Sense and Sensibility — Page 2

English → Spanish CHAPTER II. Level 7/10

And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount.

Y qué derecho podían tener las señoritas Dashwood, que estaban emparentadas con él solo por medio de sangre, lo cual ella consideraba que no era ningún parentesco en absoluto, sobre su generosidad en una cantidad tan grande.

It was very well known that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters?

Era de todos bien sabido que nunca se suponía que existiera afecto alguno entre los hijos de un hombre de diferentes matrimonios; ¿y por qué habría de arruinarse a sí mismo, y a su pobre pequeño Harry, regalando todo su dinero a sus medias hermanas?

"It was my father's last request to me," replied her husband, "that I should assist his widow and daughters."

«Fue el último ruego de mi padre hacia mí», respondió su marido, «que yo debía ayudar a su viuda e hijas».

"He did not know what he was talking of, I dare say; ten to one but he was light-headed at the time.

«No sabía de lo que hablaba, me atrevo a decir; lo más probable es que estuviera con la cabeza trastornada en ese momento.

Had he been in his right senses, he could not have thought of such a thing as begging you to give away half your fortune from your own child."

De haber estado en su sano juicio, no se le habría ocurrido semejante cosa como pedirte que regalaras la mitad de tu fortuna quitándosela a tu propio hijo».

"He did not stipulate for any particular sum, my dear Fanny; he only requested me, in general terms, to assist them, and make their situation more comfortable than it was in his power to do.

«No estipuló ninguna suma en particular, mi querida Fanny; solo me pidió, en términos generales, que las ayudara y que hiciera su situación más llevadera de lo que a él le había sido posible hacer.

Perhaps it would have been as well if he had left it wholly to myself.

Quizás hubiera sido igual de bien si me lo hubiera dejado enteramente a mi criterio.

He could hardly suppose I should neglect them.

Difícilmente podría suponer que yo fuera a descuidarlas.

But as he required the promise, I could not do less than give it; at least I thought so at the time.

Pero como él exigió la promesa, no podía hacer menos que dársela; al menos así lo pensé en ese momento.

The promise, therefore, was given, and must be performed.

La promesa, por lo tanto, fue dada, y debe cumplirse.

Vocabulary

qué: Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'.
derecho: Right, entitlement, or legal claim to something.
podían: Third person plural imperfect of 'poder', meaning 'they could'.
tener: To have or possess something.
señoritas: Young women or unmarried ladies, polite title.
estaban: Third person plural imperfect of 'estar', meaning 'they were'.
emparentadas: Related by family ties or kinship.
solo: Only, alone, or solely.
medio: Middle, means, or half of something.
sangre: Blood, referring to biological or family connection.
cual: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who'.
consideraba: Imperfect tense of 'considerar', meaning 'she considered'.
ningún: Adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any', used before masculine nouns.
parentesco: Kinship or family relationship between people.
absoluto: Absolute, total, or complete; used in 'en absoluto' meaning 'not at all'.
sobre: Preposition meaning 'about', 'on', or 'over'.
generosidad: Generosity, the quality of being giving and kind.
cantidad: Quantity or amount of something.
tan: Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such', indicating degree.
grande: Large, big, or great in size or importance.
todos: Everyone, all, referring to a group of people or things.
bien: Well, good, or properly; common adverb of manner.
sabido: Past participle of 'saber', meaning 'known'.
nunca: Never, at no time, negating frequency.
suponía: Imperfect of 'suponer', meaning 'it was supposed' or 'assumed'.
existiera: Subjunctive of 'existir', meaning 'that there existed'.
afecto: Affection, warmth, or emotional fondness toward someone.
alguno: Some, any, or a certain one; indefinite adjective or pronoun.
entre: Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'.
hijos: Children or sons of a family.
hombre: Man, adult male person.
diferentes: Different, various, or distinct from one another.
matrimonios: Marriages or weddings; unions between two people.
habría: Conditional of 'haber', meaning 'there would be'.
arruinarse: To ruin oneself financially or destroy one's own prospects.
sí: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'oneself'.
mismo: Same, self, or himself; used for emphasis.
pobre: Poor, lacking money or unfortunate in circumstances.
pequeño: Small, little, or young in size or age.
regalando: Gerund of 'regalar', meaning 'giving away as a gift'.
todo: All, everything, the whole amount.
dinero: Money, currency used for financial transactions.
medias: Half; in 'medias hermanas' means half-sisters.
hermanas: Sisters, female siblings of the same family.
Fue: Preterite of 'ser' or 'ir', meaning 'it was' or 'he went'.
último: Last, final, most recent in a sequence.
ruego: Request, plea, or earnest entreaty made to someone.
padre: Father, male parent of a child.
hacia: Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'towards'.
respondió: Preterite of 'responder', meaning 'he/she responded'.
marido: Husband, a woman's male spouse.
debía: Imperfect of 'deber', meaning 'I/he/she should' or 'owed'.
ayudar: To help or assist someone in need.
viuda: Widow, a woman whose husband has died.
e: Variant of 'y' (and) used before words starting with 'i' or 'hi'.
hijas: Daughters, female children of a parent.
sabía: Imperfect of 'saber', meaning 'he/she knew'.
hablaba: Imperfect of 'hablar', meaning 'he/she was speaking'.
atrevo: First person singular of 'atreverse', meaning 'I dare'.
decir: To say or to tell something to someone.
más: More, additional, or a greater degree of something.
probable: Probable, likely to happen or be true.
estuviera: Imperfect subjunctive of 'estar', meaning 'he/she were'.
cabeza: Head, the uppermost body part; also mind or thinking.
trastornada: Disturbed, confused, or mentally unsettled.
ese: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (nearby).
momento: Moment, a brief period of time.
haber: To have, used as auxiliary verb in compound tenses.
estado: Past participle of 'estar', meaning 'been'; also 'state'.
sano: Healthy, sound, or in good mental or physical condition.
juicio: Judgment, sanity, or legal trial; good sense.
ocurrido: Past participle of 'ocurrir', meaning 'occurred' or 'happened'.
semejante: Such, similar, or of the same kind.
cosa: Thing, object, or matter of any kind.
como: Like, as, or how; conjunction of comparison or manner.
pedirte: To ask you; infinitive 'pedir' with clitic 'te' attached.
regalaras: Imperfect subjunctive of 'regalar', meaning 'that you give away'.
mitad: Half, one of two equal parts of something.
fortuna: Fortune, wealth, or one's financial assets.
quitándosela: Taking it away from him/her; gerund with pronouns attached.
propio: Own, belonging to oneself; also 'proper' or 'very'.
hijo: Son or child of a parent.
estipuló: Preterite of 'estipular', meaning 'he/she stipulated or specified'.
ninguna: No, not any; feminine form of 'ningún'.
suma: Sum, amount of money, or total quantity.
particular: Particular, specific, or individual; also private.
querida: Dear, beloved; affectionate form of address.
pidió: Preterite of 'pedir', meaning 'he/she asked for' or 'requested'.
términos: Terms, conditions, or expressions used in an agreement.
generales: General, broad, not specific; plural of 'general'.
ayudara: Imperfect subjunctive of 'ayudar', meaning 'that he/she help'.
hiciera: Imperfect subjunctive of 'hacer', meaning 'that he/she make'.
situación: Situation, circumstances, or condition someone is in.
llevadera: Bearable, tolerable, manageable in difficult circumstances.
había: Imperfect of 'haber', meaning 'there was' or 'had'.
sido: Past participle of 'ser', meaning 'been'.
posible: Possible, capable of happening or being done.
hacer: To do or to make something.
Quizás: Perhaps, maybe; expressing possibility or uncertainty.
hubiera: Imperfect subjunctive of 'haber', used in hypothetical clauses.
igual: Equal, same, or likewise; expressing similarity.
si: Conditional conjunction meaning 'if'.
dejado: Past participle of 'dejar', meaning 'left' or 'allowed'.
enteramente: Entirely, completely, wholly without reservation.
criterio: Criterion, judgment, or standard used to make decisions.
Difícilmente: Hardly, with difficulty, or scarcely possible.
podría: Conditional of 'poder', meaning 'could' or 'would be able to'.
suponer: To suppose, assume, or presume something to be true.
fuera: Imperfect subjunctive of 'ser' or 'ir', meaning 'were' or 'went'.
descuidarlas: To neglect them; infinitive 'descuidar' with feminine object pronoun.
Pero: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting idea.
exigió: Preterite of 'exigir', meaning 'he/she demanded or required'.
promesa: Promise, a commitment made to do something.
podía: Imperfect of 'poder', meaning 'I/he/she could'.
menos: Less, fewer, or minus; opposite of 'más'.
dársela: To give it to him/her; infinitive 'dar' with pronouns attached.
así: Thus, so, in this way or manner.
pensé: Preterite of 'pensar', meaning 'I thought'.
tanto: So much, as much, or to such a degree.
fue: Preterite of 'ser' or 'ir', meaning 'was' or 'went'.
dada: Past participle of 'dar', meaning 'given'.
debe: Third person singular present of 'deber', meaning 'must' or 'should'.
cumplirse: To be fulfilled or kept; reflexive infinitive of 'cumplir'.

← Previous Next →

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

Create free account →