Peter Pan — Page 6
These things scared her a little, and nobly anxious to do her duty, she tried to fix the old life in their minds by setting them examination papers on it, as like as possible to the ones she used to do at school.
Estas cosas la asustaban un poco, y noblemente ansiosa por cumplir con su deber, intentó fijar la vida antigua en sus mentes poniéndoles exámenes sobre ella, lo más parecidos posible a los que ella solía hacer en la escuela.
The other boys thought this awfully interesting, and insisted on joining, and they made slates for themselves, and sat round the table, writing and thinking hard about the questions she had written on another slate and passed round.
Los otros chicos encontraron esto tremendamente interesante, e insistieron en participar, y se fabricaron pizarras, y se sentaron alrededor de la mesa, escribiendo y pensando intensamente sobre las preguntas que ella había escrito en otra pizarra y había pasado de mano en mano.
They were the most ordinary questions—"What was the colour of Mother's eyes? Which was taller, Father or Mother? Was Mother blonde or brunette? Answer all three questions if possible."
Eran las preguntas más corrientes: «¿De qué color eran los ojos de Mamá? ¿Quién era más alto, Papá o Mamá? ¿Era Mamá rubia o morena? Responda las tres preguntas si es posible.»
"(A) Write an essay of not less than 40 words on How I spent my last Holidays, or The Characters of Father and Mother compared. Only one of these to be attempted."
«(A) Escriba una redacción de no menos de 40 palabras sobre Cómo pasé mis últimas Vacaciones, o Los Caracteres de Padre y Madre comparados. Solo se debe intentar una de estas opciones.»
Or "(1) Describe Mother's laugh; (2) Describe Father's laugh; (3) Describe Mother's Party Dress; (4) Describe the Kennel and its Inmate."
O «(1) Describa la risa de Mamá; (2) Describa la risa de Papá; (3) Describa el Vestido de Fiesta de Mamá; (4) Describa la Caseta y su Habitante.»
They were just everyday questions like these, and when you could not answer them you were told to make a cross; and it was really dreadful what a number of crosses even John made.
Eran solo preguntas cotidianas como estas, y cuando no podías responderlas se te indicaba que pusieras una cruz; y era verdaderamente espantoso el número de cruces que incluso John ponía.
Of course the only boy who replied to every question was Slightly, and no one could have been more hopeful of coming out first, but his answers were perfectly ridiculous, and he really came out last: a melancholy thing.
Por supuesto, el único chico que respondió a todas las preguntas fue Slightly, y nadie podría haber tenido más esperanzas de quedar el primero, pero sus respuestas eran absolutamente ridículas, y en realidad quedó el último: algo melancólico.
Peter did not compete.
Peter no participó.
Vocabulary
- Estas
- These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- cosas
- Things; plural noun referring to objects or matters
- asustaban
- Were frightening or scaring someone repeatedly
- poco
- A little; small amount of something
- noblemente
- Nobly; in a dignified and honorable manner
- ansiosa
- Anxious or eager; feeling nervous anticipation
- cumplir
- To fulfill or comply with a duty or obligation
- deber
- Duty or obligation; moral or social responsibility
- intentó
- Tried or attempted to do something
- fijar
- To fix, set, or establish firmly in place
- vida
- Life; the existence of a living being
- antigua
- Old or ancient; relating to past times
- mentes
- Minds; plural of mente, cognitive faculties
- poniéndoles
- Giving them or placing upon them something
- exámenes
- Exams or tests; academic evaluation instruments
- sobre
- About or on; preposition indicating topic or surface
- parecidos
- Similar or alike; resembling something else closely
- posible
- Possible; capable of happening or being done
- solía
- Used to; imperfect indicating habitual past action
- hacer
- To do or make; very common Spanish verb
- escuela
- School; educational institution for students
- otros
- Others; remaining or different people or things
- chicos
- Boys or kids; informal term for young people
- encontraron
- Found or encountered something; past tense verb
- esto
- This; neuter demonstrative pronoun for nearby thing
- tremendamente
- Tremendously; to a very great or extreme degree
- interesante
- Interesting; holding one's attention and curiosity
- e
- And; variant of 'y' used before i- or hi- sounds
- insistieron
- Insisted; demanded or urged something persistently
- participar
- To participate; to take part in an activity
- fabricaron
- Made or constructed something; manufactured items
- pizarras
- Slates or blackboards; writing surfaces for chalk
- sentaron
- Sat down; past tense of sentarse, to sit
- alrededor
- Around; surrounding a place or object
- mesa
- Table; flat-surfaced furniture for work or eating
- escribiendo
- Writing; present participle of escribir
- pensando
- Thinking; present participle of pensar
- intensamente
- Intensely; with great focus or concentration
- preguntas
- Questions; requests for information or answers
- había
- Had; third-person imperfect of haber, auxiliary verb
- escrito
- Written; past participle of escribir
- otra
- Another or other; feminine singular adjective
- pizarra
- Slate or blackboard; surface used for writing
- pasado
- Passed or past; adjective or past participle
- mano
- Hand; the part of the body at the end of the arm
- Eran
- Were; third-person plural imperfect of ser
- corrientes
- Ordinary or common; usual and unremarkable things
- qué
- What or which; interrogative pronoun
- color
- Color; visual property produced by light wavelengths
- eran
- Were; third-person plural imperfect of ser
- ojos
- Eyes; the organs used for seeing
- Mamá
- Mom or mother; informal term for one's mother
- Quién
- Who; interrogative pronoun asking about a person
- era
- Was; third-person singular imperfect of ser
- alto
- Tall or high; describing great vertical stature
- Papá
- Dad or father; informal term for one's father
- Era
- Was; third-person singular imperfect of ser
- rubia
- Blonde; having fair or golden-colored hair
- morena
- Brunette or dark-haired; having dark complexion or hair
- Responda
- Answer; formal imperative command to reply
- tres
- Three; the number between two and four
- si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a clause
- Escriba
- Write; formal imperative command to write something
- redacción
- Essay or composition; written text on a topic
- menos
- Less or fewer; comparative of little or few
- palabras
- Words; units of language used in speech or writing
- Cómo
- How; interrogative adverb asking about manner
- pasé
- I spent or I passed; first-person past of pasar
- últimas
- Last or final; feminine plural adjective
- Vacaciones
- Vacation or holidays; time off from work or school
- Caracteres
- Characters or traits; distinguishing qualities of people
- Padre
- Father; male parent
- Madre
- Mother; female parent
- comparados
- Compared; past participle of comparar, to compare
- Solo
- Only or alone; without others, by oneself
- debe
- Must or should; third-person present of deber
- intentar
- To try or attempt; making an effort to do something
- estas
- These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- opciones
- Options or choices; alternatives available to choose
- Describa
- Describe; formal imperative to give a description
- risa
- Laughter or laugh; expression of amusement
- Vestido
- Dress or outfit; clothing worn on the body
- Fiesta
- Party or festival; celebration or festive event
- Caseta
- Hut or small cabin; a little shelter or booth
- Habitante
- Inhabitant or resident; person living in a place
- solo
- Only or alone; without others or solely
- cotidianas
- Daily or everyday; relating to routine daily life
- como
- Like or as; conjunction or preposition of comparison
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction or adverb
- podías
- You could; second-person imperfect of poder
- responderlas
- To answer them; infinitive with object pronoun
- indicaba
- Indicated or instructed; imperfect of indicar
- pusieras
- That you put or place; imperfect subjunctive of poner
- cruz
- Cross; a mark shaped like a plus sign or X
- verdaderamente
- Truly or really; in a genuine or real manner
- espantoso
- Dreadful or horrifying; causing fear or disgust
- número
- Number; a mathematical value or count
- cruces
- Crosses; plural of cruz, mark or cross symbol
- incluso
- Even or including; used for emphasis or inclusion
- ponía
- Put or placed; third-person imperfect of poner
- supuesto
- Supposed or assumed; of course, naturally
- único
- Only or unique; the sole one of its kind
- chico
- Boy or kid; informal term for a young person
- respondió
- Answered or responded; third-person past of responder
- todas
- All or every; feminine plural of todo
- fue
- Was or went; third-person singular preterite of ser/ir
- nadie
- Nobody or no one; negative indefinite pronoun
- podría
- Could or would be able; conditional of poder
- haber
- To have; auxiliary infinitive used in compound tenses
- tenido
- Had; past participle of tener
- esperanzas
- Hopes; wishes or expectations for future outcomes
- quedar
- To remain or end up; to stay in a position
- primero
- First; the one that comes before all others
- pero
- But; adversative coordinating conjunction
- respuestas
- Answers or responses; replies to questions asked
- absolutamente
- Absolutely; completely or without any doubt
- ridículas
- Ridiculous; absurd and deserving of mockery
- realidad
- Reality; the true or actual state of things
- quedó
- Stayed or ended up; third-person past of quedar
- último
- Last; the final one in a series or order
- algo
- Something or somewhat; indefinite pronoun or adverb
- melancólico
- Melancholic; feeling or expressing sadness and gloom
- participó
- Participated; third-person past of participar
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