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LEARNING TOOLS IN THIS RESOURCE: PRONUNCIATION GUIDE - WORD-FOR-WORD ENGLISH TRANSLATION - GOOD ENGLISH TRANSLATION - VOICEOVER AUDIO - TABLED PARALLEL TEXTS
© Text: Crystal Jones • © Voiceover: Maria Paola Guerrato*
Painting by Amedeo Modigliani from www.arthistory.cc

Via Regina 26 is a contemporary soap opera. It's about the people living in flats in a late 19th century building in the centre of Milan. There are six floors and four flats on each of them. The chief character is Gelsomina, the caretaker, who looks after the building. She is helped by her husband Angelo, who can turn his hand to most things. They have two children, Renato, who studies medicine, and Chiara, who is 15. They have also a foster child of 9, Monica, who is very shy as yet. Let's see what happens to them in their everyday lives. The Italian used in Via Regina 26 is the sort of language you can't usually find in normal textbooks as it's real Italian conversation, with all the difficulties and charm of the spoken language. Every day log on to our website to read a new episode of this soap, you'll be surprised at the results: your knowledge of Italian will increase by leaps and bounds, and Italian won't feel like a foreign language anymore.
*DISCLAIMER: Via Regina 26 is entirely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. Should you find an involuntary copyright infringement in the reproduction of paintings and works of art please notify us and we'll immediately remove the source of the infringement.

 
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PRONUNCIATION ORIGINAL TEXT LITERAL TRANSLATION GOOD TRANSLATION

Óre sètte é kwarànta_çìnkwe – Inkóntri in portinerìa
Ore 7.45 – Incontri in portineria
Hours seven_and_fortyfive - Encounters in caretaker's_lodge
7.45am - People meeting outside the caretaker's lodge

Bwòn_jórno sinnhóra, tùtto bène?
PROF. FERMI: Buongiorno signora, tutto bene?
Good_day madam, all well?
Good morning, is everything all right?

Benìssimo, gràtsye. Dezìdera kwalkòza?
GELSOMINA: Benissimo, grazie. Desidera qualcosa?
Very_well, thanks. Do_you_desire something?
Everything’s fine, thank you. Can I do something for you?

Sì. La tapparèlla dél salòtto si è rótta é mìa móllhe vwòle sapére sé Ànjelo à la possibilità di fàre un sàlto su da nói!
PROF. FERMI: Sì. La tapparella del salotto si è_rotta e mia moglie vuole sapere se Angelo ha la possibilità di fare un salto su da_noi!
Yes. The sunblind of_the big_room itself has_broken and my wife wants to_know if Angelo has the possibility of to_do a leap up at_us
The sunblind in the sitting room is stuck and my wife wants to know if Angelo could pop up and see if he can mend it or not.

Çertaménte professóre, ma pyù tàrdi, perké adèsso Ànjelo dève stàre kwì in gwardyòla méntre pulìsko lé skàle. Appéna ò finìto, lhélo màndo su direttaménte!
GELSOMINA: Certamente professore, ma più tardi, perché adesso Angelo deve stare qui in guardiola mentre pulisco le scale. Appena ho finito, glielo mando su direttamente!
Certainly professor, but more late, because now Angelo must stay here in caretaker's_lodge while I_clean the stairs. As_soon_as I_have_finished, him_to_you I_send up directly!
Certainly professor but later on because Angelo must stay here while I clean the stairs. As soon as I have finished I’ll send him up to you.

Arrìva la Dottoréssa Vassàlli ké àbita al kwàrto pyàno
Arriva la Dottoressa Vassalli che abita al quarto piano
Arrives the woman_doctor Vassalli who resides at_the fourth floor
Dr. Vassalli arrives who lives on the fourth floor

Bwòn_jórno dottoréssa Vassàlli, si kyùde bène la pòrta adèsso?
GELSOMINA: Buongiorno dottoressa Vassalli, si chiude bene la porta adesso?
Good_morning woman_doctor Vassalli, itself closes well the door now?
Good morning Dr. Vassalli. Can you close your front door properly now?

Adèsso kyùde benìssimo! Gràtsye a sùo marìto ò potùto dormìre trankwìlla!
DOTT.SSA VASSALLI: Adesso chiude benissimo! Grazie a suo marito ho potuto dormire tranquilla!
Now it_closes very_well! Thanks to your husband I_have managed to_sleep peaceful(ly)!
I certainly can, thanks to your husband I was able to have a good night’s sleep at last.

Ànjelo à détto ké lhéla sistemerà definitivaménte appéna avrà kompràto la nwòva serratùra!
GELSOMINA: Angelo ha detto che gliela sistemerà definitivamente appena avrà comprato la nuova serratura!
Angelo has said that it_for_you he_will_fix definitively as_soon_as he_will_have bought the new lock!
Angelo said that he’ll fix it for good as soon as he has bought the new lock.

Gràtsye ankóra. Adèsso La salùto, bwòna jornàta!
DR.SSA VASSALLI: Grazie ancora. Adesso La saluto, buona giornata!
Thanks again. Now you I_greet, good day!
Thanks again. Now I really have to go – Goodbye for now.

Arrìvano la sinnhorìna Barìlli dél tèrtso pyàno é la sinnhóra Montàzyo dél kwìnto pyàno
Arrivano la signorina Barilli del terzo piano e la signora Montasio del quinto piano
Arrive the Miss Barilli of_the third floor and the Mrs. Montasio of_the fifth floor
Miss Barilli who lives on the third floor and Mrs. Montasio who lives on the fifth arrive

Sinnhóra Jelsomìna, volévo parlàre pròpryo kón Lèi ma adèsso purtròppo nón ò tèmpo, sóno ja in ritàrdo pér l'uffìço! Çi vedyàmo magàri staséra.
SIG.NA BARILLI: Signora Gelsomina, volevo parlare proprio con Lei ma adesso purtroppo non_ho tempo, sono già in_ritardo per l'ufficio! Ci vediamo magari stasera.
Mrs. Gelsomina, I_wanted to_speak exactly with you but now unfortunately I_haven't time, I_am already in_lateness for the_office! Ourselves we_see (=meet) possibly this_evening.
Gelsomina – I wanted to have a word with you but unfortunately I’m already late for the office. Maybe see you this evening.

Jelsomìna, Sàndra kómpye dyèçi ànni doménika é à invitàto lé sùe kujinétte pér ùna festiççòla àlle çìnkwe. Vwòle mandàre ànke la sùa pìkkola?
SIG.RA MONTASIO: Gelsomina, Sandra compie dieci anni domenica e ha invitato le sue cuginette per una festicciola alle cinque. Vuole mandare anche la sua piccola?
Gelsomaina, Sandra fulfils ten years Sunday and has invited the her little_female_cousins for a small_party at_the five. Do_you_want to_send also the your little_one?
Gelsomina, Alessandra is having a birthday party at five o’clock on Sunday afternoon and her little cousins are coming over. Would your little girl like to come?

Mònika? Sénts'àltro, sóno sikùra ké sarà mólto kontènta! Gràtsye Sinnhóra Montàzyo!
GELSOMINA: Monica? Senz'altro, sono sicura che sarà molto contenta! Grazie Signora Montasio!
Monica? Without_else(=absolutely), I_am sure that she_will_be very happy! Thanks Mrs. Montasio!
Monica? Without a doubt, I’m sure she’ll be very happy to come!

Soprajjùnje Lìno, un ragàttso di diçassètte ànni
Sopraggiunge Lino, un ragazzo di diciassette anni
Arrives Lino, a boy of seventeen years
Lino arrives, a young man of seventeen

Sinnhóra Jelsomìna, bwòn_dì! La màmma mi à détto di dìrle ké la nònna avrèbbe bizónnho di ùna puntùra pér la sùa artròzi.
LINO: Signora Gelsomina, buondì! La mamma mi ha detto di dirle che la nonna avrebbe bisogno di una puntura per la sua artrosi.
Mrs. Gelsomina, good_day! The mum to_me has told to say_to_you that the grandmother would_have need of an injection for the her arthritis.
Hello Gelsomina. My mother asked me to tell you that my grandmother needs an injection for her arthritis.

Va bène. Allóra vèngo su in mattinàta!
GELSOMINA: Va bene. Allora vengo su in mattinata!
It goes well. Then I_come up in morning!
All right. I’ll come up this morning!
 

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AVAILABLE RESOURCES 

1. Six O'Clock a.m. in the Caretaker's Lodge
2. People Meeting
3. The Postman
4. Twenty-one in Anatomy!
5. Preparing Dinner
6. The Kurdish Tenant
7. Public Holiday
8. Mr. Rostami's Move
9. A Leak from the Roof
10. In Search of a Doctor
11. Little Monica
12. Alto Adige
13. Men At Work in the Flat
14. Valuable Information
15. The Missing Kitten
16. Giacinto
17. A Deal
18. Mediterranean Cuisine
19. The operation
20. A Wedding in Puglia
21. The Return from Puglia
22. Wasps Everywhere!
23. A Trip Around Milan
24. Ligabue
25. Fiordaliso
26. The Missing Kitten
27. A New Friend
28. Summer Holiday Problems
29. Another Registered Letter
30. It's Typical!
31. Blackout
32. The Tempest
33. Hunting for Customers
34. The Prescription
35. Projects for the future
36. Marco besieged
37. Small Talk
38. Three for Two
39. Fruit and vegetables
40. A film with Marta Bubrik
41. The Mystery of the Two Sisters
42. Gossiping
43. Gelsomina is on Holiday