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Great Expectations — Page 2

English → Spanish Chapter I. Level 8/10

Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea.

La nuestra era la región pantanosa, junto al río, a no más de veinte millas del mar, según los meandros del río.

My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening.

Mi primera impresión más vívida y amplia de la identidad de las cosas me parece que la obtuve en una memorable tarde cruda, al caer el día.

At such a time I found out for certain that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dikes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip.

Fue en tal momento cuando descubrí con certeza que aquel lúgubre lugar cubierto de ortigas era el cementerio; y que Philip Pirrip, difunto feligrés de esta parroquia, y también Georgiana, esposa del susodicho, estaban muertos y enterrados; y que Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias y Roger, hijos de corta edad de los antedichos, estaban también muertos y enterrados; y que la oscura y llana extensión yerma más allá del cementerio, cruzada por diques, montículos y portones, con ganado disperso pastando en ella, eran los pantanos; y que la baja y plomiza línea que se veía más allá era el río; y que el lejano y agreste refugio desde el cual el viento soplaba con furia era el mar; y que el pequeño bulto de temblores que empezaba a tener miedo de todo aquello y a romper en llanto era Pip.

"Hold your noise!" cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch.

«¡Cierra la boca!», gritó una voz terrible, cuando un hombre se levantó de entre las tumbas al lado del pórtico de la iglesia.

"Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!"

«¡Quieto, pequeño diablo, o te corto el cuello!»

A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.

Un hombre temible, vestido todo de burdo gris, con un gran grillete de hierro en la pierna.

A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head.

Un hombre sin sombrero, con zapatos rotos y con un viejo trapo atado alrededor de la cabeza.

Vocabulary

nuestra
Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
era
Was; past imperfect tense of 'ser'
región
Region; a geographical or administrative area
pantanosa
Swampy; characterized by marshes or wetlands
junto
Next to; beside or together with something
río
River; a large natural flowing body of water
más
More; indicating a greater quantity or degree
veinte
Twenty; the number 20
millas
Miles; units of distance measurement
mar
Sea; large body of saltwater
según
According to; depending on a given reference
meandros
Meanders; winding curves of a river
primera
First; ordinal number indicating initial order
impresión
Impression; an initial feeling or perception of something
vívida
Vivid; intensely clear or bright in memory
amplia
Broad/wide; covering a large area or scope
identidad
Identity; the qualities defining who someone is
cosas
Things; objects or matters in general
parece
Seems; third-person singular of 'parecer'
obtuve
I obtained; past tense of 'obtener'
memorable
Memorable; worth remembering due to special qualities
tarde
Afternoon/evening; the later part of the day
cruda
Raw/harsh; unpleasantly cold or rough in nature
caer
To fall; to descend or drop downward
día
Day; a 24-hour period of time
Fue
It was; past tense of 'ser' or 'ir'
tal
Such; of that kind or degree
momento
Moment; a brief or specific point in time
cuando
When; at the time that something occurred
descubrí
I discovered; past tense of 'descubrir'
certeza
Certainty; the state of being completely sure
aquel
That (over there); demonstrative adjective for distant things
lúgubre
Gloomy; dark, dismal, and depressing in atmosphere
lugar
Place; a specific location or spot
cubierto
Covered; having a layer or coating over something
ortigas
Nettles; stinging plants found in overgrown areas
cementerio
Cemetery; a burial ground for the deceased
difunto
Deceased; a person who has died
feligrés
Parishioner; a member of a church parish
parroquia
Parish; a local church community or district
también
Also/too; indicating addition to what was stated
esposa
Wife; a married woman in relation to her husband
susodicho
Aforementioned; previously mentioned person or thing
estaban
They were; past imperfect of 'estar'
muertos
Dead; those who have died
enterrados
Buried; placed in the ground after death
hijos
Children/sons; offspring of a parent
corta
Short; of little length or duration
edad
Age; the number of years someone has lived
antedichos
Aforementioned; previously mentioned people or things
oscura
Dark; lacking light or being dim in color
llana
Flat; a level, even stretch of land
extensión
Expanse; a wide, open stretch of land
yerma
Barren; desolate land lacking vegetation or life
allá
Over there; indicating a distant place
cruzada
Crossed; marked or traversed by lines or paths
diques
Dikes; embankments built to hold back water
montículos
Mounds; small natural or artificial hills of earth
portones
Gates; large doors or barriers at an entrance
ganado
Livestock/cattle; domesticated animals raised on farms
disperso
Scattered; spread out over a wide area
pastando
Grazing; animals eating grass in an open field
eran
They were; past imperfect of 'ser'
pantanos
Marshes/swamps; low-lying wetland areas
baja
Low; situated at a minimal height or level
plomiza
Leaden; dull grey like the color of lead
línea
Line; a long, narrow mark or boundary
veía
Could be seen; past imperfect of 'ver'
lejano
Distant/far; located far away in space
agreste
Wild/rustic; rough and uncultivated in nature
refugio
Shelter/refuge; a place offering protection from danger
desde
From/since; preposition indicating a starting point
cual
Which; relative pronoun referring to something mentioned
viento
Wind; moving air felt as a natural force
soplaba
Was blowing; past imperfect of 'soplar'
furia
Fury; intense, violent anger or force
pequeño
Small/little; of limited size or stature
bulto
Bundle/lump; a shapeless mass or form
temblores
Tremors/shivers; involuntary shaking of the body
empezaba
Was beginning; past imperfect of 'empezar'
tener
To have; to possess or hold something
miedo
Fear; an unpleasant emotion caused by danger
todo
Everything/all; the whole of something
aquello
That; neuter demonstrative pronoun for distant things
romper
To break; to shatter or burst into something
llanto
Crying/weeping; the act of shedding tears
Cierra
Close/shut; imperative form of 'cerrar'
boca
Mouth; the opening in the face for eating/speaking
gritó
Shouted/yelled; past tense of 'gritar'
voz
Voice; the sound produced when a person speaks
terrible
Terrible; causing fear or extreme unpleasantness
hombre
Man; an adult male human being
levantó
Rose/stood up; past tense of 'levantarse'
entre
Between/among; in the middle of two or more things
tumbas
Graves/tombs; burial places for the deceased
lado
Side; the edge or flank of something
pórtico
Porch/portico; a covered entrance to a building
iglesia
Church; a building for Christian worship
Quieto
Still/quiet; an order to stop moving immediately
diablo
Devil; an evil supernatural being or scoundrel
corto
I'll cut; first-person of 'cortar' meaning to cut
cuello
Neck; the part connecting head and body
temible
Fearsome; inspiring great fear or dread
vestido
Dressed/dressed in; wearing a particular garment
burdo
Coarse/rough; made of crude or low-quality material
gris
Grey; a neutral color between black and white
gran
Great/large; of significant size or importance
grillete
Shackle; a metal restraint fastened around the leg
hierro
Iron; a strong metallic element or material
pierna
Leg; the lower limb of the human body
sin
Without; lacking or not having something
sombrero
Hat; a head covering worn outdoors
zapatos
Shoes; footwear worn to protect the feet
rotos
Broken/torn; damaged or worn out items
viejo
Old; having existed or been used for long
trapo
Rag; a torn or worn piece of cloth
atado
Tied/bound; fastened with string or rope
alrededor
Around; on all sides of something
cabeza
Head; the uppermost part of the body
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