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O Guarani 3.81 · 3.81

I'll crush your head like a snake's

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— Enganais-vos, disse o moço picando o seu cavallo e encostando-se ao italiano, fallo-vos seriamente; sois um infame espião! Mas juro, por Deus, que à primeira palavra que proferirdes, esmago-vos a cabeça como a uma cobra venenosa.

“You are mistaken,” said the young man, spurring his horse and leaning close to the Italian; “I speak to you in earnest: you are a vile spy! But I swear, by God, that at the first word you utter I'll crush your head like a venomous snake's.”

Word by word

Enganais-vosen-ga-NAISH-vooshYou are mistaken,disseDEE-sesaidooothemoçoMO-sooyoung manpicandopee-KAN-doospurringooohisseuSEH-oohiscavalloka-VA-loohorseeeeandencostando-seen-kosh-TAN-doo-seleaning closeaoowto theitalianoee-ta-lee-A-nooItalian,fallo-vosFA-loo-vooshI speak to youseriamentese-ree-a-MEN-chein earnest;soissoyshyou areumoonainfameeen-FA-mevileespiãoesh-pee-OWNspy!MasmashButjuroZHOO-rooI swear,porporbyDeusDEH-ooshGod,quekethatàaat theprimeirapree-MAY-rafirstpalavrapa-LA-vrawordquekethatproferirdespro-fe-REER-deshyou utter,esmago-vosesh-MA-goo-vooshI'll crushaathecabeçaka-BE-saheadcomoKO-moolikeaato / atumaOO-maacobraKO-brasnakevenenosave-ne-NO-zavenomous.

The setting

“You are mistaken,” said the young man, spurring his horse and leaning close to the Italian; “I speak to you in earnest: you are a vile spy! But I swear, by God, that at the first word you utter I'll crush your head like a venomous snake's.”

A note on this passage

Álvaro's fury boils over into an oath: name the secret and I kill you. The image — crushing a serpent's head — casts Loredano as the venomous thing, and marks the point where the war of hints becomes a death-threat. The chapter's tension has reached its edge.

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