A Room with a View — Page 8
Was this really Italy?
¿Era esto realmente Italia?
Miss Bartlett was already seated on a tightly stuffed arm-chair, which had the colour and the contours of a tomato.
La señorita Bartlett ya estaba sentada en un sillón muy relleno, que tenía el color y los contornos de un tomate.
She was talking to Mr. Beebe, and as she spoke, her long narrow head drove backwards and forwards, slowly, regularly, as though she were demolishing some invisible obstacle.
Estaba hablando con el señor Beebe, y mientras hablaba, su larga y estrecha cabeza se movía hacia atrás y hacia adelante, lentamente, con regularidad, como si estuviera demoliendo algún obstáculo invisible.
"We are most grateful to you," she was saying.
«Le estamos muy agradecidas», decía.
"The first evening means so much.
«La primera velada tiene tanto significado.
When you arrived we were in for a peculiarly _mauvais quart d'heure_."
Cuando usted llegó, estábamos a punto de pasar un peculiar _mauvais quart d'heure_.»
He expressed his regret.
Él expresó su pesar.
"Do you, by any chance, know the name of an old man who sat opposite us at dinner?"
«¿Conoce usted, por casualidad, el nombre de un anciano que estaba sentado frente a nosotras en la cena?»
"Emerson."
«Emerson.»
"Is he a friend of yours?"
«¿Es amigo suyo?»
"We are friendly—as one is in pensions."
«Somos amigos, como uno lo es en las pensiones.»
"Then I will say no more."
«Entonces no diré nada más.»
He pressed her very slightly, and she said more.
Él la instó levemente, y ella dijo algo más.
"I am, as it were," she concluded, "the chaperon of my young cousin, Lucy, and it would be a serious thing if I put her under an obligation to people of whom we know nothing.
«Soy, por así decirlo», concluyó, «la carabina de mi joven prima, Lucy, y sería algo grave ponerla bajo la obligación de personas de las que no sabemos nada.
His manner was somewhat unfortunate.
Sus modales fueron algo desafortunados.
I hope I acted for the best."
Espero haber actuado de la mejor manera.»
"You acted very naturally," said he.
«Actuó usted de manera muy natural», dijo él.
He seemed thoughtful, and after a few moments added: "All the same, I don't think much harm would have come of accepting."
Pareció pensativo, y después de unos momentos añadió: «De todos modos, no creo que hubiera resultado mucho daño de haber aceptado.»
"No _harm_, of course. But we could not be under an obligation."
«Ningún _daño_, por supuesto. Pero no podíamos quedar bajo ninguna obligación.»
"He is rather a peculiar man.
«Es un hombre bastante peculiar.
Vocabulary
- Era
- Past tense of 'to be'; it was or she/he was.
- esto
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this thing'.
- realmente
- Adverb meaning truly, really, or genuinely.
- señorita
- Title meaning Miss or young unmarried woman.
- ya
- Adverb meaning already, now, or anymore.
- estaba
- Past imperfect of estar; was in a state or location.
- sentada
- Seated; past participle of sentar used as adjective.
- sillón
- Large comfortable armchair for sitting and relaxing.
- relleno
- Stuffed or padded; full of filling material.
- tenía
- Past imperfect of tener; had or used to have.
- color
- Noun referring to color or hue of something.
- contornos
- Outlines or contours; the shape edges of something.
- tomate
- Tomato; a red fruit used in cooking.
- Estaba
- Past imperfect of estar; was located or in a state.
- hablando
- Present participle of hablar; speaking or talking.
- señor
- Title meaning Mister or sir for adult men.
- mientras
- Conjunction meaning while or as something happens simultaneously.
- hablaba
- Past imperfect of hablar; was speaking or used to speak.
- larga
- Adjective meaning long, referring to extended length.
- estrecha
- Adjective meaning narrow or tight in width.
- cabeza
- Noun meaning head, the top part of the body.
- movía
- Past imperfect of mover; was moving or used to move.
- hacia
- Preposition meaning toward or in the direction of.
- atrás
- Adverb meaning back or backward in direction.
- adelante
- Adverb meaning forward or ahead in direction.
- lentamente
- Adverb meaning slowly, at a slow pace.
- regularidad
- Noun meaning regularity or consistent steady rhythm.
- si
- Conjunction meaning if, introducing conditional clauses.
- estuviera
- Imperfect subjunctive of estar; as if one were.
- demoliendo
- Present participle of demoler; demolishing or knocking down.
- algún
- Indefinite adjective meaning some or any before nouns.
- obstáculo
- Noun meaning obstacle or impediment blocking the way.
- invisible
- Adjective meaning invisible or unable to be seen.
- estamos
- First person plural present of estar; we are.
- agradecidas
- Grateful or thankful; feminine plural past participle.
- decía
- Past imperfect of decir; was saying or used to say.
- primera
- Ordinal adjective meaning first in a series or order.
- velada
- An evening gathering or social event at night.
- tiene
- Third person singular present of tener; has or holds.
- tanto
- Adverb or adjective meaning so much or so many.
- significado
- Noun meaning meaning or significance of something.
- Cuando
- Conjunction meaning when, introducing time clauses.
- usted
- Formal second person pronoun meaning you.
- llegó
- Past tense of llegar; arrived or reached a place.
- estábamos
- Past imperfect of estar; we were in a state.
- punto
- Noun meaning point; used in 'a punto de' meaning about to.
- pasar
- Infinitive meaning to pass, spend time, or happen.
- peculiar
- Adjective meaning peculiar, strange, or particular.
- expresó
- Past tense of expresar; expressed or conveyed a feeling.
- pesar
- Noun meaning regret or sorrow; also to weigh.
- Conoce
- Third person singular of conocer; knows or is acquainted with.
- casualidad
- Noun meaning coincidence or chance occurrence.
- nombre
- Noun meaning name of a person or thing.
- anciano
- Noun or adjective meaning elderly man or old person.
- sentado
- Seated; past participle of sentar used as adjective.
- frente
- Noun meaning front or forehead; also in front of.
- nosotras
- First person plural feminine pronoun meaning we.
- cena
- Noun meaning dinner or evening meal.
- amigo
- Noun meaning friend, a person one is close to.
- suyo
- Possessive pronoun meaning his, hers, yours, or theirs.
- Somos
- First person plural of ser; we are.
- amigos
- Plural noun meaning friends or companions.
- uno
- Number or pronoun meaning one or someone.
- pensiones
- Boarding houses or guesthouses providing room and meals.
- Entonces
- Adverb meaning then or in that case.
- diré
- First person future of decir; I will say or tell.
- nada
- Pronoun meaning nothing or not anything.
- más
- Adverb meaning more or anymore.
- instó
- Past tense of instar; urged, pressed, or insisted.
- levemente
- Adverb meaning slightly or gently, with little intensity.
- dijo
- Past tense of decir; said or told.
- algo
- Pronoun meaning something or somewhat.
- Soy
- First person singular of ser; I am.
- así
- Adverb meaning thus, like this, or in this way.
- decirlo
- Infinitive decir plus pronoun lo; to say it.
- concluyó
- Past tense of concluir; concluded or finished speaking.
- carabina
- Chaperone; also a carbine rifle; here meaning female guardian.
- joven
- Adjective or noun meaning young or young person.
- prima
- Noun meaning female cousin or first cousin.
- sería
- Conditional of ser; would be.
- grave
- Adjective meaning serious, grave, or severe in nature.
- ponerla
- Infinitive poner plus pronoun la; to put her or place her.
- bajo
- Preposition meaning under; also adjective meaning low.
- obligación
- Noun meaning obligation or duty owed to someone.
- personas
- Plural noun meaning persons or people.
- sabemos
- First person plural of saber; we know information or facts.
- modales
- Plural noun meaning manners or social behavior.
- fueron
- Third person plural preterite of ser or ir; were or went.
- desafortunados
- Adjective meaning unfortunate or unlucky in behavior.
- Espero
- First person singular of esperar; I hope or I wait.
- haber
- Auxiliary infinitive meaning to have, used in compound tenses.
- actuado
- Past participle of actuar; acted or behaved in a situation.
- mejor
- Adjective or adverb meaning better or best.
- manera
- Noun meaning manner, way, or method of doing something.
- Actuó
- Third person preterite of actuar; acted or behaved.
- natural
- Adjective meaning natural or in a normal spontaneous way.
- Pareció
- Third person preterite of parecer; seemed or appeared.
- pensativo
- Adjective meaning thoughtful or pensive, deep in thought.
- después
- Adverb meaning after or afterward in time.
- unos
- Indefinite article plural meaning some or a few.
- momentos
- Plural noun meaning moments or brief periods of time.
- añadió
- Third person preterite of añadir; added or said additionally.
- todos
- Adjective or pronoun meaning all or everyone.
- modos
- Plural noun meaning ways or modes; 'de todos modos' means anyway.
- creo
- First person singular of creer; I believe or I think.
- hubiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of haber; had, in hypothetical clauses.
- resultado
- Past participle of resultar; resulted or turned out to be.
- mucho
- Adverb or adjective meaning much, a lot, or many.
- daño
- Noun meaning harm, damage, or injury caused.
- aceptado
- Past participle of aceptar; accepted or agreed to something.
- Ningún
- Adjective meaning no or not any before masculine nouns.
- _daño_
- Harm or damage; emphasized form of daño.
- supuesto
- Adjective meaning supposed or assumed; 'por supuesto' means of course.
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrasting clause.
- podíamos
- Past imperfect of poder; we were able to or could.
- quedar
- Verb meaning to stay, remain, or be left over.
- ninguna
- Adjective or pronoun meaning no or not any (feminine).
- hombre
- Noun meaning man or human being.
- bastante
- Adverb or adjective meaning enough, quite, or fairly.
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