa tutto."
"What can one say about it?" replied the prince in a cold, listless tone.
«Cosa si può dire al riguardo?» rispose il principe con tono freddo e apatico.
"What has been decided? They have decided that Buonaparte has burnt his boats, and I believe that we are ready to burn ours."
«Cosa è stato deciso? Hanno deciso che Buonaparte ha bruciato i suoi vascelli, e credo che noi siamo pronti a bruciare i nostri.»
Prince Vasíli always spoke languidly, like an actor repeating a stale part.
Il principe Vasíli parlava sempre languidamente, come un attore che recita una parte trita e ritrita.
Anna Pávlovna Schérer on the contrary, despite her forty years, overflowed with animation and impulsiveness.
Anna Pávlovna Schérer, al contrario, nonostante i suoi quarant'anni, traboccava di vivacità e impulsività.
To be an enthusiast had become her social vocation and, sometimes even when she did not feel like it, she became enthusiastic in order not to disappoint the expectations of those who knew her.
Essere un'entusiasta era diventata la sua vocazione sociale e, a volte, anche quando non ne aveva voglia, si entusiasmava per non deludere le aspettative di coloro che la conoscevano.
The subdued smile which, though it did not suit her faded features, always played round her lips expressed, as in a spoiled child, a continual consciousness of her charming defect, which she neither wished, nor could, nor considered it necessary, to correct.
Il sorriso sommesso che, pur non si addicendo ai suoi lineamenti sfioriti, aleggiava sempre intorno alle sue labbra esprimeva, come in un bambino viziato, una continua consapevolezza del suo difetto affascinante, che ella non desiderava, né poteva, né riteneva necessario correggere.
In the midst of a conversation on political matters Anna Pávlovna burst out:
Nel bel mezzo di una conversazione su questioni politiche, Anna Pávlovna sbottò:
"Oh, don't speak to me of Austria.
«Oh, non parlatemi dell'Austria.
Perhaps I don't understand things, but Austria never has wished, and does not wish, for war.
Forse non capisco le cose, ma l'Austria non ha mai voluto, e non vuole, la guerra.
She is betraying us!
Ci sta tradendo!
Russia alone must save Europe.
La Russia da sola deve salvare l'Europa.
Our gracious sovereign recognizes his high vocation and will be true to it.
Il nostro clemente sovrano riconosce la sua alta vocazione e le sarà fedele.
That is the one thing I have faith in!
Questa è l'unica cosa in cui ho fede!
Our good and wonderful sovereign has to perform the noblest role on earth, and he is so virtuous and noble that God will not forsake him.
Il nostro buono e meraviglioso sovrano deve compiere il ruolo più nobile sulla terra, ed egli è così virtuoso e nobile che Dio non lo abbandonerà.
Vocabulary
- Bene
- Well; used to express agreement or satisfaction
- cosa
- Thing; what; used in questions and statements
- è
- Is; third person singular of 'essere'
- stato
- Been; past participle of 'essere'; also state
- deciso
- Decided; determined; past participle of 'decidere'
- riguardo
- Regard; concerning; with respect to something
- sa
- Knows; third person singular of 'sapere'
- tutto
- Everything; all; used broadly in many contexts
- rispose
- Replied; past tense of 'rispondere', to answer
- principe
- Prince; male member of royal or noble family
- tono
- Tone; manner of speaking or expressing oneself
- freddo
- Cold; cool in temperature or manner
- apatico
- Apathetic; showing little interest or emotion
- bruciato
- Burned; past participle of 'bruciare', to burn
- pronti
- Ready; prepared; plural of 'pronto'
- parlava
- Was speaking; imperfect tense of 'parlare'
- attore
- Actor; person who performs in theater or film
- recita
- Recites; performs; third person singular of 'recitare'
- parte
- Part; role; section of a whole
- contrario
- Contrary; opposite; on the other hand
- nonostante
- Despite; notwithstanding; even though something exists
- quarant'anni
- Forty years; referring to a person's age
- vivacità
- Vivacity; liveliness; energetic and animated quality
- entusiasta
- Enthusiast; person filled with excitement and eagerness
- diventata
- Become; past participle of 'diventare', feminine form
- vocazione
- Vocation; calling; one's purpose or social role
- sociale
- Social; relating to society or social interactions
- voglia
- Desire; urge; feeling of wanting something
- deludere
- To disappoint; to fail to meet expectations
- aspettative
- Expectations; things anticipated or hoped for
- coloro
- Those; those people; referring to specific individuals
- sorriso
- Smile; expression of happiness on one's face
- labbra
- Lips; the fleshy parts of the mouth
- esprimeva
- Expressed; conveyed; imperfect tense of 'esprimere'
- bambino
- Child; baby; young boy or infant
- viziato
- Spoiled; pampered; accustomed to getting one's way
- continua
- Continuous; ongoing; without interruption
- consapevolezza
- Awareness; consciousness; knowledge of one's situation
- difetto
- Defect; flaw; shortcoming in character or appearance
- affascinante
- Fascinating; charming; extremely attractive or interesting
- desiderava
- Desired; wished; imperfect tense of 'desiderare'
- riteneva
- Considered; believed; imperfect tense of 'ritenere'
- necessario
- Necessary; required; something that must be done
- correggere
- To correct; to fix or improve something wrong
- conversazione
- Conversation; spoken exchange between two or more people
- questioni
- Questions; issues; matters under discussion or debate
- politiche
- Political; relating to politics or government policies
- capisco
- I understand; first person singular of 'capire'
- guerra
- War; armed conflict between nations or groups
- tradendo
- Betraying; present participle of 'tradire', to betray
- salvare
- To save; to rescue from danger or harm
- sovrano
- Sovereign; ruler; supreme authority over a nation
- riconosce
- Recognizes; acknowledges; third person singular of 'riconoscere'
- alta
- High; tall; elevated in position or importance
- fedele
- Faithful; loyal; devoted to a person or cause
- unica
- Unique; only; the sole one of its kind
- fede
- Faith; belief; trust in someone or something
- buono
- Good; kind; having positive qualities or character
- meraviglioso
- Wonderful; marvelous; extremely impressive or admirable
- compiere
- To fulfill; to carry out or accomplish a task
- ruolo
- Role; function; part played in a situation
- nobile
- Noble; honorable; of high moral or social standing
- terra
- Earth; land; ground or the world itself
- virtuoso
- Virtuous; morally excellent; having high ethical standards
- abbandonerà
- Will abandon; future tense of 'abbandonare', to leave
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →