A Tale of Two Cities — Page 3
It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution.
Es bastante probable que en los toscos cobertizos de algunos labradores de las pesadas tierras adyacentes a París, se refugiaran del clima ese mismo día, carretas rústicas, salpicadas de barro campestre, husmeadas por los cerdos y usadas como dormidero por las aves de corral, que el Labrador, la Muerte, ya había apartado para que fueran sus carretas de la Revolución.
But that Woodman and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they went about with muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to entertain any suspicion that they were awake, was to be atheistical and traitorous.
Pero ese Leñador y ese Labrador, aunque trabajan sin cesar, trabajan en silencio, y nadie los oyó mientras se movían con paso amortiguado: tanto más cuanto que abrigar cualquier sospecha de que estaban despiertos era ser ateo y traidor.
In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting.
En Inglaterra, apenas había un nivel de orden y protección que justificara mucho alarde nacional.
Vocabulary
- bastante
- Enough, quite, or fairly; indicates sufficient quantity or degree.
- probable
- Likely or probable; having a good chance of occurring.
- toscos
- Rough, crude, or coarse; lacking refinement or polish.
- cobertizos
- Sheds or shelters; simple structures providing basic cover.
- labradores
- Farmers or laborers who work and till the land.
- pesadas
- Heavy or burdensome; describing great weight or difficulty.
- tierras
- Lands, soils, or earth; referring to ground or territories.
- adyacentes
- Adjacent or neighboring; located next to or very near.
- refugiaran
- Sought refuge or shelter; past subjunctive of 'refugiarse'.
- clima
- Climate or weather; the atmospheric conditions of a region.
- mismo
- Same or very; emphasizes identity or similarity of something.
- carretas
- Carts or wagons; simple wheeled vehicles for transporting goods.
- rústicas
- Rustic or rural; simple and rough in a country style.
- salpicadas
- Splattered or speckled; covered with scattered drops or spots.
- barro
- Mud or clay; wet earthy material found on the ground.
- campestre
- Rural or countryside; relating to fields and country settings.
- husmeadas
- Sniffed or nosed around; investigated by smell, as animals do.
- cerdos
- Pigs or swine; domesticated animals raised for food.
- dormidero
- Roosting or sleeping place; where animals rest or sleep.
- aves
- Birds or fowl; winged animals of the class Aves.
- corral
- Corral or farmyard; enclosed area for keeping domestic animals.
- Labrador
- Laborer or farmer; one who works the land physically.
- Muerte
- Death; the permanent end of life or biological functions.
- apartado
- Set aside or separated; kept apart from others or things.
- Revolución
- Revolution; a dramatic political or social upheaval and transformation.
- Leñador
- Woodcutter or lumberjack; one who cuts and chops wood.
- aunque
- Although or even though; conjunction introducing a concessive clause.
- cesar
- To cease or stop; to halt an ongoing action or activity.
- silencio
- Silence; the complete absence of noise or sound.
- nadie
- Nobody or no one; negative indefinite pronoun referring to no person.
- oyó
- Heard; third person singular preterite of 'oír' (to hear).
- mientras
- While or whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions or contrast.
- paso
- Step or pace; a single movement of the foot while walking.
- amortiguado
- Muffled or dampened; reduced in sound, impact, or intensity.
- tanto
- So much or as much; indicates a high degree or quantity.
- cuanto
- As much as or how much; relative pronoun or adverb of quantity.
- abrigar
- To harbor or shelter; to keep warm or nurture a feeling.
- cualquier
- Any or whatever; indefinite adjective indicating an unspecified choice.
- sospecha
- Suspicion; a feeling that something is wrong or questionable.
- despiertos
- Awake or alert; not asleep, conscious and aware of surroundings.
- ateo
- Atheist; a person who does not believe in any god.
- traidor
- Traitor; one who betrays trust, loyalty, or their country.
- Inglaterra
- England; the largest country within the United Kingdom.
- apenas
- Barely, hardly, or scarcely; indicates an extremely small degree.
- nivel
- Level or standard; a degree or layer of something measured.
- orden
- Order; arrangement, command, or a state of proper organization.
- protección
- Protection; the act of keeping someone or something safe from harm.
- justificara
- Would justify; past subjunctive of 'justificar', to give valid reason.
- alarde
- Show, boast, or display; an ostentatious demonstration of something.
- nacional
- National; relating to or characteristic of a whole nation.
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