Cranford — Page 12
He nodded and smiled to his acquaintances; but he shook hands with none until he had helped Miss Brown to unfurl her umbrella, had relieved her of her prayer-book, and had waited patiently till she, with trembling nervous hands, had taken up her gown to walk through the wet roads.
Saludó con la cabeza y sonrió a sus conocidos; pero no estrechó la mano de ninguno hasta haber ayudado a la señorita Brown a abrir su paraguas, haberle aliviado del peso de su devocionario, y haber esperado pacientemente hasta que ella, con manos temblorosas y nerviosas, se hubo recogido el vestido para caminar por los caminos mojados.
I wonder what the Cranford ladies did with Captain Brown at their parties.
Me pregunto qué harían las damas de Cranford con el capitán Brown en sus reuniones.
We had often rejoiced, in former days, that there was no gentleman to be attended to, and to find conversation for, at the card-parties.
Muchas veces nos habíamos alegrado, en tiempos pasados, de que no hubiera ningún caballero al que atender ni con quien buscar conversación en las reuniones de cartas.
We had congratulated ourselves upon the snugness of the evenings; and, in our love for gentility, and distaste of mankind, we had almost persuaded ourselves that to be a man was to be "vulgar"; so that when I found my friend and hostess, Miss Jenkyns, was going to have a party in my honour, and that Captain and the Miss Browns were invited, I wondered much what would be the course of the evening.
Nos habíamos felicitado por la intimidad acogedora de las veladas; y, en nuestro amor por la distinción y nuestro desdén hacia el género masculino, casi nos habíamos convencido de que ser hombre era ser «vulgar»; de modo que cuando supe que mi amiga y anfitriona, la señorita Jenkyns, iba a dar una reunión en mi honor, y que el capitán y las señoritas Brown estaban invitados, me pregunté con gran curiosidad cómo transcurriría la velada.
Card-tables, with green baize tops, were set out by daylight, just as usual; it was the third week in November, so the evenings closed in about four.
Las mesas de cartas, con tapetes de fieltro verde, fueron dispuestas de día, como de costumbre; era la tercera semana de noviembre, así que el anochecer llegaba hacia las cuatro.
Candles, and clean packs of cards, were arranged on each table.
Se colocaron velas y barajas nuevas sobre cada mesa.
The fire was made up; the neat maid-servant had received her last directions; and there we stood, dressed in our best, each with a candle-lighter in our hands, ready to dart at the candles as soon as the first knock came.
Se había avivado el fuego; la pulcra doncella había recibido sus últimas instrucciones; y allí estábamos, vestidas con nuestras mejores galas, cada una con un encendedor de velas en la mano, listas para lanzarnos a encender las velas en cuanto sonara el primer golpe en la puerta.
Vocabulary
- Saludó
- Greeted someone formally or informally
- con
- With; used to indicate accompaniment or association
- la
- The; feminine definite article in Spanish
- cabeza
- Head; the upper part of the body
- y
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
- sonrió
- Smiled; expressed happiness with facial expression
- a
- To or at; basic preposition indicating direction or relation
- sus
- His, her, their; possessive adjective for third person
- conocidos
- Acquaintances; people one knows but not intimately
- pero
- But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- no
- No or not; negation word in Spanish
- estrechó
- Shook or clasped; as in shaking someone's hand
- mano
- Hand; the body part at the end of the arm
- de
- Of or from; common preposition indicating origin or possession
- ninguno
- None or no one; indicates absence of any person
- hasta
- Until or up to; indicates a limit in time or space
- haber
- To have; auxiliary verb used in compound tenses
- ayudado
- Helped; past participle of ayudar, to assist someone
- señorita
- Miss; polite title for an unmarried woman
- abrir
- To open; to cause something to become open
- su
- His, her, your; singular possessive adjective
- paraguas
- Umbrella; device used for protection from rain
- haberle
- Having him/her; auxiliary plus indirect object pronoun
- aliviado
- Relieved or lightened; past participle of aliviar
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el in Spanish
- peso
- Weight; the heaviness of an object or burden
- devocionario
- Prayer book; a book containing devotional prayers
- esperado
- Waited; past participle meaning having waited patiently
- pacientemente
- Patiently; in a calm and tolerant manner
- que
- That or which; conjunction or relative pronoun
- ella
- She; third-person singular feminine pronoun
- manos
- Hands; plural of mano, body part for gripping
- temblorosas
- Trembling or shaking; adjective describing unsteady hands
- nerviosas
- Nervous or anxious; adjective describing a tense state
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive or reciprocal verbs
- hubo
- There was; preterite form of haber indicating past existence
- recogido
- Gathered up; past participle meaning collected or picked up
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article in Spanish
- vestido
- Dress; a garment worn by women
- para
- For or in order to; preposition indicating purpose
- caminar
- To walk; to move on foot from place to place
- por
- Through or by; preposition indicating movement or cause
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article in Spanish
- caminos
- Paths or roads; routes used for walking or travel
- mojados
- Wet or soaked; adjective describing something dampened by water
- Me
- Me; first-person singular object pronoun in Spanish
- pregunto
- Wonder or ask myself; first-person present of preguntar
- qué
- What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun in Spanish
- harían
- Would do; conditional form of hacer for third person
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article in Spanish
- damas
- Ladies; polite term for women of social standing
- capitán
- Captain; a military or naval officer of rank
- en
- In or at; preposition indicating location or time
- reuniones
- Meetings or gatherings; social or formal assemblies
- Muchas
- Many; adjective indicating a large quantity
- veces
- Times; occurrences or instances of something happening
- nos
- Us; first-person plural object pronoun in Spanish
- habíamos
- We had; first-person plural imperfect of haber
- alegrado
- Rejoiced or been glad; past participle of alegrarse
- tiempos
- Times or periods; eras or stretches of time
- pasados
- Past; adjective referring to previous times or events
- hubiera
- There had been; imperfect subjunctive of haber
- ningún
- No or not any; adjective indicating complete absence
- caballero
- Gentleman; a polite and honorable man
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el in Spanish
- atender
- To attend to or serve; to give care or attention
- ni
- Nor or neither; negative conjunction linking two elements
- quien
- Who or whom; relative or interrogative pronoun
- buscar
- To look for or seek; to search for something or someone
- conversación
- Conversation; an exchange of words between people
- cartas
- Letters or cards; written messages sent to someone
- Nos
- Us; first-person plural object or reflexive pronoun
- felicitado
- Congratulated; past participle of felicitar, to praise
- intimidad
- Intimacy; close familiarity or privacy between people
- acogedora
- Welcoming or cozy; adjective describing a warm atmosphere
- veladas
- Evening gatherings; social events held in the evening
- nuestro
- Our; first-person plural possessive adjective in Spanish
- amor
- Love; a deep affection or fondness for someone
- distinción
- Distinction; quality of being elegant or set apart
- desdén
- Disdain or contempt; attitude of looking down on others
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction or attitude
- género
- Gender or genre; a category based on sex or kind
- masculino
- Masculine or male; relating to men or the male sex
- casi
- Almost or nearly; indicating something close to complete
- convencido
- Convinced; past participle meaning persuaded of something
- ser
- To be; essential Spanish verb indicating permanent states
- hombre
- Man; an adult male human being
- era
- Was; third-person singular imperfect of ser
- vulgar
- Vulgar or common; lacking refinement or social grace
- modo
- Way or manner; the method or fashion of doing something
- cuando
- When; conjunction or adverb indicating a point in time
- supe
- Found out or learned; preterite of saber in first person
- mi
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- amiga
- Friend; a female person one has a friendly bond with
- anfitriona
- Hostess; a woman who receives and entertains guests
- iba
- Was going; imperfect of ir indicating ongoing past action
- dar
- To give; to hand something over to someone else
- una
- A or one; feminine indefinite article in Spanish
- reunión
- Meeting or gathering; a group coming together socially
- honor
- Honor; respect or privilege given to someone special
- señoritas
- Young ladies; polite plural title for unmarried women
- estaban
- Were; third-person plural imperfect of estar
- invitados
- Guests or invited; people welcomed to attend an event
- me
- Me; first-person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- pregunté
- Wondered or asked myself; first-person preterite of preguntar
- gran
- Great or big; adjective indicating large size or intensity
- curiosidad
- Curiosity; strong desire to know or learn something
- cómo
- How; interrogative adverb asking about manner or way
- transcurriría
- Would unfold or pass; conditional of transcurrir
- velada
- Evening gathering; a social event held at night
- Las
- The; feminine plural definite article in Spanish
- mesas
- Tables; flat-surfaced furniture used for placing objects
- tapetes
- Tablecloths or small rugs; covers placed over tables
- fieltro
- Felt; a thick fabric made from compressed wool fibers
- verde
- Green; the color of grass and leaves
- fueron
- Were or went; third-person plural preterite of ser or ir
- dispuestas
- Arranged or set up; past participle of disponer
- día
- Day; a period of twenty-four hours
- como
- Like or as; conjunction or adverb of comparison
- costumbre
- Custom or habit; a usual practice or tradition
- tercera
- Third; ordinal adjective indicating position number three
- semana
- Week; a period of seven consecutive days
- noviembre
- November; the eleventh month of the year
- así
- Thus or so; adverb indicating manner or consequence
- anochecer
- Nightfall or dusk; the time when evening begins
- llegaba
- Arrived or came; imperfect of llegar indicating past habit
- cuatro
- Four; the number 4
- Se
- Reflexive or impersonal pronoun used with various verbs
- colocaron
- Were placed or put; preterite of colocar, to place
- velas
- Candles; wax sticks burned to provide light
- barajas
- Card decks; sets of playing cards used in games
- nuevas
- New; feminine plural adjective meaning recently made or unused
- sobre
- On or over; preposition indicating position above something
- cada
- Each or every; adjective referring to individual items
- mesa
- Table; a piece of furniture with a flat top surface
- había
- There was or had; third-person singular imperfect of haber
- avivado
- Stoked or revived; past participle of avivar, to enliven
- fuego
- Fire; flames produced by burning material
- pulcra
- Neat or tidy; adjective describing someone clean and precise
- doncella
- Maid or maiden; a young female servant or attendant
- recibido
- Received; past participle of recibir, to get something
- últimas
- Last or final; feminine plural adjective meaning most recent
- instrucciones
- Instructions; directions or orders given to someone
- allí
- There; adverb indicating a distant location
- estábamos
- We were; first-person plural imperfect of estar
- vestidas
- Dressed; past participle of vestir, referring to attire worn
- nuestras
- Our; feminine plural possessive adjective in Spanish
- mejores
- Best; plural comparative adjective meaning finest or superior
- galas
- Finery or festive attire; elegant clothes for special occasions
- un
- A or one; masculine singular indefinite article
- encendedor
- Lighter; a device used to produce a flame
- listas
- Ready; feminine plural adjective meaning prepared to act
- lanzarnos
- To launch ourselves; reflexive infinitive meaning to rush forward
- encender
- To light or turn on; to ignite or illuminate something
- cuanto
- As soon as; conjunction indicating immediacy upon an event
- sonara
- Should sound; imperfect subjunctive of sonar, to ring
- primer
- First; masculine shortened ordinal adjective before a noun
- golpe
- Knock or blow; a strike or bang on a surface
- puerta
- Door; a movable barrier at the entrance of a room
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