Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Page 11
The executioner's argument was, that you couldn't cut off a head unless there was a body to cut it off from: that he had never had to do such a thing before, and he wasn't going to begin at _his_ time of life.
El argumento del verdugo era que no se podía cortar una cabeza a menos que hubiera un cuerpo del cual cortarla: que él nunca había tenido que hacer tal cosa antes, y que no iba a empezar a _su_ edad.
The King's argument was, that anything that had a head could be beheaded, and that you weren't to talk nonsense.
El argumento del Rey era que cualquier cosa que tuviera cabeza podía ser decapitada, y que no debías decir tonterías.
The Queen's argument was, that if something wasn't done about it in less than no time she'd have everybody executed, all round.
El argumento de la Reina era que si no se hacía algo al respecto en menos que nada ella haría ejecutar a todos, sin excepción.
(It was this last remark that had made the whole party look so grave and anxious.)
(Fue esta última observación la que había hecho que todo el grupo se viera tan serio y ansioso.)
Alice could think of nothing else to say but "It belongs to the Duchess: you'd better ask _her_ about it."
Alicia no pudo pensar en nada más que decir sino "Pertenece a la Duquesa: será mejor que le preguntes a _ella_ al respecto".
"She's in prison," the Queen said to the executioner: "fetch her here."
"Está en prisión", dijo la Reina al verdugo: "tráela aquí".
And the executioner went off like an arrow.
Y el verdugo salió disparado como una flecha.
The Cat's head began fading away the moment he was gone, and, by the time he had come back with the Duchess, it had entirely disappeared; so the King and the executioner ran wildly up and down looking for it, while the rest of the party went back to the game.
La cabeza del Gato comenzó a desvanecerse en el momento en que él se fue, y, para cuando regresó con la Duquesa, había desaparecido por completo; así que el Rey y el verdugo corrieron frenéticamente de un lado a otro buscándola, mientras el resto del grupo volvió al juego.
Vocabulary
- El
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- argumento
- Argument, reasoning, or plot
- del
- Of the, from the (contraction of de + el)
- verdugo
- Executioner, hangman
- era
- Was, were (imperfect tense of ser)
- que
- That, which, who
- no
- No, not
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself, themselves
- podía
- Could, was able to (imperfect of poder)
- cortar
- To cut, to chop
- una
- A, an, one (feminine singular indefinite article)
- cabeza
- Head
- a
- To, at, toward
- menos
- Less, fewer, unless
- hubiera
- Had, there were (imperfect subjunctive of haber)
- un
- A, an, one (masculine singular indefinite article)
- cuerpo
- Body
- cual
- Which, who, whom
- cortarla
- To cut it (feminine object)
- él
- He, him (subject pronoun with accent)
- nunca
- Never
- había
- Had (imperfect of haber, auxiliary verb)
- tenido
- Had (past participle of tener)
- hacer
- To do, to make
- tal
- Such, such a
- cosa
- Thing
- antes
- Before, previously
- y
- And
- iba
- Was going (imperfect of ir)
- empezar
- To begin, to start
- _su_
- His, her, its, their (possessive adjective)
- edad
- Age
- Rey
- King
- cualquier
- Any, whichever
- tuviera
- Had, would have (imperfect subjunctive of tener)
- ser
- To be (permanent states, identity)
- decapitada
- Beheaded, decapitated (feminine past participle)
- debías
- You should, you ought to (imperfect of deber)
- decir
- To say, to tell
- tonterías
- Nonsense, foolish things, silly remarks
- de
- Of, from, about
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- Reina
- Queen
- si
- If, whether
- hacía
- Did, made, was doing (imperfect of hacer)
- algo
- Something, anything
- al
- To the (contraction of a + el)
- respecto
- Respect, regard, matter
- en
- In, on, at
- nada
- Nothing, not at all
- ella
- She, her (subject or object pronoun)
- haría
- Would do, would make (conditional of hacer)
- ejecutar
- To execute, to carry out
- todos
- All, everyone, everybody (masculine plural)
- sin
- Without
- excepción
- Exception
- Fue
- Was, were (preterite of ser)
- esta
- This (feminine singular demonstrative)
- última
- Last, latest (feminine)
- observación
- Observation, remark, comment
- hecho
- Fact, deed; done, made (past participle of hacer)
- todo
- All, everything, whole
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- grupo
- Group
- viera
- Saw, would see (imperfect subjunctive of ver)
- tan
- So, as, such (before adjectives/adverbs)
- serio
- Serious
- ansioso
- Anxious, eager
- pudo
- Could, was able to (preterite of poder)
- pensar
- To think
- más
- More, most, plus
- sino
- But rather, except, only
- Pertenece
- Belongs (third person singular of pertenecer)
- Duquesa
- Duchess
- será
- Will be (future of ser)
- mejor
- Better, best
- le
- To him, to her, to you (indirect object)
- preguntes
- You ask (second person subjunctive of preguntar)
- _ella_
- She, her (subject or object pronoun)
- Está
- Is, he/she is (third person of estar)
- prisión
- Prison, jail
- dijo
- Said, told (preterite of decir)
- tráela
- Bring her (command with attached object pronoun)
- aquí
- Here
- Y
- And
- salió
- Left, went out (preterite of salir)
- disparado
- Shot; rapidly, like a shot (past participle)
- como
- Like, as, how
- flecha
- Arrow
- La
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- Gato
- Cat (masculine)
- comenzó
- Began, started (preterite of comenzar)
- desvanecerse
- To fade away, to vanish, to disappear
- momento
- Moment, instant
- fue
- Was, were, went (preterite of ser/ir)
- para
- For, to, in order to
- cuando
- When
- regresó
- Returned, came back (preterite of regresar)
- con
- With
- desaparecido
- Disappeared, vanished (past participle of desaparecer)
- por
- By, for, through, per
- completo
- Complete, completely
- así
- Thus, so, like this
- corrieron
- Ran (preterite third person plural of correr)
- frenéticamente
- Frantically, frenetically
- lado
- Side
- otro
- Other, another (masculine)
- buscándola
- Looking for her, searching for her (gerund)
- mientras
- While, meanwhile
- resto
- Rest, remainder
- volvió
- Returned, went back (preterite of volver)
- juego
- Game, play, set
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