White nights, and other stories — Page 5

English → It Full Text Level 7/10

I even bethought me to send for Matrona, and was giving her some fatherly admonitions in regard to the spider's web and sluttishness in general; but she simply stared at me in amazement and went away without saying a word, so that the spider's web is comfortably hanging in its place to this day.

Pensai perfino di mandare a chiamare Matrona, e le stavo facendo alcune paterne ammonizioni riguardo alla ragnatela e alla trascuratezza in generale; ma lei mi fissò semplicemente con stupore e se ne andò senza dire una parola, cosicché la ragnatela pende comodamente al suo posto ancora oggi.

I only at last this morning realized what was wrong.

Solo stamattina, finalmente, mi resi conto di cosa non andasse.

Aie! Why, they are giving me the slip and making off to their summer villas!

Ahimè! Ecco, mi stanno sfuggendo di mano e se ne vanno alle loro ville estive!

Forgive the triviality of the expression, but I am in no mood for fine language ... for everything that had been in Petersburg had gone or was going away for the holidays;

Perdonate la trivialità dell'espressione, ma non sono dell'umore per il bel linguaggio... poiché tutto ciò che era a Pietroburgo se n'era andato o stava andando via per le vacanze;

for every respectable gentleman of dignified appearance who took a cab was at once transformed, in my eyes, into a respectable head of a household who after his daily duties were over, was making his way to the bosom of his family, to the summer villa;

poiché ogni rispettabile signore dall'aspetto dignitoso che prendeva una carrozza si trasformava immediatamente, ai miei occhi, in un rispettabile capofamiglia che, terminati i suoi doveri quotidiani, si dirigeva in seno alla sua famiglia, alla villa estiva;

for all the passers-by had now quite a peculiar air which seemed to say to every one they met: "We are only here for the moment, gentlemen, and in another two hours we shall be going off to the summer villa."

poiché tutti i passanti avevano ormai un'aria del tutto peculiare che sembrava dire a chiunque incontrassero: «Siamo qui solo per un momento, signori, e tra altre due ore ce ne andremo alla villa estiva».

Vocabulary

Pensai: pen-SAI — I thought; first person singular past tense of pensare
perfino: per-FEE-no — Even; used to emphasize an unexpected or extreme case
di: dee — Of, to; common preposition with many uses
mandare: man-DA-re — To send; to dispatch someone or something somewhere
a: ah — To, at; basic preposition indicating direction or location
chiamare: kya-MA-re — To call; to summon or contact someone by name
e: eh — And; basic coordinating conjunction linking elements
le: leh — To her; indirect object pronoun, feminine third person
stavo: STA-vo — I was; imperfect of stare, used in progressive constructions
facendo: fa-CHEN-do — Doing, making; gerund of fare used in continuous tenses
alcune: al-KU-ne — Some, a few; feminine plural indefinite adjective
paterne: pa-TER-ne — Paternal, fatherly; relating to a father's manner or tone
ammonizioni: am-mo-ni-TSYO-ni — Admonitions, warnings; formal cautionary remarks given to someone
riguardo: ri-GWAR-do — Regarding, with respect to; preposition indicating a topic
alla: AL-la — To the; contraction of preposition a and article la
ragnatela: ra-nya-TE-la — Cobweb, spider's web; delicate web spun by a spider
trascuratezza: tra-sku-ra-TET-tsa — Negligence, carelessness; lack of attention or proper care
in: een — In, inside; basic preposition indicating location or state
generale: je-ne-RA-le — General; broad, overall, not specific to one case
ma: mah — But; conjunction introducing contrast or opposition
lei: LAY — She, her; third person singular feminine pronoun
mi: mee — Me; first person singular direct or indirect object pronoun
fissò: fis-SO — Stared at; past tense of fissare, to fix one's gaze
semplicemente: sem-pli-che-MEN-te — Simply, merely; in a plain or uncomplicated manner
con: kon — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner
stupore: stu-PO-re — Astonishment, amazement; strong feeling of surprise or wonder
se: seh — If, oneself; conditional conjunction or reflexive pronoun
ne: neh — Of it, from there; partitive or locative pronoun particle
andò: an-DO — Went, left; third person singular past tense of andare
senza: SEN-tsa — Without; preposition indicating absence or lack of something
dire: DEE-re — To say, to tell; basic verb of speaking or expressing
una: OO-na — A, one; feminine singular indefinite article or numeral
parola: pa-RO-la — Word; a single unit of spoken or written language
cosicché: ko-zik-KE — So that, therefore; conjunction expressing result or consequence
la: lah — The, her; feminine singular definite article or pronoun
pende: PEN-de — Hangs, dangles; third person singular present of pendere
comodamente: ko-mo-da-MEN-te — Comfortably, conveniently; in a comfortable or easy manner
al: ahl — At the, to the; contraction of preposition a and il
suo: SWO — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective
posto: POS-to — Place, position, spot; a specific location or assigned seat
ancora: an-KO-ra — Still, yet, again; adverb indicating continuation or repetition
oggi: OD-ji — Today; adverb referring to the current day
Solo: SO-lo — Only, alone, just; adverb or adjective indicating exclusivity
stamattina: sta-mat-TEE-na — This morning; adverb referring to the morning of today
finalmente: fi-nal-MEN-te — Finally, at last; after a long wait or delay
resi: RE-zi — I rendered, I realized; past tense of rendere
conto: KON-to — Account, realization; rendersi conto means to realize something
cosa: KO-za — What, thing; interrogative pronoun or common noun
non: non — Not; basic negation adverb used before verbs
andasse: an-DAS-se — Was going, was wrong; imperfect subjunctive of andare
Ahimè: a-i-ME — Alas; exclamation expressing grief, regret, or dismay
Ecco: EK-ko — Here is, there it is; exclamation presenting or pointing out
stanno: STAN-no — They are; third person plural present of stare
sfuggendo: sfud-JEN-do — Escaping, slipping away; gerund of sfuggire, to flee
mano: MA-no — Hand; body part, also used in phrases like di mano
vanno: VAN-no — They go; third person plural present tense of andare
alle: AL-le — To the; contraction of preposition a and article le
loro: LO-ro — Their, they, them; third person plural pronoun or possessive
ville: VIL-le — Villas, country houses; plural of villa, elegant rural residences
estive: es-TEE-ve — Summer; feminine plural adjective relating to the summer season
Perdonate: per-do-NA-te — Forgive; second person plural imperative of perdonare
trivialità: tri-vja-li-TA — Triviality, vulgarity; quality of being coarse or commonplace
dell': del — Of the; elided contraction of di and the definite article
espressione: es-pres-SYO-ne — Expression; a word, phrase, or manner of conveying meaning
sono: SO-no — I am, they are; present tense of essere
umore: u-MO-re — Mood, humor; a person's current emotional or mental state
per: pehr — For, by, through; preposition indicating purpose or means
il: eel — The; masculine singular definite article in Italian
bel: bel — Beautiful, fine; elided form of bello before masculine nouns
linguaggio: lin-GWAD-jo — Language, style of speech; the way one uses words
poiché: poi-KE — Since, because; conjunction introducing a causal explanation
tutto: TUT-to — All, everything, whole; adjective or pronoun of totality
ciò: cho — That, this, what; demonstrative pronoun referring to something
che: keh — That, which, who; relative or subordinating conjunction or pronoun
era: E-ra — Was; third person singular imperfect tense of essere
n': n — Of it, from there; elided form of the pronoun ne
andato: an-DA-to — Gone; past participle of andare, used in perfect tenses
o: oh — Or; disjunctive conjunction presenting an alternative choice
stava: STA-va — Was; third person singular imperfect of stare
andando: an-DAN-do — Going; gerund of andare used in progressive constructions
via: VEE-a — Away, road, street; adverb of direction or common noun
vacanze: va-KAN-tse — Vacation, holidays; plural noun for a period of leisure
ogni: O-nye — Every, each; adjective indicating totality of individual items
rispettabile: ris-pet-TA-bi-le — Respectable; worthy of respect due to status or conduct
signore: si-NYO-re — Gentleman, sir, lord; polite form of address for a man
dall': dall — From the; elided contraction of da and the definite article
aspetto: as-PET-to — Appearance, aspect, look; the way someone or something looks
dignitoso: di-nyi-TO-zo — Dignified; having or showing a composed and serious manner
prendeva: pren-DE-va — Was taking; imperfect of prendere, to take or catch
carrozza: kar-ROT-tsa — Carriage, coach; horse-drawn vehicle used for transportation
si: see — Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun for third person
trasformava: tras-for-MA-va — Was transforming; imperfect of trasformare, to change completely
immediatamente: im-me-dja-ta-MEN-te — Immediately, instantly; without any delay or hesitation
ai: a-ee — To the; contraction of preposition a and article i
miei: MYE-ee — My; masculine plural possessive adjective, first person singular
occhi: OK-ki — Eyes; plural of occhio, the organs of sight
un: oon — A, an; masculine singular indefinite article in Italian
capofamiglia: ka-po-fa-MI-lya — Head of the family; person who leads or represents a household
terminati: ter-mi-NA-ti — Finished, completed; past participle plural of terminare
i: ee — The; masculine plural definite article in Italian
suoi: SWO-ee — His, her, its; masculine plural possessive adjective, third person
doveri: do-VE-ri — Duties, obligations; plural of dovere, a moral or professional obligation
quotidiani: kwo-ti-DJA-ni — Daily; masculine plural adjective meaning occurring every day
dirigeva: di-ri-JE-va — Was heading; imperfect of dirigere, to direct or head toward
seno: SE-no — Bosom, breast; also used figuratively meaning core or heart
sua: SWA — His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective, third person
famiglia: fa-MI-lya — Family; a group of people related by blood or marriage
villa: VIL-la — Villa, country house; a large elegant house, often seasonal
estiva: es-TEE-va — Summer; feminine singular adjective relating to summer season
tutti: TUT-ti — All, everyone; masculine plural pronoun or adjective of totality
passanti: pas-SAN-ti — Passersby; people walking past in a street or public place
avevano: a-VE-va-no — They had; third person plural imperfect of avere
ormai: or-MAI — By now, already, at this point; adverb indicating a definitive state
un': oon — A, an; elided feminine singular indefinite article before vowel
aria: A-rya — Air, manner, look; appearance or bearing of a person
del: del — Of the; contraction of preposition di and article il
peculiare: pe-ku-LYA-re — Peculiar, particular; distinctive or characteristic of something specific
sembrava: sem-BRA-va — Seemed, appeared; imperfect of sembrare, to seem or look
chiunque: kyun-KWE — Anyone, whoever; indefinite pronoun referring to any person
incontrassero: in-kon-TRAS-se-ro — They might meet; imperfect subjunctive plural of incontrare
Siamo: SYA-mo — We are; first person plural present tense of essere
qui: kwee — Here; adverb indicating the present or nearby location
solo: SO-lo — Only, alone; adverb or adjective indicating exclusivity or solitude
momento: mo-MEN-to — Moment, instant; a very brief period of time
signori: si-NYO-ri — Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen; plural polite form of address
tra: trah — Between, among, within; preposition indicating position or time
altre: AL-tre — Other; feminine plural adjective meaning different or additional
due: DOO-e — Two; the cardinal number 2
ore: O-re — Hours; plural of ora, a unit of time equal to 60 minutes
ce: che — Us, there; unstressed pronoun particle used before ne or verbs
andremo: an-DRE-mo — We will go; first person plural future tense of andare

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