Communication » 1A Interacting
SUMMARIES OF THE SHORT STORIES IN BOOK: “OUTSTANDING SHORT STORIES”
1. The man who could work miracles (H. G. Wells)
Vocabulary
- Quite: completamente
- Inn: locanda – osteria
- Dusty: polveroso
- Landlord: proprietario
- Will: volontà
- Innkeeper: locandiere
- Upside down: capovolto
- Unwillingly: riluttante
- Steadily: costantemente
- Crash: fragore
- To cry out: gridare, chiamare
- Faint: svenimento
- Pain: dolore
- Upon: su
- To go out: uscire, spegnersi
- To be on fire: essere in fiamme
- Fool: pazzo
- Closely: da vicino
- Trick: trucco
- Puzzled: perplesso
- To take off: togliersi
- To raise up: alzarsi
- Several: parecchio, diverso
- Attempt: tentativo
- Wide: largo, profondo
- Tooth-brush: spazzolino da denti
- To reach: arrivare a, contattare, passare
- To strike: accendere (match)
- Further: ulteriore
- Duty: dovere, compito
- To struggle: lottare
- Hastily: frettolosamente
- To wonder: essere sorpreso
- Landlady: padrona di casa
- To supply: fornire
- Knowledge: conoscenza
- Delight: piacere
- Joke: scherzo
- Breakable: fragile
- Lane: sentiero
- To stick: conficcare, attaccare
- Scent: profumo
- Anger: rabbia
- Bush: cespuglio
- Fiercely: ferocemente
- Hades: Ade
- Good heavens!: santo cielo!
- Gentle: delicato, leggero
- Scarcely: appena
- Bowl: scodella, fornello
- To bring back: restituire
- Cry: grido
- To urge: spronare
- Sorrowfully: tristemente
- Housekeeper: donna delle pulizie
- Doubtful: dubbio
- To yield: produrre, fruttare
- Slightly: leggermente
- Drunkards: ubriacone
- Thankful: grato
- To seize: afferrare
- To fasten: chiudere, allacciare
- Else: altro
- Cow: mucca
- Breathless: senza fiato
- Fault: difetto
- Heap: mucchio
- Hatred: odio
- To lift: sollevare
- To argue: litigare
A thirty-years-old man, Mr. Fotheringay, didn’t believe in miracles. A day he was having a drink with a friend in an inn, who believed in miracles. They discussed about their existence, and Fotheringay gave a negative demonstration with a lamp. Unexpectedly, the lamp did that Fotheringay ordered; so he did a miracle. Then, Fotheringay tried other miracles the days after. Another day, while he was trying to make a dry tree blossom, a policeman saw him. Fotheringay, worried about the consequences of that happened, ordered to send him to Hades. Later, he regretted doing this, and sent him to San Francisco. So he decided to ask some advice to Mr. Maydig. He was amazed, but believed in him, and understood the great power Fotheringay had. Then, they started to do miracles together. A night, Mr. Maydig asked Fotheringay to stop the time and the turning of the Earth. He did that, but he didn’t considered the objects present on the surface of the Earth, and so every human being, living creature, plant and house was violently destroyed. Therefore, Fotheringay, the only man on the Earth, ordered to re-enable all things, and to remove his power.
2. The Model Millionaire (O. Wilde)
Vocabulary
- Unless: a meno che
- Wealthy: ricco
- Fellow: tipo
- Plenty: abbondanza
- Ill-natured: di cattivo carattere
- Looking glass: specchio
- Share: porzione
- a little longer: un po'
- Retired: andare in pensione
- Temper: carattere
- Fond: affezionato
- Engagement: fidanzamento
- Nowadays: oggigiorno
- Rough: ruvido
- Eagerly: ansiosamente
- Restful: riposante
- Beggar-man: mendicante
- To pity: avere pietà di
- To blame: dare la colpa a
- Laughter: risata
- To overcome: vincere
- To laugh: ridere
- Apology: scusa
- To beg: pregare, chiedere, mendicare
- Cheque: assegno
Hughie Erskine was a charming young man, but he had no profession and no money. He loved Laura Merton; they were the best-looking couple in London, and had not a penny between them. One morning, Hughie went to a friend, Alan Trevor. He was a painter. At that moment, he was painting a picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing in a corner of the room. In the eyes of Hughie, he looked very miserable, and, when Alan went away for a moment, he gave him a pound. In the evening, Alan and Hughie met in a club. Alan told Hughie the beggar was in reality a millionaire, called Baron Hausberg who wanted to be painted as a beggar, and he was very interested in him. Hughie was very astonished. The day after, a gentleman on behalf of the Baron came for an apology and gave him a wedding present for ten thousand pounds.
3. The doll’s house (K. Mansfield)
Vocabulary
- Carter: carrettiere
- Courtyard: cortile
- Harm: danno
- Chimney: camino
- Newness: novità
- Hook: gancio
- As though: come se
- Stiff: rigido
- To boast: vantarsi
- Eldest: maggiore
- Fence: recinto
- Washer-woman: lavandaia
- Bit: pezzo
- To pull: tirare
- Foolish: sciocco
- To swallow: inghiottire, tenere dentro
- To wrap: avvolgere
- Hatefully: odiosamente
- Carriage: carrozza, carello
- To swing: oscillare, dondolare, girare
- Gate: cancello
- Presently: attualmente
- Dot: punto
- To make up one’s mind: decidersi
- To drag: trascinare
- To dare: osare
- Shame: vergogna
- To move closer: avvicinarsi
One day Mr. Hay sent to Burnell’s children, Isabel, Lottie and Kezia, a wonderful doll’s house. It was like a real house; all was very realistic. Particularly, Kezia was struck down of a lamp; it was yellow, with a glass, and seemed to be real. The three children, especially Isabel, told their schoolmates about the house. Besides, their mother let them invite two at a time in the courtyard to see it. All the schoolmates were amazed, except Lil and Else Kelveys. They were the children of a washer-woman and a man who was in prison. For this reason, they were isolated from the school population. Nobody could tell their a word. So, they hardly ever speak. They always understood each other. But Kezia wanted to show them the house too. An afternoon, the Kelveys passed through the Brunell’s courtyard. Kezia noticed of them, and invited them to see her doll’s house. While they saw it, Kezia’s aunt came there, chased away the Kelveys and reproached Kezia. When Lil and Else were out of Burnell’s sight, they sat and rested. Else smiled, and tell her sister she saw the little lamp.
4. X-ing a paragraph (E. A. Poe)
Vocabulary
- Bullet: pallottola
- Bad-tempered: irascibile
- Firmness: fermezza
- Press: stampa
- Forth: avanti
- To tear: strappare, stroncare
- Remark: osservazione
- Fierce: feroce
- Habit: abitudine
- To owe: dovere
- Humble: umile
- To perform: compiere, eseguire
- Proof: prova
- Threat: minaccia
- Deaf: sordo
- Unequalled: ineguagliato
- Ho: oh, escolamazione
- Pooh: puah!
- Cool: calmo
- Sorrow: tristezza
- Meantime: intanto
- Chief: capo
- Although: sebbene
- Plentiful: abbondante
- Accustomed: abituato
- Devilish: diabolico
- Nowhere: da nessuna parte
Mr. Touch-and-go Bullet-head was a wise editor. One day he decided unwisely to go to Alexander-the-Great-o-nopolis, and to publish a newspaper, the Tea-pot. There was already a journal in that town, the Alexander-the-Great-o-nopolis-Gazette; the editor was Mr. John Smith. But Mr. Bullet-head remained however. The first number of the Tea-pot had a leading article “full of exclamations”. The Gazette answered back remarking that Mr. Bullet couldn’t write a word without an “o” inside. Mr. Bullet-head got angry and decided to write a whole paragraph in which every word had an “o” in it. He prepared the text, and gave it to the printer’s boy, Bob. But he noticed there weren’t any “o”, neither a big one nor a little one. Probably the journalists of the Gazette stole them. He informed the chief, who told him to replace with any letter. Bob decided to substitute the “x” for the “o”. So, the article caused a lot of confusion. Mr. Bullet-head disappeared, and the x-ed paragraph was subject to a lot of hypothesis and misunderstanding.
5. Lord Mountdrago (S. Maugham)
Vocabulary
- Pale: pallido
- Lined: rugoso
- By accident: per caso
- Eyelid: palpebra
- Limb: arto
- Deal: patto
- Faith: fede, fiducia
- Willingly: volentieri
- Liar: bugiardo
- To prevent: impedire
- Selfish: egoista
- Scorn: disprezzo
- Insultingly: in modo offensivo
- At ease: a proprio agio
- Never mind: non importa
- Relief: sollievo, soccorso, cambio
- Handkerchief: fazzoletto
- Grave: grave
- Amused: divertito
- Mere: solo
- Brightly: intensamente, allegramente
- To seize: afferrare, catturare
- Revenge: vendetta
- Dismissed: dismesso
- Chance: caso, possibilità, occasione
- Greatness: grandezza
- Cowardly: codardo
- Awkward: goffo, imbarazzante
- Nuisance: seccatura
- Miner: miniatore
- Schoolmaster: insegnante
- Half-formed: formato a metà
- Shallow: basso, poco profondo
- To be/feel ashamed: vergognarsi
- To bring in: introdurre
- Altogether: in tutto
Lord Mountdrago was the Secretary of British State for Foreign Affairs, a domineering and arrogant man. He considered the British State his only living reason, and he would never leave his job. But he had strange dreams lately. Therefore, he decided to ask some advice to Dr. Audlin. He was a good-reputation-psycho-analyst, he knew the human mind very well. Lord Mountdrago told him his strange dreams, and remarked there was a recurring character in them. He was Owen Griffiths, a Welsh Member of Parliament, and he persecuted Lord Mountdrago in the dreams. Besides, the events happened in the Lord Mountdrago’s dreams were remembered by Owen Griffiths too. The situation was dramatic, and Mountdrago couldn’t sleep quietly. Dr. Audlin asked him if he have done anything to that man that he might think was wrong. Moundrago said he ruined his reputation when they compete for the place of Secretary for Foreign Affairs. So, Dr. Audlin told him the only way to heal was to give an apology to Griffiths. He refused to do this. The day after he didn’t go to the appointment. Dr. Audlin read the newspaper. In the front page there was written: “Death of Foreign Minister”. Dr. Audlin was very discouraged and amazed. Then he turned the page and read: “Death of a Member Parliament, Owen Griffiths”. Perhaps Mountdrago killed him in one of his dreams, and died later. Maybe Mountdrago killed himself and Griffiths followed him to persecute still as dead.
6. Lord Emsworth and the girl friend (P. G. Wodehouse)
Vocabulary
- Fair: bello (weather)
- Blameless: innocente
- Hatred: odio
- To concern: preoccupare
- Priest: prete
- To gaze: fissare, guardare
- Forward to: in avanti, avanti
- To bow: inchinarsi, piegare
- To rub: sfregare
- Straw: paglia
- To warn: avvertire
- Pain: dolore
- Butler: maggiordomo
Lord Emsworth was the owner of the Blandings Castle. It had big and peaceful gardens in it, and their gardener was Agnus McAllister, a stubborn and rough man. He wanted to build a path under the trees. He was particularly jealous of “his” gardens, and chased away anyone we picked a flower. Lord Emsworth’s sister was Lady Constance; he didn’t like her. The story was set during the August Bank Holiday, when children and visitors went to the Blandings Castle. Lord Emsworth wasn’t happy for this. He also had to judge the cottage gardens. While he was doing that, he met a little girl, Gladys, and her brother Ern, with a bunch of flowers in his hands. Gladys picked them in the gardens, and hit McAllister with a stone.
The first Monday of August there was a children tea party in a tent of that castle. Lord Emsworth had to give a speech to the children. But while he was starting to speak, children made confusion and threw him a piece of cake. Emsworth went away, and came out to the gardens. In them, Emsworth found Gladys who was stealing food for her brother. She told him he wasn’t allowed to take part in the party because he bit Lady Constance’s leg (he was convinced to be a dog). Thus, Emsworth got angry with his sister and gave the food to the girl. She wanted to pick up some flowers too. She did this, but McAllister chased away her. Emsworth defended her and authorized her to pick the flowers. McAllister didn’t talk and there was a deathly hush for a moment. Emsworth refused to give the speech and went with Gladys.
7. The courtship of Susan Bell (A. Trollope)
Vocabulary
- Widowhood: vedovanza
- Widow: vedova
- Smooth: liscio, scorrevole
- Misfortune: sfortuna
- Praise: lode
- To fix: preparare, aggiustare
- Worldly: materiale, materialista
- Sharp: tagliente, severo, acuto
- To matter: importare
- Wicked: cattivo, malizioso
- Merely: solamente
Summary
Hetta and Susan Bell were two sister. They lived with their mother and a servant called Kate O’Brien in Saratoga Springs; her father was dead. A winter an engineer, called Aaron Dunn, came to that town to control the restructuring of a near bridge. He was allowed to stay temporary in Bell’s house by an uncle of the dead father. The man was interested in Susan, and he made some drawings of the bridge for her. But he didn’t have the courage to give her them; and he was worried about the response of the mother and Hetta. Susan also liked him. After some days Aaron Dunn declared his love to Susan. But he had to leave Saratoga Springs for works affairs. He hasn’t been in touch since. When he returned, Susan was ill. He told her he had enough money to live with a wife.