Light O' the Morning: The Story of an Irish Girl — Page 6
She began to talk with animation and excitement.
Comenzó a hablar con animación y entusiasmo.
Nora knew exactly what she was going to say.
Nora sabía exactamente lo que iba a decir.
She had heard the story so often; but, although she had heard it hundreds and thousands of times, she was never tired of listening to the history of a trim life of which she knew absolutely nothing.
Había escuchado la historia tantas veces; pero, aunque la había oído cientos y miles de veces, nunca se cansaba de escuchar la historia de una vida ordenada de la que no sabía absolutamente nada.
The orderly, well-dressed servants, the punctual meals, the good and abundant food, the nice dresses, the parties, the solid education, the discipline so foreign to her own existence, all--all held their proper fascination.
Los criados ordenados y bien vestidos, las comidas puntuales, la comida buena y abundante, los bonitos vestidos, las fiestas, la sólida educación, la disciplina tan ajena a su propia existencia, todo, todo ejercía su propia fascinación.
But although she listened with delight to these stories of a bygone time, she never envied her mother those periods of prosperity.
Pero aunque escuchaba con deleite estas historias de un tiempo pasado, nunca envidió a su madre aquellos períodos de prosperidad.
Such a life would have been a prison to her; so she thought, although she never spoke her thought aloud.
Semejante vida habría sido una prisión para ella; eso pensaba, aunque nunca expresó ese pensamiento en voz alta.
Mrs. O'Shanaghgan began the old tale to-night, telling it with a little more _verve_ even than usual.
La señora O'Shanaghgan comenzó el viejo relato aquella noche, contándolo con un poco más de _brío_ incluso que de costumbre.
She ended at last with a sigh.
Terminó por fin con un suspiro.
"Oh, the beautiful old times!" she said.
—¡Oh, los hermosos tiempos pasados! —dijo.
"But you didn't know father then," answered Nora, a frown coming to her brows, and an angry feeling for a moment visiting her warm heart.
—Pero entonces no conocías a papá —respondió Nora, frunciendo el ceño, y un sentimiento de enojo visitando por un momento su cálido corazón.
"You didn't have father, nor Nora, nor Terry."
—No tenías a papá, ni a Nora, ni a Terry.
"Of course not, darling, and you make up for much; but, Nora dear, although I love my husband and my children, I hate this country.
—Claro que no, cariño, y vosotros compensáis mucho; pero, querida Nora, aunque amo a mi marido y a mis hijos, odio este país.
I hate it!"
¡Lo odio!
"Don't, mother," said Nora, with a look of pain.
—No digas eso, mamá —dijo Nora, con una expresión de dolor.
She started to her feet.
Se puso de pie de un salto.
Vocabulary
- Comenzó
- He/she began or started an action
- hablar
- To speak or talk with someone
- animación
- Liveliness, enthusiasm, or animated energy
- entusiasmo
- Enthusiasm or eager excitement about something
- sabía
- He/she knew something from prior knowledge
- exactamente
- Exactly or precisely, without deviation
- iba
- He/she was going to do something
- decir
- To say or tell something to someone
- Había
- There had been; auxiliary verb 'had'
- escuchado
- Listened to or heard something attentively
- historia
- Story, history, or narrative account
- tantas
- So many, referring to a large feminine quantity
- veces
- Times or occasions something has occurred
- aunque
- Although or even though, introducing a concession
- había
- Had; past auxiliary verb in compound tenses
- oído
- Heard; past participle of the verb oír
- cientos
- Hundreds, referring to large numbers of things
- miles
- Thousands, referring to very large quantities
- nunca
- Never, at no time or on no occasion
- cansaba
- Was getting tired or weary of something
- escuchar
- To listen to or hear something attentively
- vida
- Life, referring to one's existence or lifestyle
- ordenada
- Orderly, well-organized, or neatly arranged
- absolutamente
- Absolutely, completely, or in every way
- nada
- Nothing, not anything at all
- criados
- Servants or domestic workers in a household
- ordenados
- Orderly, tidy, or well-organized servants
- vestidos
- Dressed or clothed; also can mean dresses
- comidas
- Meals or food servings eaten during the day
- puntuales
- Punctual or on time, adhering to a schedule
- comida
- Food or a meal consumed at mealtime
- abundante
- Abundant, plentiful, or more than sufficient
- bonitos
- Pretty, attractive, or pleasant in appearance
- fiestas
- Parties, celebrations, or festive gatherings
- sólida
- Solid, firm, or well-established and reliable
- educación
- Education or upbringing received during childhood
- disciplina
- Discipline or strict order in behavior
- ajena
- Foreign, alien, or belonging to someone else
- propia
- Own, belonging to oneself; one's own thing
- existencia
- Existence or the state of living and being
- todo
- All, everything, or the whole of something
- ejercía
- Exercised or exerted an influence or power
- fascinación
- Fascination, a strong attraction or captivation
- escuchaba
- Was listening to or used to listen
- deleite
- Delight, great pleasure, or keen enjoyment
- historias
- Stories, histories, or narrative accounts
- tiempo
- Time or weather, depending on context
- pasado
- Past or a time that has already gone by
- envidió
- Envied or felt jealous of someone else's situation
- madre
- Mother, a female parent of a child
- aquellos
- Those, a distant demonstrative for masculine plural
- períodos
- Periods or spans of time in history
- prosperidad
- Prosperity, wealth, or a state of financial success
- Semejante
- Such a, similar, or of that kind of nature
- habría
- Would have; conditional auxiliary form of haber
- sido
- Been; past participle of the verb ser
- prisión
- Prison or jail; a place of confinement
- pensaba
- Was thinking or used to think about something
- expresó
- Expressed or communicated a thought or feeling
- pensamiento
- Thought or idea formed in one's mind
- voz
- Voice; the sound produced when speaking
- alta
- High or loud; also means tall for feminine nouns
- señora
- Mrs. or madam; a polite title for a woman
- comenzó
- Began or started; third-person past tense
- viejo
- Old or aged; referring to something long-standing
- relato
- A tale, account, or short narrative story
- aquella
- That, a distant feminine demonstrative adjective
- noche
- Night or evening, the dark part of the day
- contándolo
- Telling or narrating it to someone present
- poco
- A little or slightly; a small amount
- más
- More; indicating a greater degree or quantity
- _brío_
- Vigor, spirit, or energetic liveliness in manner
- incluso
- Even or including; used to add emphasis
- costumbre
- Custom, habit, or usual way of doing things
- Terminó
- Finished or ended something that was in progress
- fin
- End or conclusion of something; finally
- suspiro
- A sigh; a deep audible breath expressing emotion
- hermosos
- Beautiful, lovely, or splendid in appearance
- tiempos
- Times or periods in history or one's life
- pasados
- Past or gone by; times that no longer exist
- dijo
- Said; third-person singular preterite of decir
- entonces
- Then or at that time; indicating a sequence
- conocías
- You knew or were acquainted with someone
- papá
- Dad or father; an informal term for one's father
- respondió
- Responded or answered; past tense of responder
- frunciendo
- Frowning or wrinkling; as in furrowing one's brow
- ceño
- Brow or frown; used in 'fruncir el ceño'
- sentimiento
- Feeling or emotion experienced by a person
- enojo
- Anger or annoyance felt toward someone
- visitando
- Visiting or paying a visit to someone
- momento
- Moment or brief instant in time
- cálido
- Warm, affectionate, or having a pleasant warmth
- corazón
- Heart; the organ or seat of emotions
- tenías
- You had; second-person imperfect of tener
- ni
- Nor or neither; used in negative constructions
- Claro
- Of course or clear; expressing obvious agreement
- cariño
- Darling or affection; a term of endearment
- vosotros
- You all; second-person plural used in Spain
- compensáis
- You compensate or make up for something lost
- mucho
- Much or a lot; indicating a large degree
- querida
- Dear or beloved; a feminine term of affection
- amo
- I love; first-person singular present of amar
- marido
- Husband; a woman's male spouse or partner
- hijos
- Children or sons; one's offspring
- odio
- I hate; strong dislike or first-person hatred
- país
- Country or nation; a politically defined territory
- digas
- Say or tell; subjunctive form used in commands
- mamá
- Mom or mother; an informal affectionate term
- expresión
- Expression or look conveying a feeling or thought
- dolor
- Pain, sorrow, or grief felt deeply
- puso
- Put or placed; also 'got' as in became
- pie
- Foot; the lower extremity of the leg
- salto
- Jump or leap; a sudden upward or forward movement
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