Piccolissima — Page 11
replied Piccolissima, with an air which probably appeared to the fly not very sensible; for, shrugging up his right wing disdainfully, he returned to his sugar candy.
respondió Piccolissima, con un aire que probablemente le pareció a la mosca poco razonable; pues, encogiéndose desdeñosamente su ala derecha, volvió a su azúcar cande.
After a little reflection, she looked down again, and perceived, to her great astonishment, upon the stick of candy, which was of an amber color, a drop of water.
Después de reflexionar un momento, volvió a mirar hacia abajo y percibió, para su gran asombro, sobre el palito de caramelo, que era de color ámbar, una gota de agua.
She was sure, however, that she had done the civil thing to the flies, and given it to them first.
Sin embargo, estaba segura de haber tenido la cortesía debida con las moscas, y de habérselo ofrecido primero a ellas.
How, then, was the candy moist? thought she; but she did not dare again to ask questions which excited such a rude buzzing in reply.
¿Cómo, entonces, estaba húmedo el caramelo? pensó; pero no se atrevió de nuevo a hacer preguntas que provocaban un zumbido tan grosero como respuesta.
So she rested her two little elbows on her knees, and her small head upon one of her hands, and continued to examine the fly.
Así que apoyó sus dos pequeños codos sobre las rodillas, y su pequeña cabeza sobre una de sus manos, y continuó examinando a la mosca.
"Is it his nose?" said she, in a low voice, (for, having very rarely any one to talk with, she had a habit of talking to herself,) "is it his nose that he stretches out thus upon my sugar?
«¿Es su nariz?» dijo en voz baja, (pues, al tener muy raramente a alguien con quien hablar, tenía el hábito de hablar consigo misma,) «¿es su nariz lo que estira así sobre mi azúcar?
I have heard papa say that there are animals, much larger than he, and which they call elephants, I think, who take up with their noses all the food they put in their mouths, and that they call this nose a trunk.
He oído decir a papá que existen animales mucho más grandes que él, a los que llaman elefantes, creo, que recogen con sus narices todo el alimento que se llevan a la boca, y que a esa nariz la llaman trompa.
Perhaps this is a little person of the family of elephants."
Quizás este es un pequeño ser de la familia de los elefantes.»
Piccolissima had hardly uttered these words, when the fly, whose antennae were longer than usual, and were turned towards the little prattler, gave such a leap that Mademoiselle Tom Thumb trembled.
Piccolissima apenas había pronunciado estas palabras, cuando la mosca, cuyas antenas eran más largas de lo habitual y estaban dirigidas hacia la pequeña cháchara, dio tal salto que Mademoiselle Pulgarcita tembló.
Vocabulary
- respondió
- Third person singular preterite of 'responder'; replied
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- aire
- Noun meaning 'air' or 'manner, attitude'
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- probablemente
- Adverb meaning 'probably, most likely'
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him, to her'
- pareció
- Third person singular preterite of 'parecer'; seemed
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- la
- Feminine definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'
- mosca
- Noun meaning 'fly', a small winged insect
- poco
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little, not much'
- razonable
- Adjective meaning 'reasonable, sensible, fair'
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'well, then, since, because'
- encogiéndose
- Reflexive gerund of 'encoger'; shrugging or shrinking oneself
- desdeñosamente
- Adverb meaning 'disdainfully, scornfully, contemptuously'
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his, her, its, their'
- ala
- Noun meaning 'wing' of a bird or insect
- derecha
- Noun or adjective meaning 'right side' or 'right'
- volvió
- Third person singular preterite of 'volver'; returned, turned back
- azúcar
- Noun meaning 'sugar', a sweet crystalline substance
- Después
- Adverb meaning 'after, afterwards, then'
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- reflexionar
- Verb meaning 'to reflect, to think carefully about something'
- momento
- Noun meaning 'moment, instant, brief period of time'
- mirar
- Verb meaning 'to look at, to watch, to observe'
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward, towards, in the direction of'
- abajo
- Adverb meaning 'down, below, downward'
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- percibió
- Third person singular preterite of 'percibir'; perceived, noticed
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for, in order to, toward'
- gran
- Adjective meaning 'great, big, large'
- asombro
- Noun meaning 'astonishment, amazement, great surprise'
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on, over, above, about'
- el
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
- palito
- Diminutive noun meaning 'little stick, small stick'
- caramelo
- Noun meaning 'candy, caramel, sweet confection'
- era
- Third person singular imperfect of 'ser'; was, used to be
- color
- Noun meaning 'color, hue, shade'
- ámbar
- Noun meaning 'amber', a golden-yellow fossilized resin
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a, an, one'
- gota
- Noun meaning 'drop', small amount of liquid
- agua
- Noun meaning 'water', essential clear liquid
- Sin
- Preposition meaning 'without, lacking'
- embargo
- Noun used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however, nevertheless'
- estaba
- Third person singular imperfect of 'estar'; was (temporary state)
- segura
- Adjective meaning 'sure, certain, safe, confident'
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' used in perfect tenses
- tenido
- Past participle of 'tener'; had, held
- cortesía
- Noun meaning 'courtesy, politeness, good manners'
- debida
- Adjective meaning 'due, proper, appropriate, owed'
- las
- Feminine plural definite article meaning 'the'
- moscas
- Plural noun meaning 'flies', small flying insects
- ofrecido
- Past participle of 'ofrecer'; offered, presented
- primero
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'first, firstly'
- ellas
- Third person plural feminine pronoun meaning 'they, them'
- Cómo
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'how'
- entonces
- Adverb meaning 'then, at that time, therefore'
- húmedo
- Adjective meaning 'humid, damp, moist, wet'
- pensó
- Third person singular preterite of 'pensar'; thought
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but, however, yet'
- no
- Adverb meaning 'no, not'
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself, herself, itself, themselves'
- atrevió
- Third person singular preterite of 'atreverse'; dared
- nuevo
- Adjective meaning 'new'; in 'de nuevo' means 'again'
- hacer
- Verb meaning 'to do, to make'
- preguntas
- Plural noun meaning 'questions, inquiries'
- provocaban
- Third person plural imperfect of 'provocar'; provoked, caused
- zumbido
- Noun meaning 'buzz, hum, buzzing sound'
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so, such, as'
- grosero
- Adjective meaning 'rude, coarse, vulgar, impolite'
- como
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as, like, how'
- respuesta
- Noun meaning 'answer, reply, response'
- Así
- Adverb meaning 'so, thus, in this way, therefore'
- apoyó
- Third person singular preterite of 'apoyar'; rested, leaned, supported
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his, her, their, its' (plural)
- dos
- Number meaning 'two'
- pequeños
- Plural adjective meaning 'small, little, tiny'
- codos
- Plural noun meaning 'elbows'
- rodillas
- Plural noun meaning 'knees'
- pequeña
- Feminine adjective meaning 'small, little, tiny'
- cabeza
- Noun meaning 'head', upper part of the body
- manos
- Plural noun meaning 'hands'
- continuó
- Third person singular preterite of 'continuar'; continued
- examinando
- Gerund of 'examinar'; examining, inspecting carefully
- Es
- Third person singular present of 'ser'; is
- nariz
- Noun meaning 'nose', the facial organ of smell
- dijo
- Third person singular preterite of 'decir'; said, told
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in, on, at'
- voz
- Noun meaning 'voice, sound produced by speaking'
- baja
- Adjective meaning 'low, soft'; 'en voz baja' means 'in a low voice'
- al
- Contraction of 'a' + 'el' meaning 'to the'
- tener
- Verb meaning 'to have, to hold, to possess'
- muy
- Adverb meaning 'very, quite'
- raramente
- Adverb meaning 'rarely, seldom, hardly ever'
- alguien
- Pronoun meaning 'someone, somebody, anyone'
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who, whom'
- hablar
- Verb meaning 'to speak, to talk'
- tenía
- Third person singular imperfect of 'tener'; had, used to have
- hábito
- Noun meaning 'habit, custom, regular practice'
- consigo
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'with herself, with himself, with oneself'
- misma
- Pronoun or adjective meaning 'herself, same, very'
- es
- Third person singular present of 'ser'; is
- lo
- Direct object pronoun or neuter article meaning 'it, him, the'
- estira
- Third person singular present of 'estirar'; stretches out
- así
- Adverb meaning 'like this, in this way, thus'
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my'
- He
- First person singular present of 'haber'; I have (auxiliary)
- oído
- Past participle of 'oír'; heard; also noun meaning 'ear, hearing'
- decir
- Verb meaning 'to say, to tell'
- papá
- Noun meaning 'dad, father, papa'
- existen
- Third person plural present of 'existir'; exist, there are
- animales
- Plural noun meaning 'animals, living creatures'
- mucho
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'much, a lot, many'
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more, most'
- grandes
- Plural adjective meaning 'big, large, great'
- él
- Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- los
- Masculine plural definite article or pronoun meaning 'the, them'
- llaman
- Third person plural present of 'llamar'; call, name, refer to
- elefantes
- Plural noun meaning 'elephants', large gray mammals
- creo
- First person singular present of 'creer'; I believe, I think
- recogen
- Third person plural present of 'recoger'; gather, pick up, collect
- narices
- Plural noun meaning 'noses'
- todo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all, every, everything'
- alimento
- Noun meaning 'food, nourishment, sustenance'
- llevan
- Third person plural present of 'llevar'; carry, take, bring
- boca
- Noun meaning 'mouth'
- esa
- Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'that' (feminine)
- trompa
- Noun meaning 'trunk' of an elephant or 'snout'
- Quizás
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps, maybe, possibly'
- este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (masculine)
- pequeño
- Adjective meaning 'small, little, tiny'
- ser
- Noun meaning 'being, creature'; also verb 'to be'
- familia
- Noun meaning 'family, relatives, kin'
- apenas
- Adverb meaning 'hardly, scarcely, barely, just'
- había
- Third person singular imperfect of 'haber'; had (auxiliary)
- pronunciado
- Past participle of 'pronunciar'; pronounced, uttered, spoken
- estas
- Feminine plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'these'
- palabras
- Plural noun meaning 'words'
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
- cuyas
- Relative possessive pronoun meaning 'whose' (feminine plural)
- antenas
- Plural noun meaning 'antennae', sensory appendages of insects
- eran
- Third person plural imperfect of 'ser'; were
- largas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'long'
- habitual
- Adjective meaning 'habitual, usual, customary, normal'
- estaban
- Third person plural imperfect of 'estar'; were (temporary state)
- dirigidas
- Past participle of 'dirigir'; directed, aimed, turned toward
- cháchara
- Noun meaning 'chatter, idle talk, babble'
- dio
- Third person singular preterite of 'dar'; gave, made (a leap)
- tal
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'such, such a, so great'
- salto
- Noun meaning 'jump, leap, bound'
- tembló
- Third person singular preterite of 'temblar'; trembled, shook
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