Original Script: Nel vino c’è la verità
Translation: In the wine there is truth
Background information: I was in the study abroad program in Italy last year. When I stayed in Italy, I realized how wine has always been an important element of the Italian culture, deeply rooted in the history and the land.
Thoughts about the piece: This proverb indicates how wine helps us reveal our inner thoughts and feelings that we would otherwise keep to ourselves if we were sober.
Original Script: Nella botte piccola c’è il vino buono
Translation: In the small barrel, there is the good wine.
Background information: This Italian proverb refers to the fact that the finest wine is usually produced in limited quantities. It’s in contrast to the thought that “big” necessarily means “better,” suggesting that the concept of quality often doesn’t coincide with that of quantity.
Thoughts about the piece: Like lots of provers in Italy are related to wine, this one uses wine as a metaphor to talk about people and things in general.
Original Script: Quem não tem cão, caça com gato.
Translation: those who don’t have a dog, hunt with a cat.
Background information: the original proverb is “caça como gato”, which means “hunts like a cat.” Dogs help people during hunting, but cats are always alone. The original meaning of the proverb is that when you want to do something but cannot find a companion, you should go doing it alone. Now the meaning of the proverb changed slightly and it used to indicate that when you cannot find the necessary means to do what you need, you should try to find other means.
Thoughts about the piece: cats always give people the impression of lonely and independent.
Original Script: La Befana vien di notte, con le scarpe tutte rotte
Translation: La Befana comes in the night, with her broken shoes.
Background information: Le Befana is an old, white-haired, wrinkly woman. She would come to only good kids on January 6th, leaving them candies and chocolates. And she would leave bad kids with charcoal in empty socks.
Thoughts about the piece: the story of La Befana is similar to Santa Claus.
“男的要让女的，姐要让弟“
Context: Whenever my sister and I used to fight, my dad would always tell us that “the boy must let the girl, but the older one must let the younger one.” So in the end, we shouldn’t actually be fighting at all.”
After thoughts: Similar to China’s traditions and beliefs about familial roles, the man is viewed as the head of the household and should be respected. However, the elders of the families are also well respected.