Peter Pan — Page 3
" So long as mothers are like this their children will take advantage of them; and they may lay to that.
"Mientras las madres sean así, sus hijos se aprovecharán de ellas; y pueden contar con eso.
Even now we venture into that familiar nursery only because its lawful occupants are on their way home; we are merely hurrying on in advance of them to see that their beds are properly aired and that Mr. and Mrs. Darling do not go out for the evening.
Incluso ahora nos aventuramos en ese familiar cuarto de los niños solo porque sus legítimos ocupantes están de camino a casa; simplemente nos adelantamos a ellos para asegurarnos de que sus camas estén bien ventiladas y de que el señor y la señora Darling no salgan por la noche.
We are no more than servants.
No somos más que sirvientes.
Why on earth should their beds be properly aired, seeing that they left them in such a thankless hurry?
¿Por qué diablos deberían estar sus camas bien ventiladas, si las abandonaron con tanta prisa e ingratitud?
Would it not serve them jolly well right if they came back and found that their parents were spending the week-end in the country?
¿No se lo tendrían bien merecido si regresaran y descubrieran que sus padres estaban pasando el fin de semana en el campo?
It would be the moral lesson they have been in need of ever since we met them; but if we contrived things in this way Mrs. Darling would never forgive us.
Sería la lección moral que han necesitado desde que los conocimos; pero si organizáramos las cosas de este modo, la señora Darling jamás nos perdonaría.
One thing I should like to do immensely, and that is to tell her, in the way authors have, that the children are coming back, that indeed they will be here on Thursday week.
Hay una cosa que me gustaría hacer enormemente, y es decirle, a la manera de los autores, que los niños están regresando, que de hecho estarán aquí el jueves de la semana que viene.
This would spoil so completely the surprise to which Wendy and John and Michael are looking forward.
Esto arruinaría por completo la sorpresa que Wendy, John y Michael están anticipando con tanta ilusión.
They have been planning it out on the ship: mother's rapture, father's shout of joy, Nana's leap through the air to embrace them first, when what they ought to be prepared for is a good hiding.
Han estado planeándolo en el barco: el éxtasis de la madre, el grito de alegría del padre, el salto de Nana por los aires para abrazarlos primero, cuando lo que deberían estar preparados para recibir es una buena azotaina.
Vocabulary
- Mientras
- While; during the time that something occurs
- las
- Definite article: the (feminine plural)
- madres
- Mothers; female parents
- sean
- Subjunctive form of 'ser': be (they/you all)
- así
- Like this; in such a way
- sus
- Their; possessive adjective (plural)
- hijos
- Children; sons (male or mixed group)
- se
- Reflexive pronoun: himself, herself, themselves
- aprovecharán
- They will take advantage of someone
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating origin or belonging
- ellas
- They (feminine); refers to females
- pueden
- They can; to be able to (plural)
- contar
- To count; to tell; to rely on
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment
- eso
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- Incluso
- Even; including; used to emphasize something unexpected
- ahora
- Now; at this moment in time
- nos
- Us; reflexive/object pronoun for we
- aventuramos
- We venture; we dare to go somewhere
- en
- In; at; on; common preposition of location
- ese
- That; demonstrative adjective (masculine singular)
- familiar
- Familiar; related to family or well-known
- cuarto
- Room; bedroom; one quarter
- los
- The; definite article (masculine plural)
- niños
- Children; young boys or kids
- solo
- Only; alone; just one
- porque
- Because; conjunction giving a reason
- legítimos
- Legitimate; rightful; lawful owners or occupants
- ocupantes
- Occupants; those who inhabit or use a space
- están
- They are; present tense of 'estar'
- camino
- On the way; path; road toward a destination
- casa
- House; home; place of residence
- simplemente
- Simply; just; in a simple manner
- adelantamos
- We go ahead; we arrive before others
- ellos
- They (masculine or mixed group)
- para
- For; in order to; preposition of purpose
- asegurarnos
- To make sure; to ensure something for ourselves
- que
- That; which; a common conjunction or pronoun
- camas
- Beds; furniture for sleeping
- estén
- Subjunctive of 'estar': that they be
- bien
- Well; good; properly
- ventiladas
- Ventilated; aired out (feminine plural)
- el
- The; definite article (masculine singular)
- señor
- Mister; sir; adult male title
- la
- The; definite article (feminine singular)
- señora
- Missus; ma'am; title for an adult woman
- no
- No; not; negation word
- salgan
- Subjunctive of 'salir': that they go out
- por
- For; by; through; preposition with multiple uses
- noche
- Night; the dark hours of the day
- No
- No; not; negation
- somos
- We are; first person plural of 'ser'
- más
- More; anymore; comparative adverb
- sirvientes
- Servants; domestic workers in a household
- Por
- For; by; why; preposition with multiple meanings
- qué
- What; why; used in questions
- diablos
- Devils; used in 'por qué diablos' meaning why on earth
- deberían
- They should; conditional of 'deber'
- estar
- To be; verb used for temporary states or location
- si
- If; conditional conjunction
- abandonaron
- They abandoned; left behind without care
- tanta
- So much; such great (feminine singular)
- prisa
- Hurry; rush; haste
- e
- And; variant of 'y' before i- or hi-
- ingratitud
- Ingratitude; lack of thankfulness
- lo
- It; him; direct object pronoun (masculine)
- tendrían
- They would have; conditional of 'tener'
- merecido
- Deserved; earned as a consequence of actions
- regresaran
- Past subjunctive of 'regresar': if they returned
- descubrieran
- Past subjunctive: if they discovered or found out
- padres
- Parents; fathers; adult caretakers
- estaban
- They were; imperfect of 'estar'
- pasando
- Spending; passing; happening
- fin
- End; weekend when combined with 'semana'
- semana
- Week; period of seven days
- campo
- Countryside; field; rural area
- Sería
- It would be; conditional of 'ser'
- lección
- Lesson; something learned or taught
- moral
- Moral; relating to ethics or right behavior
- han
- They have; present perfect auxiliary
- necesitado
- Needed; required (past participle of necesitar)
- desde
- Since; from; preposition of time or place
- conocimos
- We met; we got to know (preterite of conocer)
- pero
- But; however; coordinating conjunction
- organizáramos
- Past subjunctive: if we organized or arranged things
- cosas
- Things; objects; matters
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective (masculine singular)
- modo
- Way; manner; mode of doing something
- jamás
- Never; ever; strong negative for time
- perdonaría
- Would forgive; conditional of 'perdonar'
- Hay
- There is; there are; impersonal form of haber
- una
- A; one; indefinite article (feminine singular)
- cosa
- Thing; object; matter
- me
- Me; reflexive/object pronoun (first person singular)
- gustaría
- Would like; conditional of 'gustar'
- hacer
- To do; to make; common action verb
- enormemente
- Enormously; very much; to a great degree
- es
- Is; third person singular of 'ser'
- decirle
- To tell him/her; to say to someone
- manera
- Way; manner; how something is done
- autores
- Authors; writers; creators of a work
- regresando
- Returning; coming back; gerund of regresar
- hecho
- Done; fact; past participle of 'hacer'
- estarán
- They will be; future of 'estar'
- aquí
- Here; in this place
- jueves
- Thursday; fourth day of the work week
- viene
- Comes; next (as in 'next Thursday')
- Esto
- This; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- arruinaría
- Would ruin; would spoil something completely
- completo
- Complete; entirely; fully; whole
- sorpresa
- Surprise; unexpected pleasant or shocking event
- anticipando
- Anticipating; looking forward to something eagerly
- ilusión
- Excitement; illusion; eager anticipation or hope
- Han
- They have; present perfect auxiliary (plural)
- estado
- Been; past participle of 'estar'; state or status
- planeándolo
- Planning it; in the process of making a plan
- barco
- Ship; boat; large watercraft
- éxtasis
- Ecstasy; intense joy or delight
- madre
- Mother; female parent
- grito
- Shout; cry; loud exclamation
- alegría
- Joy; happiness; cheerful delight
- del
- Of the; contraction of 'de' + 'el'
- padre
- Father; male parent
- salto
- Jump; leap; sudden upward movement
- aires
- Airs; in context: jumping into the air
- abrazarlos
- To hug them; to embrace them
- primero
- First; earliest; before all others
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens
- preparados
- Prepared; ready; made ready in advance
- recibir
- To receive; to welcome; to accept something given
- buena
- Good; well-behaved (feminine singular)
- azotaina
- Spanking; a series of smacks as punishment
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →