State Monopolies: Tobacco, like salt, is a government-controlled product in Italy, overseen by the Monopolio di Stato.
caciocavallo … limoncello: Caciocavallo is a pearshaped cheese typical of Apulia and all of Southern Italy; limoncello is a lemon liqueur, also southern, usually served very chilled.
Tabaccheria Scorta Mascalzone Rivendita no. 1: “Scorta Mascalzone Tobacconist, Store no. 1.”
È arrivato l’asino fumatore! L’asino fumatore!: (It.) “It’s the smoking donkey! The smoking donkey!”
Muratti: Muratti Ambassador is a brand of Italian cigarettes, once considered “high-class.”
fra: (It.) An affectionate abbrevation of the word fratello, “brother.”
“Aïe, aïe, aïe / Domani non mi importa per niente / Questa notte devi morire con me”: (It.) “Ah, ah, ah!/ Tomorrow means nothing to me / Tonight you must die with me.” [Footnoted in original text.]
eight million lire: At the time this episode is occurring, this would have been worth about eight thousand dollars.
Terremoto! Terremoto!: (It.) “Earthquake! Earthquake!”
Barese: (It.) Someone from the Apulian city of Bari.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS
Stephen Sartarelli is an award-winning translator and poet. His most recent volume of verse is The Open Vault (Spuyten Duyvil, 2001).
Sophie Hawkes is a painter and printmaker and has translated widely from the French. They live together in southwest France.