Dracula — Page 10
They were evidently talking of me, for every now and then they looked at me, and some of the people who were sitting on the bench outside the door--which they call by a name meaning "word-bearer"--came and listened, and then looked at me, most of them pityingly.
Evidentemente estaban hablando de mí, pues de vez en cuando me miraban, y algunas de las personas que estaban sentadas en el banco fuera de la puerta —a la que llaman con un nombre que significa «portador de palabras»— se acercaron a escuchar y luego me miraron, la mayoría de ellos con lástima.
I could hear a lot of words often repeated, queer words, for there were many nationalities in the crowd; so I quietly got my polyglot dictionary from my bag and looked them out.
Podía escuchar muchas palabras que se repetían con frecuencia, palabras extrañas, pues había muchas nacionalidades entre la multitud; así que tranquilamente saqué mi diccionario políglota de mi bolso y las busqué.
I must say they were not cheering to me, for amongst them were "Ordog"--Satan, "pokol"--hell, "stregoica"--witch, "vrolok" and "vlkoslak"--both of which mean the same thing, one being Slovak and the other Servian for something that is either were-wolf or vampire.
Debo decir que no me resultaron alentadoras, pues entre ellas estaban «Ordog» —Satán—, «pokol» —infierno—, «stregoica» —bruja—, «vrolok» y «vlkoslak» —ambas significan lo mismo, una en eslovaco y la otra en serbio, para algo que es hombre lobo o vampiro.
(_Mem._, I must ask the Count about these superstitions)
(_Mem._, Debo preguntarle al Conde sobre estas supersticiones)
When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards me.
Cuando partimos, la multitud reunida en la puerta de la posada, que para entonces había crecido considerablemente, hizo la señal de la cruz y apuntó dos dedos hacia mí.
With some difficulty I got a fellow-passenger to tell me what they meant; he would not answer at first, but on learning that I was English, he explained that it was a charm or guard against the evil eye.
Con cierta dificultad logré que un compañero de viaje me dijera qué significaba; al principio no quiso responder, pero al enterarse de que era inglés, me explicó que era un amuleto o protección contra el mal de ojo.
This was not very pleasant for me, just starting for an unknown place to meet an unknown man; but every one seemed so kind-hearted, and so sorrowful, and so sympathetic that I could not but be touched.
Esto no fue muy agradable para mí, que estaba a punto de partir hacia un lugar desconocido para encontrarme con un hombre desconocido; pero todos parecían tan bondadosos, tan afligidos y tan comprensivos que no pude evitar sentirme conmovido.
Vocabulary
- Evidentemente
- Clearly or obviously, used to emphasize something apparent
- estaban
- They were (past continuous third person plural)
- hablando
- Speaking or talking (present participle of hablar)
- de
- Of or about, common preposition indicating relation
- mí
- Me, first person singular pronoun used after prepositions
- pues
- Well or because, used as filler or conjunction
- vez
- Time or instance, as in occurrence of an event
- en
- In or on, very common Spanish preposition of location
- cuando
- When, conjunction introducing time clauses
- me
- Me, first person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- miraban
- They were looking at (imperfect of mirar)
- y
- And, basic coordinating conjunction in Spanish
- algunas
- Some, feminine plural indefinite adjective or pronoun
- las
- The, feminine plural definite article
- personas
- People or persons, common noun for individuals
- que
- That or who, very common relative pronoun or conjunction
- sentadas
- Seated or sitting, feminine plural past participle
- el
- The, masculine singular definite article
- banco
- Bench or bank, a seat or financial institution
- fuera
- Outside or beyond, indicating exterior location
- la
- The, feminine singular definite article
- puerta
- Door or gate, entrance to a building or room
- a
- To or at, common Spanish preposition of direction
- llaman
- They call, third person plural present of llamar
- con
- With, preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- un
- A or an, masculine singular indefinite article
- nombre
- Name or noun, word used to identify someone or something
- significa
- It means or signifies, third person singular of significar
- portador
- Bearer or carrier, one who carries or delivers something
- palabras
- Words, plural of palabra, units of language
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with third person verbs
- acercaron
- They approached or drew near (preterite of acercarse)
- escuchar
- To listen or hear something carefully
- luego
- Then or later, indicating sequence or subsequent time
- miraron
- They looked or glanced (preterite of mirar)
- mayoría
- Majority, the greater part of a group
- ellos
- They, third person masculine plural subject pronoun
- lástima
- Pity or shame, feeling of sorrow for someone
- Podía
- I could or was able to (imperfect of poder)
- muchas
- Many, feminine plural adjective indicating large quantity
- repetían
- They repeated (imperfect of repetir)
- frecuencia
- Frequency, how often something occurs or repeats
- extrañas
- Strange or foreign, feminine plural adjective
- había
- There was or there were (imperfect of haber)
- nacionalidades
- Nationalities, plural noun for people of different countries
- entre
- Between or among, preposition indicating position
- multitud
- Crowd or multitude, a large gathering of people
- así
- So or thus, indicating manner or consequence
- tranquilamente
- Calmly or quietly, adverb indicating peaceful manner
- saqué
- I took out or pulled out (preterite of sacar)
- mi
- My, first person singular possessive adjective
- diccionario
- Dictionary, a reference book of word definitions
- políglota
- Polyglot, involving or knowing multiple languages
- bolso
- Bag or purse, a carried container for personal items
- busqué
- I searched or looked up (preterite of buscar)
- Debo
- I must or I should (first person of deber)
- decir
- To say or tell, basic verb of speaking
- no
- No or not, basic negation word in Spanish
- resultaron
- They turned out or resulted (preterite of resultar)
- alentadoras
- Encouraging or hopeful, feminine plural adjective
- ellas
- They, third person feminine plural subject pronoun
- Satán
- Satan, the devil, name for the supreme evil being
- infierno
- Hell, the place of punishment in afterlife
- bruja
- Witch, a woman said to practice dark magic
- ambas
- Both, feminine form referring to two things together
- significan
- They mean or signify (third person plural of significar)
- lo
- It or the, masculine singular neuter pronoun
- mismo
- Same, adjective indicating identity or equivalence
- una
- One or a, feminine singular indefinite article
- eslovaco
- Slovak, relating to Slovakia or its language
- otra
- Other or another, feminine singular adjective
- serbio
- Serbian, relating to Serbia or its language
- para
- For or in order to, preposition of purpose or destination
- algo
- Something or somewhat, indefinite pronoun or adverb
- es
- Is, third person singular present of ser
- hombre
- Man or person, adult male human being
- lobo
- Wolf, a wild predatory canine animal
- o
- Or, conjunction presenting an alternative choice
- vampiro
- Vampire, mythical creature said to drink blood
- preguntarle
- To ask him or her (infinitive with indirect object)
- al
- To the, masculine singular contraction of a and el
- Conde
- Count, a European noble title of rank
- sobre
- About or over, preposition of topic or position
- estas
- These, feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- supersticiones
- Superstitions, irrational beliefs based on fear or ignorance
- Cuando
- When, conjunction introducing a time clause
- partimos
- We left or departed (preterite of partir)
- reunida
- Gathered or assembled, feminine past participle of reunir
- posada
- Inn or lodging, a place to stay overnight
- entonces
- Then or at that time, temporal adverb
- crecido
- Grown or increased, past participle of crecer
- considerablemente
- Considerably, to a notably large or significant degree
- hizo
- He or she did or made (preterite of hacer)
- señal
- Sign or signal, a gesture or mark indicating something
- cruz
- Cross, a religious symbol or intersection shape
- apuntó
- He or she pointed (preterite of apuntar)
- dos
- Two, the number 2
- dedos
- Fingers or toes, digits of the hand or foot
- hacia
- Toward or towards, preposition indicating direction
- Con
- With, preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- cierta
- Certain or some, feminine adjective of limited specificity
- dificultad
- Difficulty, the quality of being hard to do
- logré
- I managed or succeeded in (preterite of lograr)
- compañero
- Companion or partner, someone who accompanies another
- viaje
- Trip or journey, travel from one place to another
- dijera
- Would say or told (imperfect subjunctive of decir)
- qué
- What, interrogative pronoun asking for information
- significaba
- It meant (imperfect of significar)
- principio
- Beginning or principle, the start of something
- quiso
- He or she wanted (preterite of querer)
- responder
- To respond or answer, to reply to a question
- pero
- But, coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- enterarse
- To find out or learn about something
- era
- Was or were (imperfect of ser)
- inglés
- English, relating to England or its language
- explicó
- He or she explained (preterite of explicar)
- amuleto
- Amulet or charm, object believed to give protection
- protección
- Protection, the act of keeping someone safe from harm
- contra
- Against, preposition indicating opposition or protection
- mal
- Evil or bad, something harmful or morally wrong
- ojo
- Eye, the organ of sight; also evil eye in folklore
- Esto
- This, neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby
- fue
- Was or went (preterite of ser or ir)
- muy
- Very, adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs
- agradable
- Pleasant or agreeable, something that causes enjoyment
- estaba
- I or he or she was (imperfect of estar)
- punto
- Point or moment, a specific instant or location
- partir
- To leave or depart, to begin a journey
- lugar
- Place or location, a specific area or spot
- desconocido
- Unknown or unfamiliar, not previously known or recognized
- encontrarme
- To find myself or to meet (reflexive of encontrar)
- todos
- Everyone or all, masculine plural inclusive adjective
- parecían
- They seemed or appeared (imperfect of parecer)
- tan
- So or such, adverb of degree before adjectives
- bondadosos
- Kind or good-natured, masculine plural adjective
- afligidos
- Distressed or grieved, masculine plural past participle
- comprensivos
- Understanding or sympathetic, masculine plural adjective
- pude
- I could or was able to (preterite of poder)
- evitar
- To avoid or prevent something from happening
- sentirme
- To feel myself (reflexive infinitive of sentir)
- conmovido
- Moved or touched emotionally, past participle of conmover
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