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Anna Karenina — Page 1

English → Spanish Chapter 1 Level 7/10

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Las familias felices se parecen todas; las familias infelices lo son cada una a su manera.

Everything was in confusion in the Oblonskys' house.

Todo era confusión en la casa de los Oblonski.

The wife had discovered that the husband was carrying on an intrigue with a French girl, who had been a governess in their family, and she had announced to her husband that she could not go on living in the same house with him.

La esposa había descubierto que el marido mantenía una aventura con una joven francesa que había sido institutriz en su familia, y le había anunciado a su marido que no podía seguir viviendo bajo el mismo techo que él.

This position of affairs had now lasted three days, and not only the husband and wife themselves, but all the members of their family and household, were painfully conscious of it.

Esta situación duraba ya tres días, y no solo los propios esposos, sino todos los miembros de la familia y del servicio doméstico, la sentían dolorosamente.

Every person in the house felt that there was no sense in their living together, and that the stray people brought together by chance in any inn had more in common with one another than they, the members of the family and household of the Oblonskys.

Todas las personas de la casa sentían que no tenía sentido que siguieran viviendo juntos, y que los desconocidos reunidos por azar en cualquier posada tenían más en común entre sí que ellos, los miembros de la familia y el servicio de los Oblonski.

The wife did not leave her own room, the husband had not been at home for three days.

La esposa no salía de su habitación; el marido llevaba tres días sin aparecer por casa.

The children ran wild all over the house; the English governess quarreled with the housekeeper, and wrote to a friend asking her to look out for a new situation for her; the man-cook had walked off the day before just at dinner time; the kitchen-maid, and the coachman had given warning.

Los niños andaban sin control por toda la casa; la institutriz inglesa se había peleado con el ama de llaves y le escribió a una amiga pidiéndole que le buscara una nueva colocación; el cocinero se había marchado el día anterior justo a la hora de la cena; la pinche de cocina y el cochero habían dado aviso de que se irían.

Vocabulary

familias
Families; groups of people related by blood or marriage
felices
Happy; experiencing joy or contentment
parecen
They resemble or seem similar to one another
todas
All; every one of a feminine group
infelices
Unhappy; experiencing sadness or misfortune
cada
Each; every individual one in a group
manera
Manner; way or method of doing something
Todo
Everything; all things without exception
confusión
Confusion; state of disorder or lack of clarity
casa
House; a building where people live
esposa
Wife; a married woman in relation to her husband
descubierto
Discovered; found out something previously unknown
marido
Husband; a married man in relation to his wife
mantenía
Was maintaining; kept up a relationship or situation
aventura
Affair or adventure; romantic liaison outside marriage
joven
Young; a person of a youthful age
francesa
French; feminine adjective relating to France
institutriz
Governess; woman employed to educate children at home
familia
Family; a group of related people living together
anunciado
Announced; declared or made known something formally
seguir
To continue; to keep doing something without stopping
viviendo
Living; present participle of 'vivir'
bajo
Under; beneath or below something physically or figuratively
mismo
Same; identical or the very one mentioned before
techo
Roof or ceiling; upper covering of a building
situación
Situation; a set of circumstances at a given moment
duraba
Was lasting; continued over a period of time
ya
Already or now; indicating something has occurred
días
Days; plural of 'día,' units of time
solo
Only or alone; without others or exclusively
propios
Own; belonging to oneself, emphasizing possession
esposos
Spouses; married couple or husbands and wives
sino
But rather; conjunction contrasting a negated element
todos
All; every member of a masculine or mixed group
miembros
Members; individuals belonging to a group or household
servicio
Service; work done for others, often domestic staff
doméstico
Domestic; relating to the home or household affairs
sentían
Felt; imperfect past tense of 'sentir'
dolorosamente
Painfully; in a way that causes distress or suffering
personas
People; individual human beings in a group
sentido
Sense or meaning; felt or perceived something significant
siguieran
Would continue; imperfect subjunctive of 'seguir'
juntos
Together; in company with one another
desconocidos
Strangers; people who do not know each other
reunidos
Gathered; brought or come together in one place
azar
Chance; random fate or accident without planning
cualquier
Any; whichever one, no particular one specified
posada
Inn; a lodging place for travelers to stay
común
Common; shared by or typical of a group
entre
Between or among; preposition indicating a middle position
salía
Was going out; imperfect past tense of 'salir'
habitación
Room; a space within a building used for living
llevaba
Was wearing or carrying; imperfect past of 'llevar'
sin
Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
aparecer
To appear; to come into sight or show up
niños
Children; young boys or kids in general
andaban
Were wandering; imperfect past tense of 'andar'
control
Control; supervision or authority over something
inglesa
English woman; feminine adjective relating to England
peleado
Fought or quarreled; had an argument with someone
ama
Housekeeper or mistress; woman in charge of household
llaves
Keys; plural of 'llave,' used to open locks
escribió
Wrote; preterite past tense of 'escribir'
amiga
Friend; feminine noun for a female friend
pidiéndole
Asking her; gerund of 'pedir' with indirect object pronoun
buscara
Would look for; imperfect subjunctive of 'buscar'
nueva
New; recently acquired or different from before
colocación
Position or placement; a job or employment situation
cocinero
Cook; a person who prepares food professionally
marchado
Left or departed; gone away from a place
anterior
Previous; the one before the current one
justo
Just or exactly; precisely at a moment or point
hora
Hour or time; a unit of sixty minutes
cena
Dinner or supper; the evening meal
pinche
Kitchen assistant; helper who aids the main cook
cocina
Kitchen; the room where food is prepared and cooked
cochero
Coachman; driver of a horse-drawn carriage
aviso
Notice or warning; formal notification of intention to leave
irían
Would go; conditional tense of 'ir'
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