Cranford — Page 13
Parties in Cranford were solemn festivities, making the ladies feel gravely elated as they sat together in their best dresses.
Las reuniones en Cranford eran festividades solemnes, que hacían sentir a las damas gravemente eufóricas mientras se sentaban juntas con sus mejores vestidos.
As soon as three had arrived, we sat down to "Preference," I being the unlucky fourth.
En cuanto llegaron tres, nos sentamos a jugar al «Preferencia», siendo yo la desafortunada cuarta.
The next four comers were put down immediately to another table; and presently the tea-trays, which I had seen set out in the store-room as I passed in the morning, were placed each on the middle of a card-table.
Las siguientes cuatro personas que llegaron fueron asignadas de inmediato a otra mesa; y poco después las bandejas del té, que yo había visto dispuestas en el almacén al pasar por la mañana, fueron colocadas cada una en el centro de una mesa de cartas.
The china was delicate egg-shell; the old-fashioned silver glittered with polishing; but the eatables were of the slightest description.
La porcelana era de delicada cáscara de huevo; la antigua platería relucía de tanto pulirla; pero los comestibles eran de la más escasa variedad.
While the trays were yet on the tables, Captain and the Miss Browns came in; and I could see that, somehow or other, the Captain was a favourite with all the ladies present.
Mientras las bandejas estaban todavía sobre las mesas, entraron el Capitán y las señoritas Brown; y pude ver que, de un modo u otro, el Capitán era el favorito de todas las damas presentes.
Ruffled brows were smoothed, sharp voices lowered at his approach.
Los ceños fruncidos se suavizaron, las voces agudas se apaciguaron ante su llegada.
Miss Brown looked ill, and depressed almost to gloom.
La señorita Brown tenía aspecto enfermizo, y estaba abatida casi hasta la melancolía.
Miss Jessie smiled as usual, and seemed nearly as popular as her father.
La señorita Jessie sonreía como de costumbre, y parecía casi tan popular como su padre.
He immediately and quietly assumed the man's place in the room; attended to every one's wants, lessened the pretty maid-servant's labour by waiting on empty cups and bread-and-butterless ladies; and yet did it all in so easy and dignified a manner, and so much as if it were a matter of course for the strong to attend to the weak, that he was a true man throughout.
Asumió de inmediato y silenciosamente el papel del hombre en la sala; atendió las necesidades de todos, alivió el trabajo de la bonita criada ocupándose de las tazas vacías y de las damas sin pan con mantequilla; y sin embargo lo hizo todo de manera tan natural y digna, y como si fuera algo completamente obvio que los fuertes atendieran a los débiles, que resultó ser un verdadero caballero en todo momento.
Vocabulary
- reuniones
- Gatherings or meetings of people
- eran
- Past tense of 'ser'; they were
- festividades
- Festive celebrations or ceremonial occasions
- solemnes
- Formal, serious, and dignified in character
- hacían
- Past tense of 'hacer'; they made or caused
- sentir
- To feel or experience an emotion or sensation
- damas
- Ladies; women of refinement or social standing
- gravemente
- Seriously or solemnly, in a grave manner
- eufóricas
- Feeling intensely happy or elated; euphoric
- mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'as long as'
- sentaban
- Past tense of 'sentarse'; they sat down together
- juntas
- Together; in each other's company (feminine plural)
- mejores
- Best; superlative form of 'bueno' (good)
- vestidos
- Dresses or garments worn by women
- cuanto
- Used in 'en cuanto' meaning 'as soon as'
- llegaron
- Past tense of 'llegar'; they arrived at a place
- sentamos
- Past tense of 'sentarse'; we sat down
- jugar
- To play a game or sport
- Preferencia
- A card game; also means preference or priority
- siendo
- Present participle of 'ser'; being something
- desafortunada
- Unlucky or unfortunate person or situation
- cuarta
- Fourth; ordinal number referring to position four
- siguientes
- Following or next in sequence or order
- fueron
- Past tense of 'ser' or 'ir'; they were or went
- asignadas
- Assigned or allocated to a specific place or task
- inmediato
- Immediate; happening without delay or hesitation
- mesa
- Table; a flat-surfaced piece of furniture
- poco
- A little; small amount of something
- después
- Afterward or later in time
- bandejas
- Trays used for carrying food or drinks
- té
- Tea; a hot beverage made from leaves
- había
- Past form of 'haber'; there was or had
- visto
- Past participle of 'ver'; seen or observed
- dispuestas
- Arranged or laid out in an organized way
- almacén
- Storeroom or warehouse for storing goods
- pasar
- To pass, go through, or happen
- mañana
- Morning; also means 'tomorrow'
- colocadas
- Placed or positioned in a particular location
- cada
- Each or every one in a group
- centro
- Center or middle of something
- cartas
- Cards used in games; also means letters
- porcelana
- Porcelain; fine white ceramic material for dishes
- era
- Past tense of 'ser'; it was or she was
- delicada
- Delicate; fragile and requiring careful handling
- cáscara
- Shell or peel of an egg or fruit
- huevo
- Egg; oval object laid by birds
- antigua
- Old or antique; belonging to earlier times
- platería
- Silverware or silver items used at table
- relucía
- Past tense of 'relucir'; it gleamed or shone brightly
- tanto
- So much; to such a great degree
- pulirla
- To polish it; clean to a shiny finish
- comestibles
- Foodstuffs or edible items for consumption
- escasa
- Scarce or limited in quantity or availability
- variedad
- Variety; a range of different types or kinds
- Mientras
- While; during the time that something happens
- estaban
- Past tense of 'estar'; they were located or situated
- todavía
- Still or yet; continuing up to a point
- sobre
- On top of or above something
- mesas
- Tables; flat-surfaced pieces of furniture (plural)
- entraron
- Past tense of 'entrar'; they entered a place
- Capitán
- Captain; a military or commanding officer rank
- señoritas
- Young unmarried women; Miss (plural form)
- pude
- Past tense of 'poder'; I was able to
- ver
- To see or observe something visually
- modo
- Way, manner, or method of doing something
- favorito
- Favorite; most preferred or liked person or thing
- presentes
- Those present; people currently in attendance
- ceños
- Brows; facial expressions of frowning or scowling
- fruncidos
- Furrowed or frowning; brows drawn together tightly
- suavizaron
- Past tense of 'suavizar'; they softened or eased
- voces
- Voices; sounds produced by speaking or singing
- agudas
- Sharp or shrill; describing high-pitched sounds
- apaciguaron
- Past tense of 'apaciguar'; they calmed or soothed
- ante
- Before or in front of; in the presence of
- llegada
- Arrival; the act of reaching a destination
- señorita
- Young unmarried woman; title Miss in Spanish
- tenía
- Past tense of 'tener'; she had or possessed
- aspecto
- Appearance or look of a person or thing
- enfermizo
- Sickly or unhealthy in appearance or constitution
- estaba
- Past tense of 'estar'; she was in a state
- abatida
- Downcast or dejected; feeling low in spirits
- casi
- Almost or nearly; not quite but close
- hasta
- Until, up to, or even as far as
- melancolía
- Melancholy; deep sadness or pensive gloominess
- sonreía
- Past tense of 'sonreír'; she was smiling warmly
- costumbre
- Custom or habit; a usual or regular practice
- parecía
- Past tense of 'parecer'; she seemed or appeared
- tan
- So or as; used in comparisons of degree
- popular
- Popular; well-liked or admired by many people
- padre
- Father; a male parent or paternal figure
- Asumió
- Past tense of 'asumir'; he assumed or took on
- silenciosamente
- Silently; without making any noise or sound
- papel
- Role or part; also means paper as a material
- hombre
- Man; an adult male human being
- sala
- Room; specifically a living or sitting room
- atendió
- Past tense of 'atender'; he attended to or served
- necesidades
- Needs or necessities required by people
- todos
- Everyone or all; referring to an entire group
- alivió
- Past tense of 'aliviar'; he relieved or eased burden
- trabajo
- Work or labor; effort required to do something
- bonita
- Pretty or attractive; pleasing to look at
- criada
- Maid or female servant working in a household
- ocupándose
- Taking care of or attending to something busily
- tazas
- Cups; vessels used for drinking hot beverages
- vacías
- Empty; containing nothing inside (feminine plural)
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- pan
- Bread; a baked food made from flour
- mantequilla
- Butter; a dairy spread made from cream
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- hizo
- Past tense of 'hacer'; he did or made it
- todo
- Everything or all; the entirety of something
- manera
- Manner or way of doing or behaving
- natural
- Natural; unforced and effortless in behavior
- digna
- Dignified; worthy of respect and honor
- si
- Conditional conjunction meaning 'if'
- fuera
- Subjunctive of 'ser'; were or as if it were
- algo
- Something; an unspecified thing or matter
- completamente
- Completely; in a total or absolute manner
- obvio
- Obvious; clearly evident or easily understood
- fuertes
- Strong; having great physical or mental strength
- atendieran
- Subjunctive of 'atender'; that they should care for
- débiles
- Weak; lacking strength or physical vigor
- resultó
- Past tense of 'resultar'; he turned out to be
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb expressing identity or essence
- verdadero
- True or genuine; real and authentic in character
- caballero
- Gentleman; a man of honor and refined manners
- momento
- Moment; a brief period or instant of time
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