Spoon River Anthology — Page 8

English → Spanish Full Text Level 4/10

For the Protestants bought this lot,

Pues los protestantes compraron este terreno,

And buried my body here,

Y enterraron mi cuerpo aquí,

Close to the grave of the banker Nicholas,

Cerca de la tumba del banquero Nicholas,

And of his wife Priscilla.

Y de su esposa Priscilla.

Take note, ye prudent and pious souls,

Tomad nota, almas prudentes y piadosas,

Of the cross—currents in life

De las corrientes cruzadas en la vida

Which bring honor to the dead, who lived in shame

Que traen honra a los muertos, que vivieron en la vergüenza

Harry Carey Goodhue

You never marveled, dullards of Spoon River,

Nunca os maravilló, zoquetes de Spoon River,

When Chase Henry voted against the saloons

Cuando Chase Henry votó contra las tabernas

To revenge himself for being shut off.

Para vengarse por haber sido excluido.

But none of you was keen enough

Pero ninguno de vosotros fue lo bastante perspicaz

To follow my steps, or trace me home

Para seguir mis pasos, o rastrearme hasta casa

As Chase's spiritual brother.

Como el hermano espiritual de Chase.

Do you remember when I fought

¿Recordáis cuando luché

The bank and the courthouse ring,

Contra el banco y la camarilla del juzgado,

For pocketing the interest on public funds?

Por embolsarse los intereses de los fondos públicos?

And when I fought our leading citizens

¿Y cuando luché contra nuestros ciudadanos prominentes

For making the poor the pack-horses of the taxes?

Por hacer de los pobres las bestias de carga de los impuestos?

And when I fought the water works

¿Y cuando luché contra las obras hidráulicas

For stealing streets and raising rates?

Por apropiarse de calles y subir las tarifas?

And when I fought the business men

¿Y cuando luché contra los hombres de negocios

Who fought me in these fights?

Que lucharon contra mí en estas batallas?

Then do you remember:

¿Recordáis entonces:

That staggering up from the wreck of defeat,

Que tambaleándome desde los escombros de la derrota,

And the wreck of a ruined career,

Y los escombros de una carrera arruinada,

I slipped from my cloak my last ideal,

Saqué de entre mi capa mi último ideal,

Hidden from all eyes until then,

Oculto a todos los ojos hasta entonces,

Like the cherished jawbone of an ass,

Como la preciada quijada de un asno,

And smote the bank and the water works,

Y golpeé al banco y a las obras hidráulicas,

And the business men with prohibition,

Y a los hombres de negocios con la prohibición,

And made Spoon River pay the cost

E hice que Spoon River pagara el precio

Of the fights that I had lost.

De las batallas que yo había perdido.

Vocabulary

Pues: Well, then; used as a filler or connector
los: The; definite article for masculine plural nouns
protestantes: Protestants; members of a Protestant Christian denomination
compraron: They bought; past tense of comprar
este: This; demonstrative adjective for masculine singular nouns
terreno: Land, terrain, or plot of ground
Y: And; basic coordinating conjunction
enterraron: They buried; past tense of enterrar
mi: My; first-person singular possessive adjective
cuerpo: Body; the physical form of a person
aquí: Here; indicating this place or location
Cerca: Near, close to; indicating proximity to something
de: Of, from; common preposition indicating origin or belonging
la: The; definite article for feminine singular nouns
tumba: Tomb, grave; a burial place for the dead
del: Of the; contraction of de and el
banquero: Banker; a person who works in banking
su: His, her, their; third-person possessive adjective
esposa: Wife; a married woman in relation to her husband
Tomad: Take note; imperative plural of tomar
nota: Note; a written or mental observation or record
almas: Souls; the spiritual or immaterial part of beings
prudentes: Prudent, wise; showing careful good judgment
y: And; basic coordinating conjunction
piadosas: Pious, devout; showing deep religious reverence
De: Of, from; common preposition indicating origin or belonging
las: The; definite article for feminine plural nouns
corrientes: Currents, streams; flows of water or trends in life
cruzadas: Crossed; past participle of cruzar, meaning to cross
en: In, on; preposition indicating location or time
vida: Life; the state of being alive
Que: That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction
traen: They bring; present tense of traer
honra: Honor, dignity; respect and esteem for someone
a: To, at; preposition indicating direction or recipient
muertos: Dead, the deceased; those who have died
que: That, who; relative pronoun or conjunction
vivieron: They lived; past tense of vivir
vergüenza: Shame, embarrassment; feeling of dishonor or humiliation
Nunca: Never; at no time, not ever
os: You (plural); second-person plural object pronoun
maravilló: Amazed, astonished; past tense of maravillar
zoquetes: Blockheads, dimwits; insulting term for foolish people
Cuando: When; conjunction indicating time of an event
votó: He voted; past tense of votar
contra: Against; preposition indicating opposition
tabernas: Taverns, bars; establishments where alcohol is served
Para: For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose
vengarse: To take revenge; reflexive infinitive of vengar
por: For, because of; preposition indicating cause or exchange
haber: To have; auxiliary verb used in perfect tenses
sido: Been; past participle of ser
excluido: Excluded, left out; past participle of excluir
Pero: But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
ninguno: None, no one; negative indefinite pronoun
vosotros: You all; second-person plural subject pronoun (Spain)
fue: Was, went; past tense of ser or ir
lo: It, the; neuter article or direct object pronoun
bastante: Enough, quite; indicating sufficient quantity or degree
perspicaz: Perceptive, shrewd; having keen insight and judgment
seguir: To follow, to continue; infinitive verb
mis: My; first-person plural possessive adjective
pasos: Steps, footsteps; movements made while walking
o: Or; conjunction indicating an alternative choice
rastrearme: To track me; infinitive of rastrear with pronoun
hasta: Until, up to; preposition indicating limit or extent
casa: House, home; a building where people live
Como: Like, as; conjunction or preposition of comparison
el: The; definite article for masculine singular nouns
hermano: Brother; a male sibling
espiritual: Spiritual; relating to the spirit or religion
Recordáis: Do you remember; second-person plural of recordar
cuando: When; conjunction indicating time of an event
luché: I fought, I struggled; past tense of luchar
Contra: Against; preposition indicating opposition
banco: Bank; a financial institution or a bench
camarilla: Clique, cabal; a small secretive group of influential people
juzgado: Court, courthouse; place where legal judgments are made
Por: For, by; preposition indicating cause, exchange, or agent
embolsarse: To pocket; to take money dishonestly for oneself
intereses: Interests, interest; financial returns or personal concerns
fondos: Funds; money or financial resources set aside
públicos: Public; belonging to or available to everyone
nuestros: Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
ciudadanos: Citizens; members of a city or country legally
prominentes: Prominent, notable; well-known and important in society
hacer: To make, to do; common infinitive verb
pobres: Poor; lacking sufficient money or resources
bestias: Beasts, animals; creatures or brutish people
carga: Load, burden; something heavy to carry or bear
impuestos: Taxes; mandatory payments to the government
obras: Works, projects; construction or artistic works
hidráulicas: Hydraulic; relating to water systems or engineering
apropiarse: To appropriate; to take something for oneself improperly
calles: Streets; public roads in a town or city
subir: To raise, to go up; infinitive meaning to increase
tarifas: Rates, tariffs; fees charged for services or goods
hombres: Men; adult male human beings
negocios: Businesses, dealings; commercial activities or transactions
lucharon: They fought; past tense of luchar
mí: Me; first-person singular pronoun used after prepositions
estas: These; demonstrative adjective for feminine plural nouns
batallas: Battles; fights or struggles between opposing forces
entonces: Then, at that time; adverb indicating a point in time
tambaleándome: Staggering, swaying; gerund of tambalear with pronoun
desde: From, since; preposition indicating starting point
escombros: Rubble, debris; broken remains of a destroyed structure
derrota: Defeat; the loss of a battle or competition
una: A, an; indefinite article for feminine singular nouns
carrera: Career, race; professional life or a competitive race
arruinada: Ruined, destroyed; past participle of arruinar
Saqué: I took out; past tense of sacar
entre: Between, among; preposition indicating a middle position
capa: Layer, cloak; a covering or outer garment
último: Last, final; the most recent or concluding element
ideal: Ideal; a principle or standard considered perfect
Oculto: Hidden, concealed; kept secret from others' view
todos: All, everyone; referring to the totality of people
ojos: Eyes; the organs of sight
preciada: Precious, prized; highly valued or treasured
quijada: Jawbone; the bone forming the lower jaw
un: A, an; indefinite article for masculine singular nouns
asno: Donkey, ass; a stubborn animal or foolish person
golpeé: I struck, I hit; past tense of golpear
al: To the; contraction of a and el
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or instrument
prohibición: Prohibition, ban; an official order forbidding something
E: And; variant of y used before words starting with i
hice: I made, I did; past tense of hacer
pagara: Pay, would pay; past subjunctive of pagar
precio: Price, cost; the amount paid for something
yo: I; first-person singular subject pronoun
había: Had; imperfect tense of haber as auxiliary verb
perdido: Lost; past participle of perder

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