White nights, and other stories — Page 7

English → It Full Text Level 7/10

If I chanced to meet a long procession of waggoners walking lazily with the reins in their hands beside waggons loaded with regular mountains of furniture, tables, chairs, ottomans and sofas and domestic utensils of all sorts, frequently with a decrepit cook sitting on the top of it all, guarding her master's property as though it were the apple of her eye; or if I saw boats heavily loaded with household goods crawling along the Neva or Fontanka to the Black River or the Islands--the waggons and the boats were multiplied tenfold, a hundredfold, in my eyes.

Se mi capitava di incontrare una lunga processione di carrettieri che camminavano pigramente con le redini in mano accanto a carri carichi di vere e proprie montagne di mobili, tavoli, sedie, ottomane e divani e utensili domestici di ogni genere, spesso con una cuoca decrepita seduta in cima a tutto, che custodiva la proprietà del suo padrone come se fosse la pupilla dei suoi occhi; o se vedevo barche pesantemente cariche di masserizie che si trascinavano lungo la Neva o la Fontanka verso il Fiume Nero o le Isole--i carri e le barche si moltiplicavano di dieci, di cento volte ai miei occhi.

I fancied that everything was astir and moving, everything was going in regular caravans to the summer villas.

Mi sembrava che tutto fosse in fermento e in movimento, che tutto si spostasse in vere e proprie carovane verso le ville estive.

It seemed as though Petersburg threatened to become a wilderness, so that at last I felt ashamed, mortified and sad that I had nowhere to go for the holidays and no reason to go away.

Sembrava che Pietroburgo minacciasse di diventare un deserto, tanto che alla fine mi sentii vergognoso, mortificato e triste di non avere nessun posto dove andare per le vacanze e nessun motivo per allontanarmi.

I was ready to go away with every waggon, to drive off with every gentleman of respectable appearance who took a cab; but no one--absolutely no one--invited me; it seemed they had forgotten me, as though really I were a stranger to them!

Ero pronto a partire con ogni carro, ad andarmene con ogni signore di rispettabile aspetto che prendeva una carrozza; ma nessuno--assolutamente nessuno--mi invitava; sembrava che mi avessero dimenticato, come se fossi davvero un estraneo per loro!

I took long walks, succeeding, as I usually did, in quite forgetting where I was, when I suddenly found myself at the city gates.

Facevo lunghe passeggiate, riuscendo, come facevo di solito, a dimenticare completamente dove mi trovavo, quando mi ritrovai all'improvviso alle porte della città.

Instantly I felt lighthearted, and I passed the barrier and walked between cultivated fields and meadows, unconscious of fatigue, and feeling only all over as though a burden were falling off my soul.

All'istante mi sentii il cuore leggero, e oltrepassai la barriera e camminai tra campi coltivati e prati, incurante della stanchezza, e sentendo soltanto in tutto il mio essere come se un peso si stesse staccando dalla mia anima.

Vocabulary

Se: se — If; conditional conjunction used in hypothetical clauses
mi: mi — Me; first person singular reflexive or object pronoun
capitava: kapitava — It happened to me; past imperfect of capitare
di: di — Of, to; versatile preposition indicating belonging or purpose
incontrare: inkontráre — To meet, to encounter someone or something
una: úna — A, an; feminine indefinite article
lunga: lúnga — Long; feminine adjective describing extended length
processione: protʃessióne — Procession; a long moving line of people or vehicles
carrettieri: karrettjéri — Cart drivers; men who drive horse-drawn carts
che: ke — Who, that, which; relative or subordinating conjunction
camminavano: kamminávano — They were walking; past imperfect of camminare
pigramente: pigraménte — Lazily, sluggishly; in a slow and idle manner
con: kon — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner
le: le — The; feminine plural definite article
redini: rédini — Reins; straps used to control a horse
in: in — In, into; preposition of location or state
mano: máno — Hand; the body part at the end of the arm
accanto: akkánto — Next to, beside; indicating close proximity to something
a: a — To, at; preposition of direction or location
carri: kárri — Carts, wagons; wheeled vehicles for transporting goods
carichi: kárikі — Loaded, laden; adjective meaning heavily filled with cargo
vere: vére — True, real; feminine plural adjective meaning genuine
e: e — And; basic coordinating conjunction
proprie: próprie — Own, proper; feminine plural adjective emphasizing genuineness
montagne: montáɲɲe — Mountains; large natural elevations of earth
mobili: móbili — Mobile, moving; also means furniture in Italian
tavoli: távoli — Tables; flat-surfaced furniture used for dining or work
sedie: sédje — Chairs; seats with a back, used for sitting
ottomane: ottománe — Ottomans; upholstered seats or footrests without a back
divani: diváni — Sofas, couches; upholstered seating for multiple people
utensili: utenˈzili — Utensils, tools; implements used for household tasks
domestici: doméstitʃi — Domestic, household; relating to the home
ogni: óɲɲi — Every, each; adjective indicating all members of a group
genere: dʒénere — Kind, type, genre; a category or sort of thing
spesso: spésso — Often, frequently; indicating something happens regularly
cuoca: kwɔka — Cook; a woman who prepares food professionally
decrepita: dekrépita — Decrepit, frail; very old and in poor condition
seduta: sedúta — Seated, sitting; feminine past participle of sedere
cima: tʃíma — Top, summit; the highest point of something
tutto: tútto — Everything, all; pronoun or adjective meaning the whole
custodiva: kustodíva — She guarded, watched over; past imperfect of custodire
la: la — The; feminine singular definite article
proprietà: proprietà — Property, belongings; things owned by someone
del: del — Of the; contraction of di and il
suo: súo — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective
padrone: padróne — Master, owner, boss; person who owns or employs
come: kóme — Like, as, how; conjunction or adverb of comparison
fosse: fósse — Were, was; past subjunctive of essere
pupilla: pupílla — Pupil of the eye; also means something cherished
dei: dei — Of the; masculine plural contraction of di and i
suoi: swói — His, her; masculine plural possessive pronoun
occhi: ókki — Eyes; the organs of sight in humans
o: o — Or; coordinating disjunctive conjunction
vedevo: vedévo — I saw, I used to see; past imperfect of vedere
barche: bárke — Boats; small watercraft used for transportation
pesantemente: pezanteménte — Heavily; in a weighty or burdensome manner
cariche: kárike — Loaded, laden; feminine plural of carico
masserizie: masserítsje — Household goods, furnishings; domestic belongings and furniture
si: si — Themselves, oneself; reflexive pronoun
trascinavano: trasʃinavano — They dragged along; past imperfect of trascinare
lungo: lúngo — Along; preposition meaning alongside a route or path
verso: vérso — Toward, towards; preposition indicating direction of movement
il: il — The; masculine singular definite article
Fiume: fjúme — River; a large natural flowing body of water
Nero: néro — Black; adjective describing the color black
Isole: ízole — Islands; landmasses surrounded by water
i: i — The; masculine plural definite article
moltiplicavano: moltiplikávano — They multiplied; past imperfect of moltiplicare
dieci: djétʃi — Ten; the cardinal number 10
cento: tʃénto — One hundred; the cardinal number 100
volte: vólte — Times; indicating repetition or multiplication of occurrences
ai: ai — To the; masculine plural contraction of a and i
miei: mjéi — My; masculine plural possessive pronoun or adjective
Mi: mi — Me, to me; first person singular object pronoun
sembrava: sembráva — It seemed; past imperfect of sembrare
fermento: ferménto — Ferment, agitation; a state of excitement and movement
movimento: moviménto — Movement, motion; the act of moving from place to place
spostasse: spostásse — Was moving; past subjunctive of spostare
carovane: karovane — Caravans; groups traveling together, originally with animals
ville: vílle — Villas, country houses; elegant residences outside the city
estive: estíve — Summer; feminine plural adjective relating to summertime
Sembrava: sembráva — It seemed; past imperfect of sembrare, at sentence start
minacciasse: minatʃásse — Was threatening; past subjunctive of minacciare
diventare: diventáre — To become; infinitive verb indicating transformation or change
un: un — A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
deserto: desérto — Desert; an empty, desolate, or uninhabited place
tanto: tánto — So much, so; adverb emphasizing degree or quantity
alla: álla — To the, at the; contraction of a and la
fine: fíne — End, conclusion; the final point of something
sentii: sentíi — I felt; first person singular passato remoto of sentire
vergognoso: vergoɲɲózo — Ashamed, embarrassed; feeling shame about one's situation
mortificato: mortifikáto — Mortified, humiliated; feeling deeply embarrassed or degraded
triste: tríste — Sad, sorrowful; feeling unhappy or melancholy
non: non — Not; negation adverb used to negate verbs
avere: avére — To have; auxiliary and main infinitive verb
nessun: nessún — No, not any; masculine singular negative adjective
posto: pósto — Place, spot; a location or position somewhere
dove: dóve — Where; interrogative or relative adverb of place
andare: andáre — To go; infinitive of the verb of movement
per: per — For, in order to; preposition of purpose or duration
vacanze: Holidays, vacation; a period of rest away from work
motivo: motívo — Reason, motive; a cause or justification for an action
allontanarmi: allontanármi — To move away from, to leave; reflexive infinitive of allontanarsi
Ero: éro — I was; first person singular imperfect of essere
pronto: prónto — Ready, prepared; adjective meaning set to do something
partire: partíre — To leave, to depart; infinitive verb of departure
carro: kárro — Cart, wagon; a wheeled vehicle for transporting loads
ad: ad — To, at; variant of a before vowels
andarmene: andárme ne — To go away from there; reflexive infinitive with ne
signore: siɲɲóre — Gentleman, sir; a respectful title for a man
rispettabile: rispettábile — Respectable, honorable; worthy of respect and esteem
aspetto: aspétto — Appearance, look; the way a person or thing looks
prendeva: prende va — He was taking; past imperfect of prendere
carrozza: karróttsa — Carriage; a horse-drawn vehicle for passengers
ma: ma — But; adversative coordinating conjunction
nessuno: nessúno — Nobody, no one; negative indefinite pronoun
assolutamente: assolutaménte — Absolutely, completely; in an unconditional or total manner
invitava: invitáva — Was inviting; past imperfect of invitare
avessero: avéssero — They had; third person plural past subjunctive of avere
dimenticato: dimentiˈkato — Forgotten; past participle of dimenticare
fossi: fóssi — I were, you were; past subjunctive of essere
davvero: davvéro — Really, truly; adverb emphasizing truth or sincerity
estraneo: estráneo — Stranger, outsider; someone who does not belong here
loro: lóro — Their, them; third person plural pronoun or possessive
Facevo: fatʃévo — I used to do, make; past imperfect of fare
lunghe: lúnge — Long; feminine plural adjective describing extended length
passeggiate: passeddʒáte — Walks, strolls; leisurely outings on foot
riuscendo: riuʃʃéndo — Managing, succeeding; gerund of riuscire
facevo: fatʃévo — I used to do; past imperfect of fare
solito: sólito — Usual, accustomed; something done habitually or normally
dimenticare: dimentiˈkare — To forget; infinitive verb meaning to lose memory of
completamente: komplementeménte — Completely, entirely; in a total and thorough manner
trovavo: trovévo — I used to find myself; past imperfect of trovarsi
quando: kwándo — When; temporal conjunction or adverb
ritrovai: ritrovái — I found myself again; passato remoto of ritrovarsi
all'improvviso: allimprovvízo — Suddenly, all of a sudden; unexpectedly without warning
alle: álle — At the, to the; feminine plural contraction of a and le
porte: pórte — Gates, doors; entrances marking a boundary or threshold
della: délla — Of the; feminine singular contraction of di and la
città: tʃittà — City, town; an urban area with many inhabitants
All'istante: allistánte — Instantly, immediately; right at that very moment
cuore: kwóre — Heart; the organ, also symbolizing emotion and feeling
leggero: leddʒéro — Light, not heavy; free of burden or worry
oltrepassai: oltrepassái — I crossed, I passed beyond; passato remoto of oltrepassare
barriera: barrjéra — Barrier, gate; an obstacle or boundary marking entry
camminai: kamminái — I walked; first person singular passato remoto of camminare
tra: tra — Between, among; preposition indicating a position in the middle
campi: kámpi — Fields; open areas of land used for farming or nature
coltivati: koltivái — Cultivated, farmed; past participle of coltivare
prati: práti — Meadows, lawns; open grassy areas in the countryside
incurante: inkuránte — Heedless, indifferent; not caring about something
stanchezza: stankéttsa — Tiredness, fatigue; the state of being physically exhausted
sentendo: senténdo — Feeling, sensing; gerund of sentire
soltanto: soltánto — Only, just, solely; limiting adverb
mio: mío — My; masculine singular first person possessive adjective
essere: éssere — To be; infinitive of the fundamental auxiliary verb
peso: pézo — Weight, burden; something heavy pressing down on someone
stesse: stésse — Was, were; past subjunctive of stare
staccando: stakkándo — Detaching, peeling away; gerund of staccare
mia: mía — My; feminine singular first person possessive adjective
anima: ánima — Soul, spirit; the immaterial essence of a person

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