Original version

Italian version

Reason

Mission

Missione

It has the function to characterize the investigative attitude of the American man.

I am a lover of America

Io amo l’America

It introduces Changez’s passion. The intelligent reader can make conjectures about his consideration of America’s system.

This is a dream come true

É un sogno che si avvera

It shows to the reader that his main aspiration is to live in America and to adopt American lifestyle.

Typical of America

Tipico dell’America

It underlines that there are lots of differences between what is typical in America and what is typical in Pakistan.

But status, as in any traditional, class-conscious society, declines more slowly than wealth

Ma lo status, come in ogni società tradizionale e classista, declina più lentamente della ricchezza

It highlights Changez’s point of view about American society and also about any other society: the reader can understand that he has an opposing opinion about America.

Original version

Italian version

Reason

I see one in particular has caught your eye; she is indeed a beauty

Vedo che una in particolare ha catturato il suo sguardo; in effetti è una bellezza

It makes the reader under stand that Changez was so attracted and he can only focus his attention on her beauty, maybe because he never saw someone like her.

Her hair was piled up like a tiara on her head

Aveva i capelli raccolti come in una corona sulla sua testa

Changez identifies her as a queen for him. So she represents a very important reference point to him.

You miss home

Ti manca la tua casa

Erica understands secrets Changez’s feeling so she is a smart girl, but fist she can understand Changez.

Expect my home was a guy with long,skinny fingers

Ad aspettarmi a casa c’era un ragazzo dalle dita lunghe e sottili

It makes clear that changez is in a difficult situation:he loves Erica but she is still in love with her dead boyfriend, who represented her home.

It is remarkable, I must say, how being in Pakistan heightens one's sensitivity to the sight of a woman's body

É straordinario, devo dire, come il fatto di trovarsi in Pakistan acuisca la sensibilità alla vista del corpo femminile

It underlines the contrast between American culture and Pakistan culture.

Original version

Italian version

Reason

(…) moving to New Your felt so unexpectedly – like coming home

(…) tornare a New Your mi fece sentire inaspettatamente come se fossi tornato a casa

The reader can under stand that Changez learnd to adopt American lifestyle as he is a real American man.

I was immediately a New Yorker

Ero diventato subito un vero newyourkese

Changez changes his nature.

We are a meritocracy

Noi siamo una meritocrazia

Changez understands Underwood Samson company’s system so he must be the best to distinguish himself.

“You’re a watchful guy. You know where that comes from?” I shook my head. “It comes from feeling out of place,” he said. “Believe me. I know.”

“Sei un tipo guardingo. Lo sai da cosa dipende?” Scossi la testa. “Dipende dal fatto che ti senti fuori posto. Credimi, io lo so”

Changez’s attitudes show his feelings and other people around him can realize that too.

Original version

Italian version

Reason

I felt a peculiar feeling; I felt at home … or perhaps it was because a spacious bedroom in a prestigious apartment on the Upper East Side was, in American terms, the socioeconomic equivalent of a spacious bedroom in a prestigious house in Gulberg, such as the one in which I had grown up.

Provavo una sensazione particolare; mi sentivo a casa … o forse perché una spaziosa camera da letto nell’Upper Side era, in termini americani, l’equivalente socio economico di una spaziosa camera da letto in una prestigiosa casa a Gulberg come quella in cui ero cresciuto.

It underlines the richness of America but it also underlines that Changez consider that place familiar.

“You drink?” “He’s twenty-two,” Erica’s mother said on my behalf, in a tone that suggested, So of course he drinks.”I had a Pakistani working for me once,” Erica’s father said. “Never drank.” “I do, sir,” I assured him.

… e mi chiese se bevevo. “Ha ventidue anni”, la madre di Erica intervenne con un tono che sottintendeva: Ovvio che beve. “Una volta c’era un pakistano che lavorava per me, - disse il padre di Erica. – Non beveva mai. “Io bevo, signore, - gli assicurai.

It shows the frequent example of prejudice against the Muslim that characterized Americans.

And fundamentalism. You guys have got some serious problems with fundamentalism

E poi il fondamentalismo. Laggiù avete seri problemi con il fondamentalismo

This is another example of prejudice that can be considered a formo f macis.

Yes, there are challenges, sir,but my family is there, and I can assure you it is not as bad as that

Sì, ci sono delle sfide, signore, ma la mia famiglia è là, e posso assicurarle che non è così male

It makes clear that thare are lots of people that belive in stereotypy around Changez.

Original version

Italian version

Reason

Bats have begun to appear in the air above this square.(…) What a delightfully American expression

I pipistrelli hanno iniziato a volare sopra questa piazza. (…) Quale magnifica espressione dell’America.

It show that Changez is starting to change his vision of America.

I looked at him – at his fair hair and light eyes and, most of all, his obvious immersion in the minutiae of our work - and though, you are so foreigner.

Lo guardai, i capelli biondi e gli occhi chiari, e soprattutto la sua assoluta dedizione alle minuzie del nostro lavoro, e pensai: come sei straniero.

There is a exchange of roles that makes the reader understand that Changez stopped to think that he was the foreigner.

I learned to answer, when asked where I was from, that I was from New Yourk. Did these things trouble me? Certainly, sir

Ho imparato a respondere, quando mi chiedono da dove provengo, che sono di New York. Se questa cosa mi disturba? Certo, signore.

Changez started to reject his origin.

And in America, no metter how poor you are, TV gives you a good view. But I was dirt poor

E in America, non importa quanto fossi povero, la television ti dava una bella vision. Ma io ero poverissimo

It underlines that Changez was known of his origin.

“What was the purpose of your trip to US?” “I live here.” “this is not what I asked you, sir. What was the purpose of your trip to US?”

“Qual era l’obbiettivo del suo viaggio negli Stati Uniti?” “io vivo qui.” “Non è quello che le ho chiesto, signore. Qual era l’obbiettivo del suo viaggio negli Stati Uniti?”

It shows that Changez is confused. It means that he changed his point of view.

Original version

Italian version

Reason

You became so alive

Sei diventato cosi vivo

Changez’s origin makes him alive and he realized how the place you come from is so important through Erica.

I wanted to slip my fingers between hers, but I held my hand completely still, as though I was afraid any movement on my part might dislodge our connection

Avrei voluto insinuare le mie dita tra le sue, invece tenni la mano completamente immobile, come se temessi che qualunque mio movimento potesse interrompere il nostro contatto.

It underlines how prejudice and racism change people. Changez is completely disoriented.

I feared I could never compete

Avevo paura di non poter competere

Changez become aware of his fragility.

So rare in New York, so common here

Così raro a New York, così commune qui

Changez learnd that the differences between America and Pakistan are significant, but sometimes Pakistan is real better than America.

This role pleased me indie. I was presumptuous enough to think that this was was how my lie meant to be, that it had in some way been inevitable that I should end up rubbing shoulders with the truly wealthy in such exalted settings.

Quel ruolo mi piaceva. Ero abbastanza presuntuoso da pensare che quella vita fosse giusta per me, che in qualche modo fosse inevitabile trovarmi a fianco dei più ricchi tra i ricchi in ambienti così esclusivi.

Changez realizes that he has changed.

Those rare cases of abuse that

regrettably did transpire were unlikely ever to affect me because such things

invariably happened, in America as in all countries, to the hapless poor, not to

Princeton graduates earning eighty thousand dollars a year.

Quei rari casi di abusi che purtroppo traspaiono non mi toccavano, perché queste cose accadevano, in America come in altri paesi, alle persone povere, non ai laureati a Princeton che guadagnano otto mila dollari l'anno.

Changez sees himself different from his compatriots because of his status.

“The economy’s an animal,” Jim continued. “It evolves. First it needed muscle. That’s where I wanted to be.

“L'economia è un animale” continuò Jim. “Evolve” Per prima cosa necessita musculatura. Ecco dove volevo stare.

Jim explains the brutal aspect of finance

“They try to resist change. Power

comes from becoming change.”

“Provano a resistere al cambiamento. Il potere viene dal cambiare”

Jim gives evidence one of the key-thought of the novel: change is power. However in this contest Jim uses it to justify the cruelty of finance.

If English had a

respectful form of the word you—as we do in Urdu—I would have used it to address

them without the slightest hesitation.

“Se l'inglese avesse una forma di rispetto della parola “tu” come abbiamo in Urdu, l'avrei usato per destinarla a quelle persone senza la minima esistazione.”

Changez underlines the fact that English language seems not to have a respectful form, which means that english and american people can't express reverence.

“Are you missing Chris?” She nodded, and I

saw tears begin to force themselves between her lashes. “Then pretend,” I said,

“pretend I am him.”

“Ti manca Chris?” Fece un cenno col capo, e vidi lacrimi cominciar a scorrere tra le ciglia.

“Allora fa finta che io sia lui”

Changez totally annihilate himself for Erica's happiness, to make her love Chris once again.

I had always thought of America as a nation that looked forward;

for the first time I was struck by its determination to look back. Living in New York

was suddenly like living in a film about the Second World War;

Ho sempre pensato all'America come una nazione che guardava avanti; per la prima volta ero immobilizzato dalla sua determinazione nel guardare indietro. Vivere a NY era improvvisamente come vivere in un film sulla seconda guerra mondiale.

Changez realizes that Americans are living in their Nation's glorious past to mask their weakness.

For it was clear Erica needed something that I— even by consenting to play the part

of a man not myself—was unable to give her.

Era chiaro che Erica necessitava qualcosa che io, anche interpretando la parte di un altro uomo, ero incapace di darle.

Changez sees clearly that Erica is still missing Chris and that He can't give her what she needs.

But I knew that she believed in it, and I felt small for being able to offer her

nothing of comparable splendor instead.

Ma sapevo che ci credeba e mi sentii piccolo per per poterle offrire nient'altro di altrettanto splendente.

Changez understand that He can't replace Chris and give her the love she needs.

You haven’t been yourself lately

Non sei stato te stesso ultimamemente

Jim perceives the internal worries of Changez.

I was saddened to find it in such a state—no, more than

saddened, I was shamed. This was where I came from, this was my provenance, and

it smacked of lowliness.

Ero amareggiato nel trovarlo in un tale stato, no, più che amareggiato provavo vergogna. Questo era da dove venivo, questo era la mia provenienza, e la solitudine mi schiaffeggiò.

Changez feels ashamed because of hiscountry's condition.

I had changed; I

was looking about me with the eyes of a foreigner, and not just any foreigner, but

that particular type of entitled and unsympathetic American who so annoyed me.

Ero cambiato; stavo cercando me stesso con l'occhio di uno straniero, e non un semplice straniero, ma quel particolare tipo di americano anonimo e antipatico che mi infastidiva.

Changez sees he has changed into the american stereotype who annoyed him.

I was a man lacking in substance and hence easily influenced by even a short sojourn in

the company of others.

Ero un uomo che mancava di sostanza e quindi facilmente influenzabile persino da un breve soggiorno in compagnia di altri.

Changez perceives he misses substance and he's totally influenced by the others.

“You seem very

unlike your colleagues. You appear somewhat lost.”

“

Juan-Bautista recognizes changes's mood, Now he is feeling different from his colleagues.

“Have you heard of the

janissaries?” “No,” I said. “They were Christian boys,” he explained, “captured by

the Ottomans and trained to be soldiers in a Muslim army, at that time the greatest

army in the world. They were ferocious and utterly loyal: they had fought to erase

their own civilizations, so they had nothing else to turn to.”

“Hai mai sentito dei gianizzari? Erano ragazzi cristiani, fatti prigionieri dagli Ottomani e cresciuti per essere soldati nell'esercito mussulmano, a quel tempo il più grande esercito nel mondo. Erano feroci e totalmente leali: erano pensati per distruggere le proprie civiltà, così non avrebbero avuto niente a cui poter tornare.

This is a metaphore of what Changez is doing whith his country.

I was a modern-day janissary, a servant of the American empire at a time when it

was invading a country with a kinship to mine and was perhaps even colluding to

ensure that my own country faced the threat of war.

Ero un moderno gianizzaro, un servo dell' impero americano ad un tempo in cui stava invadendo un paese familiare ed stava forse addirittura cospirando affinché il mio paese affrontasse la minaccia di una guerra.

Changez sees what he has become.

“I am done here”

“Ho finito qua”

Changez completes the changement and he dismisses from the Underwood Samson.

All I knew

was that my days of focusing on fundamentals were done.

Tutto quello che sapevo era che i miei giorni di concentramento sui fondamenti era finito.

He stops following the cruel foundamentals of his company, he becomes completely reluctant.

It was right for me to refuse to participate any

longer in facilitating this project of domination; the only surprise was that I had

required so much time to arrive at my decision.

Era giusto per me rifiutare di facilitare ancora questo progettetto di dominazione; l'unica sorpresa era che avevo richiesto così tanto tempo per arrivare a una mia decisione.

It makes clear that Changez doesn't want to help America's project of domination.

..being of a suspect race I was quarantined and subjected to additional

inspection;

Essendo una razza sospettata ero messo in quarantena e sottoposto ad ulteriore ispezione.

It underlines the condition in which Changez was in America.

I was in a state of shock similar to that

which one undergoes when one has witnessed one’s knee twist impossibly but has

yet to feel any pain.

Not—please understand me—that I was convinced that I had made a mistake; no, I

was merely unconvinced that I had not made a mistake. I was, in other words,

confused.

Ero in uno stato di schock simile a quello in cui uno sprofonda quando assiste a una rottura del ginocchio ma deve deve ancora sentirne il dolore. No, capiscimi, ero convinto di aver commesso un errore, no, non ero completamento non convinto di non averne commesso uno. Ero, in altre parole, confuso.

Changez is confused because of his important choice, he doesn't know what he is doing.

I would like to claim that my final days in New York passed in a state of enlightened

calm; nothing could be further from the truth. I was an incoherent and emotional

madman, flying off into rages and sinking into depressions

Mi piacerebbe affermare che i miei giorni finali a NY passarono in una calma ispirata; niente poteva essere più lontano dalla verità, ero incoerente ed emotivamente pazzo, imbestialendomi e sprofondando nella depressione.

Erica is gone and she has left Changez emotionally unstable.