Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Cinzia: Buongiorno a tutti and welcome to the ninth lesson of Impara l’Italiano con i Proverbi.
Marco: Learn Italian With Proverbs.
Cinzia: Ciao Marco.
Marco: Ciao Cinzia. How are you today?
Cinzia: I'm good, thank you. And who are you?
Marco: Bene, abbastanza bene - Good fairly good. Che proverbi ci hai portato oggi?- What proverbs did you bring us today?
Cinzia: Ha ha ha, oggi andiamo dritti al sodo. Today we get down to brass tax.
Marco: Ah, really?
Cinzia: Yes. I think you'll like this. For example, I've got one proverb that's about those people who never listen to their own advice.
Marco: Maybe I know the proverb you’re about to introduce.
Cinzia: Hehe, I know you know Marco. Because I’m sure you don't like these kinds of people either.
Marco: Yes, they easily judge others but they never look at themselves and weigh their own actions. These are the kinds of people with double standards.
Cinzia: Yes you got it. So maybe you can tell me our first proverb.
Marco: “Predicare bene e razzolare male”.
Cinzia: Yes, that's it. “Practice what you preach.” And literal means is actually "to preach good and scratch around bed.”
Marco: Scratch around? Are we talking about people or chickens?
Cinzia: Well, yes, we are talking about people. But in Italian you know, we simple use the verb Razzolare just to bring to mind the fact that in a chicken run there is a mess; the same mess that people can generate by acting badly.
Marco: That's a weird concept but nice, Cinzia. So someone who “predica bene e razzola male” hasn’t got the courage to support his own actions.
Cinzia: You are right. And this same someone is the one who “lancia la pietra e nasconda la mano”, is the one who attacks from undercover; someone who hides from the consequences of his own actions.
Marco: Yes, and he never shows himself. But he’s always ready to attack you from behind.
Cinzia: And “lanciare la pietra e nascondere la mano” literally means to throw the stone and hide the hand. It perfectly describes a person who is not the master of a situation.
Marco: Is it maybe related to the biblical saying “Chi è senza peccato lanci la prima pietra”?
Cinzia: Oh, wow, I don't know. Well, I don’t think so. In English this should be "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Marco: Yes, exactly. And what it mean is only those that are completely innocent should accuse and judge the guilty. Except that hardly anybody is actually completely innocent.
Cinzia: So you mean that no one should be hasty and judge others?
Marco: Yes. And all of us should analyze our own actions for judging others.
Cinzia: I wish everyone would do it.
Marco: I don't think it’s always easy though.
Cinzia: Yes, but at least we must try.
Marco: Well done, Cinzia. I can see why you want to introduce these meaningful proverbs.
Cinzia: Thank you Marco. Now let's take a look at today's vocabulary.
--
Marco: Today's first word is...
Cinzia: Predicare.
Marco: To preach.
Cinzia: Predicare. Predicare.
Marco: Next.
Cinzia: Bene.
Marco: Good, well.
Cinzia: Bene. Bene.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: E.
Marco: And.
Cinzia: E. E.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: Razzolare.
Marco: Scratch about, scratch around.
Cinzia: Razzolare. Razzolare.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: Male.
Marco: Bad, badly.
Cinzia: Male Male.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: Lanciare.
Marco: To throw.
Cinzia: Lanciare. Lanciare.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: La.
Marco: “The”, feminine singular.
Cinzia: La. La.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: Pietra.
Marco: “Stone”
Cinzia: Pietra. Pietra.
Marco: Next word.
Cinzia: Nascondere.
Marco: To hide.
Cinzia: Nascondere. Nascondere.
Marco: And last word…
Cinzia: Mano.
Marco: Hand.
Cinzia: Mano. Mano.
--
Cinzia: And so that's all for today's lesson.
Marco: So thank you, Cinzia, alla prossima.
Cinzia: Grazie e a presto.

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