Remember, remember the 5th of November

Chi conosce la ricorrenza della festa di Guy Fawkes che ricorda la Congiura delle Polveri al Parlamento Britannico del 5 novembre 1605? Ormai quasi tutti, grazie al fumetto e poi film V per Vendetta, ma voglio darvi qualche info in più, in particolare dato che proprio ieri era in 5 novembre e nel Regno Unito in moti avranno festeggiato la Guy Fawkes Night.

La Guy Fawkes Night è una celebrazione annuale che si tiene nel pomeriggio del 5 novembre. E' celebrata soprattutto nel Regno Unito, ma anche nelle ex colonie britanniche.

Viene celebrata la sventata Congiura delle Polveri (Gunpowder Plot), quando un gruppo di cattolici guidati da Robert Catesby, di cui faceva parte anche Guy Fawkes, progettò di far saltare il Palazzo di Westminster nel pomeriggio del 5 novembre 1605, all'interno del quale era presente Giacomo I d'Inghilterra, che reprimeva i cittadini di fede cattolica.

I festeggiamenti pubblici vertono essenzialmente in uno spettacolo pirotecnico e soprattutto in un falò nel quale vengono bruciati i pupazzi dei congiurati. La giornata è anche accompagnata da cibi tradizionali cucinati o acquistati per l'occasione.

Il piano dei congiurati era quello di far esplodere la camera dei Lord e di uccidere così il re e il suo governo durante la cerimonia di apertura del Parlamento inglese, lo State Opening, che si sarebbe tenuta il 5 novembre, e di rapire i suoi figli nel caso in cui questi non fossero stati presenti alla cerimonia.

Il complotto fu ideato il 20 maggio 1604 da Robert Catesby, il quale sosteneva che tutte le strade pacifiche per ottenere una politica di tolleranza per i cattolici erano già state tentate; di fronte a una persecuzione che non diminuiva restava solo il ricorso alla violenza. I suoi compagni erano inizialmente Thomas Winter, Jack Wright, Thomas Percy e Guy Fawkes. Ai cinque ideatori si aggiunsero in seguito Thomas Bates, Robert Keyes, RobertWintour, Christopher Wright, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Everard Digby e Francis Tresham.

Il piano fu svelato in una misteriosa lettera, conservata attualmente nel Public Record Office, consegnata a Lord Monteagle il 26 ottobre e presentata al re venerdì 1 novembre 1605. Nella notte del 4 novembre Fawkes venne trovato in possesso di trentasei barili di polvere da sparo; fu quindi arrestato e torturato. In seguito i congiurati vennero impiccati.

La Congiura delle Polveri è ancora oggi vista come l'evento più drammatico nella storia del Parlamento inglese.

Filastrocca di Guy Fawkes

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I see of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up King and Parliament.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Ricorda, ricorda il cinque Novembre,

La Congiura delle Polveri e il complotto,

non conosco ragione

per cui la congiura

debba essere mai dimenticata.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, questo era il tuo intento

di far saltare in aria il re e il Parlamento.

Tre colonne di barili di polvere da sparo

sotto per provare a rovesciare la vecchia Inghilterra;

dalla provvidenza di Dio egli è stato preso

con una scura lanterna e un fiammifero ardente.

Urlate ragazzi, urlate ragazzi, che le campane suonino,

urlate ragazzi, urlate ragazzi che Dio salvi il re!

The age of Chaucer (1350 - 1400)

A great obstacle in the way of a new English literature had been the lack of a national language, but about the middle of the XIV century, one of the dialects, that of the region of London and of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, prevailed and became the official language of the country. It was in this dialect, called "the King's English", that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his poetical words, and in this way the literary language of England was born.

Geoffrey Chaucer, who lived in London in the second half of the XIV century and travelled in France and Italy, is the first great English poet. He has been called the Father of English poetry.

The most celebrated among his works are: Troilus and Criseyde, a love story about the Trojan war, and the Canterbury Tales, a collection of romantic and comic stories told by pilgrims going to the tomb of St. Thomas of Canterbury. The general plan of the work reminds us of Boccaccio's Decameron, thought there is a remarcable difference in style. Chaucer's subject matter was medieval, made up of old legends and popular tales, but his masterly style was something quite new in English poetry.

His great dramatic gift appears at its best in the Prologue of the Tales, which gives us a vivid picture of the "merry England" of his times and of the Canterbury pilgrims themselves, who are not poetical shadows but real people: e.g., the pretty well-bred prioress; the fat, vulgar wife of Bath; the merry young squire; and the learned student of Oxford.

To the age of Chaucer belong two writers worth mentioning: John Gower, who wrote at first in Latin and French, and then produced his Confessio Amantis, a long series of tales, with a Latin title but written in English; and William Langland, the author of Piers Plowman, a series of allegorical visions entirely written in the old allitterative verse.

The Merchant and the Clerk

from The Canterbury Tales

A Merchant was there with a forked beard

In motley dressed, and high on horse he sat;

Upon his head a Flemish beaver hat,

His bootes clasped fair and handsomely;

His reason spake he full solemnély,

Harping always on increase of winning.

Guarded he wished the sea, 'gainst everything,

Bitwixe Middleburg and Orewelle.

Well could he in exchange shieldes sell.

This worthy man full well his wit beset,

No wight there was that thought he was in debt,

So stately was he of his governance,

With his bargains, and with his chevissance.

Forsooth he was a worthy man withal,

But sooth I cannot say what men him call.

A Clerk there was of Oxenford also,

That unto logic turned long ago,

As leane was his horse as is a rake,

And he was not right fat, I undertake,

But looked hollow and also soberly.

Full threadbare as his overest courtepy,

For he had got him yet no benefice,

Nor was so worldly for to have office:

For he would rather have at his bed's head

Twenty bookes clad in black or red,

Of Aristotl' and his philosophy,

Than robes rich, or fiddle or gay psaltry.

But yet withal he was a philosopher,

Yet hadde he but little gold in coffer;

But all that he might of his friendes hente,

On bookes and on learning he it spent,

And busily gan for the souls to pray

Of them that gave him wherewith to scolay.

Of study took he most care and most heed.

Naught a word spake he more than was need,

And that was said in form and reverence,

And short and quick and full of high sentence.

Sounding in moral virtue was his speech,

And gladly would he learn and gladly teach.

(33) Some, any

Some

(alcuni/e, un po', qualche, del, della/e, degli, dei)

Any?

(alcuni/e, un po', qualche, del, della/e, degli, dei)

Not...any

(neanche un, nessun...)

Some viene usato di norma in frasi affermative.

- There are some biscuits, if you're hungry. (Ci sono alcuni biscotti, se hai fame)

Any è usato di norma in frasi interrogative o negative.

- Have we got any mineral water? (Abbiamo dell'acqua minerale?)

- No, there isn't any left. (No, non ce n'è più)

Some e any sono seguiti da un sostantivo plurale se si riferiscono ad un certo numero.

-There are some mistakes in your letter. (Ci sono alcuni errori nella tua lettera)

Nelle frasi interrogative e negative il partitivo inglese è usato più spesso che in italiano.

- Have you got any brothers or sisters? (Hai fratelli o sorelle?)

(32) Verbi seguiti da preposizioni o avverbi - Prepositional and phrasal verbs

In inglese, molti verbi possono assumere significato diverso a seconda della preposizione o avverbio da cui sono seguiti.

Go / Come

- in/into = entrare

- out (of) = uscire da

- back = tornare

- up = salire

- down = scendere

Look at = guardare qualcosa o qualcuno

Look for = cercare qualcosa o qualcuno

Look around = guardarsi intorno, dare un'occhiata in giro

Look afrer = badare a qualcuno

Note:

Into è preposizione di moto e indica movimento verso l'interno di un luogo.

- They're coming into the classroom (Stanno entrando in classe).

Out of indica movimento verso l'esterno.

- She is looking out of the window (Sta guardando fuori dalla finestra).

Teaching humor...

(31) Il presente progressivo - The present continuous

Il presente progressivo si forma con il presente di to be + la forma in -ing del verbo.

Es. verbo to work:

- Forma affermativa

I am working

you are working

he/she/it is working

we are working

you are working

they are working

- Forma negativa

I'm not working

you aren't working

he/she/it isn't working

we aren't working

you aren't working

they aren't working

- Forma interrogativa

Am I working?

are you working?

is he/she/it working?

are we working?

are you working?

are they working?

- Forma interrogativo-negativa

Aren't I working?

aren't you working?

isn't he/she/it working?

aren't we working?

aren't you working?

aren't they working?

Le risposte brevi si formano con l'ausiliare to be: Are you reading? Yes, I am / No, I'm not.

Il presente progressivo si usa per descrivere un'azione in corso di svolgimento al momento attuale (now, at the moment...) o in un periodo di tempo presente circoscritto (in this period, these days...).

- What are you doing? (Cosa fai/stai facendo?)

- I'm reading a book. (Leggo/sto leggendo un libro)

Regola pratica: si usa il presente progressivo tutte le volte che in italiano il presente può essere sostituito dalla forma progressiva.
- I'm having a great time these days. (In questo periodo mi diverto/mi sto divertendo moltissimo)

Note:
Il presente semplice è usato in inglese per esprimere azioni abituali (usually, every day, always, often...) o realtà sempre presenti. Non è usato di norma per parlare di qualcosa che sta avvenendo.
- What do you do? (Cosa fai -di solito-?/Che lavoro fai?)
- What are you doing? (Cosa fai -in questo momento, in questo periodo-?/Cosa stai facendo?)

La forma progressiva è usata solo con verbi che esprimono un'azione. Non si usa perciò con i verbi che esprimono volontà (to want = volere), opinione o stato mentale (to know = sapere, conoscere; to like = piacere) o percezione involontaria (to hear = udire; to see = vedere). Con i verbi di percezione involontaria si usa spesso can: Can you see...? (Vedi/Riesci a vedere?...); I can't hear you (Non ti sento/Non riesco a sentirti).

From the Norman conquest to Chaucer (1066 - 1350)

The Normans brought a higher civilisation, a new language (Norman French) and a new kind of poetry (the system of syllable and rhyme instead of the old allitterative verse) to England. The conquest of the island led to the decline of Anglo-Saxon literature, as Anglo-Saxon was only spoken by uncultured and often illitterate Saxons, the language of the norman court and society being French. However, what was to emerge from the long struggle between the two languages and civilisations was a new language, Middle English, containing both a German and a Latin element, and a new, that is, an English civilisation.

We can therefore consider the history of this transition period, in which a new language and a new literture were born, as a slow victory of the vanquished Saxons over the Norman conquerors.

The Normans began to identify themselves more closely with the native English and their language, after the loss  of Normandy had confined them to England; but it was not until the second half of the XIV century that English replaced French in the schools, the law-courts and Parliament. For about three centuries after the battle of Hastings, literary works were written in French and Latin, the language of the Church and of science. In fact, with the sole exception of a few lyrics, such as The Owl and the Nightingale and Spring, the religious and secular works which appeared from the middle of the XIII century onwards were translations of French poems and narratives of chivalry.

Three alliterative poems in praise of purity, Pearl, Patience and Cleaness, take us into the Age of Chaucer.