Little Women — Page 6

English → Spanish CHAPTER ONE Level 6/10

It was a comfortable room, though the carpet was faded and the furniture very plain, for a good picture or two hung on the walls, books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses bloomed in the windows, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it.

Era una habitación confortable, aunque la alfombra estaba desgastada y los muebles eran muy sencillos, pues uno o dos buenos cuadros colgaban de las paredes, los libros llenaban los rincones, los crisantemos y las rosas de Navidad florecían en las ventanas, y un agradable ambiente de paz hogareña lo impregnaba todo.

Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain.

Margarita, la mayor de las cuatro, tenía dieciséis años y era muy bonita, rolliza y de tez clara, con ojos grandes, abundante cabello castaño y suave, una boca dulce y manos blancas, de las cuales estaba bastante orgullosa.

Fifteen-year-old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way.

Jo, de quince años, era muy alta, delgada y morena, y recordaba a un potro, pues nunca parecía saber qué hacer con sus largas extremidades, que le estorbaban enormemente.

She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful.

Tenía una boca resuelta, una nariz cómica y unos ojos grises y vivos que parecían verlo todo, y que eran alternativamente fieros, divertidos o pensativos.

Her long, thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way.

Su cabello largo y espeso era su única belleza, pero solía llevarlo recogido en una redecilla para que no le molestara.

Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a woman and didn't like it.

Jo tenía los hombros redondeados, manos y pies grandes, un aspecto descuidado en su ropa, y el aire incómodo de una chica que estaba convirtiéndose rápidamente en mujer y no le gustaba nada.

Elizabeth, or Beth, as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression which was seldom disturbed.

Isabel, o Beth, como todos la llamaban, era una niña de trece años, de mejillas sonrosadas, cabello liso y ojos brillantes, con modales tímidos, una voz apocada y una expresión tranquila que raramente se veía alterada.

Vocabulary

Era: Past tense of 'to be'; it was/he was/she was
una: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
habitación: A room, typically a bedroom in a home
confortable: Comfortable, providing ease and physical comfort
aunque: Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
la: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
alfombra: A carpet or rug covering a floor
estaba: Past tense of 'estar'; was (temporary state)
desgastada: Worn out or frayed from extended use
y: Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words or phrases
los: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
muebles: Furniture items found inside a home or room
eran: Past tense of 'ser'; they were (permanent state)
muy: Adverb meaning 'very,' intensifying adjectives or adverbs
sencillos: Simple, plain, or modest in style or design
pues: Conjunction meaning 'since,' 'because,' or 'well'
uno: The number one or indefinite pronoun 'one'
o: Conjunction meaning 'or,' indicating an alternative
dos: The number two in Spanish
buenos: Good, of high quality or positive character (plural)
cuadros: Paintings or framed pictures hung on walls
colgaban: They hung (imperfect tense) from a surface
de: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'by'
las: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine plural)
paredes: Walls of a room or building interior
libros: Books, written or printed works for reading
llenaban: They filled (imperfect) a space or container
rincones: Corners or nooks inside a room or space
crisantemos: Chrysanthemums, flowering plants with colorful blooms
rosas: Roses, common flowering plants; also means 'pink'
Navidad: Christmas, the Christian holiday celebrated in December
florecían: They bloomed or flowered (imperfect tense)
en: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
ventanas: Windows in a wall of a building or room
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine)
agradable: Pleasant, enjoyable, or agreeable to the senses
ambiente: Atmosphere or ambiance of a place or setting
paz: Peace, a state of calm and tranquility
hogareña: Homey, relating to a warm domestic atmosphere
lo: Neutral direct object pronoun meaning 'it'
impregnaba: It permeated or saturated everything around it
todo: Everything or all; refers to the totality
mayor: Older, greater, or eldest among a group
cuatro: The number four in Spanish
tenía: Had (imperfect); possessed or was a certain age
dieciséis: The number sixteen in Spanish
años: Years, used to express age or duration
era: Was (imperfect of ser); describing a state
bonita: Pretty or attractive in appearance (feminine)
rolliza: Plump, chubby, or healthily rounded in figure
tez: Complexion or skin tone of a person's face
clara: Clear, light, or fair (referring to skin tone)
con: Preposition meaning 'with,' indicating accompaniment
ojos: Eyes, the organs used for seeing
grandes: Large or big in size (plural adjective)
abundante: Abundant, plentiful, or present in large quantity
cabello: Hair, especially the hair on one's head
castaño: Chestnut brown, a hair or eye color
suave: Soft, smooth, or gentle to the touch
boca: Mouth, the facial opening used for speaking and eating
dulce: Sweet, gentle, or kind in nature or taste
manos: Hands, the body parts at the end of arms
blancas: White or fair-skinned (feminine plural adjective)
cuales: Which; relative pronoun referring to previously mentioned things
bastante: Quite, rather, or enough; moderately so
orgullosa: Proud, feeling pride about something (feminine)
quince: The number fifteen in Spanish
alta: Tall in height (feminine singular adjective)
delgada: Thin or slender in body build (feminine)
morena: Dark-haired or dark-skinned; brunette (feminine)
recordaba: Reminded or resembled; recalled to mind (imperfect)
a: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or personal 'a'
potro: A colt, a young male horse
nunca: Never; at no time or on no occasion
parecía: Seemed or appeared (imperfect tense of parecer)
saber: To know (a fact or how to do something)
qué: What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun
hacer: To do or to make; a common infinitive verb
sus: Her, his, or their (possessive adjective, plural)
largas: Long in length (feminine plural adjective)
extremidades: Limbs or extremities of the body (arms, legs)
que: That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction
le: Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her/it'
estorbaban: They bothered or got in the way (imperfect)
enormemente: Enormously, to a very great degree or extent
Tenía: Had or was (age); imperfect tense of tener
resuelta: Determined, resolute, or decided in character
nariz: Nose, the facial feature used for smelling
cómica: Comical or funny in a humorous way (feminine)
unos: Some or a few (indefinite article, masculine plural)
grises: Gray in color (plural adjective for eyes etc.)
vivos: Lively, bright, or vivid (plural adjective)
parecían: They seemed or appeared (imperfect, third person plural)
verlo: To see it/him; infinitive with attached pronoun
alternativamente: Alternately, switching between two states or expressions
fieros: Fierce, wild, or ferocious in expression (plural)
divertidos: Amused, funny, or entertaining (plural adjective)
pensativos: Thoughtful or pensive, deep in thought (plural)
Su: Her, his, or its (possessive adjective, singular)
largo: Long in length or duration (masculine adjective)
espeso: Thick or dense in texture or volume
su: Her, his, or its (possessive adjective, singular)
única: Only or unique; sole (feminine singular adjective)
belleza: Beauty, the quality of being beautiful or attractive
pero: But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
solía: Used to (do something habitually); imperfect of soler
llevarlo: To carry or wear it; infinitive with pronoun
recogido: Gathered up or tied back (hair style)
redecilla: A hairnet used to keep hair in place
para: For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose
no: No or not; negation word in Spanish
molestara: Would bother or disturb (imperfect subjunctive)
hombros: Shoulders, the joints connecting arms to torso
redondeados: Rounded or curved in shape (plural adjective)
pies: Feet, the lower extremities used for walking
aspecto: Appearance or aspect of someone or something
descuidado: Careless, neglected, or untidy in appearance
ropa: Clothing or clothes worn on the body
el: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
aire: Air; also used figuratively to mean 'manner' or 'look'
incómodo: Uncomfortable or awkward in posture or situation
chica: Girl or young woman (informal feminine noun)
convirtiéndose: Becoming or turning into (reflexive gerund of convertir)
rápidamente: Quickly or rapidly, in a fast manner
mujer: Woman or wife; an adult female person
gustaba: Liked (imperfect); something was pleasing to someone
nada: Nothing; not at all (used with negation)
como: As, like, or how; comparison or manner word
todos: Everyone or all (masculine plural pronoun/adjective)
llamaban: They called (imperfect); used a name for someone
niña: Girl or young child (feminine noun)
trece: The number thirteen in Spanish
mejillas: Cheeks, the fleshy sides of the face
sonrosadas: Rosy or pink-tinged (referring to cheeks, plural)
liso: Smooth, straight, or flat (adjective, masculine)
brillantes: Bright, shiny, or sparkling (plural adjective)
modales: Manners or social behavior of a person
tímidos: Shy or timid in social situations (plural)
voz: Voice, the sound produced when speaking or singing
apocada: Meek, timid, or lacking confidence (feminine)
expresión: Expression, a look or feeling shown on the face
tranquila: Calm, quiet, or peaceful (feminine adjective)
raramente: Rarely or seldom; not happening very often
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' 'itself'
veía: Was seen or could be seen (imperfect of ver)
alterada: Upset, disturbed, or agitated (feminine past participle)

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