Alla Ricerca Della Freschezza – Part 2 Posted by Geoff on Aug 15, 2018
Whilst mad dogs and Englishmen are out in the midday sun, we’re heading for the mountains. Specifically, to Lago Santo, a beautiful mountain lake at 1,507 metres above sea level in the Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. In part 1 I described the debilitating heat of August and gave examples of some of the vocabulary that…
Putting Together The Pieces. Posted by Serena on Aug 9, 2018
Here’s the final chapter in our detective story The Strange Case Of The Irregular Body. La sera successiva al raid sull’Isola di Montecristo e l’arresto del Dottor Franco Sasso, il Tenente Ciceri può finalmente rilassarsi un po’ con la famiglia. A cena in pizzeria, davanti ad una bella pizza marinara, i tre figli, curiosi di…
Alla Ricerca Della Freschezza – Part 1 Posted by Geoff on Aug 6, 2018
In autumn, winter, or spring I’m always pleased to see him … But now, in August, when he creeps round onto my patio, I don’t want him there. I wish he’d leave me in peace, and I retreat indoors to close him out. ‘He’ (‘Lui‘) is the sun (il sole), and right now he’s not…
Tongue-Tied? – Keep It Simple! Posted by Geoff on Aug 3, 2018
What student of Italian doesn’t dream of being able to pour forth impressive grammatically correct sentences, or hold fluent, colloquial discourses with the ‘natives’? But running before you can walk is quite likely to reduce you to a bumbling troglodyte! Oh, the amazing conversations that I had in my head when I was learning Italian…
A Ghastly Discovery! – Translation Posted by Geoff on Jul 30, 2018
Here’s my English translation for Chapter 10 of our detective story. Il furgone refrigeratore con a bordo l’uomo incappucciato, l’Ispettore Augusto e il Tenente Ciceri, si ferma ai piedi della scalinata d’ingresso di Villa Reale. Sulla veranda, ad aspettarli, c’è un uomo che indossa un camice bianco. The refrigerated van, with the hooded man, Inspector…
A Ghastly Discovery! Posted by Serena on Jul 27, 2018
Today, in the next chapter of our detective story, Inspector Augusto and Lieutenant Ciceri uncover the mystery of the Island of Montecristo. Il furgone refrigeratore con a bordo l’uomo incappucciato, l’Ispettore Augusto e il Tenente Ciceri, si ferma ai piedi della scalinata d’ingresso di Villa Reale. Sulla veranda, ad aspettarli, c’è un uomo che indossa…
Italian Cognates Posted by Geoff on Jul 25, 2018
Identifying similarities between Italian and English words can be a very useful way of expanding your vocabulary, but it also has its pitfalls. English is a Germanic language which has been heavily influenced by the Romance languages throughout its history. The Renaissance period in particular brought a huge influx of Latin words, and it’s estimated…