Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Page 5

English → Spanish Preface Level 4/10

" cried Alice, with a sudden burst of tears, "I do wish they _would_ put their heads down! I am so _very_ tired of being all alone here!"

—exclamó Alicia, con un repentino arranque de llanto, —¡Ojalá _quisieran_ bajar la cabeza! ¡Estoy _tan_ cansada de estar aquí completamente sola!

As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see that she had put on one of the Rabbit's little white kid gloves while she was talking.

Al decir esto miró hacia sus manos, y se sorprendió al ver que se había puesto uno de los pequeños guantes blancos de cabritilla del Conejo mientras hablaba.

"How _can_ I have done that?" she thought.

—¿Cómo _pude_ haber hecho eso? —pensó.

"I must be growing small again."

—Debo de estar encogiéndome de nuevo.

She got up and went to the table to measure herself by it, and found that, as nearly as she could guess, she was now about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly: she soon found out that the cause of this was the fan she was holding, and she dropped it hastily, just in time to avoid shrinking away altogether.

Se levantó y fue hacia la mesa para medirse con ella, y descubrió que, según podía calcular, ahora medía unos dos pies de altura, y seguía encogiéndose rápidamente: pronto averiguó que la causa de esto era el abanico que sostenía, y lo soltó apresuradamente, justo a tiempo para evitar desaparecer por completo.

"That _was_ a narrow escape!" said Alice, a good deal frightened at the sudden change, but very glad to find herself still in existence; "and now for the garden!" and she ran with all speed back to the little door: but, alas! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was lying on the glass table as before, "and things are worse than ever," thought the poor child, "for I never was so small as this before, never! And I declare it's too bad, that it is!"

—¡_Vaya_ que fue un escape por los pelos! —dijo Alicia, bastante asustada por el cambio repentino, pero muy contenta de seguir existiendo; —¡y ahora al jardín! —y corrió a toda velocidad de regreso a la puertecita: pero, ¡ay! la puertecita estaba cerrada de nuevo, y la pequeña llave dorada estaba sobre la mesa de cristal como antes, —y las cosas están peor que nunca —pensó la pobre niña—, ¡pues nunca había sido tan pequeña como ahora, jamás! ¡Y declaro que es demasiado, que sí lo es!

As she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash!

Mientras decía estas palabras, su pie resbaló, y al momento siguiente, ¡splash!

Vocabulary

exclamó: He/she exclaimed or cried out suddenly.
con: Preposition meaning with, expressing accompaniment.
un: Indefinite article meaning a or an (masculine).
repentino: Sudden or abrupt; happening without warning.
arranque: Outburst or sudden burst of emotion or action.
de: Preposition meaning of or from in Spanish.
llanto: Crying or weeping; an episode of tears.
Ojalá: Expresses hope or wish; meaning hopefully or I wish.
_quisieran_: They would want; past subjunctive of querer.
bajar: To lower, go down, or bring something down.
la: Definite article meaning the (feminine singular).
cabeza: Head; the uppermost part of the human body.
Estoy: I am; first-person present tense of estar.
_tan_: So or such; used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
cansada: Tired or exhausted; feminine form of cansado.
estar: To be; used for states, conditions, and locations.
aquí: Here; indicating this place or location.
completamente: Completely or entirely; in a total or full manner.
sola: Alone or by oneself; feminine form of solo.
Al: Contraction of a + el; meaning upon or when doing.
decir: To say or to tell; a common Spanish verb.
esto: This; neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to something.
miró: He/she looked at; past tense of mirar.
hacia: Toward or in the direction of something.
sus: His, her, or their; possessive adjective (plural).
manos: Hands; the plural of mano (feminine noun).
y: And; a coordinating conjunction joining elements.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, or itself.
sorprendió: He/she was surprised; past tense of sorprender.
al: Contraction of a + el; to the or upon doing.
ver: To see; an infinitive expressing visual perception.
que: That or which; a conjunction or relative pronoun.
había: Had; third-person singular imperfect of haber.
puesto: Put on or placed; past participle of poner.
uno: One; the number one or indefinite pronoun.
los: The; definite article (masculine plural form).
pequeños: Small or little; masculine plural adjective.
guantes: Gloves; hand coverings worn for warmth or style.
blancos: White; masculine plural adjective describing color.
cabritilla: Kidskin; soft leather made from young goat hide.
del: Contraction of de + el; meaning of the.
Conejo: Rabbit; a small mammal, here the White Rabbit.
mientras: While or meanwhile; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions.
hablaba: He/she was talking; imperfect tense of hablar.
Cómo: How; interrogative word asking about manner or way.
_pude_: I could or I was able; preterite of poder.
haber: To have; auxiliary verb used in compound tenses.
hecho: Done or made; past participle of hacer.
eso: That; neuter demonstrative pronoun for distant things.
pensó: He/she thought; past tense of pensar.
Debo: I must or I should; first-person of deber.
encogiéndome: Shrinking myself; gerund of encogerse (reflexive).
nuevo: New or again; adjective or part of de nuevo.
Se: Reflexive pronoun; herself, himself, itself, themselves.
levantó: He/she got up or rose; past tense of levantarse.
fue: He/she went or was; past tense of ir or ser.
mesa: Table; a flat-surfaced piece of furniture.
para: For or in order to; preposition indicating purpose.
medirse: To measure oneself; reflexive infinitive of medir.
ella: She or her; third-person feminine singular pronoun.
descubrió: He/she discovered or found out; past of descubrir.
según: According to or depending on; a Spanish preposition.
podía: He/she could; imperfect tense of poder.
calcular: To calculate or estimate; to figure out a quantity.
ahora: Now; referring to the current moment or time.
medía: He/she measured or was measuring; imperfect of medir.
unos: About or some; indefinite article (masculine plural).
dos: Two; the number 2 in Spanish.
pies: Feet; plural of pie, unit of measure or body part.
altura: Height; the measurement from base to top.
seguía: He/she continued or kept on; imperfect of seguir.
encogiéndose: Shrinking; gerund of encogerse, to shrink reflexively.
rápidamente: Quickly or rapidly; adverb describing fast speed.
pronto: Soon or quickly; indicating something happening fast.
averiguó: He/she found out or discovered; past of averiguar.
causa: Cause or reason; what makes something happen.
era: Was or were; imperfect tense of ser (to be).
el: The; definite article (masculine singular form).
abanico: Fan; a handheld device used to create a breeze.
sostenía: He/she was holding; imperfect tense of sostener.
lo: It or him; masculine singular direct object pronoun.
soltó: He/she let go or released; past tense of soltar.
apresuradamente: Hastily or hurriedly; acting with great urgency.
justo: Just or exactly; precisely at the right moment.
a: To or at; a common Spanish preposition.
tiempo: Time or weather; a fundamental noun in Spanish.
evitar: To avoid or prevent; to keep something from happening.
desaparecer: To disappear or vanish; to cease to be visible.
por: By, for, or through; a versatile Spanish preposition.
completo: Complete or total; used in por completo meaning completely.
_Vaya_: Wow or what a; exclamation expressing surprise or relief.
escape: Escape or close call; a narrow avoidance of danger.
pelos: Hairs; used in por los pelos meaning barely or narrowly.
dijo: He/she said; past tense of decir.
bastante: Quite or rather; indicating a considerable degree.
asustada: Frightened or scared; feminine past participle of asustar.
cambio: Change; an alteration or substitution of something.
pero: But; a coordinating conjunction expressing contrast.
muy: Very; an adverb intensifying adjectives and adverbs.
contenta: Happy or pleased; feminine adjective expressing satisfaction.
seguir: To continue or to keep doing something; infinitive.
existiendo: Existing or being alive; gerund of existir.
jardín: Garden; an outdoor area with plants and flowers.
corrió: He/she ran; past tense of correr.
toda: All or entire; feminine singular form of todo.
velocidad: Speed or velocity; the rate of movement.
regreso: Return; going back to a previous place or state.
puertecita: Little door; diminutive of puerta, a small door.
ay: Oh or alas; exclamation expressing pain or dismay.
estaba: Was or were; imperfect tense of estar.
cerrada: Closed or shut; feminine past participle of cerrar.
pequeña: Small or little; feminine singular adjective.
llave: Key; a device used to open a lock.
dorada: Golden or gold-colored; feminine adjective from dorado.
sobre: On top of or about; a preposition indicating position.
cristal: Glass or crystal; a transparent hard material.
como: As or like; a conjunction used for comparisons.
antes: Before or previously; referring to an earlier time.
las: The; definite article (feminine plural form).
cosas: Things; objects or matters in a general sense.
están: They are; third-person plural present of estar.
peor: Worse; comparative adjective indicating a lesser quality.
nunca: Never; referring to no time or not at any time.
pobre: Poor or unfortunate; expressing sympathy toward someone.
niña: Girl or little girl; a young female child.
pues: Well or since; a conjunction or filler word.
sido: Been; past participle of ser, used in perfect tenses.
tan: So or as; used to intensify or compare qualities.
jamás: Never or ever; stronger form of nunca in Spanish.
Y: And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses.
declaro: I declare; first-person present tense of declarar.
es: Is; third-person singular present tense of ser.
demasiado: Too much or too many; indicating an excessive amount.
sí: Yes; affirmative word or reflexive pronoun in Spanish.
Mientras: While or as; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions.
decía: He/she was saying; imperfect tense of decir.
estas: These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective.
palabras: Words; units of language used in speech or writing.
su: His, her, or its; possessive adjective (singular).
pie: Foot; the lower extremity of the leg.
resbaló: He/she slipped; past tense of resbalar.
momento: Moment; a very brief period of time.
siguiente: Next or following; coming immediately after in sequence.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →