Part 6
If your brother will be so kind as to lend me a horse for two or three fratéllo prestáre cavállo due tre days, he would oblige me infinitely. giórno obbligáre infinitaménte.
I was this morning with your friend Mr. ---- and he was so kind as to éssere mattína con amíco avére offer me his purse. esibíre borsa.
I hope you will be so kind as to recommend me to your friends. speráre avére raccomandáre amíco.
Be so kind as to tell me when your sister will return from the country, avére dire quando sorélla ritornáre campágna for I make no doubt but she will bring me news from my uncle. dubitáre portáre nuóva zio.
_The English phrase, there is nothing but, ought to be rendered in Italian by non v’è niénte che non, and it requires the following Verb to be in the Subjunctive Mood._
There is nothing but I would do to deserve the honour of your non v’è niénte fare meritáre onóre friendship. amicízia.
There is nothing but what I would undertake to oblige my friends. non v’è niénte che non intrapréndere obbligáre amíco.
There is nothing but what I would suffer willingly, if I were so non v’è niénte soffríre volontiéri éssere unfortunate as to have disobliged you. sfortunáto avére dispiacére.
There is nothing but what an honest man ought to do, to deserve non v’è niénte galantuomo dovére meritáre every body’s esteem. tutto stima.
There is nothing but what a good prince ought to do, to make niénte buóno príncipe dovére fare réndere his subjects happy. suddito felíce.
_This phrase, to be as good as one’s word, must be rendered in Italian by mantenére la sua paróla._
You often promised me to do me service, but I will never believe you; spesso prométtere réndere servízio ma mai crédere it is a very dishonest thing not to be as good as one’s word; for éssere disonésto mantenere la sua paróla perchè nobody will credit you afterwards. nissúno prestare fede dopo.
You have often promised me to amend your manners, but you are seldom avére sovente prométtere ammendáre costúme ma raramente as good as your word. I confess I have not been as good as my word, mantenére la sua paróla confessáre avére mantenúto la mia paróla but I promise that, for the future, I will behave better ma prométtere all’avveníre comportársi méglio than I have hitherto done. fare fin adésso.
_So much as, ought to be rendered in Italian by tanto, or quanto._
Your brother seems to have had a better education than you, though I am fratéllo parére avére educazióne benchè sure your father did not spend so much money upon him as he did sicúro padre spéndere tanto upon you.
If we would love God as much as He loves us, we should not offend him amáre Iddío quanto amáre offéndere so often. così spesso.
If we would love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves, there would amáre prossímo quanto not be so much enmity in the world. éssere tanto nemicízia mondo.
_As long as, must be rendered in Italian by finchè, or mentre che._
As _or_ so long as you are not obedient to your parents, God mentre che éssere obbediénte genitori Iddío will not bless you. benedíre.
As long as you are idle, you will never learn any thing, and you will finchè éssere pigro mai imparáre niénte be ignorant while you live. éssere ignoránte finchè vívere.
As long as you are rich, you will not want friends. éssere ricco mancáre amíco.
As long as it is in your power to oblige your friends, do not refuse éssere potére obbligáre amíco ricusáre to do them service. réndere servízio.
_I had rather, is expressed in Italian by ameréi méglio, or ameréi piuttósto._
I had rather lose some small thing, than go to law with a amáre meglio pérdere piccólo cosa andáre legge litigious man. litigióso uómo.
I had rather die than disoblige you. amáre piuttósto moríre dispiacére.
I had rather live all my life-time with you, than stay one day with amáre méglio vívere vita tempo stare giórno your brother. fratéllo.
I had rather endure a slight injury from a friend, than to fight with soffríre piccóla ingiúria amíco battérsi him, though I would sooner die than pass for a coward. benchè moríre passáre codardo.
_When we inquire for some person’s name, we make use of the Verb chiamársi._
Pray, friend, what is your name? di grazia amíco come chiamársi?
My name is John Baptist. Giambattísta.
What is your brother’s name? come fratéllo?
His name is George Frederic Augustus. Giórgio Fedérico Augústo.
What was the late king of France’s name? come defúnto re Fráncia?
He was called Lewis the Sixteenth. chiamársi Luígi décimo sesto.
What was the queen of France’s name? come regína Fráncia?
Her name was Mary Antoinette. chiamársi Maria Antónina.
What was the late regent’s name? come defúnto reggénte?
He was called the duke of Orleans. chiamársi duca Orleans.
_To entertain, must be rendered by trattáre._
If you will come with me into the country, I will entertain you veníre campágna trattáre very well. beníssimo.
You see I do not entertain you like a stranger, but I treat you vedére trattáre da forestiére ma trattáre like a friend. da amíco.
I am sure, if we were lords, you could not entertain us better. éssere sicúro gran signóre trattáre méglio.
_Dipénde da voi, signifies in English, it lies in your power, it has all its tenses; and is Impersonal._
It lies in your power to be a good scholar, for you have as much wit depéndere éssere sapiénte perchè avére tanto spírito as any of your school-fellows. che qualúnque condiscépolo.
It is in our power to be for ever happy. dipéndere éssere sempre félice.
It is in his power to do me that service. dipéndere réndere servízio.
It is in your power to go abroad; for your father told me several times dipéndere andár a viaggiáre padre dire molte volte he would be very glad to see you go on your travels. avére caro andáre a viaggiáre.
It lies in their power to recommend me to their friends. dipéndere da raccomandáre amíco.
_Andáre ad incóntrar uno, signifies to go and meet somebody._
Sir, I come to beg a favour of you, which I hope you will not refuse Signóre veníre domandáre favóre speráre ricusáre me. I heard your uncle will come to-morrow to town; you will oblige me intendere zio veníre dománi città obbligáre infinitely, if you will lend me your horse to go and meet him, and I moltíssimo prestáre cavállo andáre ad incóntrar assure you that I will take great care of it. assicuráre avére grande cura
Sir, I am very sorry I cannot oblige you, for I must go myself rincrescere non potere servire perchè bisógna andáre to meet my wife, who is coming from the country; but any other time ad incóntrar moglie veníre campágna ma altro volta it will be at your service. éssere servízio.
_We often make use of the Impersonal Verb rincréscere, when we speak of the misfortunes of others, which signifies in English, to be sorry, to be concerned; and then the following word must be in the Genitive Case._
I am sorry for the misfortune that has befallen you. rincréscere disgrázia accadére
We ought to be concerned at our friend’s misfortunes. dovére rincréscere amíco sciagúre.
I was very much concerned at your loss. moltíssimo rincréscere pérdita.
_Mi pare mill’ anni is an Italian expression which signifies to long; we make use of it only in the present of the Indicative, and the following verb must be in the Infinitive with the Preposition di._
I long to see your father to tell him how much you deserve to be vedére padre dire quanto meritáre éssere praised for your diligence. lodáto diligenza.
I long to go into the country, to settle a dispute that arose amongst my andáre campagna aggiustáre dispúta náscere fra farmers. fattóre.
I long to pay what I owe you, for I do not love pagáre dovére perchè amáre to be in any body’s debt. dovére a nessúno.
I long to know the Italian language perfectly well. sapére Italiáno lingua perfettaménte bene.
_We often make use of avér gran voglia, for to long, and it requires the following Verb to be in the Infinitive mood._
I long to go and see Mr. George, to ask him for the money he owes me, andáre vedére Giórgio domandáre danáro dovére but I will put it off till next week, that you may go with me. ma differíre fíno próssimo settimána potére venire.
I long to go to Italy, for I do not love to live in England. andáre Italia piacére vívere Inghiltérra.
I long to tell you something, though I do not know how to tell it you, dire qualche cosa benchè sapére dire for fear of disobliging you. per paúra dispiacere.
I long to learn Italian, and for all that I do not know what hinders me imparáre Italiáno con tutto ciò sapére impedíre from beginning. principiáre.
_Degnársi is often used for to be so kind as, and requires the following verb in the Infinitive Mood._
Be so kind as to hear me a moment, and you will see that what they told degnáre sentíre moménto vedére dire you of me is a false report. éssere falso rappórto.
Be so kind as to grant me that favour, and I will not degnáre accordáre favóre trouble you any more. incomodáre
_Posso appéna, I can hardly, requires the following verb to be in the Infinitive Mood._
I can hardly believe what you tell me of Mr. Gregory, for I always posso appéna crédere dire signóre Gregório perchè sempre took him for a very sober honest man. crédere sobrio onésto uómo.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw you, for I thought you potere appéna crédere ócchio quando vedére perchè pensáre were in America. éssere América.
I have got such a cold, and my head is so heavy, that I can hardly éssere talmente infreddáto testa pesánte potere appéna read a word. leggere paróla.
_Scarce, or hardly must likewise be expressed by appéna._
Scarce were you gone out last night, when your friend, sir William appéna éssere uscíto jéri sera che amíco cavaliére Guglielmo Henry, came to see me, and was very sorry you did not stay Enrico veníre vedere dispiacere restáre a little longer. poco più.
There are men in the world who are so much used to do mischief, that they éssere uómo mondo éssere tanto avvézzo fare male are hardly out of one trouble, but they immediately fall into another. éssere appéna uscíto impáccio che súbito cadére altro.
Scarce have you done a good action, but you seem to repent it; for appéna avére fatto buóno azióne parére pentírsi perchè were it not so, you would not so soon again fall into your former éssere così così presto ricadére primiéra ill courses. cattiva vita.
_To have much ado, must be rendered in Italian by stentáre, and requires the following verb in the Infinitive with the Preposition a._
I had much ado yesterday to persuade your brother to stay with me; he stentáre jéri persuadére fratéllo restáre would go and sup with Mr. Horace, who came to town last night. andáre cenáre Signór Orázio veníre città jeri sera.
I had much ado to make peace with your mother, she was fully stentáre fare pace madre éssere affátto resolved not to forgive you, therefore take care for the future not to risolúto perdonáre perciò badáre all’avveníre offend her any more. offéndere
I had much ado to engage your uncle to pass his word for a hundred stentáre impegnáre zio passáre paróla cento pounds I owe Mr. Clement. lira dovére Cleménte.
_To be quiet must be rendered in Italian by, star fermo, saldo, or chetársi._
You will not be quiet till you have done some mischief. stare fermo finchè avér fatto male.
Be quiet, or else I will make you repent it. chetársi altriménte fare pentíre.
You would not be quiet when I bid you, you see now stare saldo quando ordinare vedere adésso what you suffer for it. soffríre
_Abbassár gli occhj, signifies to look down._
When you speak to a person of great quality, you ought not to stare quando parláre persóna alto qualità dovere fissáre at him, but you ought sometimes to look down ma dovére qualche volta abbassare gli occhj to show him the respect you have for him. mostráre rispétto avére
Upon INTERROGATIONS. [See GRAM. p. 70.]
From whence had America its name? From Amerigo Vesputio, a Florentine, avére América nome Amerigo Vespúzio Fiorentíno in 1497; though Columbus was the first discoverer of it in 1492 [1]benchè Colómbo éssere primo scopritóre
How large is that country? How is that empire divided? What are the grande paése impéro divíso productions of it? What is there worthy of notice in that country? Are prodótto degno notízia paése there any European colonies in that part of the world? Européa colónia parte mondo?
Who subdued the greatest part of the world in twelve years time? soggiogáre grande parte mondo dódici anno Alexander, king of Macedonia. Alessándro Re Macedónia.
To whom do the Canary Islands belong, how many are there of them, and Canárie Ísola appartenére quante [2]éssere how do they lie? éssere situáto?
[1] See _Gram._ p. 205, upon the conjunction _though_.
[2] See _Gram._ p. 147, upon the conjugation of the verb impersonal _there is_.
Upon the Irregular Construction of Personal and Possessive PRONOUNS. [See GRAM. p. 61, and 66.]
Most men worship love, to it they sacrifice their finest la maggior parte uómo adoráre amóre sagrificáre bello days, and from it they expect their greatest happiness. giórno aspettáre grande felicità.
Glory makes the whole ambition of heroes; they thirst after nothing, glória fare tutto ambizióne eróe respirare altro they seek nothing else; they apply to it alone, it is to it alone they cercáre altro indirizzársi solo solo make vows. fare voto.
Self-love is our primum mobile; it is that which rules our passions, and amáre próprio primo móbile regoláre passióne to it are men indebted for most of the services which they éssere uómo debitóre maggior parte servízio reciprocally render one another. reciprocaménte réndere
Is that the tree you were speaking of? Yes, that is it. éssere albéro parláre
It looks very fine, but its fruit is good for nothing. parére bello ma frutto non vale níente.
This, on the contrary, has no appearance; it is a peach-tree, and the contrário avére apparénza pérsico peaches are delicious. pésca éssere delizióso.
When general G. saw himself pursued so close, he, reaching the river, quando generále G. vedére seguitáto così da vicíno arriváre fiúme threw himself in it (on horseback), with a design to cross it over, gettársi a cavállo intenzióne tráversáre rapid as it was; when he came to the stream, for all he did to resist [1] rápido éssere quando veníre corrénte tutto fare resístere it, he could not get the better of it; he then resolved to go down with potére superare allóra risólvere seguíre it, and let himself be carried away; but his horse was too lasciarsi portáre via ma cavállo éssere troppo tired to be able to swim long; and as he endeavoured to quit the stanco potére nuotáre molto come sforzársi lasciáre stream, the animal, which had now lost all his strength, sunk under him; corrénte bestia avére pérdere tutto forza sommergérsi he expected it, therefore resigned himself to his fate; he still aspettársi perciò rassegnársi destíno ancóra swam (for a while) with the stream, but not being able to get out of it, nuotáre (per un pezzo) corrénte ma potére sortire he was drowned. éssere annegato.
The water which you have recommended him to drink is not fit for him; I acqua avére raccomandáto bere essere próprio know all its qualities, and will never recommend it in such a case. Of conóscere tutto qualità mai raccomandáre tale caso these two rivers, one has its spring in the Alps, and the other in the questo due fiúme avére sorgénte Alpi altro Pyrenees. Pirenéi.
I have bought a new sword, the hilt of it is silver, but I do not avére compráre nuóvo spada guárdia éssere d’argénto ma like its shell; I will not part with the old one; it has done me much amáre cóccia disfársi della vécchio avére reso molto service; I have twice owed my life to it; only I will get it cleaned, servízio avére due volta dovuto vita solo fare ripulire and get a new hilt to it, and it will still be of service to me méttere nuóvo guárdia ancóra servíre by night. nottetempo.
Keep from the wall, do not lean upon it. allontanársi muro appogiársi
If you sit in that arm-chair take care you do not hurt yourself, sedére sédia d’appoggio badáre farsi male for the back and elbows are broken. perchè spalliera bracciuólo éssere rotto.
His house is fine, I like its situation, but the rooms are not casa bello amáre situazióne ma stánza éssere well contrived: he has spent a great deal of money upon it; he bene regoláto avére fátto gran spesa has altered the roof, and made a stately stair-case; it costs him much, avére fatto cambiar tetto fatto supérbo scala costáre molto but (upon the whole) he owes his health to it; he lives there the whole ma per altro dovere salúte vívere tutto year. The gardens are very fine; he has added groves and water spouts anno giardíno éssere bello aver aggiúnto boschétto getto d’acqua to them; there are fine meadows all around: he designs to make still éssere bello prato all’intorno contáre fare greater alterations. maggióre cambiaménto.
[1] See _Gram._ p. 205, upon the conjunction _though_.
_On the verb to play, with the Particles at, and on._
Do you never play at cards? I play sometimes at piquet, and at mai giuocáre carta qualche volta picchetto quadrille, to oblige the company. quartíglio obbligáre compagnía.
Let us play for a crown. I never play so high; I do not like to play for giuocáre scudo fare mai grosso giuóco non piacére so much money: I do not love to play at games of chance, as at dice, or tanto danáro amáre giuóco di sorte come dado even at cards; but I like to play sometimes at bowls, at billiards, anche carta piacére qualche volta bocce bigliárdo at tennis, or nine pins. We play at chess every night, my cousin and I. pallacórda birillo scácchi ogni sera cugíno Can you play on any instrument? sapére suonáre qualche struménto?
I can play a little on the flute. I thought you could also play on the potére suonáre poco flauto crédere anche suonáre fiddle. No: but I know that you play very well on the bass-viol: if you violíno ma sapere suonáre viola d’amore please to come to our house, we will make a little concert: my sister piacére veníre da noi fare píccolo concerto sorélla will play on the piano-forte, you on your bass, and I will sing. suonáre piano-forte basso cantare.
_We use the Verb avére, instead of éssere, in speaking of being hungry, dry, cold, hot, or old._
You eat as if you were not hungry. Excuse me, I eat well enough, but mangiáre avére fame scusáre assai bene I am not very hungry; I am more dry than hungry. I have been thirsty avére grande fame avére sete fame avere avúto sete the whole day. tutto giórno.
I am very cold, and very hungry. Are you cold? On the contrary avére freddo fame avére freddo al contrário I am very warm, but I am tired. avére gran caldo ma stanco.
My hands are so cold that I cannot write. mano avére freddo potére scrivére.
[1]I believe your head is always cold, for you seldom pull off your crédere testa sempre freddo perchè raraménte leváre hat. cappéllo.
How old is your sister? She is not fifteen yet. I thought she quanto anno avere sorélla avére quíndici anno crédere was twenty; and you, sir, how old are you? avére venti anno ed ella avére?
I was very cold this morning when I came: but I am very warm now. avére freddo mattína quando veníre ma caldo adésso You do not look so. You eat as if you were not hungry. I am more cold parére mangiáre avére fame freddo than hungry. I have been thirsty all the day. fame ho avuto sete giórno.
[1] I believe, &c. _Credo che voi abbiate sempre freddo alla testa_.
_The Impersonal Verb must, is sometimes rendered by dovere, and sometimes by bisognáre._
To make war plenty of money must be had. fare guerra molto danáro bisógna avére.
Men must love virtue to be happy. One must be mad to think that men si dovére amáre virtù felíce bisognáre pazzo crédere uómo can be happy without loving virtue. potére senza[1] amáre virtù.
Men should learn first the duties belonging to human nature. dovére imparáre prima dovére appartenénte umáno natúra.