Piccolissima — Page 4
Simple themselves, every thing appeared simple to them.
Sencillos ellos mismos, todo les parecía sencillo.
Mrs. Mignonette was at first a little disconcerted at finding that a drawer of baby linen which she had taken so much pains to make was of no use, and that one of the stockings which she had knit was big enough for her child to get into.
La señora Mignonette se desconcertó un poco al principio al descubrir que un cajón de ropa de bebé que tanto trabajo le había costado confeccionar no servía de nada, y que una de las medias que había tejido era lo suficientemente grande como para que su hijo pudiera meterse dentro.
But, when she was convinced that the baby could do just as well without stockings, and that the cushions of thistle down were sufficient to keep it warm, she was no longer troubled, and she said to her neighbors, who were eager to see her little wonder, "It is very natural that the little one should be so very delicate; from the first we called it Piccolissima; then, neither Mr. Tom Thumb nor I are very large; and I am told that our ancestors were still more delicately formed; what then is more natural than that this little one should be such a wee wee thing?"
Pero cuando se convenció de que el bebé podía estar igual de bien sin medias, y de que los cojines de pelusa de cardo eran suficientes para mantenerlo abrigado, dejó de preocuparse, y dijo a sus vecinas, que ansiaban ver a su pequeña maravilla: «Es muy natural que la pequeña sea tan delicada; desde el principio la llamamos Piccolissima; además, ni el señor Pulgarcito ni yo somos muy grandes; y me dicen que nuestros antepasados eran de constitución aún más delicada; ¿qué hay entonces más natural que esta pequeñita sea tan diminuta?»
The tranquillity of Mrs. Tom Thumb had this good effect; it appeased the curiosity of the neighbors.
La tranquilidad de la señora Pulgarcito tuvo este buen efecto; apaciguó la curiosidad de los vecinos.
At last, like her, they came to the conclusion "that it was very natural that the child was smaller than the mother." and all went on as usual around our heroine, while she was quietly rocked by the passing hours, and was amused with the sound of the silver clock bell.
Al fin, como ella, llegaron a la conclusión de que «era muy natural que la niña fuera más pequeña que la madre», y todo siguió su curso habitual alrededor de nuestra heroína, mientras las horas que pasaban la mecían suavemente y se entretenía con el sonido del tintín del reloj de plata.
Vocabulary
- Sencillos
- Simple or easy things, plural masculine adjective
- ellos
- Third person plural pronoun meaning 'they'
- mismos
- Themselves or the same ones, plural masculine
- todo
- Everything or all, indefinite pronoun
- les
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to them'
- parecía
- Seemed or appeared to be, imperfect tense
- sencillo
- Simple, easy, or uncomplicated adjective
- señora
- Married woman or lady, title of respect
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- desconcertó
- Became disconcerted or confused, preterite tense
- poco
- A little or a small amount
- principio
- Beginning or start of something
- descubrir
- To discover or find out something new
- cajón
- Drawer or large box used for storage
- ropa
- Clothing or garments worn on the body
- bebé
- Baby or very young infant
- tanto
- So much or such a great amount
- trabajo
- Work or effort put into a task
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her'
- había
- Auxiliary verb 'had', past perfect form
- costado
- Cost or taken effort, past participle of costar
- confeccionar
- To make or sew clothing or garments
- servía
- Was useful or served a purpose, imperfect tense
- nada
- Nothing or not at all, negation word
- medias
- Stockings or socks worn on the legs
- tejido
- Knitted fabric or woven textile material
- era
- Was, imperfect tense of 'ser' verb
- suficientemente
- Sufficiently or adequately enough for a purpose
- grande
- Large or big in size or extent
- hijo
- Son or male child of someone
- pudiera
- Could or might be able to, subjunctive form
- meterse
- To put oneself into or get inside something
- dentro
- Inside or within a space or container
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' referring to time
- convenció
- Convinced or persuaded someone of something
- podía
- Could or was able to, imperfect tense
- estar
- To be, used for states or conditions
- igual
- Equal or the same, comparative adjective
- bien
- Well or fine, adverb of manner
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without' lacking something
- cojines
- Cushions or small pillows used for comfort
- pelusa
- Fluff, fuzz, or soft downy material
- cardo
- Thistle plant with prickly leaves and flowers
- eran
- Were, imperfect plural form of 'ser'
- suficientes
- Sufficient or enough, plural adjective form
- mantenerlo
- To keep him warm or maintain his comfort
- abrigado
- Warm or sheltered from cold temperatures
- dejó
- Stopped or left off doing something
- preocuparse
- To worry or be concerned about something
- dijo
- Said or told, preterite tense of 'decir'
- vecinas
- Female neighbors living nearby in a community
- ansiaban
- Longed for or eagerly desired something
- ver
- To see or look at something visually
- pequeña
- Small or little, feminine adjective form
- maravilla
- Wonder or marvel, something amazingly extraordinary
- muy
- Very or extremely, intensifying adverb word
- natural
- Natural or normal, as expected by nature
- sea
- Be, present subjunctive form of 'ser'
- tan
- So or as, used in comparisons of degree
- delicada
- Delicate or fragile, needing gentle careful handling
- desde
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' a point
- llamamos
- We call or name, first person plural present
- además
- Furthermore or besides, additive adverb word
- ni
- Neither or nor, negative conjunction word
- señor
- Mister or sir, masculine title of respect
- somos
- We are, first person plural present of 'ser'
- grandes
- Large or big, plural adjective form
- dicen
- They say or tell, third person plural present
- nuestros
- Our, first person plural possessive adjective
- antepasados
- Ancestors or forebears from previous generations
- constitución
- Constitution or physical build of a person
- aún
- Still or even, adverb emphasizing degree
- más
- More, comparative adverb showing greater degree
- qué
- What, interrogative pronoun used in questions
- hay
- There is or there are, existential verb form
- entonces
- Then or therefore, temporal or logical connector
- esta
- This, demonstrative adjective feminine singular form
- pequeñita
- Very tiny girl, diminutive of pequeña
- diminuta
- Tiny or minuscule, very small in size
- tranquilidad
- Tranquility or calmness, state of being peaceful
- tuvo
- Had, preterite tense of 'tener' verb
- este
- This, masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- buen
- Good, shortened masculine adjective before nouns
- efecto
- Effect or result produced by an action
- apaciguó
- Appeased or calmed down someone's strong emotions
- curiosidad
- Curiosity or strong desire to know something
- vecinos
- Neighbors living nearby, masculine plural noun
- fin
- End or conclusion of something, noun
- llegaron
- They arrived or reached, preterite plural form
- conclusión
- Conclusion or final decision reached after reasoning
- niña
- Girl or young female child
- fuera
- Were or be, past subjunctive form of 'ser'
- madre
- Mother or female parent of a child
- siguió
- Continued or followed, preterite tense of seguir
- curso
- Course or usual progression of events
- habitual
- Habitual or usual, regularly occurring behavior
- alrededor
- Around or surrounding a person or place
- nuestra
- Our, first person plural possessive feminine adjective
- heroína
- Heroine or female protagonist of a story
- mientras
- While or meanwhile, temporal conjunction word
- horas
- Hours, units of time measurement, plural noun
- pasaban
- Passed by, imperfect plural form of pasar
- mecían
- Rocked or swayed gently, imperfect plural form
- suavemente
- Gently or softly, adverb of gentle manner
- entretenía
- Entertained or amused oneself, imperfect tense form
- sonido
- Sound or noise produced by something
- tintín
- Tinkling or jingling sound of a bell
- reloj
- Clock or watch used for measuring time
- plata
- Silver, precious white metal or money
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