Piccolissima — Page 13
The look, gloomy, and a little sullen, of the fly, recalled somewhat the funny mask of a harlequin, and Piccolissima was on the point of showing how one laughs with the lips, by laughing in the fly's face, when the latter forced air slightly through the breathing holes which open under the wings; the two little double scales, the winglets, which unfold at birth, began to vibrate; and Piccolissima, who just now remarked that this was the method that her new acquaintance took to emit sounds, was eager to listen to what he might say; so she made an effort to command herself, and became serious.
La mirada, sombría y un poco hosca, de la mosca, recordaba en cierto modo la divertida máscara de un arlequín, y Piccolissima estaba a punto de mostrar cómo se ríe con los labios, riendo en la cara de la mosca, cuando esta última forzó el aire levemente a través de los orificios respiratorios que se abren bajo las alas; las dos pequeñas escamas dobles, las alitas, que se despliegan al nacer, comenzaron a vibrar; y Piccolissima, que acababa de notar que este era el método que su nueva conocida empleaba para emitir sonidos, tenía ganas de escuchar lo que pudiera decir; así que hizo un esfuerzo por dominarse, y se puso seria.
"Do you not see, with your dull human intelligence, that my trunk is a pump, a hollow tube, an instrument for sucking which I stretch out and draw in at my pleasure?"
«¿Acaso no ves, con tu torpe inteligencia humana, que mi trompa es una bomba, un tubo hueco, un instrumento para succionar que extiendo y retraigo a mi antojo?»
While speaking thus, the fly thrust half way out from the cavity in the middle of his head, just under his eyes, a trunk with two or three joints in it; at the end was an opening like two black lips, folded over, with grooves or little hollows.
Mientras hablaba así, la mosca sacó a medias, desde la cavidad situada en medio de su cabeza, justo debajo de sus ojos, una trompa con dos o tres segmentos; en el extremo había una abertura semejante a dos labios negros, doblados hacia adentro, con surcos o pequeñas hendiduras.
The fly, thus urged to show the use of his trunk, or, more probably, forgetting the sequel of a discourse upon which he had entered in such a pompous style, flew upon the sugar, and set himself again to sucking it.
La mosca, instada así a mostrar el uso de su trompa, o, más probablemente, olvidando la continuación de un discurso que había comenzado con tan pomposo estilo, voló hacia el azúcar y se puso de nuevo a succionarlo.
Piccolissima again observed the little drops fall which she had noticed before.
Piccolissima observó de nuevo caer las pequeñas gotas que había notado antes.
Vocabulary
- mirada
- Gaze, look, or glance at someone or something
- sombría
- Dark, gloomy, or somber in appearance or mood
- poco
- Small amount, little, or a bit of something
- hosca
- Surly, gruff, or unfriendly in manner or expression
- mosca
- Fly, the common insect with wings and legs
- recordaba
- Remembered or recalled something from the past
- cierto
- Certain, sure, or a specific thing understood
- modo
- Manner, way, or method of doing something
- divertida
- Amusing, entertaining, or fun and enjoyable
- máscara
- Mask worn on face for disguise or protection
- arlequín
- Harlequin, comic character from commedia dell'arte tradition
- estaba
- Was in a specific place, condition, or state
- punto
- Point, dot, or moment when something occurs
- mostrar
- To show, display, or reveal something to someone
- ríe
- Laughs or expresses joy through vocal expression
- labios
- Lips, the fleshy parts surrounding the mouth opening
- riendo
- Laughing or expressing amusement in present participle form
- cara
- Face, the front of head with features
- última
- Last, final, or most recent in a sequence
- forzó
- Forced, compelled, or used strength to make happen
- aire
- Air, the invisible gas we breathe every day
- levemente
- Lightly, gently, or in a subtle manner
- través
- Through, across, or by means of something
- orificios
- Openings, holes, or apertures in a surface
- respiratorios
- Related to breathing or the respiratory system
- abren
- Open or create an opening in something
- bajo
- Under, beneath, or below something else
- alas
- Wings of birds, insects, or aircraft appendages
- pequeñas
- Small, tiny, or of little size or importance
- escamas
- Scales, small overlapping plates on fish or reptiles
- dobles
- Double, twice the size or amount of something
- alitas
- Little wings or small wing-like structures or appendages
- despliegan
- Display, unfold, or spread out in full view
- nacer
- To be born or come into existence
- comenzaron
- Began, started, or commenced something at a point
- vibrar
- To vibrate, shake, or oscillate rapidly
- acababa
- Had just finished or recently completed something
- notar
- To notice, observe, or detect something with senses
- era
- Was in past tense for permanent or habitual state
- método
- Method, system, or organized way of doing things
- nueva
- New, recently made or recently encountered for first
- conocida
- Known, acquainted, or familiar woman or female person
- empleaba
- Employed, used, or put into service regularly
- emitir
- To emit, send out, or broadcast something
- sonidos
- Sounds, noises, or vibrations perceived by hearing
- tenía
- Had or possessed something in past tense
- ganas
- Desires, wishes, or inclinations to do something
- escuchar
- To listen, hear, or pay attention to something
- pudiera
- Could or might be able to do something
- decir
- To say, tell, or speak words or language
- así
- Thus, so, or in that manner or way
- hizo
- Made, did, or performed an action or task
- esfuerzo
- Effort, attempt, or exertion to accomplish something
- dominarse
- To control oneself or master one's emotions
- puso
- Put, placed, or set something in position
- seria
- Serious, grave, or solemn in demeanor or expression
- Acaso
- Perhaps, maybe, or by chance possibly true
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