COLLODI

Pinocchio 1.13 · 1.13

A mighty blow

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E ripresa l' ascia in mano, tirò giù un solennissimo colpo sul pezzo di legno.

And taking the axe up again in his hand, he dealt one almighty blow to the piece of wood.

Word by word

EehAndripresaree-PREH-zataking up againl'ltheasciaA-shaaxeineeninmanoMA-nohand,tiròtee-ROHhe broughtgiùjoodownunoonasolennissimoso-len-NEES-see-moalmightycolpoKOL-poblowsulsoolon thepezzoPET-tsopiecedideeoflegnoLEN-yowood.

The setting

He brings the axe down hard on the wood.

A note on this passage

The superlative <i>solennissimo</i> — a ‘most solemn’ blow — is played for laughs: it lends the swing a mock-grandeur, as if the whole dignity of carpentry rode on it. The bigger the blow Collodi builds up, the harder the fall when the wood cries out again.

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Pinocchio 1.13 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/pinocchio/1.13/