Middlemarch — Page 2
The pride of being ladies had something to do with it: the Brooke connections, though not exactly aristocratic, were unquestionably "good:" if you inquired backward for a generation or two, you would not find any yard-measuring or parcel-tying forefathers—anything lower than an admiral or a clergyman; and there was even an ancestor discernible as a Puritan gentleman who served under Cromwell, but afterwards conformed, and managed to come out of all political troubles as the proprietor of a respectable family estate.
El orgullo de ser damas tenía algo que ver en ello: las conexiones de los Brooke, aunque no exactamente aristocráticas, eran indiscutiblemente «buenas»: si uno indagaba hacia atrás una o dos generaciones, no encontraría ningún antepasado que midiera telas o atara paquetes —nada más bajo que un almirante o un clérigo—; es más, había incluso un antepasado identificable como un caballero puritano que sirvió a las órdenes de Cromwell, pero que después se conformó y logró salir de todos los conflictos políticos como propietario de una respetable finca familiar.
Young women of such birth, living in a quiet country-house, and attending a village church hardly larger than a parlor, naturally regarded frippery as the ambition of a huckster's daughter.
Las jóvenes de tal origen, que vivían en una tranquila casa de campo y asistían a una iglesia rural apenas más grande que un salón, consideraban naturalmente las superfluidades como la ambición de la hija de un buhonero.
Then there was well-bred economy, which in those days made show in dress the first item to be deducted from, when any margin was required for expenses more distinctive of rank.
Además estaba la economía de buena crianza, que en aquellos tiempos hacía del lujo en el vestir la primera partida a recortar cuando se necesitaba algún margen para gastos más propios de la distinción de clase.
Such reasons would have been enough to account for plain dress, quite apart from religious feeling; but in Miss Brooke's case, religion alone would have determined it; and Celia mildly acquiesced in all her sister's sentiments, only infusing them with that common-sense which is able to accept momentous doctrines without any eccentric agitation.
Tales razones habrían sido suficientes para explicar la sencillez en el vestir, al margen de cualquier sentimiento religioso; pero en el caso de la señorita Brooke, la religión por sí sola lo habría determinado; y Celia se mostraba dócilmente de acuerdo con todos los sentimientos de su hermana, limitándose a infundirles ese sentido común capaz de aceptar doctrinas de gran peso sin ninguna agitación extravagante.
Dorothea knew many passages of Pascal's Pensees and of Jeremy Taylor by heart; and to her the destinies of mankind, seen by the light of Christianity, made the solicitudes of feminine fashion appear an occupation for Bedlam.
Dorothea sabía de memoria muchos pasajes de los Pensamientos de Pascal y de Jeremy Taylor; y para ella los destinos de la humanidad, vistos a la luz del cristianismo, hacían que las preocupaciones por la moda femenina parecieran una ocupación propia de un manicomio.
Vocabulary
- El
- The (masculine singular article)
- orgullo
- Pride; a feeling of self-respect or satisfaction
- de
- Of; from; indicates possession or origin
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb expressing existence or state
- damas
- Ladies; women of noble or refined social status
- tenía
- Had; past tense of tener (to have)
- algo
- Something; anything; an unspecified thing or amount
- que
- That; which; what; relative pronoun and conjunction
- ver
- To see; to look at; to watch or observe
- en
- In; on; at; preposition indicating location or position
- ello
- It; that; neutral pronoun referring to ideas or situations
- las
- The (feminine plural article)
- conexiones
- Connections; relationships; links between people or things
- los
- The (masculine plural article)
- aunque
- Although; though; despite; expressing contrast or concession
- no
- No; not; negation particle
- exactamente
- Exactly; precisely; in an accurate or precise manner
- aristocráticas
- Aristocratic; relating to nobility or upper social class
- eran
- Were; past tense plural of ser (to be)
- buenas
- Good; favorable; of high quality or excellent
- si
- If; conditional particle; whether or not
- uno
- One; a person; the number or indefinite pronoun
- hacia
- Toward; towards; in the direction of something
- atrás
- Behind; back; toward the rear or past
- una
- A; one (feminine singular article or number)
- dos
- Two; the number 2
- generaciones
- Generations; groups born in same period
- encontraría
- Would find; conditional form of encontrar
- ningún
- No; any; not any; negation before noun
- antepasado
- Ancestor; a person from earlier generation
- telas
- Fabrics; cloths; materials used for sewing
- paquetes
- Packages; bundles; wrapped or bound items
- nada
- Nothing; not anything; zero or void
- más
- More; greater; additional or further quantity
- bajo
- Under; beneath; low; below or inferior
- un
- A; an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- almirante
- Admiral; high-ranking naval military officer
- clérigo
- Clergyman; priest; member of clergy
- es
- Is; present tense of ser (to be)
- había
- Had; there was/were; past of haber
- incluso
- Even; including; moreover; in addition
- identificable
- Identifiable; recognizable; able to be identified
- como
- As; like; how; in the manner of
- caballero
- Knight; gentleman; man of noble rank
- puritano
- Puritan; member of strict religious movement
- sirvió
- Served; past tense of servir (to serve)
- órdenes
- Orders; commands; instructions or directives
- pero
- But; however; expressing contrast or opposition
- después
- After; afterwards; later in time
- se
- Himself; herself; reflexive pronoun
- logró
- Managed; achieved; succeeded in accomplishing
- salir
- To leave; to go out; to exit
- todos
- All; every; the whole or entire
- conflictos
- Conflicts; disputes; disagreements or clashes
- políticos
- Political; relating to government or politics
- propietario
- Proprietor; owner; one who owns property
- respetable
- Respectable; worthy of respect; honorable
- finca
- Estate; farm; landed property in country
- familiar
- Family; familiar; relating to one's family
- Las
- The (feminine plural article)
- jóvenes
- Young women; girls; young or youthful
- tal
- Such; such a; like; of that kind
- origen
- Origin; source; beginning or starting point
- vivían
- Lived; past tense plural of vivir
- tranquila
- Tranquil; calm; quiet or peaceful
- casa
- House; home; building where people live
- campo
- Country; field; countryside or rural area
- asistían
- Attended; went to; past tense of asistir
- iglesia
- Church; building for religious worship
- rural
- Rural; relating to countryside or farming
- apenas
- Hardly; scarcely; barely; only just
- grande
- Large; big; great; of considerable size
- salón
- Hall; living room; large reception room
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