Posted on 09/05/2006 10:57:17 AM PDT by an italian
Hey! Some days ago you said you was able to help me. Can you check my grammar?
That's a part of the text.
Thank you.
(snip)
Then the Ottoni *followed*, and the town came under the Government of Como. *In 1487*, thanks to their faith, the people of Grosotto defeated Grigioni: a procession *led* by the priest of the town (Stefano Tuana) stopped the *Swiss*.*Also,the* Mother Mary appeared to *have saved and protected* the village that, in fact, was not burned by them as *were* the *others*. It was for that reason that, in 1490, *the* people of Grosotto built one of the most beautiful *churches* in Valtellina, to *give* thanks *for* the Madonna's miraculous and protective hand. *In 1512* Grigioni *again came to* Valtellina, *and then came* years of scarcity. *When Bishop Niguarda ,in 1589*, came to visit the town, the village *consisted of about* 370 homes and 2000 inhabitants. During the Inquisition, some women of the town *were accused of* witchcraft. Some of the most important families of the town are: *the Venosta family*, *the Tuana family*.*the Stoppani family* and *the Robustelli family*. The most famous man of the Valley was, in fact, from this last lineage: the Cav. Giacomo Robustelli (1585 - 1650). *In July of 1620 he led*
(snip)
*In 1639 the Valley *again came* under the influence of Grigioni, *then,in 1797,it joined the* Cisalpina Republic with Napoleon. Then it *came under the rule of the* Government of Austria until the *Vienna* Congress and then it was *reunited* with the Region of Lombardy until the proclamation of the Italian Kingdom in 1861.
It's all perfectly clear. Errors are also clear and do not detract from understandibility. Madonna is a 'her' I believe.
>The first document in which Grosotto is called "Rosetum" goes back 1080.
You probably should have a "to" in there. I suggest:
The first document in which Grosotto is called "Rosetum" goes back dates to [or 'dates from', or 'is dated'] 1080 AD.
>Then the Reti and the Celts arrived until, with the kingdom of the Imperator
August, the all Valtellina came under the influence of the Roman Empire.
>Then the town saw the occupations of a lot of civilization and with the
This is odd. I suggest "Then the town was occupied by several civilizations at one time or another", something like that.
Feud is used correctly here, meaning a parcel of land in aq feudal economic system:
>Carolingi Grosotto became a feud of Saint Dionigi's Convent (France).
However, this meaning is almost unknown to English speakers today. Only the more common meaning, that of 'a long-running fight between two or more families' is commonly known today. Maybe "feudal holding" would be more clear.
This is a run-on sentence and should be broken up:
>In the 1487, thanks to their faith, the people of Grosotto defeated
>Grigioni: a procession leaded by the priest of the town (Stefano Tuana) stopped the
>Swisses and also Mother Mary appeared to save and protect the village that, in fact,
>was not burned by them as the other ones.
>In the 1512 Grigioni came again in Valtellina; then succeeded followed years of scarcity. When the Bishop Niguarda (in 1589) came to visit the town, the village counted more or less 370 homes and 2000 inhabitants. During the Inquisition, some women of the town were processed and accused for accused of or prosecuted for witchcraft.
I'm not sure you want these apostrophes in the family names:
>Some of the most important families of the town are: Venosta's, Tuana's, Stoppani's and Robustelli's.
US English: Some of the most important families of the town are the Venostas, the Tuanas, the Stoppanis and the Robustellis.
British English would probably be: Some of the most important families of the town are the Venostas the Tuanas the Stoppanis and the Robustellis.
>He, in the July of 1620, leaded the Valtellina's people against the tyranny of the Grigioni in a
>great battle called "the sacred slaughter house" (sacro macello).
You should strike the "the" before the year and use the past tense "led". In point of style, I would change it round and put the foriegn (to us) term first and in italics, followed by the translation:
In the July of 1620 he led the [Valtellinan people? Valtellinans?] against the tyranny of the Grigioni in a great battle called the sacro macello ("the sacred slaughter house").
This is another run-on sentence:
>OnlyIn the 1639 the Valley re-came under the influence of Grigioni. [T]hen it entered in the 1797 [it became part of] the Cisalpina Republic with ("under"?) Napoleon. Then it passed under the Government of Austria until the [congress of] Vienna [when it was?] re-united with the Region of Lombardy. [new sentence: until the proclamation of the Italian Kingdom in 1861...]
>it's considered one of best and important example of the Valtellinese's handicraft of all times.
Yes! You got it right! I-T-apostrophe-S means "it is" or "it has" (this latter case is in the past tense, as in "My hair? It's always been blue and spiky."). Misuse of this contraction is probably the most common (and increasingly common, and extremely annoying) error in English. But you got it right.
The last paragraph is fine except for the pronoun his. It should be her:
>built to thank the Madonna for his her miraculous help.
Your grammar is generally VERY good. I've taken the liberty of replacing a few Italian phrasings with their English equivalents. Here and there were a couple of minor grammar errors, but more due to the weirdness of English than to your fault, believe me!
Hope this is of some use to you, and please accept my apologies for anything that I've messed up or misunderstood.
I have assumed that 'Valtellina' means 'The Valley'. Sorry if I'm wrong here.
====
GENERAL INFORMATION: Region: Lombardy Province, Sondrio. Surface: 53.05 sq.km. Altitude: from 590m to 2840m above sea level. Inhabitants: about 1700. Quarters: Piazza, Prada, Roncale, S. Martino. Patron Saint: Saint Eusebio (1st August). Co-Patron Saint: Saint Antonio (17th January). Fairs: Saint Eusebio (1st August), Saint Antonio (17th January), Madonna of the belts (first Sunday of September). Market Day: Tuesday.
SHORT HISTORY OF THE TOWN: The first document in which Grosotto is called "Rosetum" goes back to the year 1080. The town was dominated in the past by people from Liguria, Umbria, and Etruria. Then the Reti and the Celts arrived (suggest 'ruled the town' instead of "arrived") until Augustus Caesar placed all of Valtellina under the influence of the Roman Empire.
The town was occupied over time by many conquerors. With the coming of the Carolingians, Grosotto became a feud (?? -- suggest "fiefdom" instead of "feud"), not sure what you want here) of Saint Dionigi's Convent in France. The Ottoni succeeded the Carolingians, and the town came under the Government of Como.
In 1487, the people of Grosotto defeated the invading Swiss Grigioni. Stefano Tuana, Grosotto's priest, led a procession of the townspeople, inspired by a vision of the Virgin Mary, to confront the attackers. As a result of their faith and bravery, the village was not burned by the Swiss, as many other villages had been. In gratitude for the Virgin Mary's miraculous and protective hand, the people of Grosotto built one of the most beautiful churches in Valtellina in 1490.
In 1512, the Grigioni returned to Valtellina, then succeeded years of scarcity (not sure what you mean to say here, suggest "and stayed for many years"). By the time the Bishop Niguarda came to visit Grosotto in 1589, the village counted approximately 370 homes and 2000 citizens. During the Inquisition, some women of the village were accused of and prosecuted for witchcraft.
Some of the most important families of the village are the Venostas, the Tuanas, the Stoppanis and the Robustellis. The most famous man of the Valley was, in fact, from this last family. Cav. (should this be "Captain"?) Giacomo Robustelli (1585-1650)., in July of 1620, led the Valtellina's people against the tyranny of the Grigioni in a great battle called "the sacred slaughter house" (sacro macello). The Grigioni were routed, only to return to the Valley again in 1639. Once more, the Valley remained under the influence of the Grigioni for many decades, until it became a part of Napoleon's Cisalpina Republica in 1797. From there, Valtellina passed into the hands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Finally, the Valley was reunited with the region of Lombardy until the proclamation of the Italian Kingdom in 1861.
WALKING ALONG PATRIOT STREET: Patriot Street (Via Patrioti) is the historic street of the town, where you can find a lot of art and history. Starting from the Parochial Church there is the little Chapel of Saint Rocco, built in 1630, with a wonderful painting of the Virgin and the Saints Rocco and Nepomuceno. Further down the street is the Oratory of the Saintest Crocifisso, with its great door made in 1753. Inside the Oratory is a lovely painting of the Virgin Mother Mary with Saint John.
In a short building behind the Oratory there is the Lever Press, which dates from 1700. This represents one of the most interesting places for local art and local handicrafts. It is considered to be one of the finest and most important locales for Valtellinese handicrafts anywhere. The Lever Press was home to many painters during the various editions of the "Grosottina's summer".
In Via Galeazzi there are two impressive historic paintings. The first (the Immaculate Virgin) was commissioned by the Canon E. Galeazzi in 1700, and he himself is portrayed in the painting. The second painting, completed in 1687, depicts the Virgin with the Sacred Child and Saints Peter and Eusebio.
At the beginning of Via Lugo there is a fountain built in 1630 called "Fountain of the Four Cannons". Grosotto is famous for its fountains, some of the best and most important ones in Valtellina are located here. The oldest one is the "Dragon Fountain", a great public washhouse-fountain, dating from 1695. Three columns support a great roof, atop which a little flag serves as a weathervane for the village. Across the street from the Dragon Fountain, there are many very old and fascinating grand doors. In the village square, called the Piazzetta, there is the home of the heroic Capitan Robustelli.
Walking further along (where? Via Lugo? Perhaps you should say, clearly, along WHICH street) a little, there are some beautiful examples of the "bassorilievi" of the Middle Ages. A short way down the street from here are the Omodei's Palace as well as a very famous home built in 1600. Finally, at the very end of the street is the Sanctuary, built to thank the Madonna for her miraculous help in 1487. This church was one of the four in Valtellina selected by the Vatican during the Jubilee.
See below. Do you think it's a reasonable job? Looks ok to me, but I -- like you -- am not familiar with the majority of place names.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Region: LombardyThe green text above is what you wrote; the black text is my translation and reformatting to make it clear to me (and, we can hope, other English-speakers who read it). But the red items are things I didn't understand. I'm not conversant with your unit of area (what you called "surface,") and I'm not sure what you mean by "Quarters" (unless these are the subdivisions of the town).
Province: Sondrio
Area: 53.05 kmq
Elevation: 1935 to 9320 ft.
Population: approximately 1700
Quarters: Piazza, Prada, Roncale, S. Martino
Patron Saint: Eusebio (August 1st)
Co-Patron: S. Antonio (January 17th)
Fairs:January 17th: Saint AntonioMarket day: Tuesday
August 1st: Saint Eusebio
First Sunday in September: Madonna of the belts
Does "kmq" stand for "kilometers squared"?
Assuming that the area of the town is 53.05 square kilometers, and assuming that I did the conversion correctly, the area of the town is about 20.5 square miles. Judging by my appreciation of the ratio of the kilometer to the mile, I think that's a reasonable number.
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