Cranford — Page 6
Moreover, it was considered "vulgar" (a tremendous word in Cranford) to give anything expensive, in the way of eatable or drinkable, at the evening entertainments.
Además, se consideraba «vulgar» (una palabra tremenda en Cranford) dar cualquier cosa costosa, en cuanto a comida o bebida, en las veladas.
Wafer bread-and-butter and sponge-biscuits were all that the Honourable Mrs Jamieson gave; and she was sister-in-law to the late Earl of Glenmire, although she did practise such "elegant economy."
Obleas con mantequilla y bizcochos eran todo lo que la honorable señora Jamieson ofrecía; y era cuñada del difunto conde de Glenmire, aunque practicara semejante «elegante economía».
"Elegant economy!" How naturally one falls back into the phraseology of Cranford!
«¡Elegante economía!» ¡Qué naturalmente uno vuelve a caer en la fraseología de Cranford!
There, economy was always "elegant," and money-spending always "vulgar and ostentatious"; a sort of sour-grapeism which made us very peaceful and satisfied.
Allí, la economía era siempre «elegante», y el gasto de dinero siempre «vulgar y ostentoso»; una especie de conformismo amargado que nos hacía sentir muy tranquilas y satisfechas.
I never shall forget the dismay felt when a certain Captain Brown came to live at Cranford, and openly spoke about his being poor—not in a whisper to an intimate friend, the doors and windows being previously closed, but in the public street! in a loud military voice! alleging his poverty as a reason for not taking a particular house.
Jamás olvidaré la consternación que se sintió cuando un tal capitán Brown vino a vivir a Cranford y habló abiertamente de ser pobre —no en un susurro a un amigo íntimo, con puertas y ventanas previamente cerradas, sino en la calle pública, ¡con voz alta y militar!, alegando su pobreza como razón para no alquilar una determinada casa.
The ladies of Cranford were already rather moaning over the invasion of their territories by a man and a gentleman.
Las damas de Cranford ya se lamentaban bastante por la invasión de sus territorios por parte de un hombre y un caballero.
He was a half-pay captain, and had obtained some situation on a neighbouring railroad, which had been vehemently petitioned against by the little town; and if, in addition to his masculine gender, and his connection with the obnoxious railroad, he was so brazen as to talk of being poor—why, then, indeed, he must be sent to Coventry.
Era un capitán a medio sueldo, y había obtenido algún empleo en un ferrocarril vecino, contra el cual el pequeño pueblo había protestado vehementemente; y si, además de su condición masculina y su relación con el detestable ferrocarril, tenía el descaro de hablar de ser pobre, pues entonces, en verdad, habría que hacerle el vacío.
Death was as true and as common as poverty; yet people never spoke about that, loud out in the streets.
La muerte era tan cierta y tan común como la pobreza; sin embargo, la gente nunca hablaba de ella en voz alta en las calles.
Vocabulary
- Además
- Furthermore; in addition to what was mentioned
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with verbs in Spanish
- consideraba
- Was considered; regarded as something by others
- vulgar
- Crude, common, or lacking refinement
- palabra
- A word or term in a language
- tremenda
- Tremendous; very serious or impressive in nature
- dar
- To give something to someone
- cualquier
- Any; whichever one of several options
- cosa
- A thing or object of any kind
- costosa
- Expensive; having a high monetary cost
- cuanto
- As much as; referring to quantity or extent
- comida
- Food; a meal eaten during the day
- bebida
- A drink or beverage of any kind
- veladas
- Evening social gatherings or soirées
- Obleas
- Thin wafers, often eaten as a light snack
- mantequilla
- Butter; a dairy product made from cream
- bizcochos
- Sponge cakes or biscuits served as a snack
- eran
- Were; past tense of 'ser' for plural subjects
- todo
- Everything; the whole of something
- honorable
- Deserving of respect and high esteem
- señora
- Married woman; title of respect like 'Mrs.'
- ofrecía
- Was offering or providing something to others
- era
- Was; past tense of 'ser' for singular subjects
- cuñada
- Sister-in-law; spouse's sister or sibling's wife
- difunto
- Deceased; a person who has recently died
- conde
- Count; a nobleman of a certain rank
- aunque
- Although; even though; despite the fact that
- practicara
- Were to practice or carry out a habit
- semejante
- Such; similar to something previously mentioned
- elegante
- Elegant; stylish and refined in appearance
- economía
- Economy; frugal management of money or resources
- Elegante
- Elegant; used here emphatically or sarcastically
- Qué
- What; how; used in exclamations or questions
- naturalmente
- Naturally; of course; in a natural manner
- uno
- One; an indefinite pronoun meaning 'one' or 'you'
- vuelve
- Returns; comes back or reverts to something
- caer
- To fall; to drop or descend downward
- fraseología
- Phraseology; characteristic style or choice of words
- Allí
- There; in or at that place
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- gasto
- Expenditure; money spent on something
- dinero
- Money; currency used for buying and selling
- ostentoso
- Ostentatious; showy display of wealth or status
- especie
- A kind, sort, or species of something
- conformismo
- Conformism; tendency to follow established norms
- amargado
- Bitter; resentful due to disappointment or hardship
- hacía
- Made; caused something to happen or feel
- sentir
- To feel; to experience an emotion or sensation
- tranquilas
- Calm; peaceful and free from anxiety
- satisfechas
- Satisfied; content or pleased with a result
- Jamás
- Never; at no time whatsoever; emphatic negation
- olvidaré
- I will forget; future tense of 'olvidar'
- consternación
- Consternation; a feeling of anxiety and dismay
- sintió
- Felt; past tense of 'sentir' for one person
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens
- tal
- Such a; a certain; used to refer vaguely
- capitán
- Captain; a military officer of a certain rank
- vino
- Came; past tense of 'venir' meaning to come
- vivir
- To live; to reside or exist in a place
- habló
- Spoke; past tense of 'hablar' for one person
- abiertamente
- Openly; in a frank and undisguised manner
- ser
- To be; permanent qualities or states of being
- pobre
- Poor; lacking money or material possessions
- susurro
- Whisper; a very soft or hushed sound
- amigo
- Friend; a person with whom one has a bond
- íntimo
- Intimate; very close and personal in relationship
- puertas
- Doors; movable barriers to enter or exit rooms
- ventanas
- Windows; openings in a wall fitted with glass
- previamente
- Previously; beforehand in time or order
- cerradas
- Closed; shut and not open to entry
- sino
- But rather; used to introduce a contrasting clause
- calle
- Street; a public road in a town or city
- pública
- Public; open and accessible to everyone
- voz
- Voice; sound produced when a person speaks
- alta
- Loud or high; used here as 'loud voice'
- militar
- Military; relating to the armed forces
- alegando
- Alleging; claiming something as a reason or excuse
- pobreza
- Poverty; the state of being very poor
- razón
- Reason; a cause or justification for an action
- alquilar
- To rent; to pay for temporary use of property
- determinada
- A specific; a particular or definite one
- casa
- House; a building where people live
- damas
- Ladies; women of refinement and social standing
- ya
- Already; now; used to indicate prior completion
- lamentaban
- Were lamenting; expressing sorrow or regret about something
- bastante
- Enough; quite; sufficiently or considerably so
- invasión
- Invasion; unwanted intrusion into a place or space
- territorios
- Territories; areas or spaces claimed as one's own
- parte
- Part; a portion or side of something larger
- hombre
- Man; an adult male human being
- caballero
- Gentleman; a man of good breeding and manners
- Era
- Was; past imperfect of 'ser' for singular
- medio
- Half; partial; used here as 'half pay'
- sueldo
- Salary; wages paid regularly for employment
- había
- Had; past auxiliary used in compound tenses
- obtenido
- Obtained; acquired or gained through effort
- algún
- Some; any; an indefinite adjective before nouns
- empleo
- Employment; a job or position of work
- ferrocarril
- Railway; a track-based transportation system
- vecino
- Neighboring; nearby or adjacent in location
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something or someone
- cual
- Which; relative pronoun referring to a thing
- pequeño
- Small; little in size or extent
- pueblo
- Town; a small community or settlement of people
- protestado
- Protested; formally objected to something strongly
- vehementemente
- Vehemently; with intense force or passionate conviction
- si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothesis
- además
- Moreover; in addition; used to add information
- condición
- Condition; a particular state or circumstance
- masculina
- Masculine; relating or belonging to men
- relación
- Relationship; a connection between people or things
- detestable
- Detestable; deserving strong dislike or hatred
- tenía
- Had; past imperfect of 'tener' meaning to have
- descaro
- Audacity; shameless boldness or impudence
- hablar
- To speak; to communicate using words
- pues
- Well; then; so; a filler or causal conjunction
- entonces
- Then; at that time or as a consequence
- verdad
- Truth; the quality of being true or honest
- habría
- There would be; conditional of 'haber'
- hacerle
- To do to him; infinitive with indirect pronoun attached
- vacío
- Empty; the cold shoulder; social exclusion or void
- muerte
- Death; the end of a person's life
- tan
- So; as; used in comparisons or intensifications
- cierta
- Certain; sure; inevitable or definite
- común
- Common; frequent or shared among many people
- sin
- Without; lacking something or someone
- embargo
- However; 'sin embargo' means 'nevertheless'
- gente
- People; a group of human beings in general
- nunca
- Never; at no point in time
- hablaba
- Used to talk; past imperfect of 'hablar'
- calles
- Streets; public roads in a town or city
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