Chapter 1 (3) Kapitel 1 (3) Capítulo 1 (3) Capitolo 1 (3) 第1章 (3) Capítulo 1 (3) Розділ 1 (3)

When he was old enough to walk out with his nurse, dragging a small wagon and wearing a short white kilt skirt, and a big white hat set back on his curly yellow hair, he was so handsome and strong and rosy that he attracted every one's attention, and his nurse would come home and tell his mamma stories of the ladies who had stopped their carriages to look at and speak to him, and of how pleased they were when he talked to them in his cheerful little way, as if he had known them always. Quando fu abbastanza grande da uscire con la balia, trascinando un piccolo carro e indossando un corto gonnellino bianco e un grande cappello bianco posato sui suoi ricci capelli gialli, era così bello, forte e roseo che attirava l'attenzione di tutti, e la balia tornava a casa e raccontava alla mamma le storie delle signore che avevano fermato le loro carrozze per guardarlo e parlargli, e di quanto fossero contente quando lui parlava loro con il suo modo allegro e piccolo, come se le avesse sempre conosciute. His greatest charm was this cheerful, fearless, quaint little way of making friends with people. Il suo fascino più grande era questo modo allegro, impavido e pittoresco di fare amicizia con le persone. I think it arose from his having a very confiding nature, and a kind little heart that sympathized with every one, and wished to make every one as comfortable as he liked to be himself. Credo che ciò derivi dal fatto che aveva una natura molto confidente e un cuoricino gentile che simpatizzava con tutti e che desiderava mettere tutti a proprio agio come lui stesso amava stare. It made him very quick to understand the feelings of those about him. Questo lo rendeva molto rapido nel comprendere i sentimenti di coloro che lo circondavano. Perhaps this had grown on him, too, because he had lived so much with his father and mother, who were always loving and considerate and tender and well-bred. Forse anche questo era cresciuto in lui, perché aveva vissuto così tanto con suo padre e sua madre, che erano sempre amorevoli e premurosi, teneri e ben educati. He had never heard an unkind or uncourteous word spoken at home; he had always been loved and caressed and treated tenderly, and so his childish soul was full of kindness and innocent warm feeling. In casa non aveva mai sentito pronunciare una parola sgarbata o scortese; era sempre stato amato, accarezzato e trattato con tenerezza, e così il suo animo infantile era pieno di gentilezza e di innocente calore. He had always heard his mamma called by pretty, loving names, and so he used them himself when he spoke to her; he had always seen that his papa watched over her and took great care of her, and so he learned, too, to be careful of her.

So when he knew his papa would come back no more, and saw how very sad his mamma was, there gradually came into his kind little heart the thought that he must do what he could to make her happy. He was not much more than a baby, but that thought was in his mind whenever he climbed upon her knee and kissed her and put his curly head on her neck, and when he brought his toys and picture-books to show her, and when he curled up quietly by her side as she used to lie on the sofa. Non era molto più di un bambino, ma quel pensiero era nella sua mente ogni volta che saliva sulle sue ginocchia e la baciava e le appoggiava la sua testa riccioluta sul collo, e quando le portava i suoi giocattoli e i suoi libri illustrati da mostrare, e quando si accoccolava tranquillamente al suo fianco come lei era solita sdraiarsi sul divano. He was not old enough to know of anything else to do, so he did what he could, and was more of a comfort to her than he could have understood. Non era abbastanza grande per sapere cos'altro fare, quindi fece quello che poté e le fu di conforto più di quanto potesse capire.

"Oh, Mary!" he heard her say once to her old servant; "I am sure he is trying to help me in his innocent way--I know he is. He looks at me sometimes with a loving, wondering little look, as if he were sorry for me, and then he will come and pet me or show me something. A volte mi guarda con uno sguardo amorevole e interrogativo, come se fosse dispiaciuto per me, e poi viene ad accarezzarmi o a mostrarmi qualcosa. He is such a little man, I really think he knows." As he grew older, he had a great many quaint little ways which amused and interested people greatly. Con l'avanzare dell'età, aveva un gran numero di modi pittoreschi che divertivano e interessavano molto le persone. He was so much of a companion for his mother that she scarcely cared for any other. Era un compagno così importante per sua madre che lei non si curava di nessun altro. They used to walk together and talk together and play together. When he was quite a little fellow, he learned to read; and after that he used to lie on the hearth-rug, in the evening, and read aloud--sometimes stories, and sometimes big books such as older people read, and sometimes even the newspaper; and often at such times Mary, in the kitchen, would hear Mrs. Errol laughing with delight at the quaint things he said. Als er noch recht klein war, lernte er lesen, und danach pflegte er sich abends auf den Kamin zu legen und laut zu lesen - manchmal Geschichten, manchmal dicke Bücher, wie sie ältere Leute lesen, und manchmal sogar die Zeitung; und oft hörte Mary zu solchen Zeiten in der Küche, wie Mrs. Errol über die wunderlichen Dinge lachte, die er sagte. Quando era abbastanza piccolo, imparò a leggere; e poi si sdraiava sul copri focolare, la sera, e leggeva ad alta voce - a volte storie, a volte grandi libri come quelli che leggono gli anziani, e a volte anche il giornale; e spesso in questi momenti Mary, in cucina, sentiva la signora Errol ridere di gusto per le cose pittoresche che diceva.

"And; indade," said Mary to the groceryman, "nobody cud help laughin' at the quare little ways of him--and his ould-fashioned sayin's! "E, naturalmente", disse Mary al droghiere, "nessuno può fare a meno di ridere dei suoi modi un po' strani e dei suoi modi di dire all'antica! Didn't he come into my kitchen the noight the new Prisident was nominated and shtand afore the fire, lookin' loike a pictur', wid his hands in his shmall pockets, an' his innocent bit of a face as sayrious as a jedge? Non è forse venuto nella mia cucina la notte in cui è stato nominato il nuovo Presidente e si è messo a sedere davanti al fuoco, con un aspetto simile a quello di un quadro, con le mani nelle sue piccole tasche e la sua faccia innocente come una giuggiola? An' sez he to me: 'Mary,' sez he, 'I'm very much int'rusted in the 'lection,' sez he. 'I'm a 'publican, an' so is Dearest. Io sono un pubblicano, e anche Carissima lo è. Are you a 'publican, Mary?' 'Sorra a bit,' sez I; 'I'm the bist o' dimmycrats!' 'Sorra un po'', dissi io; 'sono il più grande dei cretini!'. An' he looks up at me wid a look that ud go to yer heart, an' sez he: 'Mary,' sez he, 'the country will go to ruin.' E mi guarda con uno sguardo che ti arriva al cuore, e dice: "Mary", disse, "il paese andrà in rovina". An' nivver a day since thin has he let go by widout argyin' wid me to change me polytics." E da allora non è mai passato un giorno senza che mi abbia chiesto di cambiare la mia politica".