An English Holiday. La prima puntata delle avventure di Fabio e Maurizio in Inghilterra

Introduction
Fabio and Maurizio are 18. They are sitting on seats on the train Le Shuttle. The train is leaving Paris and is due to (= arriva) in London in three hours. Maurizio is reading a book, English in Fifteen Lessons. Fabio is looking at a magazine, an English magazine, but Maurizio cannot understand English very well. He looks at the pictures of the girls. Fabio asks Maurizio for advice.
“Come si dice….?”
“Ah, ah, we agree to speak English. “ says Maurizio. “‘How do you say…?’
“O.K….How do you say ‘I am Sagittarius. What star sign are you, baby? What are your name baby?’”
“What is your name?” Maurizio corrects him.
Fabio looks in the mirror and combs his hair.
“What is your name, baby?” he says. “What star sign are you?”
Fabio combs his hair and repeats, “What is your name, baby?”
He makes strange faces in the mirror to practice his sexy look.
Everyone in the compartment stares at (= fissa) the two boys.
Maurizio is embarrassed. He goes to the buffet car for a coffee.
A man smiles at Fabio.
“Hello, mate (= amico) ! First time in England?” he says
“First time,” agrees Fabio; but he doesn’t want to talk to the man.
The man is two metres tall and very thin. He is very badly dressed. It is difficult to understand him. He speaks in a cockney (=dialetto di londra) accent. His name is Paul.
“I don’t like France,” whispers (= sussurra) Paul. “Everybody speaks French.”
The train is under the English Channel by now.
“I can see you are very attractive to women. Be careful in London, there are a lot of dodgy characters: be careful for your money,” Paul says.
“What does ‘dodgy mean?” asks Fabio.
“Thieves, dishonest people who steal.”
“Oh, we are careful,” says Fabio. “we have got money for our holiday”
“Put them in a safe place” repeats the man.
Fabio shows the man his money belt (= cintura). “It’s in here. And Maurizio’s money is in his bag. In the blue rucksack (=zaino). It’s sure”
Paul looks around the carriage.
“You are going to meet many nice girls in London.”
Fabio smiles “I think, I already love London.”
“ O.K.. You look like that actor, you know, that Tom Cruise.” adds Paul.
Paul is very friendly. He helps Fabio adjust his coat.
“Now you look like a real Italian stallion,” Paul says and then shouts: “look.”
Le Shuttle is coming out of the tunnel. Fabio is fascinated. Fabio turns to talk to Paul, but “Where is that man? That Paul???” asks Maurizio
Fabio and Maurizio never see Paul again.
The train arrives at Waterloo Station in London. Fabio checks for his ticket but his money belt is empty. No ticket and no money. And Maurizio’s money?…..nowhere, too. They have forty pounds between them. Fabio is near to tears (= è quasi alle lacrime)
“I hate England,” he says. “let’s go back home.”
“I am not going home,” says Maurizio.
“We’ve got no money,” says Fabio.
“Well, we can get a job.” Maurizio is decisive, ”And then we can hitch-hike (= fare autostop) round England.”