Crime and Punishment — Page 3

English → Spanish CHAPTER I Level 8/10

The heat in the street was terrible: and the airlessness, the bustle and the plaster, scaffolding, bricks, and dust all about him, and that special Petersburg stench, so familiar to all who are unable to get out of town in summer--all worked painfully upon the young man's already overwrought nerves.

El calor en la calle era terrible: y la falta de aire, el bullicio y el yeso, los andamios, los ladrillos y el polvo a su alrededor, y ese olor especial de Petersburgo, tan familiar para todos los que no pueden salir de la ciudad en verano, todo ello actuaba dolorosamente sobre los nervios ya crispados del joven.

The insufferable stench from the pot-houses, which are particularly numerous in that part of the town, and the drunken men whom he met continually, although it was a working day, completed the revolting misery of the picture.

El hedor insoportable de las tabernas, que son particularmente numerosas en esa parte de la ciudad, y los hombres borrachos que encontraba continuamente, aunque era un día laborable, completaban la repugnante miseria del cuadro.

An expression of the profoundest disgust gleamed for a moment in the young man's refined face.

Una expresión del más profundo disgusto brilló por un momento en el refinado rostro del joven.

He was, by the way, exceptionally handsome, above the average in height, slim, well-built, with beautiful dark eyes and dark brown hair.

Era, por cierto, excepcionalmente apuesto, de estatura superior a la media, delgado, bien proporcionado, con hermosos ojos oscuros y cabello castaño oscuro.

Soon he sank into deep thought, or more accurately speaking into a complete blankness of mind; he walked along not observing what was about him and not caring to observe it.

Pronto se sumió en una profunda reflexión, o más exactamente en un completo vacío mental; caminaba sin observar lo que le rodeaba y sin que le importara observarlo.

From time to time, he would mutter something, from the habit of talking to himself, to which he had just confessed.

De vez en cuando murmuraba algo, por el hábito de hablar consigo mismo, al que acababa de confesarse.

At these moments he would become conscious that his ideas were sometimes in a tangle and that he was very weak; for two days he had scarcely tasted food.

En esos momentos tomaba conciencia de que sus ideas estaban a veces enredadas y de que se encontraba muy débil; durante dos días apenas había probado alimento.

He was so badly dressed that even a man accustomed to shabbiness would have been ashamed to be seen in the street in such rags.

Iba tan mal vestido que incluso un hombre acostumbrado al desaliño se habría avergonzado de que lo vieran en la calle con semejantes harapos.

In that quarter of the town, however, scarcely any shortcoming in dress would have created surprise.

En ese barrio de la ciudad, sin embargo, apenas cualquier deficiencia en el vestir habría causado sorpresa.

Vocabulary

calor: Heat or warmth, often referring to weather.
calle: A street or road in a town or city.
era: Past tense of 'ser'; meaning 'was' or 'were'.
terrible: Terrible; extremely bad or intense.
falta: Lack or absence of something needed.
aire: Air; the gas surrounding the earth.
bullicio: Noise and bustle of a busy environment.
yeso: Plaster or gypsum used in construction.
andamios: Scaffolding used in construction or repair work.
ladrillos: Bricks used as building construction materials.
polvo: Dust or powder found in the environment.
alrededor: Around or surrounding a particular place or object.
ese: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that'.
olor: A smell or scent perceived by the nose.
especial: Special or particular, distinct from ordinary things.
tan: Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as' in comparisons.
familiar: Familiar; well-known or commonly recognized.
todos: Everyone or all people in a group.
pueden: Third person plural of 'poder'; 'they can'.
salir: To leave or go out of a place.
ciudad: A city or large urban settlement.
verano: Summer, the warmest season of the year.
todo: All or everything; the entirety of something.
ello: Neuter pronoun referring to an abstract thing or idea.
actuaba: Was acting or having an effect on something.
dolorosamente: Painfully; in a manner causing distress or suffering.
sobre: Preposition meaning 'on', 'over', or 'about'.
nervios: Nerves; referring to tension or the nervous system.
ya: Already or now; indicates something has occurred.
crispados: Tense or on edge; nerves that are irritated.
joven: A young person or someone relatively young.
hedor: A stench or foul, unpleasant smell.
insoportable: Unbearable; impossible or very difficult to tolerate.
tabernas: Taverns or bars where alcohol is served.
particularmente: Particularly; especially or in a specific manner.
numerosas: Numerous; existing in large numbers or quantities.
esa: Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'that'.
parte: A part or section of a larger whole.
hombres: Men; adult male human beings.
borrachos: Drunk people; those intoxicated by alcohol.
encontraba: Was encountering or finding someone or something.
continuamente: Continuously; without stopping or interruption.
aunque: Although or even though; introduces a contrast.
día: A day; a 24-hour period of time.
laborable: Workday; a day designated for regular work.
completaban: Were completing or adding to a whole picture.
repugnante: Repugnant or disgusting; causing strong revulsion.
miseria: Misery or extreme poverty and wretchedness.
cuadro: A picture or scene; overall visual impression.
expresión: An expression shown on someone's face.
profundo: Deep or profound; intense in degree or feeling.
disgusto: Disgust or displeasure; a strong feeling of distaste.
brilló: Shone or gleamed; flashed briefly with light.
momento: A moment; a very brief period of time.
refinado: Refined; polished and cultured in manner or appearance.
rostro: Face; the front part of a person's head.
cierto: Certain or true; known with confidence or certainty.
excepcionalmente: Exceptionally; to an unusually high or remarkable degree.
apuesto: Handsome; attractive in physical appearance.
estatura: Stature or height of a person's body.
superior: Superior or above average in quality or rank.
media: Average or mean; the middle point of a range.
delgado: Thin or slim; having little body fat.
bien: Well; in a good or satisfactory manner.
proporcionado: Well-proportioned; having balanced and harmonious measurements.
hermosos: Beautiful or lovely; very pleasing to the eye.
ojos: Eyes; the organs of sight in the face.
oscuros: Dark; lacking light or of a deep color.
cabello: Hair; the strands growing from a person's head.
castaño: Brown or chestnut color, especially for hair.
oscuro: Dark; deep in shade or color.
Pronto: Soon or quickly; after a short period of time.
sumió: Sank or plunged into a state of mind.
profunda: Deep; intense or thorough in degree.
reflexión: Reflection or deep thought about something.
exactamente: Exactly; with complete precision or accuracy.
completo: Complete or total; having all necessary parts.
vacío: Empty or void; containing nothing or blank.
mental: Mental; relating to the mind or intellect.
caminaba: Was walking; moving on foot at a pace.
sin: Without; lacking or not having something.
observar: To observe or watch something carefully.
rodeaba: Was surrounding or encircling someone or something.
importara: Would matter or be of importance to someone.
vez: Time or occasion; used in expressions of frequency.
cuando: When; at the time that something occurs.
murmuraba: Was murmuring; speaking softly or indistinctly to oneself.
algo: Something; an unspecified or unknown thing.
hábito: A habit; a regular behavior done automatically.
hablar: To speak or talk; to use language verbally.
consigo: With oneself; reflexive pronoun in third person.
mismo: Same or himself; used for emphasis or reflexivity.
acababa: Was just finishing or had just done something.
confesarse: To confess to oneself; admit something internally.
esos: Plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'those'.
momentos: Moments; brief periods or instances of time.
tomaba: Was taking or becoming aware of something.
conciencia: Consciousness or awareness of one's own thoughts.
ideas: Ideas or thoughts; concepts formed in the mind.
estaban: Past tense of 'estar'; they were in a state.
veces: Times; plural of 'vez', used in frequency expressions.
enredadas: Tangled or confused; mixed up and disordered.
débil: Weak; lacking strength, energy, or vigor.
durante: During; throughout a period of time.
días: Days; plural of 'día', units of time.
apenas: Hardly or barely; only just or scarcely.
había: Past auxiliary form of 'haber'; meaning 'had'.
probado: Tasted or tried; past participle of 'probar'.
alimento: Food or nourishment consumed to sustain life.
Iba: Was going; imperfect of 'ir' indicating movement.
mal: Badly or poorly; in an unsatisfactory manner.
vestido: Dressed; wearing clothes in a particular manner.
incluso: Even; used to emphasize an extreme or unexpected case.
hombre: A man; an adult male human being.
acostumbrado: Accustomed or used to a particular thing.
desaliño: Untidiness or slovenliness in personal appearance.
habría: Conditional form of 'haber'; meaning 'would have'.
avergonzado: Ashamed or embarrassed by something or someone.
vieran: Subjunctive of 'ver'; meaning 'if they saw'.
semejantes: Such or similar; of the same kind or type.
harapos: Rags; tattered and worn-out pieces of clothing.
barrio: A neighborhood or district within a city.
embargo: Used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'.
cualquier: Any; used to indicate no particular person or thing.
deficiencia: A deficiency or shortcoming in quality or quantity.
vestir: To dress or wear clothing; manner of dressing.
causado: Caused; brought about or produced a result.
sorpresa: Surprise; an unexpected event or feeling of astonishment.

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