Wuthering Heights — Page 6
While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me.
Mentre godevo di un mese di bel tempo sulla costa marina, mi ritrovai in compagnia di una creatura quanto mai affascinante: una vera dea ai miei occhi, finché non si accorse di me.
I "never told my love" vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return—the sweetest of all imaginable looks.
Non «dissi mai il mio amore» a voce; eppure, se gli sguardi hanno un linguaggio, anche il più grande degli idioti avrebbe potuto capire che ero perdutamente innamorato: alla fine lei mi capì, e mi restituì uno sguardo — il più dolce di tutti gli sguardi immaginabili.
And what did I do?
E cosa feci?
I confess it with shame—shrunk icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired colder and farther; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp.
Lo confesso con vergogna — mi rinchiusi freddamente in me stesso, come una lumaca; a ogni sguardo mi ritraevo sempre più freddo e distante; finché alla fine la povera innocente fu portata a dubitare dei propri sensi, e, sopraffatta dalla confusione per il suo presunto errore, convinse la sua mamma a levare le tende.
By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.
Con questo curioso tratto del mio carattere mi sono guadagnato la reputazione di una freddezza deliberata; quanto immeritata, solo io posso apprezzarlo.
I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth watering for a snatch.
Presi posto all'estremità del focolare opposta a quella verso cui si avanzava il mio ospite, e colmai un intervallo di silenzio cercando di accarezzare la madre canina, che aveva abbandonato il suo cucciolo, e si avvicinava furtivamente e con aria lupesca dietro le mie gambe, il labbro arricciato e i denti bianchi che fremevano per azzannare.
My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.
La mia carezza provocò un lungo ringhio gutturale.
"You'd better let the dog alone," growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot.
«Fareste meglio a lasciare in pace il cane,» ringhiò il signor Heathcliff all'unisono, frenando dimostrazioni più feroci con un calcio del piede.
"She's not accustomed to be spoiled—not kept for a pet."
«Non è abituata a essere viziata — non è tenuta come animale da compagnia.»
Then, striding to a side door, he shouted again, "Joseph!
Poi, dirigendosi a grandi passi verso una porta laterale, gridò di nuovo: «Joseph!
Vocabulary
- Mentre
- While; during the time that
- godevo
- I enjoyed; I was enjoying (imperfect tense)
- di
- Of; from; about (preposition)
- un
- A; an (indefinite article)
- mese
- Month; a period of thirty days
- bel
- Beautiful; fine; lovely (adjective form)
- tempo
- Time; weather; period or season
- sulla
- On the; upon the (preposition+article)
- costa
- Coast; shore; seaside area
- marina
- Marine; of the sea; maritime
- mi
- Me; to me (direct/indirect object pronoun)
- ritrovai
- I found myself; I ended up (past tense)
- in
- In; into; within (preposition)
- compagnia
- Company; companionship; group together
- una
- A; an (feminine indefinite article)
- creatura
- Creature; being; a living entity
- quanto
- How much; as much as; how many
- mai
- Ever; never; at any time
- affascinante
- Fascinating; charming; captivating or enthralling
- vera
- True; real; genuine or authentic
- ai
- To the; at the (preposition+article)
- miei
- Mine; my own (possessive adjective)
- occhi
- Eyes; organs of sight or vision
- finché
- Until; as long as; till when
- non
- Not; negation particle in Italian
- si
- Himself/herself; oneself (reflexive pronoun)
- accorse
- Noticed; realized; became aware of
- me
- Me; myself (stressed pronoun)
- Non
- Not; negation at sentence beginning
- dissi
- I said; I spoke (past tense)
- il
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- mio
- My; mine (possessive adjective/pronoun)
- amore
- Love; affection; beloved person
- voce
- Voice; sound produced by speaking
- eppure
- Yet; however; and yet still
- se
- If; whether (conditional conjunction)
- gli
- To him; to them (indirect pronoun)
- sguardi
- Looks; glances; gazes or stares
- hanno
- Have; they have (auxiliary verb)
- linguaggio
- Language; speech; system of communication
- anche
- Also; too; as well or furthermore
- più
- More; additional; greater in amount
- grande
- Great; large; big or extensive
- degli
- Of the; from the (preposition+article)
- avrebbe
- Would have; would possess (conditional)
- potuto
- Been able; could have (past participle)
- capire
- To understand; to comprehend or grasp
- che
- That; which; what (relative pronoun)
- ero
- I was; I existed (imperfect tense)
- innamorato
- In love; enamored; smitten or in love
- alla
- To the; at the (feminine form)
- fine
- End; conclusion; finish or conclusion
- lei
- She; her; that woman
- capì
- She understood; she comprehended (past tense)
- restituì
- She returned; gave back (past tense)
- uno
- One; a; a single unit
- sguardo
- Look; glance; gaze or stare
- dolce
- Sweet; gentle; soft or tender
- tutti
- All; everyone; every single person
- cosa
- Thing; what; object or matter
- feci
- I did; I made (past tense)
- Lo
- Him; it (masculine direct object pronoun)
- confesso
- I confess; I admit (present tense)
- con
- With; along with; in company
- vergogna
- Shame; embarrassment; feeling of dishonor
- stesso
- Same; self; identical or selfsame
- come
- As; like; in the manner of
- ogni
- Every; each; all or any
- sempre
- Always; ever; at all times
- freddo
- Cold; cool; chilly or frigid
- distante
- Distant; far; remote or far away
- la
- The; her (feminine article/pronoun)
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →