Learn about two more proverbs--one of them concerns "scratching around"
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| 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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