SIMON & SCHUSTER S THE PIMSLEUR GUIDE. how the program works. Travel the world with Pimsleur!

Transcript

1 SIMON & SCHUSTER S PIMSLEUR THE PIMSLEUR GUIDE how the program works Travel the world with Pimsleur!

2 PIMSLEUR LANGUAGE PROGRAMS You have just purchased the most effective language program ever developed. As you probably know, learning a new language can be frustrating. Your first experience with a foreign language may have been in school. If the classes seemed difficult, or if your grades were poor, you probably believed you had no aptitude for languages. Even if you did well, you may have been surprised later to discover that what you learned was of little or no use when you tried to converse with native speakers. Perhaps you waited until later in life and tried adult education classes, language schools, or home training programs. There too you may have found the information hard to retain, the lessons tedious, and your progress slow. Many language students give up early in these programs, convinced they lack the natural ability to understand and use what they read and hear. The truth is that anyone can acquire a foreign language with the right teaching system. With the Pimsleur Method, you will benefit from the years of research and development that have helped create the world s most effective method for teaching foreign languages. The Pimsleur Language Programs, developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, fill an urgent need for selfinstructional materials in many languages.

3 HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM To get the full benefit of each lesson, choose a quiet place where you can practice without interruption and a time of day when your mind is most alert and your body least fatigued. The length of each lesson, just under 30 minutes, is that recommended by teaching specialists for a concentrated learning task. Once you ve started the program, simply follow the tutor s instructions. The most important instruction is to respond aloud when the tutor tells you to do so. There will be a pause after this instruction, giving you time to reply. It is essential to your progress that you speak out in a normal conversational voice when asked to respond. Your active participation in thinking and speaking is required for your success in mastering this course. The simple test for mastery is whether you are able to respond quickly and accurately when your tutor asks a question. If you are responding correctly about eighty percent of the time, then you re ready to proceed to the next lesson. It is important to keep moving forward, and also not to set unreasonable standards of perfection that will keep you from progressing, which is why we recommend using the eighty percent figure as a guide. You will notice that each lesson contains both new and familiar material, and just when you may be worrying about forgetting something, you will conveniently be reminded of it. Another helpful feature of the Pimsleur Language Program is its rate of saturation. You will be responding many times in the half-hour. This saturation enables you to make substantial progress within a short period of time. 2

4 GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS Complete the lesson units in strict consecutive order (don t skip around), doing no more than one lesson per day, although the lesson unit for the day may be repeated more than once. Daily contact with the language is critical to successful learning. Listen carefully to each lesson unit. Always follow the directions of the instructor. Speak out loud when directed by the tutor and answer questions within the pauses provided. It is not enough to just silently think of the answer to the question asked. You need to speak the answer out loud to set up a circuit of the language you are learning to speak so that it is heard and identified through your ears, to help to establish the sounds of the target language. Do this prior to hearing the confirmation, which is provided as reinforcement, as well as additional speech training. Do all required activities according to the instructions, without reference to any outside persons, book, or course. Do not have a paper and pen nearby during the lessons, and do not refer to dictionaries or other books. The Pimsleur Method works with the language-learning portion of your brain, requiring language to be processed in its spoken form. Not only will you interrupt the learning process if you attempt to write the words that you hear, but you will also begin to speak the target language with an American accent. This is because the sounds represented by the American letters are different from the samelooking letters from the foreign language. 3

5 DR. PAUL PIMSLEUR AND HIS UNIQUE METHOD Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world s leading experts in applied linguistics. He was fluent in French, good in German, and had a working knowledge of Italian, Russian, Modern Greek, and Mandarin Chinese. After obtaining his Ph.D. in French and a Masters in Psychology from Columbia University, he taught French Phonetics and Linguistics at UCLA. He later became Professor of Romance Languages and Language Education, and Director of The Listening Center (a state-wide language lab) at Ohio State University; Professor of Education and Romance Languages at the State University of New York at Albany; and a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. He did research on the psychology of language learning and in 1969 was Section Head of Psychology of Second Language Learning at the International Congress of Applied Linguistics. Dr. Pimsleur was a member of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and a founding member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). His many books and articles revolutionized theories of language learning and teaching. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed a new method (The Pimsleur Method) that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called Graduated Interval Recall. This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the Pimsleur Programs. 4

6 GRADUATED INTERVAL RECALL The term, Graduated Interval Recall is a complex name for a very simple theory about memory. No aspect of learning a foreign language is more important than memory, yet before Dr. Pimsleur, no one had explored more effective ways for building language memory. In his research, Dr. Pimsleur discovered how long students remembered new information and at what intervals they needed to be reminded of it. If reminded too soon or too late, they failed to retain the information. This discovery enabled him to create a schedule of exactly when and how the information should be reintroduced. Suppose you have learned a new word. You tell yourself to remember it. However, after five minutes you re unable to recall it. If you d been reminded of it after five seconds, you probably would have remembered it for maybe a minute, at which time you would have needed another reminder. Each time you are reminded, you remember the word longer than you did the time before. The intervals between reminders become longer and longer, until you eventually remember the word without being reminded at all. This program is carefully designed to remind you of new information at the exact intervals where maximum retention takes place. Each time your memory begins to fade, you will be asked to recall the word. 5

7 PRINCIPLE OF ANTICIPATION The Principle of Anticipation requires you to anticipate a correct answer. Practically, what this means is that you must retrieve the answer from what you have learned earlier in the course. It works by posing a question, asking you to provide a new sentence, using information you ve learned previously and putting it into a new combination. This provides novelty and excitement which accelerates learning. A possible scenario: Speaker s cue: Are you going to the movies today? (PAUSE) Drawing on information given previously, you respond (in the target language): No, I m going tomorrow. The instructor will then confirm your answer: No, I m going tomorrow. The Narrator then may cue: Is your sister going to Europe this year? (PAUSE) Response: No, she went last year. Before Dr. Pimsleur created his teaching method, language courses were based on the principle of mindless-repetition. Teachers drummed words into the students minds over and over, as if there were grooves in the mind that could be worn deeper with repetition. Neurophysiologists tell us however, that on the contrary, simple and unchallenging repetition has a hypnotic, even dulling effect on the learning process. Eventually, the words being repeated will lose their meaning. Dr. Pimsleur discovered that learning accelerates when there is an input/output system of interaction, in which students receive information and then are asked to retrieve and use it. 6

8 CORE VOCABULARY While Graduated Interval Recall and the Principle of Anticipation are the foundation of the Pimsleur Method, there are other aspects that contribute to its uniqueness and effectiveness. One involves vocabulary. We have all been intimidated, when approaching a new language, by the sheer immensity of the number of new words we must learn. But extensive research has shown that we actually need a comparatively limited number of words to be able to communicate effectively in any language. Language can be divided into two distinct categories: grammatical structures (function words) and concrete vocabulary (content words). By focusing on the former category and enabling the student to comprehend and employ the structure of the new language, Dr. Pimsleur found that language learners were able to more readily put new knowledge to use. There are few content words that must be known and used every day. The essential core of a language involves function words, which tend to relate to human activities. This course is designed to teach you to understand and to speak the essential elements of your new language in a relatively short time. During each half-hour lesson, you will actually converse with two native speakers, using the level of language spoken by educated citizens in their everyday business and social life. The program s unique method of presenting dialogue insituation relieves you of the most common learning problem, the problem of meaning. 7

9 ORGANIC LEARNING The Pimsleur Method centers on teaching functional mastery in understanding and speaking a language, in the most effective and efficient way possible. You will be working on your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation in an integrated manner, as you are learning specific phrases that have practical use in everyday activities. There are several thousand languages in the world. Because fewer than five hundred of these languages have developed formal systems of writing, linguistic specialists accept that language is primarily speech. For this reason, it is also accepted that the human brain acquires language as speech. Therefore, when Dr. Pimsleur created his language programs, he began teaching with recorded materials, which enabled the learners to acquire the sounds, the rhythm, and the intonation of the target language. The learners did this more rapidly, more accurately, and with great enthusiasm because they found themselves capable of almost instant beginning communication skills. Dr. Pimsleur called this organic learning because it involves learning on several fronts at the same time. His system enables the learner to acquire grammatical usage, vocabulary, and the sounds of the language in an integrated, exciting way. In short, the learner gains the language as a living, expressive form of human culture. 8

10 COURSE CONTENT When you have mastered a Pimsleur Language Program, you will have a highly-practical, every-day vocabulary at your command. These basic words, phrases, and sentences have been carefully selected to be the most useful in everyday situations when you visit a foreign country. You will be able to handle social encounters graciously, converse with native speakers in travel situations, and use transportation systems with confidence. You ll be able to ask directions and to navigate your own way around the cities and countryside. The language skills you learn will enable you to participate in casual conversations, express facts, give instructions, and describe current, past, and future activities. You will be able to deal with everyday survival topics and courtesy requirements. You will be intelligible to native speakers of the language even to those who are not used to dealing with foreigners. What is equally important, you will know how to ask the kinds of questions that will further expand your knowledge of and facility with the language, because you will have been trained by the Pimsleur open-ended questioning technique. The Pimsleur Method becomes a springboard for further learning and growth to take place the ultimate purpose of any real educational system. This desire to learn will be apparent to the people with whom you speak. It will indicate sincere interest in and respect for their culture. 9

11 A NOTE ON REGIONAL LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES In any large country, and even in many smaller countries, regional differences in language are common. In the United States, for example, a person from Maine can sound very different than someone from Texas. Pronunciations ( accents ) vary, and there are also minor differences in vocabulary. For example, what is called a drinking fountain in New York or Arizona is known as a bubbler in Wisconsin, and a soft drink in one part of America will be called a soda elsewhere. The differences in English are even more distinct between North Americans and Britons, or between Britons and Australians. But all are native speakers of English; all can communicate with spoken English, read the same newspapers, and watch the same television programs, essentially without difficulty. Native speakers of a language can often tell where someone is from by listening to him or her speak. In addition to regional differences, there are social differences. Pimsleur Language Programs use a standard educated speech, which will generally carry you throughout the country without difficulty. 10

12 Reading in a Pimsleur Program A phonetic alphabet, such as the Latin alphabet and the Greek alphabet, is a list of symbols (letters) that are used to represent the sounds of the language in writing. And given that language is primarily speech, the spoken sounds of the language necessarily precede learning how to decode the written form, i.e., learning how to read just as a child first learns to speak and then eventually to read. This is the natural progression Dr. Pimsleur followed in his courses. After an initial introduction to the spoken language, reading is then integrated into the program and the new alphabet is systematically introduced, associating each letter with the sounds of the new language. Initially, you are sounding out words, mastering the different sounds associated with the new alphabet. You are not, at first, reading for meaning, but rather for sound/symbol correlation. Eventually, when the sound system is mastered, you will be able to look at known vocabulary and read for meaning. By the end of the first 30 lessons, you will be reading at the same level as you are speaking. 11

13 Pimsleur covers the world of languages. You can choose from over 60 language programs, many with multiple levels, ranging from the most popular to the exotic. Become a Pimsleur learner and travel the world! Programs available for these languages: Albanian Arabic (Eastern) Arabic (Egyptian) Arabic (Modern Standard) Armenian (Eastern) Armenian (Western) Chinese (Cantonese) Chinese (Mandarin) Croatian Czech Danish Dari (Persian) Dutch Farsi (Persian) Finnish French German Greek (Modern) Haitian Creole Hebrew (Modern) Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Irish Italian ESL (English as a Second Language): Arabic Chinese (Cantonese) Chinese (Mandarin) French German Haitian Hindi Japanese Korean Lithuanian Norwegian Ojibwe Pashto Polish Portuguese (Brazilian) Portuguese (European) Punjabi Romanian Russian Castilian Spanish Latin American Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss German Tagalog Thai Turkish Twi Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese Italian Korean Persian Portuguese Russian Spanish Vietnamese

14 SIMON & SCHUSTER S PIMSLEUR Pimsleur Language Programs are available in all of the commonly spoken languages. Many other languages are also available. For more information, call or visit us at Simon & Schuster, Inc. Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Mfg. in USA. All rights reserved. Pimsleur is a registered trademark of Beverly Pimsleur, used by Simon & Schuster under exclusive license.

15 SIMON & SCHUSTER S PIMSLEUR ITALIAN level 2 READING BOOKLET

16 Travelers should always check with their nation's State Department for current advisories on local conditions before traveling abroad. Booklet Design: Maia Kennedy Second Edition and Recorded Program 2004 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Reading Booklet 2004 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Mfg. in USA. All rights reserved. ii

17 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Voices English-Speaking Instructor Ray Brown Female Italian Speaker Paola Servino Male Italian Speaker Francesco Castellano Course Writers Paola Servino Mary E. Green Editors Elizabeth Horber B. E. Heinle Reviewer Francesco Castellano Executive Producer & Editor Beverly D. Heinle Producer & Director Sarah H. McInnis Recording Engineers Peter S. Turpin Kelly Saux Simon & Schuster Studios, Concord, MA iii

18 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Lezione uno... 3 Translations... 4 Lezione due... 5 Translations... 6 Lezione tre... 7 Translations... 8 Lezione quattro... 9 Translations Lezione cinque Translations Lezione sei Translations Lezione sette Translations Lezione otto Translations Lezione nove Translations Lezione dieci Translations iv

19 Table of Contents Lezione undici Translations Lezione dodici Translations Lezione tredici Translations Lezione quattordici Translations Lezione quindici Translations Lezione sedici Translations Lezione diciasette Translations Lezione diciotto Translations Lezione diciannove Translations Lezione venti Translations v

20 vi

21 Introduction Reading has been defined as decoding graphic material in order to determine its message. To put it another way, reading consists of coming back to speech through its graphic symbols. In short, meanings reside in the sounds of the spoken language. Speaking a language is the necessary first step to acquiring the ability to read a language with meaning. For those who are interested, an English translation of the words and sentences making up each lesson has been provided immediately after the page containing the text for that lesson. We recommend that when doing the lessons, you first read the Italian text without looking at the translations. Afterwards, you can review the translations separately, if you wish, to acquire some new vocabulary. It s important that as you first read through each lesson, you concentrate only on the recognition and pronunciation of the Italian. The recorded portion of the reading materials for Italian 2 will be found at the end of the program. You can do the readings as it is most convenient for you. They can be done along with the lessons or done entirely after completing the full 30 lessons. Instructions on how to proceed with the readings are contained in the audio portion of the course.

22 2

23 Lezione uno: Un Invito Cara Lucia, Un mio amico americano... mi viene a trovare. Arriva domani mattina all aeroporto Leonardo Da Vinci. Ti vorrei invitare... a prendere qualcosa con noi... domani sera alle otto... al Bar Fontana. Spero che tu possa venire... e incontrare finalmente... questo mio caro amico. Sai, abbiamo lavorato insieme... quando abitavo a New York. Viene a fare una vacanza in Italia. Arriva da solo, e poi... la settimana prossima arriva anche sua moglie. Hanno due figli. Ma non vengono con loro. È tutto per adesso. Saluti e a presto, Marco 3

24 Lesson One Translation: An Invitation Dear Lucia, An American friend of mine... is coming to visit me. He arrives tomorrow morning at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport. I would like to invite you... to have something with us... tomorrow evening at eight... at the Fontana Bar. I hope you can come... and finally meet... this dear friend of mine. You know, we worked together... when I lived in New York. He s coming for a vacation in Italy. He s arriving alone, and then... next week his wife is arriving too. They have two children. But they re not coming with them. That s all for now. Greetings and see you soon, Marco 4

25 Lezione due: Una Lettera agli amici Cari amici, Come va? Sono appena arrivata a Milano... e la città mi piace moltissimo. Sono in un bellissimo hotel... un po lontano dalla città. Ieri, sono andata al museo... e stasera... vado a un concerto. Domani, vado a Capri. La vita è bella, qui in Italia! Ci sono molte cose da fare... ed i ristoranti sono fantastici. Ieri, ho mangiato... in un ristorante molto buono. Ho anche parlato italiano... con il cameriere. Adesso, capisco molto più di prima. Mi piace parlare italiano! Con simpatia ed affetto, Carla 5

26 Lesson Two Translation: A Letter to Friends Dear friends, How s it going? I just arrived in Milan... and I like the city very much. I am in a very beautiful hotel... a little bit far from the city. Yesterday, I went to the museum... and tonight... I m going to a concert. Tomorrow, I m going to Capri. Life is beautiful, here in Italy! There are many things to do... and the restaurants are fantastic. Yesterday, I ate... in a very good restaurant. I also spoke Italian... with the waiter. Now, I understand much more than before. I like to speak Italian! With warm thoughts and affection, Carla 6

27 Lezione tre: Un Messaggio di lavoro Egregio signor Magni, Sono spiacente... di non poter incontrarla... né oggi né domani. Ma dopodomani, avrei la possibilità... di incontrarla per la nostra riunione... forse tra le dieci e le undici. E se Le fa piacere... potremmo cenare insieme. Conosco un buon ristorante... nel centro di Roma. Se abbiamo bisogno di più tempo... posso venire nel Suo ufficio... dopo la nostra riunione. Vorrei parlarle... del nostro ufficio in America... e del collega che vuole venire... a lavorare in Italia. Aspetto una Sua risposta... e spero di vederla al più presto. 7

28 Lesson Three Translation: A Business Note Dear Mr. Magni, I am sorry... I cannot meet you... neither today nor tomorrow. But the day after tomorrow, I could possibly... meet you for our meeting... maybe between ten and eleven. And if you like... we could have dinner together. I know a good restaurant... in the center of Rome. If we need more time... I can come to your office... after our meeting. I would like to speak with you... of our office in America... and of the colleague who wants to come... to work in Italy. I wait for your response... and hope to see you very soon. 8

29 Lezione quattro: Una Visita Ecco una lettera per Lei. La lettera viene dal Canada. La vuole leggere ora o più tardi? È una lettera della signora Smith. Viene qui in Italia. Quando? Non lo dice nella lettera! Viene con suo marito ed i suoi otto figli! Come ha detto? Ma, ho capito bene? Viene con i suoi otto figli? Sì, ecco qui. Legga la lettera! Dice che arrivano per una lunga vacanza... e uno dei figli vorrebbe studiare... in un università italiana. Che cosa vorrebbe fare? Non so esattamente. Sa dove vanno? Credo che vanno all Hotel San Pietro. Ma l Hotel San Pietro è molto caro per dieci persone! 9

30 Lesson Four Translation: A Visit Here is a letter for you. The letter comes from Canada. Do you want to read it now or later? It s a letter from Mrs. Smith. She s coming here to Italy. When? It doesn t say in the letter! She s coming with her husband and her eight children! What did you say? But, did I understand you? She s coming with her eight children? Yes, here it is. Read the letter! It says that they re arriving for a long vacation... and one of their children would like to study... at an Italian university. What does he want to do? I don t know exactly. Do you know where they re going? I believe that they re going to the Hotel San Pietro. But the Hotel San Pietro is very expensive for ten people! 10

31 Lezione cinque: Viaggio in Italia Mi piace andare al cinema. Non mi piace stare a casa il sabato sera. Adoro viaggiare... e mangiare molto. Ma se mangio, ingrasso. E se quando viaggio, prendo una macchina... è impossibile guidare in Italia. Qui sono tutti pazzi! Specialmente sulle autostrade. Ma mi piacciono molto le piccole strade di città. Ci sono molte chiese antiche. Ogni giorno posso visitare... una nuova città. È molto caro viaggiare in Italia. Era meno caro una volta. Quando è festa... tutto è chiuso. Solo le farmacie sono aperte. Adesso, in agosto... anche molti ristoranti sono chiusi. Ma io adoro lo stesso venire qui. 11

32 Lesson Five Translations: Visiting Italy I like to go to the movies. I don t like to stay home Saturday night. I adore to travel... and to eat a lot. But if I eat, I get fat. And if when I travel, I take a car... it is impossible to drive in Italy. Here, everybody s crazy! Especially on the highways. But I like the small roads in the city a lot. There are many ancient churches. Every day I can visit... a new city. It s very expensive to travel in Italy. It was less expensive once. When there s a holiday... everything is closed. Only the pharmacies are open. Now, in August... many restaurants are also closed. But I adore to come here anyway. 12

33 Lezione sei: Una breve Lettera Cara Anna, Che fai di bello il fine settimana prossimo? Ho due biglietti... per un concerto di musica classica. Vorresti venire con me? Il concerto comincia alle otto. Se tu hai tempo... e se vuoi, naturalmente... si può cenare qualcosa prima dello spettacolo. Il concerto è di musica da camera. Sai, io preferisco l opera. Vado sempre all Arena di Verona. In estate, viaggio sempre molto. Forse l anno prossimo, possiamo andare insieme a Verona. Conosci la casa di Giulietta e Romeo? Molti turisti la visitano ogni giorno. Forse possiamo anche andare a Venezia. Ma per adesso, andiamo al concerto. Allora, a domenica prossima? Ci vediamo presto, Tom 13

34 Lesson Six: A Short Letter Dear Anna, What good things are you doing next weekend? I have two tickets... for a classical music concert. Would you like to come with me? The concert begins at eight. If you have time... and if you want, naturally... we can eat something before the show. The concert is chamber music. You know, I prefer the opera. I always go to the Arena of Verona. In the summer, I always travel a lot. Perhaps next year, we can go together to Verona. Do you know the house of Juliet and Romeo? Many tourists visit it every day. Perhaps we can also go to Venice. But for now, let s go to the concert. Well then, see you next Sunday? See you soon, Tom 14

35 Lezione sette: Cercando un vecchio Collega Il signor Magni non c è. È in viaggio in questo momento. Lo conosce bene, il signor Magni, Lei? Sì, lo conosco molto bene. Lavoravamo tutti e due per l IBM. Lavoravamo nello stesso ufficio. Ho una lettera per lui. Sa quando ritorna? La settimana prossima... lunedì o martedì. Non so se posso ritornare. Ho molte cose da fare. E questa lettera è molto importante. Gli può dare questa lettera? Certamente. Vuole lasciare anche un messaggio? Gli dica che ritorno tra due settimane. Ecco qui, il mio di telefono. Grazie mille! Di niente. 15

36 Lesson Seven Translations Looking for a Former Colleague Mr. Magni is not in. He s traveling at the moment. Do you know Mr. Magni well? Yes, I know him very well. We both worked at IBM. We worked in the same office. I have a letter for him. Do you know when he s coming back? Next week... Monday or Tuesday. I don t know if I can come back. I have many things to do. And this letter is very important. Can you give him this letter? Certainly. Do you want to leave a message too? Tell him that I ll come back in two weeks. Here s my phone number. Thank you very much! You re welcome. 16

37 Lezione otto: Ieri e oggi Conosce il signor Rossi? È un mio amico. Noi abitavamo... nella stessa città... e nella stessa strada. Ma adesso lui abita in campagna. Ed io abito sempre... nello stesso appartamento. Prima lui lavorava per la FIAT... ma adesso lavora per l Alfa Romeo. Non lo vedo molto spesso... ma qualche volta ci incontriamo a teatro... e qualche volta andiamo a cena insieme. Anche i nostri figli... sono buoni amici. Andavano a scuola insieme,... e giocano ancora a tennis... tutti i fine settimana. Anche a me piace il tennis... ma non ho né tempo, né energia! 17

38 Lesson Eight Translation: Yesterday and Today Do you know Mr. Rossi? He s a friend of mine. We used to live... in the same city... and on the same street. But now he lives in the country. And I still live... in the same apartment. First he worked for FIAT... but now he works for Alfa Romeo. I don t see him very often... but sometimes we meet at the theater... and sometimes we have dinner together. Also our children... are good friends. They used to go to school together,... and they still play tennis... every weekend. I like to play tennis too... but I have neither time nor energy! 18

39 Lezione nove: Sognando una Vacanza Non posso andare in vacanza questa settimana... perché ho troppe cose da fare,... perché la mia macchina non funziona,... e perché non ho molti soldi. Ma se fa bello,... se i miei amici hanno tempo,... e posso riparare la macchina,... potrei partire, non so, la settimana prossima. Forse vengono... anche i miei figli. Abitano a Milano. Loro hanno molti soldi ed una bella macchina. Forse posso andare in treno a Milano... e poi, posso partire con loro. Il mio figlio più grande... ha una ragazza. Studia medicina. Forse viene anche lei. O forse resto a casa! Buona fortuna! 19

40 Lesson Nine Translation: Dreaming a Vacation I can t go on vacation this week... because I have too many things to do,... because my car doesn t work,... and because I don t have a lot of money. But if the weather is nice,... if my friends have time,... and I can fix the car,... I could leave, I don t know, next week. Maybe they re coming... also my children. They live in Milan. They have a lot of money and a beautiful car. Maybe I can go by train to Milan... and then, I can leave with them. My oldest son... has a girlfriend. She s studying medicine. Maybe she ll come too. Or maybe I ll just stay home! Good luck! 20

41 Lezione dieci Un Programma per una partita di tennis Vorrebbe sapere... quando dobbiamo giocare a tennis questa settimana? Allora, lunedì, giochiamo... dalle dieci meno un quarto alle undici e venti. Non giochiamo martedì. Mercoledì giochiamo dalle otto alle nove. Giovedì da mezzogiorno all una. Venerdì, non ho tempo di giocare. Dobbiamo incontrare i nostri colleghi di Chicago. Domenica, giochiamo alle quattro di pomeriggio. E domani gioco a tennis con una vecchia amica... ma non so a che ora... né dove. Lei gioca a tennis molto bene. Ma io gioco meglio di lei. Qualche volta, gioco a tennis anche... con mio marito. Ma lui gioca malissimo. Io gioco da dieci anni! Sono una campionessa! 21

42 Lesson Ten Translation: A Tennis Schedule Would you like to know... when we have to play tennis this week? Well then, Monday, we play... from a quarter to ten to twenty past eleven. We don t play Tuesday. Wednesday we play from eight to nine. Thursday from noon to one. Friday, I don t have time to play. We have to meet our colleagues from Chicago. Sunday, we play at six in the afternoon. And tomorrow I play tennis with an old friend... but I don t know at what time... or where. She plays tennis very well. But I play better than she. Sometimes, I also play tennis... with my husband. But he plays very badly. I ve been playing for ten years! I m a champion! 22

43 Lezione undici: Un Invito a teatro Dica, Alessandra, parte presto? Quando parte? E quando ritorna? Ritornerà per sabato pomeriggio? Ho quattro biglietti per il teatro domenica sera. Le farebbe piacere venire a teatro con me? Se Lei vuole, può invitare qualche amico. Ed anch io potrei portare qualcuno. Forse la mia amica Gianna se non è partita... per le vacanze con sua figlia. So che le piace molto andare a teatro. E se andiamo a teatro tutti e quattro,... dopo si potrebbe andare al ristorante La Stradina... e mangiare qualche specialità della casa. È un ristorante molto buono. Il vino locale è una vera delizia! Conosco bene il cameriere. Anche le torte sono fantastiche! E dopo potremmo andare a ballare. Che ne pensa? 23

44 Lesson Eleven Translation: A Theater Invitation Tell me, Alessandra, are you leaving soon? When are you leaving? And when are you coming back? Will you come back by Saturday afternoon? I have four theater tickets for Sunday evening. Would you like to come to the theater with me? If you want, you can invite a friend. And I could invite someone too. Maybe my friend Gianna, if she hasn t left... on vacation with her daughter. I know she likes very much to go to the theater. And if we go to the theater, the four of us... after we could go to the restaurant La Stradina... and eat some specialty of the house. It s a very good restaurant. The local wine is a true delicacy! I know the waiter well. The cakes are also fantastic! And then we could go dancing. What do you think of it? 24

45 Lezione dodici: Ricordi Quando ero piccolo... non mi piaceva andare a scuola. Quando ero a scuola... non amavo i miei maestri. Quando ero studente... facevo molto sport. Quando andavo in vacanza... partivo sempre con i miei amici. Quando ero in Francia... prendevo sempre il treno. Quando ero negli Stati Uniti... prendevo sempre l aereo. Quando abitavo a New York... mi piaceva andare ai teatri. Quando faceva bello... andavo solo a piedi. Quando giocavo a tennis... ero molto bravo. Quando studiavo italiano... mi piaceva molto. 25

46 Lesson Twelve Translation: Memories When I was young... I didn t like to go to school. When I was in school... I didn t love my teachers. When I was a student... I played many sports. When I used to go on vacation... I always used to leave with my friends. When I was in France... I always used to take the train. When I was in the United States... I always used to take the plane. When I lived in New York... I used to like to go to the theaters. When the weather was beautiful... I used to walk alone. When I played tennis... I was very good. When I studied Italian... I liked it a lot. 26

47 Lezione tredici: Chiedere Direzioni Scusi, per favore. Le posso chiedere un informazione? Cerco via Garibaldi... e non la posso trovare. La cerco... da più di venti minuti. Ho qui una pianta della città. Mi può far vedere per favore... dov è via Garibaldi? Ah! È qui. Ho capito adesso. Signora, prenda questa strada... e continui sempre diritto... fino a via Fontana. Guardi, non si può sbagliare. C è una chiesa a destra. Prenda la strada subito dopo. Quella è via Garibaldi. Quanto tempo a piedi? Venti minuti. Grazie mille, signore. 27

48 Lesson Thiteen Translation: Asking for Directions Excuse me, please. May I ask you for some information? I am looking for Garibaldi Street... and I cannot find it. I have been looking for it... for more than twenty minutes. I have here a city map. Can you show me please... where Garibaldi Street is? Ah! It s here. I understand now. Ma am, take this street... and keep going straight ahead... until Fontana Street. Look, you can t miss it. There is a church on the right. Take the street right after. That s Garibaldi Street. How long does it take on foot? Twenty minutes. Thanks a lot, sir. 28

49 Lezione quattordici: Proverbi e detti Chi la fa... l aspetti. Non ti perdere in un bicchier d acqua. Meglio tardi che mai. Tanto va la gatta al lardo... che ci lascia lo zampino. Se la va, la va. Meglio un uovo oggi... che una gallina domani. Ride bene chi ride ultimo. Troppi cuochi guastano il pranzo. Qualcosa bolle in pentola. Mario guida una vecchia caffettiera. Ce l ho fatta per il rotto della cuffia. Non mi rompere le uova nel paniere. Sono sano come un pesce. Cane che abbaia non morde. L asino chiama orecchia lunga il cavallo. Chi ha molte parole spesso si duole. Non fare il passo più lungo della gamba. 29

50 Lesson Fourteen: Proverbs and Sayings Chi la fa... Who does it... l aspetti. waits for it. Meaning: What goes around, comes around. Non ti perdere in un bicchier d acqua. Don t get lost in a glass of water. Meaning: Don t make a mountain out of a molehill. Meglio tardi che mai. Better late than never. Tanto va la gatta al lardo... The cat goes so many times to the bacon... che ci lascia lo zampino. that sooner or later it will leave a footprint. Meaning: If you sneak often enough, eventually you ll get caught. Se la va, la va. If it goes, it goes. Meglio un uovo oggi... Better an egg today... 30

51 Lesson Fourteen: Proverbs and Sayings che una gallina domani. than a chicken tomorrow. Meaning: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Ride bene chi ride ultimo. He who laughs last, laughs best. Troppi cuochi guastano il pranzo. Too many cooks spoil the lunch (broth). Qualcosa bolle in pentola. Something is boiling in the pot. Meaning: Something s up. Mario guida una vecchia caffettiera. Mario is driving an old coffeepot. Meaning: Mario is driving an old heap. Ce l ho fatta per il rotto della cuffia. He did it by the rip of the cap. Meaning: He made it by the skin of his teeth. Non mi rompere le uova nel paniere. Don t break the eggs in my basket. Meaning: Don t burst my bubble. Sono sano come un pesce. I m as healthy as a fish. Meaning: I m fit as a fiddle. 31

52 Lesson Fourteen: Proverbs and Sayings Cane che abbaia non morde. A barking dog doesn t bite. L asino chiama orecchia lunga il cavallo. The donkey says that the horse has long ears. Meaning: The pot calls the kettle black. Chi ha molte parole spesso si duole. He who talks too much often hurts himself. Non fare il passo più lungo della gamba. Don t make your step longer than your leg. Meaning: Don t bite off more than you can chew. 32

53 Lezione quindici: Altri Proverbi e detti Chi dorme non piglia pesci. Chi rompe paga. Non svegliare il cane che dorme. Uno per tutti... tutti per uno. Sei buona come... un pezzo di pane. Al contadino non far sapere... quanto è buono il formaggio con le pere. Le cose rare sono le più care. Le leggerezza è madre degli errori. Chi fugge il lupo, inciampa nell orso. È meglio perder l ancora che la nave. Chi guarda le nuvole, fa poca strada. Chi conta sul futuro, sovente si inganna. Mai catena ha fatto buon cane. Chi poco governa, ben governa. La lingua batte dove il dente duole. È un osso duro. A buon intenditor poche parole. 33

54 Lesson Fifteen: Other Proverbs and Sayings Chi dorme non piglia pesci. He who sleeps, catches no fish. Meaning: The early bird gets the worm. Chi rompe paga. He who breaks must pay. Non svegliare il cane che dorme. Don t wake the dog that sleeps. Meaning: Let sleeping dogs lie. Uno per tutti... One for all... tutti per uno. and all for one. Sei buona come... You re as good as... un pezzo di pane. a piece of bread. Meaning: You re as good as gold. Al contadino non far sapere... Don t let the farmer know... 34

55 Lesson Fifteen: Other Proverbs and Sayings quanto è buono il formaggio con le pere. how good cheese is with pears. Meaning: Never let on a good thing. Le cose rare sono le più care. The rare things are the dearest ones. Le leggerezza è madre degli errori. Superficiality is the biggest mistake. Chi fugge il lupo, inciampa nell orso. Who runs away from the wolf, stumbles into the bear. Meaning: Out of the frying pan, into the fire. È meglio perder l ancora che la nave. It s better to lose the anchor than the ship. Chi guarda le nuvole, fa poca strada. He who looks at the clouds, doesn t go far. Chi conta sul futuro, sovente si inganna. He who counts on the future, often tricks himself. Meaning: Don t count your chickens before they re hatched. Mai catena ha fatto buon cane. A chain does not a good dog make. 35

56 Lesson Fifteen: Other Proverbs and Sayings Chi poco governa, ben governa. He who rules little, rules best. La lingua batte dove il dente duole. The tongue touches where the tooth is hurting Meaning: Hiding your faults only emphasizes them. È un osso duro. He s a hard bone. Meaning: He s a tough cookie. A buon intenditor poche parole. An understanding person needs no words. Meaning: An empathetic person needs no explanation. 36

57 Lezione sedici: All Ufficio cambio Buongiorno, vorrei cambiare dei dollari. Ha un documento, signora? Certamente. Ecco il mio passaporto. Quanti dollari vuole cambiare? Vorrei cambiare duecento dollari. Quant è il cambio dell euro oggi? Oggi è un giorno molto buono per il dollaro. Un dollaro esattamente un euro. Ma signora, il Suo passaporto è scaduto! Santo cielo! Sono da troppo tempo in Italia e ho completamente dimenticato! Be signora, allora deve andare subito... all ambasciata Americana! Ma io ho bisogno di cambiare dei soldi! Be signora, forse potrebbe... ritirare dei contanti. C è proprio un bancomat qui vicino... appena esce a destra! La ringrazio. Di corsa all ambasciata! 37

58 Lesson Sixteen Translation: At the Exchange Office Good morning, I would like to exchange some dollars. Do you have identification, ma am? Of course. Here s my passport. How many dollars do you want to exchange? I would like to exchange two hundred dollars. What s the exchange rate for the euro today? Today is a very good day for the dollar. A dollar is exactly one euro. But ma am, your passport has expired! Good heavens! I have been too much time in Italy and completely forgot! Well ma am, then you must go immediately... to the American Consulate! But I need to change some money! Well ma am, perhaps you could... withdraw the cash. There s an ATM right nearby... as soon as you exit to the right! Thank you. I'm running to the Consulate! 38

59 Lezione diciasette: Luoghi comuni Tutte le strade portano a Roma. Tempi duri per i troppo buoni. Bisogna mangiare per vivere, e non vivere per mangiare. C è una nebbia che si taglia con un coltello. L abito non fa il monaco. Detto, fatto. Una rondine non fa primavera. Lontano dagli occhi, lontano dal cuore. Per un acino di sale si perde la minestra. Chi non risica, non rosica. gettare i soldi dalla finestra trovare il pelo nell uovo Mi ha piantato. Ho un asso nella manica. O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra. quando gli asini volano Quando il gatto non c è, i topi ballano. gettare la spugna La verdura ti fa bene. Muoio di fame! 39

60 Lesson Seventeen Translation Commonplace Expressions Tutte le strade portano a Roma. All roads lead to Rome. Tempi duri per i troppo buoni. Hard times happen to good people. Bisogna mangiare per vivere, e non vivere per mangiare. One must eat to live, and not live to eat. C è una nebbia che si taglia con un coltello. This fog is so thick, one can cut it with a knife. L abito non fa il monaco. The habit doesn t make the monk. Meaning: Clothes don t make the man. Detto, fatto. Said, done. Meaning: No sooner said than done. Una rondine non fa primavera. A swallow doesn t make spring. Meaning: One swallow does not a summer make. Lontano dagli occhi, lontano dal cuore. Far from the eyes, far from the heart. Meaning: Out of sight, out of mind. 40

61 Lesson Seventeen Translation Commonplace Expressions Per un acino di sale si perde la minestra. For a grain of salt you are spoiling the soup. Chi non risica, non rosica. He who doesn t takes a chance, doesn t have a chance. Gettare i soldi dalla finestra. To throw money out the window. Meaning: to waste money Trovare il pelo nell uovo. To find a hair in the egg. Meaning: To be very fussy. Mi ha piantato. She planted me. Meaning: She stood me up. Ho un asso nella manica. I have an ace up my sleeve. O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra. You eat that soup or you throw yourself out of the window. Meaning: Take it or leave it. 41

62 Lesson Seventeen Translation Commonplace Expressions quando gli asini volano when donkeys fly Meaning: when pigs fly Quando il gatto non c è, i topi ballano. When the cat s away, the mice dance. gettare la spugna to throw the sponge Meaning: to throw in the towel La verdura ti fa bene. Vegetables are good for you. Muoio di fame! I m dying of hunger! 42

63 Lezione diciotto: Saluti ed auguri Tanti auguri di Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo! Buona Pasqua! Oggi si festeggia il giorno della liberazione! In bocca al lupo! Crepi il lupo! Fate buone vacanze! Buon compleanno! Felice anniversario! Accomodati, prego! Benvenuti in Italia! Ti auguro ogni felicità! Stammi bene! E fatti vivo! Congratulazioni vivissime! Buona fortuna! Buona festa della mamma, mamma! A che ora cominciano i fuochi d artificio? Il piacere è tutto mio. Sono lieto di conoscerla. Buon appetito! Alla salute! 43

64 Lesson Eighteen Translation: Greetings and Wishes Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Happy Easter! Today we celebrate Liberation Day! You can go into the mouth of the wolf! Meaning: You are strong enough to win; good luck! The wolf will die! Meaning: I will succeed; I accept your wishes! Have a good vacation! Happy birthday! Happy anniversary! Welcome! Have a seat, please! Welcome to Italy! I wish you all the happiness! Stay well! And keep in touch! Many congratulations! Good luck! Happy Mother s Day, Mom! What time do the fireworks start? The pleasure is all mine. Happy to meet you. Enjoy your meal! Cheers! 44

65 Lezione diciannove: Dal Salumiere Buongiorno. Prego, mi dica signora? Quanto costa questo parmigiano? Venti euro al chilo signora. Bene, allora ne vorrei un mezzo chilo, per favore. Guardi abbiamo anche dello stracchino fresco... che viene dal Veneto! Umh magnifico! Magari me ne potrebbe dare un paio di etti! Desidera altro? Certamente! Un panino con prosciutto e mozzarella. Ecco a Lei signora, altro? O vuole un altro formaggio? Ancora un po per favore. E mi dia anche una bottiglia di olio extravergine di oliva... e due pacchi di pasta. Vorrebbe qualche altra cosa? Allora sono cinquantatré euro. È tutto per oggi? Si, è tutto. Sa il suo negozio è veramente ben fornito! 45

66 Lesson Nineteen Translation: At the Grocery Store Good morning. Can I help you, ma am? Literally: Please, tell me ma am. How much is this parmesan cheese? Twenty euros per kilo ma am. Well, then I would like half a kilo, please. Look, we also have some fresh stracchino [cheese]... which comes from Veneto! Um... great! Maybe you could give me 200 grams of it! Do you desire anything else? Of course! A sandwich with prosciutto and mozzarella. Here it is for you ma am, anything else? Do you want another cheese? Just a little bit more, please. And give me also please a bottle of extravirgin olive oil... and two packs of pasta. Would you like anything else? Well, it s fifty-three euros. Is that all for today? Yes, that s all. You know your store is truly well stocked! 46

67 Lezione venti: All Pizzeria Buongiorno, sono qui per pranzo... ma aspetto dei colleghi. Bene, si accomodi. Quante persone? Siamo in sei. Sa, ho invitato dei colleghi americani... per far conoscere la vera pizza margherita. Ma mi tolga una curiosità signora,... da dove viene il nome di questa pizza? Be, deve sapere che cento anni fa... la regina di Napoli, Margherita... andò a mangiare una pizza per la prima volta. Il proprietario della pizzeria... fece una pizza per la regina... con i tre colori della bandiera italiana. Rosso per i pomodori... bianco per la mozzarella... E verde per il basilico? Bravo! Ecco perché la pizza... prende il nome dalla regina! 47

68 Lesson Twenty Translation: At a Pizzeria Good morning, I am here for lunch... but I am waiting for some colleagues. Well, have a seat. How many people? We are six. You know, I invited some American colleagues... to let them know the true pizza margherita. But out of curiosity ma am,... where does the name of this pizza come from? Well, you must know that a hundred years ago... The Queen of Naples, Margherita... went to eat a pizza for the first time. The owner of the pizzeria... made a pizza for the queen... with the three colors of the Italian flag. Red from the tomatoes... white from the mozzarella... And green from the basil? Bravo! That s why the pizza... takes the name from the Queen! 48

69 For more information, call or visit us at Pimsleur.com

70