A Tale of Two Cities — Page 7
You've got a dutiful mother, you have, my son.
Tienes una madre obediente, sí que la tienes, hijo mío.
You've got a religious mother, you have, my boy: going and flopping herself down, and praying that the bread-and-butter may be snatched out of the mouth of her only child."
Tienes una madre muy devota, sí que la tienes, muchacho: que va y se postra de rodillas, y reza para que le arrebaten el pan de la boca a su único hijo."
Master Cruncher (who was in his shirt) took this very ill, and, turning to his mother, strongly deprecated any praying away of his personal board.
El joven Cruncher (que estaba en camisa) se tomó esto muy a mal, y, volviéndose hacia su madre, protestó enérgicamente contra cualquier rezo que pudiera mermar su sustento personal.
"And what do you suppose, you conceited female," said Mr. Cruncher, with unconscious inconsistency, "that the worth of _your_ prayers may be?
«¿Y qué te crees tú, mujer engreída,» dijo el señor Cruncher, con incongruencia involuntaria, «que pueden valer _tus_ rezos?
Name the price that you put _your_ prayers at!"
¡Dime el precio que le pones _tú_ a tus rezos!»
"They only come from the heart, Jerry. They are worth no more than that."
«Solo salen del corazón, Jerry. No valen más que eso.»
"Worth no more than that," repeated Mr. Cruncher.
«No valen más que eso,» repitió el señor Cruncher.
"They ain't worth much, then.
«Entonces no valen gran cosa.
Whether or no, I won't be prayed agin, I tell you.
Pase lo que pase, no voy a consentir que recen contra mí, te lo digo yo.
I can't afford it.
No me lo puedo permitir.
I'm not a going to be made unlucky by _your_ sneaking.
No voy a dejar que _tus_ rezos furtivos me traigan mala suerte.
If you must go flopping yourself down, flop in favour of your husband and child, and not in opposition to 'em.
Si tienes que ir a postrarte de rodillas, hazlo a favor de tu marido y de tu hijo, y no en su contra.
If I had had any but a unnat'ral wife, and this poor boy had had any but a unnat'ral mother, I might have made some money last week instead of being counter-prayed and countermined and religiously circumwented into the worst of luck.
Si hubiera tenido una esposa que no fuera desnaturalizada, y este pobre chico hubiera tenido una madre que no fuera desnaturalizada, puede que la semana pasada hubiera ganado algo de dinero en lugar de verme contrariado por rezos y zancadillas y emboscadas religiosas que me han traído la peor de las suertes.
B-u-u-ust me!" said Mr.
¡M-a-a-ald-ita sea!» dijo el señor
Vocabulary
- Tienes
- You have (second person singular present tense)
- una
- A, an (feminine indefinite article)
- madre
- Mother, female parent
- obediente
- Obedient, compliant, following instructions willingly
- sí
- Yes, affirmative response
- que
- That, which, who (conjunction or relative pronoun)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- tienes
- You have (second person singular present tense)
- hijo
- Son, male child
- mío
- Mine, belonging to me (masculine possessive)
- muy
- Very, extremely (adverb of intensity)
- devota
- Devout, deeply religious and pious
- muchacho
- Boy, young male person or lad
- va
- Goes, third person singular present of ir
- y
- And, connecting conjunction
- se
- Reflexive pronoun, oneself or each other
- postra
- Prostrates, kneels down in submission or prayer
- de
- Of, from (common preposition)
- rodillas
- Knees, joints between thigh and lower leg
- reza
- Prays, recites prayers to a deity
- para
- For, in order to (preposition or conjunction)
- le
- To him, to her (indirect object pronoun)
- arrebaten
- Snatch away, seize something forcefully from someone
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- pan
- Bread, basic baked food staple
- boca
- Mouth, opening used for eating and speaking
- a
- To, at (common preposition)
- su
- His, her, your, their (possessive adjective)
- único
- Only, sole, unique one remaining
- El
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- joven
- Young person, youth or young adult
- estaba
- Was, third person singular past imperfect of estar
- en
- In, on, at (common preposition)
- camisa
- Shirt, upper body garment worn by people
- tomó
- Took, received badly or reacted to something
- esto
- This, neuter demonstrative pronoun referring nearby
- mal
- Badly, poorly, in a negative way
- volviéndose
- Turning toward, rotating oneself to face someone
- hacia
- Toward, in the direction of something
- protestó
- Protested, objected strongly against something said
- enérgicamente
- Energetically, with great force and determination
- contra
- Against, in opposition to something or someone
- cualquier
- Any, whatever, whichever (indefinite adjective)
- rezo
- Prayer, act of praying or reciting prayers
- pudiera
- Could, might (past subjunctive of poder)
- mermar
- To reduce, diminish or deplete a supply
- sustento
- Sustenance, livelihood, means of financial support
- personal
- Personal, relating to oneself individually
- Y
- And, connecting conjunction
- qué
- What (interrogative pronoun)
- te
- You, yourself (reflexive or direct object pronoun)
- crees
- You think, believe (second person singular present)
- tú
- You (second person singular subject pronoun)
- mujer
- Woman, wife, adult female person
- engreída
- Conceited, arrogant, full of self-importance
- dijo
- Said, third person singular past tense of decir
- señor
- Mister, sir, man of respect or authority
- con
- With, together or accompanied by something
- incongruencia
- Incongruence, inconsistency, lack of logical harmony
- involuntaria
- Involuntary, unintentional, done without conscious choice
- pueden
- They can, are able to (third person plural)
- valer
- To be worth, to have value or merit
- _tus_
- Your (second person plural possessive, emphasized)
- rezos
- Prayers, acts of praying or religious recitations
- Dime
- Tell me (imperative second person singular command)
- precio
- Price, cost, value assigned to something
- pones
- You put, assign or place (second person singular)
- _tú_
- You (second person singular subject pronoun, emphasized)
- tus
- Your (second person singular possessive plural)
- Solo
- Only, alone, solely, just one thing
- salen
- They come out, exit or emerge from somewhere
- del
- Of the, from the (contraction of de + el)
- corazón
- Heart, organ or seat of emotions
- No
- No, not (negative adverb)
- valen
- They are worth, have value (third person plural)
- más
- More, most, additionally (adverb of quantity)
- eso
- That, neuter demonstrative pronoun for nearby thing
- repitió
- Repeated, said again (third person singular preterite)
- Entonces
- Then, at that time, therefore (temporal connector)
- no
- No, not (negative adverb)
- gran
- Great, grand, large or important (adjective)
- cosa
- Thing, object or matter of some kind
- Pase
- Whatever happens, let it pass or occur
- lo
- It, him (masculine direct object pronoun)
- pase
- Passes, happens or goes by (subjunctive form)
- voy
- I go, I am going (first person singular)
- consentir
- To allow, tolerate, permit something to happen
- recen
- They pray (third person plural present subjunctive)
- mí
- Me (first person singular prepositional pronoun)
- digo
- I say (first person singular present of decir)
- yo
- I (first person singular subject pronoun)
- me
- Me, myself (first person singular object pronoun)
- puedo
- I can, I am able to (first person singular)
- permitir
- To permit, allow, give permission for something
- dejar
- To let, leave, allow something to happen
- furtivos
- Furtive, stealthy, secretive or sly actions
- traigan
- Bring, may bring (third person plural subjunctive)
- mala
- Bad, evil, harmful (feminine adjective)
- suerte
- Luck, fortune, fate or chance
- Si
- If (conditional conjunction)
- ir
- To go (infinitive of common motion verb)
- postrarte
- To prostrate yourself, kneel in submission
- hazlo
- Do it (imperative with attached object pronoun)
- favor
- Favor, kindness, benefit granted to someone
- tu
- Your (second person singular possessive adjective)
- marido
- Husband, male spouse in a marriage
- hubiera
- Had (past perfect subjunctive of haber)
- tenido
- Had, possessed (past participle of tener)
- esposa
- Wife, female spouse in a marriage
- fuera
- Were, had been (past subjunctive of ser/ir)
- desnaturalizada
- Unnatural, denatured, acting against natural bonds
- este
- This (masculine singular demonstrative adjective)
- pobre
- Poor, unfortunate, lacking money or resources
- chico
- Boy, kid, young male person
- puede
- Can, is able to (third person singular present)
- semana
- Week, period of seven consecutive days
- pasada
- Last, past, previous (feminine adjective for time)
- ganado
- Earned, won, gained (past participle of ganar)
- algo
- Something, somewhat, a little (indefinite pronoun)
- dinero
- Money, currency used for buying things
- lugar
- Place, location, spot or position
- verme
- To see me (infinitive with attached pronoun)
- contrariado
- Upset, annoyed, thwarted or frustrated by something
- por
- By, through, because of (preposition)
- zancadillas
- Tripping, obstacles placed to make someone stumble
- emboscadas
- Ambushes, surprise attacks from hidden positions
- religiosas
- Religious, relating to faith or spiritual practice
- han
- Have (third person plural auxiliary of haber)
- traído
- Brought (past participle of traer)
- peor
- Worse, worst (comparative adjective or adverb)
- las
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- suertes
- Lucks, fates, fortunes (plural of suerte)
- M-a-a-ald-ita
- Damn, cursed (emphatic spelling of maldita)
- sea
- Be, may it be (present subjunctive of ser)
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