← Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice — Page 5

English → Spanish Preface Level 7/10

But if the attempt were made, it would certainly not be hampered by any of those loosenesses of construction, which, sometimes disguised by the conveniences of which the novelist can avail himself, appear at once on the stage._

Pero si se hiciera el intento, ciertamente no se vería obstaculizado por ninguna de esas imprecisiones de construcción que, a veces disimuladas por los recursos de los que el novelista puede valerse, aparecen de inmediato en el escenario.

_I think, however, though the thought will doubtless seem heretical to more than one school of critics, that construction is not the highest merit, the choicest gift, of the novelist.

Sin embargo, creo, aunque el pensamiento sin duda parecerá herético para más de una escuela de críticos, que la construcción no es el mérito más alto, el don más selecto, del novelista.

It sets off his other gifts and graces most advantageously to the critical eye; and the want of it will sometimes mar those graces--appreciably, though not quite consciously--to eyes by no means ultra-critical.

Realza sus otros dones y gracias de manera muy ventajosa ante el ojo crítico; y la falta de ella a veces echará a perder esas gracias —de manera apreciable, aunque no del todo consciente— ante ojos que no son en absoluto ultracríticos.

But a very badly-built novel which excelled in pathetic or humorous character, or which displayed consummate command of dialogue--perhaps the rarest of all faculties--would be an infinitely better thing than a faultless plot acted and told by puppets with pebbles in their mouths.

Pero una novela muy mal construida que sobresaliera en personajes patéticos o humorísticos, o que mostrara un dominio consumado del diálogo —quizás la más rara de todas las facultades— sería algo infinitamente mejor que una trama impecable representada y narrada por títeres con piedrecillas en la boca.

And despite the ability which Miss Austen has shown in working out the story, I for one should put_ Pride and Prejudice _far lower if it did not contain what seem to me the very masterpieces of Miss Austen's humour and of her faculty of character-creation--masterpieces who may indeed admit John Thorpe, the Eltons, Mrs. Norris, and one or two others to their company, but who, in one instance certainly, and perhaps in others, are still superior to them.

Y a pesar de la habilidad que la señorita Austen ha demostrado al desarrollar la trama, yo en particular situaría Orgullo y prejuicio mucho más abajo si no contuviera lo que me parecen las verdaderas obras maestras del humor de la señorita Austen y de su facultad para la creación de personajes —obras maestras que bien pueden admitir en su compañía a John Thorpe, los Elton, la señora Norris y uno o dos más, pero que, en un caso con certeza, y quizás en otros, siguen siendo superiores a ellos.

Vocabulary

Pero
But; however; yet in Spanish sentences.
si
If; conditional conjunction used in clauses.
se
Reflexive pronoun; oneself or impersonal marker.
hiciera
Did; subjunctive past of hacer verb.
el
The; masculine singular article or pronoun.
intento
Attempt; effort or try at something.
ciertamente
Certainly; definitely or without doubt surely.
no
No; not or negation particle.
vería
Would see; conditional form of ver.
obstaculizado
Hindered; obstructed or blocked by obstacles.
por
By; through or for in Spanish.
ninguna
None; not any or no feminine.
de
Of; from or belonging to something.
esas
Those; that feminine plural demonstrative pronoun.
imprecisiones
Imprecisions; lack of clarity or exactness.
construcción
Construction; building or structural composition process.
que
That; which or who relative pronoun.
veces
Times; occasions or instances in plural.
disimuladas
Hidden; concealed or disguised deliberately.
los
The; masculine plural article or pronoun.
recursos
Resources; means or tools available.
novelista
Novelist; writer of novels or fiction.
puede
Can; is able to or may.
valerse
Make use of; employ or utilize.
aparecen
Appear; come into view or emerge.
inmediato
Immediate; direct or without delay happening.
en
In; on or at location preposition.
escenario
Scenario; stage or scene setting area.
Sin
Without; lacking or not having something.
embargo
Embargo; seizure or restriction on trade.
creo
Believe; think or suppose in first person.
aunque
Although; even though or despite.
pensamiento
Thought; thinking or idea in mind.
sin
Without; lacking or not having something.
duda
Doubt; uncertainty or question about something.
parecerá
Will seem; appear or look to.
herético
Heretical; contrary to accepted beliefs or dogma.
para
For; in order to or toward.
más
More; greater in amount or degree.
una
A; one or feminine singular article.
escuela
School; educational institution or group philosophy.
críticos
Critics; those who judge or critique.
la
The; feminine singular article or pronoun.
es
Is; third person singular of ser.
mérito
Merit; worth or deserving quality.
alto
High; tall or of great height.
don
Gift; talent or special ability.
selecto
Select; chosen or picked out specially.
del
Of the; contraction of de and.
Realza
Enhances; makes more prominent or better.
sus
His; her or their possessive pronoun.
otros
Others; other people or different things.
dones
Gifts; talents or special natural abilities.
gracias
Thanks; gratitude or expression of appreciation.
manera
Way; manner or method of doing.
muy
Very; much or to great degree.
ventajosa
Advantageous; favorable or beneficial in outcome.
ante
Before; in front of or facing.
ojo
Eye; organ of sight in body.
crítico
Critical; judging or at critical point.
falta
Lack; absence or shortage of something.
ella
She; feminine third person pronoun.
echará
Will throw; will ruin or lose.
perder
Lose; fail to keep or maintain.
apreciable
Appreciable; considerable or worthy of appreciation.
todo
All; everything or entire amount.
consciente
Conscious; aware or knowing about something.
ojos
Eyes; plural of ojo or sight.
son
Are; third person plural of ser.
absoluto
Absolute; complete or total without qualification.
novela
Novel; long fictional narrative work.
mal
Bad; poorly or in wrong way.
construida
Constructed; built or structured in form.
sobresaliera
Stood out; exceeded or excelled notably.
personajes
Characters; persons in literary or dramatic work.
patéticos
Pathetic; evoking pity or sad emotion.
humorísticos
Humorous; funny or amusing in nature.
mostrara
Showed; displayed or revealed subjunctive.
un
A; one or masculine singular article.
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