Wuthering Heights — Page 9
"
"
I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs; besides, I felt loth to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense; since his humour took that turn.
M'inchinai e ricambiai il brindisi; cominciando a capire che sarebbe stato sciocco starmene imbronciato per il cattivo comportamento di un branco di cagnacci; inoltre, mi ripugnava offrire a quel tipo ulteriore divertimento a mie spese, dal momento che il suo umore aveva preso quella piega.
He—probably swayed by prudential consideration of the folly of offending a good tenant—relaxed a little in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs, and introduced what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me,—a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement.
Lui — probabilmente mosso dalla prudente considerazione che sarebbe stato stolto offendere un buon inquilino — si allentò un poco nel suo stile laconico di troncare pronomi e verbi ausiliari, e introdusse quello che supponeva potesse essere un argomento di mio interesse, — un discorso sui vantaggi e gli svantaggi del mio attuale luogo di ritiro.
I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and before I went home, I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit to-morrow.
Lo trovai molto intelligente sugli argomenti che toccammo; e prima di tornare a casa, mi sentii incoraggiato al punto da proporre spontaneamente un'altra visita il giorno seguente.
He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion.
Era evidente che non desiderava un'altra mia intrusione.
I shall go, notwithstanding.
Ci andrò, nondimeno.
It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.
È sorprendente quanto mi senta socievole in confronto a lui.
Vocabulary
- M'
- m' — Contracted form of 'mi' (me/myself) before vowel
- inchinai
- in-kee-NAI — I bowed, I inclined my head in greeting
- e
- e — And; basic coordinating conjunction
- ricambiai
- ree-kam-BYAI — I returned, I reciprocated a gesture or greeting
- il
- il — The; masculine singular definite article
- brindisi
- BRIN-dee-zee — A toast raised with drinks in celebration
- cominciando
- ko-min-CHAN-do — Beginning, starting; gerund of cominciare
- a
- a — To, at; very common Italian preposition
- capire
- ka-PEE-re — To understand, to grasp a concept
- che
- ke — That, which, who; versatile conjunction or pronoun
- sarebbe
- sa-REB-be — Would be; conditional form of essere
- stato
- STA-to — Been; past participle of essere (to be)
- sciocco
- SHOK-ko — Foolish, silly, stupid; describing a lack of sense
- starmene
- star-ME-ne — To stay by oneself, remain apart from others
- imbronciato
- im-bron-CHA-to — Sulky, pouting, in a bad or sullen mood
- per
- per — For, because of; common Italian preposition
- cattivo
- kat-TEE-vo — Bad, poor, wicked; negative quality adjective
- comportamento
- kom-por-ta-MEN-to — Behavior, conduct, manner of acting
- di
- di — Of, from; extremely common Italian preposition
- un
- un — A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- branco
- BRAN-ko — A pack or group of animals acting together
- cagnacci
- kan-YAT-chee — Nasty big dogs; pejorative plural of cane
- inoltre
- in-OL-tre — Furthermore, besides, moreover; additive adverb
- mi
- mi — Me, myself; first person singular object pronoun
- ripugnava
- ri-pun-YA-va — It disgusted, it repelled me; imperfect of ripugnare
- offrire
- of-FREE-re — To offer, to give something to someone
- quel
- kwel — That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- tipo
- TEE-po — Type, kind, sort; a particular category of thing
- ulteriore
- ul-te-RYOR-e — Further, additional, beyond what already exists
- divertimento
- di-ver-ti-MEN-to — Amusement, entertainment, fun, enjoyment
- mie
- MYE — My; feminine plural possessive adjective
- spese
- SPE-ze — Expenses, costs; also past tense of spendere
- dal
- dal — From the; contraction of da + il
- momento
- mo-MEN-to — Moment, instant; a specific point in time
- suo
- SWO — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective
- umore
- u-MO-re — Mood, humor, state of mind at a given time
- aveva
- a-VE-va — He/she had; imperfect of avere (to have)
- preso
- PRE-zo — Taken; past participle of prendere (to take)
- quella
- KWEL-la — That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- piega
- PYE-ga — Turn, direction, fold; course something takes
- Lui
- LWI — He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun
- probabilmente
- pro-ba-bil-MEN-te — Probably, likely; expressing reasonable supposition
- mosso
- MOS-so — Moved, prompted, motivated; past participle of muovere
- prudente
- pru-DEN-te — Prudent, cautious, wise in one's actions
- considerazione
- kon-si-de-ra-TSYO-ne — Consideration, thought, reflection on a matter
- stolto
- STOL-to — Foolish, unwise; a person lacking good judgment
- offendere
- of-FEN-de-re — To offend, to insult, to cause displeasure to someone
- buon
- bwon — Good; masculine singular adjective before consonants
- inquilino
- in-kwi-LEE-no — Tenant, lodger; person who rents a property
- si
- si — Himself, herself, oneself; reflexive pronoun
- allentò
- al-len-TO — He loosened, relaxed, eased up in manner
- poco
- PO-ko — A little, somewhat, a small amount
- stile
- STEE-le — Style, manner, characteristic way of doing something
- laconico
- la-KO-ni-ko — Laconic, brief, using very few words
- troncare
- tron-KA-re — To cut off, truncate, shorten abruptly
- pronomi
- PRO-no-mi — Pronouns; words replacing nouns in a sentence
- verbi
- VER-bi — Verbs; words expressing actions or states
- ausiliari
- au-zi-LYA-ri — Auxiliary verbs; helping verbs like avere and essere
- introdusse
- in-tro-DUS-se — He introduced, brought up a topic or subject
- quello
- KWEL-lo — That; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- supponeva
- sup-po-NE-va — He supposed, assumed; imperfect of supporre
- potesse
- po-TES-se — Could, might be able to; subjunctive of potere
- essere
- ES-se-re — To be; fundamental Italian auxiliary verb
- argomento
- ar-go-MEN-to — Topic, subject, argument of discussion
- mio
- MYO — My; masculine singular first person possessive adjective
- interesse
- in-te-RES-se — Interest, concern, curiosity about something
- discorso
- dis-KOR-so — Speech, discourse, conversation, talk
- sui
- SWI — On the; contraction of su + i (masculine plural)
- vantaggi
- van-TAD-ji — Advantages, benefits, positive aspects of something
- gli
- lyi — To him; also masculine plural definite article
- svantaggi
- zvan-TAD-ji — Disadvantages, drawbacks, negative aspects of something
- del
- del — Of the; contraction of di + il
- attuale
- at-TWA-le — Current, present, existing at this time
- luogo
- LWO-go — Place, location, spot where something is situated
- ritiro
- ri-TEE-ro — Retreat, withdrawal, secluded dwelling place
- Lo
- lo — Him, it; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- trovai
- tro-VAI — I found, I considered to be; past of trovare
- molto
- MOL-to — Very, much, a lot; common intensifying adverb
- intelligente
- in-tel-li-JEN-te — Intelligent, clever, showing mental sharpness
- argomenti
- ar-go-MEN-ti — Topics, subjects; plural of argomento
- toccammo
- tok-KAM-mo — We touched on, we covered various topics
- prima
- PREE-ma — Before, first; indicating precedence in time
- tornare
- tor-NA-re — To return, to go back to a place
- casa
- KA-za — House, home; place where one lives
- sentii
- sen-TEE — I felt; first person past of sentire
- incoraggiato
- in-ko-rad-JA-to — Encouraged, emboldened, given confidence to act
- al
- al — To the; contraction of a + il
- punto
- PUN-to — Point, degree, extent; also a dot or period
- da
- da — From, by, since; versatile Italian preposition
- proporre
- pro-POR-re — To propose, to suggest, to put forward an idea
- spontaneamente
- spon-ta-ne-a-MEN-te — Spontaneously, of one's own accord, voluntarily
- un'
- un' — A, an; feminine indefinite article before vowels
- altra
- AL-tra — Another, other; feminine form of altro
- visita
- VEE-zi-ta — Visit, call; an act of going to see someone
- giorno
- JOR-no — Day; a 24-hour period of time
- seguente
- se-GWEN-te — Following, next; the day or event coming after
- Era
- E-ra — It was, he/she was; imperfect of essere
- evidente
- e-vi-DEN-te — Evident, obvious, clearly apparent to all
- non
- non — Not; basic Italian negation word
- desiderava
- de-zi-de-RA-va — He desired, wanted, wished; imperfect of desiderare
- mia
- MYA — My; feminine singular possessive adjective
- intrusione
- in-tru-ZYO-ne — Intrusion, unwelcome presence, interference in privacy
- Ci
- chi — There, here; locative pronoun replacing a place
- andrò
- an-DRO — I will go; first person future of andare
- nondimeno
- non-di-ME-no — Nevertheless, nonetheless, even so; concessive adverb
- È
- e — Is; third person singular present of essere
- sorprendente
- sor-pren-DEN-te — Surprising, astonishing, causing wonder or amazement
- quanto
- KWAN-to — How much, how; expressing degree or quantity
- senta
- SEN-ta — Feel; first person present subjunctive of sentire
- socievole
- so-CHE-vo-le — Sociable, friendly, enjoying the company of others
- in
- in — In, into; common Italian locative preposition
- confronto
- kon-FRON-to — Comparison, contrast; in confronto a means compared to
- lui
- LWI — Him, he; third person masculine pronoun
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →