A Tale of Two Cities — Page 1
The Period
El Período
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Era el mejor de los tiempos, era el peor de los tiempos, era la edad de la sabiduría, era la edad de la necedad, era la época de la fe, era la época de la incredulidad, era la estación de la Luz, era la estación de la Oscuridad, era la primavera de la esperanza, era el invierno de la desesperación, lo teníamos todo ante nosotros, no teníamos nada ante nosotros, todos íbamos directamente al Cielo, todos íbamos directamente por el otro camino; en pocas palabras, el período se parecía tanto al período presente que algunas de sus autoridades más estridentes insistían en que fuera recibido, para bien o para mal, únicamente en el grado superlativo de comparación.
There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France.
Había un rey con una gran mandíbula y una reina con un rostro vulgar en el trono de Inglaterra; había un rey con una gran mandíbula y una reina con un rostro hermoso en el trono de Francia.
In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.
En ambos países era más claro que el cristal para los señores de las reservas estatales de panes y peces que las cosas en general estaban resueltas para siempre.
It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.
Era el año del Señor de mil setecientos setenta y cinco.
Spiritual revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at this.
Las revelaciones espirituales le eran concedidas a Inglaterra en aquel período privilegiado, como en este.
Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster.
La señora Southcott había cumplido recientemente su bendito vigésimo quinto cumpleaños, cuya sublime aparición había sido anunciada por un profético soldado raso de la Guardia Real, quien proclamó que se habían hecho arreglos para la absorción de Londres y Westminster.
Vocabulary
- Período
- A span or duration of time
- Era
- A long and distinct historical period of time
- mejor
- Best or better; superior in quality or degree
- tiempos
- Times; plural of tiempo, referring to periods or eras
- era
- Past tense of 'ser'; it was or used to be
- peor
- Worse or worst; inferior in quality or degree
- edad
- Age; a period of life or historical era
- sabiduría
- Wisdom; deep knowledge and good judgment
- necedad
- Foolishness; stupidity or senseless behavior
- época
- Era or epoch; a particular period in history
- fe
- Faith; strong belief or trust in something
- incredulidad
- Incredulity; state of disbelief or skepticism
- estación
- Season of the year or a station stop
- Luz
- Light; illumination or brightness
- Oscuridad
- Darkness; absence of light or obscurity
- primavera
- Spring; the season between winter and summer
- esperanza
- Hope; feeling of expectation for something positive
- invierno
- Winter; the coldest season of the year
- desesperación
- Despair; complete loss of hope or confidence
- lo
- Neuter article or object pronoun meaning 'it' or 'the'
- teníamos
- We had; first person plural past of tener
- todo
- Everything or all; the totality of something
- ante
- Before or in front of; facing something
- nosotros
- We; first person plural subject pronoun
- nada
- Nothing; not anything at all
- todos
- Everyone or all; referring to a whole group
- íbamos
- We were going; imperfect tense of ir
- directamente
- Directly; in a straight or immediate manner
- Cielo
- Heaven or sky; the realm above or divine abode
- otro
- Another or other; a different or additional one
- camino
- Road, path, or way to a destination
- pocas
- Few; a small number of (feminine plural form)
- palabras
- Words; units of language used in communication
- período
- A span or duration of time
- parecía
- It seemed or resembled; imperfect of parecer
- tanto
- So much or as much; to a great degree
- presente
- Present; current time or what exists now
- algunas
- Some; an unspecified number of (feminine plural)
- autoridades
- Authorities; people or bodies with official power
- estridentes
- Strident; loud, harsh, or aggressively insistent voices
- insistían
- They insisted; imperfect tense of insistir
- fuera
- Subjunctive of ser/ir; that it be or go
- recibido
- Received; past participle of recibir
- bien
- Good or well; in a positive or satisfactory manner
- mal
- Bad or evil; in a negative or harmful manner
- únicamente
- Only or solely; exclusively and nothing else
- grado
- Degree or grade; a level or step of intensity
- superlativo
- Superlative; the highest degree of a quality
- comparación
- Comparison; the act of examining similarities and differences
- Había
- There was or there were; imperfect of haber
- rey
- King; male monarch ruling a kingdom
- gran
- Great or large; impressive in size or importance
- mandíbula
- Jaw; the lower bone structure of the face
- reina
- Queen; female monarch or king's consort
- rostro
- Face or countenance; the front of a person's head
- vulgar
- Common, coarse, or lacking refinement and elegance
- trono
- Throne; the ceremonial seat of a monarch
- Inglaterra
- England; a country in the United Kingdom
- había
- There was or had; imperfect form of haber
- hermoso
- Beautiful or handsome; pleasing to the senses
- Francia
- France; a country in western Europe
- ambos
- Both; referring to two things or people together
- países
- Countries; sovereign nations or states
- claro
- Clear or bright; obvious, transparent, or light-colored
- cristal
- Crystal or glass; a clear, transparent material
- señores
- Gentlemen or lords; respectful title for men
- reservas
- Reserves or reservations; stored supplies or held resources
- estatales
- State or governmental; relating to the government or state
- panes
- Breads or loaves; plural of pan
- peces
- Fish; plural of pez referring to live fish
- cosas
- Things; objects or matters in general
- general
- General; relating to the whole or most cases
- estaban
- They were; imperfect tense of estar
- resueltas
- Resolved or settled; having been determined or decided
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- año
- Year; a period of twelve months
- Señor
- Lord or Mister; a title of respect or divinity
- mil
- Thousand; the number 1,000
- setecientos
- Seven hundred; the number 700
- setenta
- Seventy; the number 70
- cinco
- Five; the number 5
- revelaciones
- Revelations; surprising or divine disclosures of information
- espirituales
- Spiritual; relating to the spirit or religious matters
- eran
- They were; imperfect tense of ser
- concedidas
- Granted or conceded; given or awarded officially
- aquel
- That (over there); demonstrative adjective for distant objects
- privilegiado
- Privileged; having special rights or advantages
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective for nearby objects
- señora
- Mrs. or madam; respectful title for an adult woman
- cumplido
- Fulfilled or completed; also a compliment or courtesy
- recientemente
- Recently; happening or done not long ago
- bendito
- Blessed; holy or consecrated by religious blessing
- vigésimo
- Twentieth; the ordinal number for position twenty
- quinto
- Fifth; the ordinal number for position five
- cumpleaños
- Birthday; the anniversary of one's birth
- cuya
- Whose; relative pronoun showing possession (feminine form)
- sublime
- Sublime; of great excellence, grandeur, or inspiring awe
- aparición
- Apparition or appearance; a ghostly or sudden manifestation
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser
- anunciada
- Announced; declared or made known publicly
- profético
- Prophetic; relating to or characteristic of prophecy
- soldado
- Soldier; a person serving in the military
- raso
- Private (rank); lowest rank or flat and smooth surface
- Guardia
- Guard; a person or group providing protection or watch
- Real
- Royal; relating to a king, queen, or monarchy
- quien
- Who; relative pronoun referring to a person
- proclamó
- Proclaimed; announced officially and publicly
- habían
- They had; third person plural pluperfect of haber
- hecho
- Done or made; past participle of hacer
- arreglos
- Arrangements or deals; organized plans or agreements
- absorción
- Absorption; the process of taking in or incorporating
- Londres
- London; the capital city of England
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