← Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice — Page 14

English → Spanish Preface Level 7/10

The goodness of the minor characters in Pride and Prejudice has been already alluded to, and it makes a detailed dwelling on their beauties difficult in any space, and impossible in this.

La bondad de los personajes secundarios en Orgullo y prejuicio ya ha sido mencionada, y hace que detenerse en detalle en sus virtudes sea difícil en cualquier espacio, e imposible en este.

Mrs. Bennet we have glanced at, and it is not easy to say whether she is more exquisitely amusing or more horribly true.

A la señora Bennet ya le hemos echado un vistazo, y no es fácil decir si resulta más exquisitamente divertida o más horriblemente veraz.

Much the same may be said of Kitty and Lydia; but it is not every author, even of genius, who would have differentiated with such unerring skill the effects of folly and vulgarity of intellect and disposition working upon the common weaknesses of woman at such different ages.

Algo muy parecido puede decirse de Kitty y Lydia; pero no todo autor, ni siquiera el de genio, habría diferenciado con tan infalible destreza los efectos de la necedad y la vulgaridad de intelecto y carácter actuando sobre las debilidades comunes de la mujer en edades tan distintas.

With Mary, Miss Austen has taken rather less pains, though she has been even more unkind to her; not merely in the text, but, as we learn from those interesting traditional appendices which Mr. Austen Leigh has given us, in dooming her privately to marry "one of Mr. Philips's clerks."

Con Mary, la señorita Austen se ha esmerado bastante menos, aunque ha sido incluso más cruel con ella; no solo en el texto, sino también, como sabemos por esos interesantes apéndices tradicionales que nos ha proporcionado el señor Austen Leigh, al condenarla en privado a casarse con «uno de los empleados del señor Philips».

The habits of first copying and then retailing moral sentiments, of playing and singing too long in public, are, no doubt, grievous and criminal; but perhaps poor Mary was rather the scapegoat of the sins of blue stockings in that Fordyce-belectured generation.

Los hábitos de copiar primero y luego difundir sentencias morales, de tocar y cantar demasiado tiempo en público, son, sin duda, graves y censurables; pero quizás la pobre Mary fue más bien el chivo expiatorio de los pecados de las marisabidillas en aquella generación aleccionada por Fordyce.

It is at any rate difficult not to extend to her a share of the respect and affection (affection and respect of a peculiar kind; doubtless), with which one regards Mr. Collins, when she draws the moral of Lydia's fall.

En cualquier caso, es difícil no hacerle extensible una parte del respeto y el afecto (afecto y respeto de una índole peculiar, sin duda) con que uno considera al señor Collins, cuando ella extrae la moraleja de la caída de Lydia.

Vocabulary

bondad
Goodness or kindness as a personal quality.
personajes
Characters in a story, novel, or play.
secundarios
Secondary or supporting, not the main focus.
Orgullo
Pride, as in the novel title Pride and Prejudice.
prejuicio
Prejudice or bias against someone or something.
ya
Already, now, or soon depending on context.
mencionada
Mentioned or referred to previously.
detenerse
To stop or pause, often to examine something.
detalle
A detail or specific particular of something.
virtudes
Virtues or morally positive qualities of a person.
difícil
Difficult or hard to accomplish or understand.
cualquier
Any, used before a noun regardless of gender.
espacio
Space, room, or a designated area for something.
imposible
Impossible; not able to be done or achieved.
señora
Mrs. or madam; respectful title for a woman.
echado
Past participle of echar; thrown or cast.
vistazo
A quick look or glance at something.
fácil
Easy; not requiring much effort or skill.
decir
To say or to tell someone something.
resulta
Turns out or results in a particular way.
exquisitamente
Exquisitely; in a supremely refined or perfect manner.
divertida
Amusing or entertaining; fun to be around.
horriblemente
Horribly; in a dreadful or terrible manner.
veraz
Truthful or accurate in depicting reality.
Algo
Something or somewhat; indefinite pronoun or adverb.
parecido
Similar or resembling something or someone else.
decirse
To be said; reflexive form of decir.
autor
Author; person who writes books or literary works.
ni
Neither, nor; negative conjunction linking elements.
siquiera
Even; used to emphasize minimum expectation.
genio
Genius; person of exceptional intellectual ability.
diferenciado
Differentiated or distinguished between separate things.
infalible
Infallible; never making mistakes or errors.
destreza
Skill or dexterity in performing a task.
efectos
Effects or results produced by a cause.
necedad
Foolishness or stupidity in behavior or thought.
vulgaridad
Vulgarity; crude or coarse behavior and manners.
intelecto
Intellect; the capacity for rational thought.
carácter
Character; the mental and moral qualities of a person.
actuando
Acting or operating; present participle of actuar.
debilidades
Weaknesses or failings of a person's character.
comunes
Common or shared among many people or things.
mujer
Woman; an adult female human being.
edades
Ages; the number of years a person has lived.
distintas
Different or distinct from one another.
señorita
Miss; respectful title for an unmarried woman.
esmerado
Careful or meticulous; taken great pains with something.
bastante
Quite, fairly, or enough; indicating sufficient degree.
menos
Less or fewer; comparative of quantity or degree.
aunque
Although or even though; concessive conjunction.
incluso
Even or including; used to emphasize addition.
cruel
Cruel; causing pain or suffering without remorse.
texto
Text; written content of a book or document.
sino
But rather; corrective conjunction replacing negated element.
interesantes
Interesting; arousing curiosity or holding attention.
apéndices
Appendices; supplementary sections at end of a book.
tradicionales
Traditional; following long-established customs or practices.
proporcionado
Provided or supplied; past participle of proporcionar.
señor
Mr. or sir; respectful title for a man.
condenarla
To condemn her; sentence her to a fate.
privado
Private or deprived; kept from having something.
casarse
To get married; reflexive form of casar.
empleados
Employees or clerks working for a business.
hábitos
Habits; regular tendencies or practices of behavior.
copiar
To copy or reproduce something from a source.
primero
First; occurring before all others in order.
luego
Then or later; indicating temporal sequence.
difundir
To spread or disseminate information or ideas broadly.
sentencias
Maxims or moral sentences expressing wisdom.
morales
Moral; relating to principles of right and wrong.
tocar
To play a musical instrument or touch something.
cantar
To sing; producing musical sounds with the voice.
demasiado
Too much; exceeding what is appropriate or necessary.
tiempo
Time or weather; a fundamental concept of duration.
público
Public or audience; people gathered to watch something.
sin
Without; preposition indicating absence of something.
duda
Doubt; uncertainty about something being true.
graves
Serious or grave; indicating great severity or importance.
censurables
Blameworthy or deserving of censure and criticism.
quizás
Perhaps or maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility.
pobre
Poor; lacking money or deserving of sympathy.
chivo
Goat; animal also used in 'scapegoat' expression.
expiatorio
Expiatory; serving to atone for sins of others.
pecados
Sins; moral transgressions against ethical or religious law.
marisabidillas
Know-it-alls; women who display excessive pedantic learning.
aquella
That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective, distant reference.
generación
Generation; all people born and living at similar time.
aleccionada
Lectured or instructed; taught moral lessons repeatedly.
caso
Case or instance; a particular situation or scenario.
extensible
Extendable; capable of being extended or applied broadly.
parte
Part or portion of a whole thing.
respeto
Respect; regard for the feelings and rights of others.
afecto
Affection; a gentle feeling of fondness or liking.
índole
Nature or kind; the inherent character of something.
peculiar
Peculiar or particular; distinctive in an unusual way.
considera
Considers; third-person singular of considerar.
extrae
Extracts or draws out; third-person singular of extraer.
moraleja
Moral lesson drawn from a story or event.
caída
Fall or downfall; a drop or loss of status.
← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →