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Scene 1 · Intermediate
Un piano per abbandonare i bambini
A plan to leave the children
Italian
Vicino a un grande bosco viveva un povero boscaiolo con i suoi due bambini, Hansel e Gretel, e sua moglie, che era la loro matrigna. La famiglia aveva già poco da mangiare. Quando una grave carestia ha colpito il paese, il padre non è più riuscito a procurare neppure il pane per tutti i giorni.
English translation
Near a large forest lived a poor woodcutter with his two children, Hansel and Gretel, and his wife, who was their stepmother. The family already had little to eat. When a severe famine struck the country, the father could no longer provide even enough bread for every day.
Italian
Una notte si rigirava nel letto, tormentato dalla preoccupazione. Alla fine ha sospirato e ha detto alla moglie:
«Che ne sarà di noi? Come faremo a sfamare i bambini, se non abbiamo più niente nemmeno per noi?»
English translation
One night he tossed and turned in bed, tormented by worry. At last he sighed and said to his wife:
“What will become of us? How will we feed the children if we have nothing left even for ourselves?”
Italian
«Ti dirò io che cosa fare», ha risposto la donna. «Domattina presto li porteremo nella parte più fitta del bosco. Accenderemo un fuoco e daremo a ciascuno un pezzo di pane. Poi andremo a lavorare e li lasceremo lì. Non riusciranno a ritrovare la strada di casa e ci saremo liberati di loro».
English translation
“I’ll tell you what to do,” the woman replied. “Early tomorrow morning, we’ll take them to the densest part of the forest. We’ll light a fire and give each of them a piece of bread. Then we’ll go to work and leave them there. They won’t be able to find their way home, and we’ll be rid of them.”
Italian
«No, non lo farò», ha protestato l'uomo. «Come potrei abbandonare i miei bambini nel bosco? Gli animali feroci li troverebbero e li farebbero a pezzi».
English translation
“No, I won’t do it,” the man protested. “How could I abandon my children in the forest? Wild animals would find them and tear them to pieces.”
Italian
«Sei uno sciocco!» ha ribattuto lei. «Allora moriremo di fame tutti e quattro. Puoi già preparare le assi per le nostre bare».
English translation
“You fool!” she retorted. “Then all four of us will starve to death. You might as well start making the planks for our coffins.”
Italian
La donna ha continuato a insistere, senza lasciargli un momento di pace, finché lui ha ceduto.
English translation
The woman kept insisting, giving him no peace for a moment, until he gave in.
Italian
«Eppure quei poveri bambini mi fanno tanta pena», ha detto il padre.
English translation
“Still, I feel so sorry for those poor children,” the father said.
Continue with Hansel e Gretel
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