A Doll's House | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A2 Students

A Doll's House | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A2 Students

This progressive translation technique brings multiple benefits to language learners. It lets you choose the difficulty level that matches your abilities, making sure the material is challenging but not too difficult. By focusing on understanding words in context, this method boosts your comprehension skills. While direct translations are slightly hidden to promote guessing from context, you can always check unfamiliar words. This approach makes learning a new language both engaging and accessible, offering the right mix of difficulty and encouragement. Embark on a journey through translated classics and enjoy the process of learning through reading.

ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnishedcomfortablyandtastefully,butnotextravagantly.
Attheback,adoortotheright
porta
leads
totheentrance-hall,anothertotheleft
porta
leads
toHelmer’sstudy.
Betweenthedoorsstandsapiano.
Inthe
centro
middle
oftheleft-handwallisadoor,andbeyondita
finestra
window
.
Nearthewindowarearound
tavolo
table
,arm-chairsandasmallsofa.
Intheright-hand
parete
wall
,atthefartherend,anotherdoor;
andonthesameside,nearerthefootlights,astove,twoeasychairsandarocking-chair;
betweenthestoveandthedoor,asmall
tavolo
table
.
Engravingsonthewalls;
acabinetwithchinaandothersmallobjects;
asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andafire
brucia
burns
inthestove.
Itiswinter.
Abell
suona
rings
inthehall;
shortlyafterwardsthedoorisheardtoopen.
EnterNORA,hummingatuneandinhighspirits.
Sheisinoutdoordressand
porta
carries
anumberofparcels;
theseshelaysonthe
tavolo
table
totheright.
NORA.
Nascondi
Hide
theChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.
Besurethechildrendonotseeituntilthisevening,whenitis
vestito
dressed
.
[TothePORTER,takingoutherpurse.]Howmuch?
PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisashilling.
No,keepthechange.
[ThePORTERthanksher,andgoesout.
NORAshutsthedoor.
Sheis
ridendo
laughing
toherself,asshetakesoffherhatandcoat.
Shetakesapacketofmacaroonsfromherpocketandeatsoneortwo;
thengoescautiouslytoherhusband’sdoorandlistens.]Yes,heisin.
HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Isthatmylittlelarktwitteringoutthere?
NORA.
[busyopeningsomeoftheparcels].
Yes,itis!
HELMER.
Isitmylittlesquirrelbustlingabout?
NORA.
Yes!
HELMER.
Whendidmysquirrelcomehome?
NORA.
Justnow.
[Putsthe
borsa
bag
ofmacaroonsintoherpocketandwipeshermouth.]Comeinhere,Torvald,andseewhatIhavebought.
HELMER.
Don’tdisturbme.
[Alittlelater,heopensthedoorandlooksintotheroom,peninhand.]Bought,didyousay?
Allthesethings?
Hasmylittlespendthriftbeen
sprecato
wasting
moneyagain?
NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,thisyearwereallycanletourselvesgoalittle.
Thisisthefirst
Natale
Christmas
thatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.
HELMER.
Still,youknow,wecan’t
spendere
spend
moneyrecklessly.
NORA.
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeaweebitmorerecklessnow,mayn’twe?
Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingtohaveabigsalaryandearnlotsandlotsofmoney.
HELMER.
Yes,aftertheNewYear;
butthenitwillbeawholequarterbeforethesalaryisdue.
NORA.
Pooh!
wecanborrowuntilthen.
HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoherandtakesherplayfullybytheear.]Thesamelittlefeatherhead!
Supponiamo
Suppose
,now,thatIborrowedfiftypoundstoday,andyou
spesi
spent
itallinthe
Natale
Christmas
week,andthenonNewYear’sEveaslatefellonmyheadandkilledme,and—.
NORA.
[puttingherhandsoverhismouth].
Oh!
don’tsaysuchhorridthings.
HELMER.
Still,
supponiamo
suppose
thathappened,—whatthen?
NORA.
Ifthatweretohappen,Idon’t
suppongo
suppose
IshouldcarewhetherIowedmoneyornot.
HELMER.
Yes,butwhataboutthepeoplewhohadlentit?
NORA.
They?
Whowould
preoccuperebbe
bother
aboutthem?
Ishouldnotknowwhotheywere.
HELMER.
Thatislikeawoman!
But
seriamente
seriously
,Nora,youknowwhatIthinkaboutthat.
Nodebt,noborrowing.
Therecanbenofreedomor
bellezza
beauty
aboutahomelifethatdependsonborrowinganddebt.
Wetwohavekeptbravelyonthestraightroadsofar,andwewillgoonthesamewayforthe
breve
short
timelongerthatthereneedbeanystruggle.
NORA.
[movingtowardsthestove].
Asyouplease,Torvald.
HELMER.
[followingher].
Come,come,mylittleskylarkmustnotdroopherwings.
Whatisthis!
Ismylittlesquirreloutoftemper?
[Takingouthispurse.]Nora,whatdoyouthinkIhavegothere?
NORA.
[turningroundquickly].
Money!
HELMER.
Thereyouare.
[Giveshersomemoney.]DoyouthinkIdon’tknowwhatalotiswantedforhousekeepingatChristmas-time?
NORA.
[counting].
Tenshillings—apound—twopounds!
Thankyou,thankyou,Torvald;
thatwillkeepmegoingforalongtime.
HELMER.
Indeeditmust.
NORA.
Yes,yes,itwill.
ButcomehereandletmeshowyouwhatIhavebought.
Andallsocheap!
Look,hereisanewsuitforIvar,andasword;
anda
cavallo
horse
andatrumpetforBob;
andadollanddolly’sbedsteadforEmmy,—theyareveryplain,butanywayshewillsoonbreaktheminpieces.
Andherearedress-lengthsandhandkerchiefsforthemaids;
oldAnneoughtreallytohavesomethingbetter.
HELMER.
Andwhatisinthisparcel?
NORA.
[cryingout].
No,no!
youmustn’tseethatuntilthisevening.
HELMER.
Verywell.
Butnowtellme,youextravagantlittleperson,whatwouldyoulikeforyourself?
NORA.
Formyself?
Oh,IamsureIdon’twantanything.
HELMER.
Yes,butyoumust.
Tellmesomethingreasonablethatyouwouldparticularlyliketohave.
NORA.
No,Ireallycan’tthinkofanything—unless,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Well?
NORA.
[playingwithhiscoatbuttons,andwithout
alzare
raising
hereyestohis].
Ifyoureallywanttogivemesomething,youmight—youmight—.
HELMER.
Well,outwithit!
NORA.
[speakingquickly].
Youmightgivememoney,Torvald.
Onlyjustasmuchasyoucanafford;
andthenoneofthesedaysIwillbuysomethingwithit.
HELMER.
But,Nora—.
NORA.
Oh,do!
dearTorvald;
please,pleasedo!
ThenIwillwrapitupinbeautifulgilt
carta
paper
andhangitonthe
Natale
Christmas
Tree.
Wouldn’tthatbefun?
HELMER.
Whatarelittlepeoplecalledthatarealways
sprecano
wasting
money?
NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letusdoasyousuggest,Torvald,andthenIshallhavetimetothinkwhatIammostinwantof.
Thatisaverysensibleplan,isn’tit?
HELMER.
Sorrido
[smiling]
.
Indeeditis—thatistosay,ifyouwerereallytosaveoutofthemoneyIgiveyou,andthenreallybuysomethingforyourself.
Butifyou
spendi
spend
itallonthehousekeepingandanynumberofunnecessarythings,thenImerelyhavetopayupagain.
NORA.
Ohbut,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Youcan’tdenyit,mydearlittleNora.
[Putshisarmroundherwaist.]It’sasweetlittlespendthrift,butsheusesupadealofmoney.
Onewouldhardlybelievehowexpensivesuchlittlepersonsare!
NORA.
It’sashametosaythat.
IdoreallysaveallIcan.
HELMER.
[laughing].
That’sverytrue,—allyoucan.
Butyoucan’tsaveanything!
NORA.
[smilingquietlyandhappily].
Youhaven’tanyideahowmanyexpensesweskylarksandsquirrelshave,Torvald.
HELMER.
Youareanoddlittlesoul.
Verylikeyourfather.
Youalwaysfindsomenewwayofwheedlingmoneyoutofme,and,assoonasyouhavegotit,it
sembrano
seems
tomeltinyourhands.
Youneverknowwhereithasgone.
Still,onemusttakeyouasyouare.
Itisintheblood;
forindeeditistruethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.
NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinheritedmanyofpapa’squalities.
HELMER.
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mysweetlittleskylark.
But,doyouknow,itstrikesmethatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—ratheruneasytoday?
NORA.