White nights, and other stories — Page 10

English → It Full Text Level 7/10

She did not seem to hear my footsteps, and did not even stir when I passed by with bated breath and loudly throbbing heart.

Non sembrava sentire i miei passi, e non si mosse nemmeno quando le passai accanto col respiro trattenuto e il cuore che batteva forte.

"Strange," I thought; "she must be deeply absorbed in something," and all at once I stopped as though petrified.

«Strano,» pensai; «deve essere profondamente assorta in qualcosa,» e tutt'a un tratto mi fermai come se fossi pietrificato.

I heard a muffled sob.

Udii un singhiozzo soffocato.

Yes! I was not mistaken, the girl was crying, and a minute later I heard sob after sob.

Sì! Non mi ero sbagliato, la ragazza stava piangendo, e un minuto dopo udii singhiozzo su singhiozzo.

Good Heavens! My heart sank.

Santo Cielo! Il cuore mi sprofondò.

And timid as I was with women, yet this was such a moment!...

E per quanto fossi timido con le donne, eppure questo era un momento tale!...

I turned, took a step towards her, and should certainly have pronounced the word "Madam!" if I had not known that that exclamation has been uttered a thousand times in every Russian society novel.

Mi voltai, feci un passo verso di lei, e avrei certamente pronunciato la parola «Signora!» se non avessi saputo che quella esclamazione era stata pronunciata mille volte in ogni romanzo della società russa.

It was only that reflection stopped me.

Fu solo quella riflessione a fermarmi.

But while I was seeking for a word, the girl came to herself, looked round, started, cast down her eyes and slipped by me along the embankment.

Ma mentre cercavo una parola, la ragazza rinvenne, si guardò intorno, trasalì, abbassò gli occhi e mi scivolò accanto lungo il lungofiume.

I at once followed her; but she, divining this, left the embankment, crossed the road and walked along the pavement.

La seguii subito; ma lei, intuendolo, lasciò il lungofiume, attraversò la strada e camminò lungo il marciapiede.

I dared not cross the street after her.

Non osai attraversare la strada per seguirla.

My heart was fluttering like a captured bird.

Il mio cuore fremeva come un uccello in gabbia.

All at once a chance came to my aid.

Tutt'a un tratto un caso fortuito mi venne in aiuto.

Along the same side of the pavement there suddenly came into sight, not far from the girl, a gentleman in evening dress, of dignified years, though by no means of dignified carriage; he was staggering and cautiously leaning against the wall.

Lungo lo stesso lato del marciapiede apparve all'improvviso, non lontano dalla ragazza, un signore in abito da sera, di anni rispettabili, ma tutt'altro che di portamento rispettabile; barcollava e si appoggiava cautamente al muro.

Vocabulary

sembrava: sembrava — It seemed or appeared to be a certain way.
sentire: sentire — To hear, feel, or sense something.
miei: miei — My, possessive adjective for masculine plural nouns.
passi: passi — Steps or footsteps made while walking.
mosse: mosse — She/he moved; past tense of 'muoversi'.
nemmeno: nemmeno — Not even; used to emphasize a negative statement.
passai: passai — I passed by; first person singular past tense.
accanto: accanto — Beside or next to someone or something.
col: col — Contraction of 'con il', meaning 'with the'.
respiro: respiro — Breath; the act of breathing in and out.
trattenuto: trattenuto — Held back or restrained, as in held breath.
cuore: cuore — Heart; the organ or seat of emotions.
batteva: batteva — It was beating; imperfect tense of 'battere'.
forte: forte — Strongly, loudly, or hard; an adverb of intensity.
Strano: strano — Strange or odd; describing something unusual or peculiar.
pensai: pensai — I thought; first person singular past tense of 'pensare'.
deve: deve — She/he must; third person singular of 'dovere'.
profondamente: profondamente — Deeply or profoundly; adverb indicating great intensity.
assorta: assorta — Absorbed or engrossed deeply in thought or activity.
qualcosa: qualcosa — Something; an indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified thing.
tutt'a un tratto: tutt'a un tratto — All of a sudden; suddenly and unexpectedly.
fermai: fermai — I stopped; first person singular past tense of 'fermarsi'.
fossi: fossi — I were; subjunctive imperfect of 'essere'.
pietrificato: pietrificato — Petrified; frozen in place with shock or fear.
Udii: udii — I heard; first person singular past tense of 'udire'.
singhiozzo: singhiozzo — A sob or hiccup; sound made when crying.
soffocato: soffocato — Stifled or muffled; suppressed sound or breath.
sbagliato: sbagliato — Wrong or mistaken; having made an error.
ragazza: ragazza — Girl or young woman; common Italian noun.
stava: stava — She was doing; imperfect of 'stare' indicating ongoing action.
piangendo: piangendo — Crying or weeping; gerund form of 'piangere'.
minuto: minuto — A minute; unit of time equal to sixty seconds.
dopo: dopo — After or later; preposition or adverb indicating sequence.
udii: udii — I heard; first person singular past tense of 'udire'.
Santo Cielo: santo cielo — Good heavens; exclamation expressing surprise or shock.
sprofondò: sprofondò — Sank or plunged deeply; third person singular past tense.
quanto: quanto — How much or however much; used in comparisons.
timido: timido — Shy or timid; describing a reserved, bashful person.
donne: donne — Women; plural of 'donna', adult female persons.
eppure: eppure — And yet or nevertheless; conjunction indicating contrast.
momento: momento — Moment; a brief or significant point in time.
tale: tale — Such or so; adjective indicating a particular kind.
voltai: voltai — I turned around; past tense of 'voltarsi'.
feci: feci — I did or made; past tense of 'fare'.
passo: passo — Step; a single movement forward while walking.
verso: verso — Toward; preposition indicating direction or movement.
avrei: avrei — I would have; conditional of 'avere'.
certamente: certamente — Certainly or definitely; adverb expressing confidence.
pronunciato: pronunciato — Pronounced or uttered; past participle of 'pronunciare'.
parola: parola — Word; a single unit of spoken or written language.
Signora: signora — Madam or Mrs.; respectful address for a woman.
avessi: avessi — If I had; subjunctive imperfect of 'avere'.
saputo: saputo — Known; past participle of 'sapere', to know.
esclamazione: esclamazione — Exclamation; an abrupt expression of strong emotion.
pronunciata: pronunciata — Pronounced or spoken aloud; feminine past participle.
mille: mille — A thousand; the number 1000 in Italian.
volte: volte — Times; plural of 'volta', indicating repetition.
ogni: ogni — Every or each; adjective indicating all instances.
romanzo: romanzo — Novel; a long work of prose fiction.
società: società — Society; a community or social group of people.
russa: russa — Russian; feminine adjective relating to Russia.
Fu: fu — It was; third person singular past tense of 'essere'.
solo: solo — Only or alone; adverb or adjective of exclusivity.
riflessione: riflessione — Reflection or consideration; careful thinking about something.
fermarmi: fermarmi — To stop myself; infinitive reflexive form of 'fermarsi'.
mentre: mentre — While or whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions.
cercavo: cercavo — I was looking for; imperfect tense of 'cercare'.
rinvenne: rinvenne — She came to; recovered consciousness suddenly.
guardò: guardò — She looked or gazed; past tense of 'guardare'.
intorno: intorno — Around; adverb indicating surrounding area.
trasalì: trasalì — She startled or flinched; sudden involuntary reaction.
abbassò: abbassò — She lowered; past tense of 'abbassare'.
occhi: occhi — Eyes; plural of 'occhio', the organs of sight.
scivolò: scivolò — She slipped or glided away; past tense of 'scivolare'.
lungo: lungo — Along or long; preposition indicating direction beside.
lungofiume: lungofiume — Riverside promenade or road running along a river.
seguii: seguii — I followed; first person singular past tense of 'seguire'.
subito: subito — Immediately or right away; adverb of time.
intuendolo: intuendolo — Sensing or intuiting it; gerund with object pronoun.
lasciò: lasciò — She left or let go; past tense of 'lasciare'.
attraversò: attraversò — She crossed; past tense of 'attraversare'.
strada: strada — Street or road; a path for vehicles or pedestrians.
camminò: camminò — She walked; past tense of 'camminare'.
marciapiede: marciapiede — Sidewalk or pavement; pedestrian path beside a road.
osai: osai — I dared; past tense of 'osare', to dare.
attraversare: attraversare — To cross or traverse a street or space.
seguirla: seguirla — To follow her; infinitive with feminine object pronoun.
fremeva: fremeva — It was trembling or quivering; imperfect of 'fremere'.
uccello: uccello — Bird; a feathered, winged animal.
gabbia: gabbia — Cage; an enclosure for keeping birds or animals.
Tutt'a caso: tutt'a caso — By pure chance; completely accidentally or fortuitously.
fortuito: fortuito — Fortuitous or accidental; happening by chance.
venne: venne — It came; third person singular past tense of 'venire'.
aiuto: aiuto — Help or aid; assistance given to someone in need.
Lungo: lungo — Along; preposition indicating direction beside something.
stesso: stesso — Same or himself; adjective indicating identity or sameness.
lato: lato — Side; one edge or aspect of something.
apparve: apparve — Appeared; third person singular past tense of 'apparire'.
all'improvviso: all'improvviso — Suddenly or all at once; without warning.
lontano: lontano — Far or distant; adverb or adjective of distance.
signore: signore — Gentleman or lord; respectful term for a man.
abito: abito — Suit or dress; formal clothing worn for occasions.
sera: sera — Evening; the period of day after afternoon.
anni: anni — Years; plural of 'anno', units of time.
rispettabili: rispettabili — Respectable; worthy of esteem or social approval.
tutt'altro: tutt'altro — Quite the contrary or anything but; emphatic negation.
portamento: portamento — Bearing or posture; the way one carries oneself.
rispettabile: rispettabile — Respectable; meriting regard or social approval.
barcollava: barcollava — He was staggering or swaying unsteadily; imperfect tense.
appoggiava: appoggiava — He was leaning or resting against; imperfect of 'appoggiarsi'.
cautamente: cautamente — Cautiously or carefully; adverb indicating careful movement.
muro: muro — Wall; a solid vertical structure of a building.

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