Jane Eyre: An Autobiography — Page 2

English → Spanish CHAPTER I Level 7/10

"Jane, I don't like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent."

«Jane, no me gustan los criticones ni los preguntones; además, hay algo verdaderamente inapropiado en que una niña replique a sus mayores de esa manera. Siéntate en algún sitio; y hasta que puedas hablar con agrado, guarda silencio.»

A breakfast-room adjoined the drawing-room, I slipped in there.

Un comedor del desayuno estaba contiguo al salón, y me deslicé hasta allí.

It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures.

Contenía una estantería de libros: pronto me apoderé de un volumen, procurando que fuera uno repleto de ilustraciones.

I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement.

Me subí al asiento del alféizar: recogiendo los pies, me senté con las piernas cruzadas, como un turco; y, habiendo corrido casi del todo la cortina de moaré rojo, quedé recluida en un doble retiro.

Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day.

Los pliegues de la tela escarlata cerraban mi vista a la derecha; a la izquierda estaban los cristales transparentes, que me protegían, pero no me separaban del sombrío día de noviembre.

At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon.

De vez en cuando, mientras pasaba las hojas de mi libro, contemplaba el aspecto de aquella tarde invernal.

Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.

A lo lejos, ofrecía una pálida extensión de niebla y nubes; cerca, una escena de césped mojado y arbustos azotados por la tormenta, con lluvia incesante arrastrada furiosamente por un viento largo y lamentable.

I returned to my book—Bewick's History of British Birds: the letterpress thereof I cared little for, generally speaking; and yet there were certain introductory pages that, child as I was, I could not pass quite as a blank.

Volví a mi libro —la Historia de los Pájaros Británicos de Bewick—: el texto impreso me importaba poco, en términos generales; y sin embargo, había ciertas páginas introductorias que, siendo niña como era, no podía pasar por alto del todo.

Vocabulary

gustan: Third-person plural of gustar; things are pleasing to someone.
criticones: People who constantly criticize or find fault with others.
ni: Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither', connecting negatives.
preguntones: People who ask too many nosy or intrusive questions.
además: Adverb meaning 'furthermore', 'besides', or 'in addition'.
hay: Impersonal form of haber meaning 'there is/are'.
algo: Indefinite pronoun or adverb meaning 'something' or 'somewhat'.
verdaderamente: Adverb meaning 'truly', 'really', or 'genuinely'.
inapropiado: Adjective meaning 'inappropriate' or 'unsuitable' for a situation.
niña: Noun meaning 'girl' or 'young female child'.
replique: Subjunctive of replicar; meaning 'to answer back' or 'retort'.
mayores: Noun/adjective meaning 'elders' or 'older people' in authority.
manera: Noun meaning 'way', 'manner', or 'method' of doing something.
Siéntate: Imperative of sentarse meaning 'sit down', command form.
algún: Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' before masculine noun.
sitio: Noun meaning 'place', 'spot', or 'location'.
hasta: Preposition or conjunction meaning 'until', 'up to', 'even'.
puedas: Subjunctive of poder meaning 'you can' or 'you are able'.
hablar: Infinitive meaning 'to speak' or 'to talk'.
agrado: Noun meaning 'pleasure', 'pleasantness', or agreeable manner.
guarda: Imperative of guardar meaning 'keep' or 'maintain' something.
silencio: Noun meaning 'silence' or the absence of sound or noise.
comedor: Noun meaning 'dining room', a room for eating meals.
desayuno: Noun meaning 'breakfast', the first meal of the day.
estaba: Imperfect of estar meaning 'was' indicating a temporary state.
contiguo: Adjective meaning 'adjacent', 'contiguous', or 'next to' something.
salón: Noun meaning 'living room', 'lounge', or 'sitting room'.
deslicé: Preterite of deslizarse meaning 'I slipped' or 'I slid' quietly.
allí: Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a specific distant location.
Contenía: Imperfect of contener meaning 'it contained' or 'it held'.
estantería: Noun meaning 'bookshelf', 'shelving unit', or 'set of shelves'.
libros: Noun meaning 'books', written or printed works for reading.
pronto: Adverb meaning 'soon', 'quickly', or 'promptly'.
apoderé: Preterite of apoderarse meaning 'I took hold of' or 'seized'.
volumen: Noun meaning 'volume', a single book or bound publication.
procurando: Gerund of procurar meaning 'making sure' or 'trying to ensure'.
fuera: Subjunctive of ser/estar meaning 'it would be' or 'it were'.
repleto: Adjective meaning 'full', 'packed', or 'crammed' with something.
ilustraciones: Noun meaning 'illustrations', images or pictures in a book.
subí: Preterite of subir meaning 'I climbed up' or 'I went up'.
asiento: Noun meaning 'seat' or 'chair', a place to sit down.
alféizar: Noun meaning 'windowsill', the ledge at the bottom of a window.
recogiendo: Gerund of recoger meaning 'gathering up' or 'pulling in' something.
pies: Noun meaning 'feet', the lower extremities of the legs.
senté: Preterite of sentarse meaning 'I sat down' or 'I seated myself'.
piernas: Noun meaning 'legs', limbs used for standing and walking.
cruzadas: Past participle of cruzar meaning 'crossed', as in crossed legs.
turco: Adjective meaning 'Turkish'; sitting cross-legged like a Turk.
habiendo: Gerund of haber meaning 'having', used in compound constructions.
corrido: Past participle of correr meaning 'drawn' or 'pulled', as a curtain.
casi: Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly', close to but not fully.
todo: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'everything', or 'whole'.
cortina: Noun meaning 'curtain', fabric hung to cover a window.
moaré: Noun meaning 'moiré', a wavy-patterned silk or fabric type.
rojo: Adjective meaning 'red', the color of blood or fire.
quedé: Preterite of quedarse meaning 'I remained' or 'I stayed'.
recluida: Past participle meaning 'secluded', 'shut away', or 'isolated'.
doble: Adjective meaning 'double', twofold or consisting of two parts.
retiro: Noun meaning 'retreat', a secluded or withdrawn private space.
pliegues: Noun meaning 'folds' or 'pleats' in fabric or cloth.
tela: Noun meaning 'fabric', 'cloth', or material for sewing or curtains.
escarlata: Adjective/noun meaning 'scarlet', a vivid bright red color.
cerraban: Imperfect of cerrar meaning 'they closed' or 'they blocked'.
vista: Noun meaning 'view', 'sight', or visual perception of something.
derecha: Noun/adjective meaning 'right', the direction opposite to left.
izquierda: Noun/adjective meaning 'left', the direction opposite to right.
estaban: Imperfect of estar meaning 'they were', indicating past state.
cristales: Noun meaning 'glass panes' or 'windowpanes' in a window frame.
transparentes: Adjective meaning 'transparent' or 'clear', allowing light through.
protegían: Imperfect of proteger meaning 'they protected' or 'they shielded'.
separaban: Imperfect of separar meaning 'they separated' or 'kept apart'.
sombrío: Adjective meaning 'gloomy', 'dark', or 'dreary' in atmosphere.
día: Noun meaning 'day', a 24-hour period or daytime hours.
noviembre: Noun meaning 'November', the eleventh month of the year.
vez: Noun meaning 'time' or 'occasion'; used in phrases like 'de vez en cuando'.
cuando: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when', indicating time of action.
mientras: Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'as long as', indicating simultaneity.
pasaba: Imperfect of pasar meaning 'I was turning' pages or 'passing'.
hojas: Noun meaning 'pages' of a book, or 'leaves' of a plant.
libro: Noun meaning 'book', a written or printed publication.
contemplaba: Imperfect of contemplar meaning 'I was gazing at' or 'observing'.
aspecto: Noun meaning 'aspect', 'appearance', or overall look of something.
aquella: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' referring to a distant thing.
tarde: Noun meaning 'afternoon' or 'evening'; also 'late' as adverb.
invernal: Adjective meaning 'wintry' or 'of winter', relating to winter season.
lejos: Adverb meaning 'far away' or 'in the distance'.
ofrecía: Imperfect of ofrecer meaning 'it offered' or 'it presented' a view.
pálida: Adjective meaning 'pale', lacking in color or brightness.
extensión: Noun meaning 'expanse', 'stretch', or wide area of something.
niebla: Noun meaning 'fog' or 'mist', thick atmospheric water vapor.
nubes: Noun meaning 'clouds', masses of water vapor in the sky.
cerca: Adverb meaning 'near' or 'close by', not far in distance.
escena: Noun meaning 'scene', a view or setting visible to an observer.
césped: Noun meaning 'grass' or 'lawn', a ground covering of grass.
mojado: Adjective meaning 'wet' or 'soaked', damp from rain or water.
arbustos: Noun meaning 'shrubs' or 'bushes', woody plants smaller than trees.
azotados: Past participle of azotar meaning 'lashed' or 'battered' by wind.
tormenta: Noun meaning 'storm', a violent weather event with wind and rain.
lluvia: Noun meaning 'rain', precipitation falling from clouds above.
incesante: Adjective meaning 'incessant', 'unceasing', or 'nonstop' in nature.
arrastrada: Past participle of arrastrar meaning 'swept along' or 'dragged'.
furiosamente: Adverb meaning 'furiously', 'fiercely', or 'with great force'.
viento: Noun meaning 'wind', moving air in the atmosphere.
largo: Adjective meaning 'long' in length or duration; also 'lengthy'.
lamentable: Adjective meaning 'lamentable', 'deplorable', or 'distressing' in nature.
Volví: Preterite of volver meaning 'I returned' or 'I turned back'.
Historia: Noun meaning 'history' or 'story', a narrative of past events.
Pájaros: Noun meaning 'birds', warm-blooded feathered flying animals.
Británicos: Adjective meaning 'British', relating to Great Britain or its people.
texto: Noun meaning 'text', the written words in a book or document.
impreso: Past participle meaning 'printed', produced by a printing process.
importaba: Imperfect of importar meaning 'it mattered' or 'it was important'.
poco: Adjective or adverb meaning 'little', 'not much', or 'a bit'.
términos: Noun meaning 'terms', words or expressions with specific meanings.
generales: Adjective meaning 'general', broad or not specific in scope.
sin: Preposition meaning 'without', lacking or in the absence of something.
embargo: Noun; used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'.
había: Imperfect of haber meaning 'there was/were' or auxiliary 'had'.
ciertas: Adjective meaning 'certain' or 'specific', particular but unspecified.
páginas: Noun meaning 'pages', individual leaves or sides in a book.
introductorias: Adjective meaning 'introductory', serving as an introduction or preface.
siendo: Gerund of ser meaning 'being', used in ongoing or background context.
era: Imperfect of ser meaning 'it was', describing a past state or identity.
podía: Imperfect of poder meaning 'I/he/she could' or 'was able to'.
pasar: Infinitive meaning 'to pass', 'to skip', or 'to go over'.
alto: Adjective meaning 'high' or 'tall'; in 'pasar por alto' means 'overlook'.

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