Wuthering Heights — Page 8
Happily, an inhabitant of the kitchen made more dispatch; a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.
Per fortuna, un'abitante della cucina agì con maggiore prontezza; una robusta donna, con la gonna rimboccata, le braccia nude e le guance arrossate dal fuoco, si precipitò in mezzo a noi brandendo una padella: e usò quell'arma, e la sua lingua, con tale efficacia, che la tempesta si placò magicamente, e lei rimase sola, ansimante come un mare dopo un forte vento, quando il suo padrone fece il suo ingresso sulla scena.
"What the devil is the matter?" he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure after this inhospitable treatment.
«Che diavolo succede?» chiese, guardandomi in un modo che difficilmente riuscivo a sopportare dopo questo trattamento poco ospitale.
"What the devil, indeed!" I muttered. "The herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir. You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!"
«Che diavolo, davvero!» mormurai. «Il branco di porci indemoniati non avrebbe potuto avere spiriti peggiori di quegli animali vostri, signore. Potreste anche lasciare uno straniero con una covata di tigri!»
"They won't meddle with persons who touch nothing," he remarked, putting the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table. "The dogs do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?"
«Non si immischiano con le persone che non toccano nulla,» osservò, mettendo la bottiglia davanti a me e rimettendo a posto il tavolo spostato. «I cani fanno bene a essere vigili. Vuole un bicchiere di vino?»
"No, thank you."
«No, grazie.»
"Not bitten, are you?"
«Non è stato morso, vero?»
"If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter." Heathcliff's countenance relaxed into a grin.
«Se lo fossi stato, avrei impresso il mio sigillo su chi mi ha morso.» Il volto di Heathcliff si distese in un sorriso.
"Come, come," he said, "you are flurried, Mr. Lockwood. Here, take a little wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health, sir?
«Su, su,» disse, «lei è agitato, signor Lockwood. Ecco, prenda un po' di vino. Gli ospiti sono così straordinariamente rari in questa casa che io e i miei cani, lo ammetto volentieri, sappiamo a malapena come riceverli. Alla sua salute, signore?
Vocabulary
- Per
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'through'
- fortuna
- Luck, fortune, or good chance
- un'
- Indefinite article 'a/an' before vowel (feminine)
- abitante
- Inhabitant or resident of a place
- della
- Contraction of 'di' and 'la', meaning 'of the'
- cucina
- Kitchen or cooking area in a home
- agì
- Third person singular past of 'agire', to act
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- maggiore
- Greater, larger, or more significant
- prontezza
- Promptness, quickness, or readiness to act
- una
- Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a/an'
- robusta
- Sturdy, strong, or solidly built
- donna
- Woman or adult female person
- la
- Definite feminine singular article 'the'
- gonna
- Skirt, a clothing item worn on the lower body
- rimboccata
- Rolled up or tucked up, as clothing sleeves
- le
- Definite feminine plural article or indirect pronoun
- braccia
- Arms, the upper limbs of the human body
- nude
- Bare, naked, or uncovered
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- guance
- Cheeks, the sides of the face
- arrossate
- Reddened or flushed, as from heat or emotion
- dal
- Contraction of 'da' and 'il', meaning 'from the'
- fuoco
- Fire or flame, source of heat and light
- si
- Reflexive pronoun or 'yes' depending on context
- precipitò
- Rushed headlong or threw herself into
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
- mezzo
- Middle, center, or halfway point
- a
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'
- noi
- First person plural pronoun meaning 'us' or 'we'
- brandendo
- Brandishing or wielding a weapon threateningly
- padella
- Frying pan used for cooking food
- usò
- Third person singular past of 'usare', to use
- quell'
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' before vowel
- arma
- Weapon or instrument used for fighting
- sua
- Possessive adjective meaning 'her', 'his', or 'its'
- lingua
- Language or tongue, used for speaking
- tale
- Such, such a, of such a kind
- efficacia
- Effectiveness or efficiency in achieving results
- che
- Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that/which'
- tempesta
- Storm or tempest, violent weather disturbance
- placò
- Calmed, appeased, or pacified something turbulent
- magicamente
- Magically, as if by magic or enchantment
- lei
- Third person feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her'
- rimase
- Remained or stayed, past tense of 'rimanere'
- sola
- Alone, by herself, without company
- ansimante
- Panting, gasping, or breathing heavily
- come
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like' or 'as'
- un
- Indefinite masculine singular article meaning 'a/an'
- mare
- Sea or large body of saltwater
- dopo
- Preposition or adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterwards'
- forte
- Strong, powerful, or intense
- vento
- Wind or breeze, movement of air
- quando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' indicating time
- il
- Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
- suo
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'
- padrone
- Master, owner, or landlord of a property
- fece
- Made or did, past tense of 'fare'
- ingresso
- Entrance, entry, or arrival into a place
- sulla
- Contraction of 'su' and 'la', meaning 'on the'
- scena
- Scene or stage, as in theater or situation
- Che
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'that'
- diavolo
- Devil, used in exclamations expressing surprise
- succede
- Happens or occurs, present tense of 'succedere'
- chiese
- Asked or requested, past tense of 'chiedere'
- guardandomi
- Looking at me, gerund of 'guardare' with pronoun
- modo
- Way, manner, or method of doing something
- difficilmente
- With difficulty, hardly, or not easily
- riuscivo
- I managed or was able to, imperfect of 'riuscire'
- sopportare
- To bear, endure, or tolerate something unpleasant
- questo
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this'
- trattamento
- Treatment or manner of dealing with someone
- poco
- Little, few, or not much
- ospitale
- Hospitable, welcoming to guests or strangers
- davvero
- Really, truly, or indeed, expressing emphasis
- mormurai
- I murmured or muttered softly under my breath
- Il
- Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
- branco
- Pack or herd of animals moving together
- di
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- porci
- Pigs or swine, plural of 'porco'
- indemoniati
- Possessed by demons, frenzied, or wildly aggressive
- non
- Adverb of negation meaning 'not'
- avrebbe
- Would have, conditional of 'avere'
- potuto
- Been able to, past participle of 'potere'
- avere
- To have, auxiliary and main verb
- spiriti
- Spirits, moods, or temperaments of persons
- peggiori
- Worse, plural comparative of 'cattivo/peggio'
- quegli
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'those' (masculine)
- animali
- Animals, living creatures other than humans
- vostri
- Your (plural), possessive adjective second person plural
- signore
- Sir, mister, or gentleman, respectful address
- Potreste
- You could, conditional of 'potere' (plural/formal)
- anche
- Also, too, or even, additive conjunction
- lasciare
- To leave, let, or allow someone something
- uno
- One, masculine indefinite article or numeral
- straniero
- Foreigner or stranger, someone from another place
- covata
- Brood or litter of young animals
- tigri
- Tigers, large striped wild felines
- Non
- Adverb of negation meaning 'not'
- immischiano
- They meddle or interfere in others' affairs
- persone
- People or persons, human individuals
- toccano
- They touch or handle something physically
- nulla
- Nothing, not anything at all
- osservò
- Observed or remarked, past tense of 'osservare'
- mettendo
- Putting or placing, gerund of 'mettere'
- bottiglia
- Bottle, a container for liquids
- davanti
- In front of, before, or ahead
- me
- Me, first person singular object pronoun
- rimettendo
- Putting back, replacing something to its place
- posto
- Place, position, or seat
- tavolo
- Table, a flat-surfaced piece of furniture
- spostato
- Moved or shifted from its original position
- I
- Definite masculine plural article meaning 'the'
- cani
- Dogs, plural of 'cane'
- fanno
- They do or make, present of 'fare'
- bene
- Well, good, or correctly
- essere
- To be, fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
- vigili
- Vigilant, alert, or watchful
- Vuole
- He/she wants, present tense of 'volere'
- bicchiere
- Glass, a drinking vessel for liquids
- vino
- Wine, an alcoholic drink made from grapes
- No
- Negation word meaning 'no'
- grazie
- Thank you, expression of gratitude
- è
- He/she/it is, third person singular of 'essere'
- stato
- Been, past participle of 'essere'
- morso
- Bitten or bite, past participle of 'mordere'
- vero
- True, real, or indeed, seeking confirmation
- Se
- Conditional conjunction meaning 'if'
- lo
- Him or it, masculine direct object pronoun
- fossi
- I were, subjunctive imperfect of 'essere'
- avrei
- I would have, conditional of 'avere'
- impresso
- Imprinted or stamped, past participle of 'imprimere'
- mio
- My, first person singular possessive adjective
- sigillo
- Seal or stamp used to mark or authenticate
- su
- On, upon, or up, preposition of position
- chi
- Who, relative or interrogative pronoun
- mi
- Me or to me, first person singular pronoun
- ha
- Has or he/she has, present of 'avere'
- volto
- Face or turned, noun or past participle
- distese
- Spread or stretched, past tense of 'distendere'
- sorriso
- Smile, a facial expression of happiness or pleasure
- Su
- Come on or up, interjection encouraging action
- disse
- Said, past tense of 'dire'
- agitato
- Agitated, disturbed, or upset emotionally
- signor
- Mr. or sir, polite masculine title before name
- Ecco
- Here is/are, interjection presenting something
- prenda
- Take (formal imperative), from 'prendere'
- po'
- A little or a bit, shortened form of 'poco'
- Gli
- To him, indirect object pronoun, or definite plural article
- ospiti
- Guests or hosts, visitors welcomed to a place
- sono
- They are or I am, present tense of 'essere'
- così
- So, thus, or in this way
- straordinariamente
- Extraordinarily, in an exceptional or unusual manner
- rari
- Rare, uncommon, or infrequent
- questa
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine)
- casa
- House or home, a place where one lives
- io
- I, first person singular subject pronoun
- i
- Definite masculine plural article meaning 'the'
- miei
- My, first person plural possessive adjective
- ammetto
- I admit or acknowledge, present of 'ammettere'
- volentieri
- Willingly, gladly, or with pleasure
- sappiamo
- We know, first person plural present of 'sapere'
- malapena
- Hardly or barely, with great difficulty
- riceverli
- To receive them, infinitive with object pronoun
- Alla
- Contraction of 'a' and 'la', meaning 'to the'
- salute
- Health or cheers, used as a toast when drinking
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