Impariamo l’italiano XLIX: Esca 050

Eliza nuda fa il suo fatale tuffo.

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PAGE 50 (Four panels)

Panel 1: View view of Eliza jack-knifing off the side of the RV Seagoon, seen from the point of view of a camera on the Seagoon.

Panel 2: A splash in the water off the side of the Seagoon where Eliza went in.

Panel 3: View of Eliza swimming through the water, viewed from a point below her.

CAPTION – FUZZY BOX INDICATING RECOVERED SPEECH (1): Fzzt Bzz supposed to swim out about a hundred yards or so.

Comment (1): Material like “fzz””bzz” etc in this and other balloons labeled RECOVERED SPEECH are onomatopoeia for noise in the transmission.

Translation (1): Fzzt Bzz dovrebbe nuotare per circa un centinaio di metri.

SUBTITLE (2): Recovered drone footage.

Translation (2): Filmati di droni recuperati.

Panel 4: Eliza swimming downward, below the surface.

CAPTION – FUZZY BOX INDICATING RECOVERED SPEECH (3): crackle don’t even have to breathe…fantastic zzt

Translation (3): crepitio… non ha nemmeno bisogno di respirare … fantastico zzt

SUBTITLE (4): Recovered drone footage.

Translation (4): Filmati di droni recuperati.

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Impariamo l’italiano XLV: Esca 046

Eliza è quella scelta.

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PAGE 46 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Turpentine has lifted away his right hand and is now looking down at the back of his left, where the coin is now resting.

Panel 2: Eliza and Daphne sitting next to one another, both wide-eyed in anticipation.

Panel 3: Extreme close-up of the coin resting on the back of Turpentine’s hand. It is Lady Liberty-side up.

CAPTION – TURPENTINE SPEAKING (1): It’s Lady Liberty.

Translation (1): È Lady Liberty.

CAPTION – TURPENTINE SPEAKING (2): It’s Eliza.

Translation (2): È Eliza.

Panel 4: Daphne and Eliza leaning over, giving each other a hug.

Daphne (3): Congratulations!

Translation (3): Complimenti!

Eliza (4): Thank you!

Translation (4): Grazie!

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Impariamo l’italiano XLI: Esca 042

La tanto attesa partenza per i Mari del Sud.

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PAGE 42 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Eliza standing at the boarding counter for an international flight, with Daphne behind her. A GATE AGENT is checking Eliza’s documents prior to her boarding.

CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (1): At long last the preparations were made. The volunteers boarded a flight for Southeast Asia…

Translation (1): Finalmente sono i preparative sono pronti. I volontari si sono imbarcati su un volo per l’Asia sud-orientale…

Panel 2: Eliza and Daphne sitting side-by-side in large, first-class seats in a first-class cabin. Eliza is holding a flute of champagne and Daphne is reading a book.

CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (2): The benefactor behind the exhibition arranged for them to travel first class.

Translation (2): Il benefattore dietro l’evento ha organizzato per loro un viaggio in prima classe.

Panel 3: Claudia in coach class, crammed into the middle seat of three between Hiram and another passenger. Hiram looks like he’s trying to get Claudia’s attention, perhaps even hitting on her. The other passenger, a FAT MAN, has gone to sleep. Claudia stares forward with Stoic resignation.

CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (3): Most of the other specialists on the exhibition had to travel in coach.

Translation (3): La maggior parte degli altri specialisti dell’evento dovranno viaggiare in seconda classe.

Panel 4: Eliza, followed by Daphne, followed by Claudia, walking up the gangway to the RV Seagoon. Eliza is wearing her typical thin cotton shirt and skirt, Daphne is in denim shorts and a T-shirt, and Claudia is in a conservative white button-down short-sleeved shirt and a dark skirt. All three are carrying bags, with Claudia’s being by far the largest.

CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (4): After arriving in Singapore, volunteers and crew board the research vessel RV Seagoon for their venture in the South Seas.

Translation (4): Dopo l’arrivo a Singapore, volontari e membri dell’equipaggio si sono imbarcati sulla nave da ricerca RV Seagoon per la loro avventura nei mari del sud.

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Impariamo l’italiano XL: Esca 041

Eliza ama stare sott'acqua; Daphne rimane risoluta.

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PAGE 41 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Eliza, about half climbed out of the tank, water dripping off her. A TECHNICIAN is pulling off one of her sensors. Eliza is smiling broadly.

Eliza (1): That’s just the most amazing thing, being underwater for all that time. I’ve never felt anything so peaceful.

Translation (1): Questa è solo la cosa più incredibile, essere sott’acqua per tutto quel tempo. Non ho mai provato nulla di così pacifico.

Panel 2: Eliza standing outside the tank, all of her sensors now removed, toweling off but still wearing her one-piece suit.

Eliza (2): I can’t wait to do that naked in the open ocean.

Translation (2): Non vedo l’ora di farlo nuda nell’oceano aperto.

Panel 3: Daphne, back being interviewed in the coffeehouse.

Daphne (3): Back out? No way.

Translation (3): Sei tornata? Non c’è modo.

CAPTION – UNSEEN INTERVIEWER (4): But…

Translation (4): Ma…

Daphne (5): But what? But I’m going to be immortal if I don’t go through with this?

Translation (5): Ma cosa? Ma diventerò immorale se non mi sottopongo a questo?

Panel 4: Closer-in view of Daphne’s face. She looks deadly serious.

Daphne (6): None of us has the choice as to whether to die. We can only make it sooner, or maybe just a little later.

Translation (7): Nessuna di noi ha la possibilità di decidere se morire. Possiamo soltanto farlo prima, o forse solo un po’ più tardi.

Daphne (7): And we can try to attach meaning to death. That’s what I’m doing here.

Translation (7): E possiamo provare ad attribuire un significato alla morte. Ecco cosa sto facendo qui.

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Impariamo l’italiano XXVI: Esca 037

Incontriamo la mente nuda di Eliza.

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PAGE 37 (Three panels)

Panel 1: Probably long on the side of the page. Close up view of Eliza in the giant tank wearing the “tentacle swim suit.”

Eliza (balloon with watery lines) (1): … … …

Panel 2: Close-up on a speaker on a control panel.

Eliza (radio balloon coming from speaker) (2): bzzt crackle hoff iss cocks bign faat like dis zz-pop!

Comment (2): Eliza’s underlying internal monologue here is something like “Yes! Cocks [that is, penises] big and fat like these” but obscured by transmission noise. The translation should include appropriate representations of “noise” and distortion.

Translation (2): bzzt crepitio cheff cazzi grandibzzt ffnezzb grosszrtiff come questizz-pop!

Panel 3: Claudia and Turpentine, both dressed in coveralls, monitoring progress on a panel.

Claudia (3): Don’t you think we should tell her she has no internal censor going?

Translation (3): Non pensi che dovremmo dirle che non ha alcuna censura interna?

Turpentine (4): No! The more we get for science, the better!

Translation (4): No! Più ne ricaviamo per la scienza, meglio è!

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Impariamo l’italiano XXXV: Esca 036

Claudia Honeywood crea robot molto intelligenti.

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PAGE 36 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Claudia, in coveralls and wearing goggles, sitting at a high-tech workbench making adjustments to a tiny (about the size of a toaster) submersible drone.

CAPTION – PSEUDO-NARRATION (1): Ethical objections aside, preparations for an expedition are laid in.

Translation (1): A parte le obiezioni etiche, sono in corso i preparativi per una spedizione.

Panel 2: Claudia now being interviewed in the lab. She has pushed her goggles up on her forehead, and her face has some sooty smudges on it.

SUBTITLE (2): Claudia Honeywood, Ph.D., Project Robotics Engineer.

Translation (2): Claudia Honeywood, Ph.D., Ingegnere del Progetto di Robotica.

Claudia (3): The creature will probably be able to block communications with our expedition ship, but we think a tightly focused beam from our subjects to a submersible might be possible. We can capture and retrieve data from it later.

Translation (3): Probabilmente la creatura sarà in grado di bloccare le comunicazioni con la nostra nave di spedizione, ma pensiamo che sia possibile un raggio strettamente focalizzato dai nostri soggetti a un sommergibile. Da questo, in seguito, potremo acquisire e recuperare i dati.

Panel 3: A somewhat cleaned-up Claudia showing the submersible to Daphne and Eliza. Daphne seems interested, Eliza almost enchanted.

Claudia (4): Okay, ladies. So, one of you at least is going to be talking to this.

Translation (4): Ok, signore. Quindi, almeno una di voi parlerà con questo.

Eliza (5): Ooh, it’s so cute!

Translation (5): Ooh, è così carino!

Panel 4: Claudia fitting something behind Eliza’s ear.

Claudia (6): This sensor will transmit biometrics. It will also scan your brain’s speech center and allow you to provide some narration of your experiences.

Translation (6): Questo sensore trasmetterà dati biometrici. Eseguirà anche la scansione del centro del discorso del tuo cervello e ti consentirà di fornire una narrazione delle tue esperienze.

Eliza (7): I really want to try that…

Translation (7): Voglio davvero provarlo…

Claudia (8): You will. We need testing.

Translation (8): Lo proverai. Abbiamo bisogno di testarlo.

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Impariamo l’italiano XXXIII: Esca 034

Daphne desidera salvare i bambini, Eliza, i simpatici animali.

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PAGE 34 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Daphne and Eliza sit next to one another on a comfortable-looking couch, being interviewed.

Daphne (1): The charitable contribution was a big thing for me.

Translation (1): Il contributo di beneficenza per me era una grande cosa.

Eliza (2): Yeah, me too!

Translation (2): Sì, anche per me!

Daphne (3): It’s really an issue of effective altruism.

Translation (3): È davvero una questione di altruismo efficace.

Panel 2: A thin-but-healthy African child spooning something nourishing into her mouth while looking at the viewer with large and grateful eyes.

CAPTION – DAPHNE NARRATING (4): Estimates vary depending on details of methodology, but a consensus view is that a million dollars well spent on hunger and disease relief could easily save thirty lives.

Translation (4): Le stime variano a seconda dei dettagli della metodologia, ma una visione condivisa è che un milione di dollari ben spesi per la cura della fame e della malattia potrebbe salvare facilmente trenta vite.

Panel 3: Daphne and Eliza on the couch again.

Daphne (5): One for thirty seems like a pretty good trade to me, another way of living a life that matters.

Translation (5): Uno per trenta a me sembra un buon compromesso, un altro modo di vivere una vita che vale la pena.

Unseen interviewer (out-of-panel balloon) (6): And what are you contributing to, Eliza?

Translation (6): E a cosa stai contribuendo, Eliza?

Eliza (7): Well, I’ve always loved animals.

Translation (7): Beh, ho sempre amato gli animali.

Panel 4: Eliza, dressed differently than she is for the interview, cradling a sad-looking little puppy in her arms, comforting it.

CAPTION – ELIZA NARRATING (8): A million dollars in humane society relief goes a long way.

Comment (8): By “humane society relief,” Eliza means charity directed toward an organization like the American Humane Society, which devotes itself to promoting the welfare of non-human animals, so this phrase should be translated accordingly.

Translation (8): Con un milione di dollari in aiuti alla protezione animali si va molto lontano.

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Impariamo l’italiano XXXII: Esca 033

Le due "vincitrici" del concorso per esche si incontrano.

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PAGE 33 (Two panels)

Panel 1: Probably smaller inset above. Eliza and Daphne meeting in an office somewhere, shaking hands somewhat tentatively.

CAPTION – TURPENTINE NARRATING (1): Eventually, we were down to two candidates, one to serve in the principal attempt and the second as an alternate.

Translation (1): Alla fine, eravamo scesi a due candidate, una da utilizzare nel tentativo principale e la seconda come sostituta.

Eliza (2): Uh, hi!

Translation (2): Uh, ciao!

Daphne (3): How do you do.

Comment (3): The English phrase “how do you do” is often conflated with “how are you?” but this is incorrect. “How do you do” is not an inquiry after someone’s health or metnal state the way “how are you?” might be. Rather, it is a form of greeting used by someone of formal manners or high social status when introduced to someone for the first time. One responds to “how do you do” with “how do you do.” It should be translated accordingly.

Translation (3): Salve.

Panel 2: Eliza and Daphne sitting at a table in a richly-appointed conference room of a major law firm. Across from them sit some serious-looking lawyers. Eliza is signing something.

CAPTION – TURPENTINE NARRATING (4): We had them sign agreements of various kinds: consents to the procedure, agreements to prominent mention in all publications related to the project, and also contracts with compensation of a sort: a charity of each’s choosing would get a contribution of $1,000,000 upon each’s completion of her…contribution.

Translation (4): Gli abbiamo fatto firmare accordi di vario genere: consensi alla procedura, accordi ad essere menzionate in modo preminente in tutte le pubblicazioni relative al progetto e anche contratti con un tipo di compenso: un ente di beneficenza per ciascuna prescelta otterrebbe un contributo di $ 1,000,000 dopo il completamento del suo… contributo.

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Impariamo l’italiano XI: Esca 010

Eliza Fanshaw sconfigge la paura della morte con la filosofia

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PAGE 10 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Still in the same apartment where the interview is taking place, but Eliza is now on tiptoes taking a heavy book down from a a high shelf.

Unseen interviewer (1): Seriously, aren’t you afraid?

Translation (1): Seriamente, non ha paura?

Eliza (2): I have something to make the fear go away. Have you heard of the Roman poet Lucretius?

Translation (2): Ho qualcosa che fa sparire la paura. Ha sentito parlare del poeta romano Lucrezio?

Panel 2: Close-up around some text, the following lines from Lucretius’s De rerum natura, set in a very old typeface or (better if possible) as medieval manuscript: “respice item quam nil ad nos ante acta vetustas/temporis aeterni fuerit, quam nascimur ante./hoc igitur speculum nobis natura futuri/temporis exponit post mortem denique nostram.“

CAPTION – ELIZA NARRATING (3): He explains that we didn’t exist for an eternity before being born, and that wasn’t bad. So why should it be bad once we stop existing?

Translation (3): Spiega che non esistevamo per un’eternità prima di nascere, e non era un male. Quindi perché dovrebbe essere un male quando smettiamo di esistere?

Panel 3: Eliza, now sitting cross-legged in her big wicker chair. She has the large book she brought down in Panel 1 resting open on her lap. She’s pointing down at something on a page.

Unseen interviewer (4): And you buy that?

Comment (4): “And you buy that?” is an idiom in American English, the literal meaning of which is “Do you really believe that?”

Translation (4): E lei ci crede?

Eliza (5): It’s what David Hume told James Boswell as Hume was wasting away, about to die. But Hume was calm and even told jokes.

Translation (5): È quello che David Hume disse a James Boswell mentre Hume stava svanendo, quand’era vicino alla morte. Ma Hume era calmo e raccontava anche barzellette.

Panel 4: Eliza looking down at the page of the book open on her lap, reading.

Eliza (6): From Boswell’s account: “I asked him if the thought of annihilation never gave him any uneasiness. He said not the least; no more than the thought that he had not been, as Lucretius observes.”

Comment (6): Eliza is quoting from a real literary work, James Bosewell’s Life of Johnson. If there is a public domain version of the Life in your target language, you are encouraged to substitute its text for your own translation.

Translation (6): Dal resoconto di Boswell: “Gli chiesi se il pensiero dell’annientamento non gli dava alcun ansia, mi rispose né più né meno più del pensiero di non essere mai esistito, come osserva Lucrezio.

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Impariamo l’italiano X: Esca 009

Il pensiero della più alta esperienza erotica stimola Eliza Fanshaw.

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PAGE 9 (Three panels)

Panel 1: Eliza in her wicker chair, being interviewed. She looks like she’s listening intently to to the interviewer’s question.

Unseen interviewer (1): I suppose I can understand your interest in…unusual experiences, but still, this would be your last such experience.

Translation (1): Suppongo di poter capire il suo interesse in … esperienze insolite, ma comunque, questa sarebbe stata la sua ultima esperienza del genere.

Eliza (2): That’s right.

Translation (2): Questo è vero.

Panel 2: Eliza stretched out on her wicker chair, one leg extended long, her hand settled between her legs.

Eliza (3): But perhaps instead of a long string of experiences, a string that’s just going to diminish in quality as I get older and older, I might want to have one experience that surpasses them all.

Translation (3): Ma forse invece di una lunga serie di esperienze, una sequenza che diminuirà di qualità man mano che invecchio, potrei desiderare di avere un’esperienza che le superi tutte.

Panel 3: Close-up on Eliza’s face. Her eyes are closed.

Eliza (4): It sort of gets me hot just thinking about it.

Comment (4): “Gets me hot” is a colloquial expression meaning “causing me to be sexually aroused.”

Translation (4); In qualche modo mi eccito solo a pensarci.

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