Coniston — Volume 01 — Page 1
First I am to write a love-story of long ago, of a time some little while after General Jackson had got into the White House and had shown the world what a real democracy was.
Primero debo escribir una historia de amor de hace mucho tiempo, de una época un poco después de que el General Jackson hubiera llegado a la Casa Blanca y hubiera mostrado al mundo lo que era una verdadera democracia.
The Era of the first six Presidents had closed, and a new Era had begun.
La Era de los primeros seis Presidentes había concluido, y una nueva Era había comenzado.
I am speaking of political Eras.
Estoy hablando de Eras políticas.
Certain gentlemen, with a pious belief in democracy, but with a firmer determination to get on top, arose,--and got in top.
Ciertos caballeros, con una piadosa fe en la democracia, pero con una determinación más firme de llegar a lo más alto, se levantaron, y llegaron a lo más alto.
So many of these gentlemen arose in the different states, and they were so clever, and they found so many chinks in the Constitution to crawl through and steal the people's chestnuts, that the Era may be called the Boss-Era.
Tantos de estos caballeros surgieron en los distintos estados, y eran tan hábiles, y encontraron tantas grietas en la Constitución por las que colarse y robar las castañas del pueblo, que la Era puede llamarse la Era de los Caciques.
After the Boss came along certain Things without souls, but of many minds, and found more chinks in the Constitution: bigger chinks, for the Things were bigger, and they stole more chestnuts.
Después del Cacique llegaron ciertas Entidades sin alma, pero de muchas mentes, y encontraron más grietas en la Constitución: grietas más grandes, pues las Entidades eran más grandes, y robaron más castañas.
But I am getting far ahead of my love-story--and of my book.
Pero me estoy adelantando demasiado a mi historia de amor, y a mi libro.
The reader is warned that this first love-story will, in a few chapters, come to an end: and not to a happy end--otherwise there would be no book.
Se advierte al lector que esta primera historia de amor llegará, en unos pocos capítulos, a su fin: y no a un final feliz, de lo contrario no habría libro.
Lest he should throw the book away when he arrives at this page, it is only fair to tell him that there is another and a much longer love story later on, if he will only continue to read, in which, it is hoped, he may not be disappointed.
Para que no arroje el libro cuando llegue a esa página, es justo decirle que hay otra historia de amor, mucho más larga, más adelante, si solo continúa leyendo, en la cual, se espera, no quedará decepcionado.
Vocabulary
- Primero
- First; at the beginning or in advance of others.
- debo
- I must; I owe; obligation or necessity.
- escribir
- To write; to compose or record in writing.
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article.
- historia
- Story; narrative account of events or tale.
- de
- Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
- amor
- Love; deep affection or romantic attachment.
- hace
- Ago; indicates time elapsed since event occurred.
- mucho
- Much, a lot; great quantity or extent.
- tiempo
- Time; duration or period or weather condition.
- época
- Epoch; period of time or historical era.
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article.
- poco
- Little, a bit; small amount or quantity.
- después
- After, later; following in time or sequence.
- que
- That, which; relative pronoun for clauses.
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article.
- General
- General; military rank or broad, non-specific.
- hubiera
- Would have; past subjunctive of haber.
- llegado
- Arrived; past participle of llegar.
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article.
- Casa
- House; building or residence or household.
- Blanca
- White; feminine adjective describing color.
- mostrado
- Shown; past participle of mostrar.
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el.
- mundo
- World; earth or people or sphere.
- lo
- It, that; masculine singular neuter pronoun.
- era
- Was; past tense of ser.
- verdadera
- True, genuine; feminine adjective of truth.
- democracia
- Democracy; government by the people collectively.
- La
- The; feminine singular definite article.
- Era
- Era, epoch; period of time distinctly.
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article.
- primeros
- First, earliest; masculine plural ordinal adjective.
- seis
- Six; cardinal number representing quantity.
- Presidentes
- Presidents; plural of president leadership position.
- había
- Had; past tense of haber.
- concluido
- Concluded, ended; past participle of concluir.
- nueva
- New; feminine adjective for recent or novel.
- comenzado
- Begun, started; past participle of comenzar.
- Estoy
- I am; present indicative of estar.
- hablando
- Speaking; present participle of hablar.
- Eras
- Eras, epochs; plural of era.
- políticas
- Political, politics; adjective or noun feminine plural.
- Ciertos
- Certain, some; masculine plural adjective.
- caballeros
- Gentlemen, knights; masculine plural noun.
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompanying or together.
- piadosa
- Pious, devout; feminine adjective of faith.
- fe
- Faith; belief or trust in something.
- en
- In, on; preposition of location or time.
- pero
- But; conjunction showing contrast or exception.
- determinación
- Determination; resolution or firm decision made.
- más
- More; adverb indicating greater quantity.
- firme
- Firm, steady; adjective indicating stability.
- llegar
- To arrive, reach; verb of movement.
- alto
- High, tall; adjective describing height or level.
- se
- Themselves, oneself; reflexive pronoun.
- levantaron
- Raised, stood up; past tense of levantar.
- llegaron
- Arrived, reached; past tense of llegar.
- Tantos
- So many, as many; masculine plural.
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective.
- surgieron
- Arose, emerged; past tense of surgir.
- distintos
- Different, distinct; masculine plural adjective.
- estados
- States; plural of estado.
- eran
- Were; past tense of ser.
- tan
- So, as; adverb of comparison or intensity.
- hábiles
- Skillful, clever; adjective describing ability.
- encontraron
- Found, discovered; past tense of encontrar.
- tantas
- So many; feminine plural of tanto.
- grietas
- Cracks, crevices; plural of grieta.
- Constitución
- Constitution; fundamental laws of government.
- por
- For, by, through; preposition of cause.
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article.
- colarse
- To slip, sneak; reflexive verb of action.
- robar
- To steal; verb meaning theft or taking.
- del
- Of the, from; contraction de and el.
- pueblo
- People, town; noun for settlement or populace.
- puede
- Can, is able; third person of poder.
- llamarse
- To be called; reflexive verb of naming.
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