A Tale of Two Cities — Page 2
Whenever the leader made this rattle, the passenger started, as a nervous passenger might, and was disturbed in mind.
Cada vez que el caballo delantero producía ese traqueteo, el pasajero se sobresaltaba, como podría hacerlo un pasajero nervioso, y se sentía perturbado en su ánimo.
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hill, like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none.
Había una niebla humeante en todos los valles, y había vagado en su desolación cuesta arriba, como un espíritu maligno, buscando reposo sin encontrarlo.
A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an unwholesome sea might do.
Una niebla pegajosa e intensamente fría que avanzaba lentamente por el aire en ondulaciones que visiblemente se seguían y se extendían unas sobre otras, como podrían hacerlo las olas de un mar malsano.
It was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
Era lo bastante densa como para ocultar todo a la luz de los faroles del carruaje, salvo sus propios movimientos y unos pocos metros de camino; y el hedor de los caballos que se esforzaban se evaporaba hacia ella, como si ellos la hubieran creado por completo.
Two other passengers, besides the one, were plodding up the hill by the side of the mail.
Otros dos pasajeros, además del primero, avanzaban penosamente cuesta arriba junto al correo.
All three were wrapped to the cheekbones and over the ears, and wore jack-boots.
Los tres iban envueltos hasta los pómulos y por encima de las orejas, y llevaban botas de caña alta.
Not one of the three could have said, from anything he saw, what either of the other two was like; and each was hidden under almost as many wrappers from the eyes of the mind, as from the eyes of the body, of his two companions.
Ninguno de los tres habría podido decir, por lo que veía, cómo era cualquiera de los otros dos; y cada uno estaba oculto bajo casi tantas envolturas a los ojos de la mente como a los ojos del cuerpo de sus dos compañeros.
In those days, travellers were very shy of being confidential on a short notice, for anybody on the road might be a robber or in league with robbers.
En aquellos tiempos, los viajeros eran muy reacios a confiar en alguien a la ligera, pues cualquier persona en el camino podía ser un ladrón o estar confabulada con ladrones.
Vocabulary
- cada
- Every or each; used to refer to individual items.
- vez
- Time or occasion; instance of something happening.
- que
- That; which; used as a relative pronoun or conjunction.
- el
- The; definite article for masculine singular nouns.
- caballo
- Horse; a large domesticated hoofed mammal.
- delantero
- Front; positioned ahead or in advance of something.
- producía
- Produced; past tense of produce or make something.
- ese
- That; demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
- pasajero
- Passenger; person traveling in a vehicle.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; indicates action done to oneself.
- sobresaltaba
- Started or was startled; reacted with sudden fear.
- como
- Like or as; used for comparisons or examples.
- podría
- Could or might; conditional form of poder.
- hacerlo
- Do it or make it; infinitive with pronoun.
- un
- A or an; indefinite article for masculine nouns.
- nervioso
- Nervous; anxious or easily agitated state.
- sentía
- Felt; past tense of sentir or to feel.
- perturbado
- Disturbed or troubled; in an upset mental state.
- en
- In or at; preposition indicating location or position.
- su
- His, her, its, or their; possessive adjective.
- ánimo
- Spirit or mood; mental or emotional state.
- Había
- There was or there were; imperfect past tense.
- una
- A or an; indefinite article for feminine nouns.
- niebla
- Fog or mist; water vapor suspended in air.
- todos
- All or everyone; complete group of things.
- los
- The; definite article for masculine plural nouns.
- valles
- Valleys; low areas between hills or mountains.
- vagado
- Wandered; moved aimlessly from place to place.
- desolación
- Desolation; state of being empty and abandoned.
- cuesta
- Slope or hill; inclined surface of ground.
- arriba
- Up or upward; in direction toward higher place.
- espíritu
- Spirit or ghost; supernatural or immaterial being.
- maligno
- Malign or evil; harmful or wicked in nature.
- buscando
- Seeking or searching; looking for something.
- reposo
- Rest or repose; state of calm or relaxation.
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence or lack.
- encontrarlo
- Find it or encounter it; with pronoun.
- Una
- A or an; indefinite article for feminine nouns.
- intensamente
- Intensely or strongly; with great force or degree.
- fría
- Cold; low temperature feeling or condition.
- avanzaba
- Advanced or progressed; moved forward slowly.
- lentamente
- Slowly; at a reduced speed or pace.
- por
- Through or by; preposition indicating means or passage.
- aire
- Air; the invisible mixture we breathe.
- visiblemente
- Visibly or noticeably; in a way that can be seen.
- seguían
- Followed or continued; past tense of seguir.
- extendían
- Extended or spread; stretched out over area.
- unas
- Some or a few; plural feminine indefinite article.
- sobre
- Over or about; preposition indicating position or topic.
- otras
- Others; different ones or additional things.
- podrían
- Could or might; conditional form of poder.
- las
- The; definite article for feminine plural nouns.
- olas
- Waves; moving ridges on water surface.
- de
- Of or from; preposition showing possession or origin.
- mar
- Sea or ocean; large body of salt water.
- Era
- Was; past tense singular of ser verb.
- lo
- It or the; neuter definite article or pronoun.
- bastante
- Enough or quite; sufficient or rather.
- densa
- Dense or thick; closely compacted together.
- para
- For or in order to; preposition showing purpose.
- ocultar
- Hide or conceal; keep from sight.
- todo
- Everything or all; complete or entire thing.
- luz
- Light; illumination or brightness.
- carruaje
- Carriage or vehicle; horse-drawn transport.
- salvo
- Except or save; with exception of.
- propios
- Own or proper; belonging to oneself.
- movimientos
- Movements or motions; acts of changing position.
- unos
- Some or a few; indefinite plural article.
- pocos
- Few or a few; small number of.
- metros
- Meters; unit of length or distance.
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