James Bond in Italian
British secret agent 007 (zero-zero-sette) never called himself Giacomo Legame, the Italian translation of his name. “Mi chiamo Bond,” the actor Sean Connery and his suave successors declared in perfectly dubbed Italian, “James Bond.”
Spectre, the newest film in la serie più longeva della storia del grande schermo (the longest running series in the history of the big screen), opens this week. Un misterioso messaggio (a mysterious message) leads James Bond on a mission che lo porta da Città del Messico fino a Roma (that carries him from Mexico City to Rome) in pursuit of una misteriosa organizzazione (a mysterious organization) called Spectre.
A new M, played by Ralph Fiennes, continues a combattere le pressioni politiche che minacciano l'MI6 (to combat the political pressures that menace M16). But Bond understands that l'unico modo per fermare la cospirazione (the only way to stop the conspiracy) is to protect la figlia del suo acerrimo nemico (the daugher of his old enemy).
An Italian beauty costars with Daniel Craig as the latest (and, at 51, the oldest) "Bond girl." Monica Bellucci plays la vedova di un criminale ucciso da Bond (the widow of a criminal killed by Bond).
Le avventure di 007 (the adventures of 007) in the ventiquattresimo capitolo della saga di James Bond (24th chapter of James Bond's saga) ultimately lead to la città eterna (the eternal city). There the effetti speciali (special effects) include un rocambolesco inseguimento di auto (a high-speed car chase) along the Tiber, which culminates with la caduta di un'auto nel fiume e un salvataggio con un elicottero (an auto falling into the river and a helicopter rescue).
The Bond films have long captivated Italians. Like James Bond’s name, some titles——such as Goldfinger and Goldeneye—were never translated. Others took on Italian names:
*Operazione tuono (Thunderball)
*Si vive solo due volte (You Only Live Twice)
*Al servizio segreto di sua maestà (In Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
*Mai dire mai (Never Say Never)
*Una cascata di diamanti (Diamonds Are Forever)
*L’uomo dalla pistola d’oro (The Man with the Golden Gun)
*La spia che mi amava (The Spy Who Loved Me)
*Operazione piovra (Octopussy)
*Solo per i tuoi occhi (For Your Eyes Only)
*Dalla Russia con amore (From Russia with Love)
*Vivi e lascia morire (Live and Let Die)
*Licenza di uccidere (License to Kill)
Just as in English, translated lines of dialogue from Bond movies have entered the mainstream, including this exchange (scambio) from Goldfinger:
Bond: "Si aspetta che io parli? "(You expect me to talk?)
Goldfinger: "No, mi aspetto che lei muoia." (No, I expect you to die.)
And of course, there is Bond's signature cocktail preference:
“Un Martini, semi-secco, agitato non mescolato.” (A Martini, semi-dry, shaken not stirred.)
Words and Expressions
Il ruolo — the role
La comparsa –- background actor, walk on
La controfigura – body double
Il protagonista –- main character
La trama del film –- the movie plot
Colpo di scena –- plot twist, dramatic turn of events
Scena finale –- final scene
Dianne Hales is the author of MONA LISA: A Life Discovered and LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.
Click below to see the Italian trailer: