Il giorno della nebbia (The day of the fog)
QCER A2111 parole
One morning in November we could not see the church from our window. The fog was so thick that the village disappeared.
My mother drove me to school at twenty kilometres an hour, with the window open, listening. She was not afraid, but she was serious, and my mother is never serious.
At school only nine children arrived. The teacher did not open the books. She turned off the lights and asked us to listen: a car, a dog, a tractor far away. Then she asked us to draw what we heard.
The fog went away at twelve.
I do not remember any lesson from that year. I remember the drawings.
Parole che forse non conosci
- fognebbia
- thickfitto, denso
- to disappearsparire
- to turn offspegnere
- drawingdisegno
Domande
Si risponde con il testo davanti. Non è memoria: è capire.
What was the weather like that morning?
There was very thick fog — The fog was so thick that the village disappeared: tanta nebbia che dalla finestra non si vedeva nemmeno la chiesa.
The mother drove fast that morning.
False — Falso: a venti chilometri all'ora, che è meno di una bicicletta veloce.
Only ___ children arrived at school.
nine — Only nine children arrived: nove, e l'only dice che sono pochissimi.
Why did the mother drive with the window open?
To hear the other cars, because she could not see them — Il testo lo dice con una sola parola, listening, e non lo spiega. Con la nebbia gli occhi non servono: si guida con l'orecchio.
Why does the writer say 'my mother is never serious'?
To show that this morning was really dangerous — Il dato non è lì per descrivere la madre: è lì per misurare la nebbia. Se la persona che non è mai seria diventa seria, vuol dire che la cosa era grave.
What does the last line mean?
That the day of the fog is the only thing the writer remembers from that school year — Le due frasi si oppongono: delle lezioni non resta niente; del giorno in cui hanno spento la luce e disegnato quello che sentivano, tutto.