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Il Nostro Giardino Alternativo – English Translation Posted by Geoff on Jun 27, 2019
Con l’arrivo della bella stagione è arrivato anche il desiderio di dedicarci al giardinaggio, ma per quest’anno abbiamo pensato ad un giardino alternativo. The arrival of summer has brought with it the desire to dedicate ourselves to gardening, but this year we’ve come up with an idea for a different kind of garden. Siccome il…
A Long Train Journey Posted by Geoff on Jun 13, 2019
Did you read Serena’s recent blog, Un Lungo Viaggio In Treno, and if so, did you arrive at a satisfactory translation? Here’s my version. It’s not a literal word by word translation, but an interpretation, something that all students of Italian should be aiming at. Cosa c’è di più bello che guardare fuori dal finestrino…
Let’s Dance – Grammar and Vocabulary Posted by Geoff on May 30, 2019
Last week, Serena wrote about her experience in an Italian folk dance workshop. I thought it would be useful to focus in on a few points of grammar. Una sera d’estate di qualche anno fa avevo visto ballare la pizzica e altre danze tradizionali del Sud Italia qui in piazza a Pontremoli e ne ero…
Finding Your Way Around In Italy Posted by Geoff on May 7, 2019
At this time of year many people are starting to dream of a summer vacation in Italy. Time to brush up on that rusty Italian vocabulary? These days, of course, English is spoken in all the big tourist hotspots, so those places don’t present much of a challenge. But if, like us, you prefer to…
Confusing Similarities In Italian Words Posted by Geoff on Apr 25, 2019
Italian, confusing? Surely not! 🤔 The convolutions of Italian grammar can be overwhelming, but it’s often the subtleties that can be persistently confusing. Such as my two pet hates, two little groups of words that still occasionally trip me up after all these years. And I guarantee that they’ll trip you up as well, especially…
L’Incontro – Part 2 – Translation Posted by Geoff on Apr 23, 2019
Here’s my translation of Serena’s tale about her parents romantic encounter. Come abbiamo detto, intorno al 1957 zio Bill si trovava a Bengasi come soldato dell’esercito britannico di stanza in Libia, che era diventata dominio britannico. Con lui c’erano la moglie Vicky, sorella di mia mamma, e i due figli, nati subito dopo il matrimonio…
L’Incontro – Part 1 – Translation Posted by Geoff on Apr 12, 2019
How did you manage with your translation of Serena’s post, L’Incontro – Part 1? Let’s find out! Cominciamo dalle origini: Let’s begin from the beginning: Papà, cioè Nicola Cricorian, era nato a Bengasi, in Libia, nel 1921 da genitori armeni. Agli inizi del Novecento i suoi genitori, ancora bambini, erano fuggiti dall’Armenia insieme alle loro…