Lord - castellano, signore, nobile, nobiluomo, nobildonna, dominare
Joseph - Giuseppe
When this novel first appeared in book form a notion got about that I had been bolted away with. Some reviewers maintained that the work starting as a short story had got beyond the writer's control. One or two discovered internal evidence of the fact, which seemed to amuse them. They pointed out the limitations of the narrative form.
novel - romanzo
appeared - apparire
notion - nozione, concetto, opinione, inclinazione, intenzione
bolted - catenaccio
reviewers - recensore
maintained - mantenere
short story - racconto
beyond - oltre, (al) di la di, dall'altra parte di, piu di, dopo
control - controllare, influenzare, dirigere, controllo, comando
discovered - scoprire, trovare
internal - interno, privato
evidence - prova, evidenza
seemed - sembrare, parere, apparire
amuse - svagare
limitations - limitazione
narrative - descrizione
They argued that no man could have been expected to talk all that time, and other men to listen so long. It was not, they said, very credible.
argued - discutere, dibattere, contestare, litigare, argomentare
expected - aspettarsi, pensare
credible - credibile
After thinking it over for something like sixteen years, I am not so sure about that. Men have been known, both in the tropics and in the temperate zone, to sit up half the night 'swapping yarns'. This, however, is but one yarn, yet with interruptions affording some measure of relief; and in regard to the listeners'endurance, the postulate must be accepted that the story was interesting.
tropics - tropico
temperate - temperato
zone - zona
sit up - sedersi
swapping - scambio
yarns - filo, filato, cordame, cordaggio, trama, fandonia
interruptions - interruzione
affording - permettersi
measure - misurazione, misura, righello, regolo, funzione di misura
relief - sollievo
regard - considerare
listeners - ascoltatore, ascoltatrice, uditore, uditrice
endurance - resistenza, sopportazione, durata, autonomia
postulate - postulare, presupporre, esprimere
accepted - accettare, ammettere
It is the necessary preliminary assumption. If I hadn't believed that it was interesting I could never have begun to write it. As to the mere physical possibility we all know that some speeches in Parliament have taken nearer six than three hours in delivery; whereas all that part of the book which is Marlow's narrative can be read through aloud, I should say, in less than three hours.
necessary - necessario
preliminary - preliminare
assumption - assunzione, supposizione, presupposto, ipotesi
mere - semplice, solo
physical - fisico
possibility - possibilita, opportunita
speeches - parola, discorso
Parliament - parlamento
delivery - consegna, distribuzione, parto
whereas - laddove, mentre
read through - leggere qualcosa dall'inizio alla fine
aloud - a voce alta, ad alta voce
Besides-though I have kept strictly all such insignificant details out of the tale-we may presume that there must have been refreshments on that night, a glass of mineral water of some sort to help the narrator on.
besides - accanto, vicino
though - comunque, nonostante, in ogni caso, ad ogni modo, anche se
strictly - strettamente, severamente, rigidamente, prettamente
such - tale
insignificant - insignificante, irrilevante, nullo
Tale - storia, resoconto
presume - presumere
refreshments - rinfrescarsi
mineral water - acqua minerale
sort - sorta, tipo
narrator - narratore, narratrice
But, seriously, the truth of the matter is, that my first thought was of a short story, concerned only with the pilgrim ship episode; nothing more. And that was a legitimate conception. After writing a few pages, however, I became for some reason discontented and I laid them aside for a time. I didn't take them out of the drawer till the late Mr.
seriously - seriamente, gravemente
truth - verita, veritate
matter - materia, problema, argomento, questione, faccenda, causa
concerned - interesse, preoccupazione, impresa, interessare
pilgrim - pellegrino
ship - nave
episode - episodio
legitimate - legittimo
conception - concezione, concepimento, concetto
discontented - malcontento, scontentezza
laid - posare
aside - a parte, in disparte
drawer - cassetto
Mr - Signor
William Blackwood suggested I should give something again to his magazine.
William - Guglielmo
suggested - proporre, suggerire
It was only then that I perceived that the pilgrim ship episode was a good starting-point for a free and wandering tale; that it was an event, too, which could conceivably colour the whole 'sentiment of existence'in a simple and sensitive character.
perceived - percepire
wandering - vagabondaggio, (wander), errare, vagare, girovagare, passeggiare
conceivably - plausibilmente
sentiment - sentimento
existence - esistenza
simple - semplice, mero
sensitive - ricettivo, sensibile, delicato
character - personaggio, carattere, caratteristica
But all these preliminary moods and stirrings of spirit were rather obscure at the time, and they do not appear clearer to me now after the lapse of so many years.
moods - umore
stirrings - mescolando
spirit - spirito
Rather - rato
obscure - oscuro, nascosto, oscurato, confuso, poco chiaro, vago
appear - apparire
clearer - piu chiaro, (clear), trasparente, limpido, pulito, chiaro
lapse - scadere
The few pages I had laid aside were not without their weight in the choice of subject. But the whole was re-written deliberately. When I sat down to it I knew it would be a long book, though I didn't foresee that it would spread itself over thirteen numbers of Maga.
weight - peso, appesantire, gravare, ponderare
choice - scelta, ottimo, ottima, di prima scelta
deliberately - intenzionalmente, deliberatamente, per partito preso
foresee - prevedere
spread - spartire, allargare, spargere, diffondere, sparpagliare
itself - sé, se stesso, sé stesso
I have been asked at times whether this was not the book of mine I liked best. I am a great foe to favouritism in public life, in private life, and even in the delicate relationship of an author to his works. As a matter of principle I will have no favourites; but I don't go so far as to feel grieved and annoyed by the preference some people give to my Lord Jim.
whether - se, indipendentemente, sia che, che, no, checkse
mine - mio, mia, mie, miei
foe - nemico
favouritism - favoritismo
public - pubblico
private life - vita privata
delicate - delicato (1, 2)
relationship - rapporto, relazione, parentela, storia, legame
principle - principio, regola, valore
grieved - affliggersi, rattristarsi
annoyed - infastidirsi, infastidire, importunare, disturbare
preference - preferenza
I won't even say that I 'fail to understand . . .'No! But once I had occasion to be puzzled and surprised.
fail - fallire
Occasion - occasione, occasionare
puzzled - mistero, rompicapo, indovinello, rendere perplesso
surprised - sorpresa, stupire, sorprendere, meravigliare
A friend of mine returning from Italy had talked with a lady there who did not like the book. I regretted that, of course, but what surprised me was the ground of her dislike. 'You know,'she said, 'it is all so morbid.'
Italy - Italia, Stivale, bel paese
lady - signora, dama, lady
regretted - rimpiangere, rammaricarsi, pentirsi, rammarico, rimpianto
ground - terra
dislike - antipatia, avversione, non piacersi
morbid - morboso, raccapricciante
The pronouncement gave me food for an hour's anxious thought. Finally I arrived at the conclusion that, making due allowances for the subject itself being rather foreign to women's normal sensibilities, the lady could not have been an Italian. I wonder whether she was European at all? In any case, no Latin temperament would have perceived anything morbid in the acute consciousness of lost honour.
pronouncement - pronunciamento
anxious - ansioso, preoccupante, bramoso, impaziente
finally - finalmente, alla fine, per concludere, infine, definitivamente
conclusion - conclusione
due - dovuto
allowances - permesso, concessione, delibera, razione, attenuante, sgravio
Rather - preferibilmente, piuttosto, abbastanza, meglio
foreign - estraneo, estranea, straniero, straniera
normal - normale
sensibilities - sensibilita
Italian - italiano, italiana
wonder - meraviglia, domandarsi, chiedersi
European - europeo, europea
case - caso
Latin - Latino
temperament - temperamento, carattere
acute - acuto
consciousness - conoscenza, coscienza
honour - onore
Such a consciousness may be wrong, or it may be right, or it may be condemned as artificial; and, perhaps, my Jim is not a type of wide commonness. But I can safely assure my readers that he is not the product of coldly perverted thinking. He's not a figure of Northern Mists either.
condemned - condannare
artificial - artificiale, artificioso, artefatto, falso
Perhaps - forse
wide - largo, ampio, vasto, laterale
commonness - comune
safely - sicuramente, senza problemi, in sicurezza, senza rischi
assure - assicurare, garantire
coldly - freddamente
perverted - pervertito, pervertita
figure - figura, fisico, personaggio, cifra, forma, calcolare, risolvere
Northern - settentrionale, nordico, boreale
mists - nebbia, foschia
either - ciascuno, entrambi, ogni, neanche, nemmeno
One sunny morning, in the commonplace surroundings of an Eastern roadstead, I saw his form pass by-appealing-significant-under a cloud-perfectly silent. Which is as it should be. It was for me, with all the sympathy of which I was capable, to seek fit words for his meaning. He was 'one of us'.
sunny - soleggiato, soleggiata
commonplace - ordinario, banale, luogo comune, fatto normale
surroundings - periferia, circostante
eastern - orientale
roadstead - rada
pass - passare
appealing - fare appello, ricorrere
significant - significativo, eloquente, epocale, rimarchevole
cloud - annuvolarsi, oscurare, annebbiare
perfectly - perfettamente, propriamente, totalmente
silent - silenzioso, muto, silente, tranquillo, silenzio
sympathy - compassione, empatia
capable - capace
seek - cercare, ricercare
fit - in forma*
J.C. 1917.
He was an inch, perhaps two, under six feet, powerfully built, and he advanced straight at you with a slight stoop of the shoulders, head forward, and a fixed from-under stare which made you think of a charging bull. His voice was deep, loud, and his manner displayed a kind of dogged self-assertion which had nothing aggressive in it.
inch - pollice
powerfully - poderosamente, potentemente
advanced - avanzare, progredire, anticipare, migliorare, avvicinarsi
straight - dritto, retto, diretto, liscio, puro, in linea, convenzionale
Slight - insignificante, leggero, debole, lieve, disprezzare, sminuire
stoop - chinarsi, abbassarsi
shoulders - spalla
forward - avanti, in avanti
fixed - aggiustare, riparare, mettere una pezza, sistemare, preparare
stare - fissare
charging - costo, prezzo, carico, accusa, imputazione, carica, incarico
Bull - maschio (dei grandi mammiferi), toro
voice - voce
deep - profondo, spesso, esteso, profondo (1, 2)
loud - forte, alto
manner - maniera, modo
displayed - rappresentazione, saggio, schermo, video, espositore, mostrare
self - stesso
assertion - asserzione, affermazione, asserimento, dichiarazione
aggressive - aggressivo
It seemed a necessity, and it was directed apparently as much at himself as at anybody else. He was spotlessly neat, apparelled in immaculate white from shoes to hat, and in the various Eastern ports where he got his living as ship-chandler's water-clerk he was very popular.
necessity - necessita, bisogno
directed - diretto
apparently - chiaramente, evidentemente, apparentemente, sembra che
Anybody - qualcuno
spotlessly - senza macchia
neat - preciso, ordinato
apparelled - abbigliamento
immaculate - immacolato
various - vario
ports - porto
chandler - person who makes or sells candles
clerk - impiegato
A water-clerk need not pass an examination in anything under the sun, but he must have Ability in the abstract and demonstrate it practically.
examination - esame, visita
ability - abilita, capacita
abstract - estratto, sunto, compendio, riassunto, astrazione, astratto
demonstrate - dimostrare, manifestare
practically - praticamente
His work consists in racing under sail, steam, or oars against other water-clerks for any ship about to anchor, greeting her captain cheerily, forcing upon him a card-the business card of the ship-chandler-and on his first visit on shore piloting him firmly but without ostentation to a vast, cavern-like shop which is full of things that are eaten and drunk on board ship; where you can get everything to make her seaworthy and beautiful, from a set of chain-hooks for her cable to a book of gold-leaf for the carvings of her stern; and where her commander is received like a brother by a ship-chandler he has never seen before. There is a cool parlour, easy-chairs, bottles, cigars, writing implements, a copy of harbour regulations, and a warmth of welcome that melts the salt of a three months'passage out of a seaman's heart. The connection thus begun is kept up, as long as the ship remains in harbour, by the daily visits of the water-clerk. To the captain he is faithful like a friend and attentive like a son, with the patience of Job, the unselfish devotion of a woman, and the jollity of a boon companion. Later on the bill is sent in. It is a beautiful and humane occupation. Therefore good water-clerks are scarce. When a water-clerk who possesses Ability in the abstract has also the advantage of having been brought up to the sea, he is worth to his employer a lot of money and some humouring. Jim had always good wages and as much humouring as would have bought the fidelity of a fiend. Nevertheless, with black ingratitude he would throw up the job suddenly and depart. To his employers the reasons he gave were obviously inadequate. They said 'Confounded fool!'as soon as his back was turned. This was their criticism on his exquisite sensibility.
consists - consistere di
racing - corsa
sail - vela
steam - vapore
oars - remo
against - contrario, contro, in cambio di
clerks - impiegato
anchor - ancora
greeting - saluto, benvenuto
captain - capitano, capitano di vascello
cheerily - allegramente
forcing - forza
upon - su, a
business card - biglietto da visita
on shore - sulla riva
piloting - pilotaggio
firmly - fermamente, decisamente, sicuramente, saldamente
ostentation - ostentazione
vast - ampio, vasto, esteso, grande
cavern - caverna
on board ship - a bordo della nave
seaworthy - in grado di navigare
set - Seth
chain - catena, incatenare, concatenare
hooks - gancio, gancetto, uncino, ritornello, parte orecchiabile
cable - cavo, cavo elettrico, treccia, cablare
gold - oro, d'oro
leaf - foglia, foglio, prolunga
carvings - intaglio
stern - severo
commander - comandante
received - ricevere
parlour - salotto
cigars - sigaro
implements - attrezzo, utensile, arnese, mettere in pratica, attuare
copy - copia, replica, copiare, imitare, ricevere
harbour - porto
regulations - regola, regolamento, regolazione
warmth - calore
melts - sciogliere, fondere
passage - passaggio
seaman - marinaio
heart - cuore
connection - connessione, coincidenza
thus - cosi
kept up - mantenuto
remains - stare, restare, rimanere
daily - quotidiano, giornaliero
faithful - fedele, ligio, affidabile
attentive - attento
patience - pazienza
unselfish - altruista, altruistico
devotion - devozione
jollity - allegria
boon - vantaggio, beneficio
companion - amico, compagno
sent in - inviato
humane - umano
occupation - occupazione
therefore - dunque, quindi, percio, pertanto
scarce - scarso
possesses - possedere, avere
advantage - vantaggio, beneficio
humouring - humour, umorismo, umore, accontentare, assecondare
wages - intraprendere
fidelity - fedelta
fiend - demonio
nevertheless - nondimeno, tuttavia, eppure, nonostante
ingratitude - ingratitudine
throw up - vomitare
suddenly - all'improvviso, improvvisamente
depart - partire, andar via, allontanarsi, dipartire, deviare
employers - datore di lavoro
Obviously - ovviamente
inadequate - inadeguato
confounded - confondere
fool - stolto, buffone, giullare, pagliaccio, buffone di corte, matto
criticism - critica
exquisite - squisito, delizioso
sensibility - sensibilita
To the white men in the waterside business and to the captains of ships he was just Jim-nothing more. He had, of course, another name, but he was anxious that it should not be pronounced. His incognito, which had as many holes as a sieve, was not meant to hide a personality but a fact.
waterside - lungomare
captains - capitano, capitano di vascello
ships - nave
pronounced - dichiarare, emettere, pronunziare, pronunciare
incognito - incognito, in incognito
holes - buco
sieve - setaccio, scolino, crivello, vaglio
hide - nascondere, nascondersi
personality - personalita
When the fact broke through the incognito he would leave suddenly the seaport where he happened to be at the time and go to another-generally farther east. He kept to seaports because he was a seaman in exile from the sea, and had Ability in the abstract, which is good for no other work but that of a water-clerk.
broke through - sfondare
generally - in genere, generalmente, di solito, in generale, a grandi linee
seaports - porto marittimo
exile - esilio, esiliato, esule, esiliare
He retreated in good order towards the rising sun, and the fact followed him casually but inevitably. Thus in the course of years he was known successively in Bombay, in Calcutta, in Rangoon, in Penang, in Batavia-and in each of these halting-places was just Jim the water-clerk.
retreated - ritirarsi
in good order - in ordine
towards - verso, incontro, per, presso
rising - in aumento
casually - casualmente
inevitably - inevitabilmente
successively - successivamente
Bombay - Bombay, gatto Bombay
Calcutta -
halting - fermarsi
Afterwards, when his keen perception of the Intolerable drove him away for good from seaports and white men, even into the virgin forest, the Malays of the jungle village, where he had elected to conceal his deplorable faculty, added a word to the monosyllable of his incognito. They called him Tuan Jim: as one might say-Lord Jim.
afterwards - dopo
keen - appassionato, desideroso
perception - percezione, sentore
intolerable - intollerabile, insopportabile
Virgin - vergine
forest - bosco, selva, foresta
Malays - malese
jungle - giungla
elected - eleggere
conceal - nascondere, celare
deplorable - deplorabile, deplorevole, deprecabile
faculty - facolta
monosyllable - monosillabo
Originally he came from a parsonage. Many commanders of fine merchant-ships come from these abodes of piety and peace. Jim's father possessed such certain knowledge of the Unknowable as made for the righteousness of people in cottages without disturbing the ease of mind of those whom an unerring Providence enables to live in mansions.
originally - in origine, all'origine, originariamente, originalmente
parsonage - canonica
commanders - comandante
merchant - mercante, mercantessa, commerciante, negoziante
abodes - residenza
piety - pieta
peace - pace, armonia
possessed - possiede
Certain - certo, sicuro, tale, determinato
knowledge - conoscenza, sapere
Unknowable - Non si sa
righteousness - rettitudine
cottages - casolare, rustico
disturbing - disturbare
ease - facilita, riposo, attenuare
mind - mente
those - quelle, quei, quegli
whom - chi, cui
unerring - infallibile
Providence - Provvidenza
enables - permettere, attivare, abilitare
mansions - reggia, dimora, palazzo, villa
The little church on a hill had the mossy greyness of a rock seen through a ragged screen of leaves. It had stood there for centuries, but the trees around probably remembered the laying of the first stone.
church - chiesa, funzione, messa
Hill - collina, colle
mossy - muschiato
greyness - grigiore
Rock - roccia
seen through - visto attraverso
ragged - stracciato
screen - paravento, schermo, cernere, censurare, schermare
laying - posa
stone - pietra, roccia, sasso, tsassolino, gemma
Below, the red front of the rectory gleamed with a warm tint in the midst of grass-plots, flower-beds, and fir-trees, with an orchard at the back, a paved stable-yard to the left, and the sloping glass of greenhouses tacked along a wall of bricks.
rectory - canonica
gleamed - brillare
tint - tinta, sfumatura
midst - in mezzo a*
grass - erba, tgraminacea, prato, spia, delatore, pentito
plots - trama, ordito, schema, canovaccio
fir-trees - (fir-trees) abeti
orchard - frutteto, albero da frutto
paved - lastricare, pavimentare
stable - stabile
Yard - iarda
sloping - pendio, pendenza, inclinazione, muso giallo, digradare, loor
greenhouses - serra
tacked - bulletta, puntina
along - lungo
bricks - mattone, laterizio, tegola
The living had belonged to the family for generations; but Jim was one of five sons, and when after a course of light holiday literature his vocation for the sea had declared itself, he was sent at once to a 'training-ship for officers of the mercantile marine.'
belonged - appartenere a
generations - generazione
literature - letteratura
vocation - vocazione
declared - dichiarare
training-ship - (training-ship) nave da addestramento
officers - funzionario, ufficiale, agente, checkufficiale
mercantile marine - marina mercantile
He learned there a little trigonometry and how to cross top-gallant yards. He was generally liked. He had the third place in navigation and pulled stroke in the first cutter. Having a steady head with an excellent physique, he was very smart aloft.
trigonometry - trigonometria
Cross - croce, segno della croce, incrocio, cross, diagonale, irritato
top - cima, sommita, coperchio, cappuccio, parte superiore, top
gallant - coraggioso
yards - iarda
third - terzo, terza, atterzare
navigation - nautica, navigazione
pulled - tirare
stroke - colpo
steady - fermo, saldo, fidato, sicuro, costante
excellent - eccellente, eccezionale
physique - fisico
smart - elegante
aloft - sopra, all`apice
His station was in the fore-top, and often from there he looked down, with the contempt of a man destined to shine in the midst of dangers, at the peaceful multitude of roofs cut in two by the brown tide of the stream, while scattered on the outskirts of the surrounding plain the factory chimneys rose perpendicular against a grimy sky, each slender like a pencil, and belching out smoke like a volcano. He could see the big ships departing, the broad-beamed ferries constantly on the move, the little boats floating far below his feet, with the hazy splendour of the sea in the distance, and the hope of a stirring life in the world of adventure.
fore - former, occurring earlier, forward, at or toward the front
contempt - disprezzo
destined - destino
shine - brillare, far luce con
dangers - pericolo
peaceful - pacifico
multitude - moltitudine, folla
roofs - tetto
tide - marea
stream - corrente, ruscello, rivo, flusso, semestre
scattered - disperdere, disperdersi, sparpagliare, cospargere, deflettere
outskirts - periferia
surrounding - periferia, circostante, (surround), circondare, accerchiare
plain - semplice
factory - fabbrica, impianto, manifattura, stabilimento
chimneys - camino, ciminiera, fumaiolo, bulbo
rose - Rosa
perpendicular - perpendicolare
grimy - torbido
sky - cielo
slender - snello
belching - ruttare, rutto
smoke - fumo
volcano - vulcano
departing - in partenza, (depart), partire, andar via, allontanarsi
broad - largo
beamed - trave, asse, architrave, traversa, braccio, corno principale
ferries - traghetto
constantly - ininterrottamente, costantemente, continuamente, senza sosta
floating - fluttuante, (float), galleggiare, appianatoia, frattazzo
hazy - nebuloso
splendour - splendore
distance - distanza
stirring - mescolando
adventure - avventura
On the lower deck in the babel of two hundred voices he would forget himself, and beforehand live in his mind the sea-life of light literature. He saw himself saving people from sinking ships, cutting away masts in a hurricane, swimming through a surf with a line; or as a lonely castaway, barefooted and half naked, walking on uncovered reefs in search of shellfish to stave off starvation.
lower deck - ponte inferiore
babel - babele
voices - voce
beforehand - anticipatamente, precedentemente
saving - salvare, (save), soccorrere, redimere, immagazzinare
sinking - affondamento, naufragio, (sink), affondare
masts - albero
hurricane - uragano, ciclone
swimming through - nuotare attraverso
surf - frangenti, flutti, surfare, fare surf, navigare
lonely - solo, solitario, malinconico, desolato, isolato
castaway - naufrago
barefooted - a piedi nudi
half naked - mezzo nudo
uncovered - scoprire, scoperchiare, rivelare, svelare
reefs - scogliera
search - ricerca, cercare, buscare
shellfish - crostaceo, mollusco
stave - doga, piolo, strofa, pentagramma
starvation - fame
He confronted savages on tropical shores, quelled mutinies on the high seas, and in a small boat upon the ocean kept up the hearts of despairing men-always an example of devotion to duty, and as unflinching as a hero in a book.
confronted - affrontare, confrontarsi, sfidare, confrontare
savages - selvaggio, primitivo, brutale, crudele, feroce, impietoso
tropical - tropicale
shores - spiaggia
quelled - reprimere, soffocare
mutinies - ammutinamento
Ocean - oceano
hearts - cuore
despairing - disperazione
Duty - dovere, obbligo, servizio, attivita, tassa, dazio
unflinching - inflessibile, risoluto
hero - eroe, eroina, protagonista
'Something's up. Come along.'
He leaped to his feet. The boys were streaming up the ladders. Above could be heard a great scurrying about and shouting, and when he got through the hatchway he stood still-as if confounded.
leaped - saltare
streaming - treaming, (stream), corrente, ruscello, rivo, flusso
ladders - scala, smagliatura
scurrying - fuggire, scappare, svignarsela
shouting - gridare
got through - telefonare, connettersi, raggiungere un luogo
hatchway - boccaporto
It was the dusk of a winter's day. The gale had freshened since noon, stopping the traffic on the river, and now blew with the strength of a hurricane in fitful bursts that boomed like salvoes of great guns firing over the ocean.
dusk - crepuscolo, tramonto, tramontare, crepuscolare
gale - burrasca
freshened - rinfrescare
Since - da allora, a partire da, da quando, poiché, giacché, dacché
noon - mezzogiorno
blew - colpo
strength - forza, vigore, energia, intensita, efficacia
fitful - a singhiozzo, irregolare, rapsodico, sporadico
bursts - scoppiare, esplodere, strappare, separare, scoppio, esplosione
boomed - boom
salvoes - Salva
guns - arma da fuoco
The rain slanted in sheets that flicked and subsided, and between whiles Jim had threatening glimpses of the tumbling tide, the small craft jumbled and tossing along the shore, the motionless buildings in the driving mist, the broad ferry-boats pitching ponderously at anchor, the vast landing-stages heaving up and down and smothered in sprays. The next gust seemed to blow all this away.
slanted - pendenza, inclinazione, pendio, tendenza, angolatura
sheets - foglio, talian: teglia da forno g, talian: foglio g, ('of metal also') lamiera g, ('of ice, stone, marble') lastra g, scotta
flicked - buffetto
subsided - sprofondare, abbassare, abbassarsi, scendere
threatening - minaccioso, (threaten), minacciare, impaurire, intimidire
glimpses - occhiata, scorcio, intravedere
tumbling - ruzzolare, (tumble), caduta, tombola, cadere, precipitare
craft - abilita, mestiere, confezionare, creare, costruire, sviluppare
jumbled - mischiare
tossing - gettare, (toss), tiro, lancio, testa o croce, lancio moneta
shore - spiaggia
motionless - immobile, immoto, inerte
buildings - edificio
mist - nebbia, foschia
ferry - traghetto
pitching - lanci
ponderously - ponderatamente
stages - fase, stadio, tappa, scena, palco
heaving - ansimare, (heave), sollevamento
smothered - soffocare, asfissiare
sprays - spray, spruzzo, (getto vaporizzato)
gust - raffica
blow - colpo
The air was full of flying water. There was a fierce purpose in the gale, a furious earnestness in the screech of the wind, in the brutal tumult of earth and sky, that seemed directed at him, and made him hold his breath in awe. He stood still. It seemed to him he was whirled around.
fierce - feroce, risoluto
purpose - scopo
furious - furioso, checkarrabbiato
earnestness - serieta
screech - stridere
wind - vento
brutal - brutale
tumult - tumulto
earth - terra, massa, tana, mettere a terra, tcollegare a terra
hold - tenere
breath - respiro, lena, alito, fiato
awe - timore
whirled - turbinare, piroettare, roteare
He was jostled. 'Man the cutter!'Boys rushed past him. A coaster running in for shelter had crashed through a schooner at anchor, and one of the ship's instructors had seen the accident. A mob of boys clambered on the rails, clustered round the davits. 'Collision. Just ahead of us. Mr. Symons saw it.'A push made him stagger against the mizzen-mast, and he caught hold of a rope.
jostled - spingere, farsi largo
rushed - precipitarsi, portare d'urgenza
coaster - montagne russe
shelter - rifugio, riparo, dare rifugio, rifugiarsi, ripararsi
crashed - frastuono
schooner - schooner, goletta, scuna
instructors - istruttore, insegnante
accident - incidente, accidente
mob - folla, calca
clambered - arrampicarsi
rails - sbarra, asta, staccionata, parapetto
clustered - gruppo, grappolo
round - rotondo, tondo
davits - gru
collision - collisione
ahead - avanti, anticipatamente, al futuro, anzitempo, antecedentemente
push - spingere
stagger - barcollare, (stag), cervo, bue
mizzen - mezzana
mast - albero
caught - presa, conquista, fermaglio, fermaglio di sicurezza, trappola
rope - corda
The old training-ship chained to her moorings quivered all over, bowing gently head to wind, and with her scanty rigging humming in a deep bass the breathless song of her youth at sea. 'Lower away!'He saw the boat, manned, drop swiftly below the rail, and rushed after her. He heard a splash. 'Let go; clear the falls!'He leaned over. The river alongside seethed in frothy streaks.
chained - bound with chains, computing: linked in a chain
moorings - ormeggio, attracco
quivered - tremare, tremolare
bowing - inchinarsi
gently - soavemente, dolcemente, blandamente, delicatamente
scanty - scarso
rigging - truccatura
humming - canticchiare, (hum), ronzio, canterellare
bass - basso
breathless - senza fiato
youth - gioventu, giovinezza, giovane, giovanotto, ragazzo
lower - oscurarsi
drop - goccia
Swiftly - Rapidamente
rail - sbarra, asta, staccionata, parapetto
splash - schizzo, tonfo, sciacquio
clear - trasparente, limpido, pulito, chiaro, nitido
leaned - pendere
alongside - accanto, a fianco, congiuntamente
seethed - bollire, ribollire, schiumare, fervere, brulicare, turbinare
frothy - spumoso, spumeggiante
streaks - striatura, striscia
The cutter could be seen in the falling darkness under the spell of tide and wind, that for a moment held her bound, and tossing abreast of the ship. A yelling voice in her reached him faintly: 'Keep stroke, you young whelps, if you want to save anybody! Keep stroke!
darkness - buio, oscurita, tenebre, scuro
held - tenere
bound - vincolato, (bind), legare, connettere, rilegare
abreast - affiancato, di pari passo, aggiornato, aggiornata, al passo
yelling - urlare
reached - arrivare a, raggiungere
faintly - debolmente, tenuemente, fiocamente, fievolmente
whelps - cucciolo
save - salvare, soccorrere, redimere, immagazzinare, risparmiare
'And suddenly she lifted high her bow, and, leaping with raised oars over a wave, broke the spell cast upon her by the wind and tide.
lifted - alzare, sollevare
bow - inchinarsi, chinare il capo
leaping - saltare
raised - alzare, innalzare
wave - onda
cast - gettare, posare, lanciare, addizionare, sommare, calcolare
Jim felt his shoulder gripped firmly. 'Too late, youngster.'The captain of the ship laid a restraining hand on that boy, who seemed on the point of leaping overboard, and Jim looked up with the pain of conscious defeat in his eyes. The captain smiled sympathetically. 'Better luck next time. This will teach you to be smart.'
gripped - impugnare, avvincere
youngster - giovane
restraining - contenere, frenare
overboard - in mare
pain - dolore
conscious - cosciente, conscio, consapevole
defeat - sconfiggere
smiled - sorriso, sorridere
sympathetically - con simpatia
luck - fortuna
A shrill cheer greeted the cutter. She came dancing back half full of water, and with two exhausted men washing about on her bottom boards. The tumult and the menace of wind and sea now appeared very contemptible to Jim, increasing the regret of his awe at their inefficient menace. Now he knew what to think of it. It seemed to him he cared nothing for the gale. He could affront greater perils.
shrill - stridulo, stridore, stridio, stridente
cheer - urra, acclamazione
greeted - salutare
exhausted - esaurire
bottom - fondo, parte inferiore, sedere, passivo
boards - asse
menace - minaccia
contemptible - disprezzabile, disdicevole, riprovevole, biasimabile
increasing - in aumento, (increase), aumentare, ingrossare, crescere
regret - rimpiangere, rammaricarsi, pentirsi, rammarico, rimpianto
inefficient - inefficiente, inadeguato, inefficace, a scartamento ridotto
affront - insultare, affronto
perils - periglio, pericolo
He would do so-better than anybody. Not a particle of fear was left. Nevertheless he brooded apart that evening while the bowman of the cutter-a boy with a face like a girl's and big grey eyes-was the hero of the lower deck. Eager questioners crowded round him. He narrated: 'I just saw his head bobbing, and I dashed my boat-hook in the water.
particle - granello, pezzetto, particella
fear - paura
brooded - nidiata, prole, schiusa, covata, checknidiata, covare, allevare
apart - separatamente, a pezzi
deck - ponte (di una nave), insieme (matematico), mazzo (di carte)
eager - desideroso
questioners - interrogante
crowded - folla
Narrated - raccontare, narrare
bobbing - ballonzolare
dashed - lineetta, linea, scatto, spruzzo, pizzico, goccio, saltare
Hook - gancio, gancetto, uncino, ritornello, parte orecchiabile
It caught in his breeches and I nearly went overboard, as I thought I would, only old Symons let go the tiller and grabbed my legs-the boat nearly swamped. Old Symons is a fine old chap. I don't mind a bit him being grumpy with us. He swore at me all the time he held my leg, but that was only his way of telling me to stick to the boat-hook. Old Symons is awfully excitable-isn't he?
breeches - culatta
nearly - quasi, praticamente, circa
tiller - barra
grabbed - afferrare
swamped - palude
chap - tipo
I don't mind - Non mi dispiace
bit - morso
grumpy - scontroso
swore - giurare
stick - mettere, infilare
awfully - terribilmente
excitable - eccitabile
No-not the little fair chap-the other, the big one with a beard. When we pulled him in he groaned, "Oh, my leg! oh, my leg!" and turned up his eyes. Fancy such a big chap fainting like a girl. Would any of you fellows faint for a jab with a boat-hook?-I wouldn't. It went into his leg so far.'He showed the boat-hook, which he had carried below for the purpose, and produced a sensation. 'No, silly!
fair - biondo, chiaro
beard - barba, appuntamento di copertura
groaned - gemito, gemere
fancy - capriccio
Fainting - svenimento
fellows - uomo, tipo
jab - puntura, iniezione
produced - produrre, realizzare, fornire, prodotto, prodotti
sensation - sensazione, senso, impressione
silly - sciocco
It was not his flesh that held him-his breeches did. Lots of blood, of course.'
flesh - carne
blood - sangue
Jim thought it a pitiful display of vanity. The gale had ministered to a heroism as spurious as its own pretence of terror. He felt angry with the brutal tumult of earth and sky for taking him unawares and checking unfairly a generous readiness for narrow escapes. Otherwise he was rather glad he had not gone into the cutter, since a lower achievement had served the turn.
pitiful - pietoso
display - rappresentazione, saggio, schermo, video, espositore, mostrare
vanity - vanita
ministered - ministro
heroism - eroismo
spurious - spurie
pretence - finzione
terror - terrore
unawares - ignaro, inconsapevole
unfairly - ingiustamente
generous - magnanimo, generoso, abbondante
readiness - prontezza
narrow - stretto
escapes - scappare, fuggire, darsela a gambe, evitare, eludere
otherwise - altrimenti, differentemente, in altre circostanze, tuttavia
Glad - contento, felice
gone into - occuparsi di qualcosa
achievement - realizzazione, prestazione, conseguimento, rendimento
served - servizio, servire, essere in forza, operare, lavorare per
He had enlarged his knowledge more than those who had done the work. When all men flinched, then-he felt sure-he alone would know how to deal with the spurious menace of wind and seas. He knew what to think of it. Seen dispassionately, it seemed contemptible.
enlarged - allargare
flinched - ritirarsi, sottrarsi
alone - da solo, soltanto
deal - accordo
dispassionately - spassionatamente
He could detect no trace of emotion in himself, and the final effect of a staggering event was that, unnoticed and apart from the noisy crowd of boys, he exulted with fresh certitude in his avidity for adventure, and in a sense of many-sided courage.
detect - scoprire
trace - traccia
emotion - emozione
effect - effetto, effettuare
staggering - sconcertante, sconvolgente
unnoticed - inosservato
noisy - rumoroso, chiassoso
crowd - folla
exulted - esultare
fresh - fresco
certitude - certezza
avidity - avidita
sense - senso, coscienza, sensazione, significato, tocco
sided - lato
courage - coraggio
After two years of training he went to sea, and entering the regions so well known to his imagination, found them strangely barren of adventure. He made many voyages.
entering - entrare, (enter), immettere, digitare
regions - regione
imagination - immaginazione
strangely - stranamente
barren - sterile, infertile, infruttifero, desolato
voyages - viaggio
He knew the magic monotony of existence between sky and water: he had to bear the criticism of men, the exactions of the sea, and the prosaic severity of the daily task that gives bread-but whose only reward is in the perfect love of the work. This reward eluded him. Yet he could not go back, because there is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.
magic - magia, magico
monotony - monotonia
bear - sopportare
exactions - esazione
prosaic - prosastico, prosaico, terra terra
severity - severita, gravita, serieta
daily task - attivita quotidiana
whose - talian: di chi, cui
Reward - ricompensa
eluded - eludere
enticing - allettante, (entice), attrarre, tentare, allettare, adescare
disenchanting - disincantare
enslaving - asservire
Besides, his prospects were good.
prospects - prospettiva, lungimiranza, possibilita, eventualita
He was gentlemanly, steady, tractable, with a thorough knowledge of his duties; and in time, when yet very young, he became chief mate of a fine ship, without ever having been tested by those events of the sea that show in the light of day the inner worth of a man, the edge of his temper, and the fibre of his stuff; that reveal the quality of his resistance and the secret truth of his pretences, not only to others but also to himself.
gentlemanly - signorile
tractable - trazionabile
thorough - minuzioso, accurato, dettagliato, totale, completo
edge - orlo, bordo, lato, vantaggio, lama, filo, arco
duties - dovere, obbligo, servizio, attivita, tassa, dazio
chief - capo, direzione
mate - accoppiarsi
worth - valore
temper - carattere, temperamento
fibre - fibra
stuff - cose, roba, tessuto, stoffa, roba (1), checkcose (2), farcire
reveal - rivelare, gettare la maschera, uscire allo scoperto
quality - qualita
resistance - resistenza
secret - segreto
pretences - finzione
Only once in all that time he had again a glimpse of the earnestness in the anger of the sea. That truth is not so often made apparent as people might think.
Glimpse - occhiata, scorcio, intravedere
anger - ira, rabbia, collera
apparent - apparente, visibile, evidente, chiaro
There are many shades in the danger of adventures and gales, and it is only now and then that there appears on the face of facts a sinister violence of intention-that indefinable something which forces it upon the mind and the heart of a man, that this complication of accidents or these elemental furies are coming at him with a purpose of malice, with a strength beyond control, with an unbridled cruelty that means to tear out of him his hope and his fear, the pain of his fatigue and his longing for rest: which means to smash, to destroy, to annihilate all he has seen, known, loved, enjoyed, or hated; all that is priceless and necessary-the sunshine, the memories, the future; which means to sweep the whole precious world utterly away from his sight by the simple and appalling act of taking his life.
shades - ombra, persiana, tonalita, gradazione, nuance, varieta
danger - pericolo
adventures - avventure
gales - burrasca
Appears - apparire
sinister - sinistro, sinistra
violence - violenza
intention - intenzione, intento
indefinable - indefinibile
forces - forza
complication - complicazione
accidents - incidente, accidente
elemental - elementare
furies - furie
malice - malizia, malanimo, malignita, cattiveria
unbridled - sfrenare
cruelty - crudelta
tear out - strappare
fatigue - stanchezza, affaticamento, corvé, usura
longing for - desiderare qualcosa, volere qualcosa
rest - riposo
smash - smash, frantumare, frantumarsi, polverizzare
destroy - distruggere, annichilare, checkabbattere (4)
annihilate - annichilire, annientare
priceless - impagabile, inestimabile, incalcolabile, senza prezzo
sunshine - luce del sole
memories - memoria, ricordo
sweep - spazzare, scopare, ramazzare, setacciare, spazzata
precious - prezioso, adorato, unico
utterly - completamente
sight - vista, spettacolo, mirino, vedere, avvistare, mirare
appalling - terribile, orrendo, pessimo, spaventoso
act - atto, legge, numero, scena, messinscena, agire, recitare, fare
Jim, disabled by a falling spar at the beginning of a week of which his Scottish captain used to say afterwards, 'Man! it's a pairfect meeracle to me how she lived through it!'spent many days stretched on his back, dazed, battered, hopeless, and tormented as if at the bottom of an abyss of unrest. He did not care what the end would be, and in his lucid moments overvalued his indifference.
disabled - disabilitare, disattivare
spar - asta
Scottish - scozzese
pairfect - ordine del giorno
meeracle - ordine del giorno
stretched - tendere
dazed - trasognamento, stordire
battered - fare il bagno
hopeless - disperato
tormented - cruccio, tormento, tarlo, tormentare, martoriare
abyss - abisso
unrest - agitazione
care - cura, attenzione
lucid - lucido
overvalued - sopravvalutazione
indifference - indifferenza
The danger, when not seen, has the imperfect vagueness of human thought. The fear grows shadowy; and Imagination, the enemy of men, the father of all terrors, unstimulated, sinks to rest in the dullness of exhausted emotion. Jim saw nothing but the disorder of his tossed cabin. He lay there battened down in the midst of a small devastation, and felt secretly glad he had not to go on deck.
imperfect - imperfetto, imperfetta
vagueness - vaghezza
human - umano
shadowy - ombroso
enemy - nemico, nemica
terrors - terrore
unstimulated - non stimolato
sinks - affondare
dullness - ottusita
disorder - disordine, disturbo
tossed - tiro, lancio, testa o croce, lancio moneta
cabin - capanna, rustico, cabina
lay - posare
battened - listello, assicella
devastation - devastazione
secretly - di nascosto
deck - ponte
But now and again an uncontrollable rush of anguish would grip him bodily, make him gasp and writhe under the blankets, and then the unintelligent brutality of an existence liable to the agony of such sensations filled him with a despairing desire to escape at any cost. Then fine weather returned, and he thought no more about It.
uncontrollable - incontrollabile
rush - precipitarsi, portare d'urgenza
anguish - angoscia
grip - impugnare, avvincere
bodily - corporale, corporeo, corporalmente
gasp - restare senza fiato, restare a bocca aperta
writhe - contorcersi
blankets - coperta, coltre, mantello
unintelligent - ordine del giorno
brutality - brutalita
liable - responsabile, punibile, passibile
agony - dolore, agonia, parossismo
sensations - sensazione, senso, impressione
desire - desiderare, volere, desiderio, voglia
escape - scappare, fuggire, darsela a gambe, evitare, eludere
His lameness, however, persisted, and when the ship arrived at an Eastern port he had to go to the hospital. His recovery was slow, and he was left behind.
lameness - zoppia
persisted - persistere
port - porto
recovery - recupero, ricupero
There were only two other patients in the white men's ward: the purser of a gunboat, who had broken his leg falling down a hatchway; and a kind of railway contractor from a neighbouring province, afflicted by some mysterious tropical disease, who held the doctor for an ass, and indulged in secret debaucheries of patent medicine which his Tamil servant used to smuggle in with unwearied devotion.
patients - paziente
ward - corsia, reparto
purser - commissario di bordo
gunboat - cannoniera
falling down - cadere
Railway - binario, rotaia, strada ferrata, ferrovia
contractor - appaltatore, committente
province - provincia
afflicted - affliggere
mysterious - misterioso, ignoto
disease - malattia, malanno, disturbo, morbo
ass - asino
indulged in - dedicato a
in secret - in segreto
debaucheries - depravazione, perversione, viziosita, immoralita
patent - brevetto
Medicine - medicina, farmaco
Tamil - tamulo, tamil
servant - servo, servitore, domestico, famiglio
smuggle - contrabbandare
unwearied - senza sosta
They told each other the story of their lives, played cards a little, or, yawning and in pyjamas, lounged through the day in easy-chairs without saying a word. The hospital stood on a hill, and a gentle breeze entering through the windows, always flung wide open, brought into the bare room the softness of the sky, the languor of the earth, the bewitching breath of the Eastern waters.
yawning - sbadigliare, (yawn), sbadiglio
pyjamas - pigiama
lounged - ciondolare, bighellare, bighellonare, oziare
gentle breeze - brezza leggera
flung - lanciare
bare - nudo
softness - morbidezza
languor - languore
bewitching - stregare
There were perfumes in it, suggestions of infinite repose, the gift of endless dreams.
perfumes - profumo, profumare
suggestions - suggestione, suggerimento, proposta
infinite - infinito
repose - riposo
gift - regalo, dono, presente, talento, regalare
endless - interminabile, senza fine, infinito
dreams - sogno, sognare
Jim looked every day over the thickets of gardens, beyond the roofs of the town, over the fronds of palms growing on the shore, at that roadstead which is a thoroughfare to the East,-at the roadstead dotted by garlanded islets, lighted by festal sunshine, its ships like toys, its brilliant activity resembling a holiday pageant, with the eternal serenity of the Eastern sky overhead and the smiling peace of the Eastern seas possessing the space as far as the horizon.
thickets - boscaglia, fratta, macchia, boschetto
fronds - fronda
palms - palma, palmo
thoroughfare - talian: t-needed
dotted - punto
garlanded - ghirlanda
islets - isolotto, isoletta
festal - festivo
toys - giocattolo, balocco, giocare, trastullarsi, baloccarsi
brilliant - brillante, splendente, luccicante, sgargiante
resembling - rassomigliare, arieggiare
pageant - parata, mostra, esposizione, esibizione
eternal - eterno
serenity - serenita
overhead - in alto, in cielo, aereo
smiling - sorridere, (smile), sorriso
possessing - possedere, avere
horizon - orizzonte
Directly he could walk without a stick, he descended into the town to look for some opportunity to get home. Nothing offered just then, and, while waiting, he associated naturally with the men of his calling in the port. These were of two kinds. Some, very few and seen there but seldom, led mysterious lives, had preserved an undefaced energy with the temper of buccaneers and the eyes of dreamers.
directly - direttamente
descended - scendere
opportunity - occasione, opportunita, possibilita, chance
offered - offrire
associated - associare
naturally - naturalmente
calling in - chiamare
seldom - raramente, di rado
led - LED
preserved - riserva, preservare, proteggere, salvaguardare, conservare
undefaced - non deturpato
energy - energia, forza
buccaneers - bucaniere, pirata, corsaro
dreamers - sognatore, sognatrice
They appeared to live in a crazy maze of plans, hopes, dangers, enterprises, ahead of civilisation, in the dark places of the sea; and their death was the only event of their fantastic existence that seemed to have a reasonable certitude of achievement. The majority were men who, like himself, thrown there by some accident, had remained as officers of country ships.
crazy - pazzo, matto, folle, impazzito, fuori di testa, fantastico
maze - labirinto, meandro
enterprises - impresa, iniziativa
civilisation - civilta
Death - morte, dipartita, decesso, morire, la morte
reasonable - ragionevole, moderato
majority - maggioranza, maggiore eta
thrown - gettare, lanciare
remained - stare, restare, rimanere
They had now a horror of the home service, with its harder conditions, severer view of duty, and the hazard of stormy oceans. They were attuned to the eternal peace of Eastern sky and sea. They loved short passages, good deck-chairs, large native crews, and the distinction of being white.
horror - orrore
service - servizio, di servizio
conditions - condizione, influenzare, condizionare
severer - recidere, troncare, tagliare, separare, distaccare
view - vista, veduta, visualizzazione, visione, opinione
hazard - rischio
stormy - tempestoso
Oceans - oceano
attuned - sintonizzarsi
passages - passaggio
native - nativo, natio, indigeno, autoctono
crews - equipaggio
distinction - distinzione
They shuddered at the thought of hard work, and led precariously easy lives, always on the verge of dismissal, always on the verge of engagement, serving Chinamen, Arabs, half-castes-would have served the devil himself had he made it easy enough.
shuddered - brivido, sussulto, tremolio, tremare
precariously - precariamente
verge - orlo
dismissal - licenziamento
engagement - impegno, connessione, partecipazione, adesione, presenza
serving - servizio, porzione, (serve), servire, essere in forza
Chinamen - Cinese
Arabs - arabo, araba, alfana
castes - casta
devil - diavolo
They talked everlastingly of turns of luck: how So-and-so got charge of a boat on the coast of China-a soft thing; how this one had an easy billet in Japan somewhere, and that one was doing well in the Siamese navy; and in all they said-in their actions, in their looks, in their persons-could be detected the soft spot, the place of decay, the determination to lounge safely through existence.
everlastingly - perennemente
charge - costo, prezzo, carico, accusa, imputazione, carica, incarico
coast - costa
China - porcellana
billet - alloggio (di militari) in case private
Japan - Giappone
somewhere - da qualche parte, in qualche luogo, in qualche parte
Siamese - siamese
Navy - marina, marina militare, flotta
detected - scoprire
soft spot - punto debole
decay - imputridire
determination - determinazione
lounge - ciondolare, bighellare, bighellonare, oziare
To Jim that gossiping crowd, viewed as seamen, seemed at first more unsubstantial than so many shadows. But at length he found a fascination in the sight of those men, in their appearance of doing so well on such a small allowance of danger and toil.
gossiping - spettegolare, (gossip), pettegolo, pettegola, chiacchierone
viewed - vista, veduta, visualizzazione, visione, opinione
seamen - marinaio
more unsubstantial - piu irrilevante
shadows - ombra, pedinare
at length - a lungo
fascination - fascinazione, fascino, passione
appearance - apparizione, comparsa, visione, apparenza, aspetto
allowance - permesso, concessione, delibera, razione, attenuante, sgravio
toil - lavoro, fatica, disputa, tenzone, litigio
In time, beside the original disdain there grew up slowly another sentiment; and suddenly, giving up the idea of going home, he took a berth as chief mate of the Patna.
beside - accanto, vicino
original - primitivo, originale, primo, inedito, originario
disdain - sdegno, disdegno, disprezzo, sdegnare, sprezzare
slowly - lentamente, piano, a rilento
berth - cuccetta, attracco, attraccare
The Patna was a local steamer as old as the hills, lean like a greyhound, and eaten up with rust worse than a condemned water-tank.
steamer - vapore
hills - collina, colle
lean - pendere
greyhound - levriero, di cani
rust - ruggine
tank - serbatoio, tanica
She was owned by a Chinaman, chartered by an Arab, and commanded by a sort of renegade New South Wales German, very anxious to curse publicly his native country, but who, apparently on the strength of Bismarck's victorious policy, brutalised all those he was not afraid of, and wore a 'blood-and-iron'air,'combined with a purple nose and a red moustache.
Chinaman - Cinese
chartered - carta
Arab - arabo, araba, alfana
commanded - comando, ordine, padronanza, maestria, perizia, ordinare
renegade - rinnegato, rinnegata, reietto, reietta
Wales - Galles
German - tedesco, tedesca, germano, germana
curse - maledire
publicly - pubblicamente
native country - paese d'origine
victorious - vittorioso
policy - politica
brutalised - abbrutire
iron - ferreo, ferroso, ferrico, inflessibile, stirare
combined - combinare, mischiare, abbinare, unire, kombinat, combinat
moustache - baffi, mostaccio
After she had been painted outside and whitewashed inside, eight hundred pilgrims (more or less) were driven on board of her as she lay with steam up alongside a wooden jetty.
whitewashed - calce, cappotto, imbiancare, lavare via, cancellare
inside - interno, dentro, dall'interno, checkriservato
pilgrims - pellegrino
driven on - continuare a guidare
board - asse
Steam - vapore
wooden - di legno, ligneo
jetty - pontile
They streamed aboard over three gangways, they streamed in urged by faith and the hope of paradise, they streamed in with a continuous tramp and shuffle of bare feet, without a word, a murmur, or a look back; and when clear of confining rails spread on all sides over the deck, flowed forward and aft, overflowed down the yawning hatchways, filled the inner recesses of the ship-like water filling a cistern, like water flowing into crevices and crannies, like water rising silently even with the rim. Eight hundred men and women with faith and hopes, with affections and memories, they had collected there, coming from north and south and from the outskirts of the East, after treading the jungle paths, descending the rivers, coasting in praus along the shallows, crossing in small canoes from island to island, passing through suffering, meeting strange sights, beset by strange fears, upheld by one desire. They came from solitary huts in the wilderness, from populous campongs, from villages by the sea. At the call of an idea they had left their forests, their clearings, the protection of their rulers, their prosperity, their poverty, the surroundings of their youth and the graves of their fathers. They came covered with dust, with sweat, with grime, with rags-the strong men at the head of family parties, the lean old men pressing forward without hope of return; young boys with fearless eyes glancing curiously, shy little girls with tumbled long hair; the timid women muffled up and clasping to their breasts, wrapped in loose ends of soiled head-cloths, their sleeping babies, the unconscious pilgrims of an exacting belief.
streamed - corrente, ruscello, rivo, flusso, semestre
aboard - a bordo, a bordo di
gangways - corridoio, palanca, passerella, scalandrone
urged - pulsione, incoraggiare, fare pressione, invitare, esortare
Faith - fede, fiducia
paradise - paradiso
continuous - continuo
tramp - vagabondo, barbone, puttana, sgualdrina
shuffle - mescolare, mischiare, strascicare, trascinarsi
murmur - mormorio, brusio, sussurro, mormorare
confining - limitare
all sides - tutti i lati
aft - a poppa
overflowed - straripamento, eccesso, eccedenza, sfogo, uscita, overflow
hatchways - boccaporto
recesses - incavo, pausa, ferie, ricreazione
cistern - cisterna
flowing - fluire
crevices - fessura, fenditura, crepa
crannies - talian: t-needed
silently - silenziosamente
affections - affetto
collected - riunirsi
treading - calpestio
paths - sentiero
descending - scendere
coasting - in costa
praus - rau
shallows - superficiale, poco profondo, poco profondo (1, 2), checksuperficiale (3), secca
Crossing - incrocio, traversata, (cross), croce, segno della croce, cross, diagonale, irritato
canoes - canoa, andare in canoa
passing through - passare
suffering - sofferenza, (suffer), soffrire, penare, patire, aggravarsi
strange - strano, anormale
sights - vista, spettacolo, mirino, vedere, avvistare, mirare
beset - circondare, assediare, assaltare, incastonare, incagliare
fears - paura
upheld - talian: difendere ('a right'), sostenere ('a principle')
solitary - solitario
huts - capanna
wilderness - natura
populous - popoloso, popolosa
campongs - campeggio
Forests - bosco, selva, foresta
clearings - schiarimento, radura, spiazzo, compensazione, resettaggio
protection - protezione
rulers - righello, sovrano
prosperity - prosperita
poverty - poverta
graves - tomba
covered - coperto, coperchio, copertura, nascondiglio, copertina, coperta
dust - polvere, spolverare
sweat - sudore
grime - incrostazione, sporco ostinato
rags - straccio
old men - vecchi amici, persone anziane
pressing - urgente, imminente, pressante, insistente, persistente
fearless - senza paura
glancing - radente, (glance), dare un'occhiata, sbirciare, occhieggiare
curiously - curiosamente
Shy - timido, schivo, meno, adombrarsi, gettare, scagliare
tumbled - caduta, tombola, cadere, precipitare, rovinare
timid - timido, pavido, impaurito
muffled - coprire, attenuare
clasping - stringere, (clasp), fibbia, gancio, fermaglio
breasts - mammella, poppa, petto, seno
wrapped - avvolgere
loose - largo
soiled - suolo, terreno, terra
cloths - stoffa, tessuto, tela, panno, straccio
unconscious - svenuto, subconscio
exacting - esatto, giusto, preciso, attento
belief - credito, credenza, convinzione, opinione, fede
'Look at dese cattle,'said the German skipper to his new chief mate.
dese - ordine del giorno
cattle - bovini, bestiame
skipper - skipper, capitano
An Arab, the leader of that pious voyage, came last. He walked slowly aboard, handsome and grave in his white gown and large turban. A string of servants followed, loaded with his luggage; the Patna cast off and backed away from the wharf.
leader - capo, duce
pious - pio
Voyage - viaggio
Last - ultimo
handsome - bello
grave - tomba
gown - tunica, toga
turban - turbante
string - spago, stringa, laccetto, legaccio, corda
servants - servo, servitore, domestico, famiglio
loaded - carico
luggage - bagagli
wharf - attracco, molo, checkbanchina, checkpontile
She was headed between two small islets, crossed obliquely the anchoring-ground of sailing-ships, swung through half a circle in the shadow of a hill, then ranged close to a ledge of foaming reefs. The Arab, standing up aft, recited aloud the prayer of travellers by sea.
crossed - croce, segno della croce, incrocio, cross, diagonale, irritato
obliquely - obliquamente
anchoring - ancora
sailing - navigare a vela
swung - oscillare, ondeggiare, altalenare, dondolare, altalena
circle - cerchio, disco, sfera, curva, circolo, gruppo, cenacolo
shadow - ombra, pedinare
ranged - catena, fornello, stufa a legna, piano cottura, varieta, gamma
ledge - ripiano, davanzale
foaming - schiumare, (foam), schiuma, gomma piuma
recited - ar
prayer - preghiera
travellers - viaggiatore, viaggiatrice, viandante, girovago
He invoked the favour of the Most High upon that journey, implored His blessing on men's toil and on the secret purposes of their hearts; the steamer pounded in the dusk the calm water of the Strait; and far astern of the pilgrim ship a screw-pile lighthouse, planted by unbelievers on a treacherous shoal, seemed to wink at her its eye of flame, as if in derision of her errand of faith.
invoked - chiedere, invocare, appellarsi, richiedere, richiamare
favour - favore
implored - implorare
blessing - benedizione
purposes - scopo
Calm - calmo
Strait - stretto, stretta
astern - a poppa
screw - vite, elica, scopata, chiavare, fottere, scopare, trombare
pile - pila, mucchio
lighthouse - faro
unbelievers - miscredente
treacherous - traditore, sleale, infido
shoal - branco, banco
wink at - strizzare l'occhio
flame - fiamma, flame, fiammeggiare, infiammare
Derision - derisione
errand - commissione, ambasciata, incombenza, incarico
She cleared the Strait, crossed the bay, continued on her way through the 'One-degree'passage. She held on straight for the Red Sea under a serene sky, under a sky scorching and unclouded, enveloped in a fulgor of sunshine that killed all thought, oppressed the heart, withered all impulses of strength and energy.
cleared - trasparente, limpido, pulito, chiaro, nitido
bay - baia
continued - continuare
degree - laurea, grado
held on - tenuto in piedi
serene - sereno
scorching - bruciacchiatura, strinatura, bruciatura, scottatura
unclouded - not cloudy, clear
enveloped - circondare, avviluppare
fulgor - ordine del giorno
killed - uccidere
oppressed - opprimere
withered - seccarsi, far appassire
impulses - impulso, aire, slancio, abbrivo
And under the sinister splendour of that sky the sea, blue and profound, remained still, without a stir, without a ripple, without a wrinkle-viscous, stagnant, dead.
profound - profondo
stir - rimescolare
ripple - ondulazione
wrinkle - ruga
viscous - viscoso, vischioso
stagnant - stagnante
dead - morto
The Patna, with a slight hiss, passed over that plain, luminous and smooth, unrolled a black ribbon of smoke across the sky, left behind her on the water a white ribbon of foam that vanished at once, like the phantom of a track drawn upon a lifeless sea by the phantom of a steamer.
hiss - sibilo, soffio, sibilio, checkfischio, sibilare, fischiare
passed over - passare davanti, lasciare qualcosa, ignorare
luminous - luminoso
smooth - liscio, mellifluo, facile, dolce, soffice, blando
unrolled - srotolare
ribbon - nastro, fettuccia
foam - schiuma, gomma piuma
vanished - sparire, svanire
phantom - fantasma, spettro, immaginario, immaginaria, irreale
track - traccia, scia, tracciamento, sentiero, impronta, mulattiera
lifeless - senza vita
Every morning the sun, as if keeping pace in his revolutions with the progress of the pilgrimage, emerged with a silent burst of light exactly at the same distance astern of the ship, caught up with her at noon, pouring the concentrated fire of his rays on the pious purposes of the men, glided past on his descent, and sank mysteriously into the sea evening after evening, preserving the same distance ahead of her advancing bows. The five whites on board lived amidships, isolated from the human cargo. The awnings covered the deck with a white roof from stem to stern, and a faint hum, a low murmur of sad voices, alone revealed the presence of a crowd of people upon the great blaze of the ocean. Such were the days, still, hot, heavy, disappearing one by one into the past, as if falling into an abyss for ever open in the wake of the ship; and the ship, lonely under a wisp of smoke, held on her steadfast way black and smouldering in a luminous immensity, as if scorched by a flame flicked at her from a heaven without pity.
pace - passo
revolutions - rivoluzione
progress - progresso
pilgrimage - pellegrinaggio, pellegrinare
emerged - emergere, venire fuori, venire alla luce
burst - scoppiare, esplodere, strappare, separare, scoppio, esplosione
exactly - esattamente, appunto
at noon - a mezzogiorno
pouring - versare
concentrated - concentrare, concentrarsi, incentrare, focalizzare, puntare
rays - raggio
glided - scivolare, slittare, scorrere, muoversi con fluidita, planare
descent - discesa, ascendenza
sank - affondare
mysteriously - misteriosamente
preserving - riserva, preservare, proteggere, salvaguardare, conservare
advancing - avanzare, progredire, anticipare, migliorare, avvicinarsi
bows - archi
amidships - a mezza nave
isolated - isolare
cargo - carico
awnings - tenda
roof - tetto
stem - gambo, stelo
faint - debole
Hum - ronzio, canticchiare, canterellare, mormorare, brontolare
low - basso
revealed - rivelare, gettare la maschera, uscire allo scoperto
presence - presenza
blaze - incendio
heavy - pesante
disappearing - sparire, scomparire
for ever - per sempre
wisp - ciocca, trefolo, legnolo, pagliuzza
steadfast - saldo
smouldering - fumante
immensity - immensita, oceano, immanita
scorched - bruciacchiatura, strinatura, bruciatura, scottatura
Heaven - cielo, paradiso
pity - pieta, peccato, compatire
The nights descended on her like a benediction.
benediction - benedizione
A marvellous stillness pervaded the world, and the stars, together with the serenity of their rays, seemed to shed upon the earth the assurance of everlasting security.
marvellous - meraviglioso
stillness - immobilita
pervaded - pervadere
shed - capannone, rimessa
assurance - garanzia
everlasting - eterno, imperituro, immortale
Security - sicurezza, cartevalori
The young moon recurved, and shining low in the west, was like a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold, and the Arabian Sea, smooth and cool to the eye like a sheet of ice, extended its perfect level to the perfect circle of a dark horizon.
moon - Luna
recurved - ricurvo
shining - brillare, far luce con
shaving - scaglietta, scheggia, scaglia
bar - barra, tavoletta, sbarra
Arabian - Arabo
sheet of ice - lastra di ghiaccio
extended - ampliare
level - piano, orizzontale, livellato, costante, uniforme, a posto
The propeller turned without a check, as though its beat had been part of the scheme of a safe universe; and on each side of the Patna two deep folds of water, permanent and sombre on the unwrinkled shimmer, enclosed within their straight and diverging ridges a few white swirls of foam bursting in a low hiss, a few wavelets, a few ripples, a few undulations that, left behind, agitated the surface of the sea for an instant after the passage of the ship, subsided splashing gently, calmed down at last into the circular stillness of water and sky with the black speck of the moving hull remaining everlastingly in its centre.
propeller - elica, propulsore (ad elica)
beat - battere
scheme - schema, piano, progetto, programma, macchinazione
safe - sicuro, protetto, cassaforte
universe - universo
side - lato
folds - piegare
permanent - permanente, fisso, messa in piega
sombre - scuro
unwrinkled - non si stropiccia
shimmer - brillare
enclosed - cintare
within - dentro, all'interno
diverging - distaccarsi
ridges - cresta, crinale, costone, colmo, catena, dorsale
swirls - vorticare, turbinare, vortice, riccio
bursting in - irrompere
ripples - ondulazione
undulations - ondulazione
agitated - agitare, scuotere, sbattere, turbare
surface - superficie, venire a galla, emergere
instant - immediato
splashing - schizzi, (splash), schizzo, tonfo, sciacquio
calmed down - si e calmato
circular - circolare
speck - macchia
hull - scafo
remaining - stare, restare, rimanere
Jim on the bridge was penetrated by the great certitude of unbounded safety and peace that could be read on the silent aspect of nature like the certitude of fostering love upon the placid tenderness of a mother's face.
Bridge - ponte
penetrated - penetrare
unbounded - senza limiti
safety - sicurezza
read on - continuare a leggere
aspect - aspetto
nature - natura
fostering - aumento, arricchimento, crescita, rafforzamento, incoraggiamento
placid - placido
tenderness - tenerezza
Below the roof of awnings, surrendered to the wisdom of white men and to their courage, trusting the power of their unbelief and the iron shell of their fire-ship, the pilgrims of an exacting faith slept on mats, on blankets, on bare planks, on every deck, in all the dark corners, wrapped in dyed cloths, muffled in soiled rags, with their heads resting on small bundles, with their faces pressed to bent forearms: the men, the women, the children; the old with the young, the decrepit with the lusty-all equal before sleep, death's brother.
surrendered - arrendersi, capitolare
wisdom - saggezza, senno, discernimento, criterio
trusting - fiducia, confidenza, speranza, credito, affidabilita, trust
power - potere, influenza, potenza, forza, elettricita, corrente
unbelief - incredulita
shell - conchiglia, guscio, carapace, esoscheletro, mallo, baccello
slept on - dormirci sopra
mats - tappetino
planks - tavola, asse
corners - angolo, sporgenza, angolo sporgente, pietra d'angolo
dyed - tingere, colorare
resting - riposare
bundles - insieme, fascina, fascio, pacchetto, fagotto
pressed - premere, pigiare
bent - piegato, (bend), curvare, piegare, piegarsi, curvarsi
forearms - avambraccio
decrepit - decrepito, barbogio, rincoglionito
lusty - lussurioso
Equal - uguale, pari, eguagliare
A draught of air, fanned from forward by the speed of the ship, passed steadily through the long gloom between the high bulwarks, swept over the rows of prone bodies; a few dim flames in globe-lamps were hung short here and there under the ridge-poles, and in the blurred circles of light thrown down and trembling slightly to the unceasing vibration of the ship appeared a chin upturned, two closed eyelids, a dark hand with silver rings, a meagre limb draped in a torn covering, a head bent back, a naked foot, a throat bared and stretched as if offering itself to the knife. The well-to-do had made for their families shelters with heavy boxes and dusty mats; the poor reposed side by side with all they had on earth tied up in a rag under their heads; the lone old men slept, with drawn-up legs, upon their prayer-carpets, with their hands over their ears and one elbow on each side of the face; a father, his shoulders up and his knees under his forehead, dozed dejectedly by a boy who slept on his back with tousled hair and one arm commandingly extended; a woman covered from head to foot, like a corpse, with a piece of white sheeting, had a naked child in the hollow of each arm; the Arab's belongings, piled right aft, made a heavy mound of broken outlines, with a cargo-lamp swung above, and a great confusion of vague forms behind: gleams of paunchy brass pots, the foot-rest of a deck-chair, blades of spears, the straight scabbard of an old sword leaning against a heap of pillows, the spout of a tin coffee-pot. The patent log on the taffrail periodically rang a single tinkling stroke for every mile traversed on an errand of faith. Above the mass of sleepers a faint and patient sigh at times floated, the exhalation of a troubled dream; and short metallic clangs bursting out suddenly in the depths of the ship, the harsh scrape of a shovel, the violent slam of a furnace-door, exploded brutally, as if the men handling the mysterious things below had their breasts full of fierce anger: while the slim high hull of the steamer went on evenly ahead, without a sway of her bare masts, cleaving continuously the great calm of the waters under the inaccessible serenity of the sky.
draught - pedina
fanned - ventaglio
Speed - velocita
passed - passare
steadily - costantemente
gloom - oscurita, tenebre, buio
bulwarks - baluardo, impavesata
swept - spazzare, scopare, ramazzare, setacciare, spazzata
rows - fila
prone - prono, prostrato, inchinato, reclino, pendente
dim - fioco, incerto
flames - fiamma, flame, fiammeggiare, infiammare
globe - globo
hung - appendere, attaccare
ridge - cresta, crinale, costone, colmo, catena, dorsale
poles - polo
blurred - sbavare, offuscare
circles - cerchio, disco, sfera, curva, circolo, gruppo, cenacolo
thrown down - gettato giu
trembling - tremare, (tremble), tremolare, tremore
slightly - leggermente
unceasing - incessante
vibration - vibrazione
chin - mento
upturned - ripresa
eyelids - palpebra
silver - argento
rings - anello
meagre - misero
limb - membro, arto
draped - drappeggio
torn - lacrima
covering - copertura, (cover), coperto, coperchio, nascondiglio
naked - nudo
throat - gola
bared - nudo
offering - offerta
knife - coltello, lama, accoltellare
shelters - rifugio, riparo, dare rifugio, rifugiarsi, ripararsi
dusty - polveroso, impolverato
reposed - repository
side with - stare dalla parte di qualcuno
tied - legare, attaccare
rag - straccio
Lone - solo
carpets - tappeto, moquette, coprire
hands over - consegnare
elbow - gomito, raccordo, gomitata, sgomitare
forehead - fronte
dozed - sonnecchiare
dejectedly - con dispiacere
tousled - of hair: in disarray, dishevelled, or unkempt
commandingly - con comando
corpse - cadavere, corpo
sheeting - teli, (sheet), foglio, talian: teglia da forno g, talian: foglio g, ('of metal also') lamiera g, ('of ice, stone, marble') lastra g, scotta
hollow - vuoto, cavo
belongings - appartenenza
piled - pila, mucchio
mound - terrapieno, tumulo, cumulo, monticello
outlines - contorno, sagoma, descrizione, sunto, bozza, contornare
confusion - confusione, disordine, disorientamento, sbandamento
vague - vago
gleams - brillare
paunchy - paffuto
brass - ottone, di ottone
pots - pentola, vaso
blades - lama, pala, filo, lamina
spears - lancia
scabbard - fodero, guaina
sword - spada, brando
leaning - appoggiarsi
heap - folla, massa, moltitudine, pila, cumulo
pillows - guanciale, cuscino, testiera
spout - beccuccio, getto, sgorgare, zampillare
log on - accedere
periodically - periodicamente
rang - ordine del giorno
single - singolo, solo, intero, unico, single
tinkling - tintinnare
traversed - traversare
mass - massa
sleepers - dormiente
patient - paziente
sigh - sospirare
floated - galleggiare, appianatoia, frattazzo, pialletto, carro allegorico
exhalation - esalazione
troubled - guaio, problema, impiccio, tumulto
dream - sogno, sognare
metallic - metallico
clangs - risuonare con fragore
bursting - scoppiare, esplodere, strappare, separare, scoppio, esplosione
depths - profondita
harsh - grossolano, ruvido, rude, aspro (taste), accidentato
scrape - grattare, graffiare, checkraschiare, sbucciarsi, graffio
shovel - pala, badile, paletta, spalare
violent - violento
slam - sbattere
furnace - fornace, bruciatore, caldaia
exploded - esplodere
brutally - brutalmente, barbaramente
handling - manipolazione
slim - snello, magro, affusolato, dimagrire
evenly - in modo uniforme
sway - ondeggiamento, fluttuazione, dondolio, oscillazione
cleaving - fendenti
continuously - continuamente, costantemente
inaccessible - inaccessibile
Jim paced athwart, and his footsteps in the vast silence were loud to his own ears, as if echoed by the watchful stars: his eyes, roaming about the line of the horizon, seemed to gaze hungrily into the unattainable, and did not see the shadow of the coming event.
paced - passo
athwart - di traverso
Footsteps - impronta, pedata, orma, passo, gradino
silence - silenzio, silenziare, azzittire, mettere a tacere
echoed - eco
watchful - vigile
roaming - vagare, girovagare
gaze - fissare, guardare, puntare gli occhi, volgere lo sguardo
hungrily - con fame
unattainable - inattingibile
The only shadow on the sea was the shadow of the black smoke pouring heavily from the funnel its immense streamer, whose end was constantly dissolving in the air. Two Malays, silent and almost motionless, steered, one on each side of the wheel, whose brass rim shone fragmentarily in the oval of light thrown out by the binnacle.
heavily - pesantemente, fortemente, intensamente
funnel - imbuto
immense - immenso
streamer - long narrow flag, paper
dissolving - dissolversi
almost - quasi
steered - giovenco, manzo
wheel - ruota, timone, ruota del timone, pezzo grosso, cerchio
rim - cerchione, bordo
shone - brillare, far luce con
fragmentarily - frammentariamente
oval - ovale
binnacle - chiesuola
Now and then a hand, with black fingers alternately letting go and catching hold of revolving spokes, appeared in the illumined part; the links of wheel-chains ground heavily in the grooves of the barrel.
fingers - dito
alternately - alternatamente
letting go - lasciare andare
catching - catturare, (catch), presa, conquista, fermaglio
revolving - girevole, (revolve), orbitare, ruotare, ricorrere
spokes - raggio
illumined - illuminare
links - anello, maglia
chains - catena, incatenare, concatenare
grooves - solco, scanalatura, routine, tran tran, groove
barrel - barile, botte
Jim would glance at the compass, would glance around the unattainable horizon, would stretch himself till his joints cracked, with a leisurely twist of the body, in the very excess of well-being; and, as if made audacious by the invincible aspect of the peace, he felt he cared for nothing that could happen to him to the end of his days.
glance - dare un'occhiata, sbirciare, occhieggiare, radere, rasentare
compass - bussola
stretch - tendere
joints - comune, congiunta, giunto, articolazione, diaclasi, canna
cracked - rompersi, incrinarsi
leisurely - con calma
twist - torsione, contorsione, distorsione, filamento, filo, scorza
excess - eccesso, eccedenza, franchigia, eccessivo
audacious - audace, azzardato, avventato
invincible - invincibile, imbattibile
cared for - curato
From time to time he glanced idly at a chart pegged out with four drawing-pins on a low three-legged table abaft the steering-gear case. The sheet of paper portraying the depths of the sea presented a shiny surface under the light of a bull's-eye lamp lashed to a stanchion, a surface as level and smooth as the glimmering surface of the waters.
glanced - dare un'occhiata, sbirciare, occhieggiare, radere, rasentare
idly - oziare
pegged - tassello, piolo, attaccapanni
pins - spillo, spilla, molletta
abaft - a monte
steering - sterzo
gear - attrezzo, parafernalia, equipaggiamento, marcia, cambio
sheet - foglio, talian: teglia da forno g, talian: foglio g, ('of metal also') lamiera g, ('of ice, stone, marble') lastra g, scotta
portraying - ritrarre, dipingere
shiny - luccicante, brillante, luminoso, splendente, lucente
lashed - ciglio
stanchion - sostegno, puntello
glimmering - scintillante, (glimmer), barlume, filo
Parallel rulers with a pair of dividers reposed on it; the ship's position at last noon was marked with a small black cross, and the straight pencil-line drawn firmly as far as Perim figured the course of the ship-the path of souls towards the holy place, the promise of salvation, the reward of eternal life-while the pencil with its sharp end touching the Somali coast lay round and still like a naked ship's spar floating in the pool of a sheltered dock. 'How steady she goes,'thought Jim with wonder, with something like gratitude for this high peace of sea and sky. At such times his thoughts would be full of valorous deeds: he loved these dreams and the success of his imaginary achievements. They were the best parts of life, its secret truth, its hidden reality. They had a gorgeous virility, the charm of vagueness, they passed before him with an heroic tread; they carried his soul away with them and made it drunk with the divine philtre of an unbounded confidence in itself. There was nothing he could not face. He was so pleased with the idea that he smiled, keeping perfunctorily his eyes ahead; and when he happened to glance back he saw the white streak of the wake drawn as straight by the ship's keel upon the sea as the black line drawn by the pencil upon the chart.
parallel - parallelo, parallelamente, omologo
dividers - divisore, spartitraffico
reposed - riposo
position - posizione, posto, lavoro, piazzare, posizionare
marked - Marco
figured - figura, fisico, personaggio, cifra, forma, calcolare, risolvere
path - sentiero
souls - anima, spirito
holy - sacro, santo, immacolato
promise - promessa, giuramento, voto, promettere, giurare
Salvation - salvezza
sharp - affilato, aguzzo, intelligente, acuto, appuntito, diesis, acre
touching - toccare, (touch), commuovere, tocco, tatto
Somali - Somalo
sheltered - rifugio, riparo, dare rifugio, rifugiarsi, ripararsi
Dock - scalo d'approdo, molo
gratitude - gratitudine, riconoscenza
thoughts - idea, pensata, pensiero
valorous - valoroso
deeds - fatto, gesto, gesta, prodezza, impresa
imaginary - immaginario
achievements - realizzazione, prestazione, conseguimento, rendimento
hidden - nascondere, nascondersi
reality - realta
gorgeous - magnifico, splendido, favoloso, stupendo
virility - virilita
charm - fascino
heroic - eroico
tread - calpestare, pestare
divine - divino
philtre - filastrocca
confidence - fiducia, autostima, certezza, sicurezza di sé, confidenza
perfunctorily - in modo perfetto
streak - striatura, striscia
keel - chiglia
The ash-buckets racketed, clanking up and down the stoke-hold ventilators, and this tin-pot clatter warned him the end of his watch was near. He sighed with content, with regret as well at having to part from that serenity which fostered the adventurous freedom of his thoughts.
ash - cenere
buckets - secchio
racketed - baccano
clanking - sferragliare
Stoke - alimentare, attizzare
ventilators - ventilatore
tin - stagno, lattina, barattolo, gamella
pot - pentola, vaso
clatter - lo sbattere
warned - avvertire, avvisare
sighed - sospirare
content - contento, soddisfatto
fostered - allevare
adventurous - avventuroso
freedom - liberta
He was a little sleepy too, and felt a pleasurable languor running through every limb as though all the blood in his body had turned to warm milk. His skipper had come up noiselessly, in pyjamas and with his sleeping-jacket flung wide open.
sleepy - assonnato, sonnolento
pleasurable - piacevole
noiselessly - senza rumore
Red of face, only half awake, the left eye partly closed, the right staring stupid and glassy, he hung his big head over the chart and scratched his ribs sleepily. There was something obscene in the sight of his naked flesh. His bared breast glistened soft and greasy as though he had sweated out his fat in his sleep.
awake - svegliarsi
partly - in parte
stupid - stupido, scemo, stupefatto
glassy - vitreo, vetrato
scratched - grattare, graffiare, raspare, obliterare, graffio
ribs - costa, costola
sleepily - sonnolenza
obscene - osceno, disdicevole, immorale, indecente
bared - barra, tavoletta, sbarra
breast - mammella, poppa, petto, seno
glistened - luccicante
soft - morbido
greasy - viscido
sweated - sudore
He pronounced a professional remark in a voice harsh and dead, resembling the rasping sound of a wood-file on the edge of a plank; the fold of his double chin hung like a bag triced up close under the hinge of his jaw.
professional - professionista, professionale, specializzato, qualificato
remark - osservazione, commento
rasping - stridulo
wood - legno
file - fila
plank - tavola, asse
fold - piegare
double chin - doppio mento
hinge - cerniera, cardine
jaw - mascella, mandibola
Jim started, and his answer was full of deference; but the odious and fleshy figure, as though seen for the first time in a revealing moment, fixed itself in his memory for ever as the incarnation of everything vile and base that lurks in the world we love: in our own hearts we trust for our salvation, in the men that surround us, in the sights that fill our eyes, in the sounds that fill our ears, and in the air that fills our lungs.
deference - deferenza
odious - odioso
fleshy - carnoso, polposo
revealing - rivelando, (reveal), rivelare, gettare la maschera
memory - memoria, ricordo
incarnation - incarnazione
vile - abietto, basso, ignobile
lurks - appostarsi, acquattarsi, celarsi
trust - fiducia, confidenza, speranza, credito, affidabilita, trust
surround - circondare, accerchiare, assediare
lungs - polmone
The thin gold shaving of the moon floating slowly downwards had lost itself on the darkened surface of the waters, and the eternity beyond the sky seemed to come down nearer to the earth, with the augmented glitter of the stars, with the more profound sombreness in the lustre of the half-transparent dome covering the flat disc of an opaque sea.
downwards - verso il basso
darkened - imbrunire
eternity - eternita
augmented - aumentare, crescere, accrescere, potenziare, aumentarsi
glitter - glitter, brillantini
more profound - piu profondo
sombreness - sombrosita
lustre - lucentezza
transparent - ordine del giorno
dome - cupola, echnical
disc - disco
opaque - opaco, opaca, offuscato, arcano, oscuro
The ship moved so smoothly that her onward motion was imperceptible to the senses of men, as though she had been a crowded planet speeding through the dark spaces of ether behind the swarm of suns, in the appalling and calm solitudes awaiting the breath of future creations. 'Hot is no name for it down below,'said a voice.
smoothly - facilmente, agevolmente, fluidamente, tranquillamente
onward - in avanti, in poi
motion - movimento, mozione, mozioni
imperceptible - impercettibile
senses - senso, coscienza, sensazione, significato, tocco
planet - pianeta
speeding - eccesso di velocita
ether - etere
swarm - sciame, nugolo, pullulare, sciamare
solitudes - solitudine
awaiting - aspettare, attendere, servire
creations - creazione, creato
Jim smiled without looking round. The skipper presented an unmoved breadth of back: it was the renegade's trick to appear pointedly unaware of your existence unless it suited his purpose to turn at you with a devouring glare before he let loose a torrent of foamy, abusive jargon that came like a gush from a sewer.
unmoved - impassibile, freddo
breadth - larghezza
trick - trucco, imbrogliare
pointedly - in modo deciso
unaware - ignaro, inconsapevole
Unless - a meno che, se non
suited - talian: t-needed
devouring - divorare, trangugiare, ingurgitare, ingozzarsi
glare - bagliore, lampo, frecciata
torrent - torrente
foamy - schiumoso
abusive - abusivo
jargon - gergo
gush - sgorgare, zampillare
sewer - fogna
Now he emitted only a sulky grunt; the second engineer at the head of the bridge-ladder, kneading with damp palms a dirty sweat-rag, unabashed, continued the tale of his complaints. The sailors had a good time of it up here, and what was the use of them in the world he would be blowed if he could see.
emitted - emettere
sulky - malinconico, scontroso, irritato, sediolo
grunt - grugnito, grugnire
engineer - ingegnere, ingegnera, macchinista
ladder - scala, smagliatura
kneading - manipolare, impastare, massaggiare, amalgamare
damp - umido, bagnato, madido, umidita, grisu, smorzare, soffocare
unabashed - senza ritegno
complaints - reclamo, lamentela, rimostranza, denuncia, disturbo
Sailors - marinaio, marinaia, marittimo, marittima
blowed - colpo
The poor devils of engineers had to get the ship along anyhow, and they could very well do the rest too; by gosh they-'Shut up!'growled the German stolidly. 'Oh yes! Shut up-and when anything goes wrong you fly to us, don't you?'went on the other.
devils - diavolo
engineers - ingegnere, ingegnera, macchinista
anyhow - in ogni caso, in ogni modo, in qualche modo, in qualsiasi modo
gosh - perbacco, accidenti, diamine, accipicchia
shut - chiudere
growled - ringhio, brontolio, ringhiare
stolidly - in modo stabile
fly to - volare verso
don't you? - Non e vero?
He was more than half cooked, he expected; but anyway, now, he did not mind how much he sinned, because these last three days he had passed through a fine course of training for the place where the bad boys go when they die-b'gosh, he had-besides being made jolly well deaf by the blasted racket below.
anyway - senza riguardo, comunque, in ogni caso, ad ogni modo
sinned - peccato
passed through - passare
jolly - allegro
deaf - sordo, i sordo
blasted - ventata
racket - baccano
The durned, compound, surface-condensing, rotten scrap-heap rattled and banged down there like an old deck-winch, only more so; and what made him risk his life every night and day that God made amongst the refuse of a breaking-up yard flying round at fifty-seven revolutions, was more than he could tell. He must have been born reckless, b'gosh. He . . . 'Where did you get drink?
durned - maledetto
compound - composto
condensing - condensare, condensarsi
rotten - marcito, marcio, malvagio
scrap - pezzetto
rattled - far tintinnare/sbatacchiare
banged - botta
winch - argano
Risk - rischio, rischiare
God - Dio
amongst - tra, in mezzo a
refuse - rifiutare
breaking-up - (breaking-up) rompere
flying round - volare in giro, volare intorno al mondo
reckless - avventato, spericolato
'inquired the German, very savage; but motionless in the light of the binnacle, like a clumsy effigy of a man cut out of a block of fat. Jim went on smiling at the retreating horizon; his heart was full of generous impulses, and his thought was contemplating his own superiority. 'Drink!
inquired - domandare, chiedere
savage - selvaggio, primitivo, brutale, crudele, feroce, impietoso
clumsy - goffo, impacciato, maldestro, malfatto, rozzo
effigy - effigie
block - blocco
retreating - ritirarsi
contemplating - considerare, contemplare
superiority - superiorita
'repeated the engineer with amiable scorn: he was hanging on with both hands to the rail, a shadowy figure with flexible legs. 'Not from you, captain. You're far too mean, b'gosh. You would let a good man die sooner than give him a drop of schnapps. That's what you Germans call economy. Penny wise, pound foolish.'He became sentimental.
amiable - amabile, affabile, affettuoso
scorn - disprezzare, disdegnare, disprezzo
hanging - appeso
flexible - flessibile, pieghevole
schnapps - acquavite, grappa
Germans - tedesco, tedesca, germano, germana
economy - economia, risparmio
wise - saggio
foolish - babbeo, sciocco
sentimental - ordine del giorno
The chief had given him a four-finger nip about ten o'clock-'only one, s'elp me!'-good old chief; but as to getting the old fraud out of his bunk-a five-ton crane couldn't do it. Not it. Not to-night anyhow. He was sleeping sweetly like a little child, with a bottle of prime brandy under his pillow.
finger - dito
nip - pizzicare, pungere, mordere
elp - aiuto
fraud - frode, frodi, baratteria
bunk - cuccetta
ton - tonnellata
Crane - gru
sweetly - dolcemente, carezzevolmente, soavemente
prime - primo, primario
brandy - brandy
pillow - guanciale, cuscino, testiera
From the thick throat of the commander of the Patna came a low rumble, on which the sound of the word schwein fluttered high and low like a capricious feather in a faint stir of air. He and the chief engineer had been cronies for a good few years-serving the same jovial, crafty, old Chinaman, with horn-rimmed goggles and strings of red silk plaited into the venerable grey hairs of his pigtail.
thick - spesso, pesante, folto, tonto
rumble - sferragliamento, rombo, rimbombo, rissa, caciara
fluttered - garrire, sventolare, svolazzare, ondeggiare, sbattere le ali
capricious - capriccioso
feather - piuma, penna, barbetta
chief engineer - ingegnere capo
cronies - compagno
jovial - gioviale
crafty - ingegnoso, destro, fantasioso, furbo
horn - corno, clacson
rimmed - cerchione, bordo
goggles - strabuzzare/stralunare gli occhi
strings - spago, stringa, laccetto, legaccio, corda
silk - seta
plaited - piega, pieghettatura, plissettatura
venerable - venerabile, venerando, onorevole, rispettabile, sacro
pigtail - codino
The quay-side opinion in the Patna's home-port was that these two in the way of brazen peculation 'had done together pretty well everything you can think of.
quay - banchina
brazen - ottone, ottonato, squillante, faccia di bronzo, sfacciato
peculation - peculazione
'Outwardly they were badly matched: one dull-eyed, malevolent, and of soft fleshy curves; the other lean, all hollows, with a head long and bony like the head of an old horse, with sunken cheeks, with sunken temples, with an indifferent glazed glance of sunken eyes.
outwardly - esternamente
badly - male
matched - fiammifero
dull - spuntato, smussato, noioso, soporifero, tedioso
malevolent - malintenzionato
curves - curva, curvare
hollows - vuoto, cavo
bony - ossuto, stecchino
sunken - affondato, (sink), affondare
cheeks - guancia, gota, chiappa, faccia tosta, sfrontatezza, impudenza
temples - tempio
indifferent - indifferente
glazed - gelicidio, velatura
He had been stranded out East somewhere-in Canton, in Shanghai, or perhaps in Yokohama; he probably did not care to remember himself the exact locality, nor yet the cause of his shipwreck. He had been, in mercy to his youth, kicked quietly out of his ship twenty years ago or more, and it might have been so much worse for him that the memory of the episode had in it hardly a trace of misfortune.
stranded - arenato
Canton - former name of Guangzhou, former name of Guangdong
Shanghai - Shanghai
exact - esatto, giusto, preciso, attento
locality - localita
nor - neanche, nemmeno
cause - causa, provocare, causare, produrre, ottenere
shipwreck - relitto, naufragio, naufragare
mercy - misericordia, pieta, compassione, benevolenza
kicked - calciare, prendere a calci
quietly - in silenzio
hardly - aspramente, appena, quasi, checkmica
misfortune - malasorte, disgrazia
Then, steam navigation expanding in these seas and men of his craft being scarce at first, he had 'got on'after a sort. He was eager to let strangers know in a dismal mumble that he was 'an old stager out here.
steam navigation - navigazione a vapore
expanding - estendere, espandere, dettagliare, dilungare, sviluppare
strangers - estraneo
dismal - lugubre, triste
mumble - biascicare, mugugnare, farfugliare, balbettare
stager - Establecedor, (stag), cervo, bue
'When he moved, a skeleton seemed to sway loose in his clothes; his walk was mere wandering, and he was given to wander thus around the engine-room skylight, smoking, without relish, doctored tobacco in a brass bowl at the end of a cherrywood stem four feet long, with the imbecile gravity of a thinker evolving a system of philosophy from the hazy glimpse of a truth.
skeleton - scheletro
wander - errare, vagare, girovagare, passeggiare
engine-room - (engine-room) sala macchine
skylight - lucernario
smoking - fumare
relish - gusto, condimento
tobacco - tabacco
bowl - boccia
cherrywood - ciliegio
imbecile - imbecille
gravity - gravita
thinker - pensatore, pensatrice, intellettuale
evolving - evolvere, evolversi
system - sistema
Philosophy - filosofia
He was usually anything but free with his private store of liquor; but on that night he had departed from his principles, so that his second, a weak-headed child of Wapping, what with the unexpectedness of the treat and the strength of the stuff, had become very happy, cheeky, and talkative.
private - personale, riservato, privato, privata
store - magazzino, deposito, scorta, immagazzinare, registrare
liquor - liquore
departed - partire, andar via, allontanarsi, dipartire, deviare
principles - principio, regola, valore
weak - debole
unexpectedness - inaspettato
treat - trattare, trattenimento, festeggiamento, sorpresa
cheeky - impertinente, sfacciato, sfrontato, impudente
talkative - loquace, chiacchierino, garrulo
The fury of the New South Wales German was extreme; he puffed like an exhaust-pipe, and Jim, faintly amused by the scene, was impatient for the time when he could get below: the last ten minutes of the watch were irritating like a gun that hangs fire; those men did not belong to the world of heroic adventure; they weren't bad chaps though. Even the skipper himself . . .
fury - furia, furore
extreme - estremo, profondo
puffed - soffio
exhaust - esaurire
pipe - cornamusa, canna d'organo, condotto, tubo, pipe, barra verticale
amused - svagare
scene - scena
impatient - impaziente
irritating - irritare
gun - arma da fuoco
hangs - appendere, attaccare
belong - appartenere a
weren - erano
chaps - tipo
His gorge rose at the mass of panting flesh from which issued gurgling mutters, a cloudy trickle of filthy expressions; but he was too pleasurably languid to dislike actively this or any other thing. The quality of these men did not matter; he rubbed shoulders with them, but they could not touch him; he shared the air they breathed, but he was different. . . .
gorge - gola
panting - ansimare
issued - emissione, fuoriuscita, esito, questione, problematica
gurgling - gorgoglio, (gurgle), gorgogliare, fiottare, croccolare, bruire
mutters - mormorare
cloudy - nuvoloso, nuvolo, nebuloso, torbido
trickle - gocciolio, sgocciolio, gocciolare, sgocciolare
filthy - sudicio, lercio, osceno, sconcio, laido
expressions - espressione
pleasurably - piacevolmente
languid - languido
actively - attivamente
rubbed - strofinamento, strofinare, fregare
touch - toccare, commuovere, tocco, tatto
breathed - respirare
Would the skipper go for the engineer? . . . The life was easy and he was too sure of himself-too sure of himself to . . . The line dividing his meditation from a surreptitious doze on his feet was thinner than a thread in a spider's web.
dividing - dividere
meditation - meditazione
surreptitious - surrettizio, subdolo, furbesco, furtivo
doze - sonnecchiare
thread - filo, refe, filo conduttore, forum
spider - ragno
web - rete, vela, Web
The second engineer was coming by easy transitions to the consideration of his finances and of his courage.
transitions - transizione, passaggio, passare
consideration - considerazione
finances - finanza, finanze, finanziare
'Who's drunk? I? No, no, captain! That won't do. You ought to know by this time the chief ain't free-hearted enough to make a sparrow drunk, b'gosh. I've never been the worse for liquor in my life; the stuff ain't made yet that would make me drunk. I could drink liquid fire against your whisky peg for peg, b'gosh, and keep as cool as a cucumber.
ain - E
hearted - cuore
sparrow - passero
ve - ordine del giorno
liquid - liquido, liquida
peg - tassello, piolo, attaccapanni
cucumber - cetriolo
If I thought I was drunk I would jump overboard-do away with myself, b'gosh. I would! Straight! And I won't go off the bridge. Where do you expect me to take the air on a night like this, eh? On deck amongst that vermin down there? Likely-ain't it! And I am not afraid of anything you can do.'
jump - saltare, far saltare
myself - mi
expect - aspettarsi, pensare
eh - eh
vermin - talian: t-needed
Likely - E probabile
The German lifted two heavy fists to heaven and shook them a little without a word.
fists - pugno
shook - scossa, (shake), scuotere, agitare, scuotere la testa
'I don't know what fear is,'pursued the engineer, with the enthusiasm of sincere conviction. 'I am not afraid of doing all the bloomin'work in this rotten hooker, b'gosh! And a jolly good thing for you that there are some of us about the world that aren't afraid of their lives, or where would you be-you and this old thing here with her plates like brown paper-brown paper, s'elp me?
pursued - perseguire, perseguitare, tormentare, inseguire, cercare
enthusiasm - entusiasmo, foga
sincere - sincero, fervido, zelante, assiduo
conviction - convinzione, condanna, colpevolezza
bloomin - ordine del giorno
hooker - tallonatore
aren - ordine del giorno
plates - piatto
It's all very fine for you-you get a power of pieces out of her one way and another; but what about me-what do I get? A measly hundred and fifty dollars a month and find yourself. I wish to ask you respectfully-respectfully, mind-who wouldn't chuck a dratted job like this? 'Tain't safe, s'elp me, it ain't! Only I am one of them fearless fellows . . .'
measly - misero
wish - desiderio, voglia, volere, desiderare, augurare
respectfully - rispettosamente
chuck - buttare
dratted - dannare, maledire, dannazione
tain - ain
He let go the rail and made ample gestures as if demonstrating in the air the shape and extent of his valour; his thin voice darted in prolonged squeaks upon the sea, he tiptoed back and forth for the better emphasis of utterance, and suddenly pitched down head-first as though he had been clubbed from behind. He said 'damn!
ample - ampio, abbondante
gestures - gesto
demonstrating - dimostrare, manifestare
shape - condizione, stato, forma, sagoma
extent - estensione, misura
valour - valore, coraggio
darted - dardo
prolonged - prologo
squeaks - squittio, squittire
tiptoed - punta dei piedi, camminare in punta di piede iedi
forth - avanti
emphasis - enfasi, risalto
utterance - pronunciamento
pitched - piantare, fissare
head-first - (head-first) senza pensare
damn - Dannazione
'as he tumbled; an instant of silence followed upon his screeching: Jim and the skipper staggered forward by common accord, and catching themselves up, stood very stiff and still gazing, amazed, at the undisturbed level of the sea. Then they looked upwards at the stars.
screeching - stridere
staggered - barcollare
accord - accordo
themselves - essi stessi
stiff - rigido, inflessibile, duro, severo
gazing - fissare, guardare, puntare gli occhi, volgere lo sguardo
amazed - sorprendere
undisturbed - indisturbato
upwards - verso l'alto
What had happened? The wheezy thump of the engines went on. Had the earth been checked in her course? They could not understand; and suddenly the calm sea, the sky without a cloud, appeared formidably insecure in their immobility, as if poised on the brow of yawning destruction. The engineer rebounded vertically full length and collapsed again into a vague heap. This heap said 'What's that?
wheezy - affannoso
thump - colpo
engines - motore
checked in - registrato
formidably - formidabilmente
insecure - insicuro, malsicuro
immobility - immobilita
poised - composto, pronto
brow - ciglio, orlo, cima, passerella da sbarco
destruction - distruzione
rebounded - rimbalzare
vertically - verticalmente
full length - lungometraggio
collapsed - collassare, crollare, accasciarsi, bloccarsi
'in the muffled accents of profound grief. A faint noise as of thunder, of thunder infinitely remote, less than a sound, hardly more than a vibration, passed slowly, and the ship quivered in response, as if the thunder had growled deep down in the water. The eyes of the two Malays at the wheel glittered towards the white men, but their dark hands remained closed on the spokes.
accents - accento
grief - dolore, pena, sofferenza
noise - rumore, strepito
thunder - tuono, rombo, schianto, boato, fragore, frastuono, tuonare
infinitely - infinitamente, interminatamente
remote - remoto
response - responso, risposta
glittered - glitter, brillantini
The sharp hull driving on its way seemed to rise a few inches in succession through its whole length, as though it had become pliable, and settled down again rigidly to its work of cleaving the smooth surface of the sea. Its quivering stopped, and the faint noise of thunder ceased all at once, as though the ship had steamed across a narrow belt of vibrating water and of humming air.
driving on - continuare a guidare
rise - aumentare, alzarsi, crescere
inches - pollice
succession - successione
Length - lunghezza
pliable - malleabile, pieghevole, flessibile, adattabile
settled - sistemarsi, mettersi
rigidly - rigidamente
quivering - tremare, tremolare
ceased - cessare, arrestare, smettere, interrompere
steamed - vapore
belt - cintura, cintola, cinghia, colpo, cinghiata, zona
vibrating - vibrare
A month or so afterwards, when Jim, in answer to pointed questions, tried to tell honestly the truth of this experience, he said, speaking of the ship: 'She went over whatever it was as easy as a snake crawling over a stick.'The illustration was good: the questions were aiming at facts, and the official Inquiry was being held in the police court of an Eastern port.
honestly - onestamente
Experience - esperienza, esperire
whatever - qualunque, qualsiasi, qualsivoglia, come vuoi
crawling - gattonare
illustration - illustrazione, esempio, immagine, esemplificazione
aiming at - mirare a
official - ufficiale, funzionario
inquiry - inchiesta, indagine
Court - cortile, corte, tribunale, assemblea, giuria
He stood elevated in the witness-box, with burning cheeks in a cool lofty room: the big framework of punkahs moved gently to and fro high above his head, and from below many eyes were looking at him out of dark faces, out of white faces, out of red faces, out of faces attentive, spellbound, as if all these people sitting in orderly rows upon narrow benches had been enslaved by the fascination of his voice. It was very loud, it rang startling in his own ears, it was the only sound audible in the world, for the terribly distinct questions that extorted his answers seemed to shape themselves in anguish and pain within his breast,-came to him poignant and silent like the terrible questioning of one's conscience. Outside the court the sun blazed-within was the wind of great punkahs that made you shiver, the shame that made you burn, the attentive eyes whose glance stabbed. The face of the presiding magistrate, clean shaved and impassible, looked at him deadly pale between the red faces of the two nautical assessors. The light of a broad window under the ceiling fell from above on the heads and shoulders of the three men, and they were fiercely distinct in the half-light of the big court-room where the audience seemed composed of staring shadows. They wanted facts. Facts! They demanded facts from him, as if facts could explain anything!
elevated - elevato, (elevate), elevare, aumentare
witness - testimonianza, testimone, prova, testimoniare, constatare, essere testimone
burning - bruciare
lofty - maestoso, alto, nobile
framework - struttura portante, struttura, impalcatura, intelaiatura
spellbound - incantesimo
orderly - ordinato, metodico, sistematico, attendente
benches - panchina
enslaved - asservire
startling - sconvolgente, sorprendente, (startle), scattare, sobbalzare
audible - udibile
Terribly - terribilmente, estremamente
distinct - chiaro, distinto, diverso
extorted - estorcere, carpire, spillare
poignant - appuntito, affilato, chiaro, eloquente, acuto
conscience - coscienza
blazed - incendio
shiver - rabbrividire, tremare
shame - vergogna
stabbed - pugnalare
presiding - presiedere
magistrate - magistrato
shaved - radersi, farsi la barba
impassible - impassibile
deadly - mortale
pale - pallido
nautical - nautico
assessors - valutatore
ceiling - soffitto
fiercely - trucemente, perfidamente, ferocemente, accanitamente
court-room - (court-room) aula di tribunale
audience - pubblico, uditorio, udienza
composed - showing composure
demanded - domanda, richiesta, rivendicazione, bisogno, necessita
'After you had concluded you had collided with something floating awash, say a water-logged wreck, you were ordered by your captain to go forward and ascertain if there was any damage done. Did you think it likely from the force of the blow?'asked the assessor sitting to the left.
concluded - finire, concludere
collided with - si e scontrato con
awash - inondato, allagato
logged - ceppo, ciocco
wreck - relitto, rottame, carcassa, carretta
ascertain - accertare, appurare, stabilire, constatare
damage - danno, danneggiare, rovinare, macchiare
force - forza
assessor - valutatore
He had a thin horseshoe beard, salient cheek-bones, and with both elbows on the desk clasped his rugged hands before his face, looking at Jim with thoughtful blue eyes; the other, a heavy, scornful man, thrown back in his seat, his left arm extended full length, drummed delicately with his finger-tips on a blotting-pad: in the middle the magistrate upright in the roomy arm-chair, his head inclined slightly on the shoulder, had his arms crossed on his breast and a few flowers in a glass vase by the side of his inkstand.
horseshoe - ferro di cavallo
salient - saliente, rilevante, degno di nota, pertinente
cheek - guancia, gota, chiappa, faccia tosta, sfrontatezza, impudenza
bones - osso, lisca, spina
elbows - gomito, raccordo, gomitata, sgomitare
clasped - fibbia, gancio, fermaglio, stringere, serrare
rugged - aspro, frastagliato, (rug), tappeto, tappetino, scendiletto
thoughtful - pensieroso, pensoso, meditabondo, cogitabondo, premuroso
scornful - disprezzante, sdegnoso
thrown back - ributtato
seat - posto, seduta, sedile, scranno
drummed - tamburo
delicately - delicatamente
finger-tips - (finger-tips) punte delle dita
blotting - borrado, (blot), macchia, macchiare, assorbire
pad - cuscinetto
Middle - mezzo, centro, cintura, checkmeta, medio, mezzano, centrale
upright - eretto, in verticale, dritto, in piedi, integro
roomy - spazioso
arm-chair - (arm-chair) poltrona
inclined - inclinare
vase - vaso
inkstand - calamaio
'I did not,'said Jim. 'I was told to call no one and to make no noise for fear of creating a panic. I thought the precaution reasonable. I took one of the lamps that were hung under the awnings and went forward. After opening the forepeak hatch I heard splashing in there. I lowered then the lamp the whole drift of its lanyard, and saw that the forepeak was more than half full of water already.
panic - panico
precaution - precauzione
forepeak - gavone di prua
hatch - portello, mezza porta*
lowered - oscurarsi
drift - deriva, direzione, verso, tendenza, indirizzo
lanyard - cordino
I knew then there must be a big hole below the water-line.'He paused.
hole - buco
paused - mettere in pausa, pausa
'Yes,'said the big assessor, with a dreamy smile at the blotting-pad; his fingers played incessantly, touching the paper without noise.
dreamy - sognante
smile at - sorridere a qualcuno
incessantly - incessantemente
'I did not think of danger just then. I might have been a little startled: all this happened in such a quiet way and so very suddenly. I knew there was no other bulkhead in the ship but the collision bulkhead separating the forepeak from the forehold. I went back to tell the captain.
startled - scattare, sobbalzare, spaventare, sorprendere, schivare, evitare
collision bulkhead - paratia di collisione
separating - separato, separata, separare, dividere
I came upon the second engineer getting up at the foot of the bridge-ladder: he seemed dazed, and told me he thought his left arm was broken; he had slipped on the top step when getting down while I was forward. He exclaimed, "My God! That rotten bulkhead'll give way in a minute, and the damned thing will go Down Under us like a lump of lead.
getting up - alzarsi
slipped - scivolare
step - passo
getting down - scendere
exclaimed - esclamare
bulkhead - paratia
give way - cedere il passo
damned - dannato, (damn), dannare, bollare, condannare, maledire, maledetto
Down Under - in Australia
lump - gonfiore, gnocco, cucchiaino, zolla, zolletta
lead - piombo
" He pushed me away with his right arm and ran before me up the ladder, shouting as he climbed. His left arm hung by his side. I followed up in time to see the captain rush at him and knock him down flat on his back. He did not strike him again: he stood bending over him and speaking angrily but quite low.
pushed - spingere
knock - colpo, botta, botto, autocombustione, bussare
strike - cancellare, colpire, coniare, scioperare, sembrare, arrendersi, sciopero
bending - piegare, (bend), curvare, piegarsi, curvarsi
angrily - irosamente, rabbiosamente, con rabbia
I fancy he was asking him why the devil he didn't go and stop the engines, instead of making a row about it on deck. I heard him say, "Get up! Run! fly!" He swore also. The engineer slid down the starboard ladder and bolted round the skylight to the engine-room companion which was on the port side. He moaned as he ran. . . .'
instead - in luogo di, invece, al posto di
Row - fila
engine - motore
slid - scivolare, (slide), slittare, derapare, scivolo
starboard - tribordo, dritta
port side - babordo
moaned - gemito, lamentarsi, gemere
He spoke slowly; he remembered swiftly and with extreme vividness; he could have reproduced like an echo the moaning of the engineer for the better information of these men who wanted facts. After his first feeling of revolt he had come round to the view that only a meticulous precision of statement would bring out the true horror behind the appalling face of things.
vividness - vivacita
reproduced - riprodurre, riprodursi, ricreare, richiamare
Echo - eco
moaning - gemito, lamentarsi, gemere
revolt - rivolta
meticulous - meticoloso
precision - precisione
bring out - portare fuori
The facts those men were so eager to know had been visible, tangible, open to the senses, occupying their place in space and time, requiring for their existence a fourteen-hundred-ton steamer and twenty-seven minutes by the watch; they made a whole that had features, shades of expression, a complicated aspect that could be remembered by the eye, and something else besides, something invisible, a directing spirit of perdition that dwelt within, like a malevolent soul in a detestable body. He was anxious to make this clear. This had not been a common affair, everything in it had been of the utmost importance, and fortunately he remembered everything. He wanted to go on talking for truth's sake, perhaps for his own sake also; and while his utterance was deliberate, his mind positively flew round and round the serried circle of facts that had surged up all about him to cut him off from the rest of his kind: it was like a creature that, finding itself imprisoned within an enclosure of high stakes, dashes round and round, distracted in the night, trying to find a weak spot, a crevice, a place to scale, some opening through which it may squeeze itself and escape. This awful activity of mind made him hesitate at times in his speech. . . .
tangible - tangibile, palpabile
occupying - occupare
requiring - che richiede, (require), esigere, prevedere, richiedere
features - caratteristica, prestazione, peculiarita, proprieta
shades - agone, alosa
expression - espressione
complicated - complicare
invisible - invisibile, dietro le quinte
directing - diretto
perdition - perdizione
dwelt - abitare, checkdimorare
soul - anima, spirito
detestable - detestabile
affair - affare
utmost - estremo, massimo
importance - importanza
fortunately - fortunatamente, per fortuna
sake - (per amore di)
deliberate - premeditato, intenzionale, voluto
positively - positivamente
flew round - volare intorno al mondo
surged - agirarsi, sollevarsi
creature - creatura
imprisoned - imprigionare, incarcerare
enclosure - allegato, recinto, clausura
stakes - palo, paletto, picchetto, piolo
dashes - lineetta, linea, scatto, spruzzo, pizzico, goccio, saltare
distracted - distrarre
spot - macchia, brufolo, foruncolo, zona, area, pubblicita, individuare
crevice - fessura, fenditura, crepa
scale - scala, gradazione
squeeze - spremere, stringere, serrare, strizzare, spremersi
awful - pessimo, terribile, orribile, impressionante, tremendamente
hesitate - esitare, titubare
Speech - parola, discorso
'The captain kept on moving here and there on the bridge; he seemed calm enough, only he stumbled several times; and once as I stood speaking to him he walked right into me as though he had been stone-blind. He made no definite answer to what I had to tell. He mumbled to himself; all I heard of it were a few words that sounded like "confounded steam!" and "infernal steam!"-something about steam.
stumbled - scivolone, scivolare, inciampare, imbattersi, incontrare
several - diversi, vari
stone-blind - (stone-blind) completamente cieco
definite - definito
mumbled - biascicare, mugugnare, farfugliare, balbettare
infernal - infernale
I thought . . .'
He was becoming irrelevant; a question to the point cut short his speech, like a pang of pain, and he felt extremely discouraged and weary. He was coming to that, he was coming to that-and now, checked brutally, he had to answer by yes or no.
irrelevant - ordine del giorno
cut short - interrompere
pang - dolore, fitta, pena morso
extremely - estremamente
discouraged - scoraggiare
weary - annoiato, tediato, spossato, stanco, annoiare, annoiarsi
He answered truthfully by a curt 'Yes, I did'; and fair of face, big of frame, with young, gloomy eyes, he held his shoulders upright above the box while his soul writhed within him. He was made to answer another question so much to the point and so useless, then waited again. His mouth was tastelessly dry, as though he had been eating dust, then salt and bitter as after a drink of sea-water.
truthfully - sinceramente
curt - sbrigativo
frame - incorniciare, incastrare, impalcatura, incastellatura, armatura
gloomy - tetro, uggioso, cupo, lugubre
writhed - contorcersi
useless - inutile, buono a nulla, negato
tastelessly - di cattivo gusto
dry - secco, asciutto, asciugarsi, trinsecchire, tessiccare
Bitter - amaro, aspro
sea-water - (sea-water) acqua di mare
He wiped his damp forehead, passed his tongue over parched lips, felt a shiver run down his back.
wiped - spolverare, strofinare
tongue - lingua, linguetta
parched - inaridire, riardere
lips - labbro, beccuccio
run down - esaurirsi
The big assessor had dropped his eyelids, and drummed on without a sound, careless and mournful; the eyes of the other above the sunburnt, clasped fingers seemed to glow with kindliness; the magistrate had swayed forward; his pale face hovered near the flowers, and then dropping sideways over the arm of his chair, he rested his temple in the palm of his hand.
dropped - goccia
careless - inaccurato, negligente, negletto, superficiale
mournful - lamentoso
sunburnt - scottato dal sole, (sunburn), eritema solare, scottatura solare
glow - brillare, alone, luminescenza, luccichio, calore
kindliness - bonarieta
swayed - ondeggiamento, fluttuazione, dondolio, oscillazione
hovered - librarsi, volteggiare, aggirarsi, attardarsi, gironzolare
dropping - escrementi
sideways - laterale
rested - riposo
Temple - tempio
palm - palma, palmo
The wind of the punkahs eddied down on the heads, on the dark-faced natives wound about in voluminous draperies, on the Europeans sitting together very hot and in drill suits that seemed to fit them as close as their skins, and holding their round pith hats on their knees; while gliding along the walls the court peons, buttoned tight in long white coats, flitted rapidly to and fro, running on bare toes, red-sashed, red turban on head, as noiseless as ghosts, and on the alert like so many retrievers.
eddied - gorgo, mulinello
natives - nativo, natio, indigeno, autoctono
wound - ferita
voluminous - voluminoso
draperies - tenda
Europeans - europeo, europea
drill - trapanare, perforare
suits - vestito, abito, seme, colore, soddisfare, adattarsi
skins - pelle, interfaccia, scuoiare
holding - possesso
pith - albedo, albedine
gliding - planare, (glide), scivolare, slittare, scorrere
peons - peone
buttoned - bottone
tight - aderente, teso, stretto, tirato, nitido
flitted - svolazzare
rapidly - rapidamente
toes - dito del piede, dito, dito della zampa, punta
sashed - sciarpa, fascia
noiseless - senza rumore
ghosts - fantasma, spettro, spirito, larva
on the alert - in allerta
retrievers - Recuperador
Jim's eyes, wandering in the intervals of his answers, rested upon a white man who sat apart from the others, with his face worn and clouded, but with quiet eyes that glanced straight, interested and clear. Jim answered another question and was tempted to cry out, 'What's the good of this! what's the good!'He tapped with his foot slightly, bit his lip, and looked away over the heads.
intervals - intervallo
clouded - annuvolarsi, oscurare, annebbiare
tempted - tentare
cry - piangere, gridare, urlare, pianto, urlo, verso
tapped - colpetto
lip - labbro, beccuccio
looked away - distogliere lo sguardo
He met the eyes of the white man. The glance directed at him was not the fascinated stare of the others. It was an act of intelligent volition. Jim between two questions forgot himself so far as to find leisure for a thought. This fellow-ran the thought-looks at me as though he could see somebody or something past my shoulder. He had come across that man before-in the street perhaps.
fascinated - affascinare
intelligent - intelligente
volition - volonta, volizione, volitivita, arbitrio
leisure - svago, agio, ozio, tempo libero
fellow - uomo, tipo
He was positive he had never spoken to him. For days, for many days, he had spoken to no one, but had held silent, incoherent, and endless converse with himself, like a prisoner alone in his cell or like a wayfarer lost in a wilderness. At present he was answering questions that did not matter though they had a purpose, but he doubted whether he would ever again speak out as long as he lived.
incoherent - incoerente, sconclusionato
converse - conversare
prisoner - prigioniero, prigioniera
cell - cella
wayfarer - viaggiatore, viandante
doubted - dubitare, dubbio, perplessita
The sound of his own truthful statements confirmed his deliberate opinion that speech was of no use to him any longer. That man there seemed to be aware of his hopeless difficulty. Jim looked at him, then turned away resolutely, as after a final parting.
truthful - sincero, realista
confirmed - cresimare, confermare, confermare (1), checkcresimare (2)
aware - all'erta, consapevole, conscio, checkconsapevole
difficulty - difficolta
resolutely - risolutamente
And later on, many times, in distant parts of the world, Marlow showed himself willing to remember Jim, to remember him at length, in detail and audibly.
distant - distante, remoto
audibly - in modo udibile
Perhaps it would be after dinner, on a verandah draped in motionless foliage and crowned with flowers, in the deep dusk speckled by fiery cigar-ends. The elongated bulk of each cane-chair harboured a silent listener.
verandah - veranda
draped - drappeggiare, tappezzare
foliage - fogliame
crowned - corona
Speckled - macchietta, puntino
fiery - ardente, incandescente, bruciante, infiammabile, infocato
cigar - sigaro
elongated - allungarsi
bulk - massa, mole, volume, blocco, grosso
cane - canna, canna di bambu, canna da zucchero, giunco, bastone
harboured - porto
listener - ascoltatore, ascoltatrice, uditore, uditrice
Now and then a small red glow would move abruptly, and expanding light up the fingers of a languid hand, part of a face in profound repose, or flash a crimson gleam into a pair of pensive eyes overshadowed by a fragment of an unruffled forehead; and with the very first word uttered Marlow's body, extended at rest in the seat, would become very still, as though his spirit had winged its way back into the lapse of time and were speaking through his lips from the past.
abruptly - improvvisamente
light up - accendere
flash - lampo
crimson - cremisi, granata
gleam - brillare
pensive - pensieroso, contemplativo, estraniato, pensoso
overshadowed - offuscare, mettere in ombra
fragment - frammento, frammentare
unruffled - disfacimento
uttered - completo, totale
winged - ala, squadra, parafango
'Oh yes. I attended the inquiry,'he would say, 'and to this day I haven't left off wondering why I went. I am willing to believe each of us has a guardian angel, if you fellows will concede to me that each of us has a familiar devil as well. I want you to own up, because I don't like to feel exceptional in any way, and I know I have him-the devil, I mean.
attended - assistere a, seguire
wondering - chiedersi, (wonder), meraviglia, domandarsi
guardian angel - angelo custode
concede - ammettere
familiar - familiare, spirito famigliare, famiglio
exceptional - eccezionale
I haven't seen him, of course, but I go upon circumstantial evidence. He is there right enough, and, being malicious, he lets me in for that kind of thing. What kind of thing, you ask? Why, the inquiry thing, the yellow-dog thing-you wouldn't think a mangy, native tyke would be allowed to trip up people in the verandah of a magistrate's court, would you?
circumstantial evidence - prove indiziarie
malicious - doloso, cattivo, malizioso, malevole
mangy - rognoso, scabbioso
Tyke - a mongrel dog, a native of Yorkshire, a child, especially a boy
allowed - lasciare, permettere, concedere, consentire
-the kind of thing that by devious, unexpected, truly diabolical ways causes me to run up against men with soft spots, with hard spots, with hidden plague spots, by Jove! and loosens their tongues at the sight of me for their infernal confidences; as though, forsooth, I had no confidences to make to myself, as though-God help me!
devious - tortuoso, traverso
unexpected - inaspettato, insperato, inatteso, improvviso
truly - accuratamente, veramente, molto
diabolical - diabolico
causes - causa, provocare, causare, produrre, ottenere
run up - correre, aumentare un debito
spots - macchia, brufolo, foruncolo, zona, area, pubblicita, individuare
plague - peste, pestilenza, piaga, calamita, affliggere, molestare
Jove - Giove
loosens - allentare
tongues - lingua, linguetta
confidences - fiducia, autostima, certezza, sicurezza di sé, confidenza
forsooth - in verita, davvero, seriamente
-I didn't have enough confidential information about myself to harrow my own soul till the end of my appointed time. And what I have done to be thus favoured I want to know. I declare I am as full of my own concerns as the next man, and I have as much memory as the average pilgrim in this valley, so you see I am not particularly fit to be a receptacle of confessions. Then why?
confidential - confidenziale, riservato
appointed time - tempo stabilito
favoured - favore
declare - dichiarare
concerns - interesse, preoccupazione, impresa, interessare
average - media
Valley - valle
particularly - in particolare, estremamente
receptacle - recettaculo, ricettaculo, ricettacolo
confessions - confessione
Can't tell-unless it be to make time pass away after dinner. Charley, my dear chap, your dinner was extremely good, and in consequence these men here look upon a quiet rubber as a tumultuous occupation. They wallow in your good chairs and think to themselves, "Hang exertion. Let that Marlow talk."
make time - trovare il tempo
pass away - passare
consequence - conseguenza
rubber - gomma, di gomma
tumultuous - confuso, caotico, tumultuoso, tumultuosa, tempestoso
wallow - sguazzare, diguazzare
hang - appendere, attaccare
exertion - sforzo, fatica
'Talk? So be it.
And it's easy enough to talk of Master Jim, after a good spread, two hundred feet above the sea-level, with a box of decent cigars handy, on a blessed evening of freshness and starlight that would make the best of us forget we are only on sufferance here and got to pick our way in cross lights, watching every precious minute and every irremediable step, trusting we shall manage yet to go out decently in the end-but not so sure of it after all-and with dashed little help to expect from those we touch elbows with right and left. Of course there are men here and there to whom the whole of life is like an after-dinner hour with a cigar; easy, pleasant, empty, perhaps enlivened by some fable of strife to be forgotten before the end is told-before the end is told-even if there happens to be any end to it.
Master - padrone
sea-level - (sea-level) livello del mare
handy - sottomano
blessed - beato, benedetto, checkbenedetto
freshness - freschezza
starlight - light emitted from stars other than the Sun
on sufferance - con riluttanza, a malincuore, con grazia
pick - piccone, stuzzicadenti, scelta, barriera, prendere, raccogliere, scegliere
irremediable - irrimediabile
shall - talian: 'shall' followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense', talian: ('indicating determination') 'shall' followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense, which can be emphasised using ", si c
manage - dirigere, managgiare, riuscire, arrangiarsi, maneggiare
decently - decentemente
pleasant - piacevole, gradito, gradevole
empty - vuoto, vuotare, svuotare
enlivened - animare, ravvivare
fable - fiaba
strife - disputa, tenzone
'My eyes met his for the first time at that inquiry. You must know that everybody connected in any way with the sea was there, because the affair had been notorious for days, ever since that mysterious cable message came from Aden to start us all cackling. I say mysterious, because it was so in a sense though it contained a naked fact, about as naked and ugly as a fact can well be.
connected - connettere, connettersi, cablare, collegare
notorious - famigerato
cackling - chiocciare
contained - contenere
ugly - brutto, sgradevole
The whole waterside talked of nothing else. First thing in the morning as I was dressing in my state-room, I would hear through the bulkhead my Parsee Dubash jabbering about the Patna with the steward, while he drank a cup of tea, by favour, in the pantry. No sooner on shore I would meet some acquaintance, and the first remark would be, "Did you ever hear of anything to beat this?
state - stato, dichiarare, statuire, esporre, indicare
Parsee - Parsi
jabbering - farfugliare
steward - amministratore, supervisore
pantry - dispensa
acquaintance - conoscenza
hear of - sentir parlare di
beat - colpire, percuotere
" and according to his kind the man would smile cynically, or look sad, or let out a swear or two.
according - accordo
smile - sorriso, sorridere
cynically - cinicamente
let out - far uscire, lasciar andare
swear - giurare
Complete strangers would accost each other familiarly, just for the sake of easing their minds on the subject: every confounded loafer in the town came in for a harvest of drinks over this affair: you heard of it in the harbour office, at every ship-broker's, at your agent's, from whites, from natives, from half-castes, from the very boatmen squatting half naked on the stone steps as you went up-by Jove! There was some indignation, not a few jokes, and no end of discussions as to what had become of them, you know. This went on for a couple of weeks or more, and the opinion that whatever was mysterious in this affair would turn out to be tragic as well, began to prevail, when one fine morning, as I was standing in the shade by the steps of the harbour office, I perceived four men walking towards me along the quay. I wondered for a while where that queer lot had sprung from, and suddenly, I may say, I shouted to myself, "Here they are!"
accost - affrontare, aggredire, inveire, molestare, accostare, salutare
familiarly - familiarmente
easing - facilita, riposo, attenuare
minds - mente
loafer - mocassino
harvest - stagione della mietitura, mietitura, messe, raccolto, frutto
broker - intermediario, mediatore, agente di cambio
agent - agente
boatmen - barcaiolo, battelliere
squatting - accovacciarsi
steps - passo
indignation - indignazione
jokes - barzelletta, battuta, scherzo, celia
discussions - discussione
couple - coppia, paio, agganciare, accoppiare
tragic - tragico
prevail - prevalere, predominare, persuadere
shade - ombra, persiana, tonalita, gradazione, nuance, varieta
wondered - meraviglia, domandarsi, chiedersi
queer - strano, bizzarro
sprung from - germogliare da
shouted - grido
'There they were, sure enough, three of them as large as life, and one much larger of girth than any living man has a right to be, just landed with a good breakfast inside of them from an outward-bound Dale Line steamer that had come in about an hour after sunrise.
sure enough - sicuramente
girth - circonferenza, calibro
outward - verso l'esterno
sunrise - levar del sole, aurora, alba, primo sole
There could be no mistake; I spotted the jolly skipper of the Patna at the first glance: the fattest man in the whole blessed tropical belt clear round that good old earth of ours. Moreover, nine months or so before, I had come across him in Samarang.
spotted - macchia, brufolo, foruncolo, zona, area, pubblicita, individuare
Moreover - inoltre
His steamer was loading in the Roads, and he was abusing the tyrannical institutions of the German empire, and soaking himself in beer all day long and day after day in De Jongh's back-shop, till De Jongh, who charged a guilder for every bottle without as much as the quiver of an eyelid, would beckon me aside, and, with his little leathery face all puckered up, declare confidentially, "Business is business, but this man, captain, he make me very sick. Tfui!"
loading - caricamento
abusing - abusare
tyrannical - tirannico
institutions - istituzione
Empire - impero
soaking - zuppo, fradicio, bagnato fradicio, (soak), inzupparsi
charged - costo, prezzo, carico, accusa, imputazione, carica, incarico
guilder - fiorino
quiver - tremare, tremolare
eyelid - palpebra
beckon - accennare
leathery - coriaceo
puckered - sgualcirsi
confidentially - confidenzialmente
'I was looking at him from the shade. He was hurrying on a little in advance, and the sunlight beating on him brought out his bulk in a startling way. He made me think of a trained baby elephant walking on hind-legs.
hurrying - affrettarsi, (hurry), fretta, premura, furia
advance - avanzare, progredire, anticipare, migliorare, avvicinarsi
sunlight - luce solare
beating - bastonatura, bastonata, smacco, sconfitta, sonora sconfitta
brought out - portato fuori
hind - cerva
He was extravagantly gorgeous too-got up in a soiled sleeping-suit, bright green and deep orange vertical stripes, with a pair of ragged straw slippers on his bare feet, and somebody's cast-off pith hat, very dirty and two sizes too small for him, tied up with a manilla rope-yarn on the top of his big head.
extravagantly - stravagante
suit - vestito, abito, seme, colore, soddisfare, adattarsi
bright - luminoso, brillante
vertical - verticale
stripes - striscia, banda, lista, galloni
straw - festuca, pagliuzza, paglia
slippers - ciabatta, pantofola, babbuccia
sizes - dimensioni
yarn - filo, filato, cordame, cordaggio, trama, fandonia
You understand a man like that hasn't the ghost of a chance when it comes to borrowing clothes. Very well. On he came in hot haste, without a look right or left, passed within three feet of me, and in the innocence of his heart went on pelting upstairs into the harbour office to make his deposition, or report, or whatever you like to call it.
the ghost of a chance - ben poche possibilita
borrowing - prendere in prestito
haste - fretta
innocence - innocenza
pelting - pelare
deposition - brinamento, deposizione
'It appears he addressed himself in the first instance to the principal shipping-master. Archie Ruthvel had just come in, and, as his story goes, was about to begin his arduous day by giving a dressing-down to his chief clerk.
instance - volta
principal - principale, capitale, preside, talian: t-needed
Shipping - Spedizione
arduous - arduo
chief clerk - capo dell'ufficio
Some of you might have known him-an obliging little Portuguese half-caste with a miserably skinny neck, and always on the hop to get something from the shipmasters in the way of eatables-a piece of salt pork, a bag of biscuits, a few potatoes, or what not.
obliging - obbligare, forzare, costringere, fare un favore, indebitarsi
Portuguese - portoghese
caste - casta
miserably - miserabilmente
skinny - magro, smunto, tutta pelle, scarnito
neck - collo
hop - saltellare, saltare
shipmasters - capitano di vascello
eatables - mangiabile
pork - maiale, suino, carne suina
biscuits - biscotto, biscottino
One voyage, I recollect, I tipped him a live sheep out of the remnant of my sea-stock: not that I wanted him to do anything for me-he couldn't, you know-but because his childlike belief in the sacred right to perquisites quite touched my heart. It was so strong as to be almost beautiful. The race-the two races rather-and the climate . . . However, never mind.
recollect - ricordarsi
tipped - punta
remnant - resto, rimanenza, avanzo, residuo, scampolo
stock - stock, merce
childlike - infantile
sacred - sacro
perquisites - un premio
touched - commosso
races - corsa, gara
climate - clima
I know where I have a friend for life.
'Well, Ruthvel says he was giving him a severe lecture-on official morality, I suppose-when he heard a kind of subdued commotion at his back, and turning his head he saw, in his own words, something round and enormous, resembling a sixteen-hundred-weight sugar-hogshead wrapped in striped flannelette, up-ended in the middle of the large floor space in the office.
severe - rigido, duro, grave, severo
lecture-on - (lecture-on) lezione su
morality - moralita
suppose - supporre, immaginare
subdued - sottomettere, soggiogare
commotion - agitazione, checkscandalo
enormous - enorme, grandissimo, vasto, smisurato
hogshead - testa di maiale
striped - striscia, banda, lista, galloni
flannelette - flanella
floor space - spazio a terra
He declares he was so taken aback that for quite an appreciable time he did not realise the thing was alive, and sat still wondering for what purpose and by what means that object had been transported in front of his desk.
declares - dichiarare
taken aback - disorientato, confuso
appreciable - apprezzabile
realise - rendersi conto
alive - vivo, attivo, animato
transported - trasportare, deportare, trasporto
The archway from the ante-room was crowded with punkah-pullers, sweepers, police peons, the coxswain and crew of the harbour steam-launch, all craning their necks and almost climbing on each other's backs. Quite a riot.
archway - arco
ante - contribution to pot, in games, To pay the ante in poker
punkah - fan
pullers - estrattore
sweepers - spazzino, libero
coxswain - timoniere, nocchiere, nocchiero
crew - equipaggio
launch - lanciare, mettere in acqua*
craning - gru
necks - collo
riot - tumulto, baccano, bailamme, gazzarra
By that time the fellow had managed to tug and jerk his hat clear of his head, and advanced with slight bows at Ruthvel, who told me the sight was so discomposing that for some time he listened, quite unable to make out what that apparition wanted. It spoke in a voice harsh and lugubrious but intrepid, and little by little it dawned upon Archie that this was a development of the Patna case.
managed - dirigere, managgiare, riuscire, arrangiarsi, maneggiare
tug - trascinare, tirare, rimorchiare, strattone
jerk - scossa, sobbalzo
discomposing - scomporsi
unable - incapace
apparition - apparizione
lugubrious - lugubre
intrepid - ardito, coraggioso, intrepido
dawned - spuntare, albeggiare, alba, aurora, albori
development - sviluppo, potenziamento
He says that as soon as he understood who it was before him he felt quite unwell-Archie is so sympathetic and easily upset-but pulled himself together and shouted "Stop! I can't listen to you. You must go to the Master Attendant. I can't possibly listen to you. Captain Elliot is the man you want to see. This way, this way.
unwell - indisposto
sympathetic - sensibile
easily - tranquillamente, facilmente, agevolmente
upset - sconvolto, turbamento, sorpresa, innervosire, sconvolgere
attendant - assistente
Possibly - possibilmente
" He jumped up, ran round that long counter, pulled, shoved: the other let him, surprised but obedient at first, and only at the door of the private office some sort of animal instinct made him hang back and snort like a frightened bullock. "look here! What's up? Let go! Look here!" Archie flung open the door without knocking. "The master of the Patna, sir," he shouts. "Go in, captain.
jumped up - saltare su
counter - contatore
shoved - spingere
obedient - ubbidiente
instinct - istinto
snort - sbuffare, sniffare
frightened - spaurire, spaventare
bullock - giovenco
look here - guardare qui
What's up? - Che succede?
knocking - bussare, (knock), colpo, botta, botto, autocombustione
shouts - grido
" He saw the old man lift his head from some writing so sharp that his nose-nippers fell off, banged the door to, and fled to his desk, where he had some papers waiting for his signature: but he says the row that burst out in there was so awful that he couldn't collect his senses sufficiently to remember the spelling of his own name.
lift - alzare, sollevare
nippers - pinza
fled - fuggire
signature - firma
collect - riunirsi
sufficiently - sufficientemente
Archie's the most sensitive shipping-master in the two hemispheres. He declares he felt as though he had thrown a man to a hungry lion. No doubt the noise was great. I heard it down below, and I have every reason to believe it was heard clear across the Esplanade as far as the band-stand. Old father Elliot had a great stock of words and could shout-and didn't mind who he shouted at either.
most sensitive - piu sensibile
hemispheres - emisfero
doubt - dubitare, dubbio, perplessita
Esplanade - passeggiata
shout - grido
He would have shouted at the Viceroy himself. As he used to tell me: "I am as high as I can get; my pension is safe. I've a few pounds laid by, and if they don't like my notions of duty I would just as soon go home as not. I am an old man, and I have always spoken my mind. All I care for now is to see my girls married before I die." He was a little crazy on that point.
Viceroy - viceré
pension - pensione, assegno, pensionare
notions - nozione, concetto, opinione, inclinazione, intenzione
His three daughters were awfully nice, though they resembled him amazingly, and on the mornings he woke up with a gloomy view of their matrimonial prospects the office would read it in his eye and tremble, because, they said, he was sure to have somebody for breakfast.
resembled - rassomigliare, arieggiare
amazingly - straordinariamente, incredibilmente, sorprendentemente
matrimonial - matrimoniale
tremble - tremare, tremolare, tremore
However, that morning he did not eat the renegade, but, if I may be allowed to carry on the metaphor, chewed him up very small, so to speak, and-ah! ejected him again.
metaphor - metafora, tropo, figura retorica
chewed - masticare
ejected - espellere, sfrattare
'Thus in a very few moments I saw his monstrous bulk descend in haste and stand still on the outer steps. He had stopped close to me for the purpose of profound meditation: his large purple cheeks quivered. He was biting his thumb, and after a while noticed me with a sidelong vexed look. The other three chaps that had landed with him made a little group waiting at some distance.
monstrous - mostruoso, enorme, gigantesco
descend - scendere
stand still - rimanere fermo
biting - mordere
thumb - pollice, dito grosso
noticed - percezione, notifica, avviso, comunicazione, preavviso, notare
sidelong - obliquo
vexed - vessare, innervosire, tormentare, infastidire
There was a sallow-faced, mean little chap with his arm in a sling, and a long individual in a blue flannel coat, as dry as a chip and no stouter than a broomstick, with drooping grey moustaches, who looked about him with an air of jaunty imbecility.
sallow - giallastro
sling - fascia, benda
individual - individuo, soggetto, singolo, specifico, individuale, personale
flannel - flanella
chip - frantumarsi, scheggiarsi
stouter - solido
broomstick - manico di scopa
drooping - pendere
moustaches - baffi, mostaccio
jaunty - diinvolto, sbarazzino
imbecility - imbecillita
The third was an upstanding, broad-shouldered youth, with his hands in his pockets, turning his back on the other two who appeared to be talking together earnestly. He stared across the empty Esplanade.
upstanding - alzarsi in piedi
shouldered - spalla
pockets - tasca, buca, sacca, intascare, imbucare, tascabile
earnestly - seriamente
A ramshackle gharry, all dust and venetian blinds, pulled up short opposite the group, and the driver, throwing up his right foot over his knee, gave himself up to the critical examination of his toes. The young chap, making no movement, not even stirring his head, just stared into the sunshine. This was my first view of Jim. He looked as unconcerned and unapproachable as only the young can look.
ramshackle - diroccante, traballante, pericolante, cadente
venetian - veneziano, veneziana, veneto
blinds - cieco, orbo, tenda, accecare, ciecamente
throwing - lanciare
critical - critico, incerto, delicato, essenziale, fondamentale
movement - movimento
unconcerned - indifferenza
unapproachable - irraggiungibile
There he stood, clean-limbed, clean-faced, firm on his feet, as promising a boy as the sun ever shone on; and, looking at him, knowing all he knew and a little more too, I was as angry as though I had detected him trying to get something out of me by false pretences. He had no business to look so sound. I thought to myself-well, if this sort can go wrong like that . . .
limbed - membro, arto
firm - fermo, sicuro
promising - promessa, giuramento, voto, promettere, giurare
go wrong - andare male, sbagliare
and I felt as though I could fling down my hat and dance on it from sheer mortification, as I once saw the skipper of an Italian barque do because his duffer of a mate got into a mess with his anchors when making a flying moor in a roadstead full of ships. I asked myself, seeing him there apparently so much at ease-is he silly? is he callous? He seemed ready to start whistling a tune.
fling - lanciare
sheer - (puro e semplice)
mortification - mortificazione
barque - barcaccia
duffer - incompetent or clumsy person
mess - confusione, disordine
anchors - ancora
moor - landa, brughiera
callous - cinico, insensibile, calloso
whistling - fischiare, (whistle), fischietto, fischio, checkfischio
tune - melodia, composizione, regolazione, messa a punto, accordare
And note, I did not care a rap about the behaviour of the other two. Their persons somehow fitted the tale that was public property, and was going to be the subject of an official inquiry. "That old mad rogue upstairs called me a hound," said the captain of the Patna. I can't tell whether he recognised me-I rather think he did; but at any rate our glances met.
rap - colpo, colpetto
behaviour - comportamento
somehow - in qualche modo
fitted - adatto
property - proprieta, beni, possesso, beni immobili
mad - pazzo, folle, matto, insano
rogue - briccone, canaglia, buono a nulla
hound - cane (da caccia)
recognised - riconoscere
rate - tasso, percentuale
glances - dare un'occhiata, sbirciare, occhieggiare, radere, rasentare
He glared-I smiled; hound was the very mildest epithet that had reached me through the open window. "Did he?" I said from some strange inability to hold my tongue. He nodded, bit his thumb again, swore under his breath: then lifting his head and looking at me with sullen and passionate impudence-"Bah! the Pacific is big, my friendt.
glared - bagliore, lampo, frecciata
mildest - delicato, delicata, mite, lene, lieve
epithet - epiteto
inability - incapacita, inabilita
nodded - annuire, accennare, scuotere, addormentarsi, appisolarsi
lifting - alzare, sollevare
sullen - afflitto, astioso, tetro, cupo, disarmante, lento
passionate - appassionato
impudence - impudenza, sfrontatezza
Pacific - pacifico
friendt - amico
You damned Englishmen can Do your worst; I know where there's plenty room for a man like me: I am well aguaindt in Apia, in Honolulu, in . . ." He paused reflectively, while without effort I could depict to myself the sort of people he was "aguaindt" with in those places. I won't make a secret of it that I had been "aguaindt" with not a few of that sort myself.
Englishmen - inglese
Do your worst - fai del tuo peggio
plenty - abbondanza, cuccagna, abbondantemente
aguaindt - ordine del giorno
Apia - capital of Samoa
Honolulu - Honolulu
reflectively - in modo riflessivo
effort - sforzo
depict - rappresentare, raffigurare
There are times when a man must act as though life were equally sweet in any company. I've known such a time, and, what's more, I shan't now pretend to pull a long face over my necessity, because a good many of that bad company from want of moral-moral-what shall I say?
equally - altrettanto, parimenti
sweet - dolcemente, dolcetto, caramella
pretend - fingere, fare finta, far credere
pull - tirare
long face - faccia lunga
moral - morale
-posture, or from some other equally profound cause, were twice as instructive and twenty times more amusing than the usual respectable thief of commerce you fellows ask to sit at your table without any real necessity-from habit, from cowardice, from good-nature, from a hundred sneaking and inadequate reasons.
posture - postura, atteggiamento, atteggiarsi
instructive - istruttivo, instruttivo
more amusing - piu divertente
usual - solito, usuale, consueto, abituale
respectable - rispettabile
thief - ladro, ladra, ladruncolo, borsaiolo
commerce - commercio
habit - abitudine
cowardice - codardia, vilta, pusillanimita, vigliaccheria
good-nature - (good-nature) buona natura
sneaking - imbroglione, lestofante, furfante, intrufolarsi, sgusciare
'"You Englishmen are all rogues," went on my patriotic Flensborg or Stettin Australian. I really don't recollect now what decent little port on the shores of the Baltic was defiled by being the nest of that precious bird. "What are you to shout? Eh? You tell me? You no better than other people, and that old rogue he make Gottam fuss with me.
rogues - briccone, canaglia, buono a nulla
patriotic - patriottico
Australian - australiano
decent - perbene, presentabile
Baltic - baltico
defiled - contaminare
nest - nido
fuss - confusione, trambusto, daffare, rumore, baccano
" His thick carcass trembled on its legs that were like a pair of pillars; it trembled from head to foot. "That's what you English always make-make a tam'fuss-for any little thing, because I was not born in your tam'country. Take away my certificate. Take it. I don't want the certificate. A man like me don't want your verfluchte certificate. I shpit on it." He spat.
carcass - carcassa
trembled - tremare, tremolare, tremore
pillars - pilastro
certificate - certificato, attestato
shpit - pozzetto
spat - sputato
"I vill an Amerigan citizen begome," he cried, fretting and fuming and shuffling his feet as if to free his ankles from some invisible and mysterious grasp that would not let him get away from that spot. He made himself so warm that the top of his bullet head positively smoked.
citizen - cittadino, cittadina, residente, civile
begome - ordine del giorno
cried - piangere, gridare, urlare, pianto, urlo, verso
fretting - affliggersi
fuming - fumo, rodersi il fegato, mangiarsi il fegato
shuffling - rimescolando, (shuffle), mescolare, mischiare, strascicare
ankles - caviglia
grasp - afferrare, avvinghiare, avvinghiarsi, agguantare
bullet - pallottola, proiettile
smoked - fumo
Nothing mysterious prevented me from going away: curiosity is the most obvious of sentiments, and it held me there to see the effect of a full information upon that young fellow who, hands in pockets, and turning his back upon the sidewalk, gazed across the grass-plots of the Esplanade at the yellow portico of the Malabar Hotel with the air of a man about to go for a walk as soon as his friend is ready. That's how he looked, and it was odious. I waited to see him overwhelmed, confounded, pierced through and through, squirming like an impaled beetle-and I was half afraid to see it too-if you understand what I mean. Nothing more awful than to watch a man who has been found out, not in a crime but in a more than criminal weakness. The commonest sort of fortitude prevents us from becoming criminals in a legal sense; it is from weakness unknown, but perhaps suspected, as in some parts of the world you suspect a deadly snake in every bush-from weakness that may lie hidden, watched or unwatched, prayed against or manfully scorned, repressed or maybe ignored more than half a lifetime, not one of us is safe. We are snared into doing things for which we get called names, and things for which we get hanged, and yet the spirit may well survive-survive the condemnation, survive the halter, by Jove! And there are things-they look small enough sometimes too-by which some of us are totally and completely undone. I watched the youngster there. I liked his appearance; I knew his appearance; he came from the right place; he was one of us. He stood there for all the parentage of his kind, for men and women by no means clever or amusing, but whose very existence is based upon honest faith, and upon the instinct of courage. I don't mean military courage, or civil courage, or any special kind of courage. I mean just that inborn ability to look temptations straight in the face-a readiness unintellectual enough, goodness knows, but without pose-a power of resistance, don't you see, ungracious if you like, but priceless-an unthinking and blessed stiffness before the outward and inward terrors, before the might of nature and the seductive corruption of men-backed by a faith invulnerable to the strength of facts, to the contagion of example, to the solicitation of ideas. Hang ideas! They are tramps, vagabonds, knocking at the back-door of your mind, each taking a little of your substance, each carrying away some crumb of that belief in a few simple notions you must cling to if you want to live decently and would like to die easy!
prevented - impedire, prevenire
curiosity - curiosita
most obvious - il piu ovvio/ evidente
sentiments - sentimento
sidewalk - marciapiede
gazed - fissare, guardare, puntare gli occhi, volgere lo sguardo
portico - portico, porticato, pronao
overwhelmed - sommergere, schiacciare, dominare, travolgere, sopraffare
pierced - trapassare, trafiggere
squirming - contorcersi, torcersi
impaled - impalare
Beetle - coleottero
crime - crimine, delitto, reato, criminalita
weakness - debolezza, cagionevolezza, fievolezza, punto debole
fortitude - coraggio
prevents - impedire, prevenire
criminals - criminale, delittuoso
legal - giuridico, legale
unknown - ignoto, sconosciuto, carneade
suspected - sospettare
bush - cespuglio
lie - bugia
unwatched - non guardato
prayed - pregare
manfully - con coraggio
scorned - disprezzare, disdegnare, disprezzo
repressed - reprimere
ignored - ignorare
lifetime - durata, vita utile, vita, un'eternita
snared - laccio, trappola, tagliola, richiamo, insidia
hanged - impiccato
survive - sopravvivere, durare, perdurare
condemnation - condanna
halter - cavezza, capestro
totally - totalmente, completamente
completely - completamente, interamente, del tutto, totalmente
undone - disfare
parentage - parentela
clever - furbo, astuto, sveglio, scaltro
amusing - svagare
based - base
honest - onesto
military - militare, esercito
civil - civile
inborn - innato
temptations - tentazione
unintellectual - non intellettuale
goodness - bonta
pose - posa
power of resistance - potere di resistenza
ungracious - scortese
unthinking - non pensare
stiffness - rigidezza, rigidita, inflessibilita
inward - intimo
seductive - seducente
corruption - corruzione
invulnerable - invulnerabile
contagion - talian: t-needed
solicitation - sollecitazione, richiesta
Tramps - vagabondo, barbone, puttana, sgualdrina
vagabonds - vagabondo
knocking at - bussare a
substance - sostanza
carrying away - portare via
crumb - briciola, mollica, impasto, impanare
cling to - aggrapparsi
'This has nothing to do with Jim, directly; only he was outwardly so typical of that good, stupid kind we like to feel marching right and left of us in life, of the kind that is not disturbed by the vagaries of intelligence and the perversions of-of nerves, let us say.
typical - tipico
disturbed - disturbare
vagaries - vagabondaggio
intelligence - intelligenza
perversions - perversione
nerves - nervo, nervatura, coraggio, faccia tosta, sfacciataggine
He was the kind of fellow you would, on the strength of his looks, leave in charge of the deck-figuratively and professionally speaking. I say I would, and I ought to know.
figuratively - in senso figurato
professionally - professionalmente
Haven't I turned out youngsters enough in my time, for the service of the Red Rag, to the craft of the sea, to the craft whose whole secret could be expressed in one short sentence, and yet must be driven afresh every day into young heads till it becomes the component part of every waking thought-till it is present in every dream of their young sleep!
youngsters - giovane
expressed - esprimere
afresh - di nuovo, daccapo
component part - componente
The sea has been good to me, but when I remember all these boys that passed through my hands, some grown up now and some drowned by this time, but all good stuff for the sea, I don't think I have done badly by it either.
drowned - affogare, annegare, sommergere, coprire
Were I to go home to-morrow, I bet that before two days passed over my head some sunburnt young chief mate would overtake me at some dock gateway or other, and a fresh deep voice speaking above my hat would ask: "Don't you remember me, sir? Why! little So-and-so. Such and such a ship. It was my first voyage.
morrow - domani
bet - scommettere su
overtake - superare, sorpassare, raggiungere, soverchiare, sopraffare
gateway - entrance, point that represents the beginning of a transition
" And I would remember a bewildered little shaver, no higher than the back of this chair, with a mother and perhaps a big sister on the quay, very quiet but too upset to wave their handkerchiefs at the ship that glides out gently between the pier-heads; or perhaps some decent middle-aged father who had come early with his boy to see him off, and stays all the morning, because he is interested in the windlass apparently, and stays too long, and has got to scramble ashore at last with no time at all to say good-bye. The mud pilot on the poop sings out to me in a drawl, "Hold her with the check line for a moment, Mister Mate. There's a gentleman wants to get ashore. . . . Up with you, sir. Nearly got carried off to Talcahuano, didn't you? Now's your time; easy does it. . . . All right. Slack away again forward there." The tugs, smoking like the pit of perdition, get hold and churn the old river into fury; the gentleman ashore is dusting his knees-the benevolent steward has shied his umbrella after him. All very proper. He has offered his bit of sacrifice to the sea, and now he may go home pretending He thinks nothing of it; and the little willing victim shall be very sea-sick before next morning. By-and-by, when he has learned all the little mysteries and the one great secret of the craft, he shall be fit to live or die as the sea may decree; and the man who had taken a hand in this fool game, in which the sea wins every toss, will be pleased to have his back slapped by a heavy young hand, and to hear a cheery sea-puppy voice: "Do you remember me, sir? The little So-and-so."
bewildered - confondere, disorientare, sconcertare
shaver - rasoio
handkerchiefs - fazzoletto
glides - scivolare, slittare, scorrere, muoversi con fluidita, planare
pier - pontile, imbarcadero, molo, pilastro
windlass - argano, verricello, bozzello, salpareti
scramble - arrampicarsi, (andare carponi)
ashore - a riva, verso riva
Good-bye - (Good-bye) arrivederci
mud - fango
pilot - pilota
poop - cacca
drawl - strascico
mister - signore
gentleman - gentiluomo, galantuomo, signore, signor
carried off - sopportare, rimuovere
Slack - lento
tugs - trascinare, tirare, rimorchiare, strattone
pit - buca, fossa
churn - frullare, sbattere, ribollire, spumeggiare
dusting - spolverata, (dust), polvere, spolverare
benevolent - benevolo
shied - timido, schivo, meno, adombrarsi, gettare, scagliare
proper - adatto, appropriato, decente, proprio, checkproprio
sacrifice - sacrificare, sacrificio
pretending - fingere, fare finta, far credere
He thinks nothing of it - non pensare a nulla
victim - vittima
by-and-by - (by-and-by) a poco a poco
mysteries - mistero, arcano, enigma
be fit - essere in forma
decree - decreto, ordinanza
toss - tiro, lancio, testa o croce, lancio moneta
slapped - schiaffo, ceffone, sberla, schiaffeggiare, colpire
cheery - allegro
puppy - cucciolo, cagnolino, cagnetto
'I tell you this is good; it tells you that once in your life at least you had gone the right way to work. I have been thus slapped, and I have winced, for the slap was heavy, and I have glowed all day long and gone to bed feeling less lonely in the world by virtue of that hearty thump. Don't I remember the little So-and-so's! I tell you I ought to know the right kind of looks.
winced - sobbalzare
slap - schiaffo, ceffone, sberla, schiaffeggiare, colpire
glowed - brillare, alone, luminescenza, luccichio, calore
virtue - virtu, merito
hearty - di cuore
I would have trusted the deck to that youngster on the strength of a single glance, and gone to sleep with both eyes-and, by Jove! it wouldn't have been safe. There are depths of horror in that thought. He looked as genuine as a new sovereign, but there was some infernal alloy in his metal. How much? The least thing-the least drop of something rare and accursed; the least drop!
trusted - fiducia, confidenza, speranza, credito, affidabilita, trust
genuine - genuino
sovereign - sovrano, eccezionale, supremo
alloy - lega
metal - metallo
rare - raro
accursed - accuratezza
-but he made you-standing there with his don't-care-hang air-he made you wonder whether perchance he were nothing more rare than brass.
perchance - per caso
'I couldn't believe it. I tell you I wanted to see him squirm for the honour of the craft. The other two no-account chaps spotted their captain, and began to move slowly towards us. They chatted together as they strolled, and I did not care any more than if they had not been visible to the naked eye. They grinned at each other-might have been exchanging jokes, for all I know.
squirm - contorcersi, torcersi
account - conto
chatted - chiacchierare
strolled - passeggiata, camminata, passeggiare, andare a spasso, girovagare
visible - visibile
grinned - sogghignare
exchanging - cambiare
I saw that with one of them it was a case of a broken arm; and as to the long individual with grey moustaches he was the chief engineer, and in various ways a pretty notorious personality. They were nobodies. They approached. The skipper gazed in an inanimate way between his feet: he seemed to be swollen to an unnatural size by some awful disease, by the mysterious action of an unknown poison.
approached - avvicinarsi
inanimate - inanimato
be swollen - essere gonfio
unnatural - innaturale
size - dimensioni
an unknown - uno sconosciuto
poison - veleno, avvelenare, intossicare
He lifted his head, saw the two before him waiting, opened his mouth with an extraordinary, sneering contortion of his puffed face-to speak to them, I suppose-and then a thought seemed to strike him.
extraordinary - straordinario, straordinaria, eccezionale, fantastico
sneering - sogghignare, (sneer), ghignare, ghigno, sogghigno
contortion - contorsione
His thick, purplish lips came together without a sound, he went off in a resolute waddle to the gharry and began to jerk at the door-handle with such a blind brutality of impatience that I expected to see the whole concern overturned on its side, pony and all.
purplish - violastro, violaceo
resolute - risoluto
waddle - camminare (dondolandosi)
handle - manico, maniglia
blind - cieco, orbo, tenda, accecare, ciecamente
Impatience - Impazienza
concern - interesse, preoccupazione, impresa, interessare
overturned - ribaltare, capovolgere
The driver, shaken out of his meditation over the sole of his foot, displayed at once all the signs of intense terror, and held with both hands, looking round from his box at this vast carcass forcing its way into his conveyance.
shaken out - scosso, abbandonato
sole - (pianta del piede)
signs - segno
intense - intenso
Conveyance - Trasporto
The little machine shook and rocked tumultuously, and the crimson nape of that lowered neck, the size of those straining thighs, the immense heaving of that dingy, striped green-and-orange back, the whole burrowing effort of that gaudy and sordid mass, troubled one's sense of probability with a droll and fearsome effect, like one of those grotesque and distinct visions that scare and fascinate one in a fever. He disappeared. I half expected the roof to split in two, the little box on wheels to burst open in the manner of a ripe cotton-pod-but it only sank with a click of flattened springs, and suddenly one venetian blind rattled down. His shoulders reappeared, jammed in the small opening; his head hung out, distended and tossing like a captive balloon, perspiring, furious, spluttering. He reached for the gharry-wallah with vicious flourishes of a fist as dumpy and red as a lump of raw meat. He roared at him to be off, to go on. Where? Into the Pacific, perhaps. The driver lashed; the pony snorted, reared once, and darted off at a gallop. Where? To Apia? To Honolulu? He had 6000 miles of tropical belt to disport himself in, and I did not hear the precise address. A snorting pony snatched him into "Ewigkeit" in the twinkling of an eye, and I never saw him again; and, what's more, I don't know of anybody that ever had a glimpse of him after he departed from my knowledge sitting inside a ramshackle little gharry that fled round the corner in a white smother of dust. He departed, disappeared, vanished, absconded; and absurdly enough it looked as though he had taken that gharry with him, for never again did I come across a sorrel pony with a slit ear and a lackadaisical Tamil driver afflicted by a sore foot. The Pacific is indeed big; but whether he found a place for a display of his talents in it or not, the fact remains he had flown into space like a witch on a broomstick. The little chap with his arm in a sling started to run after the carriage, bleating, "Captain! I say, Captain! I sa-a-ay!"-but after a few steps stopped short, hung his head, and walked back slowly. At the sharp rattle of the wheels the young fellow spun round where he stood. He made no other movement, no gesture, no sign, and remained facing in the new direction after the gharry had swung out of sight.
rocked - c
tumultuously - tumultuosamente
nape - nuca
straining - sforzarsi
thighs - coscia
dingy - sporco
burrowing - tana, buca, covo, cunicolo, scavare una tana
gaudy - vistoso
sordid - sordido
probability - probabilita
droll - scemenza
fearsome - temibile
grotesque - grottesco
visions - vista, acutezza visiva, visione, allucinazione, miraggio
scare - spaventare
fascinate - affascinare
fever - febbre
disappeared - sparire, scomparire
split - spaccata, fendere, dividere, scindere, spaccare, spartire
wheels - ruota, timone, ruota del timone, pezzo grosso, cerchio
burst open - spalancare all'improvviso
ripe - maturo
cotton - cotone
pod - buccia, baccello, capsula, navicella
click - scatto, clic
flattened - appiattire, atterrare, appiattirsi
reappeared - riapparire
jammed - marmellata
hung out - passare il tempo, incontrare, appendere
distended - distendere
captive - prigioniero, catturato, intrappolato
balloon - palloncino
perspiring - sudare
spluttering - strombazzare
vicious - violento, aggressivo
flourishes - fiorire, crescere, svilupparsi, prosperare, sventolio
fist - pugno
dumpy - tozzo, grassottello
raw - crudo, grezzo, non raffinatato, naturale, aperta, vergine
roared at - ruggire
be off - essere putrido, essere assento
snorted - sbuffare, sniffare
reared - retro, retrovia
gallop - galoppo, galoppare
disport - sporto
precise - preciso, esatto, accurato
snorting - sniffare, (snort), sbuffare
snatched - agguantare, scippare, strappare
in the twinkling of an eye - in un batter d'occhio
my knowledge - la mia conoscenza
round the corner - dietro l'angolo
smother - soffocare, asfissiare
absconded - fuggire, scappare
absurdly - assurdamente
never again - mai piu
sorrel - acetosa
slit - fessura, fendere
lackadaisical - languido, apatico, stufato
sore - dolente, doloroso
indeed - infatti, davvero, realmente, effettivamente, gia
Ay - Sí
talents - talento, talenti
witch - strega
run after - inseguire
carriage - carrozza, portamento, postura, carrello
bleating - belare, (bleat), belato
rattle - far tintinnare/sbatacchiare
spun round - girare in tondo
gesture - gesto
sign - segno
direction - direzione, senso di marcia, regia, conduzione
'All this happened in much less time than it takes to tell, since I am trying to interpret for you into slow speech the instantaneous effect of visual impressions. Next moment the half-caste clerk, sent by Archie to look a little after the poor castaways of the Patna, came upon the scene. He ran out eager and bareheaded, looking right and left, and very full of his mission.
Interpret - interpretare
instantaneous - istantaneo
visual - visuale
impressions - depressione, impronta, impressione, opinione, imitazione
castaways - naufrago
bareheaded - a capo scoperto
mission - missione
It was doomed to be a failure as far as the principal person was concerned, but he approached the others with fussy importance, and, almost immediately, found himself involved in a violent altercation with the chap that carried his arm in a sling, and who turned out to be extremely anxious for a row. He wasn't going to be ordered about-"not he, b'gosh.
doomed - sentenza, giudizio, decisione, penalita
failure - fallimento, insuccesso, avaria, fiasco, disfunzione
fussy - puntiglioso, schizzinoso, maniacale
immediately - immediatamente, subito, su due piedi
Involved - elevare, avvolgere, coinvolgere
altercation - alterco, disputa, discussione, diverbio
wasn - era
" He wouldn't be terrified with a pack of lies by a cocky half-bred little quill-driver. He was not going to be bullied by "no object of that sort," if the story were true "ever so"! He bawled his wish, his desire, his determination to go to bed. "If you weren't a God-forsaken Portuguee," I heard him yell, "you would know that the hospital is the right place for me.
terrified - terrificare
pack of lies - un mucchio di bugie
cocky - presuntuoso
bred - allevato, (breed), allevare, riprodursi, razza
quill - calamo, penna d'oca, penna, aculeo
bullied - bullo, spaccone, smargiasso, prepotente
bawled - gridare, urlare
forsaken - abbandonare, rinunciare
yell - grido
" He pushed the fist of his sound arm under the other's nose; a crowd began to collect; the half-caste, flustered, but doing his best to appear dignified, tried to explain his intentions. I went away without waiting to see the end.
flustered - agitazione
dignified - dignitoso
intentions - intenzione, intento
went away - andare via
'But it so happened that I had a man in the hospital at the time, and going there to see about him the day before the opening of the Inquiry, I saw in the white men's ward that little chap tossing on his back, with his arm in splints, and quite light-headed. To my great surprise the other one, the long individual with drooping white moustache, had also found his way there.
going there - andare li
splints - scheggia, scaglia, frammento, stecca, tutore, protesi, lamella
surprise - sorpresa, stupire, sorprendere, meravigliare
I remembered I had seen him slinking away during the quarrel, in a half prance, half shuffle, and trying very hard not to look scared. He was no stranger to the port, it seems, and in his distress was able to make tracks straight for Mariani's billiard-room and grog-shop near the bazaar.
slinking - sgattaiolare
quarrel - lite, litigio
prance - impennarsi
scared - spaventato, terrorizzato, impaurito
Stranger - Straniero
Seems - sembrare, parere, apparire
distress - angoscia, pena, miseria, sconforto, pericolo
tracks - traccia, scia, tracciamento, sentiero, impronta, mulattiera
billiard - biliardo
grog - grog
bazaar - bazar, mercato
That unspeakable vagabond, Mariani, who had known the man and had ministered to his vices in one or two other places, kissed the ground, in a manner of speaking, before him, and shut him up with a supply of bottles in an upstairs room of his infamous hovel. It appears he was under some hazy apprehension as to his personal safety, and wished to be concealed.
unspeakable - indicibile
vagabond - vagabondo
vices - morsa, morsetto
kissed - baciare
supply - fornire
infamous - famigerato
hovel - riparo, ricovero, tettoia, stamberga, buco
apprehension - apprensione
wished - desiderio, voglia, volere, desiderare, augurare
concealed - nascondere, celare
However, Mariani told me a long time after (when he came on board one day to dun my steward for the price of some cigars) that he would have done more for him without asking any questions, from gratitude for some unholy favour received very many years ago-as far as I could make out.
unholy - irrispettoso
He thumped twice his brawny chest, rolled enormous black-and-white eyes glistening with tears: "Antonio never forget-Antonio never forget!
thumped - colpo
brawny - muscoloso
chest - petto
rolled - rotolo
glistening - luccicante
Tears - lacrima
" What was the precise nature of the immoral obligation I never learned, but be it what it may, he had every facility given him to remain under lock and key, with a chair, a table, a mattress in a corner, and a litter of fallen plaster on the floor, in an irrational state of funk, and keeping up his pecker with such tonics as Mariani dispensed.
immoral - immorale, scorretto
obligation - vincolo, obbligo, dovere, obbligazione
facility - facilita, talian:
remain - stare, restare, rimanere
lock - serratura
mattress - materasso
corner - angolo, sporgenza, angolo sporgente, pietra d'angolo
litter - lettiga, portantina, palanchino, cucciolata, lettiera, rifiuti
plaster - gesso, unguento, intonaco, calco
irrational - irrazionale
state - Stato
funk - paura
pecker - cazzo
tonics - (acqua tonica)
dispensed - dispensare
This lasted till the evening of the third day, when, after letting out a few horrible screams, he found himself compelled to seek safety in flight from a legion of centipedes. He burst the door open, made one leap for dear life down the crazy little stairway, landed bodily on Mariani's stomach, picked himself up, and bolted like a rabbit into the streets.
lasted - ultimo
letting out - far uscire, lasciar andare
horrible - orribile, terribile
screams - urlo, grido, gridare, sbraitare, urlare
compelled - forzare, costringere, obbligare
legion - legione
centipedes - centopiedi
leap - saltare
stairway - scalinata, gradinata
stomach - stomaco, pancia, digerire, sopportare
picked - piccone, stuzzicadenti, scelta, barriera, prendere, raccogliere, scegliere
rabbit - coniglio
The police plucked him off a garbage-heap in the early morning. At first he had a notion they were carrying him off to be hanged, and fought for liberty like a hero, but when I sat down by his bed he had been very quiet for two days.
plucked - pizzicare, spennare, spennacchiare, spiumare, corata, coratella
garbage - immondizia, spazzatura, rifiuti
fought - lottare, battersi
liberty - liberta
His lean bronzed head, with white moustaches, looked fine and calm on the pillow, like the head of a war-worn soldier with a child-like soul, had it not been for a hint of spectral alarm that lurked in the blank glitter of his glance, resembling a nondescript form of a terror crouching silently behind a pane of glass.
bronzed - bronzo, bronzeo, abbronzato
war - guerra, fare la guerra
soldier - soldato
hint - accenno, allusione, indizio, aiuto
spectral - spettrale
alarm - allarme
lurked - appostarsi, acquattarsi, celarsi
blank - intonso, in bianco, vuoto, intatto, vergine, cartuccia a salve
nondescript - ordinario
crouching - accucciarsi
pane - vetro
He was so extremely calm, that I began to indulge in the eccentric hope of hearing something explanatory of the famous affair from his point of view.
indulge in - indulgere in
eccentric - eccentrico
explanatory - esplicativo
Why I longed to go grubbing into the deplorable details of an occurrence which, after all, concerned me no more than as a member of an obscure body of men held together by a community of inglorious toil and by fidelity to a certain standard of conduct, I can't explain. You may call it an unhealthy curiosity if you like; but I have a distinct notion I wished to find something.
grubbing - larva, bruco, sbobba
Occurrence - occorrenza
held together - tenuto insieme
community - comunita, comunanza
inglorious - inglorioso
Standard - standard, regolare, livello, tenore
conduct - conduzione, comportamento, condotta, condurre, comportarsi
unhealthy - malsano, insalubre
Perhaps, unconsciously, I hoped I would find that something, some profound and redeeming cause, some merciful explanation, some convincing shadow of an excuse.
unconsciously - inconsciamente
redeeming - redimere, riacquistare
merciful - misericordioso
explanation - spiegazione, esplicazione, chiarificazione, esegesi
convincing - convincere
Excuse - scusare, perdonare, scusarsi, giustificarsi, scusa, pretesto
I see well enough now that I hoped for the impossible-for the laying of what is the most obstinate ghost of man's creation, of the uneasy doubt uprising like a mist, secret and gnawing like a worm, and more chilling than the certitude of death-the doubt of the sovereign power enthroned in a fixed standard of conduct.
hoped for - sperato
impossible - impossibile, insopportabile, impossibile (2)
most obstinate - piu ostinato
ghost - fantasma, spettro, spirito, larva
creation - creazione, creato
uneasy - ansioso, agitato
uprising - rivolta
gnawing - tormentoso, (gnaw), rodere, rosicchiare, mordicchiare, rosicare
worm - verme, miserabile, drago
chilling - agghiacciante
enthroned - incoronare
It is the hardest thing to stumble against; it is the thing that breeds yelling panics and good little quiet villainies; it's the true shadow of calamity. Did I believe in a miracle? and why did I desire it so ardently?
stumble - scivolone, scivolare, inciampare, imbattersi, incontrare
breeds - allevare, riprodursi, razza
panics - panico
villainies - malvagita
calamity - calamita
miracle - miracolo
ardently - ardentemente
Was it for my own sake that I wished to find some shadow of an excuse for that young fellow whom I had never seen before, but whose appearance alone added a touch of personal concern to the thoughts suggested by the knowledge of his weakness-made it a thing of mystery and terror-like a hint of a destructive fate ready for us all whose youth-in its day-had resembled his youth?
mystery - mistero, arcano, enigma
destructive - distruttivo
fate - fato, sorte, destino
I fear that such was the secret motive of my prying. I was, and no mistake, looking for a miracle. The only thing that at this distance of time strikes me as miraculous is the extent of my imbecility. I positively hoped to obtain from that battered and shady invalid some exorcism against the ghost of doubt.
motive - motivo
prying - ficcanasare
strikes - cancellare, colpire, coniare, scioperare, sembrare, arrendersi, sciopero
miraculous - miracoloso
obtain - ottenere, riuscire, avere, stabilirsi
shady - ombroso, ombreggiato, opaco, losco, bieco, torvo
invalid - non valido*
exorcism - esorcismo
I must have been pretty desperate too, for, without loss of time, after a few indifferent and friendly sentences which he answered with languid readiness, just as any decent sick man would do, I produced the word Patna wrapped up in a delicate question as in a wisp of floss silk.
desperate - disperato
loss of time - perdita di tempo
wrapped up - avvolto
floss - filo interdentale
I was delicate selfishly; I did not want to startle him; I had no solicitude for him; I was not furious with him and sorry for him: his experience was of no importance, his redemption would have had no point for me. He had grown old in minor iniquities, and could no longer inspire aversion or pity. He repeated Patna?
selfishly - egoisticamente
startle - scattare, sobbalzare, spaventare, sorprendere, schivare, evitare
solicitude - sollecitudine
redemption - redenzione
grown old - invecchiato
minor - minore
iniquities - iniquita
inspire - ispirare
aversion - avversione
interrogatively, seemed to make a short effort of memory, and said: "Quite right. I am an old stager out here. I saw her go down." I made ready to vent my indignation at such a stupid lie, when he added smoothly, "She was full of reptiles."
interrogatively - interrogativamente
vent - foro, canna
reptiles - reptilia, rettile
'This made me pause. What did he mean? The unsteady phantom of terror behind his glassy eyes seemed to stand still and look into mine wistfully. "They turned me out of my bunk in the middle watch to look at her sinking," he pursued in a reflective tone. His voice sounded alarmingly strong all at once. I was sorry for my folly.
pause - mettere in pausa, pausa
unsteady - instabile
wistfully - malinconicamente
reflective - riflessivo
tone - tono
alarmingly - allarmisticamente
folly - follia, stravaganza, unicum, eccentricita
There was no snowy-winged coif of a nursing sister to be seen flitting in the perspective of the ward; but away in the middle of a long row of empty iron bedsteads an accident case from some ship in the Roads sat up brown and gaunt with a white bandage set rakishly on the forehead. Suddenly my interesting invalid shot out an arm thin like a tentacle and clawed my shoulder.
snowy - innevato
coif - pettinatura
flitting - fluttuare, (flit), svolazzare
perspective - prospettiva
bedsteads - sponda, telaio
gaunt - smagrito, allampanato, emaciato, macilento
bandage - fasciatura, bendaggio, benda, benderella
rakishly - in modo rachitico
shot - colpo
tentacle - tentacolo
clawed - artiglio
"Only my eyes were good enough to see. I am famous for my eyesight. that's why they called me, I expect. None of them was quick enough to see her go, but they saw that she was gone right enough, and sang out together-like this." . . . A wolfish howl searched the very recesses of my soul. "Oh! make 'im dry up," whined the accident case irritably.
eyesight - vista
that's why - ecco perché
none - nessuno, niente
wolfish - lupoide
howl - ululato, uggiolio, latrato, guaito, ululare, gannire
searched - ricerca, cercare, buscare
im - ordine del giorno
dry up - seccare, asciugare
whined - piagnisteo, lagna, sibilo, piagnucolio
irritably - con irritazione
"You don't believe me, I suppose," went on the other, with an air of ineffable conceit. "I tell you there are no such eyes as mine this side of the Persian Gulf. Look under the bed."
ineffable - ineffabile
conceit - presunzione, gloss
Persian - Persiano
Gulf - golfo
'Of course I stooped instantly. I defy anybody not to have done so. "What can you see?" he asked. "Nothing," I said, feeling awfully ashamed of myself. He scrutinised my face with wild and withering contempt. "Just so," he said, "but if I were to look I could see-there's no eyes like mine, I tell you.
stooped - chinarsi, abbassarsi
instantly - istantaneamente
defy - sfidare, abiurare
ashamed - vergognoso
scrutinised - scrutinare
wild - selvaggio, selvatico
withering - appassire
" Again he clawed, pulling at me downwards in his eagerness to relieve himself by a confidential communication. "Millions of pink toads. There's no eyes like mine. Millions of pink toads. It's worse than seeing a ship sink. I could look at sinking ships and smoke my pipe all day long. Why don't they give me back my pipe? I would get a smoke while I watched these toads. The ship was full of them.
pulling - tirare, (pull)
eagerness - desiderio
relieve - risollevare, risollevarsi, lenire, alleviare, mitigare
communication - comunicazione, avviso, trasmissione, collegamento, comunione
toads - rospo
sink - affondare
They've got to be watched, you know." He winked facetiously.
winked - (strizzare l'occhio)
facetiously - in modo faceto
The perspiration dripped on him off my head, my drill coat clung to my wet back: the afternoon breeze swept impetuously over the row of bedsteads, the stiff folds of curtains stirred perpendicularly, rattling on brass rods, the covers of empty beds blew about noiselessly near the bare floor all along the line, and I shivered to the very marrow.
perspiration - sudore
dripped - gocciolare
clung to - attaccarsi
wet - bagnato, impregnato, piovoso, uggioso, bagnare
breeze - brezza
impetuously - impetuosamente
curtains - tenda, tappezzeria, drappo, drappeggio
stirred - rimescolare
perpendicularly - perpendicolarmente, a perpendicolo, appiombo
rattling - sferragliare
rods - palo, pertica, stecca, bastone, canna
covers - coperto, coperchio, copertura, nascondiglio, copertina, coperta
shivered - rabbrividire, tremare
marrow - midollo
The soft wind of the tropics played in that naked ward as bleak as a winter's gale in an old barn at home. "Don't you let him start his hollering, mister," hailed from afar the accident case in a distressed angry shout that came ringing between the walls like a quavering call down a tunnel. The clawing hand hauled at my shoulder; he leered at me knowingly.
bleak - desolato
barn - granaio
hollering - gridare
hailed - grandine
from afar - da lontano
distressed - angoscia, pena, miseria, sconforto, pericolo
ringing - riecheggiamento, risuonamento, riecheggiare, risonanza
quavering - tremolante, (quaver), croma
tunnel - tunnel, traforo
clawing - artiglio
hauled - tirare
leered - (sguardo malizioso)
knowingly - consapevolmente
"The ship was full of them, you know, and we had to clear out on the strict Q.T.," he whispered with extreme rapidity. "All pink. All pink-as big as mastiffs, with an eye on the top of the head and claws all round their ugly mouths. Ough! Ough!
clear out - andarsene, sgomberare
strict - stretto, particolare, esatto, austero
whispered - sussurro, sussurrare
rapidity - rapidita
mastiffs - mastino
claws - artiglio
" Quick jerks as of galvanic shocks disclosed under the flat coverlet the outlines of meagre and agitated legs; he let go my shoulder and reached after something in the air; his body trembled tensely like a released harp-string; and while I looked down, the spectral horror in him broke through his glassy gaze.
jerks - scossa, sobbalzo
galvanic - galvanico
shocks - shock, choc
disclosed - scoprire, divulgare, rivelare, svelare, scoperchiare, far noto
coverlet - copriletto
tensely - tensivamente
released - liberare, rilasciare
harp - arpa
Instantly his face of an old soldier, with its noble and calm outlines, became decomposed before my eyes by the corruption of stealthy cunning, of an abominable caution and of desperate fear. He restrained a cry-"Ssh! what are they doing now down there?
noble - nobile, aristocratico, splendido
decomposed - decomporre, decomporsi
stealthy - furtivo
cunning - furbo
abominable - abominabile, detestabile, efferato, odioso
caution - cautela, prudenza
restrained - contenere, frenare
" he asked, pointing to the floor with fantastic precautions of voice and gesture, whose meaning, borne upon my mind in a lurid flash, made me very sick of my cleverness. "They are all asleep," I answered, watching him narrowly. That was it. That's what he wanted to hear; these were the exact words that could calm him. He drew a long breath. "Ssh! Quiet, steady. I am an old stager out here.
precautions - precauzione
borne - sopportare
lurid - livido
cleverness - intelligenza
asleep - addormentato
narrowly - da vicino, per un pelo, di misura
I know them brutes. Bash in the head of the first that stirs. There's too many of them, and she won't swim more than ten minutes." He panted again. "Hurry up," he yelled suddenly, and went on in a steady scream: "They are all awake-millions of them. They are trampling on me! Wait! Oh, wait! I'll smash them in heaps like flies. Wait for me! Help! H-e-elp!
brutes - bestia, bruto
Bash - sfondare
stirs - rimescolare
she won't - non lo fara
panted - ansimare, ansare
hurry - fretta, premura, furia, affrettarsi, precipitarsi
yelled - grido
scream - urlo, grido, gridare, sbraitare, urlare
trampling - calpestare, (trample), offendere, urtare
in heaps - in mucchi
" An interminable and sustained howl completed my discomfiture. I saw in the distance the accident case raise deplorably both his hands to his bandaged head; a dresser, aproned to the chin showed himself in the vista of the ward, as if seen in the small end of a telescope.
interminable - interminabile
sustained - sostenere
discomfiture - sconforto
raise - alzare, innalzare
deplorably - deplorevolmente
bandaged - fasciatura, bendaggio, benda, benderella
aproned - grembiule, piazzale
vista - prospettiva, vista
telescope - telescopio, cannocchiale
I confessed myself fairly routed, and without more ado, stepping out through one of the long windows, escaped into the outside gallery. The howl pursued me like a vengeance. I turned into a deserted landing, and suddenly all became very still and quiet around me, and I descended the bare and shiny staircase in a silence that enabled me to compose my distracted thoughts.
confessed - confessare
fairly - in modo equo
routed - percorso, itinerario
ado - confusione, trambusto
stepping out - uscire di scena
escaped - scappare, fuggire, darsela a gambe, evitare, eludere
gallery - galleria, palchetto, balconata, loggia
vengeance - vendetta, rivalsa, rappresaglia, ritorsione
deserted - abbandonare
staircase - scalinata, tromba delle scale
enabled - permettere, attivare, abilitare
compose - comporre
Down below I met one of the resident surgeons who was crossing the courtyard and stopped me. "Been to see your man, Captain? I think we may let him go to-morrow. These fools have no notion of taking care of themselves, though. I say, we've got the chief engineer of that pilgrim ship here. A curious case. D.T.'s of the worst kind.
resident - residente
surgeons - chirurgo
courtyard - cortile, corte
fools - stolto, buffone, giullare, pagliaccio, buffone di corte, matto
Curious - curioso
He has been drinking hard in that Greek's or Italian's grog-shop for three days. What can you expect? Four bottles of that kind of brandy a day, I am told. Wonderful, if true. Sheeted with boiler-iron inside I should think. The head, ah! the head, of course, gone, but the curious part is there's some sort of method in his raving. I am trying to find out.
Greek - greco, greca
Sheeted - foglio, talian: teglia da forno g, talian: foglio g, ('of metal also') lamiera g, ('of ice, stone, marble') lastra g, scotta
boiler - caldaia
method - metodo
raving - farneticare
Most unusual-that thread of logic in such a delirium. Traditionally he ought to see snakes, but he doesn't. Good old tradition's at a discount nowadays. Eh! His-er-visions are batrachian. Ha! ha! No, seriously, I never remember being so interested in a case of jim-jams before. He ought to be dead, don't you know, after such a festive experiment. Oh! he is a tough object.
unusual - insolito, particolare, inusuale
logic - logica
delirium - delirio
tradition - tradizione
discount - sconto
nowadays - oggidi, oggigiorno
batrachian - batraco
ha - Ja
jams - marmellata
festive - festivo, festiva
experiment - esperimento
tough - duro, coriaceo, resistente, bullo, checkduro
Four-and-twenty years of the tropics too. You ought really to take a peep at him. Noble-looking old boozer. Most extraordinary man I ever met-medically, of course. Won't you?"
peep - sbirciatina
boozer - ubriacone, (archaic) beone
medically - dal punto di vista medico
'I have been all along exhibiting the usual polite signs of interest, but now assuming an air of regret I murmured of want of time, and shook hands in a hurry. "I say," he cried after me; "he can't attend that inquiry. Is his evidence material, you think?"
exhibiting - mostrare, dimostrare, esposizione
polite - cortese, educato
assuming - assumendo
murmured - mormorio, brusio, sussurro, mormorare
attend - assistere a, seguire
material - materiale
'"Not in the least," I called back from the gateway.'
called back - richiamato
'The authorities were evidently of the same opinion. The inquiry was not adjourned. It was held on the appointed day to satisfy the law, and it was well attended because of its human interest, no doubt. There was no incertitude as to facts-as to the one material fact, I mean.
authorities - autorita
evidently - evidentemente
adjourned - aggiornare
appointed day - giorno stabilito
satisfy - soddisfare, accontentare, saziare
law - legge
incertitude - incertezza
How the Patna came by her hurt it was impossible to find out; the court did not expect to find out; and in the whole audience there was not a man who cared. Yet, as I've told you, all the sailors in the port attended, and the waterside business was fully represented.
hurt - dolere, fare male, ferire, ferito
fully - pienamente, completamente, appieno, ampiamente
represented - rappresentare
Whether they knew it or not, the interest that drew them here was purely psychological-the expectation of some essential disclosure as to the strength, the power, the horror, of human emotions. Naturally nothing of the kind could be disclosed.
purely - puramente
psychological - psicologico
expectation - attesa, attese, aspettativa
essential - necessario, indispensabile, essenziale, fondamentale, sobrio
disclosure - rivelazione, divulgazione, esternazione, diffusione
emotions - emozione
The examination of the only man able and willing to face it was beating futilely round the well-known fact, and the play of questions upon it was as instructive as the tapping with a hammer on an iron box, were the object to find out what's inside. However, an official inquiry could not be any other thing. Its object was not the fundamental why, but the superficial how, of this affair.
futilely - inutilmente
tapping - intercettazione
hammer - martello, cane, percussore, martellare, colpire, picchiare
object to - obiettare
fundamental - fondamento, fondamentale
superficial - superficiale
'The young chap could have told them, and, though that very thing was the thing that interested the audience, the questions put to him necessarily led him away from what to me, for instance, would have been the only truth worth knowing. You can't expect the constituted authorities to inquire into the state of a man's soul-or is it only of his liver?
necessarily - necessariamente, a tutti i costi, di riffa o di raffa
constituted - costituire, creare, formare
inquire - domandare, chiedere
Their business was to come down upon the consequences, and frankly, a casual police magistrate and two nautical assessors are not much good for anything else. I don't mean to imply these fellows were stupid. The magistrate was very patient. One of the assessors was a sailing-ship skipper with a reddish beard, and of a pious disposition. Brierly was the other. Big Brierly.
consequences - conseguenza
frankly - francamente
casual - noncurante
imply - implicare
sailing-ship - (sailing-ship) veliero
reddish - rossastro, rossiccio
disposition - carattere
Some of you must have heard of Big Brierly-the captain of the crack ship of the Blue Star line. That's the man.
crack - rompersi, incrinarsi
'He seemed consumedly bored by the honour thrust upon him. He had never in his life made a mistake, never had an accident, never a mishap, never a check in his steady rise, and he seemed to be one of those lucky fellows who know nothing of indecision, much less of self-mistrust.
consumedly - consumato
thrust - stoccata, spinta
mishap - disavventura
steady rise - aumento costante
lucky - fortunato
indecision - indecisione, tiremmolla, inconcludenza
mistrust - diffidare di, non avere fiducia di
At thirty-two he had one of the best commands going in the Eastern trade-and, what's more, he thought a lot of what he had. There was nothing like it in the world, and I suppose if you had asked him point-blank he would have confessed that in his opinion there was not such another commander. The choice had fallen upon the right man.
commands - comando, ordine, padronanza, maestria, perizia, ordinare
trade - commercio, mestiere, commerciare, trafficare, scambiare
The rest of mankind that did not command the sixteen-knot steel steamer Ossa were rather poor creatures. He had saved lives at sea, had rescued ships in distress, had a gold chronometer presented to him by the underwriters, and a pair of binoculars with a suitable inscription from some foreign government, in commemoration of these services. He was acutely aware of his merits and of his rewards.
mankind - umanita, genere umano
Command - comando, ordine, padronanza, maestria, perizia, ordinare
knot - nodo
steel - acciaio, d'acciaio
creatures - creatura
saved - salvare, soccorrere, redimere, immagazzinare, risparmiare
rescued - salvare, salvataggio
chronometer - cronometro
underwriters - sottoscrittore
binoculars - binoculare
suitable - adatto, idoneo, rispondente, confacente
inscription - inscrizione, motto
government - governo
commemoration - commemorazione, ricordo, memoria, rievocazione
services - servizio, di servizio
acutely - profondamente, intensamente, acutamente, fortemente
merits - merito, merto, meritare
rewards - ricompensa
I liked him well enough, though some I know-meek, friendly men at that-couldn't stand him at any price. I haven't the slightest doubt he considered himself vastly my superior-indeed, had you been Emperor of East and West, you could not have ignored your inferiority in his presence-but I couldn't get up any real sentiment of offence.
liked him - piacere a qualcuno
meek - modesto, timido, introverso, schivo
slightest - insignificante, leggero, debole, lieve, disprezzare, sminuire
considered - considerare, pensare, osservare, prendere, prestare attenzione
vastly - enormemente
superior - superiore, sovraordinato
Emperor - imperatore
inferiority - inferiorita
offence - offesa
He did not despise me for anything I could help, for anything I was-don't you know?
despise - disprezzare
I was a negligible quantity simply because I was not the fortunate man of the earth, not Montague Brierly in command of the Ossa, not the owner of an inscribed gold chronometer and of silver-mounted binoculars testifying to the excellence of my seamanship and to my indomitable pluck; not possessed of an acute sense of my merits and of my rewards, besides the love and worship of a black retriever, the most wonderful of its kind-for never was such a man loved thus by such a dog. No doubt, to have all this forced upon you was exasperating enough; but when I reflected that I was associated in these fatal disadvantages with twelve hundred millions of other more or less human beings, I found I could bear my share of his good-natured and contemptuous pity for the sake of something indefinite and attractive in the man. I have never defined to myself this attraction, but there were moments when I envied him. The sting of life could do no more to his complacent soul than the scratch of a pin to the smooth face of a rock. This was enviable. As I looked at him, flanking on one side the unassuming pale-faced magistrate who presided at the inquiry, his self-satisfaction presented to me and to the world a surface as hard as granite. He committed suicide very soon after.
negligible - insignificante, trascurabile
quantity - grandezza, quantita, numero
Simply - semplicemente, in parole povere
fortunate - fortunato
inscribed - scrivere, incidere
mounted - montare, salire
testifying - deporre, testimoniare
excellence - eccellenza
seamanship - abilita marinaresca
indomitable - invitto, indomito
pluck - pizzicare, spennare, spennacchiare, spiumare, corata, coratella
possessed - possedere, avere
worship - adorazione, venerazione, culto
retriever - a type of dog
most wonderful - piu meraviglioso
forced - forza
exasperating - esasperare
reflected - riflettere, essere riflesso, seguire, evidenziare, riportare
fatal - fatale
disadvantages - svantaggio
beings - essere, creatura, esistenza
good-natured - (good-natured) di buon carattere
contemptuous - sprezzante, sdegnoso
indefinite - indefinito
attractive - attrattivo, attraente, procace, stuzzicante, allettante
defined - definire, determinare, descrivere
Attraction - attrazione, attrattiva
envied - invidia, invidiare
sting - pungiglione, aculeo
complacent - compiaciuto
scratch - grattare, graffiare, raspare, obliterare, graffio
pin - spillo, spilla, molletta
enviable - invidiabile
flanking - aggirare il fianco, proteggere il fianco, fiancheggiare, affiancare, soccoscio
unassuming - senza pretese
presided - presiedere
satisfaction - soddisfazione
granite - granito
committed - affidare, impegnarsi, arrestare, imprigionare, ricoverare
suicide - suicidio, suicida
'No wonder Jim's case bored him, and while I thought with something akin to fear of the immensity of his contempt for the young man under examination, he was probably holding silent inquiry into his own case. The verdict must have been of unmitigated guilt, and he took the secret of the evidence with him in that leap into the sea.
akin - consanguineo, affine
verdict - verdetto
unmitigated - non mitigato
guilt - colpa, colpevolezza
If I understand anything of men, the matter was no doubt of the gravest import, one of those trifles that awaken ideas-start into life some thought with which a man unused to such a companionship finds it impossible to live. I am in a position to know that it wasn't money, and it wasn't drink, and it wasn't woman.
gravest - tomba
import - importare
trifles - zuppa inglese, un tantino, un po', bagattella, briciola
awaken - svegliare, svegliarsi
unused - inusato
companionship - compagnia
He jumped overboard at sea barely a week after the end of the inquiry, and less than three days after leaving port on his outward passage; as though on that exact spot in the midst of waters he had suddenly perceived the gates of the other world flung open wide for his reception.
jumped - saltare, far saltare
barely - appena, malapena
gates - cancello, portone
reception - ricevimento, ricezione, accoglienza, reception
'Yet it was not a sudden impulse. His grey-headed mate, a first-rate sailor and a nice old chap with strangers, but in his relations with his commander the surliest chief officer I've ever seen, would tell the story with tears in his eyes. It appears that when he came on deck in the morning Brierly had been writing in the chart-room.
sudden - improvviso, improvvisa
impulse - impulso, aire, slancio, abbrivo
first-rate - (first-rate) di primo livello
sailor - marinaio, marinaia, marittimo, marittima
relations - relazione, parente
surliest - scontroso
officer - funzionario, ufficiale, agente, checkufficiale
"It was ten minutes to four," he said, "and the middle watch was not relieved yet of course. He heard my voice on the bridge speaking to the second mate, and called me in. I was loth to go, and that's the truth, Captain Marlow-I couldn't stand poor Captain Brierly, I tell you with shame; we never know what a man is made of.
relieved - risollevare, risollevarsi, lenire, alleviare, mitigare
He had been promoted over too many heads, not counting my own, and he had a damnable trick of making you feel small, nothing but by the way he said 'Good morning.'I never addressed him, sir, but on matters of duty, and then it was as much as I could do to keep a civil tongue in my head." (He flattered himself there.
promoted - promuovere, sostenere, pubblicizzare, diffondere
counting - conte
damnable - dannato
matters - materia, problema, argomento, questione, faccenda, causa
flattered - adulare, lusingare
I often wondered how Brierly could put up with his manners for more than half a voyage.) "I've a wife and children," he went on, "and I had been ten years in the Company, always expecting the next command-more fool I. Says he, just like this: 'Come in here, Mr. Jones,'in that swagger voice of his-'Come in here, Mr. Jones.'In I went.
manners - maniera, modo
expecting - in attesa, (expect), aspettarsi, pensare
swagger - pavoneggiarsi
'We'll lay down her position,'says he, stooping over the chart, a pair of dividers in hand. By the standing orders, the officer going off duty would have done that at the end of his watch. However, I said nothing, and looked on while he marked off the ship's position with a tiny cross and wrote the date and the time. I can see him this moment writing his neat figures: seventeen, eight, four A.M.
stooping - chinarsi, abbassarsi
standing orders - ordini permanenti
off duty - fuori servizio
tiny - minuscolo, piccolo, piccino, minuto
figures - figura, fisico, personaggio, cifra, forma, calcolare, risolvere
The year would be written in red ink at the top of the chart. He never used his charts more than a year, Captain Brierly didn't. I've the chart now. When he had done he stands looking down at the mark he had made and smiling to himself, then looks up at me. 'Thirty-two miles more as she goes,'says he, 'and then we shall be clear, and you may alter the course twenty degrees to the southward.'
ink - inchiostro, inchiostrare, firmare, tatuare
mark - Marco
alter - modificare, cambiare
degrees - laurea, grado
southward - verso sud
'"We were passing to the north of the Hector Bank that voyage. I said, 'All right, sir,'wondering what he was fussing about, since I had to call him before altering the course anyhow. Just then eight bells were struck: we came out on the bridge, and the second mate before going off mentions in the usual way-'Seventy-one on the log.'Captain Brierly looks at the compass and then all round.
passing - talian: t-needed
Hector - , Ettore
fussing - confusione, trambusto, daffare, rumore, baccano
altering - modificare, cambiare
bells - campana
struck - cancellare, colpire, coniare, scioperare, sembrare, arrendersi, sciopero
mentions - cenno, accenno, menzione, menzionare
log - ceppo, ciocco
It was dark and clear, and all the stars were out as plain as on a frosty night in high latitudes. Suddenly he says with a sort of a little sigh: 'I am going aft, and shall set the log at zero for you myself, so that there can be no mistake. Thirty-two miles more on this course and then you are safe. Let's see-the correction on the log is six per cent.
frosty - gelido, ghiacciato, gelato, coperto di ghiaccio
latitudes - latitudine, latitudine di posa
correction - correzione
per - per, a
additive; say, then, thirty by the dial to run, and you may come twenty degrees to starboard at once. No use losing any distance-is there?'I had never heard him talk so much at a stretch, and to no purpose as it seemed to me. I said nothing. He went down the ladder, and the dog, that was always at his heels whenever he moved, night or day, followed, sliding nose first, after him.
additive - additivo
dial - disco combinatore
at a stretch - senza interruzione
no purpose - senza scopo
heels - calcagno, tallone
whenever - ogni volta che
sliding - scivolare
I heard his boot-heels tap, tap on the after-deck, then he stopped and spoke to the dog-'Go back, Rover. On the bridge, boy! Go on-get.'Then he calls out to me from the dark, 'Shut that dog up in the chart-room, Mr. Jones-will you?'
tap - colpetto
'"This was the last time I heard his voice, Captain Marlow. These are the last words he spoke in the hearing of any living human being, sir." At this point the old chap's voice got quite unsteady. "He was afraid the poor brute would jump after him, don't you see?" he pursued with a quaver. "Yes, Captain Marlow. He set the log for me; he-would you believe it?-he put a drop of oil in it too.
brute - bestia, bruto
quaver - croma
oil - olio
There was the oil-feeder where he left it near by. The boat-swain's mate got the hose along aft to wash down at half-past five; by-and-by he knocks off and runs up on the bridge-'Will you please come aft, Mr. Jones,'he says. 'There's a funny thing. I don't like to touch it.'It was Captain Brierly's gold chronometer watch carefully hung under the rail by its chain.
feeder - alimentatore
near by - nelle vicinanze
Swain - young man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant, sweetheart
hose - manichetta
knocks off - finire un lavoro, uccidere qualcuno
runs up - correre, aumentare un debito
carefully - minuziosamente, accuratamente, meticolosamente, puntigliosamente
'"As soon as my eyes fell on it something struck me, and I knew, sir. My legs got soft under me. It was as if I had seen him go over; and I could tell how far behind he was left too. The taffrail-log marked eighteen miles and three-quarters, and four iron belaying-pins were missing round the mainmast. Put them in his pockets to help him down, I suppose; but, Lord!
belaying - assicurazione
mainmast - albero maestro
what's four iron pins to a powerful man like Captain Brierly. Maybe his confidence in himself was just shook a bit at the last.
powerful - potente, efficace
That's the only sign of fluster he gave in his whole life, I should think; but I am ready to answer for him, that once over he did not try to swim a stroke, the same as he would have had pluck enough to keep up all day long on the bare chance had he fallen overboard accidentally. Yes, sir. He was second to none-if he said so himself, as I heard him once.
fluster - agitazione
answer for - rispondere per
chance - caso
accidentally - casualmente, accidentalmente
He had written two letters in the middle watch, one to the Company and the other to me. He gave me a lot of instructions as to the passage-I had been in the trade before he was out of his time-and no end of hints as to my conduct with our people in Shanghai, so that I should keep the command of the Ossa.
instructions - istruzione, addestramento, insegnamento, tirocinio, bugiardino
trade - commercio
hints - accenno, allusione, indizio, aiuto
He wrote like a father would to a favourite son, Captain Marlow, and I was five-and-twenty years his senior and had tasted salt water before he was fairly breeched.
senior - anziano, anziana
tasted - gusto, sapore, inclinazione, gustare, assaggiare
salt water - acqua salata
breeched - culatta
In his letter to the owners-it was left open for me to see-he said that he had always done his duty by them-up to that moment-and even now he was not betraying their confidence, since he was leaving the ship to as competent a seaman as could be found-meaning me, sir, meaning me!
owners - proprietario, proprietaria
left open - lasciare aperto
betraying - consegnare, tradire, rivelare
competent - competente
He told them that if the last act of his life didn't take away all his credit with them, they would give weight to my faithful service and to his warm recommendation, when about to fill the vacancy made by his death. And much more like this, sir. I couldn't believe my eyes.
last act - ultimo atto
credit - avvalorare, convalidare, corroborare, accreditare
recommendation - suggerimento, consiglio, proposta
vacancy - posto vacante, posizione vacante
It made me feel queer all over," went on the old chap, in great perturbation, and squashing something in the corner of his eye with the end of a thumb as broad as a spatula. "You would think, sir, he had jumped overboard only to give an unlucky man a last show to get on.
perturbation - perturbazione
squashing - schiacciare, pigiare
spatula - spatola, paletta, mestichino, spatola (1, 3)
unlucky - sfortunato
What with the shock of him going in this awful rash way, and thinking myself a made man by that chance, I was nearly off my chump for a week. But No fear. The captain of the Pelion was shifted into the Ossa-came aboard in Shanghai-a little popinjay, sir, in a grey check suit, with his hair parted in the middle. 'Aw-I am-aw-your new captain, Mister-Mister-aw-Jones.
shock - shock, choc
rash - imprudente
chump - zuccone
No fear - Nessuna paura
shifted - cambio, turno, mutamento, spostamento, scambiare, permutare
popinjay - decorative image of a parrot
'He was drowned in scent-fairly stunk with it, Captain Marlow. I dare say it was the look I gave him that made him stammer. He mumbled something about my natural disappointment-I had better know at once that his chief officer got the promotion to the Pelion-he had nothing to do with it, of course-supposed the office knew best-sorry. . . .
scent - odore (1, 2), checkprofumo (3), fiutare
stunk - puzzare, fare schifo, puzza, fetore, protesta, reclamo
dare - osare
stammer - balbettare, tartagliare, balbettio
disappointment - delusione, disappunto
promotion - promozione, miglioramento, progresso, propaganda, pubblicita
supposed - supporre, immaginare
Says I, 'Don't you mind old Jones, sir; dam'his soul, he's used to it.'I could see directly I had shocked his delicate ear, and while we sat at our first tiffin together he began to find fault in a nasty manner with this and that in the ship. I never heard such a voice out of a Punch and Judy show.
dam - barriera, diga
shocked - shock, choc
find fault - trovare difetti
nasty - sporco, sozzo, zozzo, lurido
Punch - punch, ponce
I set my teeth hard, and glued my eyes to my plate, and held my peace as long as I could; but at last I had to say something. Up he jumps tiptoeing, ruffling all his pretty plumes, like a little fighting-cock. 'You'll find you have a different person to deal with than the late Captain Brierly.''I've found it,'says I, very glum, but pretending to be mighty busy with my steak.
glued - colla, incollare
plate - piatto
jumps - saltare, far saltare
tiptoeing - punta dei piedi, camminare in punta di piede iedi
ruffling - arruffare, (ruffle), falpala, frangia, gala, frappa
plumes - piuma
fighting - lotta
cock - gallo, maschio di animali
glum - tetro
mighty - potente, possente
steak - bistecca
'You are an old ruffian, Mister-aw-Jones; and what's more, you are known for an old ruffian in the employ,'he squeaks at me. The damned bottle-washers stood about listening with their mouths stretched from ear to ear. 'I may be a hard case,'answers I, 'but I ain't so far gone as to put up with the sight of you sitting in Captain Brierly's chair.'With that I lay down my knife and fork.
ruffian - facinoroso
employ - impiegare, ingaggiare
washers - rondella
stood about - rimanere, stare da qualche parte
fork - forchetta
'You would like to sit in it yourself-that's where the shoe pinches,'he sneers. I left the saloon, got my rags together, and was on the quay with all my dunnage about my feet before the stevedores had turned to again. Yes. Adrift-on shore-after ten years'service-and with a poor woman and four children six thousand miles off depending on my half-pay for every mouthful they ate. Yes, sir!
pinches - pizzicare, acciuffare, pizzico
sneers - ghignare, sogghignare, ghigno, sogghigno
saloon - sala
dunnage - paglioli
stevedores - stivatore
adrift - alla deriva
poor woman - povera donna
depending - dipendere, fare affidamento
mouthful - boccone
I chucked it rather than hear Captain Brierly abused. He left me his night-glasses-here they are; and he wished me to take care of the dog-here he is. Hallo, Rover, poor boy. Where's the captain, Rover?" The dog looked up at us with mournful yellow eyes, gave one desolate bark, and crept under the table.
chucked - buttare
abused - abusare
Hallo - ciao, salve
desolate - desolato, deserto, abbandonato, nero
bark - abbaio, latrato
crept - abbarbicarsi, insinuarsi, strisciare, scorrimento, spostamento
'All this was taking place, more than two years afterwards, on board that nautical ruin the Fire-Queen this Jones had got charge of-quite by a funny accident, too-from Matherson-mad Matherson they generally called him-the same who used to hang out in Hai-phong, you know, before the occupation days. The old chap snuffled on-
ruin - rovina, rovinare
Queen - regina, donna, checca, ape regina, gatta, incoronare
snuffled - (tirare su col naso), (respirare rumorosamente)
'"Ay, sir, Captain Brierly will be remembered here, if there's no other place on earth. I wrote fully to his father and did not get a word in reply-neither Thank you, nor Go to the devil!-nothing! Perhaps they did not want to know."
reply - rispondere, replicare, ripetere, risposta, replica
neither - nessuno, né X né Y, neanche, nemmeno, neppure, manco
'The sight of that watery-eyed old Jones mopping his bald head with a red cotton handkerchief, the sorrowing yelp of the dog, the squalor of that fly-blown cuddy which was the only shrine of his memory, threw a veil of inexpressibly mean pathos over Brierly's remembered figure, the posthumous revenge of fate for that belief in his own splendour which had almost cheated his life of its legitimate terrors. Almost! Perhaps wholly. Who can tell what flattering view he had induced himself to take of his own suicide?
watery - acquoso, acqueo, bagnato, inzuppato
mopping - lavapavimenti, spazzolone, scopino, zazzera, lavare, ripulire
bald head - testa calva
handkerchief - fazzoletto
sorrowing - dolore, (sorrow), tristezza, pena, afflizione
yelp - guaire
squalor - squallore
blown - colpo
shrine - reliquiario, santuario, edicola
threw - gettare, lanciare
veil - velo
inexpressibly - in modo inesprimibile
pathos - the quality or property of anything which touches the feelings or excites emotions
posthumous - postumo
revenge - vendetta, rivincita, rivalsa, ritorsione, vendicarsi
cheated - ingannare, barare
wholly - del tutto
flattering - adulare, lusingare
induced - persuadere, incitare, indurre, provocare
'"Why did he commit the rash act, Captain Marlow-can you think?" asked Jones, pressing his palms together. "Why? It beats me! Why?" He slapped his low and wrinkled forehead. "If he had been poor and old and in debt-and never a show-or else mad. But he wasn't of the kind that goes mad, not he. You trust me. What a mate don't know about his skipper isn't worth knowing.
commit - affidare, impegnarsi, arrestare, imprigionare, ricoverare
beats - colpire, percuotere
wrinkled - ruga
debt - debito, obbligo, impegno, buffo
Young, healthy, well off, no cares. . . . I sit here sometimes thinking, thinking, till my head fairly begins to buzz. There was some reason."
buzz - brusio, ronzio, bisbiglio, mormorio
'"You may depend on it, Captain Jones," said I, "it wasn't anything that would have disturbed much either of us two," I said; and then, as if a light had been flashed into the muddle of his brain, poor old Jones found a last word of amazing profundity. He blew his nose, nodding at me dolefully: "Ay, ay! neither you nor I, sir, had ever thought so much of ourselves."
Depend - dipendere, fare affidamento
flashed - lampo
muddle - pastrocchiare, pasticciare, ingarbugliare, imbrogliare
brain - cervello, or when used as food
profundity - profondita
nodding - annuire, (nod), accennare, scuotere, addormentarsi
dolefully - con tristezza
ourselves - noi stessi
'Of course the recollection of my last conversation with Brierly is tinged with the knowledge of his end that followed so close upon it. I spoke with him for the last time during the progress of the inquiry. It was after the first adjournment, and he came up with me in the street.
recollection - ricordo
tinged - sfumatura
adjournment - aggiornamento
He was in a state of irritation, which I noticed with surprise, his usual behaviour when he condescended to converse being perfectly cool, with a trace of amused tolerance, as if the existence of his interlocutor had been a rather good joke. "They caught me for that inquiry, you see," he began, and for a while enlarged complainingly upon the inconveniences of daily attendance in court.
irritation - irritazione
condescended to - trattare con condiscendenza
tolerance - tolleranza
interlocutor - interlocutore
joke - barzelletta, battuta, scherzo, celia
complainingly - lamentarsi
inconveniences - disagio, inconveniente, disturbo, fastidio
attendance - presenza, partecipazione
"And goodness knows how long it will last. Three days, I suppose." I heard him out in silence; in my then opinion it was a way as good as another of putting on side. "What's the use of it? It is the stupidest set-out you can imagine," he pursued hotly. I remarked that there was no option. He interrupted me with a sort of pent-up violence. "I feel like a fool all the time." I looked up at him.
putting on - indossare
What's the use of it? - A cosa serve?
stupidest - stupido, scemo, stupefatto
hotly - con calore
remarked - osservazione, commento
option - opzione
interrupted - interrompere, celare, ricoprire, tagliare
This was going very far-for Brierly-when talking of Brierly. He stopped short, and seizing the lapel of my coat, gave it a slight tug. "Why are we tormenting that young chap?" he asked. This question chimed in so well to the tolling of a certain thought of mine that, with the image of the absconding renegade in my eye, I answered at once, "Hanged if I know, unless it be that he lets you.
seizing - sequestro, (seize), prendere, afferrare, approfittare, sfruttare
lapel - risvolto
tormenting - tormentare
chimed - carillon
tolling - suonare
image - immagine
absconding - fuggire, scappare
" I was astonished to see him fall into line, so to speak, with that utterance, which ought to have been tolerably cryptic. He said angrily, "Why, yes. Can't he see that wretched skipper of his has cleared out? What does he expect to happen? Nothing can save him. He's done for." We walked on in silence a few steps. "Why eat all that dirt?
astonished - sorprendere, stupire
tolerably - in modo tollerabile
cryptic - criptico
wretched - misero
cleared out - pulito
dirt - sudiciume, terra, sporco
" he exclaimed, with an oriental energy of expression-about the only sort of energy you can find a trace of east of the fiftieth meridian. I wondered greatly at the direction of his thoughts, but now I strongly suspect it was strictly in character: at bottom poor Brierly must have been thinking of himself.
Oriental - Orientale
fiftieth - cinquantesimo, cinquantesima g ('abbreviations' 50o g, 50a g )
meridian - meridiano
greatly - molto, grandemente, assai, oltremodo
strongly - fortemente, fermamente, ampiamente
suspect - sospettare
I pointed out to him that the skipper of the Patna was known to have feathered his nest pretty well, and could procure almost anywhere the means of getting away. With Jim it was otherwise: the Government was keeping him in the Sailors'Home for the time being, and probably he hadn't a penny in his pocket to bless himself with. It costs some money to run away. "Does it?
feathered - piuma, penna, barbetta
procure - procurare, approvvigionare, acquistare, ottenere
anywhere - ovunque, dappertutto, dovunque
getting away - scappare
Government - governo, reggenza, controllo
Pocket - tasca, buca, sacca, intascare, imbucare, tascabile
bless - benedire
Not always," he said, with a bitter laugh, and to some further remark of mine-"Well, then, let him creep twenty feet underground and stay there! By heavens! I would." I don't know why his tone provoked me, and I said, "There is a kind of courage in facing it out as he does, knowing very well that if he went away nobody would trouble to run after him." "Courage be hanged!" growled Brierly.
further - ulteriore, ulteriormente
creep - abbarbicarsi, insinuarsi, strisciare, scorrimento, spostamento
underground - sotterraneo, clandestino, sottoterra, resistenza
heavens - cielo, paradiso
provoked - provocare, generare
trouble - guaio, problema, impiccio, tumulto
"That sort of courage is of no use to keep a man straight, and I don't care a snap for such courage. If you were to say it was a kind of cowardice now-of softness. I tell you what, I will put up two hundred rupees if you put up another hundred and undertake to make the beggar clear out early to-morrow morning. The fellow's a gentleman if he ain't fit to be touched-he will understand. He must!
snap - schiocco, scatto, rubamazzetto, sbottare
rupees - rupia
undertake - intraprendere, impegnarsi, dedicarsi
beggar - mendicante
touched - toccare, commuovere, tocco, tatto
This infernal publicity is too shocking: there he sits while all these confounded natives, serangs, lascars, quartermasters, are giving evidence that's enough to burn a man to ashes with shame. This is abominable. Why, Marlow, don't you think, don't you feel, that this is abominable; don't you now-come-as a seaman? If he went away all this would stop at once.
publicity - pubblicita
shocking - shock, choc
quartermasters - quartiermastro
burn - bruciare
ashes - cenere
" Brierly said these words with a most unusual animation, and made as if to reach after his pocket-book. I restrained him, and declared coldly that the cowardice of these four men did not seem to me a matter of such great importance. "And you call yourself a seaman, I suppose," he pronounced angrily. I said that's what I called myself, and I hoped I was too.
most unusual - piu insolito
animation - ravvivamento, animazione, vivificazione
reach - arrivare a, raggiungere
pocket-book - (pocket-book) portafoglio, libro tascabile
Seem - sembrare, parere, apparire
He heard me out, and made a gesture with his big arm that seemed to deprive me of my individuality, to push me away into the crowd. "The worst of it," he said, "is that all you fellows have no sense of dignity; you don't think enough of what you are supposed to be."
deprive - privare, togliere, sottrarre
individuality - individualita
dignity - dignita
'We had been walking slowly meantime, and now stopped opposite the harbour office, in sight of the very spot from which the immense captain of the Patna had vanished as utterly as a tiny feather blown away in a hurricane. I smiled. Brierly went on: "This is a disgrace.
meantime - frattempo, attesa
blown away - mettere in ginocchio
disgrace - vergogna, infamia, ignominia, disonorare
We've got all kinds amongst us-some anointed scoundrels in the lot; but, hang it, we must preserve professional decency or we become no better than so many tinkers going about loose. We are trusted. Do you understand?-trusted! Frankly, I don't care a snap for all the pilgrims that ever came out of Asia, but a decent man would not have behaved like this to a full cargo of old rags in bales.
anointed - ungere, impomatare, oleare, oliare
scoundrels - canaglia, farabutto, furfante, mascalzone
preserve - riserva, preservare, proteggere, salvaguardare, conservare
decency - decenza
tinkers - stagnino, calderaio, lattoniere, zingaro, arrabattarsi
Asia - Asia
behaved - comportarsi, agire, comportarsi bene
bales - balla
We aren't an organised body of men, and the only thing that holds us together is just the name for that kind of decency. Such an affair destroys one's confidence. A man may go pretty near through his whole sea-life without any call to show a stiff upper lip. But when the call comes . . . Aha! . . . If I . . ."
organised - organizzare
holds - tenere
destroys - distruggere, annichilare, checkabbattere (4)
upper lip - labbro superiore
Aha - a-ha
'He broke off, and in a changed tone, "I'll give you two hundred rupees now, Marlow, and you just talk to that chap. Confound him! I wish he had never come out here. Fact is, I rather think some of my people know his. The old man's a parson, and I remember now I met him once when staying with my cousin in Essex last year. If I am not mistaken, the old chap seemed rather to fancy his sailor son.
Confound - confondere
parson - parroco, pastore
staying with - rimanere con
Horrible. I can't do it myself-but you . . ."
I can't do it - Non posso farlo
'Thus, apropos of Jim, I had a glimpse of the real Brierly a few days before he committed his reality and his sham together to the keeping of the sea. Of course I declined to meddle.
apropos - ordine del giorno
sham - finzione
declined - declino, declinare, rifiutare
meddle - immischiarsi
The tone of this last "but you" (poor Brierly couldn't help it), that seemed to imply I was no more noticeable than an insect, caused me to look at the proposal with indignation, and on account of that provocation, or for some other reason, I became positive in my mind that the inquiry was a severe punishment to that Jim, and that his facing it-practically of his own free will-was a redeeming feature in his abominable case. I hadn't been so sure of it before. Brierly went off in a huff. At the time his state of mind was more of a mystery to me than it is now.
noticeable - percepibile
insect - insetto
caused - causa, provocare, causare, produrre, ottenere
proposal - proposta, accordo
on account - in conto
provocation - provocazione
punishment - punizione, pena, castigo
feature - caratteristica
huff - imbronciato
'Next day, coming into court late, I sat by myself. Of course I could not forget the conversation I had with Brierly, and now I had them both under my eyes. The demeanour of one suggested gloomy impudence and of the other a contemptuous boredom; yet one attitude might not have been truer than the other, and I was aware that one was not true.
demeanour - comportamento
boredom - noia, tedio
attitude - atteggiamento, postura, comportamento, approccio
Brierly was not bored-he was exasperated; and if so, then Jim might not have been impudent. According to my theory he was not. I imagined he was hopeless. Then it was that our glances met. They met, and the look he gave me was discouraging of any intention I might have had to speak to him. Upon either hypothesis-insolence or despair-I felt I could be of no use to him.
exasperated - esasperare
impudent - impertinente, sfrontato, impudente
theory - teoria
discouraging - scoraggiare
hypothesis - ipotesi
insolence - insolenza
despair - disperazione
This was the second day of the proceedings. Very soon after that exchange of glances the inquiry was adjourned again to the next day. The white men began to troop out at once. Jim had been told to stand down some time before, and was able to leave amongst the first.
proceedings - procedimento
Exchange - cambiare
troop - truppe, truppa
I saw his broad shoulders and his head outlined in the light of the door, and while I made my way slowly out talking with some one-some stranger who had addressed me casually-I could see him from within the court-room resting both elbows on the balustrade of the verandah and turning his back on the small stream of people trickling down the few steps.
outlined - contorno, sagoma, descrizione, sunto, bozza, contornare
balustrade - balaustra, balaustrata, ringhiera
trickling - rivolo, (trickle), gocciolio, sgocciolio, gocciolare
There was a murmur of voices and a shuffle of boots.
'The next case was that of assault and battery committed upon a money-lender, I believe; and the defendant-a venerable villager with a straight white beard-sat on a mat just outside the door with his sons, daughters, sons-in-law, their wives, and, I should think, half the population of his village besides, squatting or standing around him.
assault - assalto, attacco, aggressione, arrembaggio
Battery - pila, batteria
lender - creditore
defendant - imputato
mat - tappetino
population - popolazione
A slim dark woman, with part of her back and one black shoulder bared, and with a thin gold ring in her nose, suddenly began to talk in a high-pitched, shrewish tone. The man with me instinctively looked up at her. We were then just through the door, passing behind Jim's burly back.
ring in - chiamare, telefonare
shrewish - bisbetica
instinctively - istintivamente
burly - tarchiato
'Whether those villagers had brought the yellow dog with them, I don't know. Anyhow, a dog was there, weaving himself in and out amongst people's legs in that mute stealthy way native dogs have, and my companion stumbled over him.
villagers - paesano, paesana
weaving - tessitura
mute - muto
The dog leaped away without a sound; the man, raising his voice a little, said with a slow laugh, "Look at that wretched cur," and directly afterwards we became separated by a lot of people pushing in. I stood back for a moment against the wall while the stranger managed to get down the steps and disappeared. I saw Jim spin round. He made a step forward and barred my way.
raising - sollevando
cur - cane bastardo
separated - separato, separata, separare, dividere
pushing in - spingere dentro
stood back - stare indietro, ritirarsi, allontanarsi
spin round - girare in tondo
step forward - fare un passo avanti
barred - barra
We were alone; he glared at me with an air of stubborn resolution. I became aware I was being held up, so to speak, as if in a wood. The verandah was empty by then, the noise and movement in court had ceased: a great silence fell upon the building, in which, somewhere far within, an oriental voice began to whine abjectly.
stubborn - ostinato, testardo
resolution - determinazione, risolutezza, promessa, definizione, risoluzione
whine - piagnisteo, lagna, sibilo, piagnucolio
abjectly - abiettamente
The dog, in the very act of trying to sneak in at the door, sat down hurriedly to hunt for fleas.
sneak - imbroglione, lestofante, furfante, intrufolarsi, sgusciare
hurriedly - frettolosamente
hunt - cacciare, essere a caccia, essere alla ricerca, caccia
fleas - pulce
'"Did you speak to me?" asked Jim very low, and bending forward, not so much towards me but at me, if you know what I mean. I said "No" at once. Something in the sound of that quiet tone of his warned me to be on my defence. I watched him.
if you know what I mean - se capisci cosa intendo
defence - difesa
It was very much like a meeting in a wood, only more uncertain in its issue, since he could possibly want neither my money nor my life-nothing that I could simply give up or defend with a clear conscience. "You say you didn't," he said, very sombre. "But I heard." "Some mistake," I protested, utterly at a loss, and never taking my eyes off him.
uncertain - incerto
issue - emissione, fuoriuscita, esito, questione, problematica
defend - difendere, proteggere
protested - protestare, protesta
Loss - perdita
To watch his face was like watching a darkening sky before a clap of thunder, shade upon shade imperceptibly coming on, the doom growing mysteriously intense in the calm of maturing violence.
darkening - imbrunire
clap - battere le mani, applaudire
imperceptibly - impercettibilmente
doom - sentenza, giudizio, decisione, penalita
maturing - maturo
'"As far as I know, I haven't opened my lips in your hearing," I affirmed with perfect truth. I was getting a little angry, too, at the absurdity of this encounter. It strikes me now I have never in my life been so near a beating-I mean it literally; a beating with fists. I suppose I had some hazy prescience of that eventuality being in the air. Not that he was actively threatening me.
affirmed - affermare
absurdity - assurdita
encounter - incontro
literally - letteralmente
prescience - preveggenza
eventuality - eventualita
On the contrary, he was strangely passive-don't you know? but he was lowering, and, though not exceptionally big, he looked generally fit to demolish a wall. The most reassuring symptom I noticed was a kind of slow and ponderous hesitation, which I took as a tribute to the evident sincerity of my manner and of my tone. We faced each other. In the court the assault case was proceeding.
contrary - contrario, opposto
passive - passivo
lowering - abbassamento
exceptionally - in via eccezionale, eccezionalmente
demolish - demolire
reassuring - rassicurare, tranquillizzare
symptom - sintomo
ponderous - ponderoso
hesitation - esitazione
tribute - omaggio, tributo
evident - evidente
sincerity - sincerita
proceeding - procedimento, (proceed), procedere
I caught the words: "Well-buffalo-stick-in the greatness of my fear. . . ."
buffalo - bufalo, bison
greatness - grandezza
'"What did you mean by staring at me all the morning?" said Jim at last. He looked up and looked down again. "Did you expect us all to sit with downcast eyes out of regard for your susceptibilities?" I retorted sharply. I was not going to submit meekly to any of his nonsense. He raised his eyes again, and this time continued to look me straight in the face. "No.
downcast - abbattuto
susceptibilities - suscettivita, suscettibilita
retorted - replicare, ribattere
sharply - in modo acuto
submit - presentare, sottoporre
meekly - docilmente
nonsense - sciocchezza, senza senso, priva di significato, ridicolaggine
That's all right," he pronounced with an air of deliberating with himself upon the truth of this statement-"that's all right. I am going through with that. Only"-and there he spoke a little faster-"I won't let any man call me names outside this court. There was a fellow with you. You spoke to him-oh yes-I know; 'tis all very fine. You spoke to him, but you meant me to hear. . . ."
That's all right - Va bene cosi
deliberating - premeditato, intenzionale, voluto
'I assured him he was under some extraordinary delusion. I had no conception how it came about. "You thought I would be afraid to resent this," he said, with just a faint tinge of bitterness.
assured - assicurato, (assure), assicurare, garantire
delusion - illusione
came about - succedere
resent - risentirsi di
tinge - sfumatura
bitterness - amarezza
I was interested enough to discern the slightest shades of expression, but I was not in the least enlightened; yet I don't know what in these words, or perhaps just the intonation of that phrase, induced me suddenly to make all possible allowances for him. I ceased to be annoyed at my unexpected predicament.
discern - percepire
enlightened - illuminare
intonation - intonazione
predicament - situazione difficile
It was some mistake on his part; he was blundering, and I had an intuition that the blunder was of an odious, of an unfortunate nature. I was anxious to end this scene on grounds of decency, just as one is anxious to cut short some unprovoked and abominable confidence.
blundering - sbadataggine, (blunder), abbaglio, strafalcione, cantonata
intuition - intuito, intuizione
unfortunate - sfortunato, iellato, sfigato, scalognato
grounds - terra
unprovoked - senza motivo
The funniest part was, that in the midst of all these considerations of the higher order I was conscious of a certain trepidation as to the possibility-nay, likelihood-of this encounter ending in some disreputable brawl which could not possibly be explained, and would make me ridiculous.
considerations - considerazione
trepidation - trepidazione, timore, preoccupazione, insicurezza
Nay - anzi, o per meglio dire
likelihood - verosimiglianza, verisimiglianza
encounter - incontrare, imbattersi in
ending in - che termina in
disreputable - disdicevole
brawl - rissa
ridiculous - ridicolo
I did not hanker after a three days'celebrity as the man who got a black eye or something of the sort from the mate of the Patna. He, in all probability, did not care what he did, or at any rate would be fully justified in his own eyes. It took no magician to see he was amazingly angry about something, for all his quiet and even torpid demeanour.
hanker - volere, desiderare
celebrity - celebrita
justified - giustificare
magician - mago, stregone
torpid - torpido
I don't deny I was extremely desirous to pacify him at all costs, had I only known what to do. But I didn't know, as you may well imagine. It was a blackness without a single gleam. We confronted each other in silence. He hung fire for about fifteen seconds, then made a step nearer, and I made ready to ward off a blow, though I don't think I moved a muscle.
deny - negare
desirous - desideroso
pacify - pacificare
blackness - nerezza
muscle - muscolo
"If you were as big as two men and as strong as six," he said very softly, "I would tell you what I think of you. You . . ." "Stop!" I exclaimed. This checked him for a second. "Before you tell me what you think of me," I went on quickly, "will you kindly tell me what it is I've said or done?
softly - delicatamente, sottovoce
kindly tell me - Mi dica, gentilmente, cosa ne pensa
" During the pause that ensued he surveyed me with indignation, while I made supernatural efforts of memory, in which I was hindered by the oriental voice within the court-room expostulating with impassioned volubility against a charge of falsehood. Then we spoke almost together. "I will soon show you I am not," he said, in a tone suggestive of a crisis.
ensued - seguire, conseguire
surveyed - sondaggio, inchiesta, indagine, ricognizione
supernatural - soprannaturale, sovrannaturale, ultraterreno
efforts - sforzo
hindered - ostacolare
expostulating - esporre
impassioned - impassione
volubility - volubilita
falsehood - menzogna, falsita, menzognero
suggestive - suggestivo
crisis - crisi, emergenza
"I declare I don't know," I protested earnestly at the same time. He tried to crush me by the scorn of his glance. "Now that you see I am not afraid you try to crawl out of it," he said. "Who's a cur now-hey?" Then, at last, I understood.
crush - ressa, calca, cotta, schiacciare, pigiare, frantumare
crawl - strisciare, trascinarsi
'He had been scanning my features as though looking for a place where he would plant his fist. "I will allow no man," . . . he mumbled threateningly. It was, indeed, a hideous mistake; he had given himself away utterly. I can't give you an idea how shocked I was. I suppose he saw some reflection of my feelings in my face, because his expression changed just a little. "Good God!
scanning - scansione
allow - lasciare, permettere, concedere, consentire
threateningly - minacciosamente
hideous - orribile, orrendo, talian: t-needed
reflection - riflessione, riflesso, riverbero
feelings - sentimenti
" I stammered, "you don't think I . . ." "But I am sure I've heard," he persisted, raising his voice for the first time since the beginning of this deplorable scene. Then with a shade of disdain he added, "It wasn't you, then? Very well; I'll find the other." "Don't be a fool," I cried in exasperation; "it wasn't that at all." "I've heard," he said again with an unshaken and sombre perseverance.
stammered - balbettare, tartagliare, balbettio
exasperation - esasperazione
unshaken - incrollabile
perseverance - perseveranza
'There may be those who could have laughed at his pertinacity; I didn't. Oh, I didn't! There had never been a man so mercilessly shown up by his own natural impulse. A single word had stripped him of his discretion-of that discretion which is more necessary to the decencies of our inner being than clothing is to the decorum of our body. "Don't be a fool," I repeated.
laughed at - deriso
pertinacity - pertinenza
mercilessly - senza pieta
shown up - mostrare, apparire, presentarsi
stripped - togliere
discretion - discrezione, riservatezza, discernimento
more necessary - piu necessario
decencies - decenza
clothing - abbigliamento, vestiti, (cloth), stoffa, tessuto, tela, panno
decorum - decoro
"But the other man said it, you don't deny that?" he pronounced distinctly, and looking in my face without flinching. "No, I don't deny," said I, returning his gaze. At last his eyes followed downwards the direction of my pointing finger. He appeared at first uncomprehending, then confounded, and at last amazed and scared as though a dog had been a monster and he had never seen a dog before.
deny - negare
distinctly - distintamente
looking in - guardare dentro
flinching - ritirarsi, sottrarsi
uncomprehending - incomprensibile
monster - mostro
"Nobody dreamt of insulting you," I said.
dreamt - sogno, sognare
insulting - offendere, insultare, insulto, offesa, oltraggio
'He contemplated the wretched animal, that moved no more than an effigy: it sat with ears pricked and its sharp muzzle pointed into the doorway, and suddenly snapped at a fly like a piece of mechanism.
contemplated - considerare, contemplare
pricked - pungere, forare
muzzle - muso, museruola, mordacchia, avancarica, mettere la museruola
doorway - uscio, via di accesso
snapped - schiocco, scatto, rubamazzetto, sbottare
mechanism - meccanismo
'I looked at him. The red of his fair sunburnt complexion deepened suddenly under the down of his cheeks, invaded his forehead, spread to the roots of his curly hair. His ears became intensely crimson, and even the clear blue of his eyes was darkened many shades by the rush of blood to his head. His lips pouted a little, trembling as though he had been on the point of bursting into tears.
complexion - carnagione
deepened - approfondire, intensificare
invaded - invadere
roots - radice
curly hair - capelli ricci
intensely - intensamente
pouted - (fare il broncio)
I perceived he was incapable of pronouncing a word from the excess of his humiliation. From disappointment too-who knows? Perhaps he looked forward to that hammering he was going to give me for rehabilitation, for appeasement? Who can tell what relief he expected from this chance of a row? He was naive enough to expect anything; but he had given himself away for nothing in this case.
incapable - incapace di
pronouncing - dichiarare, emettere, pronunziare, pronunciare
humiliation - umiliazione, smacco
hammering - martellare, (hammer), martello, cane, percussore
rehabilitation - riabilitazione
appeasement - talian: t-needed
naive - ingenuo, candido, semplice, spontaneo
He had been frank with himself-let alone with me-in the wild hope of arriving in that way at some effective refutation, and the stars had been ironically unpropitious. He made an inarticulate noise in his throat like a man imperfectly stunned by a blow on the head. It was pitiful.
frank - franco
effective - efficace, efficiente
refutation - refutazione, confutazione, contestazione
ironically - ironicamente
unpropitious - non propizio
inarticulate - inarticolato
imperfectly - imperfettamente
stunned - stordire, intontire, stupefare, sorprendere, incantare
'I didn't catch up again with him till well outside the gate. I had even to trot a bit at the last, but when, out of breath at his elbow, I taxed him with running away, he said, "Never!" and at once turned at bay. I explained I never meant to say he was running away from me. "From no man-from not a single man on earth," he affirmed with a stubborn mien.
catch - presa, conquista, fermaglio, fermaglio di sicurezza, trappola
Gate - cancello, portone
trot - trottare
taxed - imposta, tassa
running away - scappare
mien - cera, atteggiamento, postura, mimica
I forbore to point out the one obvious exception which would hold good for the bravest of us; I thought he would find out by himself very soon. He looked at me patiently while I was thinking of something to say, but I could find nothing on the spur of the moment, and he began to walk on.
forbore - non sopportare
obvious - ovvio, evidente
exception - eccezione
bravest - coraggioso, ardito, baldo, audace
patiently - pazientemente
on the spur of the moment - sotto l'influenza del momento
I kept up, and anxious not to lose him, I said hurriedly that I couldn't think of leaving him under a false impression of my-of my-I stammered. The stupidity of the phrase appalled me while I was trying to finish it, but the power of sentences has nothing to do with their sense or the logic of their construction. My idiotic mumble seemed to please him.
impression - depressione, impronta, impressione, opinione, imitazione
stupidity - asinata, stupidaggine, fesseria
appalled - spaventare
construction - costruzione
idiotic - idiota
He cut it short by saying, with courteous placidity that argued an immense power of self-control or else a wonderful elasticity of spirits-"Altogether my mistake." I marvelled greatly at this expression: he might have been alluding to some trifling occurrence. Hadn't he understood its deplorable meaning?
courteous - cortese
placidity - placidita, placidezza
self-control - (self-control) autocontrollo
elasticity - elasticita
spirits - spirito
altogether - del tutto, nel complesso
marvelled - stupirsi, meravigliarsi
alluding - alludere
trifling - insignificante, (trifle), zuppa inglese, un tantino, un po'
"You may well forgive me," he continued, and went on a little moodily, "All these staring people in court seemed such fools that-that it might have been as I supposed."
forgive - perdonare
moodily - di malumore
'This opened suddenly a new view of him to my wonder. I looked at him curiously and met his unabashed and impenetrable eyes. "I can't put up with this kind of thing," he said, very simply, "and I don't mean to. In court it's different; I've got to stand that-and I can do it too."
impenetrable - impenetrabile
'I don't pretend I understood him. The views he let me have of himself were like those glimpses through the shifting rents in a thick fog-bits of vivid and vanishing detail, giving no connected idea of the general aspect of a country. They fed one's curiosity without satisfying it; they were no good for purposes of orientation. Upon the whole he was misleading.
views - vista, veduta, visualizzazione, visione, opinione
shifting - spostamento, (shift), cambio, turno, mutamento
Rents - affitto
Fog - nebbia
bits - morso, boccone
vivid - chiaro, limpido
vanishing - svanire, (vanish), sparire
general - generale
fed - alimentato
satisfying - soddisfare, accontentare, saziare
were no good - non erano buoni
orientation - orientamento, posizione, direzione, orienteering, orientazione
misleading - portare sulla cattiva strada, sviare, ingannare, raggirare
That's how I summed him up to myself after he left me late in the evening. I had been staying at the Malabar House for a few days, and on my pressing invitation he dined with me there.'
summed - somma
invitation - invito
dined - cenare
'An outward-bound mail-boat had come in that afternoon, and the big dining-room of the hotel was more than half full of people with a-hundred-pounds-round-the-world tickets in their pockets.
mail - posta
dining - chiasso, frastuono
There were married couples looking domesticated and bored with each other in the midst of their travels; there were small parties and large parties, and lone individuals dining solemnly or feasting boisterously, but all thinking, conversing, joking, or scowling as was their wont at home; and just as intelligently receptive of new impressions as their trunks upstairs.
couples - coppia, paio, agganciare, accoppiare
domesticated - addomesticare
bored with - annoiato con
individuals - individuo, soggetto, singolo, specifico, individuale, personale
dining - cenare
solemnly - solennemente
feasting - banchetto
boisterously - in modo chiassoso
conversing - conversare
joking - barzelletta, battuta, scherzo, celia
scowling - accigliato
wont - Non e vero
intelligently - intelligentemente
receptive - recettibile, ricettivo
trunks - tronco, baule, cofano, proboscide, bagagliaio
Henceforth they would be labelled as having passed through this and that place, and so would be their luggage. They would cherish this distinction of their persons, and preserve the gummed tickets on their portmanteaus as documentary evidence, as the only permanent trace of their improving enterprise.
labelled - etichetta, etichettare, classificare, bollare, definire
cherish - custodire, curare, apprezzare
gummed - gengiva
documentary evidence - prove documentali
enterprise - impresa, iniziativa
The dark-faced servants tripped without noise over the vast and polished floor; now and then a girl's laugh would be heard, as innocent and empty as her mind, or, in a sudden hush of crockery, a few words in an affected drawl from some wit embroidering for the benefit of a grinning tableful the last funny story of shipboard scandal.
polished - polacco
innocent - innocente
Hush - zitto!, silenzio!
crockery - coccio, terraglia, vasellame
affected - avere effetto su
some wit - un po' di senso
embroidering - ricamare, abbellire, indorare
benefit - beneficio, aiuto, profitto, pagamento, sussidio, beneficiare
grinning - sogghignare
tableful - da tavola
shipboard - a bordo della nave
Scandal - scandalo
Two nomadic old maids, dressed up to kill, worked acrimoniously through the bill of fare, whispering to each other with faded lips, wooden-faced and bizarre, like two sumptuous scarecrows. A little wine opened Jim's heart and loosened his tongue. His appetite was good, too, I noticed. He seemed to have buried somewhere the opening episode of our acquaintance.
nomadic - nomade
maids - signorina, cameriera
dressed up - vestito formalmente
kill - uccidere
acrimoniously - acrimoniosamente
bill of fare - menu
whispering - bisbigliare, (whisper), sussurro, sussurrare
faded - affievolirsi
bizarre - bizzarro
sumptuous - sontuoso
scarecrows - spauracchio, spilungone, spilungona
loosened - allentare
appetite - appetito
buried - seppellire
It was like a thing of which there would be no more question in this world.
And all the time I had before me these blue, boyish eyes looking straight into mine, this young face, these capable shoulders, the open bronzed forehead with a white line under the roots of clustering fair hair, this appearance appealing at sight to all my sympathies: this frank aspect, the artless smile, the youthful seriousness. He was of the right sort; he was one of us.
boyish - infantile
clustering - gruppo, grappolo
at sight - a vista
sympathies - compassione, empatia
artless - senza arte
youthful - giovanile
seriousness - serieta, gravita
He talked soberly, with a sort of composed unreserve, and with a quiet bearing that might have been the outcome of manly self-control, of impudence, of callousness, of a colossal unconsciousness, of a gigantic deception. Who can tell! From our tone we might have been discussing a third person, a football match, last year's weather.
soberly - sobriamente
composed - comporre
unreserve - senza riserve
bearing - cuscinetto
outcome - risultato, conclusione, obiettivo
manly - virile
callousness - insensibilita
colossal - colossale
unconsciousness - incoscienza
gigantic - gigantesco, colossale
deception - mistificazione, inganno, sotterfugio, raggiro
football match - partita di calcio
My mind floated in a sea of conjectures till the turn of the conversation enabled me, without being offensive, to remark that, upon the whole, this inquiry must have been pretty trying to him. He darted his arm across the tablecloth, and clutching my hand by the side of my plate, glared fixedly. I was startled.
conjectures - congettura, congetturare
offensive - offensivo, offensiva
tablecloth - tovaglia
clutching - afferrare
fixedly - fisso, fissamente
"It must be awfully hard," I stammered, confused by this display of speechless feeling. "It is-hell," he burst out in a muffled voice.
confused - confondere
speechless - senza parola, ammutolito
hell - inferno
'This movement and these words caused two well-groomed male globe-trotters at a neighbouring table to look up in alarm from their iced pudding. I rose, and we passed into the front gallery for coffee and cigars.
groomed - stalliere
male - maschile, maschio, checkmaschile
trotters - Patán
pudding - sanguinaccio, budino
'On little octagon tables candles burned in glass globes; clumps of stiff-leaved plants separated sets of cosy wicker chairs; and between the pairs of columns, whose reddish shafts caught in a long row the sheen from the tall windows, the night, glittering and sombre, seemed to hang like a splendid drapery.
octagon - ottagono
candles - candela
burned - bruciare
globes - globo
clumps - blocco, gruppo
leaved - foglie
sets - Seth
cosy - accogliente
wicker - vimini
columns - colonna, rubrica, cronaca
shafts - lancia, raggio, asta, prolunga, rachide, pozzo, condotto
sheen - lucentezza, splendore
glittering - scintillante, (glitter), glitter, brillantini
splendid - splendido
drapery - tenda
The riding lights of ships winked afar like setting stars, and the hills across the roadstead resembled rounded black masses of arrested thunder-clouds.
afar - afar
setting - contesto, circostanza, impostazioni, calante, (set), Seth
rounded - rotondo, tondo
masses - massa
arrested - arresto, arrestare
clouds - annuvolarsi, oscurare, annebbiare
'"I couldn't clear out," Jim began. "The skipper did-that's all very well for him. I couldn't, and I wouldn't. They all got out of it in one way or another, but it wouldn't do for me."
'I listened with concentrated attention, not daring to stir in my chair; I wanted to know-and to this day I don't know, I can only guess. He would be confident and depressed all in the same breath, as if some conviction of innate blamelessness had checked the truth writhing within him at every turn.
attention - attenzione, allerta, sull'attenti
daring - audace
confident - fiducioso, sicuro
depressed - deprimere
innate - innato
blamelessness - senza macchia
writhing - contorcersi, (writhe)
He began by saying, in the tone in which a man would admit his inability to jump a twenty-foot wall, that he could never go home now; and this declaration recalled to my mind what Brierly had said, "that the old parson in Essex seemed to fancy his sailor son not a little."
admit - far entrare, ammettere, riconoscere, ricoverare
declaration - dichiarazione, asserzione, voto, conferma
recalled - ritirare, revocare, richiamare, rammentare, ricordare
'I can't tell you whether Jim knew he was especially "fancied," but the tone of his references to "my Dad" was calculated to give me a notion that the good old rural dean was about the finest man that ever had been worried by the cares of a large family since the beginning of the world.
especially - specialmente, soprattutto, specie, appositamente
fancied - capriccio
references - riferimento
calculated - calcolare
rural - rurale
dean - decano
worried - preoccuparsi, disturbare, preoccupare, preoccupazione
This, though never stated, was implied with an anxiety that there should be no mistake about it, which was really very true and charming, but added a poignant sense of lives far off to the other elements of the story. "He has seen it all in the home papers by this time," said Jim. "I can never face the Poor old chap.
stated - stato, dichiarare, statuire, esporre, indicare
implied - implicare
anxiety - ansia, ansieta, bramosia
charming - affascinante
elements - elemento, elementi, ambiente
Poor old chap - Povero vecchio
" I did not dare to lift my eyes at this till I heard him add, "I could never explain. He wouldn't understand." Then I looked up. He was smoking reflectively, and after a moment, rousing himself, began to talk again. He discovered at once a desire that I should not confound him with his partners in-in crime, let us call it. He was not one of them; he was altogether of another sort.
rousing - svegliare
I gave no sign of dissent. I had no intention, for the sake of barren truth, to rob him of the smallest particle of any saving grace that would come in his way. I didn't know how much of it he believed himself.
dissent - dissentire, divergere, disconvenire, discrepare
rob - derubare, svaligiare
grace - benedicite, ringraziamento, grazia, eleganza, garbo
I didn't know what he was playing up to-if he was playing up to anything at all-and I suspect he did not know either; for it is my belief no man ever understands quite his own artful dodges to escape from the grim shadow of self-knowledge. I made no sound all the time he was wondering what he had better do after "that stupid inquiry was over."
artful - abile, astuto
dodges - schivare, scansare, eludere
grim - macabro
self-knowledge - (self-knowledge) conoscenza di sé
'Apparently he shared Brierly's contemptuous opinion of these proceedings ordained by law. He would not know where to turn, he confessed, clearly thinking aloud rather than talking to me. Certificate gone, career broken, no money to get away, no work that he could obtain as far as he could see.
ordained - ordinare
Clearly - chiaramente, certamente, evidentemente
At home he could perhaps get something; but it meant going to his people for help, and that he would not do. He saw nothing for it but ship before the mast-could get perhaps a quartermaster's billet in some steamer. Would do for a quartermaster. . . . "Do you think you would?" I asked pitilessly. He jumped up, and going to the stone balustrade looked out into the night.
quartermaster - quartiermastro
pitilessly - spietatamente, crudelmente, impietosamente
In a moment he was back, towering above my chair with his youthful face clouded yet by the pain of a conquered emotion. He had understood very well I did not doubt his ability to steer a ship. In a voice that quavered a bit he asked me why did I say that? I had been "no end kind" to him.
towering - torre
conquered - conquistare, sconfiggere, vincere
steer - giovenco, manzo
quavered - croma
I had not even laughed at him when-here he began to mumble-"that mistake, you know-made a confounded ass of myself." I broke in by saying rather warmly that for me such a mistake was not a matter to laugh at. He sat down and drank deliberately some coffee, emptying the small cup to the last drop. "That does not mean I admit for a moment the cap fitted," he declared distinctly. "No?" I said.
warmly - con calore
emptying - vuotamento, (empty), vuoto, vuotare, svuotare
cap - berretto
fitted - in forma*
"No," he affirmed with quiet decision. "Do you know what you would have done? Do you? And you don't think yourself" . . . he gulped something . . . "you don't think yourself a-a-cur?"
decision - decisione
gulped - inghiottire
'And with this-upon my honour!-he looked up at me inquisitively. It was a question it appears-a bona fide question! However, he didn't wait for an answer. Before I could recover he went on, with his eyes straight before him, as if reading off something written on the body of the night. "It is all in being ready. I wasn't; not-not then.
inquisitively - in modo curioso
fide - ordine del giorno
recover - rimettersi, riprendersi
reading off - leggere ad alta voce
I don't want to excuse myself; but I would like to explain-I would like somebody to understand-somebody-one person at least! You! Why not you?"
'It was solemn, and a little ridiculous too, as they always are, those struggles of an individual trying to save from the fire his idea of what his moral identity should be, this precious notion of a convention, only one of the rules of the game, nothing more, but all the same so terribly effective by its assumption of unlimited power over natural instincts, by the awful penalties of its failure.
solemn - solenne
struggles - lotta, lottare
identity - identita
convention - convenzione
unlimited - illimitato
instincts - istinto
penalties - penalita
He began his story quietly enough. On board that Dale Line steamer that had picked up these four floating in a boat upon the discreet sunset glow of the sea, they had been after the first day looked askance upon. The fat skipper told some story, the others had been silent, and at first it had been accepted.
picked - foto
discreet - discreto
sunset - tramonto, crepuscolo
askance - storto, in cagnesco, obliquamente, di traverso
You don't cross-examine poor castaways you had the good luck to save, if not from cruel death, then at least from cruel suffering. Afterwards, with time to think it over, it might have struck the officers of the Avondale that there was "something fishy" in the affair; but of course they would keep their doubts to themselves.
examine - esaminare
cruel - crudele
fishy - di pesce, sospettoso
doubts - dubitare, dubbio, perplessita
They had picked up the captain, the mate, and two engineers of the steamer Patna sunk at sea, and that, very properly, was enough for them. I did not ask Jim about the nature of his feelings during the ten days he spent on board.
sunk - affondato, (sink), affondare
properly - propriamente, in maniera appropriata, correttamente
From the way he narrated that part I was at liberty to infer he was partly stunned by the discovery he had made-the discovery about himself-and no doubt was at work trying to explain it away to the only man who was capable of appreciating all its tremendous magnitude. You must understand he did not try to minimise its importance. Of that I am sure; and therein lies his distinction.
infer - inferire, dedurre, concludere, infliggere, implicare
discovery - scoperta
appreciating - apprezzare, essere riconoscente, capire, rendersi conto
tremendous - formidabile, tremendo, eccellente, straordinario, enorme
magnitude - vastita, magnitudine, module, magnitudo
minimise - minimizzare
Therein - In questo caso
lies - bugia
As to what sensations he experienced when he got ashore and heard the unforeseen conclusion of the tale in which he had taken such a pitiful part, he told me nothing of them, and it is difficult to imagine.
experienced - esperienza, esperire
unforeseen - improvviso, imprevisto, inatteso, inaspettato
'I wonder whether he felt the ground cut from under his feet? I wonder? But no doubt he managed to get a fresh foothold very soon. He was ashore a whole fortnight waiting in the Sailors'Home, and as there were six or seven men staying there at the time, I had heard of him a little. Their languid opinion seemed to be that, in addition to his other shortcomings, he was a sulky brute.
foothold - appiglio
fortnight - (periodo di) due settimana
Addition - addizione, aggiunta
shortcomings - mancanza, carenza, lacuna, imperfezione
He had passed these days on the verandah, buried in a long chair, and coming out of his place of sepulture only at meal-times or late at night, when he wandered on the quays all by himself, detached from his surroundings, irresolute and silent, like a ghost without a home to haunt.
sepulture - sepoltura
wandered - errare, vagare, girovagare, passeggiare
quays - banchina
detached - staccare
irresolute - irresoluto
haunt - infestare, tormentare, ritrovo
"I don't think I've spoken three words to a living soul in all that time," he said, making me very sorry for him; and directly he added, "One of these fellows would have been sure to blurt out something I had made up my mind not to put up with, and I didn't want a row. No! Not then. I was too-too . . . I had no heart for it." "So that bulkhead held out after all," I remarked cheerfully.
blurt out - dire un segreto
cheerfully - allegramente
"Yes," he murmured, "it held. And yet I swear to you I felt it bulge under my hand." "It's extraordinary what strains old iron will stand sometimes," I said. Thrown back in his seat, his legs stiffly out and arms hanging down, he nodded slightly several times. You could not conceive a sadder spectacle. Suddenly he lifted his head; he sat up; he slapped his thigh. "Ah! what a chance missed!
bulge - sporgenza, protuberanza, rigonfiamento, sporgere
strains - sforzare, sforzarsi, tirare
stiffly - rigidamente, legnosamente
conceive - concepire, sviluppare, ideare
spectacle - spettacolo
thigh - coscia
My God! what a chance missed!" he blazed out, but the ring of the last "missed" resembled a cry wrung out by pain.
ring - anello
wrung - strizzare
'He was silent again with a still, far-away look of fierce yearning after that missed distinction, with his nostrils for an instant dilated, sniffing the intoxicating breath of that wasted opportunity. If you think I was either surprised or shocked you do me an injustice in more ways than one! Ah, he was an imaginative beggar! He would give himself away; he would give himself up.
yearning - desiderio
nostrils - narice
dilated - dilatare, dilatarsi
sniffing - annusare, (sniff), fiutare, odorare, snasare
intoxicating - inebriare
wasted - sprecare
injustice - ingiustizia
imaginative - immaginoso
I could see in his glance darted into the night all his inner being carried on, projected headlong into the fanciful realm of recklessly heroic aspirations. He had no leisure to regret what he had lost, he was so wholly and naturally concerned for what he had failed to obtain. He was very far away from me who watched him across three feet of space.
headlong - a capofitto
fanciful - fantasioso
realm - reame, regno, dominio, sfera
recklessly - in modo sconsiderato
aspirations - aspirazione
failed - fallire, non riuscire
With every instant he was penetrating deeper into the impossible world of romantic achievements. He got to the heart of it at last! A strange look of beatitude overspread his features, his eyes sparkled in the light of the candle burning between us; he positively smiled! He had penetrated to the very heart-to the very heart.
penetrating - penetrare
deeper - profondo, spesso, esteso, profondo (1, 2)
romantic - romantico
beatitude - beatitudine
overspread - diffusa
sparkled - scintillio, luccichio
candle - candela
It was an ecstatic smile that your faces-or mine either-will never wear, my dear boys. I whisked him back by saying, "If you had stuck to the ship, you mean!"
ecstatic - estatico
whisked - (portare via)
stuck to - aderire a
'He turned upon me, his eyes suddenly amazed and full of pain, with a bewildered, startled, suffering face, as though he had tumbled down from a star. Neither you nor I will ever look like this on any man. He shuddered profoundly, as if a cold finger-tip had touched his heart. last of all he sighed.
profoundly - profondamente
finger-tip - (finger-tip) punta delle dita
last of all - ultimo di tutti
'I was not in a merciful mood. He provoked one by his contradictory indiscretions. "It is unfortunate you didn't know beforehand!" I said with every unkind intention; but the perfidious shaft fell harmless-dropped at his feet like a spent arrow, as it were, and he did not think of picking it up. Perhaps he had not even seen it. Presently, lolling at ease, he said, "Dash it all!
mood - umore
contradictory - contraddittorio, contrario, incoerente
indiscretions - indiscrezione
unkind - crudele, scortese
perfidious - perfido
shaft - lancia, raggio, asta, prolunga, rachide, pozzo, condotto
harmless - innocuo
arrow - freccia
picking - scegliere
Presently - Attualmente
lolling - (stare rilassato)
at ease - riposato
Dash - lineetta, linea, scatto, spruzzo, pizzico, goccio, saltare
I tell you it bulged. I was holding up my lamp along the angle-iron in the lower deck when a flake of rust as big as the palm of my hand fell off the plate, all of itself." He passed his hand over his forehead. "The thing stirred and jumped off like something alive while I was looking at it." "That made you feel pretty bad," I observed casually.
bulged - sporgenza, protuberanza, rigonfiamento, sporgere
holding up - resistere, mantenere
angle - Anglo
flake - fiocco
observed - osservare
"Do you suppose," he said, "that I was thinking of myself, with a hundred and sixty people at my back, all fast asleep in that fore-'tween-deck alone-and more of them aft; more on the deck-sleeping-knowing nothing about it-three times as many as there were boats for, even if there had been time?
tween - ordine del giorno
I expected to see the iron open out as I stood there and the rush of water going over them as they lay. . . . What could I do-what?"
'I can easily picture him to myself in the peopled gloom of the cavernous place, with the light of the globe-lamp falling on a small portion of the bulkhead that had the weight of the ocean on the other side, and the breathing of unconscious sleepers in his ears. I can see him glaring at the iron, startled by the falling rust, overburdened by the knowledge of an imminent death.
cavernous - cavernoso
portion - porzione
breathing - respirazione, (breath), respiro, lena, alito, fiato
glaring - bagliore, lampo, frecciata
overburdened - sovraccarico
imminent - imminente
This, I gathered, was the second time he had been sent forward by that skipper of his, who, I rather think, wanted to keep him away from the bridge. He told me that his first impulse was to shout and straightway make all those people leap out of sleep into terror; but such an overwhelming sense of his helplessness came over him that he was not able to produce a sound.
gathered - cogliere, collezionare, radunarsi, raccogliere, bottinare
straightway - subito
overwhelming - sommergere, schiacciare, dominare, travolgere, sopraffare
helplessness - impotenza
produce - produrre, realizzare, fornire, prodotto, prodotti
This is, I suppose, what people mean by the tongue cleaving to the roof of the mouth. "Too dry," was the concise expression he used in reference to this state. Without a sound, then, he scrambled out on deck through the number one hatch.
concise - conciso
reference - riferimento
scrambled - arrampicarsi, (andare carponi)
A windsail rigged down there swung against him accidentally, and he remembered that the light touch of the canvas on his face nearly knocked him off the hatchway ladder.
windsail - Vela a vento
rigged - talian: t-needed
canvas - tela
knocked - colpo, botta, botto, autocombustione, bussare
'He confessed that his knees wobbled a good deal as he stood on the foredeck looking at another sleeping crowd. The engines having been stopped by that time, the steam was blowing off. Its deep rumble made the whole night vibrate like a bass string. The ship trembled to it.
wobbled - oscillare
foredeck - ponte di prua
blowing off - soffiare via
vibrate - vibrare
'He saw here and there a head lifted off a mat, a vague form uprise in sitting posture, listen sleepily for a moment, sink down again into the billowy confusion of boxes, steam-winches, ventilators. He was aware all these people did not know enough to take intelligent notice of that strange noise.
uprise - aumento
sink down - affondare, sprofondere, cadere
billowy - voluminoso
winches - argano
notice - percezione, notifica, avviso, comunicazione, preavviso, notare
The ship of iron, the men with white faces, all the sights, all the sounds, everything on board to that ignorant and pious multitude was strange alike, and as trustworthy as it would for ever remain incomprehensible. It occurred to him that the fact was fortunate. The idea of it was simply terrible.
of iron - di ferro
ignorant - ignorante
alike - simile, similmente, ugualmente
trustworthy - affidabile, attendibile, credibile, fidato
incomprehensible - incomprensibile
occurred - verificarsi, sovvenire, venire in mente
'You must remember he believed, as any other man would have done in his place, that the ship would go down at any moment; the bulging, rust-eaten plates that kept back the ocean, fatally must give way, all at once like an undermined dam, and let in a sudden and overwhelming flood.
bulging - sporgenza, protuberanza, rigonfiamento, sporgere
kept back - nascosto, trattenuto
fatally - fatalmente
undermined - minare, minacciare, pregiudicare, compromettere
let in - far entrare qualcuno
flood - inondazione, alluvione
He stood still looking at these recumbent bodies, a doomed man aware of his fate, surveying the silent company of the dead. They were dead! Nothing could save them! There were boats enough for half of them perhaps, but there was no time. No time! No time! It did not seem worth while to open his lips, to stir hand or foot.
recumbent - disteso, sdraiato, supino, bicicletta reclinata
doomed man - condannato
surveying - rilievo, (survey), sondaggio, inchiesta, indagine, ricognizione
Before he could shout three words, or make three steps, he would be floundering in a sea whitened awfully by the desperate struggles of human beings, clamorous with the distress of cries for help. There was no help. He imagined what would happen perfectly; he went through it all motionless by the hatchway with the lamp in his hand-he went through it to the very last harrowing detail.
floundering - dibattersi
whitened - sbiancare
clamorous - clamoroso
cries for help - grida di aiuto
harrowing - erpice
I think he went through it again while he was telling me these things he could not tell the court.
'"I saw as clearly as I see you now that there was nothing I could do. It seemed to take all life out of my limbs. I thought I might just as well stand where I was and wait. I did not think I had many seconds. . . ." Suddenly the steam ceased blowing off. The noise, he remarked, had been distracting, but the silence at once became intolerably oppressive.
limbs - membro, arto
blowing - colpo
distracting - distrarre
intolerably - in modo intollerabile
oppressive - oppressivo
'"I thought I would choke before I got drowned," he said.
choke - soffocare
'He protested he did not think of saving himself. The only distinct thought formed, vanishing, and re-forming in his brain, was: eight hundred people and seven boats; eight hundred people and seven boats.
'"Somebody was speaking aloud inside my head," he said a little wildly. "Eight hundred people and seven boats-and no time! Just think of it." He leaned towards me across the little table, and I tried to avoid his stare. "Do you think I was afraid of death?" he asked in a voice very fierce and low. He brought down his open hand with a bang that made the coffee-cups dance.
wildly - selvaggiamente
avoid - schivare, evitare
brought down - abbattuto
bang - botta
"I am ready to swear I was not-I was not. . . . By God-no!" He hitched himself upright and crossed his arms; his chin fell on his breast.
hitched - nodo, nodi, gancio, ganci, inconveniente, intoppo
'The soft clashes of crockery reached us faintly through the high windows. There was a burst of voices, and several men came out in high good-humour into the gallery. They were exchanging jocular reminiscences of the donkeys in Cairo. A pale anxious youth stepping softly on long legs was being chaffed by a strutting and rubicund globe-trotter about his purchases in the bazaar.
clashes - scontro, schermaglia, baruffa, zuffa, cozzare
humour - humour, umorismo, umore, accontentare, assecondare
jocular - scherzoso
reminiscences - reminiscenza
donkeys - asino, somaro, buricco, ciuco, muletto
Cairo - Il Cairo
stepping - passo
chaffed - pula, crusca
strutting - impettito
rubicund - ordine del giorno
trotter - Patán
purchases - compra, acquisto, compravendita, acquisizione, comprare
"No, really-do you think I've been done to that extent?" he inquired very earnest and deliberate. The band moved away, dropping into chairs as they went; matches flared, illuminating for a second faces without the ghost of an expression and the flat glaze of white shirt-fronts; the hum of many conversations animated with the ardour of feasting sounded to me absurd and infinitely remote.
earnest - serio
moved away - allontanarsi
matches - fiammifero
flared - bagliore, sfolgorare, brillare, scintillare
illuminating - illuminare, chiarire, miniare
glaze - gelicidio, velatura
animated - animare, ravvivare
ardour - ardore, fervore
absurd - assurdo
'"Some of the crew were sleeping on the number one hatch within reach of my arm," began Jim again.
sleeping on - dormirci sopra
'You must know they kept Kalashee watch in that ship, all hands sleeping through the night, and only the reliefs of quartermasters and look-out men being called. He was tempted to grip and shake the shoulder of the nearest lascar, but he didn't. Something held his arms down along his sides. He was not afraid-oh no! only he just couldn't-that's all.
reliefs - sollievo
being called - essere chiamato
shake - scuotere, agitare, scuotere la testa, scioccare, atterrire
sides - lato
He was not afraid of death perhaps, but I'll tell you what, he was afraid of the emergency. His confounded imagination had evoked for him all the horrors of panic, the trampling rush, the pitiful screams, boats swamped-all the appalling incidents of a disaster at sea he had ever heard of.
emergency - emergenza
evoked - evocare, rammemorare, checkrammentare
horrors - orrore
Incidents - imprevisto, inconveniente, incidente
disaster - disastro
He might have been resigned to die but I suspect he wanted to die without added terrors, quietly, in a sort of peaceful trance.
resigned - dimettersi
A certain readiness to perish is not so very rare, but it is seldom that you meet men whose souls, steeled in the impenetrable armour of resolution, are ready to fight a losing battle to the last; the desire of peace waxes stronger as hope declines, till at last it conquers the very desire of life.
perish - perire
steeled - acciaio, d'acciaio
armour - armatura
fight - lottare, battersi
battle - battaglia
waxes - cerume
declines - declino, declinare, rifiutare
conquers - conquistare, sconfiggere, vincere
Which of us here has not observed this, or maybe experienced something of that feeling in his own person-this extreme weariness of emotions, the vanity of effort, the yearning for rest? Those striving with unreasonable forces know it well,-the shipwrecked castaways in boats, wanderers lost in a desert, men battling against the unthinking might of nature, or the stupid brutality of crowds.'
weariness - stanchezza
striving - sforzarsi
unreasonable - irragionevole
shipwrecked - relitto, naufragio, naufragare
wanderers - vagabondo, girovago, vagante, errante
desert - abbandonare
battling - battaglie
crowds - folla
'How long he stood stock-still by the hatch expecting every moment to feel the ship dip under his feet and the rush of water take him at the back and toss him like a chip, I cannot say. Not very long-two minutes perhaps. A couple of men he could not make out began to converse drowsily, and also, he could not tell where, he detected a curious noise of shuffling feet.
stock-still - (stock-still) immobile, fermo
dip - intingere
drowsily - sonnolenza
Above these faint sounds there was that awful stillness preceding a catastrophe, that trying silence of the moment before the crash; then it came into his head that perhaps he would have time to rush along and cut all the lanyards of the gripes, so that the boats would float as the ship went down.
preceding - precedere
catastrophe - catastrofe
crash - frastuono
lanyards - cordino
gripes - lamentarsi
float - galleggiare, appianatoia, frattazzo, pialletto, carro allegorico
'The Patna had a long bridge, and all the boats were up there, four on one side and three on the other-the smallest of them on the port-side and nearly abreast of the steering gear. He assured me, with evident anxiety to be believed, that he had been most careful to keep them ready for instant service. He knew his duty. I dare say he was a good enough mate as far as that went.
most careful - il piu attento
"I always believed in being prepared for the worst," he commented, staring anxiously in my face. I nodded my approval of the sound principle, averting my eyes before the subtle unsoundness of the man.
commented - commento
anxiously - ansiosamente
approval - permesso, approvazione, plauso, appoggio
averting - distogliere, evitare
subtle - sottile, inafferrabile
unsoundness - insensatezza
'He started unsteadily to run. He had to step over legs, avoid stumbling against the heads. Suddenly some one caught hold of his coat from below, and a distressed voice spoke under his elbow. The light of the lamp he carried in his right hand fell upon an upturned dark face whose eyes entreated him together with the voice.
unsteadily - in modo instabile
stumbling - scivolone, scivolare, inciampare, imbattersi, incontrare
entreated - supplicare
He had picked up enough of the language to understand the word water, repeated several times in a tone of insistence, of prayer, almost of despair. He gave a jerk to get away, and felt an arm embrace his leg.
insistence - insistenza
Embrace - abbracciare, aderire, inglobare, abbraccio
'"The beggar clung to me like a drowning man," he said impressively. "Water, water! What water did he mean? What did he know? As calmly as I could I ordered him to let go. He was stopping me, time was pressing, other men began to stir; I wanted time-time to cut the boats adrift. He got hold of my hand now, and I felt that he would begin to shout.
clung - aggrapparsi, aderire
drowning - annegamento, (drown), affogare, annegare, sommergere, coprire
impressively - in modo impressionante
calmly - con calma
It flashed upon me it was enough to start a panic, and I hauled off with my free arm and slung the lamp in his face. The glass jingled, the light went out, but the blow made him let go, and I ran off-I wanted to get at the boats; I wanted to get at the boats. He leaped after me from behind. I turned on him.
slung - fascia, benda
jingled - tintinnio, sonaglio, motivetto
He would not Keep quiet; he tried to shout; I had half throttled him before I made out what he wanted. He wanted some water-water to drink; they were on strict allowance, you know, and he had with him a young boy I had noticed several times. His child was sick-and thirsty. He had caught sight of me as I passed by, and was begging for a little water. That's all.
Keep quiet - Tacere
throttled - (valvola di regolazione)
begging - mendicare
We were under the bridge, in the dark. He kept on snatching at my wrists; there was no getting rid of him. I dashed into my berth, grabbed my water-bottle, and thrust it into his hands. He vanished. I didn't find out till then how much I was in want of a drink myself." He leaned on one elbow with a hand over his eyes.
snatching - agguantare, scippare, strappare
wrists - polso
rid - sbarazzare
till then - fino ad allora
'I felt a creepy sensation all down my backbone; there was something peculiar in all this. The fingers of the hand that shaded his brow trembled slightly. He broke the short silence.
creepy - angosciante, inquietante
backbone - spina dorsale, colonna vertebrale, rachide, base
peculiar - strano, peculiare, particolare
shaded - ombra, persiana, tonalita, gradazione, nuance, varieta
'"These things happen only once to a man and . . . Ah! well! When I got on the bridge at last the beggars were getting one of the boats off the chocks. A boat! I was running up the ladder when a heavy blow fell on my shoulder, just missing my head. It didn't stop me, and the chief engineer-they had got him out of his bunk by then-raised the boat-stretcher again.
beggars - mendicante
chocks - Calzo
running up - correre, aumentare un debito
stretcher - barella, (stretch), tendere
Somehow I had no mind to be surprised at anything. All this seemed natural-and awful-and awful. I dodged that miserable maniac, lifted him off the deck as though he had been a little child, and he started whispering in my arms: 'Don't! don't! I thought you were one of them niggers.'I flung him away, he skidded along the bridge and knocked the legs from under the little chap-the second.
dodged - schivare, scansare, eludere
miserable - infelice
maniac - maniaco
niggers - negro, negra
skidded - sbandare, slittare
The skipper, busy about the boat, looked round and came at me head down, growling like a wild beast. I flinched no more than a stone. I was as solid standing there as this," he tapped lightly with his knuckles the wall beside his chair. "It was as though I had heard it all, seen it all, gone through it all twenty times already. I wasn't afraid of them.
growling - ringhiare, (growl), ringhio, brontolio
beast - bestia, belva
solid - solido, massiccio, compatto, continuo, unito, tinta unita
lightly - alla leggera, superficialmente, in maniera superficiale
knuckles - nocca, giuntura
I drew back my fist and he stopped short, muttering-
muttering - borbottare
'"'Ah! it's you. Lend a hand quick.'
lend - prestare
'"That's what he said. Quick! As if anybody could be quick enough. 'Aren't you going to do something?'I asked. 'Yes. Clear out,'he snarled over his shoulder.
snarled - ringhiare
'"I don't think I understood then what he meant. The other two had picked themselves up by that time, and they rushed together to the boat. They tramped, they wheezed, they shoved, they cursed the boat, the ship, each other-cursed me. All in mutters. I didn't move, I didn't speak. I watched the slant of the ship.
tramped - vagabondo, barbone, puttana, sgualdrina
wheezed - ansimare, rantolare, anelare, boccheggiare
cursed - maledetto
slant - pendenza, inclinazione, pendio, tendenza, angolatura
She was as still as if landed on the blocks in a dry dock-only she was like this," He held up his hand, palm under, the tips of the fingers inclined downwards. "Like this," he repeated.
blocks - blocco
tips - punta
"I could see the line of the horizon before me, as clear as a bell, above her stem-head; I could see the water far off there black and sparkling, and still-still as a-pond, deadly still, more still than ever sea was before-more still than I could bear to look at. Have you watched a ship floating head down, checked in sinking by a sheet of old iron too rotten to stand being shored up? Have you?
bell - campana
sparkling - scintillante, brillante, frizzante, gassato
pond - stagno
floating head - testina di ricambio, testa galleggiante
shored - spiaggia
Oh yes, shored up? I thought of that-I thought of every mortal thing; but can you shore up a bulkhead in five minutes-or in fifty for that matter? Where was I going to get men that would go down below? And the timber-the timber! Would you have had the courage to swing the maul for the first blow if you had seen that bulkhead? Don't say you would: you had not seen it; nobody would.
mortal - mortale
shore up - sostenere, supportare
timber - legname
swing - oscillare, ondeggiare, altalenare, dondolare, altalena
maul - maglio, mazza, sbranare, strapazzare
Hang it-to do a thing like that you must believe there is a chance, one in a thousand, at least, some ghost of a chance; and you would not have believed. Nobody would have believed. You think me a cur for standing there, but what would you have done? What! You can't tell-nobody can tell. One must have time to turn round. What would you have me do?
turn round - girare
Where was the kindness in making crazy with fright all those people I could not save single-handed-that nothing could save? Look here! As true as I sit on this chair before you . . ."
kindness - bonta, gentilezza, cortesia, garbo
fright - spavento
'He drew quick breaths at every few words and shot quick glances at my face, as though in his anguish he were watchful of the effect. He was not speaking to me, he was only speaking before me, in a dispute with an invisible personality, an antagonistic and inseparable partner of his existence-another possessor of his soul.
breaths - respiro, lena, alito, fiato
dispute - disputa, lite, bega
antagonistic - antagonista
inseparable - inseparabile
possessor - possessore
These were issues beyond the competency of a court of inquiry: it was a subtle and momentous quarrel as to the true essence of life, and did not want a judge. He wanted an ally, a helper, an accomplice.
issues - emissione, fuoriuscita, esito, questione, problematica
competency - competenza
momentous - cruciale, critico, importante, fondamentale
essence - essenza
judge - giudicare
ally - allearsi
helper - aiutante, assistente, supporto, apprendista
accomplice - complice, correo, correa, basista
I felt the risk I ran of being circumvented, blinded, decoyed, bullied, perhaps, into taking a definite part in a dispute impossible of decision if one had to be fair to all the phantoms in possession-to the reputable that had its claims and to the disreputable that had its exigencies.
circumvented - eludere, circonvenire
blinded - cieco, orbo, tenda, accecare, ciecamente
decoyed - esca, richiamo, zimbello
phantoms - fantasma, spettro, immaginario, immaginaria, irreale
possession - possesso
reputable - rispettabile
claims - reclamo, rivendicazione, diritto, dichiarazione, affermazione
exigencies - necessita
I can't explain to you who haven't seen him and who hear his words only at second hand the mixed nature of my feelings. It seemed to me I was being made to comprehend the Inconceivable-and I know of nothing to compare with the discomfort of such a sensation. I was made to look at the convention that lurks in all truth and on the essential sincerity of falsehood.
second hand - di seconda mano
mixed - mescolare, mischiare
comprehend - comprendere, capire
inconceivable - inconcepibile
discomfort - disagio
He appealed to all sides at once-to the side turned perpetually to the light of day, and to that side of us which, like the other hemisphere of the moon, exists stealthily in perpetual darkness, with only a fearful ashy light falling at times on the edge. He swayed me. I own to it, I own up.
appealed - fare appello, ricorrere
perpetually - perennemente
hemisphere - emisfero
exists - esistere
stealthily - furtivamente, di nascosto
fearful - impaurito, spaventato, pavido
ashy - cenere
The occasion was obscure, insignificant-what you will: a lost youngster, one in a million-but then he was one of us; an incident as completely devoid of importance as the flooding of an ant-heap, and yet the mystery of his attitude got hold of me as though he had been an individual in the forefront of his kind, as if the obscure truth involved were momentous enough to affect mankind's conception of itself. . . .'
ant - formica
incident - imprevisto, inconveniente, incidente
devoid - privo, senza
flooding - inondazione, (flood), alluvione
forefront - primo piano
affect - avere effetto su
Marlow paused to put new life into his expiring cheroot, seemed to forget all about the story, and abruptly began again.
expiring - finire
cheroot - cigar
'My fault of course. One has no business really to get interested. It's a weakness of mine. His was of another kind. My weakness consists in not having a discriminating eye for the incidental-for the externals-no eye for the hod of the rag-picker or the fine linen of the next man. Next man-that's it.
fault - colpa, imperfezione, sbaglio, biasimo, fessura, crepa
discriminating - discriminare
incidental - incidentale
externals - esterno
picker - one who picks
linen - lino
I have met so many men,'he pursued, with momentary sadness-'met them too with a certain-certain-impact, let us say; like this fellow, for instance-and in each case all I could see was merely the human being. A confounded democratic quality of vision which may be better than total blindness, but has been of no advantage to me, I can assure you. Men expect one to take into account their fine linen.
momentary - momentaneo
sadness - tristezza
impact - impatto, collisione, effetto, influenza
merely - soltanto, solamente, meramente, semplicemente
democratic - democratico
vision - vista, acutezza visiva, visione, allucinazione, miraggio
Total - totale, somma, intero
blindness - cecita
But I never could get up any enthusiasm about these things. Oh! it's a failing; it's a failing; and then comes a soft evening; a lot of men too indolent for whist-and a story. . . .'
failing - Non riuscendo
indolent - ordine del giorno
He paused again to wait for an encouraging remark, perhaps, but nobody spoke; only the host, as if reluctantly performing a duty, murmured-
encouraging - incoraggiare, raccomandare, esortare, favorire
Host - (padrone di casa)
reluctantly - svogliatamente, di malavoglia, malvolentieri
performing - esibirsi, (perform), eseguire, comportarsi con correttezza, adempiere, recitare
'You are so subtle, Marlow.'
'Who? I?'said Marlow in a low voice. 'Oh no! But he was; and try as I may for the success of this yarn, I am missing innumerable shades-they were so fine, so difficult to render in colourless words. Because he complicated matters by being so simple, too-the simplest poor devil! . . . By Jove! he was amazing.
innumerable - innumerevole
render - rendere
colourless - incolore
simplest - semplice, mero
There he sat telling me that just as I saw him before my eyes he wouldn't be afraid to face anything-and believing in it too. I tell you it was fabulously innocent and it was enormous, enormous! I watched him covertly, just as though I had suspected him of an intention to take a jolly good rise out of me. He was confident that, on the square, "on the square, mind!
fabulously - favolosamente, fantasticamente
covertly - di nascosto
square - quadrato, squadra, piazza, sagrato, casella, convenzionale
" there was nothing he couldn't meet. Ever since he had been "so high"-"quite a little chap," he had been preparing himself for all the difficulties that can beset one on land and water. He confessed proudly to this kind of foresight. He had been elaborating dangers and defences, expecting the worst, rehearsing his best. He must have led a most exalted existence. Can you fancy it?
difficulties - difficolta
proudly - fieramente
foresight - lungimiranza, preveggenza, avvedimento
elaborating - elaborato, dettagliato, intricato, approfondire, dettagliare
defences - difesa
rehearsing - prove
exalted - esaltare
A succession of adventures, so much glory, such a victorious progress! and the deep sense of his sagacity crowning every day of his inner life. He forgot himself; his eyes shone; and with every word my heart, searched by the light of his absurdity, was growing heavier in my breast. I had no mind to laugh, and lest I should smile I made for myself a stolid face. He gave signs of irritation.
glory - gloria
sagacity - sagacia
crowning - incoronazione
heavier - pesante
stolid - stolido
'"It is always the unexpected that happens," I said in a propitiatory tone. My obtuseness provoked him into a contemptuous "Pshaw!" I suppose he meant that the unexpected couldn't touch him; nothing less than the unconceivable itself could get over his perfect state of preparation.
propitiatory - propiziatorio
obtuseness - ottusita
Pshaw - indicating disapproval, scoffery, irritation
unconceivable - inconcepibile
preparation - preparazione
He had been taken unawares-and he whispered to himself a malediction upon the waters and the firmament, upon the ship, upon the men. Everything had betrayed him!
malediction - maledizione
firmament - firmamento
betrayed - consegnare, tradire, rivelare
He had been tricked into that sort of high-minded resignation which prevented him lifting as much as his little finger, while these others who had a very clear perception of the actual necessity were tumbling against each other and sweating desperately over that boat business. Something had gone wrong there at the last moment.
tricked - trucco, imbrogliare
minded - mente
resignation - dimissioni, uscita, fuoriuscita, rassegnazione
actual - reale, effettivo, concreto, esistente, attuale, corrente
sweating - sudore
desperately - disperatamente
gone wrong - andare male, sbagliare
It appears that in their flurry they had contrived in some mysterious way to get the sliding bolt of the foremost boat-chock jammed tight, and forthwith had gone out of the remnants of their minds over the deadly nature of that accident.
flurry - spruzzata di neve, nevischio, folata, agitazione, innervosire
contrived - combinare, programmare, intrigare, complottare
bolt - catenaccio
foremost - primo, piu importante
chock - Calzo
forthwith - all'istante, immediatamente, su due piedi, tempestivamente
gone out - uscire
remnants - resto, rimanenza, avanzo, residuo, scampolo
It must have been a pretty sight, the fierce industry of these beggars toiling on a motionless ship that floated quietly in the silence of a world asleep, fighting against time for the freeing of that boat, grovelling on all-fours, standing up in despair, tugging, pushing, snarling at each other venomously, ready to kill, ready to weep, and only kept from flying at each other's throats by the fear of death that stood silent behind them like an inflexible and cold-eyed taskmaster. Oh yes! It must have been a pretty sight. He saw it all, he could talk about it with scorn and bitterness; he had a minute knowledge of it by means of some sixth sense, I conclude, because he swore to me he had remained apart without a glance at them and at the boat-without one single glance. And I believe him. I should think he was too busy watching the threatening slant of the ship, the suspended menace discovered in the midst of the most perfect security-fascinated by the sword hanging by a hair over his imaginative head.
industry - industria
toiling - faticare, (toil), lavoro, fatica, disputa, tenzone, litigio
grovelling - strisciare, (grovel), giacere bocconi, giacere prono
tugging - strattoni, (tug), trascinare, tirare, rimorchiare, strattone
pushing - spingere
snarling - ringhiando
venomously - velenosamente
weep - piangere
throats - gola
inflexible - inflessibile
taskmaster - controllore
sixth - sesto ('before the noun'), ('in names of monarchs and popes') sesto g, sesta g ('after the name') ('abbreviation' VI), sesto
conclude - finire, concludere
suspended - appendere, sospendere
most perfect - il piu perfetto
by a hair - per un pelo
'Nothing in the world moved before his eyes, and he could depict to himself without hindrance the sudden swing upwards of the dark sky-line, the sudden tilt up of the vast plain of the sea, the swift still rise, the brutal fling, the grasp of the abyss, the struggle without hope, the starlight closing over his head for ever like the vault of a tomb-the revolt of his young life-the black end.
hindrance - impaccio, ostacolo, impedimento
tilt - inclinarsi
swift - rapido, veloce, pronto, agile
Struggle - lotta, lottare
head for - dirigersi a
vault - volta
tomb - tomba
He could! By Jove! who couldn't? And you must remember he was a finished artist in that peculiar way, he was a gifted poor devil with the faculty of swift and forestalling vision.
gifted - regalo, dono, presente, talento, regalare
forestalling - prevenire
The sights it showed him had turned him into cold stone from the soles of his feet to the nape of his neck; but there was a hot dance of thoughts in his head, a dance of lame, blind, mute thoughts-a whirl of awful cripples. didn't I tell you he confessed himself before me as though I had the power to bind and to loose?
soles - (pianta del piede)
lame - zoppo
whirl - turbinare, piroettare, roteare
cripples - storpio, storpia
didn't I - Non e vero
bind - legare, connettere, rilegare
He burrowed deep, deep, in the hope of my absolution, which would have been of no good to him. This was one of those cases which no solemn deception can palliate, where no man can help; where his very Maker seems to abandon a sinner to his own devices.
burrowed - tana, buca, covo, cunicolo, scavare una tana
absolution - assoluzione
cases - caso
palliate - palliativo
Maker - fattore, facitore
abandon - abbandonare
sinner - peccatore, peccatrice
devices - apparecchio, congegno, dispositivo, periferica, stratagemma
'He stood on the starboard side of the bridge, as far as he could get from the struggle for the boat, which went on with the agitation of madness and the stealthiness of a conspiracy. The two Malays had meantime remained holding to the wheel. Just picture to yourselves the actors in that, thank God!
agitation - agitazione
madness - pazzia, follia, checkpazzia, insanita
stealthiness - furtivita
conspiracy - cospirazione
unique, episode of the sea, four beside themselves with fierce and secret exertions, and three looking on in complete immobility, above the awnings covering the profound ignorance of hundreds of human beings, with their weariness, with their dreams, with their hopes, arrested, held by an invisible hand on the brink of annihilation.
unique - unico, peculiare, speciale, singolare
exertions - sforzo, fatica
ignorance - ignoranza
brink - orlo, bordo, ciglio
annihilation - annientamento, annichilazione, annichilimento
For that they were so, makes no doubt to me: given the state of the ship, this was the deadliest possible description of accident that could happen. These beggars by the boat had every reason to go distracted with funk. Frankly, had I been there, I would not have given as much as a counterfeit farthing for the ship's chance to keep above water to the end of each successive second.
deadliest - mortale
counterfeit - contraffazione, falso
farthing - un centesimo
successive - consecutivo
And still she floated! These sleeping pilgrims were destined to accomplish their whole pilgrimage to the bitterness of some other end. It was as if the Omnipotence whose mercy they confessed had needed their humble testimony on earth for a while longer, and had looked down to make a sign, "Thou shalt not!" to the ocean.
accomplish - compiere, realizzare, completare, trascorrere, concretizzare
Omnipotence - onnipotenza
humble - umile
testimony - testimonianza
thou - tu
shalt - talian: 'shall' followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense', talian: ('indicating determination') 'shall' followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense, which can be emphasised using ", si c
Their escape would trouble me as a prodigiously inexplicable event, did I not know how tough old iron can be-as tough sometimes as the spirit of some men we meet now and then, worn to a shadow and breasting the weight of life. Not the least wonder of these twenty minutes, to my mind, is the behaviour of the two helmsmen.
prodigiously - prodigiosamente
inexplicable - inspiegabile, incomprensibile, inesplicabile
breasting - mammella, poppa, petto, seno
helmsmen - timoniere, nocchiero, nocchiere
They were amongst the native batch of all sorts brought over from Aden to give evidence at the inquiry. One of them, labouring under intense bashfulness, was very young, and with his smooth, yellow, cheery countenance looked even younger than he was.
batch - infornata, lotto, partita, mucchio
sorts - sorta, tipo
labouring - lavoro, lavoratori, lavoranti, parto, travaglio, doglie
bashfulness - timidezza
countenance - sembianza, apparenza, espressione
I remember perfectly Brierly asking him, through the interpreter, what he thought of it at the time, and the interpreter, after a short colloquy, turning to the court with an important air-
interpreter - interprete
colloquy - colloquio, conversazione
'"He says he thought nothing."
'The other, with patient blinking eyes, a blue cotton handkerchief, faded with much washing, bound with a smart twist over a lot of grey wisps, his face shrunk into grim hollows, his brown skin made darker by a mesh of wrinkles, explained that he had a knowledge of some evil thing befalling the ship, but there had been no order; he could not remember an order; why should he leave the helm?
blinking - sbattere le ciglia, ammiccare, lampeggiare, segnalare
faded - moda, andazzo, tendenza
wisps - ciocca, trefolo, legnolo, pagliuzza
shrunk - restringersi, ritirarsi, strizzacervelli, psichiatra
skin - pelle, interfaccia, scuoiare
mesh - maglia, rete
wrinkles - ruga
evil - cattivo, maligno
befalling - accadere
helm - timone
To some further questions he jerked back his spare shoulders, and declared it never came into his mind then that the white men were about to leave the ship through fear of death. He did not believe it now. There might have been secret reasons. He wagged his old chin knowingly. Aha! secret reasons.
jerked - scossa, sobbalzo
spare - (fare a meno di)
wagged - scodinzolare, marinare la scuola, scodinzolio
He was a man of great experience, and he wanted that white Tuan to know-he turned towards Brierly, who didn't raise his head-that he had acquired a knowledge of many things by serving white men on the sea for a great number of years-and, suddenly, with shaky excitement he poured upon our spellbound attention a lot of queer-sounding names, names of dead-and-gone skippers, names of forgotten country ships, names of familiar and distorted sound, as if the hand of dumb time had been at work on them for ages. They stopped him at last. A silence fell upon the court,-a silence that remained unbroken for at least a minute, and passed gently into a deep murmur. This episode was the sensation of the second day's proceedings-affecting all the audience, affecting everybody except Jim, who was sitting moodily at the end of the first bench, and never looked up at this extraordinary and damning witness that seemed possessed of some mysterious theory of defence.
acquired - acquisire
shaky - malfermo
excitement - eccitamento, orgasmo, fregola
poured - versare, riversarsi
skippers - skipper, capitano
distorted - deformare, distorcere
dumb - muto
unbroken - ininterrotto
affecting - avere effetto su
Except - salvo, tranne, eccetto, fatto salvo
Bench - panchina
damning - dannare, bollare, condannare, maledire, maledetto, fottuto
witness - testimone
'So these two lascars stuck to the helm of that ship without steerage-way, where death would have found them if such had been their destiny. The whites did not give them half a glance, had probably forgotten their existence. Assuredly Jim did not remember it. He remembered he could do nothing; he could do nothing, now he was alone. There was nothing to do but to sink with the ship.
stuck - mettere, infilare
steerage - viaggio di linea
destiny - destino
assuredly - sicuramente
No use making a disturbance about it. Was there? He waited upstanding, without a sound, stiffened in the idea of some sort of heroic discretion. The first engineer ran cautiously across the bridge to tug at his sleeve.
disturbance - disturbo
stiffened - irrigidire
cautiously - cautamente, prudentemente
sleeve - manica, manicotto, contenitore, fodera
'"Come and help! For God's sake, come and help!"
For God's sake - Per l'amor di Dio
'He ran back to the boat on the points of his toes, and returned directly to worry at his sleeve, begging and cursing at the same time.
worry - preoccuparsi, disturbare, preoccupare, preoccupazione
cursing - bestemmiare
'"I believe he would have kissed my hands," said Jim savagely, "and, next moment, he starts foaming and whispering in my face, 'If I had the time I would like to crack your skull for you.'I pushed him away. Suddenly he caught hold of me round the neck. Damn him! I hit him. I hit out without looking. 'Won't you save your own life-you infernal coward?'he sobs. Coward!
savagely - selvaggiamente
skull - cranio
Damn - dannare, bollare, condannare, maledire, maledetto, fottuto
hit - colpire, battere
coward - codardo, pusillanime, vigliacco, vile
sobs - singhiozzare
He called me an infernal coward! Ha! ha! ha! ha! He called me-ha! ha! ha! . . ."
'He had thrown himself back and was shaking with laughter. I had never in my life heard anything so bitter as that noise. It fell like a blight on all the merriment about donkeys, pyramids, bazaars, or what not.
shaking - scuotere, (shake), agitare, scuotere la testa
laughter - risata, riso
blight - rovina, rovinare
merriment - burla
pyramids - piramide
bazaars - bazar, mercato
Along the whole dim length of the gallery the voices dropped, the pale blotches of faces turned our way with one accord, and the silence became so profound that the clear tinkle of a teaspoon falling on the tesselated floor of the verandah rang out like a tiny and silvery scream.
the pale - pallido, limite, confine
blotches - screziatura, striatura, chiazzatura, picchiettatura
tinkle - tintinnare, scampanellare
teaspoon - cucchiaino da te
tesselated - tessellato
silvery - argenteo, argentato, argentino
'"You mustn't laugh like this, with all these people about," I remonstrated. "It isn't nice for them, you know."
mustn - non deve
remonstrated - rimostrare
'He gave no sign of having heard at first, but after a while, with a stare that, missing me altogether, seemed to probe the heart of some awful vision, he muttered carelessly-"Oh! they'll think I am drunk."
probe - sonda, inchiesta, indagine, campione
muttered - mormorare
carelessly - con noncuranza
'And after that you would have thought from his appearance he would never make a sound again. But-no fear! He could no more stop telling now than he could have stopped living by the mere exertion of his will.'
'"I was saying to myself, 'Sink-curse you! Sink!'" These were the words with which he began again. He wanted it over. He was severely left alone, and he formulated in his head this address to the ship in a tone of imprecation, while at the same time he enjoyed the privilege of witnessing scenes-as far as I can judge-of low comedy. They were still at that bolt.
severely - severamente
formulated - formulare
address to - indirizzo per
imprecation - imprecazione
privilege - privilegio, prerogativa
witnessing - testimonianza, testimone, prova, testimoniare, constatare, essere testimone
scenes - scena
comedy - commedia
The skipper was ordering, "get under and try to lift"; and the others naturally shirked. You understand that to be squeezed flat under the keel of a boat wasn't a desirable position to be caught in if the ship went down suddenly. "Why don't you-you the strongest?" whined the little engineer. "Gott-for-dam! I am too thick," spluttered the skipper in despair.
get under - entrare, mettersi sotto
shirked - evitare
squeezed - spremere, stringere, serrare, strizzare, spremersi
desirable - desiderabile
be caught - essere catturato
whined - Gimoteo
spluttered - strombazzare
It was funny enough to make angels weep. They stood idle for a moment, and suddenly the chief engineer rushed again at Jim.
angels - angelo
idle - inattivo
'"Come and help, man! Are you mad to throw your only chance away? Come and help, man! Man! Look there-look!"
throw - gettare, lanciare
'And at last Jim looked astern where the other pointed with maniacal insistence. He saw a silent black squall which had eaten up already one-third of the sky. You know how these squalls come up there about that time of the year. First you see a darkening of the horizon-no more; then a cloud rises opaque like a wall.
maniacal - maniacale, maniaco
squalls - burrasca, bufera, gridare, urlare, strillare
rises - aumentare, alzarsi, crescere
A straight edge of vapour lined with sickly whitish gleams flies up from the southwest, swallowing the stars in whole constellations; its shadow flies over the waters, and confounds sea and sky into one abyss of obscurity. And all is still. No thunder, no wind, no sound; not a flicker of lightning.
vapour - vapore
sickly - malaticcio
whitish - biancastro, bianchiccio
southwest - sudovest
swallowing - inghiottire, ingoiare
constellations - costellazione
flies over - sorvolare
confounds - confondere
obscurity - oscurita
flicker - tremolare
lightning - fulmine, folgore, saetta, lampo
Then in the tenebrous immensity a livid arch appears; a swell or two like undulations of the very darkness run past, and suddenly, wind and rain strike together with a peculiar impetuosity as if they had burst through something solid. Such a cloud had come up while they weren't looking.
tenebrous - ordine del giorno
livid - furibondo, furibonda
arch - arco, arcata
swell - gonfiare, gonfiarsi, aumentare
impetuosity - impetuosita
They had just noticed it, and were perfectly justified in surmising that if in absolute stillness there was some chance for the ship to keep afloat a few minutes longer, the least disturbance of the sea would make an end of her instantly.
surmising - supposizioni, (surmise), supporre
absolute - assoluto
afloat - a galla, galleggiante
Her first nod to the swell that precedes the burst of such a squall would be also her last, would become a plunge, would, so to speak, be prolonged into a long dive, down, down to the bottom. Hence these new capers of their fright, these new antics in which they displayed their extreme aversion to die.
nod to - annuire
precedes - precedere
squall - burrasca, bufera, gridare, urlare, strillare
plunge - tuffarsi
prolonged - prolungare
dive - tuffarsi
hence - da qui, percio, dunque, quindi, da cio
capers - saltellare, fare capriole
antics - anticonformista
'"It was black, black," pursued Jim with moody steadiness. "It had sneaked upon us from behind. The infernal thing! I suppose there had been at the back of my head some hope yet. I don't know. But that was all over anyhow. It maddened me to see myself caught like this. I was angry, as though I had been trapped. I was trapped! The night was hot, too, I remember. Not a breath of air."
moody - umorale
steadiness - stabilita
sneaked - imbroglione, lestofante, furfante, intrufolarsi, sgusciare
maddened - infuriare, urtare, stregare
trapped - trappola
'He remembered so well that, gasping in the chair, he seemed to sweat and choke before my eyes. No doubt it maddened him; it knocked him over afresh-in a manner of speaking-but it made him also remember that important purpose which had sent him rushing on that bridge only to slip clean out of his mind. He had intended to cut the lifeboats clear of the ship.
gasping - rantolare, (gasp), restare senza fiato, restare a bocca aperta
rushing - correre
slip - scivolare
intended - previsto, disciplinato, (intend), intendere, avere in animo
lifeboats - scialuppa
He whipped out his knife and went to work slashing as though he had seen nothing, had heard nothing, had known of no one on board. They thought him hopelessly wrong-headed and crazy, but dared not protest noisily against this useless loss of time. When he had done he returned to the very same spot from which he had started.
whipped - frusta, nerbo, sferza, sferzare, flagellare
slashing - tagliente
hopelessly - senza speranza
dared - osare
protest - protestare, protesta
noisily - rumorosamente
against this - contro questo
The chief was there, ready with a clutch at him to whisper close to his head, scathingly, as though he wanted to bite his ear-
clutch - afferrare
whisper - sussurro, sussurrare
scathingly - in modo spregiativo
bite - mordere, morsicare, abboccare, pungere, morso, puntura
'"You silly fool! do you think you'll get the ghost of a show when all that lot of brutes is in the water? Why, they will batter your head for you from these boats."
batter - fare il bagno
'He wrung his hands, ignored, at Jim's elbow. The skipper kept up a nervous shuffle in one place and mumbled, "Hammer! hammer! Mein Gott! Get a hammer."
nervous - nervoso
'The little engineer whimpered like a child, but, broken arm and all, he turned out the least craven of the lot as it seems, and, actually, mustered enough pluck to run an errand to the engine-room. No trifle, it must be owned in fairness to him. Jim told me he darted desperate looks like a cornered man, gave one low wail, and dashed off.
whimpered - piagnucolio, piagnucolare
Craven - codardo
actually - in realta
mustered - adunare, (passare in rassegna)
trifle - zuppa inglese, un tantino, un po', bagattella, briciola
fairness - equita, imparzialita, giustizia, correttezza
cornered - angolo, sporgenza, angolo sporgente, pietra d'angolo
wail - lamentarsi
He was back instantly clambering, hammer in hand, and without a pause flung himself at the bolt. The others gave up Jim at once and ran off to assist. He heard the tap, tap of the hammer, the sound of the released chock falling over. The boat was clear. Only then he turned to look-only then. But he kept his distance-he kept his distance.
clambering - arrampicarsi
assist - assistere, aiutare, assistenza, aiuto, assist
He wanted me to know he had kept his distance; that there was nothing in common between him and these men-who had the hammer. Nothing whatever. It is more than probable he thought himself cut off from them by a space that could not be traversed, by an obstacle that could not be overcome, by a chasm without bottom. He was as far as he could get from them-the whole breadth of the ship.
probable - probabile
obstacle - ostacolo, inciampo
overcome - superare, sconfiggere
chasm - voragine, baratro, abisso, divergenza, divario
'His feet were glued to that remote spot and his eyes to their indistinct group bowed together and swaying strangely in the common torment of fear. A hand-lamp lashed to a stanchion above a little table rigged up on the bridge-the Patna had no chart-room amidships-threw a light on their labouring shoulders, on their arched and bobbing backs.
indistinct - indistinto
bowed - inchinarsi, chinare il capo
swaying - ondeggiare, (sway), ondeggiamento, fluttuazione, dondolio
torment - cruccio, tormento, tarlo, tormentare, martoriare
rigged up - truccato
arched - arco, arcata
They pushed at the bow of the boat; they pushed out into the night; they pushed, and would no more look back at him. They had given him up as if indeed he had been too far, too hopelessly separated from themselves, to be worth an appealing word, a glance, or a sign. They had no leisure to look back upon his passive heroism, to feel the sting of his abstention.
if indeed - se davvero
abstention - astensione
The boat was heavy; they pushed at the bow with no breath to spare for an encouraging word: but the turmoil of terror that had scattered their self-command like chaff before the wind, converted their desperate exertions into a bit of fooling, upon my word, fit for knockabout clowns in a farce.
turmoil - caos, disordine, scompiglio
chaff - pula, crusca
converted - convertire
fooling - ingannare, (fool), stolto, buffone, giullare, pagliaccio
fit for - adatto
knockabout - bussare alla porta
clowns - pagliaccio, pagliaccia, buffone, buffona
farce - farsa
They pushed with their hands, with their heads, they pushed for dear life with all the weight of their bodies, they pushed with all the might of their souls-only no sooner had they succeeded in canting the stem clear of the davit than they would leave off like one man and start a wild scramble into her.
succeeded - succedere, riuscire
davit - gru
As a natural consequence the boat would swing in abruptly, driving them back, helpless and jostling against each other. They would stand nonplussed for a while, exchanging in fierce whispers all the infamous names they could call to mind, and go at it again. Three times this occurred. He described it to me with morose thoughtfulness. He hadn't lost a single movement of that comic business.
helpless - indifeso
jostling - spintoni, (jostle), spingere, farsi largo
nonplussed - perplesso
whispers - sussurro, sussurrare
morose - cupo, imbronciato
thoughtfulness - premurosita
comic - comico, fumetto, striscia, giornaletto, giornalino
"I loathed them. I hated them. I had to look at all that," he said without emphasis, turning upon me a sombrely watchful glance. "Was ever there any one so shamefully tried?"
loathed - detestare, odiare, aborrire, abominare
sombrely - cupamente
shamefully - vergognosamente
'He took his head in his hands for a moment, like a man driven to distraction by some unspeakable outrage. These were things he could not explain to the court-and not even to me; but I would have been little fitted for the reception of his confidences had I not been able at times to understand the pauses between the words.
Distraction - distrazione
outrage - oltraggio, sdegno, indignazione, oltraggiare
pauses - mettere in pausa, pausa
In this assault upon his fortitude there was the jeering intention of a spiteful and vile vengeance; there was an element of burlesque in his ordeal-a degradation of funny grimaces in the approach of death or dishonour.
jeering - schernire
spiteful - dispettoso, vendicativo
element - elemento, elementi, ambiente
burlesque - burlesco, caricatura
ordeal - calvario, tortura, ordalia
degradation - abiezione
grimaces - smorfia
approach - avvicinarsi
dishonour - disonore, disonorare
'He related facts which I have not forgotten, but at this distance of time I couldn't recall his very words: I only remember that he managed wonderfully to convey the brooding rancour of his mind into the bare recital of events. Twice, he told me, he shut his eyes in the certitude that the end was upon him already, and twice he had to open them again.
related - riferire
recall - ritirare, revocare, richiamare, rammentare, ricordare
wonderfully - meravigliosamente
convey - trasportare, condurre, comunicare, esprimere, trasferire
brooding - malinconico, meditabondo, cupo, (brood), nidiata, prole
rancour - rancore
recital - recitale, considerando
Each time he noted the darkening of the great stillness. The shadow of the silent cloud had fallen upon the ship from the zenith, and seemed to have extinguished every sound of her teeming life. He could no longer hear the voices under the awnings. He told me that each time he closed his eyes a flash of thought showed him that crowd of bodies, laid out for death, as plain as daylight.
zenith - zenit, culmine, apice
extinguished - estinguere
teeming - pullulare, brulicare
daylight - luce del giorno
When he opened them, it was to see the dim struggle of four men fighting like mad with a stubborn boat. "They would fall back before it time after time, stand swearing at each other, and suddenly make another rush in a bunch. . . .
fall back - ripiegare
swearing - giuramento
bunch - ciuffo, graspo, mucchio, grappolo, comitiva, ammucchiare
Enough to make you die laughing," he commented with downcast eyes; then raising them for a moment to my face with a dismal smile, "I ought to have a merry life of it, by God! for I shall see that funny sight a good many times yet before I die." His eyes fell again. "See and hear. . . . See and hear," he repeated twice, at long intervals, filled by vacant staring.
die laughing - morire dal ridere
merry - felice, allegro
A good many times - un buon numero di volte
vacant - vacante
'He roused himself.
roused - svegliare
'"I made up my mind to keep my eyes shut," he said, "and I couldn't. I couldn't, and I don't care who knows it. Let them go through that kind of thing before they talk. Just let them-and do better-that's all. The second time my eyelids flew open and my mouth too. I had felt the ship move. She just dipped her bows-and lifted them gently-and slow! everlastingly slow; and ever so little.
dipped - intingere
She hadn't done that much for days. The cloud had raced ahead, and this first swell seemed to travel upon a sea of lead. There was no life in that stir. It managed, though, to knock over something in my head. What would you have done? You are sure of yourself-aren't you? What would you do if you felt now-this minute-the house here move, just move a little under your chair. Leap! By heavens!
raced - corsa, gara
lead - condurre, portare
knock over - rovesciare, buttare giu
you would take one spring from where you sit and land in that clump of bushes yonder."
spring from - scaturire da
clump - blocco, gruppo
bushes - cespuglio
yonder - laggiu
'He flung his arm out at the night beyond the stone balustrade. I held my peace. He looked at me very steadily, very severe. There could be no mistake: I was being bullied now, and it behoved me to make no sign lest by a gesture or a word I should be drawn into a fatal admission about myself which would have had some bearing on the case. I was not disposed to take any risk of that sort.
behoved - convenire
admission - ammissione
disposed - eliminare, disporre, mettere, depositare, distribuire
Don't forget I had him before me, and really he was too much like one of us not to be dangerous. But if you want to know I don't mind telling you that I did, with a rapid glance, estimate the distance to the mass of denser blackness in the middle of the grass-plot before the verandah. He exaggerated. I would have landed short by several feet-and that's the only thing of which I am fairly certain.
rapid - rapido, deciso, rapida, cataratta
estimate - stima, preventivo, stimare
denser - tane
plot - trama, ordito, schema, canovaccio
exaggerated - esagerare
'The last moment had come, as he thought, and he did not move. His feet remained glued to the planks if his thoughts were knocking about loose in his head. It was at this moment too that he saw one of the men around the boat step backwards suddenly, clutch at the air with raised arms, totter and collapse.
backwards - indietro, retromarcia, riluttante, antiquato, fuori moda
totter - barcollare
collapse - collassare, crollare, accasciarsi, bloccarsi
He didn't exactly fall, he only slid gently into a sitting posture, all hunched up, and with his shoulders propped against the side of the engine-room skylight. "That was the donkey-man. A haggard, white-faced chap with a ragged moustache. Acted third engineer," he explained.
hunched - gibbo, intuizione, presentimento
propped - sostegno
donkey - asino, somaro, buricco, ciuco, muletto
haggard - stanco, smunto
acted - atto, legge, numero, scena, messinscena, agire, recitare, fare
'"Dead," I said. We had heard something of that in court.
'"So they say," he pronounced with sombre indifference. "Of course I never knew. Weak heart. The man had been complaining of being out of sorts for some time before. Excitement. Over-exertion. Devil only knows. Ha! ha! ha! It was easy to see he did not want to die either. Droll, isn't it? May I be shot if he hadn't been fooled into killing himself! Fooled-neither more nor less.
complaining - lamentarsi, (complain), lagnarsi, reclamare
isn't it? - Non e vero?
fooled - stolto, buffone, giullare, pagliaccio, buffone di corte, matto
killing - uccisione, omicidio, assassinio
Fooled into it, by heavens! just as I . . . Ah! If he had only kept still; if he had only told them to go to the devil when they came to rush him out of his bunk because the ship was sinking! If he had only stood by with his hands in his pockets and called them names!"
stood by - stare all'erta, tenere alto il morale di qualcuno, sostenere qualcuno, stare al fianco di qualcosa
'He got up, shook his fist, glared at me, and sat down.
'"A chance missed, eh?" I murmured.
'"Why don't you laugh?" he said. "A joke hatched in hell. Weak heart! . . . I wish sometimes mine had been."
hatched - portello, mezza porta*
'This irritated me. "Do you?" I exclaimed with deep-rooted irony. "Yes! Can't you understand?" he cried. "I don't know what more you could wish for," I said angrily. He gave me an utterly uncomprehending glance. This shaft had also gone wide of the mark, and he was not the man to bother about stray arrows. Upon my word, he was too unsuspecting; he was not fair game.
irritated - irritare
rooted - radice
irony - ironia
wish for - desiderare, augurare
stray - allontanarsi, smarrirsi
arrows - freccia
unsuspecting - ignaro
fair game - gioco pulito
I was glad that my missile had been thrown away,-that he had not even heard the twang of the bow.
missile - missile
thrown away - buttato via
twang - (suono metallico)
'Of course he could not know at the time the man was dead. The next minute-his last on board-was crowded with a tumult of events and sensations which beat about him like the sea upon a rock.
I use the simile advisedly, because from his relation I am forced to believe he had preserved through it all a strange illusion of passiveness, as though he had not acted but had suffered himself to be handled by the infernal powers who had selected him for the victim of their practical joke.
simile - similitudine
advisedly - intenzionalmente, deliberatamente, a ragion veduta
relation - relazione, parente
illusion - illusione
passiveness - passivita
suffered - soffrire, penare, patire, aggravarsi, subire, lasciare
handled - manico, maniglia
powers - potere, influenza, potenza, forza, elettricita, corrente
selected - scegliere, selezionare
practical joke - scherzo
The first thing that came to him was the grinding surge of the heavy davits swinging out at last-a jar which seemed to enter his body from the deck through the soles of his feet, and travel up his spine to the crown of his head.
grinding - macinare
surge - agirarsi, sollevarsi
swinging - oscillare, (swing), ondeggiare, altalenare
jar - giara, vaso
enter - entrare, immettere, digitare
spine - colonna vertebrale, costa, dorso, spina dorsale
crown - corona
Then, the squall being very near now, another and a heavier swell lifted the passive hull in a threatening heave that checked his breath, while his brain and his heart together were pierced as with daggers by panic-stricken screams. "Let go! For God's sake, let go! Let go! She's going.
heave - sollevamento
daggers - pugnale
stricken - colpito, (strike), cancellare, colpire, coniare, scioperare, sembrare, arrendersi, sciopero
" Following upon that the boat-falls ripped through the blocks, and a lot of men began to talk in startled tones under the awnings. "When these beggars did break out, their yelps were enough to wake the dead," he said. Next, after the splashing shock of the boat literally dropped in the water, came the hollow noises of stamping and tumbling in her, mingled with confused shouts: "Unhook! Unhook!
ripped - strappare
tones - tono
break out - scoppiare
yelps - guaire
dropped in - passare, fare un salto
noises - rumore, strepito
stamping - timbratura, (stamp), conio, bollo, battere i piedi, pestare i piedi, stampare, timbrare, affrancare
mingled - mescolare, rimestare, rigirare, amalgamare, mescolarsi
unhook - sganciare, staccare
Shove! Unhook! Shove for your life! Here's the squall down on us. . . ." He heard, high above his head, the faint muttering of the wind; he heard below his feet a cry of pain. A lost voice alongside started cursing a swivel hook.
shove - spingere
cry of pain - grido di dolore
swivel - perno
The ship began to buzz fore and aft like a disturbed hive, and, as quietly as he was telling me of all this-because just then he was very quiet in attitude, in face, in voice-he went on to say without the slightest warning as it were, "I stumbled over his legs."
fore and aft - a prua e a poppa
hive - arnia, alveare
warning - avvertimento, monito, (warn), avvertire, avvisare
'This was the first I heard of his having moved at all. I could not restrain a grunt of surprise. Something had started him off at last, but of the exact moment, of the cause that tore him out of his immobility, he knew no more than the uprooted tree knows of the wind that laid it low. All this had come to him: the sounds, the sights, the legs of the dead man-by Jove!
restrain - contenere, frenare
tore - strappare
uprooted - sradicare, estirpare
The infernal joke was being crammed devilishly down his throat, but-look you-he was not going to admit of any sort of swallowing motion in his gullet. It's extraordinary how he could cast upon you the spirit of his illusion. I listened as if to a tale of black magic at work upon a corpse.
crammed - stivare
devilishly - diabolicamente
admit of - ammettere
gullet - esofago
'"He went over sideways, very gently, and this is the last thing I remember seeing on board," he continued. "I did not care what he did. It looked as though he were picking himself up: I thought he was picking himself up, of course: I expected him to bolt past me over the rail and drop into the boat after the others.
I could hear them knocking about down there, and a voice as if crying up a shaft called out 'George!'Then three voices together raised a yell. They came to me separately: one bleated, another screamed, one howled. Ough!"
crying - piangere, (cry), gridare, urlare, pianto, urlo, verso
George - Giorgio, Iorio
separately - distintamente, separatemente, separatamente, singolarmente
bleated - belato, belare
screamed - urlo, grido, gridare, sbraitare, urlare
howled - ululato, uggiolio, latrato, guaito, ululare, gannire
'He shivered a little, and I beheld him rise slowly as if a steady hand from above had been pulling him out of the chair by his hair. Up, slowly-to his full height, and when his knees had locked stiff the hand let him go, and he swayed a little on his feet.
beheld - guardare, ecco
height - altezza, apice, culmine, vetta, cima
locked - serratura
There was a suggestion of awful stillness in his face, in his movements, in his very voice when he said "They shouted"-and involuntarily I pricked up my ears for the ghost of that shout that would be heard directly through the false effect of silence. "There were eight hundred people in that ship," he said, impaling me to the back of my seat with an awful blank stare.
suggestion - suggestione, suggerimento, proposta
movements - movimento
involuntarily - involontariamente
impaling - impalare
"Eight hundred living people, and they were yelling after the one dead man to come down and be saved. 'Jump, George! Jump! Oh, jump!'I stood by with my hand on the davit. I was very quiet. It had come over pitch dark. You could see neither sky nor sea. I heard the boat alongside go bump, bump, and not another sound down there for a while, but the ship under me was full of talking noises.
pitch dark - buio pesto
bump - colpetto, botta, bozzo, gnocco, protuberanza
Suddenly the skipper howled 'Mein Gott! The squall! The squall! Shove off!'With the first hiss of rain, and the first gust of wind, they screamed, 'Jump, George! We'll catch you! Jump!'The ship began a slow plunge; the rain swept over her like a broken sea; my cap flew off my head; my breath was driven back into my throat.
driven back - respinto
I heard as if I had been on the top of a tower another wild screech, 'Geo-o-o-orge! Oh, jump!'She was going down, down, head first under me. . . ."
tower - torre
orge - ordine del giorno
'He raised his hand deliberately to his face, and made picking motions with his fingers as though he had been bothered with cobwebs, and afterwards he looked into the open palm for quite half a second before he blurted out-
motions - movimento, mozione, mozioni
bothered - disturbare, infastidire, disturbarsi, prendersi la briga
cobwebs - ragnatela
blurted - blaterare
'"I had jumped . . ." He checked himself, averted his gaze. . . . "It seems," he added.
averted - distogliere, evitare
'His clear blue eyes turned to me with a piteous stare, and looking at him standing before me, dumfounded and hurt, I was oppressed by a sad sense of resigned wisdom, mingled with the amused and profound pity of an old man helpless before a childish disaster.
piteous - pietoso
dumfounded - Non e un problema di sicurezza
childish - infantile, bambinesco, puerile
'"Looks like it," I muttered.
'"I knew nothing about it till I looked up," he explained hastily. And that's possible, too. You had to listen to him as you would to a small boy in trouble. He didn't know. It had happened somehow. It would never happen again. He had landed partly on somebody and fallen across a thwart.
hastily - frettolosamente, precipitatamente
thwart - sventare, bloccare, arcaccia
He felt as though all his ribs on his left side must be broken; then he rolled over, and saw vaguely the ship he had deserted uprising above him, with the red side-light glowing large in the rain like a fire on the brow of a hill seen through a mist. "She seemed higher than a wall; she loomed like a cliff over the boat . . . I wished I could die," he cried. "There was no going back.
be broken - essere rotto
vaguely - vagamente
glowing - brillare, alone, luminescenza, luccichio, calore
loomed - telaio
cliff - ruoe, scogliera
It was as if I had jumped into a well-into an everlasting deep hole. . . ."'
'He locked his fingers together and tore them apart. Nothing could be more true: he had indeed jumped into an everlasting deep hole. He had tumbled from a height he could never scale again. By that time the boat had gone driving forward past the bows. It was too dark just then for them to see each other, and, moreover, they were blinded and half drowned with rain.
He told me it was like being swept by a flood through a cavern. They turned their backs to the squall; the skipper, it seems, got an oar over the stern to keep the boat before it, and for two or three minutes the end of the world had come through a deluge in a pitchy blackness. The sea hissed "like twenty thousand kettles." That's his simile, not mine.
oar - remo
deluge - diluvio, inondare, allagare, sommergere, tempestare
pitchy - pece
kettles - bollitore, pentolino
I fancy there was not much wind after the first gust; and he himself had admitted at the inquiry that the sea never got up that night to any extent. He crouched down in the bows and stole a furtive glance back. He saw just one yellow gleam of the mast-head light high up and blurred like a last star ready to dissolve. "It terrified me to see it still there," he said. That's what he said.
admitted - far entrare, ammettere, riconoscere, ricoverare
crouched - accucciarsi
Stole - Rubato, (steal), rubare, derubare, fregare, accattivarsi
furtive - furtivo
dissolve - dissolvere, dissolversi, dissolvenza
What terrified him was the thought that the drowning was not over yet. No doubt he wanted to be done with that abomination as quickly as possible. Nobody in the boat made a sound. In the dark she seemed to fly, but of course she could not have had much way. Then the shower swept ahead, and the great, distracting, hissing noise followed the rain into distance and died out.
abomination - abominio
died out - si e estinto
There was nothing to be heard then but the slight wash about the boat's sides. Somebody's teeth were chattering violently. A hand touched his back. A faint voice said, "You there?" Another cried out shakily, "She's gone!" and they all stood up together to look astern. They saw no lights. All was black. A thin cold drizzle was driving into their faces. The boat lurched slightly.
chattering - chiacchierare
violently - violentemente
shakily - traballante
drizzle - piovigginare, pioggerella, pioviggine
driving into - guidare
lurched - barcollare, vacillare
The teeth chattered faster, stopped, and began again twice before the man could master his shiver sufficiently to say, "Ju-ju-st in ti-ti-me. . . . Brrrr." He recognised the voice of the chief engineer saying surlily, "I saw her go down. I happened to turn my head." The wind had dropped almost completely.
chattered - ciarlare
surlily - Surily
'They watched in the dark with their heads half turned to windward as if expecting to hear cries. At first he was thankful the night had covered up the scene before his eyes, and then to know of it and yet to have seen and heard nothing appeared somehow the culminating point of an awful misfortune. "Strange, isn't it?" he murmured, interrupting himself in his disjointed narrative.
windward - sopravento
cries - piangere, gridare, urlare, pianto, urlo, verso
thankful - riconoscente, grato
covered up - coperto
culminating - culminare
interrupting - interrompere, celare, ricoprire, tagliare
disjointed - disgiunto
'It did not seem so strange to me. He must have had an unconscious conviction that the reality could not be half as bad, not half as anguishing, appalling, and vengeful as the created terror of his imagination.
anguishing - angoscia
vengeful - vendicativo
I believe that, in this first moment, his heart was wrung with all the suffering, that his soul knew the accumulated savour of all the fear, all the horror, all the despair of eight hundred human beings pounced upon in the night by a sudden and violent death, else why should he have said, "It seemed to me that I must jump out of that accursed boat and swim back to see-half a mile-more-any distance-to the very spot . . ."? Why this impulse? Do you see the significance? Why back to the very spot? Why not drown alongside-if he meant drowning? Why back to the very spot, to see-as if his imagination had to be soothed by the assurance that all was over before death could bring relief? I defy any one of you to offer another explanation. It was one of those bizarre and exciting glimpses through the fog. It was an extraordinary disclosure. He let it out as the most natural thing one could say. He fought down that impulse and then he became conscious of the silence. He mentioned this to me. A silence of the sea, of the sky, merged into one indefinite immensity still as death around these saved, palpitating lives. "You might have heard a pin drop in the boat," he said with a queer contraction of his lips, like a man trying to master his sensibilities while relating some extremely moving fact. A silence! God alone, who had willed him as he was, knows what he made of it in his heart. "I didn't think any spot on earth could be so still," he said. "You couldn't distinguish the sea from the sky; there was nothing to see and nothing to hear. Not a glimmer, not a shape, not a sound. You could have believed that every bit of dry land had gone to the bottom; that every man on earth but I and these beggars in the boat had got drowned." He leaned over the table with his knuckles propped amongst coffee-cups, liqueur-glasses, cigar-ends. "I seemed to believe it. Everything was gone and-all was over . . ." he fetched a deep sigh . . . "with me."'
accumulated - accumularsi
savour - assaporare
pounced - balzare
jump out - saltare fuori
significance - significanza, significativita, importanza
drown - affogare, annegare, sommergere, coprire
soothed - calmare, placare, lenire, alleviare, mitigare
most natural - piu naturale
mentioned - cenno, accenno, menzione, menzionare
merged - fondersi, unirsi, mergere
palpitating - palpitare
contraction - contrazione
relating - riferire
distinguish - distinguere, discernere, distinguersi
glimmer - barlume, filo
liqueur - liquore
fetched - andare a prendere, portare
Marlow sat up abruptly and flung away his cheroot with force. It made a darting red trail like a toy rocket fired through the drapery of creepers. Nobody stirred.
darting - dardo
trail - pedinare, seguire, inseguire, trascinare, trainare
toy - giocattolo, balocco, giocare, trastullarsi, baloccarsi
rocket - razzo
creepers - persona che si trascina, persona che si muove furtivamente
'Hey, what do you think of it?'he cried with sudden animation. 'Wasn't he true to himself, wasn't he? His saved life was over for want of ground under his feet, for want of sights for his eyes, for want of voices in his ears. Annihilation-hey! And all the time it was only a clouded sky, a sea that did not break, the air that did not stir. Only a night; only a silence.
clouded sky - cielo offuscato
'It lasted for a while, and then they were suddenly and unanimously moved to make a noise over their escape. "I knew from the first she would go." "Not a minute too soon." "A narrow squeak, b'gosh!" He said nothing, but the breeze that had dropped came back, a gentle draught freshened steadily, and the sea joined its murmuring voice to this talkative reaction succeeding the dumb moments of awe.
unanimously - unanimemente
make a noise - fare rumore
squeak - squittio, squittire
gentle - gentile
murmuring - brontolamento, lamentela
reaction - reazione
succeeding - succedere, riuscire
She was gone! She was gone! Not a doubt of it. Nobody could have helped. They repeated the same words over and over again as though they couldn't stop themselves. Never doubted she would go. The lights were gone. No mistake. The lights were gone. Couldn't expect anything else. She had to go. . . . He noticed that they talked as though they had left behind them nothing but an empty ship.
They concluded she would not have been long when she once started. It seemed to cause them some sort of satisfaction. They assured each other that she couldn't have been long about it-"Just shot down like a flat-iron." The chief engineer declared that the mast-head light at the moment of sinking seemed to drop "like a lighted match you throw down." At this the second laughed hysterically.
shot down - abbattuto
match - fiammifero
throw down - buttare giu
hysterically - istericamente
"I am g-g-glad, I am gla-a-a-d." His teeth went on "like an electric rattle," said Jim, "and all at once he began to cry. He wept and blubbered like a child, catching his breath and sobbing 'Oh dear! oh dear! oh dear!'He would Be quiet for a while and start suddenly, 'Oh, my poor arm! oh, my poor a-a-a-arm!'I felt I could knock him down. Some of them sat in the stern-sheets.
gla - ordine del giorno
Electric - elettrico, elettronico
wept - piangere
blubbered - adipe, pannicolo
sobbing - singhiozzare
Be quiet - Fare silenzio
I could just make out their shapes. Voices came to me, mumble, mumble, grunt, grunt. All this seemed very hard to bear. I was cold too. And I could do nothing. I thought that if I moved I would have to go over the side and . . ."
shapes - condizione, stato, forma, sagoma
'His hand groped stealthily, came in contact with a liqueur-glass, and was withdrawn suddenly as if it had touched a red-hot coal. I pushed the bottle slightly. "Won't you have some more?" I asked. He looked at me angrily. "Don't you think I can tell you what there is to tell without screwing myself up?" he asked. The squad of globe-trotters had gone to bed.
groped - tastare, palpeggiare, palpare
contact - contatto, aggancio, contattare
withdrawn - ritirare, ritirarsi
coal - carbone, tizzone, checkcarbonella
screwing - avvitamento, (screw), vite, elica, scopata, chiavare, fottere
squad - squadra
We were alone but for a vague white form erect in the shadow, that, being looked at, cringed forward, hesitated, backed away silently. It was getting late, but I did not hurry my guest.
erect - eretto
cringed - raggomitolarsi, rannicchiarsi, raggomitolamento
hesitated - esitare, titubare
guest - ospite, invitato, convitato, cliente
'In the midst of his forlorn state he heard his companions begin to abuse some one. "What kept you from jumping, you lunatic?" said a scolding voice. The chief engineer left the stern-sheets, and could be heard clambering forward as if with hostile intentions against "the greatest idiot that ever was." The skipper shouted with rasping effort offensive epithets from where he sat at the oar.
forlorn - abbandonato, negletto, derelitto, dimenticato, miserevole
Companions - amico, compagno
abuse - abusare
jumping - saltare, far saltare
lunatic - demente
scolding - rimproveri, (scold), bisbetica, brontolona, megera, linguaccia
hostile - ostile
idiot - idiota, squasimodeo
epithets - epiteto
He lifted his head at that uproar, and heard the name "George," while a hand in the dark struck him on the breast. "What have you got to say for yourself, you fool?" queried somebody, with a sort of virtuous fury. "They were after me," he said. "They were abusing me-abusing me . . . by the name of George."
uproar - baraonda, clamore, fragore, baccano
queried - interrogativo, domanda, quesito, richiesta, query, chiedere
virtuous - virtuoso
'He paused to stare, tried to smile, turned his eyes away and went on. "That little second puts his head right under my nose, 'Why, it's that blasted mate!''What!'howls the skipper from the other end of the boat. 'No!'shrieks the chief. And he too stooped to look at my face."
howls - ululato, uggiolio, latrato, guaito, ululare, gannire
shrieks - gridare, strillare
'The wind had left the boat suddenly. The rain began to fall again, and the soft, uninterrupted, a little mysterious sound with which the sea receives a shower arose on all sides in the night. "They were too taken aback to say anything more at first," he narrated steadily, "and what could I have to say to them?" He faltered for a moment, and made an effort to go on. "They called me horrible names.
uninterrupted - ininterrotto
Receives - ricevere
arose - sorgere, apparire, nascere
aback - sorpreso
faltered - inciampare
" His voice, sinking to a whisper, now and then would leap up suddenly, hardened by the passion of scorn, as though he had been talking of secret abominations. "Never mind what they called me," he said grimly. "I could hear hate in their voices. A good thing too. They could not forgive me for being in that boat. They hated it. It made them mad. . . ." He laughed short. . . .
hardened - indurire
passion - passione
abominations - abominio
grimly - cupamente
"But it kept me from-Look! I was sitting with my arms crossed, on the gunwale! . . ." He perched himself smartly on the edge of the table and crossed his arms. . . . "Like this-see? One little tilt backwards and I would have been gone-after the others. One little tilt-the least bit-the least bit.
gunwale - falchetta
perched - trespolo
smartly - in modo intelligente
" He frowned, and tapping his forehead with the tip of his middle finger, "It was there all the time," he said impressively. "All the time-that notion. And the rain-cold, thick, cold as melted snow-colder-on my thin cotton clothes-I'll never be so cold again in my life, I know. And the sky was black too-all black. Not a star, not a light anywhere.
frowned - accigliarsi, aggrottare le ciglia/sopracciglia
tip - punta
middle finger - dito medio
melted - sciogliere, fondere
Nothing outside that confounded boat and those two yapping before me like a couple of mean mongrels at a tree'd thief. Yap! yap! 'What you doing here? You're a fine sort! Too much of a bloomin'gentleman to put your hand to it. Come out of your trance, did you? To sneak in? Did you?'Yap! yap! 'You ain't fit to live!'Yap! yap! Two of them together trying to out-bark each other.
yapping - guaire
mongrels - bastardo, bastardino
The other would bay from the stern through the rain-couldn't see him-couldn't make it out-some of his filthy jargon. Yap! yap! Bow-ow-ow-ow-ow! Yap! yap! It was sweet to hear them; it kept me alive, I tell you. It saved my life. At it they went, as if trying to drive me overboard with the noise! . . . 'I wonder you had pluck enough to jump. You ain't wanted here.
Yap - guaire
If I had known who it was, I would have tipped you over-you skunk! What have you done with the other? Where did you get the pluck to jump-you coward? What's to prevent us three from firing you overboard?'. . . They were out of breath; the shower passed away upon the sea. Then nothing. There was nothing round the boat, not even a sound. Wanted to see me overboard, did they? Upon my soul!
skunk - moffetta
prevent - impedire, prevenire
I think they would have had their wish if they had only kept quiet. Fire me overboard! Would they? 'Try,'I said. 'I would for twopence.''Too good for you,'they screeched together. It was so dark that it was only when one or the other of them moved that I was quite sure of seeing him. By heavens! I only wish they had tried."
Twopence - Due penny
screeched - stridere
'I couldn't help exclaiming, "What an extraordinary affair!"
exclaiming - esclamare
'"Not bad-eh?" he said, as if in some sort astounded. "They pretended to think I had done away with that donkey-man for some reason or other. Why should I? And how the devil was I to know? Didn't I get somehow into that boat? into that boat-I . . .
astounded - riempire di stupore, sbalordire
pretended - fingere, fare finta, far credere
" The muscles round his lips contracted into an unconscious grimace that tore through the mask of his usual expression-something violent, short-lived and illuminating like a twist of lightning that admits the eye for an instant into the secret convolutions of a cloud. "I did. I was plainly there with them-wasn't I? Isn't it awful a man should be driven to do a thing like that-and be responsible?
muscles - muscolo
contracted - contrarre
grimace - smorfia
mask - maschera
admits - far entrare, ammettere, riconoscere, ricoverare
convolutions - convoluzione
plainly - a chiare note
responsible - responsabile, di responsabile, di responsabilita, colpevole
What did I know about their George they were howling after? I remembered I had seen him curled up on the deck. 'Murdering coward!'the chief kept on calling me. He didn't seem able to remember any other two words. I didn't care, only his noise began to worry me. 'Shut up,'I said. At that he collected himself for a confounded screech. 'You killed him! You killed him!
howling - ululare, (howl), ululato, uggiolio, latrato, guaito
curled up - raggomitolato
murdering - assassinio, omicidio, uccisione, assassinare, massacrare
''No,'I shouted, 'but I will kill you directly.'I jumped up, and he fell backwards over a thwart with an awful loud thump. I don't know why. Too dark. Tried to step back I suppose. I stood still facing aft, and the wretched little second began to whine, 'You ain't going to hit a chap with a broken arm-and you call yourself a gentleman, too.'I heard a heavy tramp-one-two-and wheezy grunting.
grunting - grugnito, (grunt), grugnire
The other beast was coming at me, clattering his oar over the stern. I saw him moving, big, big-as you see a man in a mist, in a dream. 'Come on,'I cried. I would have tumbled him over like a bale of shakings. He stopped, muttered to himself, and went back. Perhaps he had heard the wind. I didn't. It was the last heavy gust we had. He went back to his oar. I was sorry. I would have tried to-to .
clattering - lo sbattere
bale - balla
shakings - scuotere
. ."
'He opened and closed his curved fingers, and his hands had an eager and cruel flutter. "Steady, steady," I murmured.
curved - curva, curvare
flutter - garrire, sventolare, svolazzare, ondeggiare, sbattere le ali
'"Eh? What? I am not excited," he remonstrated, awfully hurt, and with a convulsive jerk of his elbow knocked over the cognac bottle. I started forward, scraping my chair. He bounced off the table as if a mine had been exploded behind his back, and half turned before he alighted, crouching on his feet to show me a startled pair of eyes and a face white about the nostrils.
convulsive - convulsivo
knocked over - rovesciato, abbattuto
cognac - cognac
scraping - raschiare
bounced - rimbalzare, rimbalzo
alighted - scendere
A look of intense annoyance succeeded. "Awfully sorry. How clumsy of me!" he mumbled, very vexed, while the pungent odour of spilt alcohol enveloped us suddenly with an atmosphere of a low drinking-bout in the cool, pure darkness of the night.
annoyance - seccatura, scocciatura, fastidio, disappunto, irritazione
pungent - pungente, acre, salace, tagliente
odour - odore
spilt - rovesciare, versare
alcohol - alcol, alcole
enveloped - busta
atmosphere - atmosfera
drinking-bout - (drinking-bout) combattimento ubriaco
pure - puro
The lights had been put out in the dining-hall; our candle glimmered solitary in the long gallery, and the columns had turned black from pediment to capital. On the vivid stars the high corner of the Harbour Office stood out distinct across the Esplanade, as though the sombre pile had glided nearer to see and hear.
dining-hall - (dining-hall) sala da pranzo
glimmered - barlume, filo
pediment - frontone
'He assumed an air of indifference.
assumed - presupporre, ritenere, assumere
'"I dare say I am less calm now than I was then. I was ready for anything. These were trifles. . . ."
'"You had a lively time of it in that boat," I remarked
lively - vivace
'"I was ready," he repeated. "After the ship's lights had gone, anything might have happened in that boat-anything in the world-and the world no wiser. I felt this, and I was pleased. It was just dark enough too. We were like men walled up quick in a roomy grave. No concern with anything on earth. Nobody to pass an opinion. Nothing mattered.
wiser - saggezza
mattered - materia, problema, argomento, questione, faccenda, causa
" For the third time during this conversation he laughed harshly, but there was no one about to suspect him of being only drunk. "No fear, no law, no sounds, no eyes-not even our own, till-till sunrise at least."
harshly - aspramente, severamente, duramente
'I was struck by the suggestive truth of his words. There is something peculiar in a small boat upon the wide sea. Over the lives borne from under the shadow of death there seems to fall the shadow of madness. When your ship fails you, your whole world seems to fail you; the world that made you, restrained you, took care of you.
fails - fallire, non riuscire
took care - prendersi cura
It is as if the souls of men floating on an abyss and in touch with immensity had been set free for any excess of heroism, absurdity, or abomination.
set free - liberare
Of course, as with belief, thought, love, hate, conviction, or even the visual aspect of material things, there are as many shipwrecks as there are men, and in this one there was something abject which made the isolation more complete-there was a villainy of circumstances that cut these men off more completely from the rest of mankind, whose ideal of conduct had never undergone the trial of a fiendish and appalling joke. They were exasperated with him for being a half-hearted shirker: he focussed on them his hatred of the whole thing; he would have liked to take a signal revenge for the abhorrent opportunity they had put in his way. Trust a boat on the high seas to bring out the Irrational that lurks at the bottom of every thought, sentiment, sensation, emotion. It was part of the burlesque meanness pervading that particular disaster at sea that they did not come to blows. It was all threats, all a terribly effective feint, a sham from beginning to end, planned by the tremendous disdain of the Dark Powers whose real terrors, always on the verge of triumph, are perpetually foiled by the steadfastness of men. I asked, after waiting for a while, "Well, what happened?" A futile question. I knew too much already to hope for the grace of a single uplifting touch, for the favour of hinted madness, of shadowed horror. "Nothing," he said. "I meant business, but they meant noise only. Nothing happened."
shipwrecks - relitto, naufragio, naufragare
abject - abietto, miserabile
isolation - isolamento
villainy - malvagita
circumstances - circostanza, dettaglio, caso, circonlocuzione, situazione
Ideal - ideale
undergone - soffrire, sottoporsi
trial - processo
fiendish - diabolico, demoniaco
shirker - sfaticato, pigrone
focussed - fuoco, focalizzare, mettere a fuoco, concentrarsi (on/upon: su), concentrare
hatred - odio, risentimento
signal - segnale, campo, segnalare, indicare
abhorrent - contrario, incompatibile, contro, ripugnante, disgustoso
meanness - grettezza, meschinita, taccagneria
pervading - pervadere
particular - specifico, proprio, particolare, speciale, minuzioso
blows - colpi
threats - minaccia
feint - finta
triumph - trionfo
foiled - frustrare
steadfastness - fedelta, attaccamento, fermezza, risolutezza
futile - futile
uplifting - edificante, (uplift), elevare, esaltare
hinted - accenno, allusione, indizio, aiuto
shadowed - ombra, pedinare
'And the rising sun found him just as he had jumped up first in the bows of the boat. What a persistence of readiness! He had been holding the tiller in his hand, too, all the night.
persistence - perseveranza, tenacia, persistenza, caparbieta, costanza
They had dropped the rudder overboard while attempting to ship it, and I suppose the tiller got kicked forward somehow while they were rushing up and down that boat trying to do all sorts of things at once so as to get clear of the side. It was a long heavy piece of hard wood, and apparently he had been clutching it for six hours or so. If you don't call that being ready!
rudder - timone, timone orizzontale, timone di coda, timone di profondita
attempting - tentare, cercare, provare, attentare, tentativo
Can you imagine him, silent and on his feet half the night, his face to the gusts of rain, staring at sombre forms watchful of vague movements, straining his ears to catch rare low murmurs in the stern-sheets! Firmness of courage or effort of fear? What do you think? And the endurance is undeniable too.
gusts - raffica
murmurs - mormorio, brusio, sussurro, mormorare
firmness - fermezza
undeniable - innegabile
Six hours more or less on the defensive; six hours of alert immobility while the boat drove slowly or floated arrested, according to the caprice of the wind; while the sea, calmed, slept at last; while the clouds passed above his head; while the sky from an immensity lustreless and black, diminished to a sombre and lustrous vault, scintillated with a greater brilliance, faded to the east, paled at the zenith; while the dark shapes blotting the low stars astern got outlines, relief became shoulders, heads, faces, features,-confronted him with dreary stares, had dishevelled hair, torn clothes, blinked red eyelids at the white dawn. "They looked as though they had been knocking about drunk in gutters for a week," he described graphically; and then he muttered something about the sunrise being of a kind that foretells a calm day. You know that sailor habit of referring to the weather in every connection. And on my side his few mumbled words were enough to make me see the lower limb of the sun clearing the line of the horizon, the tremble of a vast ripple running over all the visible expanse of the sea, as if the waters had shuddered, giving birth to the globe of light, while the last puff of the breeze would stir the air in a sigh of relief.
defensive - talian: t-needed
alert - sveglio, pronto
caprice - capriccio
calmed - calmo
lustreless - senza lucentezza
diminished - diminuire, ridurre
lustrous - lucentezza
scintillated - scintillare
brilliance - brillantezza
paled - pallido
at the zenith - allo zenit
dreary - melanconico, malinconico
dishevelled - spettinare
blinked - sbattere le ciglia, ammiccare, lampeggiare, segnalare
dawn - spuntare, albeggiare, alba, aurora, albori
gutters - grondaia
graphically - graficamente
foretells - predire, prevedere
referring - fare riferimento
clearing - schiarimento, radura, spiazzo, compensazione, resettaggio
running over - traboccare, versare, ripetere
expanse - distesa
birth - nascita
puff - soffio
'"They sat in the stern shoulder to shoulder, with the skipper in the middle, like three dirty owls, and stared at me," I heard him say with an intention of hate that distilled a corrosive virtue into the commonplace words like a drop of powerful poison falling into a glass of water; but my thoughts dwelt upon that sunrise.
owls - gufo
distilled - distillare
corrosive - corrosivo
I could imagine under the pellucid emptiness of the sky these four men imprisoned in the solitude of the sea, the lonely sun, regardless of the speck of life, ascending the clear curve of the heaven as if to gaze ardently from a greater height at his own splendour reflected in the still ocean. "They called out to me from aft," said Jim, "as though we had been chums together. I heard them.
pellucid - ordine del giorno
emptiness - vuoto
solitude - solitudine
regardless - irrispettoso, comunque, in ogni caso, nonostante
ascending - salire, riuscire
curve - curva, curvare
chums - compagno
They were begging me to be sensible and drop that 'blooming piece of wood.'Why would I carry on so? They hadn't done me any harm-had they? There had been no harm. . . . No harm!"
sensible - percepibile, apprezzabile, sensibile, razionale, giudizioso
blooming - fiore
harm - danno, male, ferita, svantaggio, danneggiare
'His face crimsoned as though he could not get rid of the air in his lungs.
crimsoned - cremisi, granata
'"No harm!" he burst out. "I leave it to you. You can understand. Can't you? You see it-don't you? No harm! Good God! What more could they have done? Oh yes, I know very well-I jumped. Certainly. I jumped! I told you I jumped; but I tell you they were too much for any man. It was their doing as plainly as if they had reached up with a boat-hook and pulled me over. Can't you see it?
Certainly - certamente, senza dubbio, non ci piove, evidentemente
You must see it. Come. Speak-straight out."
'His uneasy eyes fastened upon mine, questioned, begged, challenged, entreated. For the life of me I couldn't help murmuring, "You've been tried." "More than is fair," he caught up swiftly. "I wasn't given half a chance-with a gang like that. And now they were friendly-oh, so damnably friendly! Chums, shipmates. All in the same boat. Make the best of it. They hadn't meant anything.
fastened - chiudere, fissare, attaccare
begged - elemosinare, chiedere l'elemosina
challenged - sfida, impresa, ricusazione
gang - squadra
damnably - dannatamente
shipmates - compagno di viaggio
They didn't care a hang for George. George had gone back to his berth for something at the last moment and got caught. The man was a manifest fool. Very sad, of course. . . . Their eyes looked at me; their lips moved; they wagged their heads at the other end of the boat-three of them; they beckoned-to me. Why not? Hadn't I jumped? I said nothing.
gone back - e tornato indietro
got caught - impigliarsi
manifest - manifestare
beckoned - accennare
There are no words for the sort of things I wanted to say. If I had opened my lips just then I would have simply howled like an animal. I was asking myself when I would wake up. They urged me aloud to come aft and hear quietly what the skipper had to say. We were sure to be picked up before the evening-right in the track of all the Canal traffic; there was smoke to the north-west now.
Canal - canale
'"It gave me an awful shock to see this faint, faint blur, this low trail of brown mist through which you could see the boundary of sea and sky. I called out to them that I could hear very well where I was. The skipper started swearing, as hoarse as a crow. He wasn't going to talk at the top of his voice for my accommodation. 'Are you afraid they will hear you on shore?'I asked.
blur - sbavare, offuscare
boundary - confine, limite
hoarse - fioco
crow - corvo
accommodation - alloggio, sistemazione
He glared as if he would have liked to claw me to pieces. The chief engineer advised him to humour me. He said I wasn't right in my head yet. The other rose astern, like a thick pillar of flesh-and talked-talked. . . ."
claw - artiglio
advised - consigliare, raccomandare, consultarsi, avvisare, informare
pillar - pilastro
'Jim remained thoughtful. "Well?" I said. "What did I care what story they agreed to make up?" he cried recklessly. "They could tell what they jolly well liked. It was their business. I knew the story. Nothing they could make people believe could alter it for me. I let him talk, argue-talk, argue. He went on and on and on. Suddenly I felt my legs give way under me.
argue - discutere, dibattere, contestare, litigare, argomentare
I was sick, tired-tired to death. I let fall the tiller, turned my back on them, and sat down on the foremost thwart. I had enough. They called to me to know if I understood-wasn't it true, every word of it? It was true, by God! after their fashion. I did not turn my head. I heard them palavering together. 'The silly ass won't say anything.''Oh, he understands well enough.
fashion - moda, voga, stile, maniera, modo, tendenza, fabbricare
palavering - storie
silly ass - stupido culo
''Let him be; he will be all right.''What can he do?'What could I do? Weren't we all in the same boat? I tried to be deaf. The smoke had disappeared to the northward. It was a dead calm. They had a drink from the water-breaker, and I drank too. Afterwards they made a great business of spreading the boat-sail over the gunwales. Would I keep a look-out? They crept under, out of my sight, thank God!
northward - verso nord
dead calm - silenzio assoluto
breaker - rompitore
spreading - diffondersi, (spread), spartire, allargare, spargere
gunwales - falchetta
I felt weary, weary, done up, as if I hadn't had one hour's sleep since the day I was born. I couldn't see the water for the glitter of the sunshine. From time to time one of them would creep out, stand up to take a look all round, and get under again. I could hear spells of snoring below the sail. Some of them could sleep. One of them at least. I couldn't!
done up - fatto
snoring - russare, (snore), ronfare
All was light, light, and the boat seemed to be falling through it. Now and then I would feel quite surprised to find myself sitting on a thwart. . . ."
'He began to walk with measured steps to and fro before my chair, one hand in his trousers-pocket, his head bent thoughtfully, and his right arm at long intervals raised for a gesture that seemed to put out of his way an invisible intruder.
measured - misurazione, misura, righello, regolo, funzione di misura
trousers-pocket - (trousers-pocket) tasca dei pantaloni
thoughtfully - con attenzione
intruder - intruso
'"I suppose you think I was going mad," he began in a changed tone. "And well you may, if you remember I had lost my cap. The sun crept all the way from east to west over my bare head, but that day I could not come to any harm, I suppose. The sun could not make me mad. . . ." His right arm put aside the idea of madness. . . . "Neither could it kill me. . . ." Again his arm repulsed a shadow. . . .
going mad - impazzire
put aside - mettere da parte
repulsed - respingere
"That rested with me."
'"Did it?" I said, inexpressibly amazed at this new turn, and I looked at him with the same sort of feeling I might be fairly conceived to experience had he, after spinning round on his heel, presented an altogether new face.
conceived - concepire, sviluppare, ideare
spinning round - girare in tondo
heel - calcagno, tallone
'"I didn't get brain fever, I did not drop dead either," he went on. "I didn't bother myself at all about the sun over my head. I was thinking as coolly as any man that ever sat thinking in the shade. That greasy beast of a skipper poked his big cropped head from under the canvas and screwed his fishy eyes up at me. 'Donnerwetter! you will die,'he growled, and drew in like a turtle.
drop dead - morire all'improvviso, sparisci!, vattene!
coolly - freddamente
poked - cacciare, dare un colpetto
cropped - raccolto, pianta coltivata
screwed - vite, elica, scopata, chiavare, fottere, scopare, trombare
Turtle - tartaruga
I had seen him. I had heard him. He didn't interrupt me. I was thinking just then that I wouldn't."
interrupt - interrompere, celare, ricoprire, tagliare
'He tried to sound my thought with an attentive glance dropped on me in passing. "Do you mean to say you had been deliberating with yourself whether you would die?" I asked in as impenetrable a tone as I could command. He nodded without stopping. "Yes, it had come to that as I sat there alone," he said.
He passed on a few steps to the imaginary end of his beat, and when he flung round to come back both his hands were thrust deep into his pockets. He stopped short in front of my chair and looked down. "Don't you believe it?" he inquired with tense curiosity. I was moved to make a solemn declaration of my readiness to believe implicitly anything he thought fit to tell me.'
tense - tempo
implicitly - implicitamente
'He heard me out with his head on one side, and I had another glimpse through a rent in the mist in which he moved and had his being.
rent - affitto, (rend), spaccare
The dim candle spluttered within the ball of glass, and that was all I had to see him by; at his back was the dark night with the clear stars, whose distant glitter disposed in retreating planes lured the eye into the depths of a greater darkness; and yet a mysterious light seemed to show me his boyish head, as if in that moment the youth within him had, for a moment, glowed and expired.
lured - richiamo, lusinga
expired - finire
"You are an awful good sort to listen like this," he said. "It does me good. You don't know what it is to me. You don't" . . . words seemed to fail him. It was a distinct glimpse.
fail - fallire, non riuscire
He was a youngster of the sort you like to see about you; of the sort you like to imagine yourself to have been; of the sort whose appearance claims the fellowship of these illusions you had thought gone out, extinct, cold, and which, as if rekindled at the approach of another flame, give a flutter deep, deep down somewhere, give a flutter of light . . . of heat! . . .
fellowship - fratellanza
illusions - illusione
extinct - estinto
rekindled - riaccendere
heat - calore
Yes; I had a glimpse of him then . . . and it was not the last of that kind. . . . "You don't know what it is for a fellow in my position to be believed-make a clean breast of it to an elder man. It is so difficult-so awfully unfair-so hard to understand."
unfair - scorretto, sleale, ingiusto
'The mists were closing again. I don't know how old I appeared to him-and how much wise. Not half as old as I felt just then; not half as uselessly wise as I knew myself to be.
uselessly - inutilmente
Surely in no other craft as in that of the sea do the hearts of those already launched to sink or swim go out so much to the youth on the brink, looking with shining eyes upon that glitter of the vast surface which is only a reflection of his own glances full of fire.
surely - sicuramente, checkcertamente
launched - lanciare, mettere in acqua*
shining - stinco
There is such magnificent vagueness in the expectations that had driven each of us to sea, such a glorious indefiniteness, such a beautiful greed of adventures that are their own and only reward. What we get-well, we won't talk of that; but can one of us restrain a smile?
magnificent - magnifico
expectations - attesa, attese, aspettativa
glorious - glorioso
indefiniteness - indeterminatezza
greed - avidita, ingordigia
In no other kind of life is the illusion more wide of reality-in no other is the beginning all illusion-the disenchantment more swift-the subjugation more complete. Hadn't we all commenced with the same desire, ended with the same knowledge, carried the memory of the same cherished glamour through the sordid days of imprecation?
disenchantment - disincanto
subjugation - soggiogamento
more complete - piu completo
commenced - cominciare
cherished - custodire, curare, apprezzare
glamour - fascino
What wonder that when some heavy prod gets home the bond is found to be close; that besides the fellowship of the craft there is felt the strength of a wider feeling-the feeling that binds a man to a child.
prod - spingere
bond - legame
wider - largo, ampio, vasto, laterale
binds - legare, connettere, rilegare
He was there before me, believing that age and wisdom can find a remedy against the pain of truth, giving me a glimpse of himself as a young fellow in a scrape that is the very devil of a scrape, the sort of scrape greybeards wag at solemnly while they hide a smile. And he had been deliberating upon death-confound him!
remedy - rimedio, azione giudiziaria, medicamento, rimediare
greybeards - barba grigia
wag - scodinzolare, marinare la scuola, scodinzolio
He had found that to meditate about because he thought he had saved his life, while all its glamour had gone with the ship in the night. What more natural! It was tragic enough and funny enough in all conscience to call aloud for compassion, and in what was I better than the rest of us to refuse him my pity? And even as I looked at him the mists rolled into the rent, and his voice spoke-
meditate - meditare, filosofare, riflettere
gone with - essere parte di qualcosa
more natural - piu naturale
compassion - compassione
'"I was so lost, you know. It was the sort of thing one does not expect to happen to one. It was not like a fight, for instance."
'"It was not," I admitted. He appeared changed, as if he had suddenly matured.
matured - maturo
'"One couldn't be sure," he muttered.
'"Ah! You were not sure," I said, and was placated by the sound of a faint sigh that passed between us like the flight of a bird in the night.
placated - placare
'"Well, I wasn't," he said courageously. "It was something like that wretched story they made up. It was not a lie-but it wasn't truth all the same. It was something. . . . One knows a downright lie. There was not the thickness of a sheet of paper between the right and the wrong of this affair."
courageously - coraggiosamente
A downright lie - un'assoluta menzogna, una pura menzogna
thickness - spessore, grossezza
'"How much more did you want?" I asked; but I think I spoke so low that he did not catch what I said. He had advanced his argument as though life had been a network of paths separated by chasms. His voice sounded reasonable.
argument - argomento
network - rete, reti, socializzare
chasms - voragine, baratro, abisso, divergenza, divario
'"Suppose I had not-I mean to say, suppose I had stuck to the ship? Well. How much longer? Say a minute-half a minute. Come. In thirty seconds, as it seemed certain then, I would have been overboard; and do you think I would not have laid hold of the first thing that came in my way-oar, life-buoy, grating-anything? Wouldn't you?"
buoy - boa
grating - grattugiare
'"And be saved," I interjected.
interjected - interloquire
'"I would have meant to be," he retorted. "And that's more than I meant when I" . . . he shivered as if about to swallow some nauseous drug . . . "jumped," he pronounced with a convulsive effort, whose stress, as if propagated by the waves of the air, made my body stir a little in the chair. He fixed me with lowering eyes. "Don't you believe me?" he cried. "I swear! . . . Confound it!
swallow - inghiottire, ingoiare
nauseous - nausea
drug - medicinale
stress - tensione, stress, pressione, enfasi, stressare, accentuare
propagated - diffondere, diffondersi
waves - onda
You got me here to talk, and . . . You must! . . . You said you would believe." "Of course I do," I protested, in a matter-of-fact tone which produced a calming effect. "Forgive me," he said. "Of course I wouldn't have talked to you about all this if you had not been a gentleman. I ought to have known . . . I am-I am-a gentleman too . . ." "Yes, yes," I said hastily.
calming - calmo
He was looking me squarely in the face, and withdrew his gaze slowly. "Now you understand why I didn't after all . . . didn't go out in that way. I wasn't going to be frightened at what I had done. And, anyhow, if I had stuck to the ship I would have done my best to be saved. Men have been known to float for hours-in the open sea-and be picked up not much the worse for it.
squarely - in modo corretto
withdrew - ritirare, ritirarsi
be frightened - essere spaventato
I might have lasted it out better than many others. There's nothing the matter with my heart." He withdrew his right fist from his pocket, and the blow he struck on his chest resounded like a muffled detonation in the night.
resounded - risuonare
detonation - detonazione
'"No," I said. He meditated, with his legs slightly apart and his chin sunk. "A hair's-breadth," he muttered. "Not the breadth of a hair between this and that. And at the time . . ."
meditated - meditare, filosofare, riflettere
'"It is difficult to see a hair at midnight," I put in, a little viciously I fear. Don't you see what I mean by the solidarity of the craft? I was aggrieved against him, as though he had cheated me-me!-of a splendid opportunity to keep up the illusion of my beginnings, as though he had robbed our common life of the last spark of its glamour. "And so you cleared out-at once."
viciously - ferocemente
solidarity - solidarieta
aggrieved - aggredire
beginnings - inizio
robbed - derubare, svaligiare
spark - scintilla
'"Jumped," he corrected me incisively. "Jumped-mind!" he repeated, and I wondered at the evident but obscure intention. "Well, yes! Perhaps I could not see then. But I had plenty of time and any amount of light in that boat. And I could think, too. Nobody would know, of course, but this did not make it any easier for me. You've got to believe that, too. I did not want all this talk. . . . No . . .
incisively - incisivamente
amount - ammontare, quantita
Yes . . . I won't lie . . . I wanted it: it is the very thing I wanted-there. Do you think you or anybody could have made me if I . . . I am-I am not afraid to tell. And I wasn't afraid to think either. I looked it in the face. I wasn't going to run away. At first-at night, if it hadn't been for those fellows I might have . . . No! by heavens! I was not going to give them that satisfaction.
They had done enough. They made up a story, and believed it for all I know. But I knew the truth, and I would live it down-alone, with myself. I wasn't going to give in to such a beastly unfair thing. What did it prove after all? I was confoundedly cut up. Sick of life-to tell you the truth; but what would have been the good to shirk it-in-in-that way? That was not the way.
give in - cedere
beastly - bestiale
Prove - provare, dimostrare
confoundedly - confusamente
cut up - tagliare
shirk - evitare
I believe-I believe it would have-it would have ended-nothing."
'He had been walking up and down, but with the last word he turned short at me.
'"What do you believe?" he asked with violence. A pause ensued, and suddenly I felt myself overcome by a profound and hopeless fatigue, as though his voice had startled me out of a dream of wandering through empty spaces whose immensity had harassed my soul and exhausted my body.
harassed - importunare, infastidire, molestare, tormentare
'". . . Would have ended nothing," he muttered over me obstinately, after a little while. "No! the proper thing was to face it out-alone for myself-wait for another chance-find out . . ."'
obstinately - ostinatamente
'All around everything was still as far as the ear could reach. The mist of his feelings shifted between us, as if disturbed by his struggles, and in the rifts of the immaterial veil he would appear to my staring eyes distinct of form and pregnant with vague appeal like a symbolic figure in a picture. The chill air of the night seemed to lie on my limbs as heavy as a slab of marble.
rifts - fessura, fenditura
immaterial - immateriale
pregnant - incinta
appeal - fare appello, ricorrere
symbolic - simbolico
chill - freddo
slab - lastra, piastra
marble - marmo, biglia, pallina
'"I see," I murmured, more to prove to myself that I could break my state of numbness than for any other reason.
numbness - intorpidimento
'"The Avondale picked us up just before sunset," he remarked moodily. "Steamed right straight for us. We had only to sit and wait."
'After a long interval, he said, "They told their story." And again there was that oppressive silence. "Then only I knew what it was I had made up my mind to," he added.
interval - intervallo
'"You said nothing," I whispered.
'"What could I say?" he asked, in the same low tone. . . . "Shock slight. Stopped the ship. Ascertained the damage. Took measures to get the boats out without creating a panic. As the first boat was lowered ship went down in a squall. Sank like lead. . . . What could be more clear" . . . he hung his head . . . "and more awful?" His lips quivered while he looked straight into my eyes.
ascertained - accertare, appurare, stabilire, constatare
measures - misurazione, misura, righello, regolo, funzione di misura
like lead - come il piombo
"I had jumped-hadn't I?" he asked, dismayed. "That's what I had to live down. The story didn't matter." . . . He clasped his hands for an instant, glanced right and left into the gloom: "It was like cheating the dead," he stammered.
dismayed - abbattere, abbattersi, mortificare, mortificarsi, scoraggiare
cheating - ingannare, barare
'"And there were no dead," I said.
'He went away from me at this. That is the only way I can describe it. In a moment I saw his back close to the balustrade. He stood there for some time, as if admiring the purity and the peace of the night. Some flowering-shrub in the garden below spread its powerful scent through the damp air. He returned to me with hasty steps.
admiring - ammirare
purity - purezza
shrub - arbusto
hasty - affrettato, frettoloso, precipitoso
'"And that did not matter," he said, as stubbornly as you please.
stubbornly - puntigliosamente, tenacemente, cocciutamente, testardamente
'"Perhaps not," I admitted. I began to have a notion he was too much for me. After all, what did I know?
'"Dead or not dead, I could not get clear," he said. "I had to live; hadn't I?"
'"Well, yes-if you take it in that way," I mumbled.
'"I was glad, of course," he threw out carelessly, with his mind fixed on something else. "The exposure," he pronounced slowly, and lifted his head. "Do you know what was my first thought when I heard? I was relieved. I was relieved to learn that those shouts-did I tell you I had heard shouts? No? Well, I did. Shouts for help . . . blown along with the drizzle. Imagination, I suppose.
threw out - buttare via
exposure - espozione, assideramento, posa, smascheramento
And yet I can hardly . . . How stupid. . . . The others did not. I asked them afterwards. They all said No. No? And I was hearing them even then! I might have known-but I didn't think-I only listened. Very faint screams-day after day. Then that little half-caste chap here came up and spoke to me. 'The Patna . . . French gunboat . . . towed successfully to Aden . . . Investigation . . .
French - francese
towed - rimorchiare, trainare
successfully - con successo
investigation - investigazione
Marine Office . . . Sailors'Home . . . arrangements made for your board and lodging!'I walked along with him, and I enjoyed the silence. So there had been no shouting. Imagination. I had to believe him. I could hear nothing any more. I wonder how long I could have stood it. It was getting worse, too . . . I mean-louder." 'He fell into thought.
marine - marino, marittimo
arrangements - arrangiamento, sistemazione, incontro, composizione
board and lodging - vitto e alloggio
getting worse - deteriorarsi
louder - forte, alto
'"And I had heard nothing! Well-so be it. But the lights! The lights did go! We did not see them. They were not there. If they had been, I would have swam back-I would have gone back and shouted alongside-I would have begged them to take me on board. . . . I would have had my chance. . . . You doubt me? . . . How do you know how I felt? . . . What right have you to doubt? . . .
I very nearly did it as it was-do you understand?" His voice fell. "There was not a glimmer-not a glimmer," he protested mournfully. "Don't you understand that if there had been, you would not have seen me here? You see me-and you doubt."
mournfully - con tristezza
'I shook my head negatively. This question of the lights being lost sight of when the boat could not have been more than a quarter of a mile from the ship was a matter for much discussion. Jim stuck to it that there was nothing to be seen after the first shower had cleared away; and the others had affirmed the same thing to the officers of the Avondale.
negatively - negativamente
discussion - discussione
cleared away - pulito
Of course people shook their heads and smiled. One old skipper who sat near me in court tickled my ear with his white beard to murmur, "Of course they would lie." As a matter of fact nobody lied; not even the chief engineer with his story of the mast-head light dropping like a match you throw down. Not consciously, at least.
tickled - solleticare, titillare
lied - mentito
consciously - coscientemente
A man with his liver in such a state might very well have seen a floating spark in the corner of his eye when stealing a hurried glance over his shoulder. They had seen no light of any sort though they were well within range, and they could only explain this in one way: the ship had gone down. It was obvious and comforting. The foreseen fact coming so swiftly had justified their haste.
stealing - rubare, (steal), derubare, fregare, accattivarsi
hurried - fretta, premura, furia, affrettarsi, precipitarsi
range - catena, fornello, stufa a legna, piano cottura, varieta, gamma
comforting - agio, comodita, benessere
foreseen - prevedere
No wonder they did not cast about for any other explanation. Yet the true one was very simple, and as soon as Brierly suggested it the court ceased to bother about the question.
If you remember, the ship had been stopped, and was lying with her head on the course steered through the night, with her stern canted high and her bows brought low down in the water through the filling of the fore-compartment. Being thus out of trim, when the squall struck her a little on the quarter, she swung head to wind as sharply as though she had been at anchor.
lying - mentire
canted - linguaggio ipocrita
compartment - terrazza, zoccolo
trim - tagliare, accorciare, decorare, bordare, orientare
By this change in her position all her lights were in a very few moments shut off from the boat to leeward. It may very well be that, had they been seen, they would have had the effect of a mute appeal-that their glimmer lost in the darkness of the cloud would have had the mysterious power of the human glance that can awaken the feelings of remorse and pity.
shut off - spegnere
leeward - sottovento
remorse - rimorso
It would have said, "I am here-still here" . . . and what more can the eye of the most forsaken of human beings say?
But she turned her back on them as if in disdain of their fate: she had swung round, burdened, to glare stubbornly at the new danger of the open sea which she so strangely survived to end her days in a breaking-up yard, as if it had been her recorded fate to die obscurely under the blows of many hammers.
burdened - fardello, carico
open sea - mare aperto
survived - sopravvivere, durare, perdurare
recorded - documento, verbale
obscurely - oscuramente
hammers - martello, cane, percussore, martellare, colpire, picchiare
What were the various ends their destiny provided for the pilgrims I am unable to say; but the immediate future brought, at about nine o'clock next morning, a French gunboat homeward bound from Reunion. The report of her commander was public property.
provided - soddisfare, prevedere, supporre, provvedere, fornire, erogare
immediate - immediato, prossimo, stretto, diretto
homeward - verso casa
Reunion - talian: t-needed
He had swept a little out of his course to ascertain what was the matter with that steamer floating dangerously by the head upon a still and hazy sea. There was an ensign, union down, flying at her main gaff (the serang had the sense to make a signal of distress at daylight); but the cooks were preparing the food in the cooking-boxes forward as usual.
dangerously - pericolosamente
ensign - guardiamarina, alfiere, cadetto, insegna, vessillo
Union - unione, talian: t-needed
gaff - Gancho
The decks were packed as close as a sheep-pen: there were people perched all along the rails, jammed on the bridge in a solid mass; hundreds of eyes stared, and not a sound was heard when the gunboat ranged abreast, as if all that multitude of lips had been sealed by a spell.
decks - ponte
packed - fagotto, sacca
sealed - sigillo, timbro
'The Frenchman hailed, could get no intelligible reply, and after ascertaining through his binoculars that the crowd on deck did not look plague-stricken, decided to send a boat. Two officers came on board, listened to the serang, tried to talk with the Arab, couldn't make head or tail of it: but of course the nature of the emergency was obvious enough.
Frenchman - francese
intelligible - intelligibile
ascertaining - accertare, appurare, stabilire, constatare
head or tail - testa o croce
They were also very much struck by discovering a white man, dead and curled up peacefully on the bridge. "Fort intrigues par ce cadavre," as I was informed a long time after by an elderly French lieutenant whom I came across one afternoon in Sydney, by the merest chance, in a sort of cafe, and who remembered the affair perfectly.
discovering - scoprire, trovare
curled - riccio, ricciolo, boccolo, arricciamento, rotazione, spirale
peacefully - pacificamente
fort - forte, fortezza, fortilizio, fortino
intrigues - intrigo, intrigare
par - parita, pari
cadavre - ordine del giorno
informed - informare
elderly - anziano, anziana, anziani, anziane
lieutenant - tenente, checkluogotenente
Sydney - Sydney
merest - semplice, solo
Indeed this affair, I may notice in passing, had an extraordinary power of defying the shortness of memories and the length of time: it seemed to live, with a sort of uncanny vitality, in the minds of men, on the tips of their tongues.
defying - sfidare, abiurare
shortness - brevita
uncanny - bizzarro, strano, sconcertante, curioso
vitality - vitalita
I've had the questionable pleasure of meeting it often, years afterwards, thousands of miles away, emerging from the remotest possible talk, coming to the surface of the most distant allusions. Has it not turned up to-night between us? And I am the only seaman here. I am the only one to whom it is a memory. And yet it has made its way out!
questionable - problematico, questionabile, controverso, discutibile
pleasure - piacere, piacimento, goduria, volutta, preferenza, scelta
emerging - emergere, venire fuori, venire alla luce
remotest - remoto
allusions - allusione
But if two men who, unknown to each other, knew of this affair met accidentally on any spot of this earth, the thing would pop up between them as sure as fate, before they parted.
pop up - apparire
I had never seen that Frenchman before, and at the end of an hour we had done with each other for life: he did not seem particularly talkative either; he was a quiet, massive chap in a creased uniform, sitting drowsily over a tumbler half full of some dark liquid.
massive - massiccio, imponente, enorme, massivo, voluminoso
creased - piega, sgualcitura
uniform - Udine
tumbler - nottolino, cilindro, percussore, bicchiere, piccione tomboliere
His shoulder-straps were a bit tarnished, his clean-shaved cheeks were large and sallow; he looked like a man who would be given to taking snuff-don't you know? I won't say he did; but the habit would have fitted that kind of man. It all began by his handing me a number of Home News, which I didn't want, across the marble table. I said "Merci.
shoulder-straps - (shoulder-straps) spallacci
tarnished - infamare, disonorare
snuff - tabacco da fiuto
" We exchanged a few apparently innocent remarks, and suddenly, before I knew how it had come about, we were in the midst of it, and he was telling me how much they had been "intrigued by that corpse." It turned out he had been one of the boarding officers.
exchanged - cambiare
remarks - osservazione, commento
come about - succedere, cambiare rotta
intrigued - intrigo, intrigare
boarding - imbarco, abbordaggio, arrembaggio, assalto, attraccaggio
'In the establishment where we sat one could get a variety of foreign drinks which were kept for the visiting naval officers, and he took a sip of the dark medical-looking stuff, which probably was nothing more nasty than cassis a l'eau, and glancing with one eye into the tumbler, shook his head slightly.
establishment - istituzione, fondazione, creazione, insediamento, instaurazione
variety - varieta
naval - navale, nautico
sip - sorso, sorbire
medical - medico
"Impossible de comprendre-vous concevez," he said, with a curious mixture of unconcern and thoughtfulness. I could very easily conceive how impossible it had been for them to understand. Nobody in the gunboat knew enough English to get hold of the story as told by the serang. There was a good deal of noise, too, round the two officers. "They crowded upon us.
de - ordine del giorno
comprendre - ordine del giorno
vous - ordine del giorno
concevez - ordine del giorno
mixture - mistura, amalgama, combinazione, lega
unconcern - indifferenza
There was a circle round that dead man (autour de ce mort)," he described. "One had to attend to the most pressing. These people were beginning to agitate themselves-Parbleu! A mob like that-don't you see?" he interjected with philosophic indulgence. As to the bulkhead, he had advised his commander that the safest thing was to leave it alone, it was so villainous to look at.
autour - ordine del giorno
mort - mortale
attend to - partecipare
agitate - agitare, scuotere, sbattere, turbare
philosophic - filosofico
indulgence - vizio, indulgenza
safest - sicuro, protetto, cassaforte
villainous - cattivo
They got two hawsers on board promptly (en toute hale) and took the Patna in tow-stern foremost at that-which, under the circumstances, was not so foolish, since the rudder was too much out of the water to be of any great use for steering, and this manoeuvre eased the strain on the bulkhead, whose state, he expounded with stolid glibness, demanded the greatest care (exigeait les plus grands menagements). I could not help thinking that my new acquaintance must have had a voice in most of these arrangements: he looked a reliable officer, no longer very active, and he was seamanlike too, in a way, though as he sat there, with his thick fingers clasped lightly on his stomach, he reminded you of one of those snuffy, quiet village priests, into whose ears are poured the sins, the sufferings, the remorse of peasant generations, on whose faces the placid and simple expression is like a veil thrown over the mystery of pain and distress. He ought to have had a threadbare black soutane buttoned smoothly up to his ample chin, instead of a frock-coat with shoulder-straps and brass buttons. His broad bosom heaved regularly while he went on telling me that it had been the very devil of a job, as doubtless (sans doute) I could figure to myself in my quality of a seaman (en votre qualite de marin). At the end of the period he inclined his body slightly towards me, and, pursing his shaved lips, allowed the air to escape with a gentle hiss. "Luckily," he continued, "the sea was level like this table, and there was no more wind than there is here." . . . The place struck me as indeed intolerably stuffy, and very hot; my face burned as though I had been young enough to be embarrassed and blushing. They had directed their course, he pursued, to the nearest English port "naturellement," where their responsibility ceased, "Dieu merci." . . . He blew out his flat cheeks a little. . . . "Because, Mind you (notez bien), all the time of towing we had two quartermasters stationed with axes by the hawsers, to cut us clear of our tow in case she . . ." He fluttered downwards his heavy eyelids, making his meaning as plain as possible. . . . "What would you! One does what one can (on fait ce qu'on peut)," and for a moment he managed to invest his ponderous immobility with an air of resignation. "Two quartermasters-thirty hours-always there. Two!" he repeated, lifting up his right hand a little, and exhibiting two fingers. This was absolutely the first gesture I saw him make. It gave me the opportunity to "note" a starred scar on the back of his hand-effect of a gunshot clearly; and, as if my sight had been made more acute by this discovery, I perceived also the seam of an old wound, beginning a little below the temple and going out of sight under the short grey hair at the side of his head-the graze of a spear or the cut of a sabre. He clasped his hands on his stomach again. "I remained on board that-that-my memory is going (s'en va). Ah! Patt-na. C'est bien ca. Patt-na. Merci. It is droll how one forgets. I stayed on that ship thirty hours. . . ."
hawsers - canapo, cima
promptly - prontamente
toute - ordine del giorno
ce -
manoeuvre - manovra
eased - facilita, riposo, attenuare
strain - sforzare, sforzarsi, tirare
expounded - spiegare, illustrare
glibness - la leggerezza
exigeait - ordine del giorno
plus - piu, aggiunta utile, positivo, positiva
grands - nipoti
menagements - ordine del giorno
reliable - affidabile, sicuro
active - attivo
seamanlike - come un marinaio
reminded - ricordare
snuffy - Esnifado
priests - prete, sacerdote, mazza
sins - peccato
sufferings - sofferenza
peasant - contadino, contadina, cafone, cafona, paesano
thrown over - gettato su
threadbare - filiforme
soutane - sottana
frock-coat - (frock-coat) redingotte
straps - cinghia, cinturino, correggia, reggetta
buttons - bottoni
bosom - seno, intimita, intimo
heaved - sollevamento
regularly - regolarmente
doubtless - senza dubbio
doute - ordine del giorno
votre - ordine del giorno
qualite - ordine del giorno
pursing - portafoglio, borsa, borsellino, borsetta
luckily - fortunatamente, meno male
stuffy - chiuso
be embarrassed - essere imbarazzato
blushing - arrossire
naturellement - ordine del giorno
responsibility - responsabilita
blew out - mettere fuori
Mind you - nota, si prega di notare
notez - ordine del giorno
bien - ordine del giorno
towing - traino
axes - ascia
fait - ordine del giorno
peut - ordine del giorno
invest - investire
absolutely - assolutamente
scar - cicatrice
gunshot - sparo, colpo di fucile, fucilata, schioppettata
more acute - piu acuto
graze - sbucciatura, escoriazione, pascolare, pascere, brucare
spear - lancia
sabre - sciabola
va - ordine del giorno
'"You did!" I exclaimed. Still gazing at his hands, he pursed his lips a little, but this time made no hissing sound. "It was judged proper," he said, lifting his eyebrows dispassionately, "that one of the officers should remain to keep an eye open (pour ouvrir l'oeil)" . . . he sighed idly . . . "and for communicating by signals with the towing ship-do you see?-and so on.
gazing at - guardare
pursed - borse
judged - giudicare
eyebrows - sopracciglio
pour - versare, riversarsi
ouvrir - ordine del giorno
oeil - ordine del giorno
communicating - comunicare, informare, trasmettere, essere collegato
signals - segnale, campo, segnalare, indicare
For the rest, it was my opinion too. We made our boats ready to drop over-and I also on that ship took measures. . . . Enfin! One has done one's possible. It was a delicate position. Thirty hours! They prepared me some food. As for the wine-go and whistle for it-not a drop.
whistle - fischietto, fischio, checkfischio, fischiare
" In some extraordinary way, without any marked change in his inert attitude and in the placid expression of his face, he managed to convey the idea of profound disgust. "I-you know-when it comes to eating without my glass of wine-I am nowhere."
inert - inerte
disgust - disgustare, ripugnare, nauseare, stomacare
nowhere - da nessuna parte, in nessun posto
'I was afraid he would enlarge upon the grievance, for though he didn't stir a limb or twitch a feature, he made one aware how much he was irritated by the recollection. But he seemed to forget all about it. They delivered their charge to the "port authorities," as he expressed it. He was struck by the calmness with which it had been received.
enlarge - allargare
grievance - reclamo, lagnanza
twitch - (torcersi spasmodicamente)
feature - caratteristica, prestazione, peculiarita, proprieta
irritated by - irritato da
delivered - consegnare
calmness - calma
"One might have thought they had such a droll find (drole de trouvaille) brought them every day. You are extraordinary-you others," he commented, with his back propped against the wall, and looking himself as incapable of an emotional display as a sack of meal.
drole - gocce
trouvaille - rouvaille
emotional - ordine del giorno
sack - sacco
There happened to be a man-of-war and an Indian Marine steamer in the harbour at the time, and he did not conceal his admiration of the efficient manner in which the boats of these two ships cleared the Patna of her passengers.
Indian - indiano
admiration - ammirazione
efficient - efficiente, performante
passengers - passeggero
Indeed his torpid demeanour concealed nothing: it had that mysterious, almost miraculous, power of producing striking effects by means impossible of detection which is the last word of the highest art. "Twenty-five minutes-watch in hand-twenty-five, no more." . . .
producing - produrre, realizzare, fornire, prodotto, prodotti
striking - impressionante, sconcertante
effects - effetto, effettuare
detection - identificazione, investigazione, rilevazione, rilevamento
He unclasped and clasped again his fingers without removing his hands from his stomach, and made it infinitely more effective than if he had thrown up his arms to heaven in amazement. . . . "All that lot (tout ce monde) on shore-with their little affairs-nobody left but a guard of seamen (marins de l'Etat) and that interesting corpse (cet interessant cadavre). Twenty-five minutes." . . .
unclasped - staccare la spina
removing - rimuovere, asportare, levare, togliere
amazement - stupore
tout - (andare in cerca di clienti)
monde - mondo
affairs - affare
guard - guardia, piantone, custode, elsa
marins - marini
cet - ordine del giorno
interessant - ordine del giorno
With downcast eyes and his head tilted slightly on one side he seemed to roll knowingly on his tongue the savour of a smart bit of work.
tilted - inclinarsi
roll - rotolo
He persuaded one without any further demonstration that his approval was eminently worth having, and resuming his hardly interrupted immobility, he went on to inform me that, being under orders to make the best of their way to Toulon, they left in two hours'time, "so that (de sorte que) there are many things in this incident of my life (dans cet episode de ma vie) which have remained obscure."'
persuaded - persuadere, convincere
demonstration - dimostrazione
eminently - eminentemente
resuming - riprendere
inform - informare
sorte - ordine del giorno
que - ordine del giorno
vie - competere, gareggiare, lottare, rivaleggiare
'After these words, and without a change of attitude, he, so to speak, submitted himself passively to a state of silence. I kept him company; and suddenly, but not abruptly, as if the appointed time had arrived for his moderate and husky voice to come out of his immobility, he pronounced, "Mon Dieu! how the time passes!
submitted - sottomettersi, sottomettere, sottoporre, presentare, inviare
passively - passivamente
appointed - fissare, costituire, nominare, designare, assegnare
moderate - moderato, modesto, moderare
husky - rauco
passes - passare
" Nothing could have been more commonplace than this remark; but its utterance coincided for me with a moment of vision. It's extraordinary how we go through life with eyes half shut, with dull ears, with dormant thoughts. Perhaps it's just as well; and it may be that it is this very dullness that makes life to the incalculable majority so supportable and so welcome.
coincided - coincidere
dormant - inattivo
incalculable - incalcolabile
supportable - supportabile
Nevertheless, there can be but few of us who had never known one of these rare moments of awakening when we see, hear, understand ever so much-everything-in a flash-before we fall back again into our agreeable somnolence. I raised my eyes when he spoke, and I saw him as though I had never seen him before.
awakening - risveglio, rinnovamento, (awaken), svegliare, svegliarsi
agreeable - gradevole
somnolence - sonnolenza
I saw his chin sunk on his breast, the clumsy folds of his coat, his clasped hands, his motionless pose, so curiously suggestive of his having been simply left there. Time had passed indeed: it had overtaken him and gone ahead.
overtaken - superare, sorpassare, raggiungere, soverchiare, sopraffare
gone ahead - e andato avanti
It had left him hopelessly behind with a few poor gifts: the iron-grey hair, the heavy fatigue of the tanned face, two scars, a pair of tarnished shoulder-straps; one of those steady, reliable men who are the raw material of great reputations, one of those uncounted lives that are buried without drums and trumpets under the foundations of monumental successes.
gifts - regalo, dono, presente, talento, regalare
tanned - conciare
scars - cicatrice
raw material - materia prima
reputations - reputazione, rumore, caratura
uncounted - non conteggiati
drums - tamburo
trumpets - tromba, trombettista, barrito, suonare la tromba, barrire
foundations - fondazione, fondamenta
monumental - ordine del giorno
"I am now third lieutenant of the Victorieuse" (she was the flagship of the French Pacific squadron at the time), he said, detaching his shoulders from the wall a couple of inches to introduce himself. I bowed slightly on my side of the table, and told him I commanded a merchant vessel at present anchored in Rushcutters'Bay. He had "remarked" her,-a pretty little craft.
flagship - nave ammiraglia, principale, punta di diamante
squadron - squadrone, squadra, squadriglia
detaching - staccare
merchant vessel - nave mercantile
anchored - ancora
He was very civil about it in his impassive way. I even fancy he went the length of tilting his head in compliment as he repeated, breathing visibly the while, "Ah, yes. A little craft painted black-very pretty-very pretty (tres coquet)." After a time he twisted his body slowly to face the glass door on our right. "A dull town (triste ville)," he observed, staring into the street.
impassive - impassibile
tilting - inclinazione
compliment - complimento, complimentarsi
visibly - visibilmente
tres - guitar-like instrument
coquet - a flirt or coquet(te), act as a flirt or coquet
twisted - torsione, contorsione, distorsione, filamento, filo, scorza
ville - ordine del giorno
It was a brilliant day; a southerly buster was raging, and we could see the passers-by, men and women, buffeted by the wind on the sidewalks, the sunlit fronts of the houses across the road blurred by the tall whirls of dust. "I descended on shore," he said, "to stretch my legs a little, but . . ." He didn't finish, and sank into the depths of his repose.
southerly - del sud
buster - person or thing that breaks or overwhelms, guy, friend, loser
raging - rabbia, furia, furore, infuriare, imperversare
passers - passante
buffeted - buffetto
sidewalks - marciapiede
sunlit - illuminato dal sole
whirls - turbinare, piroettare, roteare
"Pray-tell me," he began, coming up ponderously, "what was there at the bottom of this affair-precisely (au juste)? It is curious. That dead man, for instance-and so on."
Pray - pregare
precisely - precisamente, esattamente
au - almost uncirculated
'"There were living men too," I said; "much more curious."
more curious - piu curioso
'"No doubt, no doubt," he agreed half audibly, then, as if after mature consideration, murmured, "Evidently." I made no difficulty in communicating to him what had interested me most in this affair. It seemed as though he had a right to know: hadn't he spent thirty hours on board the Patna-had he not taken the succession, so to speak, had he not done "his possible"?
mature - maturo
He listened to me, looking more priest-like than ever, and with what-probably on account of his downcast eyes-had the appearance of devout concentration. Once or twice he elevated his eyebrows (but without raising his eyelids), as one would say "The devil!" Once he calmly exclaimed, "Ah, bah!
priest - prete, sacerdote, mazza, (prey), preda, squartamento
devout - devoto
concentration - concentrazione
" under his breath, and when I had finished he pursed his lips in a deliberate way and emitted a sort of sorrowful whistle.
pursed - portafoglio, borsa, borsellino, borsetta
sorrowful - dolorosa
'In any one else it might have been an evidence of boredom, a sign of indifference; but he, in his occult way, managed to make his immobility appear profoundly responsive, and as full of valuable thoughts as an egg is of meat. What he said at last was nothing more than a "Very interesting," pronounced politely, and not much above a whisper.
occult - occultare, latente, celato, recondito, nascosto, occulto
responsive - sensibile
valuable - prezioso
politely - educatamente
Before I got over my disappointment he added, but as if speaking to himself, "That's it. That is it." His chin seemed to sink lower on his breast, his body to weigh heavier on his seat. I was about to ask him what he meant, when a sort of preparatory tremor passed over his whole person, as a faint ripple may be seen upon stagnant water even before the wind is felt.
got over - passare, riprendersi, superare, risolvere
weigh - pesare
preparatory - preparatoria, preliminare, preparatorio
tremor - tremore
"And so that poor young man ran away along with the others," he said, with grave tranquillity.
tranquillity - tranquillita
'I don't know what made me smile: it is the only genuine smile of mine I can remember in connection with Jim's affair. But somehow this simple statement of the matter sounded funny in French. . . . "S'est enfui avec les autres," had said the lieutenant. And suddenly I began to admire the discrimination of the man. He had made out the point at once: he did get hold of the only thing I cared about.
est - Eastern Standard Time, English subtitles
enfui - ordine del giorno
avec - ordine del giorno
autres - altri
admire - ammirare
discrimination - discriminazione
point at - puntare
I felt as though I were taking professional opinion on the case. His imperturbable and mature calmness was that of an expert in possession of the facts, and to whom one's perplexities are mere child's-play. "Ah! The young, the young," he said indulgently. "And after all, one does not die of it." "Die of what?" I asked swiftly. "Of being afraid." He elucidated his meaning and sipped his drink.
imperturbable - imperturbabile
expert - esperto, abile, provato, specialistico
perplexities - perplessita
indulgently - con indulgenza
elucidated - chiarire, delucidare
sipped - sorso, sorbire
'I perceived that the three last fingers of his wounded hand were stiff and could not move independently of each other, so that he took up his tumbler with an ungainly clutch. "One is always afraid. One may talk, but . . ." He put down the glass awkwardly. . . . "The fear, the fear-look you-it is always there." . . .
wounded - ferita
independently - in modo indipendente
ungainly - goffo, sgraziato
awkwardly - in modo imbarazzante
He touched his breast near a brass button, on the very spot where Jim had given a thump to his own when protesting that there was nothing the matter with his heart. I suppose I made some sign of dissent, because he insisted, "Yes! yes! One talks, one talks; this is all very fine; but at the end of the reckoning one is no cleverer than the next man-and no more brave. Brave!
button - bottone
protesting - protestare, protesta
insisted - insistere
reckoning - stima
cleverer - furbo, astuto, sveglio, scaltro
Brave - coraggioso, ardito, baldo, audace
This is always to be seen. I have rolled my hump (roule ma bosse)," he said, using the slang expression with imperturbable seriousness, "in all parts of the world; I have known brave men-famous ones! Allez!" . . . He drank carelessly. . . . "Brave-you conceive-in the Service-one has got to be-the trade demands it (le metier veut ca). Is it not so?" he appealed to me reasonably. "Eh bien!
hump - bozzo, gobba, gibbo, paturnie
roule - ordine del giorno
slang - slang, gergo
demands - domanda, richiesta, rivendicazione, bisogno, necessita
veut - ordine del giorno
ca -
reasonably - ragionevolmente, giustamente
Each of them-I say each of them, if he were an honest man-bien entendu-would confess that there is a point-there is a point-for the best of us-there is somewhere a point when you let go everything (vous lachez tout). And you have got to live with that truth-do you see? Given a certain combination of circumstances, fear is sure to come. Abominable funk (un trac epouvantable).
entendu - ordine del giorno
confess - confessare
lachez - ordine del giorno
combination - combinazione
un - ONU
trac - ordine del giorno
epouvantable - ordine del giorno
And even for those who do not believe this truth there is fear all the same-the fear of themselves. Absolutely so. Trust me. Yes. Yes. . . . At my age one knows what one is talking about-que diable!" . . .
diable - ordine del giorno
He had delivered himself of all this as immovably as though he had been the mouthpiece of abstract wisdom, but at this point he heightened the effect of detachment by beginning to twirl his thumbs slowly. "It's evident-parbleu!" he continued; "for, make up your mind as much as you like, even a simple headache or a fit of indigestion (un derangement d'estomac) is enough to . . .
immovably - inamovibilmente
mouthpiece - talian: t-needed
heightened - aumentare
detachment - distacco, imparzialita, oggettivita, distaccamento
twirl - girare
thumbs - pollice, dito grosso
headache - mal di testa
indigestion - indigestione
derangement - Enajenación
estomac - ordine del giorno
Take me, for instance-I have made my proofs. Eh bien! I, who am speaking to you, once . . ."
proofs - prova
'He drained his glass and returned to his twirling. "No, no; one does not die of it," he pronounced finally, and when I found he did not mean to proceed with the personal anecdote, I was extremely disappointed; the more so as it was not the sort of story, you know, one could very well press him for. I sat silent, and he too, as if nothing could please him better. Even his thumbs were still now.
drained - scolo, scolare
twirling - girare
proceed - procedere
anecdote - aneddoto
disappointed - deludere, dispiacere, contrariare
press - premere, pigiare
Suddenly his lips began to move. "That is so," he resumed placidly. "Man is born a coward (L'homme est ne poltron). It is a difficulty-parbleu! It would be too easy other vise. But habit-habit-necessity-do you see?-the eye of others-voila. One puts up with it. And then the example of others who are no better than yourself, and yet make good countenance. . . ."
resumed - riprendere
placidly - placidamente
homme - hombre
poltron - ordine del giorno
vise - morsa
puts up with - sopportare
'His voice ceased.
'"That young man-you will observe-had none of these inducements-at least at the moment," I remarked.
observe - osservare
inducements - incentivo
'He raised his eyebrows forgivingly: "I don't say; I don't say. The young man in question might have had the best dispositions-the best dispositions," he repeated, wheezing a little.
forgivingly - perdonare
dispositions - carattere
wheezing - affanno, (wheeze), ansimare, rantolare, anelare, boccheggiare
'"I am glad to see you taking a lenient view," I said. "His own feeling in the matter was-ah!-hopeful, and . . ."
lenient - permissivo, tollerante, indulgente
hopeful - speranzoso
'The shuffle of his feet under the table interrupted me. He drew up his heavy eyelids. Drew up, I say-no other expression can describe the steady deliberation of the act-and at last was disclosed completely to me. I was confronted by two narrow grey circlets, like two tiny steel rings around the profound blackness of the pupils.
deliberation - deliberazione
circlets - cerchiello, rotella
pupils - alunno, scolaro
The sharp glance, coming from that massive body, gave a notion of extreme efficiency, like a razor-edge on a battle-axe. "Pardon," he said punctiliously. His right hand went up, and he swayed forward. "Allow me . . . I contended that one may get on knowing very well that one's courage does not come of itself (ne vient pas tout seul). There's nothing much in that to get upset about.
efficiency - efficienza, rendimento
razor - rasoio
axe - ascia
Pardon - perdono, grazia, come
punctiliously - puntigliosamente
contended - contendere, combattere
vient - ordine del giorno
seul - ordine del giorno
One truth the more ought not to make life impossible. . . . But the honour-the honour, monsieur! . . . The honour . . . that is real-that is! And what life may be worth when" . . . he got on his feet with a ponderous impetuosity, as a startled ox might scramble up from the grass . . . "when the honour is gone-ah ca! par exemple-I can offer no opinion.
monsieur - Senor
ox - bue
exemple - esempio
I can offer no opinion-because-monsieur-I know nothing of it."
'I had risen too, and, trying to throw infinite politeness into our attitudes, we faced each other mutely, like two china dogs on a mantelpiece. Hang the fellow! he had pricked the bubble. The blight of futility that lies in wait for men's speeches had fallen upon our conversation, and made it a thing of empty sounds.
risen - aumentare, alzarsi, crescere
politeness - cortesia
attitudes - atteggiamento, postura, comportamento, approccio
mutely - in sordina
mantelpiece - (mensola di caminetto)
bubble - bolla
futility - futilita
"Very well," I said, with a disconcerted smile; "but couldn't it reduce itself to not being found out?" He made as if to retort readily, but when he spoke he had changed his mind. "This, monsieur, is too fine for me-much above me-I don't think about it." He bowed heavily over his cap, which he held before him by the peak, between the thumb and the forefinger of his wounded hand. I bowed too.
disconcerted - sconcertare, sconvolgere
reduce - ridurre, dimagrire, retrocedere, degradare
retort - replicare, ribattere
readily - prontamente
Peak - picco
forefinger - indice, dito indice
We bowed together: we scraped our feet at each other with much ceremony, while a dirty specimen of a waiter looked on critically, as though he had paid for the performance. "Serviteur," said the Frenchman. Another scrape. "Monsieur" . . . "Monsieur." . . . The glass door swung behind his burly back.
scraped - pezzetto
ceremony - cerimonia
specimen - campione, esemplare
critically - criticamente
performance - esecuzione, prestazione, rendimento, esibizione
I saw the southerly buster get hold of him and drive him down wind with his hand to his head, his shoulders braced, and the tails of his coat blown hard against his legs.
braced - braccia, abbraccio, aggancio, grappa, uncino, bretella
tails - coda
'I sat down again alone and discouraged-discouraged about Jim's case. If you wonder that after more than three years it had preserved its actuality, you must know that I had seen him only very lately.
actuality - realta, attualita
lately - Ultimamente
I had come straight from Samarang, where I had loaded a cargo for Sydney: an utterly uninteresting bit of business,-what Charley here would call one of my rational transactions,-and in Samarang I had seen something of Jim. He was then working for De Jongh, on my recommendation. Water-clerk. "My representative afloat," as De Jongh called him.
uninteresting - disinteresse
rational - razionale
transactions - transazione
representative - rappresentativo, rappresentante
You can't imagine a mode of life more barren of consolation, less capable of being invested with a spark of glamour-unless it be the business of an insurance canvasser. Little Bob Stanton-Charley here knew him well-had gone through that experience. The same who got drowned afterwards trying to save a lady's-maid in the Sephora disaster.
mode - modo, maniera
consolation - consolazione
invested - investire
insurance - assicurazione
canvasser - someone who soliciting votes in an election
Bob - ballonzolare
maid - signorina, cameriera
A case of collision on a hazy morning off the Spanish coast-you may remember. All the passengers had been packed tidily into the boats and shoved clear of the ship, when Bob sheered alongside again and scrambled back on deck to fetch that girl. How she had been left behind I can't make out; anyhow, she had gone completely crazy-wouldn't leave the ship-held to the rail like grim death.
Spanish - spagnolo, castigliano
tidily - ordinatamente
sheered - (puro e semplice)
fetch - andare a prendere, portare
The wrestling-match could be seen plainly from the boats; but poor Bob was the shortest chief mate in the merchant service, and the woman stood five feet ten in her shoes and was as strong as a horse, I've been told. So it went on, pull devil, pull baker, the wretched girl screaming all the time, and Bob letting out a yell now and then to warn his boat to keep well clear of the ship.
wrestling - lotta libera, lotta
Baker - panettiere, panettiera, fornaio, fornaia
screaming - urlo, grido, gridare, sbraitare, urlare
warn - avvertire, avvisare
One of the hands told me, hiding a smile at the recollection, "It was for all the world, sir, like a naughty youngster fighting with his mother." The same old chap said that "At the last we could see that Mr. Stanton had given up hauling at the gal, and just stood by looking at her, watchful like.
hiding - nascondersi
naughty - birichino, furbetto, malizioso, provocante, osceno
hauling - tirare
We thought afterwards he must've been reckoning that, maybe, the rush of water would tear her away from the rail by-and-by and give him a show to save her. We daren't come alongside for our life; and after a bit the old ship went down all on a sudden with a lurch to starboard-plop. The suck in was something awful. We never saw anything alive or dead come up.
tear - lacrima
lurch - barcollare, vacillare
suck in - risucchiare
" Poor Bob's spell of shore-life had been one of the complications of a love affair, I believe. He fondly hoped he had done with the sea for ever, and made sure he had got hold of all the bliss on earth, but it came to canvassing in the end. Some cousin of his in Liverpool put up to it. He used to tell us his experiences in that line.
complications - complicazione
love affair - relazione, storia, storia d'amore
fondly - con affetto
bliss - beatitudine
canvassing - tela
Liverpool - Liverpool, England, NY, Canada or Australia
experiences - esperienza, esperire
He made us laugh till we cried, and, not altogether displeased at the effect, undersized and bearded to the waist like a gnome, he would tiptoe amongst us and say, "It's all very well for you beggars to laugh, but my immortal soul was shrivelled down to the size of a parched pea after a week of that work.
displeased - dispiacere
undersized - sottodimensionato
bearded - barba, appuntamento di copertura
waist - vita, cintura, cintola
gnome - gnomo
tiptoe - punta dei piedi, camminare in punta di piede iedi
immortal - immortale, indimenticabile
shrivelled - afflosciarsi, avvizzire, raggrinzire, corrugarsi
pea - pisello
" I don't know how Jim's soul accommodated itself to the new conditions of his life-I was kept too busy in getting him something to do that would keep body and soul together-but I am pretty certain his adventurous fancy was suffering all the pangs of starvation. It had certainly nothing to feed upon in this new calling.
accommodated - alloggiare, accogliere
pangs - dolore, fitta, pena morso
feed - dar da mangiare, nutrire, (fee), tassa, tariffa, quota, onorario
It was distressing to see him at it, though he tackled it with a stubborn serenity for which I must give him full credit. I kept my eye on his shabby plodding with a sort of notion that it was a punishment for the heroics of his fancy-an expiation for his craving after more glamour than he could carry.
distressing - angoscia, pena, miseria, sconforto, pericolo
tackled - tackle, placcaggio, scivolata, affrontare, contrastare
shabby - logoro, meschino
plodding - a passo d'uomo
heroics - eroico
expiation - espiazione
craving - desiderio, (crave), bramare, desiderare
He had loved too well to imagine himself a glorious racehorse, and now he was condemned to toil without honour like a costermonger's donkey. He did it very well. He shut himself in, put his head down, said never a word. Very well; very well indeed-except for certain fantastic and violent outbreaks, on the deplorable occasions when the irrepressible Patna case cropped up.
racehorse - cavallo da corsa
costermonger - costruttore
outbreaks - scoppio, insorgenza, diffusione, esplosione, eruzione
occasions - occasione, occasionare
irrepressible - insopprimibile
Unfortunately that scandal of the Eastern seas would not die out. And this is the reason why I could never feel I had done with Jim for good.
unfortunately - sfortunatamente, purtroppo, malauguratamente
die out - estinguersi
'I sat thinking of him after the French lieutenant had left, not, however, in connection with De Jongh's cool and gloomy backshop, where we had hurriedly shaken hands not very long ago, but as I had seen him years before in the last flickers of the candle, alone with me in the long gallery of the Malabar House, with the chill and the darkness of the night at his back.
backshop - ordine del giorno
shaken - scuotere, agitare, scuotere la testa, scioccare, atterrire
flickers - tremolare
The respectable sword of his country's law was suspended over his head. To-morrow-or was it to-day? (midnight had slipped by long before we parted)-the marble-faced police magistrate, after distributing fines and terms of imprisonment in the assault-and-battery case, would take up the awful weapon and smite his bowed neck.
distributing - distribuire, suddividere, ripartire
terms of imprisonment - temrini di pena detentiva
weapon - arma
smite - colpire, fulminare, annientare, annichilire, impressionare
Our communion in the night was uncommonly like a last vigil with a condemned man. He was guilty too. He was guilty-as I had told myself repeatedly, guilty and done for; nevertheless, I wished to spare him the mere detail of a formal execution.
communion - comunione
uncommonly - insolitamente
vigil - veglia
guilty - colpevole
repeatedly - ripetutamente
formal - formale
execution - esecuzione
I don't pretend to explain the reasons of my desire-I don't think I could; but if you haven't got a sort of notion by this time, then I must have been very obscure in my narrative, or you too sleepy to seize upon the sense of my words. I don't defend my morality.
seize - prendere, afferrare, approfittare, sfruttare
There was no morality in the impulse which induced me to lay before him Brierly's plan of evasion-I may call it-in all its primitive simplicity. There were the rupees-absolutely ready in my pocket and very much at his service. Oh! a loan; a loan of course-and if an introduction to a man (in Rangoon) who could put some work in his way . . . Why! with the greatest pleasure.
evasion - evasione
primitive - primitivo
simplicity - semplicita
loan - prestito
introduction - introduzione
I had pen, ink, and paper in my room on the first floor And even while I was speaking I was impatient to begin the letter-day, month, year, 2.30 A.M. . . . for the sake of our old friendship I ask you to put some work in the way of Mr. James So-and-so, in whom, &c., &c. . . . I was even ready to write in that strain about him.
first floor - primo piano
friendship - amicizia
James - Giacomo
write in - scrivere
If he had not enlisted my sympathies he had done better for himself-he had gone to the very fount and origin of that sentiment he had reached the secret sensibility of my egoism.
enlisted - arruolarsi
fount - fonte
origin - origine, origini
egoism - egoismo
I am concealing nothing from you, because were I to do so my action would appear more unintelligible than any man's action has the right to be, and-in the second place-to-morrow you will forget my sincerity along with the other lessons of the past.
concealing - nascondere, celare
unintelligible - inintelligibile, incomprensibile
In this transaction, to speak grossly and precisely, I was the irreproachable man; but the subtle intentions of my immorality were defeated by the moral simplicity of the criminal. No doubt he was selfish too, but his selfishness had a higher origin, a more lofty aim.
transaction - transazione
grossly - grossolanamente
irreproachable - irreprensibile
immorality - immoralita
defeated - sconfiggere
criminal - criminale, delittuoso
selfishness - egoismo
aim - puntare
I discovered that, say what I would, he was eager to go through the ceremony of execution, and I didn't say much, for I felt that in argument his youth would tell against me heavily: he believed where I had already ceased to doubt. There was something fine in the wildness of his unexpressed, hardly formulated hope. "Clear out! Couldn't think of it," he said, with a shake of the head.
wildness - ferinita, sfrenatezza, selvaticita, scapestrataggine
unexpressed - inespresso
"I make you an offer for which I neither demand nor expect any sort of gratitude," I said; "you shall repay the money when convenient, and . . ." "Awfully good of you," he muttered without looking up. I watched him narrowly: the future must have appeared horribly uncertain to him; but he did not falter, as though indeed there had been nothing wrong with his heart.
demand - domanda, richiesta, rivendicazione, bisogno, necessita
repay - ripagare, restituire
Convenient - conveniente, comodo
horribly - orribilmente
falter - inciampare
I felt angry-not for the first time that night. "The whole wretched business," I said, "is bitter enough, I should think, for a man of your kind . . ." "It is, it is," he whispered twice, with his eyes fixed on the floor. It was heartrending. He towered above the light, and I could see the down on his cheek, the colour mantling warm under the smooth skin of his face.
heartrending - straziante
towered - torre
mantling - svolazzi, lambrecchini, (mantle), mantello, reticella
Believe me or not, I say it was outrageously heartrending. It provoked me to brutality. "Yes," I said; "and allow me to confess that I am totally unable to imagine what advantage you can expect from this licking of the dregs." "Advantage!" he murmured out of his stillness. "I am dashed if I do," I said, enraged.
licking - leccata, leccate
dregs - sedimento, feccia, posatura
enraged - esasperare, imbestialire, irritare
"I've been trying to tell you all there is in it," he went on slowly, as if meditating something unanswerable. "But after all, it is my trouble." I opened my mouth to retort, and discovered suddenly that I'd lost all confidence in myself; and it was as if he too had given me up, for he mumbled like a man thinking half aloud. "Went away . . . went into hospitals. . . .
meditating - meditare, filosofare, riflettere
unanswerable - senza risposta
Not one of them would face it. . . . They! . . ." He moved his hand slightly to imply disdain. "But I've got to get over this thing, and I mustn't shirk any of it or . . . I won't shirk any of it." He was silent. He gazed as though he had been haunted.
haunted - infestare, tormentare, ritrovo
His unconscious face reflected the passing expressions of scorn, of despair, of resolution-reflected them in turn, as a magic mirror would reflect the gliding passage of unearthly shapes. He lived surrounded by deceitful ghosts, by austere shades. "Oh! nonsense, my dear fellow," I began. He had a movement of impatience.
reflect - riflettere, essere riflesso, seguire, evidenziare, riportare
mirror - specchio, copia speculare
unearthly - soprannaturale
surrounded - circondare, accerchiare, assediare
deceitful - bugiardo
austere - austero
"You don't seem to understand," he said incisively; then looking at me without a wink, "I may have jumped, but I don't run away." "I meant No offence," I said; and added stupidly, "Better men than you have found it expedient to run, at times." He coloured all over, while in my confusion I half-choked myself with my own tongue.
wink - (strizzare l'occhio)
No offence - Senza offesa
stupidly - stupidamente
expedient - conveniente, opportuno, espediente, escamotage, ripiego
choked - soffocare
"Perhaps so," he said at last, "I am not good enough; I can't afford it. I am bound to fight this thing down-I am fighting it now." I got out of my chair and felt stiff all over. The silence was embarrassing, and to put an end to it I imagined nothing better but to remark, "I had no idea it was so late," in an airy tone. . . .
afford - permettersi
embarrassing - imbarazzare, mettere in imbarazzo
airy - arioso
"I dare say you have had enough of this," he said brusquely: "and to tell you the truth"-he began to look round for his hat-"so have I."
brusquely - bruscamente
look round - guardarsi intorno
'Well! he had refused this unique offer. He had struck aside my helping hand; he was ready to go now, and beyond the balustrade the night seemed to wait for him very still, as though he had been marked down for its prey. I heard his voice. "Ah! here it is." He had found his hat. For a few seconds we hung in the wind. "What will you do after-after . . ." I asked very low.
refused - rifiutare
prey - preda, squartamento
"Go to the dogs as likely as not," he answered in a gruff mutter. I had recovered my wits in a measure, and judged best to take it lightly. "Pray remember," I said, "that I should like very much to see you again before you go." "I don't know what's to prevent you. The damned thing won't make me invisible," he said with intense bitterness,-"no such luck.
gruff - rauco, roco
mutter - mormorare
recovered - rimettersi, riprendersi
wits - spirito
" And then at the moment of taking leave he treated me to a ghastly muddle of dubious stammers and movements, to an awful display of hesitations. God forgive him-me! He had taken it into his fanciful head that I was likely to make some difficulty as to shaking hands. It was too awful for words.
treated - trattare, trattenimento, festeggiamento, sorpresa
ghastly - terrificante, spaventoso, agghiacciante, terribile, pessimo
dubious - dubbio, equivoco, ambiguo, losco
stammers - balbettare, tartagliare, balbettio
hesitations - esitazione
I believe I shouted suddenly at him as you would bellow to a man you saw about to walk over a cliff; I remember our voices being raised, the appearance of a miserable grin on his face, a crushing clutch on my hand, a nervous laugh. The candle spluttered out, and the thing was over at last, with a groan that floated up to me in the dark. He got himself away somehow. The night swallowed his form.
bellow - ruggito, muggire, ruggire
grin - sogghignare
crushing - ressa, calca, cotta, schiacciare, pigiare, frantumare
groan - gemito, gemere
swallowed - inghiottire, ingoiare
He was a horrible bungler. Horrible. I heard the quick crunch-crunch of the gravel under his boots. He was running. Absolutely running, with nowhere to go to. And he was not yet four-and-twenty.'
bungler - pasticcione
crunch - sgranocchiare, scricchiolare, croccare, spiaccicarsi, masticare
gravel - ghiaia, calcolo, agghiaiare
'I slept little, hurried over my breakfast, and after a slight hesitation gave up my early morning visit to my ship.
It was really very wrong of me, because, though my chief mate was an excellent man all round, he was the victim of such black imaginings that if he did not get a letter from his wife at the expected time he would go quite distracted with rage and jealousy, lose all grip on the work, quarrel with all hands, and either weep in his cabin or develop such a ferocity of temper as all but drove the crew to the verge of mutiny. The thing had always seemed inexplicable to me: they had been married thirteen years; I had a glimpse of her once, and, honestly, I couldn't conceive a man abandoned enough to plunge into sin for the sake of such an unattractive person. I don't know whether I have not done wrong by refraining from putting that view before poor Selvin: the man made a little hell on earth for himself, and I also suffered indirectly, but some sort of, no doubt, false delicacy prevented me. The marital relations of seamen would make an interesting subject, and I could tell you instances. . . . However, this is not the place, nor the time, and we are concerned with Jim-who was unmarried. If his imaginative conscience or his pride; if all the extravagant ghosts and austere shades that were the disastrous familiars of his youth would not let him run away from the block, I, who of course can't be suspected of such familiars, was irresistibly impelled to go and see his head roll off. I wended my way towards the court. I didn't hope to be very much impressed or edified, or interested or even frightened-though, as long as there is any life before one, a jolly good fright now and then is a salutary discipline. But neither did I expect to be so awfully depressed. The bitterness of his punishment was in its chill and mean atmosphere. The real significance of crime is in its being a breach of faith with the community of mankind, and from that point of view he was no mean traitor, but his execution was a hole-and-corner affair. There was no high scaffolding, no scarlet cloth (did they have scarlet cloth on Tower Hill? They should have had), no awe-stricken multitude to be horrified at his guilt and be moved to tears at his fate-no air of sombre retribution. There was, as I walked along, the clear sunshine, a brilliance too passionate to be consoling, the streets full of jumbled bits of colour like a damaged kaleidoscope: yellow, green, blue, dazzling white, the brown nudity of an undraped shoulder, a bullock-cart with a red canopy, a company of native infantry in a drab body with dark heads marching in dusty laced boots, a native policeman in a sombre uniform of scanty cut and belted in patent leather, who looked up at me with orientally pitiful eyes as though his migrating spirit were suffering exceedingly from that unforeseen-what d'ye call 'em?-avatar-incarnation. Under the shade of a lonely tree in the courtyard, the villagers connected with the assault case sat in a picturesque group, looking like a chromo-lithograph of a camp in a book of Eastern travel. One missed the obligatory thread of smoke in the foreground and the pack-animals grazing. A blank yellow wall rose behind overtopping the tree, reflecting the glare. The court-room was sombre, seemed more vast. High up in the dim space the punkahs were swaying short to and fro, to and fro. Here and there a draped figure, dwarfed by the bare walls, remained without stirring amongst the rows of empty benches, as if absorbed in pious meditation. The plaintiff, who had been beaten,-an obese chocolate-coloured man with shaved head, one fat breast bare and a bright yellow caste-mark above the bridge of his nose,-sat in pompous immobility: only his eyes glittered, rolling in the gloom, and the nostrils dilated and collapsed violently as he breathed. Brierly dropped into his seat looking done up, as though he had spent the night in sprinting on a cinder-track. The pious sailing-ship skipper appeared excited and made uneasy movements, as if restraining with difficulty an impulse to stand up and exhort us earnestly to prayer and repentance. The head of the magistrate, delicately pale under the neatly arranged hair, resembled the head of a hopeless invalid after he had been washed and brushed and propped up in bed. He moved aside the vase of flowers-a bunch of purple with a few pink blossoms on long stalks-and seizing in both hands a long sheet of bluish paper, ran his eye over it, propped his forearms on the edge of the desk, and began to read aloud in an even, distinct, and careless voice.
imaginings - immaginare
rage - rabbia, furia, furore, infuriare, imperversare
jealousy - gelosia
develop - sviluppare, accrescere, avanzare, approfondire, creare
ferocity - ferocia
mutiny - ammutinamento
abandoned - abbandonare
sin - peccato
unattractive - sconveniente
refraining - refrain, ritornello
indirectly - indirettamente
delicacy - delicatezza, prelibatezza, leccornia, squisitezza
marital - coniugale
instances - volta
unmarried - celibe, nubile
pride - superbia, orgoglio, essere orgoglioso
extravagant - ordine del giorno
disastrous - disastroso
familiars - familiare, spirito famigliare, famiglio
irresistibly - irresistibilmente
impelled - spingere, costringere
impressed - impressionare, imprimere, confiscare, requisire
edified - edificare, ammaestrare
salutary - salutare, benefico
discipline - disciplina
breach - breccia, infrazione, violazione
traitor - traditore, traditrice, voltagabbana, banderuola
scaffolding - impalcatura, (scaffold), ponteggio, patibolo
scarlet - scarlatto
cloth - stoffa, tessuto, tela, panno, straccio
horrified - inorridire
be moved to tears - commuoversi fino alle lacrime
retribution - retribuzione, vendetta
consoling - consolare
damaged - danno, danneggiare, rovinare, macchiare
kaleidoscope - caleidoscopio
dazzling - affascinante, stupefacente, (dazzle), abbagliare, abbacinare
nudity - nudita
undraped - non stuprare
cart - carretto
canopy - baldacchino, calotta, tettuccio
infantry - fanteria
drab - monotono, incolore, smorto
marching in - marciare
laced - laccio, stringa
belted - cintura, cintola, cinghia, colpo, cinghiata, zona
patent leather - vernice
orientally - orientativamente
migrating - migrare
exceedingly - eccessivamente
avatar - avatar, incarnazione, emblema, simbolo
picturesque - pittoresco
chromo - cromo
lithograph - litografia, litografare
Camp - accampamento, campeggio
obligatory - obbligatorio
foreground - primo piano
pack - fagotto, sacca
grazing - pascolo, (graze), sbucciatura, escoriazione, pascolare, pascere
overtopping - sopra
reflecting - riflettere, essere riflesso, seguire, evidenziare, riportare
dwarfed - nano, nana
absorbed in - assorbito in
plaintiff - querelante, parte civile, ricorrente, attore
beaten - colpire, percuotere
obese - obeso
bright yellow - giallo brillante
pompous - pomposo
rolling in - entrare, arrivare
breathed - respiro, lena, alito, fiato
sprinting - sprint
cinder - cenere
exhort - esortare
repentance - pentimento, rimorso
neatly - ordinatamente
arranged - disporre, ordinare, preparare, arrangiare
brushed - spazzola, pennello, incontro, scontro, spazzolare, spazzolarsi
blossoms - bocciuolo, fiorire
stalks - gambo, stelo
bluish - talian: gloss
read aloud - leggere ad alta voce
'By Jove! For all my foolishness about scaffolds and heads rolling off-I assure you it was infinitely worse than a beheading. A heavy sense of finality brooded over all this, unrelieved by the hope of rest and safety following the fall of the axe. These proceedings had all the cold vengefulness of a death-sentence, and the cruelty of a sentence of exile.
foolishness - sciocchezza, stupidita, pazzia
scaffolds - impalcatura, ponteggio, patibolo
rolling - rotolamento
beheading - decapitazione, (behead), decapitare
finality - definitiva
unrelieved - non alleviata
vengefulness - vendetta
This is how I looked at it that morning-and even now I seem to see an undeniable vestige of truth in that exaggerated view of a common occurrence. You may imagine how strongly I felt this at the time. Perhaps it is for that reason that I could not bring myself to admit the finality.
vestige - traccia, segno, strascico, impronta
The thing was always with me, I was always eager to take opinion on it, as though it had not been practically settled: individual opinion-international opinion-by Jove! That Frenchman's, for instance. His own country's pronouncement was uttered in the passionless and definite phraseology a machine would use, if machines could speak.
International - internazionale
passionless - senza passione
phraseology - fraseologia
The head of the magistrate was half hidden by the paper, his brow was like alabaster.
alabaster - alabastro
'There were several questions before the court. The first as to whether the ship was in every respect fit and seaworthy for the voyage. The court found she was not. The next point, I remember, was, whether up to the time of the accident the ship had been navigated with proper and seamanlike care.
respect - rispetto, riguardo, materia, rispettare
navigated - seguire, dirigere, navigare
They said Yes to that, goodness knows why, and then they declared that there was no evidence to show the exact cause of the accident. A floating derelict probably.
derelict - abbandonato, negligente, trascurato, rifiuto, relitto
I myself remember that a Norwegian barque bound out with a cargo of pitch-pine had been given up as missing about that time, and it was just the sort of craft that would capsize in a squall and float bottom up for months-a kind of maritime ghoul on the prowl to kill ships in the dark.
Norwegian - norvegese
pitch - piantare, fissare
pine - pino
capsize - capovolgersi, ribaltarsi, rovesciarsi, ribaltare, capovolgere
maritime - marittimo
ghoul - gula, ghoul
prowl - aggirarsi
Such wandering corpses are common enough in the North Atlantic, which is haunted by all the terrors of the sea,-fogs, icebergs, dead ships bent upon mischief, and long sinister gales that fasten upon one like a vampire till all the strength and the spirit and even hope are gone, and one feels like the empty shell of a man.
corpses - cadavere, corpo
Atlantic - Atlantico
is haunted - e infestato
fogs - nebbia
icebergs - iceberg
mischief - vessatorio, indisponente, danno, malanno, birboneria
fasten - chiudere, fissare, attaccare
vampire - vampiro
But there-in those seas-the incident was rare enough to resemble a special arrangement of a malevolent providence, which, unless it had for its object the killing of a donkeyman and the bringing of worse than death upon Jim, appeared an utterly aimless piece of devilry. This view occurring to me took off my attention.
resemble - rassomigliare, arieggiare
arrangement - arrangiamento, sistemazione, incontro, composizione
donkeyman - asino
aimless - senza meta
devilry - diavoleria
occurring - verificarsi, sovvenire, venire in mente
For a time I was aware of the magistrate's voice as a sound merely; but in a moment it shaped itself into distinct words . . . "in utter disregard of their plain duty," it said. The next sentence escaped me somehow, and then . . . "abandoning in the moment of danger the lives and property confided to their charge" . . . went on the voice evenly, and stopped.
shaped - condizione, stato, forma, sagoma
utter - completo, totale
disregard - ignorare, non considerare
Abandoning - abbandonare
confided - confidarsi
A pair of eyes under the white forehead shot darkly a glance above the edge of the paper. I looked for Jim hurriedly, as though I had expected him to disappear. He was very still-but he was there. He sat pink and fair and extremely attentive. "Therefore, . . ." began the voice emphatically. He stared with parted lips, hanging upon the words of the man behind the desk.
darkly - oscuramente
looked for - cercato
disappear - sparire, scomparire
emphatically - enfaticamente, con forza, con decisione
These came out into the stillness wafted on the wind made by the punkahs, and I, watching for their effect upon him, caught only the fragments of official language. . . . "The Court . . . Gustav So-and-so . . . master . . . native of Germany . . . James So-and-so . . . mate . . . certificates cancelled." A silence fell.
wafted - Waffer
fragments - frammento, frammentare
official language - lingua ufficiale
native of - nativo di
Germany - Germania
certificates - certificato, attestato
cancelled - depennare, cancellare, eliminare, invalidare, annullare
The magistrate had dropped the paper, and, leaning sideways on the arm of his chair, began to talk with Brierly easily. People started to move out; others were pushing in, and I also made for the door. Outside I stood still, and when Jim passed me on his way to the gate, I caught at his arm and detained him.
detained - detenere, trattenere
The look he gave discomposed me, as though I had been responsible for his state he looked at me as if I had been the embodied evil of life. "It's all over," I stammered. "Yes," he said thickly. "And now let no man . . ." He jerked his arm out of my grasp. I watched his back as he went away. It was a long street, and he remained in sight for some time.
discomposed - scomporsi
embodied - incarnare
It's all over - e tutto finito
thickly - densamente
He walked rather slow, and straddling his legs a little, as if he had found it difficult to keep a straight line. Just before I lost him I fancied he staggered a bit.
straddling - divaricare, sedersi a cavalcioni, scavalcare
straight line - linea retta
'"Man overboard," said a deep voice behind me. turning round, I saw a fellow I knew slightly, a West Australian; Chester was his name. He, too, had been looking after Jim. He was a man with an immense girth of chest, a rugged, clean-shaved face of mahogany colour, and two blunt tufts of iron-grey, thick, wiry hairs on his upper lip.
turning round - girare
looking after - prendersi cura di
mahogany - mogano
blunt - smussato
tufts - cespo, ciuffo, ciocca, zolla, fiocco
wiry - nerboruto
He had been pearler, wrecker, trader, whaler too, I believe; in his own words-anything and everything a man may be at sea, but a pirate. The Pacific, north and south, was his proper hunting-ground; but he had wandered so far afield looking for a cheap steamer to buy.
pearler - perlatore, (pearl), perla, tesoro, parigina, occhio di mosca
wrecker - sfasciacarrozze, demolitore, demolitrice, disgregatore
trader - commerciante, (trade), commercio, mestiere, commerciare
whaler - baleniere, baleniera
pirate - pirata, corsaro, bucaniere, pirateggiare
hunting-ground - (hunting-ground) terreno di caccia
afield - lontano
Lately he had discovered-so he said-a guano island somewhere, but its approaches were dangerous, and the anchorage, such as it was, could not be considered safe, to say the least of it. "As good as a gold-mine," he would exclaim. "Right bang in the middle of the Walpole Reefs, and if it's true enough that you can get no holding-ground anywhere in less than forty fathom, then what of that?
guano - guano
approaches - avvicinarsi
anchorage - ancoraggio
exclaim - esclamare
fathom - braccio
There are the hurricanes, too. But it's a first-rate thing. As good as a gold-mine-better! Yet there's not a fool of them that will see it. I can't get a skipper or a shipowner to go near the place. So I made up my mind to cart the blessed stuff myself." . . .
hurricanes - uragano, ciclone
shipowner - armatore, armatrice
This was what he required a steamer for, and I knew he was just then negotiating enthusiastically with a Parsee firm for an old, brig-rigged, sea-anachronism of ninety horse-power. We had met and spoken together several times. He looked knowingly after Jim. "Takes it to heart?" he asked scornfully. "Very much," I said. "Then he's no good," he opined. "What's all the to-do about?
required - esigere, prevedere, richiedere, necessitare, domandare
negotiating - negoziare
enthusiastically - entusiasticamente
brig - brigata
rigged - equipaggiare
anachronism - anacronismo
scornfully - in modo sprezzante
opined - esprimere un parere
A bit of ass's skin. That never yet made a man. You must see things exactly as they are-if you don't, you may just as well give in at once. You will never do anything in this world. Look at me. I made it a practice never to take anything to heart." "Yes," I said, "you see things as they are." "I wish I could see my partner coming along, that's what I wish to see," he said. "Know my partner?
coming along - Andiamo!, unirsi
Old Robinson. Yes; the Robinson. Don't you know? The notorious Robinson. The man who smuggled more opium and bagged more seals in his time than any loose Johnny now alive. They say he used to board the sealing-schooners up Alaska way when the fog was so thick that the Lord God, He alone, could tell one man from another. Holy-Terror Robinson. That's the man. He is with me in that guano thing.
smuggled - contrabbandare
opium - oppio
Seals - sigillo, timbro
Johnny - Gianni
sealing - sigillare
schooners - schooner, goletta, scuna
Alaska - Alaska, Alasca
The best chance he ever came across in his life." He put his lips to my ear. "Cannibal?-well, they used to give him the name years and years ago. You remember the story? A shipwreck on the west side of Stewart Island; that's right; seven of them got ashore, and it seems they did not get on very well together.
cannibal - cannibale, antropofago
that's right - giusto
Some men are too cantankerous for anything-don't know how to make the best of a bad job-don't see things as they are-as they are, my boy! And then what's the consequence? Obvious! Trouble, trouble; as likely as not a knock on the head; and serve 'em right too. That sort is the most useful when it's dead.
cantankerous - bisbetico, scorbutico, collerico, stizzoso
serve - servizio, servire, essere in forza, operare, lavorare per
The story goes that a boat of Her Majesty's ship Wolverine found him kneeling on the kelp, naked as the day he was born, and chanting some psalm-tune or other; light snow was falling at the time. He waited till the boat was an oar's length from the shore, and then up and away.
Majesty - maesta
Wolverine - ghiottone, volverina, ossifraga
kneeling - in ginocchio, (kneel), inginocchiarsi
kelp - alga
chanting - salmodiare, salmodia
psalm - salmo
They chased him for an hour up and down the boulders, till a marihe flung a stone that took him behind the ear providentially and knocked him senseless. Alone? Of course. But that's like that tale of sealing-schooners; the Lord God knows the right and the wrong of that story. The cutter did not investigate much.
chased - dare la caccia a
boulders - macigno, masso
marihe - ordine del giorno
providentially - provvidenzialmente
senseless - svenuto, senza capo né coda
investigate - investigare, indagare
They wrapped him in a boat-cloak and took him off as quick as they could, with a dark night coming on, the weather threatening, and the ship firing recall guns every five minutes. Three weeks afterwards he was as well as ever. He didn't allow any fuss that was made on shore to upset him; he just shut his lips tight, and let people screech.
cloak - tabarro, ammantare
It was bad enough to have lost his ship, and all he was worth besides, without paying attention to the hard names they called him. That's the man for me." He lifted his arm for a signal to some one down the street. "He's got a little money, so I had to let him into my thing. Had to! It would have been sinful to throw away such a find, and I was cleaned out myself.
sinful - corrotto, peccaminoso
throw away - buttare via
It cut me to the quick, but I could see the matter just as it was, and if I must share-thinks I-with any man, then give me Robinson. I left him at breakfast in the hotel to come to court, because I've an idea. . . . Ah! Good morning, Captain Robinson. . . . Friend of mine, Captain Robinson."
at breakfast - a colazione
'An emaciated patriarch in a suit of white drill, a solah topi with a green-lined rim on a head trembling with age, joined us after crossing the street in a trotting shuffle, and stood propped with both hands on the handle of an umbrella. A white beard with amber streaks hung lumpily down to his waist. He blinked his creased eyelids at me in a bewildered way. "How do you do? how do you do?
emaciated - emaciare, emaciarsi
patriarch - patriarca
solah - ordine del giorno
topi - (casco coloniale)
trotting - trottare
amber - ambra, giallo, ambrato
lumpily - in modo grumoso
" he piped amiably, and tottered. "A little deaf," said Chester aside. "Did you drag him over six thousand miles to get a cheap steamer?" I asked. "I would have taken him twice round the world as soon as look at him," said Chester with immense energy. "The steamer will be the making of us, my lad.
piped - seme
amiably - amabilmente
tottered - barcollare
drag - trascinare, tirare
lad - ragazzo, ragazzino
Is it my fault that every skipper and shipowner in the whole of blessed Australasia turns out a blamed fool? Once I talked for three hours to a man in Auckland. 'Send a ship,'I said, 'send a ship. I'll give you half of the first cargo for yourself, free gratis for nothing-just to make a good start.'Says he, 'I wouldn't do it if there was no other place on earth to send a ship to.
Australasia - Australia, NZ, New Guinea and neighbouring islands
blamed - incolpare
'Perfect ass, of course. Rocks, currents, no anchorage, sheer cliff to lay to, no insurance company would take the risk, didn't see how he could get loaded under three years. Ass! I nearly went on my knees to him. 'But look at the thing as it is,'says I. 'Damn rocks and hurricanes. Look at it as it is. There's guano there Queensland sugar-planters would fight for-fight for on the quay, I tell you.
rocks - roccia
currents - corrente, attuale, odierno
Queensland - Queensland
planters - piantatrice
'. . . What can you do with a fool? . . . 'That's one of your little jokes, Chester,'he says. . . . Joke! I could have wept. Ask Captain Robinson here. . . . And there was another shipowning fellow-a fat chap in a white waistcoat in Wellington, who seemed to think I was up to some swindle or other. 'I don't know what sort of fool you're looking for,'he says, 'but I am busy just now. Good morning.
shipowning - armatoriale
waistcoat - panciotto, gile, corpetto
swindle - truffare, bidonare, defraudare, turlupinare
'I longed to take him in my two hands and smash him through the window of his own office. But I didn't. I was as mild as a curate. 'Think of it,'says I. 'Do think it over. I'll call to-morrow.'He grunted something about being 'out all day.'On the stairs I felt ready to beat my head against the wall from vexation. Captain Robinson here can tell you.
mild - delicato, delicata, mite, lene, lieve
curate - curato, vicario
grunted - grugnito, grugnire
stairs - scalino, scala
vexation - vessazione
It was awful to think of all that lovely stuff lying waste under the sun-stuff that would send the sugar-cane shooting sky-high. The making of Queensland! The making of Queensland! And in Brisbane, where I went to have a last try, they gave me the name of a lunatic. Idiots! The only sensible man I came across was the cabman who drove me about. A broken-down swell he was, I fancy. Hey!
lovely - bella
waste - sprecare
sugar-cane - (sugar-cane) canna da zucchero
shooting - sparatoria
Brisbane -
Idiots - idiota, squasimodeo
cabman - tassista
broken-down - (broken-down) rotto
Captain Robinson? You remember I told you about my cabby in Brisbane-don't you? The chap had a wonderful eye for things. He saw it all in a jiffy. It was a real pleasure to talk with him. One evening after a devil of a day amongst shipowners I felt so bad that, says I, 'I must get drunk. Come along; I must get drunk, or I'll go mad.''I am your man,'he says; 'go ahead.
cabby - taxi
in a jiffy - in un attimo
shipowners - armatore, armatrice
get drunk - ubriacarsi
go mad - impazzire
'I don't know what I would have done without him. Hey! Captain Robinson."
done without - senza
'He poked the ribs of his partner. "He! he! he!" laughed the Ancient, looked aimlessly down the street, then peered at me doubtfully with sad, dim pupils. . . . "He! he! he!" . . . He leaned heavier on the umbrella, and dropped his gaze on the ground. I needn't tell you I had tried to get away several times, but Chester had foiled every attempt by simply catching hold of my coat. "One minute.
ancient - antico
aimlessly - senza meta
peered - Pari
doubtfully - dubbiosamente
needn - non e necessario
attempt - tentare, cercare, provare, attentare, tentativo
I've a notion." "What's your infernal notion?" I exploded at last. "If you think I am going in with you . . ." "No, no, my boy. Too late, if you wanted ever so much. We've got a steamer." "You've got the ghost of a steamer," I said. "Good enough for a start-there's no superior nonsense about us. Is there, Captain Robinson?" "No! no! no!
ever so much - molto, cosi tanto
" croaked the old man without lifting his eyes, and the senile tremble of his head became almost fierce with determination. "I understand you know that young chap," said Chester, with a nod at the street from which Jim had disappeared long ago. "He's been having grub with you in the Malabar last night-so I was told."
croaked - gracidio, gracidare, crepare
senile - barbogio, senile, rimbambito
nod - annuire, accennare, scuotere, addormentarsi, appisolarsi
grub - larva, bruco, sbobba
'I said that was true, and after remarking that he too liked to live well and in style, only that, for the present, he had to be saving of every penny-"none too many for the business! Isn't that so, Captain Robinson?
remarking - osservazione, commento
"-he squared his shoulders and stroked his dumpy moustache, while the notorious Robinson, coughing at his side, clung more than ever to the handle of the umbrella, and seemed ready to subside passively into a heap of old bones. "You see, the old chap has all the money," whispered Chester confidentially. "I've been cleaned out trying to engineer the dratted thing. But wait a bit, wait a bit.
squared - quadrato, squadra, piazza, sagrato, casella, convenzionale
stroked - colpo
coughing - tosse, (cough), tossire, colpo di tosse
subside - sprofondare, abbassare, abbassarsi, scendere
The good time is coming." . . . He seemed suddenly astonished at the signs of impatience I gave. "Oh, crakee!" he cried; "I am telling you of the biggest thing that ever was, and you . . ." "I have an appointment," I pleaded mildly. "What of that?" he asked with genuine surprise; "let it wait." "That's exactly what I am doing now," I remarked; "hadn't you better tell me what it is you want?
appointment - appuntamento
pleaded - dichiararsi (lcolpevole o lnoncolpevole)
mildly - in modo lieve
" "Buy twenty hotels like that," he growled to himself; "and every joker boarding in them too-twenty times over." He lifted his head smartly "I want that young chap." "I don't understand," I said. "He's no good, is he?" said Chester crisply. "I know nothing about it," I protested. "Why, you told me yourself he was taking it to heart," argued Chester. "Well, in my opinion a chap who . . .
joker - buffone, buffone di corte, jolly, matta
I don't understand - Non capisco
crisply - in modo nitido
Anyhow, he can't be much good; but then you see I am on the look-out for somebody, and I've just got a thing that will suit him. I'll give him a job on my island." He nodded significantly. "I'm going to dump forty coolies there-if I've to steal 'em. Somebody must work the stuff. Oh!
significantly - significativamente, principalmente
dump - buttare
coolies - coolie, (operaio, specialmente in India e in Cina)
steal - rubare, derubare, fregare, accattivarsi, appropriarsi
I mean to act square: wooden shed, corrugated-iron roof-I know a man in Hobart who will take my bill at six months for the materials. I do. Honour bright. Then there's the water-supply. I'll have to fly round and get somebody to trust me for half-a-dozen second-hand iron tanks. Catch rain-water, hey? Let him take charge. Make him supreme boss over the coolies. Good idea, isn't it?
corrugated - ondulato
Hobart -
materials - materiale
water-supply - (water-supply) approvvigionamento idrico
fly round - volare in giro, volare intorno al mondo
dozen - dozzina, centinaio
tanks - serbatoio, tanica
supreme - supremo, suprema
boss - capo, padrone
coolies - Guay
What do you say?" "There are whole years when not a drop of rain falls on Walpole," I said, too amazed to laugh. He bit his lip and seemed bothered. "Oh, well, I will fix up something for them-or land a supply. Hang it all! That's not the question."
fix up - riparare
'I said nothing. I had a rapid vision of Jim perched on a shadowless rock, up to his knees in guano, with the screams of sea-birds in his ears, the incandescent ball of the sun above his head; the empty sky and the empty ocean all a-quiver, simmering together in the heat as far as the eye could reach. "I wouldn't advise my worst enemy . . ." I began. "What's the matter with you?
shadowless - senza ombra
incandescent - incandescente, abbagliante, risplendente
simmering - bollire lentamente
advise - consigliare, raccomandare, consultarsi, avvisare, informare
What's the matter with you? - Qual e il tuo problema?
" cried Chester; "I mean to give him a good screw-that is, as soon as the thing is set going, of course. It's as easy as falling off a log. Simply nothing to do; two six-shooters in his belt . . . Surely he wouldn't be afraid of anything forty coolies could do-with two six-shooters and he the only armed man too! It's much better than it looks. I want you to help me to talk him over." "No!
falling off - staccarsi
shooters - tiratore, tiratrice
" I shouted. Old Robinson lifted his bleared eyes dismally for a moment, Chester looked at me with infinite contempt. "So you wouldn't advise him?" he uttered slowly. "Certainly not," I answered, as indignant as though he had requested me to help murder somebody; "moreover, I am sure he wouldn't. He is badly cut up, but he isn't mad as far as I know.
bleared - sbiancare
dismally - con dispiacere
indignant - indignato
requested - chiedere, richiesta, talian: t-needed
murder - assassinio, omicidio, uccisione, assassinare, massacrare
" "He is no earthly good for anything," Chester mused aloud. "He would just have done for me. If you only could see a thing as it is, you would see it's the very thing for him. And besides . . . Why! it's the most splendid, sure chance . . ." He got angry suddenly. "I must have a man. There! . . ." He stamped his foot and smiled unpleasantly.
earthly - terrestre
mused - Musa
most splendid - piu splendido
stamped - timbrato, (stamp), conio, bollo, battere i piedi, pestare i piedi, stampare, timbrare, affrancare
unpleasantly - sgradevolmente
"Anyhow, I could guarantee the island wouldn't sink under him-and I believe he is a bit particular on that point." "Good morning," I said curtly. He looked at me as though I had been an incomprehensible fool. . . . "Must be moving, Captain Robinson," he yelled suddenly into the old man's ear. "These Parsee Johnnies are waiting for us to clinch the bargain.
guarantee - garanzia, garante, garantire, assicurare
curtly - in modo brusco
Johnnies - Gianni
clinch - talian: t-needed
bargain - trattativa, accordo, mercanteggiamento, mercanteggiare, trattare
" He took his partner under the arm with a firm grip, swung him round, and, unexpectedly, leered at me over his shoulder. "I was trying to do him a kindness," he asserted, with an air and tone that made my blood boil. "Thank you for nothing-in his name," I rejoined. "Oh! you are devilish smart," he sneered; "but you are like the rest of them. Too much in the clouds. See what you will do with him.
unexpectedly - inaspettatamente
asserted - asserire, esercitare, difendere, rivendicare, sostenere
boil - bollire
rejoined - ricongiungersi
devilish - diabolico
sneered - ghignare, sogghignare, ghigno, sogghigno
" "I don't know that I want to do anything with him." "Don't you?" he spluttered; his grey moustache bristled with anger, and by his side the notorious Robinson, propped on the umbrella, stood with his back to me, as patient and still as a worn-out cab-horse. "I haven't found a guano island," I said.
bristled - pelo ispido, barba corta ispida, setola, setole
cab - taxi
"It's my belief you wouldn't know one if you were led right up to it by the hand," he riposted quickly; "and in this world you've got to see a thing first, before you can make use of it. Got to see it through and through at that, neither more nor less." "And get others to see it, too," I insinuated, with a glance at the bowed back by his side. Chester snorted at me.
riposted - riposta
insinuated - insinuare
"His eyes are right enough-don't you worry. He ain't a puppy." "Oh, dear, no!" I said. "Come along, Captain Robinson," he shouted, with a sort of bullying deference under the rim of the old man's hat; the Holy Terror gave a submissive little jump. The ghost of a steamer was waiting for them, Fortune on that fair isle! They made a curious pair of Argonauts.
bullying - bullo, spaccone, smargiasso, prepotente
submissive - sottomesso
Fortune - sorte, destino, fortuna, dote
Isle - isola
Argonauts - Argonauta
Chester strode on leisurely, well set up, portly, and of conquering mien; the other, long, wasted, drooping, and hooked to his arm, shuffled his withered shanks with desperate haste.'
strode - (camminare a grandi passi)
portly - corpulento
conquering - conquistare, sconfiggere, vincere
wasted - spreco
hooked - gancio, gancetto, uncino, ritornello, parte orecchiabile
shuffled - mescolare, mischiare, strascicare, trascinarsi
shanks - gamba, stinco, gambo
'I did not start in search of Jim at once, only because I had really an appointment which I could not neglect. Then, as ill-luck would have it, in my agent's office I was fastened upon by a fellow fresh from Madagascar with a little scheme for a wonderful piece of business.
neglect - mancare, negligere, omettere, ignorare, tralasciare, negligenza
ill - malato
Madagascar - Madagascar
It had something to do with cattle and cartridges and a Prince Ravonalo something; but the pivot of the whole affair was the stupidity of some admiral-Admiral Pierre, I think. Everything turned on that, and the chap couldn't find words strong enough to express his confidence.
cartridges - cartuccia
prince - principe
pivot - perno
admiral - ammiraglio
express - esprimere
He had globular eyes starting out of his head with a fishy glitter, bumps on his forehead, and wore his long hair brushed back without a parting. He had a favourite phrase which he kept on repeating triumphantly, "The minimum of risk with the maximum of profit is my motto. What?
globular - globulare
bumps - colpetto, botta, bozzo, gnocco, protuberanza
triumphantly - trionfalmente
minimum - minimo
maximum - massimo
profit - profitto, lucro, profit, guadagno
motto - motto
" He made my head ache, spoiled my tiffin, but got his own out of me all right; and as soon as I had shaken him off, I made straight for the water-side. I caught sight of Jim leaning over the parapet of the quay. Three native boatmen quarrelling over five annas were making an awful row at his elbow.
ache - dolore
spoiled - rovinare, viziare, andare a male, bottino
parapet - parapetto, ringhiera, spalletta, balaustra
quarrelling - litigare
annas - Anna
He didn't hear me come up, but spun round as if the slight contact of my finger had released a catch. "I was looking," he stammered. I don't remember what I said, not much anyhow, but he made no difficulty in following me to the hotel.
spun - girarsi, far girare
'He followed me as manageable as a little child, with an obedient air, with no sort of manifestation, rather as though he had been waiting for me there to come along and carry him off. I need not have been so surprised as I was at his tractability.
manageable - maneggevole, maneggiabile, forgiabile, gestibile
manifestation - manifestazione
tractability - Tracciabilita
On all the round earth, which to some seems so big and that others affect to consider as rather smaller than a mustard-seed, he had no place where he could-what shall I say?-where he could withdraw. That's it! Withdraw-be alone with his loneliness.
consider as - considerare come
mustard-seed - (mustard-seed) seme di senape
withdraw - ritirare, ritirarsi
loneliness - solitudine
He walked by my side very calm, glancing here and there, and once turned his head to look after a Sidiboy fireman in a cutaway coat and yellowish trousers, whose black face had silky gleams like a lump of anthracite coal.
look after - prendersi cura di
fireman - pompiere
cutaway - ritaglio, spaccato
yellowish - giallastro, gialliccio, giallognolo
silky - setosa
anthracite - antracite
I doubt, however, whether he saw anything, or even remained all the time aware of my companionship, because if I had not edged him to the left here, or pulled him to the right there, I believe he would have gone straight before him in any direction till stopped by a wall or some other obstacle. I steered him into my bedroom, and sat down at once to write letters.
edged - orlo, bordo, lato, vantaggio, lama, filo, arco
This was the only place in the world (unless, perhaps, the Walpole Reef-but that was not so handy) where he could have it out with himself without being bothered by the rest of the universe. The damned thing-as he had expressed it-had not made him invisible, but I behaved exactly as though he were.
reef - scogliera
No sooner in my chair I bent over my writing-desk like a medieval scribe, and, but for the movement of the hand holding the pen, remained anxiously quiet. I can't say I was frightened; but I certainly kept as still as if there had been something dangerous in the room, that at the first hint of a movement on my part would be provoked to pounce upon me.
medieval - medievale
scribe - scrivano, scriba, amanuense
pounce - balzare
There was not much in the room-you know how these bedrooms are-a sort of four-poster bedstead under a mosquito-net, two or three chairs, the table I was writing at, a bare floor. A glass door opened on an upstairs verandah, and he stood with his face to it, having a hard time with all possible privacy.
bedstead - sponda, telaio
mosquito-net - (mosquito-net) zanzariera
privacy - privatezza, intimita, privacy, riservatezza
Dusk fell; I lit a candle with the greatest economy of movement and as much prudence as though it were an illegal proceeding. There is no doubt that he had a very hard time of it, and so had I, even to the point, I must own, of wishing him to the devil, or on Walpole Reef at least.
prudence - prudenza
illegal - illegale, immigrato illegale, clandestino
wishing - desiderare, (wish), desiderio, voglia, volere
It occurred to me once or twice that, after all, Chester was, perhaps, the man to deal effectively with such a disaster. That strange idealist had found a practical use for it at once-unerringly, as it were. It was enough to make one suspect that, maybe, he really could see the true aspect of things that appeared mysterious or utterly hopeless to less imaginative persons.
effectively - efficacemente
idealist - idealista
practical - pratico, concreto, reale, funzionale
unerringly - in modo infallibile
I wrote and wrote; I liquidated all the arrears of my correspondence, and then went on writing to people who had no reason whatever to expect from me a gossipy letter about nothing at all. At times I stole a sidelong glance. He was rooted to the spot, but convulsive shudders ran down his back; his shoulders would heave suddenly.
liquidated - liquidare
arrears - arretrato
correspondence - corrispondenza, carteggio
gossipy - pettegolezzi
shudders - brivido, sussulto, tremolio, tremare
ran down - leggere, scaricare, esaurire
He was fighting, he was fighting-mostly for his breath, as it seemed. The massive shadows, cast all one way from the straight flame of the candle, seemed possessed of gloomy consciousness; the immobility of the furniture had to my furtive eye an air of attention.
mostly - soprattutto, per lo piu
furniture - mobilio
I was becoming fanciful in the midst of my industrious scribbling; and though, when the scratching of my pen stopped for a moment, there was complete silence and stillness in the room, I suffered from that profound disturbance and confusion of thought which is caused by a violent and menacing uproar-of a heavy gale at sea, for instance.
industrious - industrioso, laborioso
scribbling - scarabocchiando
scratching - grattarsi, (scratch), grattare, graffiare, raspare, obliterare
menacing - minaccia
heavy gale - forte tempesta
Some of you may know what I mean: that mingled anxiety, distress, and irritation with a sort of craven feeling creeping in-not pleasant to acknowledge, but which gives a quite special merit to one's endurance. I don't claim any merit for standing the stress of Jim's emotions; I could take refuge in the letters; I could have written to strangers if necessary.
creeping - abbarbicarsi, insinuarsi, strisciare, scorrimento, spostamento
acknowledge - riconoscere, ammettere, confermare
merit - merito, merto, meritare
claim - reclamo, rivendicazione, diritto, dichiarazione, affermazione
refuge - rifugio, riparo
Suddenly, as I was taking up a fresh sheet of notepaper, I heard a low sound, the first sound that, since we had been shut up together, had come to my ears in the dim stillness of the room. I remained with my head down, with my hand arrested.
taking up - occupare, assumere, prendere
notepaper - carta per appunti
Those who have kept vigil by a sick-bed have heard such faint sounds in the stillness of the night watches, sounds wrung from a racked body, from a weary soul. He pushed the glass door with such force that all the panes rang: he stepped out, and I held my breath, straining my ears without knowing what else I expected to hear.
sick-bed - (sick-bed) letto di malattia
racked - scaffale
panes - vetro
stepped out - e uscito
He was really taking too much to heart an empty formality which to Chester's rigorous criticism seemed unworthy the notice of a man who could see things as they were. An empty formality; a piece of parchment. Well, well. As to an inaccessible guano deposit, that was another story altogether. One could intelligibly break one's heart over that.
formality - formalita
rigorous - rigoroso
unworthy - non degno, indegno, immeritevole
parchment - pergamena, membrana, cartapecora, vello
deposit - deposito, caparra, acconto, sedimento
intelligibly - intelligibilmente
A feeble burst of many voices mingled with the tinkle of silver and glass floated up from the dining-room below; through the open door the outer edge of the light from my candle fell on his back faintly; beyond all was black; he stood on the brink of a vast obscurity, like a lonely figure by the shore of a sombre and hopeless ocean.
feeble - debole, fiacco, flebile, fievole
There was the Walpole Reef in it-to be sure-a speck in the dark void, a straw for the drowning man. My compassion for him took the shape of the thought that I wouldn't have liked his people to see him at that moment. I found it trying myself.
void - nullo
His back was no longer shaken by his gasps; he stood straight as an arrow, faintly visible and still; and the meaning of this stillness sank to the bottom of my soul like lead into the water, and made it so heavy that for a second I wished heartily that the only course left open for me was to pay for his funeral. Even the law had done with him. To bury him would have been such an easy kindness!
gasps - restare senza fiato, restare a bocca aperta
heartily - caldamente, sentitamente, giovialmente
funeral - funerale
bury - seppellire
It would have been so much in accordance with the wisdom of life, which consists in putting out of sight all the reminders of our folly, of our weakness, of our mortality; all that makes against our efficiency-the memory of our failures, the hints of our undying fears, the bodies of our dead friends. Perhaps he did take it too much to heart. And if so then-Chester's offer. . . .
accordance - conformita
putting out - lasciare il porto, accettare di convivere/coesistere, spegnere qualcosa, mettere fuori
reminders - promemoria, avviso
mortality - mortalita
failures - fallimento, insuccesso, avaria, fiasco, disfunzione
undying - non morire
At this point I took up a fresh sheet and began to write resolutely. There was nothing but myself between him and the dark ocean. I had a sense of responsibility. If I spoke, would that motionless and suffering youth leap into the obscurity-clutch at the straw? I found out how difficult it may be sometimes to make a sound. There is a weird power in a spoken word. And why the devil not?
weird - anormale, surreale, paranormale, innaturale
I was asking myself persistently while I drove on with my writing. All at once, on the blank page, under the very point of the pen, the two figures of Chester and his antique partner, very distinct and complete, would dodge into view with stride and gestures, as if reproduced in the field of some optical toy. I would watch them for a while. No!
persistently - persistentemente
antique - antico, obsoleto
Dodge - schivare, scansare, eludere
stride - (camminare a grandi passi)
field - campo, ambito
optical - ottico
They were too phantasmal and extravagant to enter into any one's fate. And a word carries far-very far-deals destruction through time as the bullets go flying through space. I said nothing; and he, out there with his back to the light, as if bound and gagged by all the invisible foes of man, made no stir and made no sound.'
phantasmal - fantasmatico
enter into - entrare
deals - accordo
bullets - pallottola, proiettile
flying through - volare attraverso
gagged - bavaglio, scenetta, trovata, imbavagliare
foes - nemico
'The time was coming when I should see him loved, trusted, admired, with a legend of strength and prowess forming round his name as though he had been the stuff of a hero. It's true-I assure you; as true as I'm sitting here talking about him in vain.
admired - ammirare
legend - legenda, leggenda, favola, epopea
prowess - prodezza, destrezza
in vain - invano
He, on his side, had that faculty of beholding at a hint the face of his desire and the shape of his dream, without which the earth would know no lover and no adventurer. He captured much honour and an Arcadian happiness (I won't say anything about innocence) in the bush, and it was as good to him as the honour and the Arcadian happiness of the streets to another man.
beholding - guardare, ecco
lover - amante
adventurer - avventuriero
captured - catturare, riprendere, mangiare
Arcadian - Pertaining to an arcade, Furnished with arcades
Happiness - felicita, gioia, allegria
Felicity, felicity-how shall I say it?-is quaffed out of a golden cup in every latitude: the flavour is with you-with you alone, and you can make it as intoxicating as you please. He was of the sort that would drink deep, as you may guess from what went before. I found him, if not exactly intoxicated, then at least flushed with the elixir at his lips. He had not obtained it at once.
Felicity - felicita
quaffed - bere
Golden - Dorato
Latitude - latitudine, latitudine di posa
flavour - sapore
intoxicated - inebriare
flushed - rossore
elixir - elisir
obtained - ottenere, riuscire, avere, stabilirsi
There had been, as you know, a period of probation amongst infernal ship-chandlers, during which he had suffered and I had worried about-about-my trust-you may call it. I don't know that I am completely reassured now, after beholding him in all his brilliance.
period of probation - periodo di prova
reassured - rassicurare, tranquillizzare
That was my last view of him-in a strong light, dominating, and yet in complete accord with his surroundings-with the life of the forests and with the life of men. I own that I was impressed, but I must admit to myself that after all this is not the lasting impression.
dominating - dominare
accord with - accordo con
admit to - ammettere
lasting - permanente, duraturo, durevole
He was protected by his isolation, alone of his own superior kind, in close touch with Nature, that keeps faith on such easy terms with her lovers. But I cannot fix before my eye the image of his safety. I shall always remember him as seen through the open door of my room, taking, perhaps, too much to heart the mere consequences of his failure.
protected - proteggere
terms - periodo, durata, mandato
lovers - amante
Fix - aggiustare, riparare, mettere una pezza, sistemare, preparare
I am pleased, of course, that some good-and even some splendour-came out of my endeavours; but at times it seems to me it would have been better for my peace of mind if I had not stood between him and Chester's confoundedly generous offer. I wonder what his exuberant imagination would have made of Walpole islet-that most hopelessly forsaken crumb of dry land on the face of the waters.
endeavours - tentare
exuberant - esuberante
islet - isolotto, isoletta
It is not likely I would ever have heard, for I must tell you that Chester, after calling at some Australian port to patch up his brig-rigged sea-anachronism, steamed out into the Pacific with a crew of twenty-two hands all told, and the only news having a possible bearing upon the mystery of his fate was the news of a hurricane which is supposed to have swept in its course over the Walpole shoals, a month or so afterwards. Not a vestige of the Argonauts ever turned up; not a sound came out of the waste. Finis! The Pacific is the most discreet of live, hot-tempered oceans: the chilly Antarctic can keep a secret too, but more in the manner of a grave.
patch up - rattoppare
all told - tutto sommato
shoals - branco, banco
most discreet - il piu discreto
hot-tempered - (hot-tempered) temperamento focoso
chilly - freddo
Antarctic - antartico
'And there is a sense of blessed finality in such discretion, which is what we all more or less sincerely are ready to admit-for what else is it that makes the idea of death supportable? End! Finis! the potent word that exorcises from the house of life the haunting shadow of fate.
sincerely - sinceramente, in fede, con sincerita
potent - potente
exorcises - esorcizzare
haunting - infestazione, (haunt), infestare, tormentare, ritrovo
This is what-notwithstanding the testimony of my eyes and his own earnest assurances-I miss when I look back upon Jim's success. While there's life there is hope, truly; but there is fear too.
notwithstanding - nonostante
assurances - garanzia
I don't mean to say that I regret my action, nor will I pretend that I can't sleep o'nights in consequence; still, the idea obtrudes itself that he made so much of his disgrace while it is the guilt alone that matters. He was not-if I may say so-clear to me. He was not clear. And there is a suspicion he was not clear to himself either.
obtrudes - invadere
suspicion - sospetto
There were his fine sensibilities, his fine feelings, his fine longings-a sort of sublimated, idealised selfishness. He was-if you allow me to say so-very fine; very fine-and very unfortunate.
longings - desiderio
sublimated - sublimare
idealised - idealizzare
A little coarser nature would not have borne the strain; it would have had to come to terms with itself-with a sigh, with a grunt, or even with a guffaw; a still coarser one would have remained invulnerably ignorant and completely uninteresting.
coarser - grossolano, grezzo, rude, rozzo
guffaw - risata fragorosa
invulnerably - invulnerabilmente
'But he was too interesting or too unfortunate to be thrown to the dogs, or even to Chester.
I felt this while I sat with my face over the paper and he fought and gasped, struggling for his breath in that terribly stealthy way, in my room; I felt it when he rushed out on the verandah as if to fling himself over-and didn't; I felt it more and more all the time he remained outside, faintly lighted on the background of night, as if standing on the shore of a sombre and hopeless sea.
gasped - restare senza fiato, restare a bocca aperta
struggling - in difficolta, (struggle), lotta, lottare
background - sfondo
'An abrupt heavy rumble made me lift my head. The noise seemed to roll away, and suddenly a searching and violent glare fell on the blind face of the night. The sustained and dazzling flickers seemed to last for an unconscionable time. The growl of the thunder increased steadily while I looked at him, distinct and black, planted solidly upon the shores of a sea of light.
abrupt - brusco, improvviso, inaspettato, discontinuo, discontinua
searching - ricerca, cercare, buscare
unconscionable - senza scrupoli
growl - ringhio, brontolio, ringhiare
increased - aumentare, ingrossare, crescere, incrementare, aggravio
solidly - solidamente
At the moment of greatest brilliance the darkness leaped back with a culminating crash, and he vanished before my dazzled eyes as utterly as though he had been blown to atoms. A blustering sigh passed; furious hands seemed to tear at the shrubs, shake the tops of the trees below, slam doors, break window-panes, all along the front of the building.
dazzled - abbagliare, abbacinare, impressionare
atoms - atomo
blustering - sbruffoneria
shrubs - arbusto
tops - cima, sommita, coperchio, cappuccio, parte superiore, top
He stepped in, closing the door behind him, and found me bending over the table: my sudden anxiety as to what he would say was very great, and akin to a fright. "May I have a cigarette?" he asked. I gave a push to the box without raising my head. "I want-want-tobacco," he muttered. I became extremely buoyant. "Just a moment." I grunted pleasantly. He took a few steps here and there.
stepped - steppa
cigarette - sigaretta
buoyant - galleggiante
pleasantly - dilettosamente
"That's over," I heard him say. A single distant clap of thunder came from the sea like a gun of distress. "The monsoon breaks up early this year," he remarked conversationally, somewhere behind me. This encouraged me to turn round, which I did as soon as I had finished addressing the last envelope.
monsoon - monsone
conversationally - in modo discorsivo
encouraged - incoraggiare, raccomandare, esortare, favorire
envelope - busta
He was smoking greedily in the middle of the room, and though he heard the stir I made, he remained with his back to me for a time.
greedily - cupidamente
'"Come-I carried it off pretty well," he said, wheeling suddenly. "Something's paid off-not much. I wonder what's to come." His face did not show any emotion, only it appeared a little darkened and swollen, as though he had been holding his breath. He smiled reluctantly as it were, and went on while I gazed up at him mutely. . . .
wheeling - a rotelle, (wheel), ruota, timone, ruota del timone
swollen - gonfiare, gonfiarsi, aumentare
"Thank you, though-your room-jolly convenient-for a chap-badly hipped." . . . The rain pattered and swished in the garden; a water-pipe (it must have had a hole in it) performed just outside the window a parody of blubbering woe with funny sobs and gurgling lamentations, interrupted by jerky spasms of silence. . . . "A bit of shelter," he mumbled and ceased.
hipped - anca
pattered - ticchettare, trotterellare
swished - far sibilare
performed - eseguire, comportarsi con correttezza, adempiere, recitare
parody - parodiare
blubbering - adipe, pannicolo
woe - dolore, disgrazia, guaio
lamentations - lamento
jerky - a scatti
spasms - spasmo
'A flash of faded lightning darted in through the black framework of the windows and ebbed out without any noise. I was thinking how I had best approach him (I did not want to be flung off again) when he gave a little laugh. "No better than a vagabond now" . . . the end of the cigarette smouldered between his fingers . . . "without a single-single," he pronounced slowly; "and yet . . .
ebbed - riflusso
smouldered - (bruciare senza fiamma)
" He paused; the rain fell with redoubled violence. "some day one's bound to come upon some sort of chance to get it all back again. Must!" he whispered distinctly, glaring at my boots.
redoubled - raddoppiare
some day - un giorno
'I did not even know what it was he wished so much to regain, what it was he had so terribly missed. It might have been so much that it was impossible to say. A piece of ass's skin, according to Chester. . . . He looked up at me inquisitively. "Perhaps. If life's long enough," I muttered through my teeth with unreasonable animosity. "Don't reckon too much on it."
regain - riprendere, riappropriarsi, recuperare, riguadagnare
animosity - picca, ripicca, acrimonia
reckon - considerare
'"Jove! I feel as if nothing could ever touch me," he said in a tone of sombre conviction. "If this business couldn't knock me over, then there's no fear of there being not enough time to-climb out, and . . ." He looked upwards.
'It struck me that it is from such as he that the great army of waifs and strays is recruited, the army that marches down, down into all the gutters of the earth. As soon as he left my room, that "bit of shelter," he would take his place in the ranks, and begin the journey towards the bottomless pit.
army - esercito
waifs - (bambino abbandonato)
strays - allontanarsi, smarrirsi
recruited - reintegro, rimpiazzo, recluta, arruolato, arruolare, reclutare
ranks - grado, rango
bottomless - senza fondo
I at least had no illusions; but it was I, too, who a moment ago had been so sure of the power of words, and now was afraid to speak, in the same way one dares not move for fear of losing a slippery hold.
dares - osare
move for - muoversi, spostarsi
slippery - scivoloso, sdrucciolevole
It is when we try to grapple with another man's intimate need that we perceive how incomprehensible, wavering, and misty are the beings that share with us the sight of the stars and the warmth of the sun.
grapple with - lottare
intimate - stretto, intimo, privato, proprio, personale
perceive - percepire
wavering - vacillare
misty - con foschia, nebbioso, velato
It is as if loneliness were a hard and absolute condition of existence; the envelope of flesh and blood on which our eyes are fixed melts before the outstretched hand, and there remains only the capricious, unconsolable, and elusive spirit that no eye can follow, no hand can grasp.
condition - condizione, influenzare, condizionare
outstretched - allungare
unconsolable - inconsolabile
elusive - elusivo
It was the fear of losing him that kept me silent, for it was borne upon me suddenly and with unaccountable force that should I let him slip away into the darkness I would never forgive myself.
unaccountable - inspiegabile
slip away - scivolare via
'"Well. Thanks-once more. You've been-er-uncommonly-really there's no word to . . . Uncommonly! I don't know why, I am sure. I am afraid I don't feel as grateful as I would if the whole thing hadn't been so brutally sprung on me. Because at bottom . . . you, yourself . . ." He stuttered.
grateful - grato
stuttered - balbuzie
'"Possibly," I struck in. He frowned.
'"All the same, one is responsible." He watched me like a hawk.
hawk - falco
'"And That's true, too," I said.
That's true - E vero
'"Well. I've gone with it to the end, and I don't intend to let any man cast it in my teeth without-without-resenting it." He clenched his fist.
intend - intendere, avere in animo
resenting - risentirsi di
clenched - stringere
'"There's yourself," I said with a smile-mirthless enough, God knows-but he looked at me menacingly. "That's my business," he said. An air of indomitable resolution came and went upon his face like a vain and passing shadow. Next moment he looked a dear good boy in trouble, as before. He flung away the cigarette.
mirthless - senza gioia
menacingly - minacciosamente
vain - vanitoso, vanesio, vano
as before - come prima
"Good-bye," he said, with the sudden haste of a man who had lingered too long in view of a pressing bit of work waiting for him; and then for a second or so he made not the slightest movement.
lingered - indugiare, sostare, trattenersi, attardarsi
The downpour fell with the heavy uninterrupted rush of a sweeping flood, with a sound of unchecked overwhelming fury that called to one's mind the images of collapsing bridges, of uprooted trees, of undermined mountains. No man could breast the colossal and headlong stream that seemed to break and swirl against the dim stillness in which we were precariously sheltered as if on an island.
downpour - acquazzone, diluvio, temporale, rovescio
sweeping - spazzata, scopata, (sweep), spazzare, scopare, ramazzare
unchecked - non controllato
images - immagine
collapsing - collassare, crollare, accasciarsi, bloccarsi
bridges - ponte
swirl - vorticare, turbinare, vortice, riccio
The perforated pipe gurgled, choked, spat, and splashed in odious ridicule of a swimmer fighting for his life. "It is raining," I remonstrated, "and I . . ." "Rain or shine," he began brusquely, checked himself, and walked to the window. "Perfect deluge," he muttered after a while: he leaned his forehead on the glass. "It's dark, too."
perforated - perforare, bucherellare
gurgled - gorgogliare, fiottare, croccolare, bruire, gorgoglio
splashed - schizzo, tonfo, sciacquio
ridicule - ridicolizzare
swimmer - nuotatore, nuotatrice
'"Yes, it is very dark," I said.
'He pivoted on his heels, crossed the room, and had actually opened the door leading into the corridor before I leaped up from my chair. "Wait," I cried, "I want you to . . ." "I can't dine with you again to-night," he flung at me, with one leg out of the room already. "I haven't the slightest intention to ask you," I shouted.
pivoted - perno, fulcro, imperniare
actually - realmente, davvero, in verita
leading - che conduce
corridor - corridoio, corridoio aereo
dine - cenare
At this he drew back his foot, but remained mistrustfully in the very doorway. I lost no time in entreating him earnestly not to be absurd; to come in and shut the door.'
mistrustfully - con diffidenza
Entreating - supplicare
'He came in at last; but I believe it was mostly the rain that did it; it was falling just then with a devastating violence which quieted down gradually while we talked. His manner was very sober and set; his bearing was that of a naturally taciturn man possessed by an idea.
devastating - devastare
gradually - gradualmente
sober - sobrio
taciturn - taciturno
My talk was of the material aspect of his position; it had the sole aim of saving him from the degradation, ruin, and despair that out there close so swiftly upon a friendless, homeless man; I pleaded with him to accept my help; I argued reasonably: and every time I looked up at that absorbed smooth face, so grave and youthful, I had a disturbing sense of being no help but rather an obstacle to some mysterious, inexplicable, impalpable striving of his wounded spirit.
friendless - senza amici
homeless - senzatetto
Accept - accettare, ammettere
absorbed - assorbire, incorporare, includere, assorbere, assorto
impalpable - impalpabile
'"I suppose you intend to eat and drink and to sleep under shelter in the usual way," I remember saying with irritation. "You say you won't touch the money that is due to you." . . . He came as near as his sort can to making a gesture of horror. (There were three weeks and five days'pay owing him as mate of the Patna.) "Well, that's too little to matter anyhow; but what will you do to-morrow?
owing - dovere, essere in debito, essere debitore di
Where will you turn? You must live . . ." "That isn't the thing," was the comment that escaped him under his breath. I ignored it, and went on combating what I assumed to be the scruples of an exaggerated delicacy. "On every conceivable ground," I concluded, "you must let me help you.
comment - commento
combating - battaglia, combattere
scruples - scrupolo
conceivable - concepibile, ideabile, immaginabile, pensabile
" "You can't," he said very simply and gently, and holding fast to some deep idea which I could detect shimmering like a pool of water in the dark, but which I despaired of ever approaching near enough to fathom. I surveyed his well-proportioned bulk. "At any rate," I said, "I am able to help what I can see of you. I don't pretend to do more." He shook his head sceptically without looking at me.
shimmering - scintillante
despaired - disperazione
approaching - avvicinarsi
proportioned - proporzione
sceptically - scetticamente
I got very warm. "But I can," I insisted. "I can do even more. I am doing more. I am trusting you . . ." "The money . . ." he began. "Upon my word you deserve being told to go to the devil," I cried, forcing the note of indignation. He was startled, smiled, and I pressed my attack home. "It isn't a question of money at all.
deserve - meritare, meritarsi
attack - attacco, assalire, attaccare
You are too superficial," I said (and at the same time I was thinking to myself: Well, here goes! And perhaps he is, after all). "Look at the letter I want you to take. I am writing to a man of whom I've never asked a favour, and I am writing about you in terms that one only ventures to use when speaking of an intimate friend. I make myself unreservedly responsible for you.
ventures - avventura, azzardo, impresa, avventurarsi, azzardare, osare
unreservedly - senza riserve
That's what I am doing. And really if you will only reflect a little what that means . . ."
'He lifted his head. The rain had passed away; only the water-pipe went on shedding tears with an absurd drip, drip outside the window. It was very quiet in the room, whose shadows huddled together in corners, away from the still flame of the candle flaring upright in the shape of a dagger; his face after a while seemed suffused by a reflection of a soft light as if the dawn had broken already.
shedding - spargimento
drip - gocciolare
huddled - calca, folla, accalcarsi
flaring - bagliore, sfolgorare, brillare, scintillare
dagger - pugnale
suffused - soffondere
'"Jove!" he gasped out. "It is noble of you!"
'Had he suddenly put out his tongue at me in derision, I could not have felt more humiliated. I thought to myself-Serve me right for a sneaking humbug. . . . His eyes shone straight into my face, but I perceived it was not a mocking brightness. All at once he sprang into jerky agitation, like one of those flat wooden figures that are worked by a string.
humiliated - umiliare, avvilire
humbug - imbroglio
mocking - beffeggiante, dileggiante, deridente, burlesco, deridere
brightness - luminosita
His arms went up, then came down with a slap. He became another man altogether. "And I had never seen," he shouted; then suddenly bit his lip and frowned. "What a bally ass I've been," he said very slow in an awed tone. . . . "You are a brick!" he cried next in a muffled voice. He snatched my hand as though he had just then seen it for the first time, and dropped it at once. "Why!
awed - timore
brick - mattone, laterizio, tegola
this is what I-you-I . . ." he stammered, and then with a return of his old stolid, I may say mulish, manner he began heavily, "I would be a brute now if I . . ." and then his voice seemed to break. "That's all right," I said. I was almost alarmed by this display of feeling, through which pierced a strange elation.
mulish - muliebre
alarmed - allarme
elation - euforia
I had pulled the string accidentally, as it were; I did not fully understand the working of the toy. "I must go now," he said. "Jove! You have helped me. Can't sit still. The very thing . . ." He looked at me with puzzled admiration. "The very thing . . ."
'Of course it was the thing. It was ten to one that I had saved him from starvation-of that peculiar sort that is almost invariably associated with drink. This was all. I had not a single illusion on that score, but looking at him, I allowed myself to wonder at the nature of the one he had, within the last three minutes, so evidently taken into his bosom.
invariably - invariabilmente
score - punteggio, risultato, ventina, 20 libbre, spartito, dovuto
I had forced into his hand the means to carry on decently the serious business of life, to get food, drink, and shelter of the customary kind while his wounded spirit, like a bird with a broken wing, might hop and flutter into some hole to die quietly of inanition there. This is what I had thrust upon him: a definitely small thing; and-behold!
serious - serio, grave, critico
customary - consueto
Wing - ala, squadra, parafango
inanition - inanizione
definitely - indubbiamente, non ci piove
behold - guardare, ecco
-by the manner of its reception it loomed in the dim light of the candle like a big, indistinct, perhaps a dangerous shadow. "You don't mind me not saying anything appropriate," he burst out. "There isn't anything one could say. Last night already you had done me no end of good. Listening to me-you know. I give you my word I've thought more than once the top of my head would fly off. . .
dim light - luce fioca
appropriate - apposito, appropriato
" He darted-positively darted-here and there, rammed his hands into his pockets, jerked them out again, flung his cap on his head. I had no idea it was in him to be so airily brisk. I thought of a dry leaf imprisoned in an eddy of wind, while a mysterious apprehension, a load of indefinite doubt, weighed me down in my chair. He stood stock-still, as if struck motionless by a discovery.
rammed - memoria
airily - spensieratamente
brisk - vivace
eddy - gorgo, mulinello
load - carico
weighed - pesare
"You have given me confidence," he declared, soberly. "Oh! for God's sake, my dear fellow-don't!" I entreated, as though he had hurt me. "All right. I'll shut up now and henceforth. Can't prevent me thinking though. . . . Never mind! . . . I'll show yet . . ." He went to the door in a hurry, paused with his head down, and came back, stepping deliberately.
stepping - steppa
"I always thought that if a fellow could begin with a clean slate . . . And now you . . . in a measure . . . yes . . . clean slate." I waved my hand, and he marched out without looking back; the sound of his footfalls died out gradually behind the closed door-the unhesitating tread of a man walking in broad daylight.
slate - ardesia, di ardesia
waved - onda
footfalls - calpestio
unhesitating - senza esitazioni
'But as to me, left alone with the solitary candle, I remained strangely unenlightened. I was no longer young enough to behold at every turn the magnificence that besets our insignificant footsteps in good and in evil. I smiled to think that, after all, it was yet he, of us two, who had the light. And I felt sad. A clean slate, did he say?
unenlightened - non illuminato
magnificence - magnificenza
besets - circondare, assediare, assaltare, incastonare, incagliare
As if the initial word of each our destiny were not graven in imperishable characters upon the face of a rock.'
initial - iniziale
graven - tomba
imperishable - imperituro
characters - personaggio, carattere, caratteristica
'Six months afterwards my friend (he was a cynical, more than middle-aged bachelor, with a reputation for eccentricity, and owned a rice-mill) wrote to me, and judging, from the warmth of my recommendation, that I would like to hear, enlarged a little upon Jim's perfections. These were apparently of a quiet and effective sort.
cynical - cinico
bachelor - scapolo, celibe, zito, zitello, baccelliere
reputation - reputazione, rumore, caratura
eccentricity - eccentricita
Mill - mulino
judging - giudicare
perfections - perfezione
"Not having been able so far to find more in my heart than a resigned toleration for any individual of my kind, I have lived till now alone in a house that even in this steaming climate could be considered as too big for one man. I have had him to live with me for some time past. It seems I haven't made a mistake.
toleration - tolleranza
till now - fino ad ora
steaming - cottura a vapore, (steam), vapore
" It seemed to me on reading this letter that my friend had found in his heart more than tolerance for Jim-that there were the beginnings of active liking. Of course he stated his grounds in a characteristic way. For one thing, Jim kept his freshness in the climate.
stated - statistica
characteristic - caratteristico, caratteristica
Had he been a girl-my friend wrote-one could have said he was blooming-blooming modestly-like a violet, not like some of these blatant tropical flowers. He had been in the house for six weeks, and had not as yet attempted to slap him on the back, or address him as "old boy," or try to make him feel a superannuated fossil. He had nothing of the exasperating young man's chatter.
modestly - modestamente
Violet - viola
blatant - appariscente, vistoso, ovvio, assordante, fragoroso
as yet - ancora
attempted - tentare, cercare, provare, attentare, tentativo
superannuated - pensionare
fossil - fossile
chatter - ciarlare
He was good-tempered, had not much to say for himself, was not clever by any means, thank goodness-wrote my friend. It appeared, however, that Jim was clever enough to be quietly appreciative of his wit, while, on the other hand, he amused him by his naiveness.
tempered - carattere, temperamento
appreciative - apprezzamento
wit - spirito
naiveness - ingenuita
"The dew is yet on him, and since I had the bright idea of giving him a room in the house and having him at meals I feel less withered myself. The other day he took it into his head to cross the room with no other purpose but to open a door for me; and I felt more in touch with mankind than I had been for years. Ridiculous, isn't it?
dew - rugiada
Of course I guess there is something-some awful little scrape-which you know all about-but if I am sure that it is terribly heinous, I fancy one could manage to forgive it. For my part, I declare I am unable to imagine him guilty of anything much worse than robbing an orchard. Is it much worse?
heinous - efferato, abominevole, odioso
robbing - derubare, svaligiare
Perhaps you ought to have told me; but it is such a long time since we both turned saints that you may have forgotten we, too, had sinned in our time? It may be that some day I shall have to ask you, and then I shall expect to be told. I don't care to question him myself till I have some idea what it is. Moreover, it's too soon as yet. Let him open the door a few times more for me. . . .
Saints - San, Santo, Santa
" Thus my friend. I was trebly pleased-at Jim's shaping so well, at the tone of the letter, at my own cleverness. Evidently I had known what I was doing. I had read characters aright, and so on. And what if something unexpected and wonderful were to come of it?
shaping - modellando, (shape), condizione, stato, forma, sagoma
aright - giusto
That evening, reposing in a deck-chair under the shade of my own poop awning (it was in Hong-Kong harbour), I laid on Jim's behalf the first stone of a castle in Spain.
reposing - riposo
awning - tenda, (awn), arista, resta
laid on - sdraiarsi, fornire
behalf - a vantaggio di
castle in Spain - castello in Spagna
'I made a trip to the northward, and when I returned I found another letter from my friend waiting for me. It was the first envelope I tore open. "There are no spoons missing, as far as I know," ran the first line; "I haven't been interested enough to inquire. He is gone, leaving on the breakfast-table a formal little note of apology, which is either silly or heartless.
spoons - cucchiaio
apology - apologia, scuse
heartless - senza cuore
Probably both-and it's all one to me. Allow me to say, lest you should have some more mysterious young men in reserve, that I have shut up shop, definitely and for ever. This is the last eccentricity I shall be guilty of. Do not imagine for a moment that I care a hang; but he is very much regretted at tennis-parties, and for my own sake I've told a plausible lie at the club. . . .
more mysterious - piu misterioso
reserve - riserva, riservare
plausible - plausibile
" I flung the letter aside and started looking through the batch on my table, till I came upon Jim's handwriting. Would you believe it? One chance in a hundred! But it is always that hundredth chance! That little second engineer of the Patna had turned up in a more or less destitute state, and got a temporary job of looking after the machinery of the mill.
looking through - guardare attraverso
handwriting - scrittura, grafia, calligrafia, (handwrite), manoscrivere
hundredth - centesimo, centesima
destitute - bisognoso, indigente
temporary - temporaneo
machinery - macchinario
"I couldn't stand the familiarity of the little beast," Jim wrote from a seaport seven hundred miles south of the place where he should have been in clover. "I am now for the time with Egstrom & Blake, ship-chandlers, as their-well-runner, to call the thing by its right name.
familiarity - familiarita
seaport - porto marittimo
clover - trifoglio
runner - podista, corridore, passatoia
For reference I gave them your name, which they know of course, and if you could write a word in my favour it would be a permanent employment." I was utterly crushed under the ruins of my castle, but of course I wrote as desired. Before the end of the year my new charter took me that way, and I had an opportunity of seeing him.
employment - impiego, assunzione, occupazione
crushed - ressa, calca, cotta, schiacciare, pigiare, frantumare
ruins - rovina, rovinare
castle - castello
desired - desiderare, volere, desiderio, voglia
charter - carta
'He was still with Egstrom & Blake, and we met in what they called "our parlour" opening out of the store. He had that moment come in from boarding a ship, and confronted me head down, ready for a tussle. "What have you got to say for yourself?" I began as soon as we had shaken hands. "What I wrote you-nothing more," he said stubbornly. "Did the fellow blab-or what?" I asked.
tussle - zuffa
blab - blablabla
He looked up at me with a troubled smile. "Oh, no! He didn't. He made it a kind of confidential business between us. He was most damnably mysterious whenever I came over to the mill; he would wink at me in a respectful manner-as much as to say 'We know what we know.'Infernally fawning and familiar-and that sort of thing . . ." He threw himself into a chair and stared down his legs.
respectful - rispettoso
infernally - infernalmente
fawning - adulatore
"One day we happened to be alone and the fellow had the cheek to say, 'Well, Mr. James'-I was called Mr. James there as if I had been the son-'here we are together once more. This is better than the old ship-ain't it?'. . . Wasn't it appalling, eh? I looked at him, and he put on a knowing air. 'Don't you be uneasy, sir,'he says.
'I know a gentleman when I see one, and I know how a gentleman feels. I hope, though, you will be keeping me on this job. I had a hard time of it too, along of that rotten old Patna racket.'Jove! It was awful. I don't know what I should have said or done if I had not just then heard Mr. Denver calling me in the passage.
Denver - Denver
It was tiffin-time, and we walked together across the yard and through the garden to the bungalow. He began to chaff me in his kindly way . . . I believe he liked me . . ."
kindly - gentilmente
'Jim was silent for a while.
'"I know he liked me. That's what made it so hard. Such a splendid man! . . . That morning he slipped his hand under my arm. . . . He, too, was familiar with me." He burst into a short laugh, and dropped his chin on his breast. "Pah! When I remembered how that mean little beast had been talking to me," he began suddenly in a vibrating voice, "I couldn't bear to think of myself . . .
Pah - abbreviation: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
I suppose you know . . ." I nodded. . . . "More like a father," he cried; his voice sank. "I would have had to tell him. I couldn't let it go on-could I?" "Well?" I murmured, after waiting a while. "I preferred to go," he said slowly; "this thing must be buried."
'We could hear in the shop Blake upbraiding Egstrom in an abusive, strained voice. They had been associated for many years, and every day from the moment the doors were opened to the last minute before closing, Blake, a little man with sleek, jetty hair and unhappy, beady eyes, could be heard rowing his partner incessantly with a sort of scathing and plaintive fury.
upbraiding - rimproverare
strained - sforzare, sforzarsi, tirare
little man - piccolo uomo
sleek - elegante, lucido, liscio, slanciato
unhappy - triste, rattristato, mogio, abbacchiato
beady - ombroso
rowing - vogare
scathing - scatole
plaintive - querulo
The sound of that everlasting scolding was part of the place like the other fixtures; even strangers would very soon come to disregard it completely unless it be perhaps to mutter "Nuisance," or to get up suddenly and shut the door of the "parlour.
fixtures - (cosa fissa sul posto)
nuisance - seccatura
" Egstrom himself, a raw-boned, heavy Scandinavian, with a busy manner and immense blonde whiskers, went on directing his people, checking parcels, making out bills or writing letters at a stand-up desk in the shop, and comported himself in that clatter exactly as though he had been stone-deaf.
boned - osso, lisca, spina
Scandinavian - scandinavo, scandinava
whiskers - basetta, basettoni, favoriti, fedine, pelo, vibrissa
parcels - pacchetto, plico, lotto, parcella, impacchettare
making out - avere successo, pretendere, uscire con qualcuno
comported - aderire a, accordarsi, comportarsi
Now and again he would emit a bothered perfunctory "Sssh," which neither produced nor was expected to produce the slightest effect. "They are very decent to me here," said Jim. "Blake's a little cad, but Egstrom's all right." He stood up quickly, and walking with measured steps to a tripod telescope standing in the window and pointed at the roadstead, he applied his eye to it.
emit - emettere
perfunctory - superficiale, sbrigativo
cad - person who stands at door, mean fellow
tripod - treppiedi, cavalletto, tripode
pointed at - puntuare
applied - applicare
"There's that ship which has been becalmed outside all the morning has got a breeze now and is coming in," he remarked patiently; "I must go and board." We shook hands in silence, and he turned to go. "Jim!" I cried. He looked round with his hand on the lock. "You-you have thrown away something like a fortune." He came back to me all the way from the door. "Such a splendid old chap," he said.
A fortune - una fortuna
"How could I? How could I?" His lips twitched. "Here it does not matter." "Oh! you-you-" I began, and had to cast about for a suitable word, but before I became aware that there was no name that would just do, he was gone. I heard outside Egstrom's deep gentle voice saying cheerily, "That's the Sarah W. Granger, Jimmy.
twitched - (torcersi spasmodicamente)
Jimmy - chocolate sprinkles used as a topping, a marijuana cigarette
You must manage to be first aboard"; and directly Blake struck in, screaming after the manner of an outraged cockatoo, "Tell the captain we've got some of his mail here. That'll fetch him. D'ye hear, Mister What's-your-name?" And there was Jim answering Egstrom with something boyish in his tone. "All right. I'll make a race of it.
outraged - oltraggio, sdegno, indignazione, oltraggiare
cockatoo - cacatua
ye - voi
What's-your-name? - (What's-your-name?) Come ti chiami?
race - corsa, gara
" He seemed to take refuge in the boat-sailing part of that sorry business.
'I did not see him again that trip, but on my next (I had a six months'charter) I went up to the store. Ten yards away from the door Blake's scolding met my ears, and when I came in he gave me a glance of utter wretchedness; Egstrom, all smiles, advanced, extending a large bony hand. "Glad to see you, captain. . . . Sssh. . . . Been thinking you were about due back here. What did you say, sir? . .
wretchedness - miseria
smiles - sorriso, sorridere
extending - ampliare
. Sssh. . . . Oh! him! He has left us. Come into the parlour." . . . After the slam of the door Blake's strained voice became faint, as the voice of one scolding desperately in a wilderness. . . . "Put us to a great inconvenience, too. Used us badly-I must say . . ." "Where's he gone to? Do you know?" I asked. "No.
inconvenience - disagio, inconveniente, disturbo, fastidio
It's no use asking either," said Egstrom, standing bewhiskered and obliging before me with his arms hanging down his sides clumsily, and a thin silver watch-chain looped very low on a rucked-up blue serge waistcoat. "A man like that don't go anywhere in particular." I was too concerned at the news to ask for the explanation of that pronouncement, and he went on.
It's no use - Non serve a nulla
bewhiskered - ewhisker
clumsily - grossolanamente, alla meno peggio, alla cieca, a tentoni
looped - passante, riccio, anello, blocco iterativo, checkiterazione
rucked - uc
"He left-let's see-the very day a steamer with returning pilgrims from the Red Sea put in here with two blades of her propeller gone. Three weeks ago now." "Wasn't there something said about the Patna case?" I asked, fearing the worst. He gave a start, and looked at me as if I had been a sorcerer. "Why, yes! How do you know? Some of them were talking about it here.
fearing - temere
sorcerer - stregone
There was a captain or two, the manager of Vanlo's engineering shop at the harbour, two or three others, and myself. Jim was in here too, having a sandwich and a glass of beer; when we are busy-you see, captain-there's no time for a proper tiffin.
manager - direttore, capo, responsabile, gestore
engineering - ingegneria, sala macchine, (engineer), ingegnere, ingegnera
He was standing by this table eating sandwiches, and the rest of us were round the telescope watching that steamer come in; and by-and-by Vanlo's manager began to talk about the chief of the Patna; he had done some repairs for him once, and from that he went on to tell us what an old ruin she was, and the money that had been made out of her.
standing by - in attesa
repairs - riparare
He came to mention her last voyage, and then we all struck in. Some said one thing and some another-not much-what you or any other man might say; and there was some laughing. Captain O'Brien of the Sarah W. Granger, a large, noisy old man with a stick-he was sitting listening to us in this arm-chair here-he let drive suddenly with his stick at the floor, and roars out, 'Skunks!'. . .
mention - cenno, accenno, menzione, menzionare
roars - ruggire, sganasciarsi dalle risate
Skunks - moffetta
Made us all jump. Vanlo's manager winks at us and asks, 'What's the matter, Captain O'Brien?''Matter! matter!'the old man began to shout; 'what are you Injuns laughing at? It's no laughing matter. It's a disgrace to human natur'-that's what it is. I would despise being seen in the same room with one of those men. Yes, sir!'He seemed to catch my eye like, and I had to speak out of civility.
winks - (strizzare l'occhio)
Injuns - Un indiano
natur - ordine del giorno
civility - civilta
'Skunks!'says I, 'of course, Captain O'Brien, and I wouldn't care to have them here myself, so you're quite safe in this room, Captain O'Brien. Have a little something cool to drink.''Dam'your drink, Egstrom,'says he, with a twinkle in his eye; 'when I want a drink I will shout for it. I am going to quit. It stinks here now.
Twinkle - scintillare
quit - abbandonare, lasciare
stinks - puzzare, fare schifo, puzza, fetore, protesta, reclamo
'At this all the others burst out laughing, and out they go after the old man. And then, sir, that blasted Jim he puts down the sandwich he had in his hand and walks round the table to me; there was his glass of beer poured out quite full. 'I am off,'he says-just like this. 'It isn't half-past one yet,'says I; 'you might snatch a smoke first.
puts down - mettere giu, scrivere, addormentare, mettere a letto
poured out - versato
snatch - agguantare, scippare, strappare
'I thought he meant it was time for him to go down to his work. When I understood what he was up to, my arms fell-so! Can't get a man like that every day, you know, sir; a regular devil for sailing a boat; ready to go out miles to sea to meet ships in any sort of weather.
regular - regolare, periodico, abituale, usuale, cliente
More than once a captain would come in here full of it, and the first thing he would say would be, 'That's a reckless sort of a lunatic you've got for water-clerk, Egstrom.
I was feeling my way in at daylight under short canvas when there comes flying out of the mist right under my forefoot a boat half under water, sprays going over the mast-head, two frightened niggers on the bottom boards, a yelling fiend at the tiller. Hey! hey! Ship ahoy! ahoy! Captain! Hey! hey! Egstrom & Blake's man first to speak to you! Hey! hey! Egstrom & Blake! Hallo! hey! whoop!
flying out - volare via
forefoot - avampiede
Ahoy - Ehila
whoop - grido, urlo
Kick the niggers-out reefs-a squall on at the time-shoots ahead whooping and yelling to me to make sail and he would give me a lead in-more like a demon than a man. Never saw a boat handled like that in all my life. Couldn't have been drunk-was he? Such a quiet, soft-spoken chap too-blush like a girl when he came on board. . . .
kick - calciare, prendere a calci
shoots - sparare, scoccare
whooping - che si fa
demon - demone, demonio, talian: Il Demonio g
blush - rossore
'I tell you, Captain Marlow, nobody had a chance against us with a strange ship when Jim was out. The other ship-chandlers just kept their old customers, and . . ."
'Egstrom appeared overcome with emotion.
'"Why, sir-it seemed as though he wouldn't mind going a hundred miles out to sea in an old shoe to nab a ship for the firm. If the business had been his own and all to make yet, he couldn't have done more in that way. And now . . . all at once . . . like this! Thinks I to myself: 'Oho! a rise in the screw-that's the trouble-is it?''All right,'says I, 'no need of all that fuss with me, Jimmy.
old shoe - scarpa vecchia
nab - prendere, acciuffare
Just mention your figure. Anything in reason.'He looks at me as if he wanted to swallow something that stuck in his throat. 'I can't stop with you.''What's that blooming joke?'I asks. He shakes his head, and I could see in his eye he was as good as gone already, sir. So I turned to him and slanged him till all was blue. 'What is it you're running away from?'I asks. 'Who has been getting at you?
shakes - scuotere, agitare, scuotere la testa, scioccare, atterrire
slanged - slang, gergo
What scared you? You haven't as much sense as a rat; they don't clear out from a good ship. Where do you expect to get a better berth?-you this and you that.'I made him look sick, I can tell you. 'This business ain't going to sink,'says I. He gave a big jump. 'Good-bye,'he says, nodding at me like a lord; 'you ain't half a bad chap, Egstrom.
rat - ratto
I give you my word that if you knew my reasons you wouldn't care to keep me.''That's the biggest lie you ever told in your life,'says I; 'I know my own mind.'He made me so mad that I had to laugh. 'Can't you really stop long enough to drink this glass of beer here, you funny beggar, you?
'I don't know what came over him; he didn't seem able to find the door; something comical, I can tell you, captain. I drank the beer myself. 'Well, if you're in such a hurry, here's luck to you in your own drink,'says I; 'only, you mark my words, if you keep up this game you'll very soon find that the earth ain't big enough to hold you-that's all.
comical - comico
'He gave me one black look, and out he rushed with a face fit to scare little children."
'Egstrom snorted bitterly, and combed one auburn whisker with knotty fingers. "Haven't been able to get a man that was any good since. It's nothing but worry, worry, worry in business. And where might you have come across him, captain, if it's fair to ask?"
bitterly - amaramente
combed - pettine
Auburn - biondo rame
whisker - basetta, basettoni, favoriti, fedine, pelo, vibrissa
knotty - nodoso
'"He was the mate of the Patna that voyage," I said, feeling that I owed some explanation. For a time Egstrom remained very still, with his fingers plunged in the hair at the side of his face, and then exploded. "And who the devil cares about that?" "I daresay no one," I began . . . "And what the devil is he-anyhow-for to go on like this?
owed - dovere, essere in debito, essere debitore di
plunged - tuffarsi
daresay - osare
" He stuffed suddenly his left whisker into his mouth and stood amazed. "Jee!" he exclaimed, "I told him the earth wouldn't be big enough to hold his caper."'
stuffed - cose, roba, tessuto, stoffa, roba (1), checkcose (2), farcire
caper - saltellare, fare capriole
'I have told you these two episodes at length to show his manner of dealing with himself under the new conditions of his life. There were many others of the sort, more than I could count on the fingers of my two hands. They were all equally tinged by a high-minded absurdity of intention which made their futility profound and touching.
episodes - episodio
dealing - spacciare
count - conte
tinged - ing
To fling away your daily bread so as to get your hands free for a grapple with a ghost may be an act of prosaic heroism. Men had done it before (though we who have lived know full well that it is not the haunted soul but the hungry body that makes an outcast), and men who had eaten and meant to eat every day had applauded the creditable folly.
fling away - gettare via
grapple - lottare con
outcast - reietto
applauded - applaudire, congratularsi, lodare, approvare
creditable - accreditabile
He was indeed unfortunate, for all his recklessness could not carry him out from under the shadow. There was always a doubt of his courage. The truth seems to be that it is impossible to lay the ghost of a fact. You can face it or shirk it-and I have come across a man or two who could wink at their familiar shades.
recklessness - imprudenza
Obviously Jim was not of the winking sort; but what I could never make up my mind about was whether his line of conduct amounted to shirking his ghost or to facing him out.
winking - ammiccare
amounted to - ammontare a
shirking - evitare
'I strained my mental eyesight only to discover that, as with the complexion of all our actions, the shade of difference was so delicate that it was impossible to say. It might have been flight and it might have been a mode of combat.
mental - mentale
discover - scoprire, trovare
combat - battaglia, combattere
To the common mind he became known as a rolling stone, because this was the funniest part: he did after a time become perfectly known, and even notorious, within the circle of his wanderings (which had a diameter of, say, three thousand miles), in the same way as an eccentric character is known to a whole countryside.
wanderings - vagabondaggio
diameter - diametro
countryside - campagna
For instance, in Bankok, where he found employment with Yucker Brothers, charterers and teak merchants, it was almost pathetic to see him go about in sunshine hugging his secret, which was known to the very up-country logs on the river.
charterers - noleggiatore
teak - teak, teck
merchants - mercante, mercantessa, commerciante, negoziante
pathetic - patetico, meschino, penoso
hugging - abbraccio, abbracciare, tenersi vicino
logs on - accedere
Schomberg, the keeper of the hotel where he boarded, a hirsute Alsatian of manly bearing and an irrepressible retailer of all the scandalous gossip of the place, would, with both elbows on the table, impart an adorned version of the story to any guest who cared to imbibe knowledge along with the more costly liquors.
keeper - portiere
boarded - asse
hirsute - irsuto
Alsatian - alsaziano, alsaziana
retailer - rivenditore, (retail), vendita al dettaglio, vendere al dettaglio
scandalous - scandaloso
gossip - pettegolo, pettegola, chiacchierone, chiacchierona
impart - impartire
adorned - adornare, fregiare, abbellire
version - versione
imbibe - assorbire
costly - costoso, caro, dispendioso
liquors - liquore
"And, mind you, the nicest fellow you could meet," would be his generous conclusion; "quite superior." It says a lot for the casual crowd that frequented Schomberg's establishment that Jim managed to hang out in Bankok for a whole six months. I remarked that people, perfect strangers, took to him as one takes to a nice child.
frequented - frequente
His manner was reserved, but it was as though his personal appearance, his hair, his eyes, his smile, made friends for him wherever he went. And, of course, he was no fool.
reserved - riserva, riservare
made friends - fare amicizia
wherever - dovunque, ovunque 'followed by the subjunctive', dappertutto
I heard Siegmund Yucker (native of Switzerland), a gentle creature ravaged by a cruel dyspepsia, and so frightfully lame that his head swung through a quarter of a circle at every step he took, declare appreciatively that for one so young he was "of great gabasidy," as though it had been a mere question of cubic contents. "Why not send him up country?" I suggested anxiously.
Switzerland - Svizzera
ravaged - devastare, distruggere, devastazione
dyspepsia - dispepsia
frightfully - spaventosamente
appreciatively - con apprezzamento
gabasidy - ordine del giorno
cubic - cubico
Contents - contento, soddisfatto
(Yucker Brothers had concessions and teak forests in the interior.) "If he has capacity, as you say, he will soon get hold of the work. And physically he is very fit. His health is always excellent." "Ach! It's a great ting in dis goundry to be vree vrom tispep-shia," sighed poor Yucker enviously, casting a stealthy glance at the pit of his ruined stomach.
concessions - concessione
interior - interiore, interno
capacity - tenuta, resistenza, capacita, capienza
physically - fisicamente
ting - ing
vree - ordine del giorno
vrom - ordine del giorno
tispep - ordine del giorno
enviously - invidiosamente, livorosamente, con invidia
ruined - rovina, rovinare
I left him drumming pensively on his desk and muttering, "Es ist ein'Idee. Es ist ein'Idee." Unfortunately, that very evening an unpleasant affair took place in the hotel.
drumming - tamburo
pensively - pensieroso
ein - ordine del giorno
unpleasant - spiacevole, sgradevole, scostante, sgradito
'I don't know that I blame Jim very much, but it was a truly regrettable incident. It belonged to the lamentable species of bar-room scuffles, and the other party to it was a cross-eyed Dane of sorts whose visiting-card recited, under his misbegotten name: First Lieutenant in the Royal Siamese Navy. The fellow, of course, was utterly hopeless at billiards, but did not like to be beaten, I suppose.
blame - incolpare
regrettable - riprovevole, deplorevole, increscioso, deprecabile
lamentable - lamentabile
species - specie
scuffles - rissa
Dane - danese
recited - recitare
misbegotten - mal concepito
First Lieutenant - Primo tenente
Royal - reale, regale
billiards - biliardo
He had had enough to drink to turn nasty after the sixth game, and make some scornful remark at Jim's expense. Most of the people there didn't hear what was said, and those who had heard seemed to have had all precise recollection scared out of them by the appalling nature of the consequences that immediately ensued.
drink to - brindare a
expense - spesa
It was very lucky for the Dane that he could swim, because the room opened on a verandah and the Menam flowed below very wide and black. A boat-load of Chinamen, bound, as likely as not, on some thieving expedition, fished out the officer of the King of Siam, and Jim turned up at about midnight on board my ship without a hat.
flowed - fluire
thieving - ladresco, (thieve), rubare
expedition - spedizione
king - re
Siam - Siam
"Everybody in the room seemed to know," he said, gasping yet from the contest, as it were. He was rather sorry, on general principles, for what had happened, though in this case there had been, he said, "no option." But what dismayed him was to find the nature of his burden as well known to everybody as though he had gone about all that time carrying it on his shoulders.
contest - concorso
burden - fardello, carico
Naturally after this he couldn't remain in the place. He was universally condemned for the brutal violence, so unbecoming a man in his delicate position; some maintained he had been disgracefully drunk at the time; others criticised his want of tact. Even Schomberg was very much annoyed. "He is a very nice young man," he said argumentatively to me, "but the lieutenant is a first-rate fellow too.
universally - universalmente
unbecoming - disdicevole
disgracefully - in modo vergognoso
criticised - criticare
tact - tatto
argumentatively - in modo argomentato
He dines every night at my table d'hote, you know. And there's a billiard-cue broken. I can't allow that. First thing this morning I went over with my apologies to the lieutenant, and I think I've made it all right for myself; but only think, captain, if everybody started such games! Why, the man might have been drowned! And here I can't run out into the next street and buy a new cue.
dines - cenare
hote - ordine del giorno
cue - attacco, battuta d'entrata
apologies - apologia, scuse
been drowned - e stato annegato
I've got to write to Europe for them. No, no! A temper like that won't do!" . . . He was extremely sore on the subject.
'This was the worst incident of all in his-his retreat. Nobody could deplore it more than myself; for if, as somebody said hearing him mentioned, "Oh yes! I know. He has knocked about a good deal out here," yet he had somehow avoided being battered and chipped in the process.
retreat - ritirarsi
deplore - deplorare
avoided - schivare, evitare
chipped - frantumarsi, scheggiarsi
process - processo, metodo
This last affair, however, made me seriously uneasy, because if his exquisite sensibilities were to go the length of involving him in pot-house shindies, he would lose his name of an inoffensive, if aggravating, fool, and acquire that of a common loafer. For all my confidence in him I could not help reflecting that in such cases from the name to the thing itself is but a step.
involving - elevare, avvolgere, coinvolgere
shindies - Brillante
inoffensive - inoffensivo
aggravating - aggravare
acquire - acquisire
I suppose you will understand that by that time I could not think of washing my hands of him. I took him away from Bankok in my ship, and we had a longish passage. It was pitiful to see how he shrank within himself.
longish - lunga
shrank - restringersi, ritirarsi, strizzacervelli, psichiatra
A seaman, even if a mere passenger, takes an interest in a ship, and looks at the sea-life around him with the critical enjoyment of a painter, for instance, looking at another man's work. In every sense of the expression he is "on deck"; but my Jim, for the most part, skulked down below as though he had been a stowaway.
passenger - passeggero
enjoyment - divertimento
painter - pittore
skulked - imboscarsi, nascondersi
stowaway - clandestino
He infected me so that I avoided speaking on professional matters, such as would suggest themselves naturally to two sailors during a passage. For whole days we did not exchange a word; I felt extremely unwilling to give orders to my officers in his presence. Often, when alone with him on deck or in the cabin, we didn't know what to do with our eyes.
infected - contagiare, infettare
suggest - proporre, suggerire
unwilling - non vuole
'I placed him with De Jongh, as you know, glad enough to dispose of him in any way, yet persuaded that his position was now growing intolerable. He had lost some of that elasticity which had enabled him to rebound back into his uncompromising position after every overthrow.
dispose of - smaltire
rebound - rimbalzare, (rebind), rifasciare
uncompromising - intransigente
overthrow - rovesciare
One day, coming ashore, I saw him standing on the quay; the water of the roadstead and the sea in the offing made one smooth ascending plane, and the outermost ships at anchor seemed to ride motionless in the sky. He was waiting for his boat, which was being loaded at our feet with packages of small stores for some vessel ready to leave.
outermost - estremo
packages - pacco, pacchetto, impacchettamento
stores - magazzino, deposito, scorta, immagazzinare, registrare
vessel - vascello, imbarcazione, bastimento, nave
After exchanging greetings, we remained silent-side by side. "Jove!" he said suddenly, "this is killing work."
greetings - saluto, benvenuto
'He smiled at me; I must say he generally could manage a smile. I made no reply. I knew very well he was not alluding to his duties; he had an easy time of it with De Jongh. Nevertheless, as soon as he had spoken I became completely convinced that the work was killing. I did not even look at him.
Convinced - convincere
"Would you like," said I, "to leave this part of the world altogether; try California or the West Coast? I'll see what I can do . . ." He interrupted me a little scornfully. "What difference would it make?" . . . I felt at once convinced that he was right.
California - California
It would make no difference; it was not relief he wanted; I seemed to perceive dimly that what he wanted, what he was, as it were, waiting for, was something not easy to define-something in the nature of an opportunity. I had given him many opportunities, but they had been merely opportunities to earn his bread. Yet what more could any man do?
dimly - in modo debole
define - definire, determinare, descrivere
opportunities - occasione, opportunita, possibilita, chance
earn - guadagnare
The position struck me as hopeless, and poor Brierly's saying recurred to me, "Let him creep twenty feet underground and stay there." Better that, I thought, than this waiting above ground for the impossible. Yet one could not be sure even of that. There and then, before his boat was three oars'lengths away from the quay, I had made up my mind to go and consult Stein in the evening.
recurred - ripresentarsi, ripetersi
lengths - lunghezza
consult - consultarsi, consultare
Stein - boccale
'This Stein was a wealthy and respected merchant. His "house" (because it was a house, Stein & Co., and there was some sort of partner who, as Stein said, "looked after the Moluccas") had a large inter-island business, with a lot of trading posts established in the most out-of-the-way places for collecting the produce.
wealthy - benestante, abbiente, agiato, facoltoso
respected - rispetto, riguardo, materia, rispettare
looked after - in custodia
Moluccas - Molucche
inter - interrare, tumulare, inumare, seppellire
trading - commercio
established - stabilire, confermare, instaurare, fondare, istituire
collecting - collezionismo
His wealth and his respectability were not exactly the reasons why I was anxious to seek his advice. I desired to confide my difficulty to him because he was one of the most trustworthy men I had ever known. The gentle light of a simple, unwearied, as it were, and intelligent good-nature illumined his long hairless face.
wealth - ricchezza, patrimonio, abbondanza
respectability - rispettabilita, perbenismo
confide - confidarsi
most trustworthy - piu affidabile
hairless - senza peli
It had deep downward folds, and was pale as of a man who had always led a sedentary life-which was indeed very far from being the case. His hair was thin, and brushed back from a massive and lofty forehead. One fancied that at twenty he must have looked very much like what he was now at threescore.
downward - verso il basso
sedentary - sedentario
threescore - tre sesti
It was a student's face; only the eyebrows nearly all white, thick and bushy, together with the resolute searching glance that came from under them, were not in accord with his, I may say, learned appearance.
bushy - cespuglioso
He was tall and loose-jointed; his slight stoop, together with an innocent smile, made him appear benevolently ready to lend you his ear; his long arms with pale big hands had rare deliberate gestures of a pointing out, demonstrating kind.
jointed - comune, congiunta, giunto, articolazione, diaclasi, canna
benevolently - benevolmente
I speak of him at length, because under this exterior, and in conjunction with an upright and indulgent nature, this man possessed an intrepidity of spirit and a physical courage that could have been called reckless had it not been like a natural function of the body-say good digestion, for instance-completely unconscious of itself.
exterior - talian: t-needed
conjunction - congiunzione
indulgent - indulgente
intrepidity - intrepidita
function - funzione, cerimonia, ricevimento, funzionare, fungere
digestion - digestione, decomposizione, assimilazione
It is sometimes said of a man that he carries his life in his hand. Such a saying would have been inadequate if applied to him; during the early part of his existence in the East he had been playing ball with it. All this was in the past, but I knew the story of his life and the origin of his fortune. He was also a naturalist of some distinction, or perhaps I should say a learned collector.
naturalist - naturalista
collector - collezionista, esattore, esattrice, collettore
Entomology was his special study. His collection of Buprestidae and Longicorns-beetles all-horrible miniature monsters, looking malevolent in death and immobility, and his cabinet of butterflies, beautiful and hovering under the glass of cases on lifeless wings, had spread his fame far over the earth.
Entomology - entomologia
collection - raccolta, collezione, colletta
Longicorns - longicorno
beetles - coleottero
miniature - miniatura
monsters - mostro
cabinet - armadio, guardaroba, pensile, contenitore, consiglio, gabinetto
butterflies - farfalla
hovering - librarsi, volteggiare, aggirarsi, attardarsi, gironzolare
wings - ala, squadra, parafango
fame - fama
The name of this merchant, adventurer, sometime adviser of a Malay sultan (to whom he never alluded otherwise than as "my poor Mohammed Bonso"), had, on account of a few bushels of dead insects, become known to learned persons in Europe, who could have had no conception, and certainly would not have cared to know anything, of his life or character.
sometime - un giorno o l'altro
adviser - consigliere
Malay - malese
sultan - sultano
alluded - alludere
Mohammed - Maometto
bushels - moggio, staio
Insects - insetto
I, who knew, considered him an eminently suitable person to receive my confidences about Jim's difficulties as well as my own.'
receive - ricevere
'Late in the evening I entered his study, after traversing an imposing but empty dining-room very dimly lit. The house was silent. I was preceded by an elderly grim Javanese servant in a sort of livery of white jacket and yellow sarong, who, after throwing the door open, exclaimed low, "O master!
entered - entrare, immettere, digitare
traversing - attraversare, (traverse), traversare
imposing - imporre, abusare
preceded - precedere
Javanese - giavanese
livery - livrea
" and stepping aside, vanished in a mysterious way as though he had been a ghost only momentarily embodied for that particular service. Stein turned round with the chair, and in the same movement his spectacles seemed to get pushed up on his forehead. He welcomed me in his quiet and humorous voice.
momentarily - momentaneamente
spectacles - spettacolo
humorous - umoristico, divertente, esilarante
Only one corner of the vast room, the corner in which stood his writing-desk, was strongly lighted by a shaded reading-lamp, and the rest of the spacious apartment melted into shapeless gloom like a cavern. Narrow shelves filled with dark boxes of uniform shape and colour ran round the walls, not from floor to ceiling, but in a sombre belt about four feet broad. Catacombs of beetles.
shaded - agone, alosa
spacious - spazioso
shapeless - senza forma
shelves - archiviare, accantonare, riporre
Catacombs - catacomba
Wooden tablets were hung above at irregular intervals. The light reached one of them, and the word Coleoptera written in gold letters glittered mysteriously upon a vast dimness. The glass cases containing the collection of butterflies were ranged in three long rows upon slender-legged little tables.
tablets - compressa, pasticca, pastiglia
irregular - irregolare
Coleoptera - Coleotteri
dimness - oscurita
containing - contenere
ranged in - ha oscillato
One of these cases had been removed from its place and stood on the desk, which was bestrewn with oblong slips of paper blackened with minute handwriting.
removed - rimuovere, asportare, levare, togliere
oblong - (figura di forma oblunga)
slips of paper - pezzi di carta
blackened - annerire, sporcare
'"So you see me-so," he said. His hand hovered over the case where a butterfly in solitary grandeur spread out dark bronze wings, seven inches or more across, with exquisite white veinings and a gorgeous border of yellow spots. "Only one specimen like this they have in your London, and then-no more. To my small native town this my collection I shall bequeath. Something of me. The best."
butterfly - farfalla
grandeur - grandiosita
bronze - bronzo, bronzeo, abbronzato
veinings - venatura
border - confine, frontiera, orlo
native town - citta natale
bequeath - legare, lasciare in eredita, trasmettere, tramandare, donare
'He bent forward in the chair and gazed intently, his chin over the front of the case. I stood at his back. "Marvellous," he whispered, and seemed to forget my presence. His history was curious. He had been born in Bavaria, and when a youth of twenty-two had taken an active part in the revolutionary movement of 1848.
intently - attentamente, meticolosamente, minuziosamente
Bavaria - Baviera
revolutionary - rivoluzionario, rivoluzionaria
Heavily compromised, he managed to make his escape, and at first found a refuge with a poor republican watchmaker in Trieste. From there he made his way to Tripoli with a stock of cheap watches to hawk about,-not a very great opening truly, but it turned out lucky enough, because it was there he came upon a Dutch traveller-a rather famous man, I believe, but I don't remember his name.
compromised - compromesso, pattuire, trovare un compromesso
Republican - repubblicano, repubblicana
watchmaker - orologiaio, orologiaia
Tripoli - Tripoli
hawk about - far circolare, distribuire
Dutch - olandese, nederlandese, neerlandese
It was that naturalist who, engaging him as a sort of assistant, took him to the East. They travelled in the Archipelago together and separately, collecting insects and birds, for four years or more.
engaging - attirare, convergere, ingaggiare, intavolare, irretire
assistant - assistente
Archipelago - arcipelago
Then the naturalist went home, and Stein, having no home to go to, remained with an old trader he had come across in his journeys in the interior of Celebes-if Celebes may be said to have an interior. This old Scotsman, the only white man allowed to reside in the country at the time, was a privileged friend of the chief ruler of Wajo States, who was a woman.
Scotsman - scozzese
reside - risiedere
privileged - privilegio, prerogativa
ruler - righello, sovrano
States - stato, dichiarare, statuire, esporre, indicare
I often heard Stein relate how that chap, who was slightly paralysed on one side, had introduced him to the native court a short time before another stroke carried him off. He was a heavy man with a patriarchal white beard, and of imposing stature.
relate - riferire
paralysed - paralizzare
patriarchal - patriarcale
stature - statura
He came into the council-hall where all the rajahs, pangerans, and headmen were assembled, with the queen, a fat wrinkled woman (very free in her speech, Stein said), reclining on a high couch under a canopy. He dragged his leg, thumping with his stick, and grasped Stein's arm, leading him right up to the couch. "Look, queen, and you rajahs, this is my son," he proclaimed in a stentorian voice.
Council - consiglio
hall - corridoio, sala
rajahs - ragia
pangerans - pangerani
headmen - capocomico
assembled - assemblare, montare, mettere insieme, riunire, riunirsi, adunare
reclining - giacere, appoggiarsi
couch - divano
dragged - trascinare, tirare
thumping - colpo
grasped - afferrare, avvinghiare, avvinghiarsi, agguantare
proclaimed - proclamare
stentorian voice - voce stentorea
"I have traded with your fathers, and when I die he shall trade with you and your sons."
traded - commercio, mestiere, commerciare, trafficare, scambiare
'By means of this simple formality Stein inherited the Scotsman's privileged position and all his stock-in-trade, together with a fortified house on the banks of the only navigable river in the country. Shortly afterwards the old queen, who was so free in her speech, died, and the country became disturbed by various pretenders to the throne.
inherited - ereditare, prendere
fortified - talian: t-needed
navigable - navigabile
shortly - subito, tra poco, in breve
pretenders - impostore, mistificatore, simulatore, pretendente, aspirante
throne - trono
Stein joined the party of a younger son, the one of whom thirty years later he never spoke otherwise but as "my poor Mohammed Bonso." They both became the heroes of innumerable exploits; they had wonderful adventures, and once stood a siege in the Scotsman's house for a month, with only a score of followers against a whole army. I believe the natives talk of that war to this day.
heroes - eroe, eroina, protagonista
exploits - gesto eroico, gesta eroiche, gesta, prodezza, impresa
siege - assedio
followers - follower
Meantime, it seems, Stein never failed to annex on his own account every butterfly or beetle he could lay hands on.
annex - annettere
After some eight years of war, negotiations, false truces, sudden outbreaks, reconciliation, treachery, and so on, and just as peace seemed at last permanently established, his "poor Mohammed Bonso" was assassinated at the gate of his own royal residence while dismounting in the highest spirits on his return from a successful deer-hunt.
negotiations - negoziato, negoziazione
truces - tregua
reconciliation - ravvicinamento, riconciliazione
treachery - tradimento, slealta, inganno
permanently - in modo permanente
assassinated - assassinare
residence - residenza
dismounting - smontarsi
successful - di successo, coronato dal successo, riuscito
deer - cervo, alce, renna, daino
This event rendered Stein's position extremely insecure, but he would have stayed perhaps had it not been that a short time afterwards he lost Mohammed's sister ("my dear wife the princess," he used to say solemnly), by whom he had had a daughter-mother and child both dying within three days of each other from some infectious fever.
rendered - rendere
princess - principessa
dying - morire
infectious - infettivo, contagioso
He left the country, which this cruel loss had made unbearable to him. Thus ended the first and adventurous part of his existence. What followed was so different that, but for the reality of sorrow which remained with him, this strange part must have resembled a dream. He had a little money; he started life afresh, and in the course of years acquired a considerable fortune.
unbearable - insopportabile
sorrow - tristezza, dolore, pena, afflizione
considerable - considerabile
At first he had travelled a good deal amongst the islands, but age had stolen upon him, and of late he seldom left his spacious house three miles out of town, with an extensive garden, and surrounded by stables, offices, and bamboo cottages for his servants and dependants, of whom he had many. He drove in his buggy every morning to town, where he had an office with white and Chinese clerks.
stolen - rubare, derubare, fregare, accattivarsi, appropriarsi
extensive - vasto, molto, estenso, esteso
stables - stabile
bamboo - bambu, di bambu
dependants - dipendente
buggy - calesse
Chinese - cinese, cinesi
He owned a small fleet of schooners and native craft, and dealt in island produce on a large scale. For the rest he lived solitary, but not misanthropic, with his books and his collection, classing and arranging specimens, corresponding with entomologists in Europe, writing up a descriptive catalogue of his treasures.
Fleet - flotta
dealt - accordo
misanthropic - misantropico
arranging - disporre, ordinare, preparare, arrangiare
specimens - campione, esemplare
corresponding - corrispondere
entomologists - entomologo
descriptive - descrittivo
catalogue - catalogo, cataloghi, catalogare, mettere in catalogo
treasures - tesoro, apprezzare
Such was the history of the man whom I had come to consult upon Jim's case without any definite hope. Simply to hear what he would have to say would have been a relief.
I was very anxious, but I respected the intense, almost passionate, absorption with which he looked at a butterfly, as though on the bronze sheen of these frail wings, in the white tracings, in the gorgeous markings, he could see other things, an image of something as perishable and defying destruction as these delicate and lifeless tissues displaying a splendour unmarred by death.
absorption - assorbimento
frail - fragile, debole
tracings - tracciare
markings - marcatura
perishable - deperibile
tissues - tessuto
displaying - rappresentazione, saggio, schermo, video, espositore, mostrare
unmarred - senza macchia
'"Marvellous!" he repeated, looking up at me. "Look! The beauty-but that is nothing-look at the accuracy, the harmony. And so fragile! And so strong! And so exact! This is Nature-the balance of colossal forces. Every star is so-and every blade of grass stands so-and the mighty Kosmos in perfect equilibrium produces-this. This wonder; this masterpiece of Nature-the great artist."
beauty - bellezza
accuracy - esattezza, precisione, accuratezza, acribia
harmony - armonia
fragile - fragile
balance - equilibrio, punto di equilibrio, contrappeso, bilanciamento
blade of grass - filo d'erba
equilibrium - equilibrio, quiete
produces - produrre, realizzare, fornire, prodotto, prodotti
masterpiece - capolavoro, capodopera
'"Never heard an entomologist go on like this," I observed cheerfully. "Masterpiece! And what of man?"
entomologist - entomologo
'"Man is amazing, but he is not a masterpiece," he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the glass case. "Perhaps the artist was a little mad. Eh? What do you think? Sometimes it seems to me that man is come where he is not wanted, where there is no place for him; f