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Pride and Prejudice — Page 5

English → Pt 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._

Mas se a tentativa fosse feita, certamente não seria prejudicada por nenhuma daquelas frouxidões de construção que, às vezes disfarçadas pelas conveniências das quais o romancista pode se valer, aparecem imediatamente no palco.

_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.

Penso, no entanto, embora o pensamento pareça sem dúvida herético para mais de uma escola de críticos, que a construção não é o maior mérito, o dom mais precioso, do romancista.

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.

Ela realça seus outros dons e graças da maneira mais vantajosa aos olhos críticos; e a falta dela às vezes prejudicará essas graças — de forma apreciável, embora não totalmente consciente — aos olhos de modo algum 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.

Mas um romance muito mal construído que se destacasse no caráter patético ou humorístico, ou que exibisse um domínio consumado do diálogo — talvez a mais rara de todas as faculdades — seria uma coisa infinitamente melhor do que um enredo sem falhas encenado e narrado por fantoches com pedras na 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.

E apesar da habilidade que a Srta. Austen demonstrou ao desenvolver a história, eu, por minha parte, colocaria Orgulho e Preconceito muito mais abaixo se ele não contivesse o que me parecem ser as verdadeiras obras-primas do humor da Srta. Austen e de sua faculdade de criação de personagens — obras-primas que podem de fato admitir em sua companhia John Thorpe, os Elton, a Sra. Norris e um ou dois outros, mas que, em um caso certamente, e talvez em outros, ainda lhes são superiores.

Vocabulary

Mas
But; however; yet
se
If; whether; reflexive pronoun
tentativa
Attempt; effort; try
fosse
Were; subjunctive past of ser
feita
Made; done; feminine past participle
certamente
Certainly; surely; definitely
não
Not; no; negation
seria
Would be; conditional of ser
prejudicada
Harmed; damaged; feminine adjective
por
By; through; for; per
nenhuma
None; no; not any; feminine
de
Of; from; belonging to
construção
Construction; building; structure
que
That; which; what; who
às
To the; at the; feminine plural
vezes
Times; occasions; sometimes
disfarçadas
Disguised; hidden; masked; feminine
pelas
By the; through the; feminine plural
das
Of the; from the; feminine plural
quais
Which; of which; plural
romancista
Novelist; writer of novels
pode
Can; is able to; may
valer
To be worth; to avail oneself
aparecem
Appear; come into view; show up
imediatamente
Immediately; directly; at once
no
In the; on the; masculine singular
palco
Stage; platform; theater stage
Penso
I think; I believe; I consider
entanto
However; meanwhile; in the meantime
embora
Although; though; even if
pensamento
Thought; thinking; idea; opinion
pareça
May seem; appears; subjunctive of parecer
sem
Without; lacking; devoid of
dúvida
Doubt; uncertainty; question
para
For; to; in order to
mais
More; most; plus; additional
uma
A; an; one; feminine singular
escola
School; group; movement; style
críticos
Critics; critical; masculine plural
maior
Greater; larger; bigger; older
mérito
Merit; worth; value; distinction
dom
Gift; talent; ability; title
precioso
Precious; valuable; highly esteemed
do
Of the; from the; masculine
Ela
She; her; feminine third person
realça
Highlights; enhances; brings out
seus
His; her; your; possessive plural
outros
Other; others; different; plural
dons
Gifts; talents; abilities; plural
graças
Thanks; graces; thanks to
da
Of the; from the; feminine
maneira
Way; manner; method; fashion
aos
To the; at the; masculine plural
olhos
Eyes; view; opinion; sight
falta
Lack; absence; shortage; fault
dela
Of her; from her; her own
prejudicará
Will harm; will damage; will injure
essas
Those; these; feminine plural
forma
Form; shape; manner; way
totalmente
Totally; completely; entirely; wholly
consciente
Conscious; aware; knowing; mindful
modo
Mode; manner; way; style
algum
Some; any; a certain; masculine
um
A; an; one; masculine singular
romance
Novel; romance; love story; fiction
muito
Much; very; a lot; greatly
mal
Badly; poorly; evil; harm
construído
Constructed; built; masculine past participle
destacasse
Stood out; would stand out; subjunctive
caráter
Character; nature; personality; trait
patético
Pathetic; pitiful; touching; emotional
ou
Or; either; neither; disjunction
humorístico
Humorous; comical; funny; witty
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