Won from the Waves — Page 1

English → It CHAPTER ONE. Level 6/10

ON THE PIER.

SUL MOLO.

It was a gloomy evening.

Era una sera tetra.

A small group of fishermen were standing--at the end of a rough wooden pier projecting out into the water and forming the southern side of the mouth of a small river.

Un piccolo gruppo di pescatori era in piedi all'estremità di un grezzo molo di legno che si protendeva nell'acqua e formava il lato meridionale della foce di un piccolo fiume.

A thick mist, which drove in across the German Ocean, obscured the sky, and prevented any object being seen beyond a few hundred fathoms from the shore, on which the dark leaden-coloured waves broke lazily in with that sullen-sounding roar which often betokens the approach of a heavy gale.

Una fitta nebbia, che si spingeva attraverso il Mare del Nord, oscurava il cielo e impediva di scorgere qualsiasi oggetto oltre qualche centinaio di braccia dalla riva, sulla quale le onde scure color piombo si infrangevano pigramente con quel cupo fragore che spesso preannuncia l'avvicinarsi di una violenta tempesta.

On the north side of the river was a wide extent of sandy ground, where the vegetation consisted of stunted furze-bushes and salt-loving plants with leaves of a dull pale green, growing among patches of coarse grass, the roots of which assisted to keep the sand from being blown away by the fierce wintry gales which blew across it.

Sul lato settentrionale del fiume si estendeva una vasta area di terreno sabbioso, dove la vegetazione era composta da cespugli di ginestrone stentati e piante alofite con foglie di un verde spento e pallido, che crescevano tra ciuffi di erba grossolana, le cui radici contribuivano a impedire che la sabbia venisse portata via dai furiosi venti invernali che la attraversavano.

On the right hand of the fishermen as they looked seaward, and beyond an intervening level space, rose a line of high cliffs of light clay and sand extending far to the southward, with a narrow beach at their base.

Alla destra dei pescatori mentre guardavano verso il mare, e oltre uno spazio pianeggiante che si frapponeva, si ergeva una serie di alte scogliere di argilla chiara e sabbia che si estendevano lontano verso sud, con una stretta spiaggia alla loro base.

Parallel with the river was a green bank, on the sides of which were perched several cottages, the materials composing them showing that they were the abodes of the hardy men who gained their livelihood on the salt deep.

Parallelo al fiume correva un argine erboso, sui cui fianchi erano arroccati diversi cottage, i materiali di cui erano composti rivelando che erano le dimore degli uomini robusti che traevano il loro sostentamento dal profondo salato.

The palings which surrounded them, the sheds and outhouses, and even the ornaments with which they were decorated, were evidently portions of wrecks.

Le palizzate che li circondavano, i capanni e i rustici, e persino gli ornamenti con cui erano decorati, erano evidentemente parti di relitti.

Vocabulary

SUL: sul — Contraction of 'su il,' meaning 'on the'
MOLO: molo — A pier or jetty extending into water
Era: era — Third person singular past tense of 'essere' (to be)
una: una — Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning 'a/an'
sera: sera — Evening, the time after sunset
tetra: tetra — Gloomy, dark, or dismal in atmosphere
Un: un — Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning 'a/an'
piccolo: piccolo — Small or little in size
gruppo: gruppo — A group or cluster of people or things
di: di — Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
pescatori: pescatori — Fishermen, people who fish professionally
era: era — Third person singular past tense of 'essere'
in: in — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
piedi: piedi — Feet; 'in piedi' means standing upright
all': all' — Contraction of 'a' and 'la/lo,' meaning 'at the'
estremità: estremità — The end, tip, or extremity of something
un: un — Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning 'a/an'
grezzo: grezzo — Rough, crude, or unrefined in texture or quality
molo: molo — A pier or jetty extending into water
legno: legno — Wood, the material from trees
che: che — Relative pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'who'
si: si — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'
protendeva: protendeva — Extended or stretched out into a space
nell': nell' — Contraction of 'in' and 'la/lo,' meaning 'in the'
acqua: acqua — Water, the liquid substance
e: e — Conjunction meaning 'and'
formava: formava — Formed or constituted something in the past
il: il — Definite article, masculine singular, meaning 'the'
lato: lato — Side or flank of something
meridionale: meridionale — Southern, relating to or facing the south
della: della — Contraction of 'di' and 'la,' meaning 'of the'
foce: foce — The mouth or outlet of a river
fiume: fiume — A river, a large natural watercourse
Una: una — Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning 'a/an'
fitta: fitta — Dense, thick, or heavy in concentration
nebbia: nebbia — Fog or mist obscuring visibility
spingeva: spingeva — Pushed or drove forward in the past
attraverso: attraverso — Through, across, from one side to another
Mare: mare — Sea, a large body of saltwater
del: del — Contraction of 'di' and 'il,' meaning 'of the'
Nord: nord — North, the cardinal direction
oscurava: oscurava — Darkened or obscured something in the past
cielo: cielo — Sky, the expanse above the earth
impediva: impediva — Prevented or hindered something from happening
scorgere: scorgere — To catch sight of or make out something
qualsiasi: qualsiasi — Any or whatever, used for indefinite reference
oggetto: oggetto — An object or thing
oltre: oltre — Beyond or further than a point
qualche: qualche — Some or a few, an indefinite small number
centinaio: centinaio — A hundred or about a hundred units
braccia: braccia — Arms; also an old unit of measurement
dalla: dalla — Contraction of 'da' and 'la,' meaning 'from the'
riva: riva — Shore, bank, or waterside edge
sulla: sulla — Contraction of 'su' and 'la,' meaning 'on the'
quale: quale — Which or what, a relative or interrogative pronoun
le: le — Definite article or pronoun, feminine plural 'the'
onde: onde — Waves of water on the sea or shore
scure: scure — Dark or gloomy in color or mood
color: color — Color or hue of something
piombo: piombo — Lead, the heavy grey metal; also its color
infrangevano: infrangevano — Were breaking or crashing against something
pigramente: pigramente — Lazily or sluggishly, without energy
con: con — Preposition meaning 'with'
quel: quel — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that'
cupo: cupo — Deep, dull, or somber in sound or tone
fragore: fragore — A loud roar, crash, or thunderous noise
spesso: spesso — Often; also thick in physical description
preannuncia: preannuncia — Foretells or announces something in advance
l': l' — Elided definite article meaning 'the'
avvicinarsi: avvicinarsi — The approaching or drawing near of something
violenta: violenta — Violent, fierce, or intense in force
tempesta: tempesta — A storm, a violent weather event
Sul: sul — Contraction of 'su il,' meaning 'on the'
settentrionale: settentrionale — Northern, relating to or facing the north
estendeva: estendeva — Extended or stretched out over an area
vasta: vasta — Vast, wide, or expansive in extent
area: area — An area or zone of land or space
terreno: terreno — Ground, terrain, or land surface
sabbioso: sabbioso — Sandy, covered with or consisting of sand
dove: dove — Where, indicating a place or location
la: la — Definite article, feminine singular, meaning 'the'
vegetazione: vegetazione — Vegetation, plant life growing in an area
composta: composta — Composed of or made up of elements
da: da — Preposition meaning 'from,' 'by,' or 'since'
cespugli: cespugli — Bushes or shrubs growing in clusters
ginestrone: ginestrone — Gorse, a spiny yellow-flowered shrub
stentati: stentati — Stunted or struggling to grow properly
piante: piante — Plants, living organisms in the plant kingdom
foglie: foglie — Leaves of a plant or tree
verde: verde — Green, the color of leaves and grass
spento: spento — Dull, faded, or extinguished in color or light
pallido: pallido — Pale or faint in color
crescevano: crescevano — Were growing or developing in the past
tra: tra — Among, between, or amid things
ciuffi: ciuffi — Tufts or clumps of grass or hair
erba: erba — Grass or herb growing on the ground
grossolana: grossolana — Coarse, rough, or crude in texture
cui: cui — Relative pronoun meaning 'whose,' 'which,' 'whom'
radici: radici — Roots of a plant anchoring it in soil
contribuivano: contribuivano — Contributed or helped toward a result in the past
a: a — Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
impedire: impedire — To prevent or hinder something from occurring
sabbia: sabbia — Sand, fine granular material from rock
venisse: venisse — Subjunctive past of 'venire,' meaning 'came'
portata: portata — Carried or brought; past participle of 'portare'
via: via — Away; also a street or road
dai: dai — Contraction of 'da' and 'i,' meaning 'from the'
furiosi: furiosi — Furious, fierce, or extremely strong
venti: venti — Winds; also the number twenty
invernali: invernali — Wintry, relating to or occurring in winter
attraversavano: attraversavano — Were crossing or passing through in the past
Alla: alla — Contraction of 'a' and 'la,' meaning 'to/at the'
destra: destra — Right, the right-hand side or direction
dei: dei — Contraction of 'di' and 'i,' meaning 'of the'
mentre: mentre — While or whereas, indicating simultaneous action
guardavano: guardavano — Were looking or gazing in the past
verso: verso — Toward or in the direction of something
mare: mare — Sea, a large body of saltwater
uno: uno — One; indefinite article masculine singular
spazio: spazio — Space or open area between things
pianeggiante: pianeggiante — Flat or level in terrain or landscape
frapponeva: frapponeva — Interposed or placed between two things
ergeva: ergeva — Rose or stood up in the past
serie: serie — A series or sequence of things
alte: alte — High or tall in stature or height
scogliere: scogliere — Cliffs or rocky outcrops along the coast
argilla: argilla — Clay, a fine-grained earthy material
chiara: chiara — Clear, light, or pale in color
estendevano: estendevano — Extended or stretched out in the past
lontano: lontano — Far away or distant in space
sud: sud — South, the cardinal direction
stretta: stretta — Narrow or tight in width
spiaggia: spiaggia — A beach, sandy or pebbly shoreline
alla: alla — Contraction of 'a' and 'la,' meaning 'at the'
loro: loro — Their or them, third person plural pronoun
base: base — Base or bottom of something
Parallelo: parallelo — Parallel, running side by side equidistantly
al: al — Contraction of 'a' and 'il,' meaning 'to/at the'
correva: correva — Ran or extended along in the past
argine: argine — An embankment or levee holding back water
erboso: erboso — Grassy, covered with or full of grass
sui: sui — Contraction of 'su' and 'i,' meaning 'on the'
fianchi: fianchi — Flanks or sides of a structure or body
erano: erano — Third person plural past tense of 'essere' (to be)
arroccati: arroccati — Perched or nestled on a high or steep place
diversi: diversi — Several or various, more than a few
i: i — Definite article, masculine plural, meaning 'the'
materiali: materiali — Materials used in construction or making things
composti: composti — Composed of or made up of components
rivelando: rivelando — Revealing or showing something about someone
dimore: dimore — Dwellings or residences, places people live
degli: degli — Contraction of 'di' and 'gli,' meaning 'of the'
uomini: uomini — Men, adult male human beings
robusti: robusti — Robust, sturdy, or strong in build
traevano: traevano — Drew or derived something from a source
sostentamento: sostentamento — Livelihood or sustenance, means of surviving
dal: dal — Contraction of 'da' and 'il,' meaning 'from the'
profondo: profondo — Deep, profound, or far below the surface
salato: salato — Salty, containing or tasting of salt
Le: le — Definite article or pronoun, feminine plural 'the'
palizzate: palizzate — Palisades or wooden fence enclosures
li: li — Third person plural object pronoun meaning 'them'
circondavano: circondavano — Surrounded or enclosed something in the past
capanni: capanni — Sheds or small huts used for storage
rustici: rustici — Rustic, rough, or plainly built structures
persino: persino — Even, used to emphasize an extreme example
gli: gli — Definite article or pronoun, masculine plural 'the'
ornamenti: ornamenti — Ornaments or decorative objects adorning something
decorati: decorati — Decorated or adorned with decorative elements
evidentemente: evidentemente — Evidently or obviously, clearly apparent to all
parti: parti — Parts or pieces of a larger whole
relitti: relitti — Wrecks or remains of shipwrecked vessels

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