Bleak House — Page 3

English → Pt CHAPTER I Level 9/10

On such an afternoon, if ever, the Lord High Chancellor ought to be sitting here—as here he is—with a foggy glory round his head, softly fenced in with crimson cloth and curtains, addressed by a large advocate with great whiskers, a little voice, and an interminable brief, and outwardly directing his contemplation to the lantern in the roof, where he can see nothing but fog.

Numa tarde como esta, se em alguma vez, o Lorde Alto Chanceler deveria estar aqui sentado—como de fato está—com uma glória nebulosa ao redor da cabeça, suavemente cercado por tecido e cortinas carmesins, sendo interpelado por um advogado corpulento de grandes suíças, voz miúda e uma petição interminável, e aparentemente dirigindo sua contemplação à lanterna no teto, onde nada pode ver além de névoa.

On such an afternoon some score of members of the High Court of Chancery bar ought to be—as here they are—mistily engaged in one of the ten thousand stages of an endless cause, tripping one another up on slippery precedents, groping knee-deep in technicalities, running their goat-hair and horsehair warded heads against walls of words and making a pretence of equity with serious faces, as players might.

Numa tarde como esta, uma vintena de membros da barra do Alto Tribunal da Chancelaria deveria estar—como de fato está—nebulosamente envolvida em um dos dez mil estágios de uma causa interminável, derrubando uns aos outros em precedentes escorregadios, tateando até os joelhos em tecnicidades, chocando suas cabeças protegidas por perucas de pelo de cabra e de crina de cavalo contra muralhas de palavras e simulando equidade com rostos sérios, como poderiam fazer atores.

On such an afternoon the various solicitors in the cause, some two or three of whom have inherited it from their fathers, who made a fortune by it, ought to be—as are they not?—ranged in a line, in a long matted well (but you might look in vain for truth at the bottom of it) between the registrar's red table and the silk gowns, with bills, cross-bills, answers, rejoinders, injunctions, affidavits, issues, references to masters, masters' reports, mountains of costly nonsense, piled before them.

Numa tarde como esta, os diversos solicitadores da causa, dois ou três dos quais a herdaram de seus pais, que com ela fizeram fortuna, deveriam estar—e não estão?—enfileirados em uma longa antecâmara de piso esteirado (mas em vão se procuraria a verdade no fundo dela) entre a mesa vermelha do escrivão e as becas de seda, com petições, contrapetições, respostas, tréplicas, liminares, declarações juradas, questões, remissões aos mestres, relatórios dos mestres, montanhas de absurdos dispendiosos, empilhados diante deles.

Vocabulary

Numa: NOO-mah — Contraction of 'em uma', meaning 'in a'
tarde: TAR-djee — Afternoon or evening; late time of day
como: KOH-moo — Like, as, or how; used for comparison
esta: ES-tah — This (feminine demonstrative pronoun/adjective)
se: seh — Reflexive pronoun or conditional conjunction meaning 'if'
em: eng — Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
alguma: al-GOO-mah — Some or any (feminine form of algum)
vez: vehz — Time or instance; as in 'one time'
o: oo — Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
Lorde: LOR-djee — Lord; title of high-ranking British nobleman
Alto: AL-too — High or tall; used in titles and descriptions
Chanceler: shan-seh-LEHR — Chancellor; high government or legal official
deveria: deh-veh-REE-ah — Should or ought to; past conditional of dever
estar: es-TAR — To be; used for temporary states or conditions
aqui: ah-KEE — Here; indicating a nearby place or location
sentado: sen-TAH-doo — Seated or sitting; past participle of sentar
de: djee — Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'
fato: FAH-too — Fact; something known to be true
está: es-TAH — Is; third-person singular present of estar
com: kong — Preposition meaning 'with'
uma: OO-mah — A or an (feminine indefinite article)
glória: GLOH-ree-ah — Glory; radiant halo of light around something
nebulosa: neh-boo-LOH-zah — Nebulous or hazy; indistinct and misty
ao: ow — Contraction of 'a o', meaning 'to the'
redor: heh-DOR — Around; used in phrase 'ao redor' (around)
da: dah — Contraction of 'de a', meaning 'of the'
cabeça: kah-BEH-sah — Head; the uppermost part of the body
suavemente: swah-veh-MEN-chee — Softly or gently; in a smooth manner
cercado: sehr-KAH-doo — Surrounded or enclosed by something
por: por — Preposition meaning 'by', 'for', or 'through'
tecido: teh-SEE-doo — Fabric or tissue; woven cloth material
e: ee — Conjunction meaning 'and'
cortinas: kor-CHEE-nahs — Curtains; fabric hangings used to cover windows
carmesins: kar-meh-ZEENZ — Crimsons; deep red colored fabrics or objects
sendo: SEN-doo — Being; present participle of ser
um: oom — A or an (masculine indefinite article)
advogado: ad-voh-GAH-doo — Lawyer or attorney; legal professional
corpulento: kor-poo-LEN-too — Corpulent or stout; having a large heavy body
grandes: GRAN-djees — Large or great; plural of grande
voz: vohz — Voice; sound produced by a person speaking
miúda: mee-OO-dah — Small or tiny; delicate and diminutive in size
petição: peh-tee-SOWNG — Petition; formal written legal request or appeal
interminável: in-tehr-mee-NAH-vel — Endless or interminable; seeming to never finish
aparentemente: ah-pah-ren-teh-MEN-chee — Apparently; seemingly true based on observation
dirigindo: djee-ree-JEEN-doo — Directing or aiming; present participle of dirigir
sua: SOO-ah — His, her, its, or your (possessive adjective)
contemplação: kon-tem-plah-SOWNG — Contemplation; deep thoughtful reflection or gaze
à: ah — Contraction of 'a a', meaning 'to the' (feminine)
lanterna: lan-TEHR-nah — Lantern; a light fixture or skylight in ceiling
no: noo — Contraction of 'em o', meaning 'in the'
teto: TEH-too — Ceiling; the overhead interior surface of a room
onde: ON-djee — Where; used to indicate a place or location
nada: NAH-dah — Nothing; not anything at all
pode: POH-djee — Can or is able to; third-person singular of poder
ver: vehr — To see; to perceive with the eyes
além: ah-LEHNG — Beyond or besides; further than something else
névoa: NEH-vwah — Fog or mist; hazy atmospheric obscurity
membros: MEM-brohs — Members; individuals belonging to a group
barra: BAH-hah — Bar; the legal bar or court barrier area
do: doo — Contraction of 'de o', meaning 'of the'
Tribunal: tree-boo-NAL — Court or tribunal; official judicial institution
envolvida: en-vol-VEE-dah — Involved or enveloped; surrounded by something
dos: dohz — Contraction of 'de os', meaning 'of the' (plural)
dez: dehz — Ten; the number 10
mil: meel — Thousand; the number 1000
estágios: es-TAH-jyooz — Stages or phases; steps in a process
causa: KOW-zah — Cause or legal case; reason for legal action
derrubando: deh-hoo-BAN-doo — Knocking down or overturning; toppling something
uns: oonz — Some; masculine plural indefinite pronoun
aos: owz — Contraction of 'a os', meaning 'to the' (plural)
outros: OH-trooz — Others; additional or different people or things
precedentes: preh-seh-DEN-chees — Precedents; prior legal cases used as authority
escorregadios: es-koh-heh-gah-DJEE-ooz — Slippery; difficult to grasp or hold firmly
até: ah-TEH — Until or up to; as far as a point
os: ooz — The; masculine plural definite article
joelhos: zhweh-LYOOZ — Knees; joints between upper and lower leg
chocando: shoh-KAN-doo — Colliding or clashing; hitting against something
suas: SOO-ahz — Their or your; feminine plural possessive adjective
cabeças: kah-BEH-sahz — Heads; plural of cabeça
protegidas: proh-teh-ZHEE-dahz — Protected or covered; guarded from harm
perucas: peh-ROO-kahz — Wigs; artificial hair coverings worn on head
pelo: PEH-loo — Contraction of 'por o', meaning 'by the'
cabra: KAH-brah — Goat; a domestic animal known for hair production
cavalo: kah-VAH-loo — Horse; large domesticated equine animal
contra: KON-trah — Against or versus; in opposition to something
muralhas: moo-RAH-lyahz — Walls or ramparts; large thick defensive barriers
palavras: pah-LAH-vrahz — Words; units of spoken or written language
simulando: see-moo-LAN-doo — Simulating or pretending; imitating something falsely
equidade: eh-kwee-DAH-djee — Equity or fairness; justice based on moral principles
rostos: HOS-tooz — Faces; the frontal part of the head
sérios: SEH-ryooz — Serious; grave or solemn in expression
poderiam: poh-deh-REE-ang — Could or would be able to; conditional of poder
fazer: To do or make; common Portuguese infinitive verb
atores: ah-TOH-reez — Actors; people who perform in plays or films
diversos: djee-VEHR-sooz — Various or diverse; many different kinds
dois: doysh — Two; the number 2
ou: oh — Or; used to indicate an alternative choice
três: trehsh — Three; the number 3
quais: kwahyz — Which; plural interrogative or relative pronoun
a: ah — The (feminine article) or to (preposition)
herdaram: ehr-DAH-rang — They inherited; past tense of herdar
seus: SEH-ooz — Their or his; masculine plural possessive pronoun
pais: PAH-eez — Parents or fathers; those who raise children
que: keh — That, which, or who; relative conjunction
ela: EH-lah — She or her; feminine third-person pronoun
fizeram: fee-ZEH-rang — They made or did; past tense of fazer
fortuna: for-TOO-nah — Fortune or wealth; great financial prosperity
deveriam: deh-veh-REE-ang — They should; conditional past tense of dever
não: nowng — No or not; negation word
estão: es-TOWNG — They are; third-person plural of estar
enfileirados: en-fee-leh-RAH-doos — Lined up or queued; arranged in a row
longa: LON-gah — Long; extended in length or duration
piso: PEE-zoo — Floor; the surface on which one walks
mas: mahz — But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
vão: vowng — They go; third-person plural of ir
procuraria: proh-koo-rah-REE-ah — Would search for; conditional of procurar
verdade: vehr-DAH-djee — Truth; that which is true or factual
fundo: FOON-doo — Bottom or depth; the deepest part of something
dela: DEH-lah — Of her or of it; contraction of 'de ela'
entre: EN-treh — Between or among; in the middle of things
mesa: MEH-zah — Table; a flat-surfaced piece of furniture
vermelha: vehr-MEH-lyah — Red; the color red (feminine form)
as: ahz — The; feminine plural definite article
seda: SEH-dah — Silk; fine lustrous fabric made from silkworm threads
petições: peh-tee-SOYNGZ — Petitions; formal written legal requests or appeals
respostas: hes-POS-tahz — Answers or responses; replies to questions or documents
declarações: deh-klah-rah-SOYNGZ — Declarations or statements; formal written legal affirmations
juradas: zhoo-RAH-dahz — Sworn; affirmed under oath (feminine plural)
questões: kes-TOYNGZ — Questions or issues; matters under discussion or dispute
mestres: MES-treez — Masters; senior legal or academic officials
relatórios: heh-lah-TOH-ryooz — Reports; formal written accounts of findings
montanhas: mon-TAN-yahz — Mountains; very large masses of earth and rock
absurdos: ab-SOOR-dooz — Absurdities; things that are ridiculous and unreasonable
dispendiosos: dees-pen-djee-OH-zooz — Costly or expensive; requiring a lot of money
empilhados: em-pee-LYAH-dooz — Piled up or stacked; accumulated in large quantities
diante: djee-AN-chee — Before or in front of; ahead of someone
deles: DEH-leez — Of them or their; contraction of 'de eles'

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