CAPITOLO IV chapter|four CAPÍTULO IV CHAPTER IV

La pioggia imperversava; i lampi succedevano ai lampi; pareva che la vôlta del cielo stesse per crollare, bombardata da un esercito di diavoli. the|rain|it was raging|the|lightning|they were succeeding|to the|lightning|it seemed|that|the|vault|of the|sky|it was|to|to collapse|bombarded|by|an|army|of|devils The rain was pouring down; lightning followed lightning; it seemed as if the vault of the sky was about to collapse, bombarded by an army of devils.

Frattanto, in un modesto salottino al pian terreno, due preti sonnolenti ruminavano gli ultimi crostini di una cena ritardata. meanwhile|in|a|modest|small living room|on the|ground|floor|two|priests|sleepy|they were chewing|the|last|crusts|of|a|dinner|delayed Meanwhile, in a modest sitting room on the ground floor, two sleepy priests were chewing the last crusts of a delayed dinner. In quel giorno, i due preti avevan proprio lavorato da forzati: perocchè all’indomani ricorresse a Mirlovia il centenario della santa patrona del paese. in|that|day|the|two|priests|they had|just|worked|as|forced laborers|because|the next day|it was occurring|to|Mirlovia|the|centenary|of the|holy|patroness|of the|country On that day, the two priests had truly worked like forced laborers: because the next day marked the centenary of the saint patroness of the town in Mirlovia.

Figuratevi, dunque, se alla vigilia della grande solennità, il parroco e il coadiutore di Mirlovia dovean esser spossati! imagine|therefore|if|at the|eve|of the|great|solemnity|the|parish priest|and|the|assistant|of|Mirlovia|they had to|to be|exhausted Just imagine, then, if on the eve of the great solemnity, the parish priest and the assistant of Mirlovia were to be exhausted!

--Peccato! what a pity --Mitleid! --What a pity! esclamava don Fulgenzio, portando alle labbra un bicchiere di malvasia, questo tempaccio manderà sossopra le porte trionfali e le impalcature che abbiamo erette sul sagrato--Domattina ci converrà esser in piedi di buon’ora e rimetterci di lena al lavoro... he exclaimed|Mr|Fulgenzio|bringing|to the|lips|a|glass|of|malvasia (a type of wine)|this|bad weather|it will send|upside down|the|doors|triumphal|and|the|scaffolding|that|we have|erected|on the|churchyard|tomorrow morning|us|it will be necessary|to be|in|standing|of|early|and|to get back|to|effort|to the|work rief Don Fulgenzio aus und hob ein Glas Malvasia an die Lippen, dieses schlechte Wetter wird die Triumphtore und die Gerüste, die wir auf dem Kirchhof errichtet haben, umstürzen – morgen früh sollten wir besser früh aufstehen und uns wieder an die Arbeit machen … exclaimed Don Fulgenzio, bringing a glass of malvasia to his lips, this bad weather will turn upside down the triumphal arches and the scaffolding we have erected in the churchyard--Tomorrow morning we will have to get up early and get back to work...

--_Ergo_, andiamo a coricarci, rispose il parroco levandosi in piedi e stendendo la mano al candelliere. therefore|we go|to|to go to bed|he answered|the|parish priest|getting up|in|feet|and|extending|the|hand|to the|candlestick --_Therefore_, let's go to bed, replied the parish priest, getting to his feet and reaching for the candlestick. Son l’undici e trenta... Ho dato ordine al sacrista che venga a svegliarci alle cinque... I am|eleven|and|thirty|I have|given|order|to the|sacristan|that|he comes|to|wake us|at|five It's eleven thirty... I ordered the sacristan to come wake us up at five...

I due preti eran sulle mosse per salire alle loro stanze, quando alla porta della casa parrocchiale vennero bussati due colpi... the|two|priests|they were|on the|moves|to|to go up|to the|their|rooms|when|to the|door|of the|house|parish|they came|knocked|two|knocks The two priests were about to go up to their rooms when there were two knocks at the door of the parish house...

--Chi mai a quest’ora? who|ever|at|this hour - Wer um diese Zeit? --Who could it be at this hour?

--Qualche disgraziato sorpreso dal temporale per via.... Don Fulgenzio, andate ad aprire. some|unfortunate person|surprised|by the|storm|on|the way|Mr|Fulgenzio|you go|to|to open --Irgendein Wicht, der unterwegs vom Sturm überrascht wird... Don Fulgenzio, geh und öffne die Tür. --Some unfortunate caught in the storm on the way.... Don Fulgenzio, go open the door.

--Vi faccio osservare... to you|I make|to observe --I will have you observe...

--Andate subito, don Fulgenzio! you go|immediately|Mr|Fulgenzio --Go immediately, Don Fulgenzio! In una notte come questa sarebbe peccato negare ricovero, ad un cane. in|a|night|like|this|it would be|sin|to deny|shelter|to|a|dog On a night like this, it would be a sin to deny shelter to a dog.

Don Fulgenzio attraversò il porticato e andò a schiudere la porticella che dava sulla, via. Mr|Fulgenzio|he crossed|the|porch|and|he went|to|to open|the|small door|that|it led|to the|street Don Fulgenzio crossed the porch and went to open the small door that led to the street.

--Dio di misericordia!.... God|of|mercy --God of mercy!.... Venite, venite, povera signora! come|you all|poor|lady Come, come, poor lady! Si è mai veduta una creatura umana più maltrattata dalle intemperie? herself|she is|ever|seen|a|creature|human|more|mistreated|by the|weather Has any human creature ever been more mistreated by the elements?

Così esclamando, il coadiutore introdusse nella casa una figura animata che aveva tutte le apparenze di una bella e giovane dama, sebbene, allo scompiglio delle vesti ed alla concitazione dei movimenti, sulle prime la si potesse scambiare per un fantasma. thus|exclaiming|the|assistant|he introduced|into|house|a|figure|animated|that|she had|all|the|appearances|of|a|beautiful|and|young|lady|although|to the|disarray|of the|clothes|and|to the|agitation|of the|movements|on the|first|the|herself|she could|to mistake|for|a|ghost So exclaiming, the assistant introduced into the house a living figure that had all the appearances of a beautiful young lady, although, due to the disarray of her clothes and the agitation of her movements, at first she could be mistaken for a ghost.

--Grazie! thank you --Thank you! mille grazie, signor abate! thousand|thank you|sir|abbot thank you very much, Mr. Abbot! esclamava a sua volta quel personaggio in gonnella, che, avanzandosi, lasciava dietro i suoi passi un rigagnolo. he exclaimed|to|his|turn|that|character|in|gown|that|advancing|he left|behind|the|his|steps|a|stream exclaimed in turn that character in a skirt, who, advancing, left behind a trickle.

Il parroco, uscito ad incontrare quell’ospite inaspettato, lo introdusse nel salottino, commiserandolo con parole e con sguardi ripieni di dolcezza evangelica. the|parish priest|having exited|to|to meet|that guest|unexpected|him|he introduced|in the|small living room|pitying him|with|words|and|with|looks|full|of|sweetness|evangelical The parish priest, having come out to meet that unexpected guest, introduced him into the small living room, commiserating him with words and looks filled with evangelical sweetness.

--Il mio bisogno più urgente, disse il visconte (i nostri lettori lo avran già riconosciuto) è quello di spogliarmi di queste vesti dove sta raccolta tant’acqua da spremerne un mare. the|my|need|most|urgent|he said|the|viscount|the|our|readers|him|they will have|already|recognized|it is|that|to|to undress myself|of|these|clothes|where|there is|collected|so much water|that|to squeeze it|a|sea --My most urgent need, said the viscount (our readers will have already recognized him) is to strip off these clothes that are soaked with enough water to squeeze out a sea. Con questa pozzanghera indosso, non posso fare un movimento, non posso sedere... Ah! with|this|puddle|I am wearing|not|I can|to make|a|movement|not|I can|to sit|Ah With this puddle I’m wearing, I can’t make a move, I can’t sit... Ah! l’ho scampata bella! I have|escaped|beautiful I narrowly escaped! Si è mai dato un acquazzone più micidiale? it|it is|ever|given|a|downpour|more|deadly Has there ever been a more deadly downpour? Io veniva da Burgoflores; il mio cavallo, spaventato dal fragore di un fulmine, mi avea balzato di sella... Ho dovuto proseguire a piedi sotto un diluvio dì pioggia, per una strada tramutata in torrente... Buon per me che all’ingresso del paese ho veduto del lume agli spiragli delle vostre griglie; buon per me che, bussando alla vostra porta, ebbi la consolazione di vederla aprirsi immediatamente e di trovar qui l’accoglienza più cordiale ed onesta! I|I was coming|from|Burgoflores|the|my|horse|scared|by the|noise|of|a|lightning|to me|it had|jumped|off|saddle|I have|to|to continue|on|foot|under|a|deluge|of|rain|for|a|road|transformed|into|torrent|good|for|me|that|at the entrance|of the|village|I have|seen|some|light|to the|openings|of the|your|grates|good|for|me|that|knocking|to the|your|door|I had|the|consolation|to|to see it|opening|immediately|and|to|to find|here|the welcome|most|cordial|and|honest I was coming from Burgoflores; my horse, frightened by the roar of a lightning bolt, had thrown me off the saddle... I had to continue on foot under a deluge of rain, along a road turned into a torrent... Good for me that at the entrance of the village I saw light through the slits of your grilles; good for me that, knocking on your door, I had the consolation of seeing it open immediately and finding here the warmest and most honest welcome! Dunque, miei buoni reverendi, non serve che io insista davantaggio.... Compite l’opera di carità, liberatemi da questo incubo di acqua piovana da cui sento a dozzine filtrarmi i reumi nelle carni e nelle ossa. therefore|my|good|reverends|not|it serves|that|I|I insist|advantage|complete|the work|of|charity|free me|from|this|nightmare|of|water|rain|from|which|I feel|to|dozens|filtering me|the|rheumatism|in the|flesh|and|in the|bones So, my good reverends, there is no need for me to insist further.... Complete the work of charity, free me from this nightmare of rainwater from which I feel dozens of rheums filtering into my flesh and bones. Io spero bene di potere un giorno compensarvi... I|I hope|well|to|to be able|a|day|to compensate you I hope to be able to repay you one day...

--Calmatevi, gentildonna, interruppe il parroco con apostolica benevolenza; poiché il Signore Iddio e la beata Dorotea nostra patrona ci hanno voluto porgere una così bella occasiono di esercitare la carità e la fratellanza cristiana, noi soccorreremo con gioia al vostro infortunio, esclusa ogni idea di compensi terreni. calm down|gentlewoman|he interrupted|the|parish priest|with|apostolic|kindness|because|the|Lord|God|and|the|blessed|Dorothea|our|patron|to us|they have|wanted|to offer|a|so|beautiful|opportunity|to|to exercise|the|charity|and|the|brotherhood|Christian|we|we will help|with|joy|to the|your|misfortune|excluded|every|idea|of|compensations|earthly --Calm down, gentlewoman, interrupted the parish priest with apostolic kindness; since the Lord God and our blessed patroness Dorotea have wanted to give us such a beautiful opportunity to exercise charity and Christian brotherhood, we will gladly assist you in your misfortune, excluding any idea of earthly compensation. Don Fulgenzio, conducete subito alla guardaroba questa donna sventurata! Mr|Fulgenzio|you (plural) lead|immediately|to the|wardrobe|this|woman|unfortunate Don Fulgenzio, take this unfortunate woman to the wardrobe immediately! La nostra guardaroba, o gentildonna, non può fornirvi che degli abiti da prete; ma, tanto, per questa notte vi serviranno... Domani si penserà a far asciugare e stirare le vostre gonnelle; e voi potrete, o signora, colla benedizione di Dio, riposata ed incolume, proseguire il vostro cammino. the|our|wardrobe|or|lady|not|it can|to provide you|that|some|clothes|from|priest|but|so|for|this|night|you|they will serve|tomorrow|oneself|it will be thought|to|to make|to dry|and|to iron|the|your|skirts|and|you|you will be able|or|lady|with the|blessing|of|God|rested|and|unharmed|to continue|the|your|journey Our wardrobe, dear lady, can only provide you with priestly garments; but, for tonight, they will suffice... Tomorrow we will think about drying and ironing your skirts; and you will be able, madam, with God's blessing, to continue your journey rested and unharmed.

Il visconte, amantissimo, come sappiamo, delle strane avventure, all’idea di quel nuovo e bizzarro travestimento, provò un sussulto di gioia, e seguendo senz’altro attendere il coadiutore che lo precedeva col lume, salì con esso alle stanze superiori, dove il dabben prete, dopo avergli messo innanzi un copioso assortimento di braghe e di sottane nere, lo lasciò solo. the|viscount|very loving|as|we know|of the|strange|adventures|at the idea|of|that|new|and|bizarre|disguise|he felt|a|jolt|of|joy|and|following|without delay|to wait|the|assistant|who|him|he was preceding|with|light|he went up|with|it|to the|rooms|upper|where|the|simple|priest|after|having to him|put|in front|a|abundant|assortment|of|trousers|and|of|skirts|black|him|he left|alone The viscount, very fond, as we know, of strange adventures, felt a thrill of joy at the idea of that new and bizarre disguise, and without waiting for the assistant who was leading the way with the light, he followed him up to the upper rooms, where the simple priest, after presenting him with a plentiful assortment of black trousers and skirts, left him alone. Era don Fulgenzio uno di quei preti esemplarmente morigerati, ai quali sembra di commettere peccato mortale al solo gettar gli occhi sul collo ignudo di una donna. he was|Mr|Fulgenzio|one|of|those|priests|exemplary|well-behaved|to the|which|it seems|to|to commit|sin|mortal|at the|only|to throw|the|eyes|on the|neck|naked|of|a|woman Don Fulgenzio was one of those exemplary and modest priests, for whom it seems a mortal sin to even cast their eyes upon a woman's bare neck.

In meno di un quarto d’ora la trasfigurazione del visconte fu completa. in|less|than|a|quarter|of an hour|the|transfiguration|of the|viscount|it was|complete In less than a quarter of an hour, the viscount's transformation was complete. I due reverendi che lo attendevano nel salottino, al vederlo rientrare, non poterono trattenere un’esclamazione di meraviglia. the|two|reverends|that|him|they were waiting|in the|small living room|upon|seeing him|to return|not|they could|to hold back|an exclamation|of|wonder The two reverends who were waiting for him in the sitting room could not help but exclaim in wonder when they saw him return. Essi erano ben lungi dall’immaginare che una donna potesse con tanta dignità e disinvoltura portare l’abito sacerdotale. they|they were|well|far|from imagining|that|a|woman|she could|with|so much|dignity|and|ease|to wear|the garment|priestly They were far from imagining that a woman could wear the priestly garment with such dignity and ease. Il visconte avea le sembianze di un ingenuo e modesto diacono, che rientra dalla chiesa nella sacristia dopo aver celebrata la sua prima messa. the|viscount|he had|the|appearance|of|a|naive|and|modest|deacon|that|he returns|from the|church|in the|sacristy|after|having|celebrated|the|his|first|mass The viscount had the appearance of a naive and modest deacon, returning from the church to the sacristy after celebrating his first mass.

--Miei ospiti reverendi, disse il giovane coll’accento della più cordiale riconoscenza, in questi abiti asciutti e puliti m’è sembrato di rivivere. my|guests|reverend|he said|the|young|with the accent|of the|most|cordial|gratitude|in|these|clothes|dry|and|clean|to me it is|it seemed|to|to relive --My reverend guests, said the young man with the accent of the most cordial gratitude, in these dry and clean clothes it seemed to me that I was reliving. Ora, vi prego di non darvi altra pena per me. now|you|I ask|to|not|to give yourselves|other|trouble|for|me Now, I beg you not to trouble yourselves any further for me. La notte è molto avanzata, andate a riposarvi. the|night|it is|very|late|you go|to|to rest The night is very advanced, go and rest. Io attenderò il mattino in questo salotto, dormirò sovrà una seggiola.... I|I will wait|the|morning|in|this|living room|I will sleep|on|a|chair I will wait for the morning in this living room, I will sleep on a chair....

--Per verità, interruppe il parroco, saremmo stati imbarazzati ad offrirvi una camera ed un letto. for|truth|he interrupted|the|parish priest|we would be|been|embarrassed|to|to offer you|a|room|and|a|bed --To tell the truth, the priest interrupted, we would have been embarrassed to offer you a room and a bed. Domani, per solennizzare il centenario della nostra santa patrona, deve giungere a Mirlovia l’arcivescovo di Rosinburgos, e noi, naturalmente, abbiamo già preparati i letti e addobbate le camere per alloggiare monsignore ed il suo seguito. tomorrow|to|to celebrate|the|centenary|of the|our|holy|patroness|it must|to arrive|at|Mirlovia|the archbishop|of|Rosinburgos|and|we|naturally|we have|already|prepared|the|beds|and|decorated|the|rooms|to|to accommodate|monsignor|and|the|his|entourage Tomorrow, to celebrate the centenary of our holy patroness, the archbishop of Rosinburgos must arrive in Mirlovia, and we, of course, have already prepared the beds and decorated the rooms to accommodate Monsignor and his entourage. Poichè non vi disgrada di passare la notte in questo salottino, vi prego di osservare che qui vi è un divano abbastanza soffice e pulito, dove potrete coricarvi. because|not|you|it displeases|to|to spend|the|night|in|this|small living room|you|I ask|to|to observe|that|here|there|it is|a|sofa|quite|soft|and|clean|where|you can|to lie down Since you do not mind spending the night in this small living room, I ask you to note that there is a sofa here that is quite soft and clean, where you can lie down. Buona notte, signora! good|night|lady Good night, madam! Sulla mensa c’è del pane e del cacio, nel fiaschetto dell’eccellente malvasia; servitevi a piacer vostro! on the|table|there is|some|bread|and|some|cheese|in the|small flask|of the excellent|malvasia wine|help yourselves|to|pleasure|your On the table, there is some bread and cheese, in the flask of excellent malvasia; help yourselves as you please! Noi siamo affranti dalle fatiche della giornata e abbiamo bisogno di dormire in pace qualche ora.... Che il buon Dio vi benedica e guardi noi tutti dalle tentazioni! we|we are|exhausted|from the|labors|of the|day|and|we have|need|to|to sleep|in|peace|some|hour|that|the|good|God|you|bless|and|watch|us|all|from the|temptations We are weary from the day's labors and need to sleep in peace for a few hours.... May the good Lord bless you and protect us all from temptation!

--_Amen!_ rispose don Fulgenzio, uscendo col parroco dal salottino. Amen|he answered|Mr|Fulgenzio|exiting|with the|parish priest|from the|small living room --_Amen!_ replied Don Fulgenzio, leaving the small sitting room with the parish priest.

E il visconte rimase solo a pavoneggiarsi nel suo abbigliamento da abate, in preda ad una esaltazione di ilarità, che mai l’uguale gli era accaduto di gustare nelle molteplici vicende della sua vita avventurosa e brillante. and|the|viscount|he remained|alone|to|to show off|in the|his|clothing|as|abbot|in|prey|to|a|exaltation|of|hilarity|that|never|the same|to him|it was|happened|to|to taste|in the|multiple|events|of the|his|life|adventurous|and|brilliant And the viscount remained alone, preening himself in his abbot's attire, in a state of exhilaration, which he had never experienced in the many adventures of his adventurous and brilliant life.