← The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 2

English → Spanish CHAPTER I Level 5/10

"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What _is_ that truck?"

"¡Nada! Mira tus manos. Y mira tu boca. ¿Qué _es_ esa porquería?"

"I don't know, aunt."

"No lo sé, tía."

"Well, I know. It's jam—that's what it is. Forty times I've said if you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."

"Pues yo sí lo sé. Es mermelada, eso es lo que es. Cuarenta veces he dicho que si no dejabas esa mermelada en paz, te iba a despellejar. Tráeme esa vara."

The switch hovered in the air—the peril was desperate—

La vara se agitó en el aire; el peligro era desesperado.

"My! Look behind you, aunt!"

"¡Vaya! ¡Mira detrás de ti, tía!"

The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger.

La anciana se dio la vuelta de golpe y apartó sus faldas del peligro.

The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board-fence, and disappeared over it.

El muchacho huyó al instante, trepó por la alta valla de tablas y desapareció al otro lado.

His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.

Su tía Polly se quedó sorprendida un momento y luego soltó una suave carcajada.

"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says.

"Maldito chico, ¿es que no aprendo nunca? ¿Acaso no me ha jugado ya suficientes trucos como ese para que yo esté pendiente de él a estas alturas? Pero los viejos tontos son los más tontos de todos. A perro viejo no hay quien le enseñe trucos nuevos, como dice el refrán. Pero Dios mío, nunca los hace igual dos días seguidos, ¿y cómo va a saber uno lo que se le viene encima? Parece saber exactamente cuánto tiempo puede atormentarme antes de que se me acabe la paciencia, y sabe que si logra distraerme un momento o hacerme reír, todo se acabó y no puedo darle ni un golpe. No estoy cumpliendo con mi deber para con ese chico, y esa es la pura verdad de Dios, que el Señor me perdone. Quien bien te quiere te hará llorar, como dice el Buen Libro."

Vocabulary

Nada: Nothing; not anything at all.
Mira: Look; imperative form of mirar, to look.
tus: Your; plural possessive adjective for informal you.
manos: Hands; plural of mano, body part.
Y: And; basic coordinating conjunction.
mira: Look; second-person singular imperative of mirar.
tu: Your; singular informal possessive adjective.
boca: Mouth; the facial opening used for eating and speaking.
Qué: What; interrogative pronoun asking for information.
_es_: Is; third-person singular present tense of ser.
esa: That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
porquería: Filth, mess, or disgusting thing; dirty stuff.
No: No; negation word used to deny or refuse.
lo: It; masculine direct object pronoun.
sé: I know; first-person singular present of saber.
tía: Aunt; also used informally to mean woman or lady.
Pues: Well; discourse marker expressing hesitation or continuation.
yo: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
sí: Yes; affirmative response word.
Es: Is; third-person singular present tense of ser.
mermelada: Jam or marmalade; sweet fruit preserve spread.
eso: That; neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to something.
es: Is; third-person singular present tense of ser.
que: That; subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun.
Cuarenta: Forty; the cardinal number between thirty-nine and forty-one.
veces: Times; plural of vez, indicating repetition or frequency.
he: I have; first-person singular present of haber.
dicho: Said; past participle of decir, to say.
si: If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothetical clause.
no: No or not; negation used in sentences.
dejabas: You were leaving or letting; imperfect of dejar.
en: In or on; common Spanish preposition of location.
paz: Peace; state of calm and freedom from disturbance.
te: You; second-person singular reflexive or object pronoun.
iba: Was going; first or third person imperfect of ir.
a: To; preposition indicating direction, recipient, or infinitive.
despellejar: To skin or flay; to strip skin from someone.
Tráeme: Bring me; imperative of traer with indirect pronoun.
vara: Switch or rod; thin stick used for hitting.
La: The; feminine singular definite article.
se: Reflexive pronoun for third person or impersonal constructions.
agitó: Agitated or stirred; preterite of agitar, to shake.
el: The; masculine singular definite article.
aire: Air; the invisible gas surrounding the earth.
peligro: Danger; a situation involving risk or threat.
era: Was; third-person singular imperfect of ser.
desesperado: Desperate; feeling or showing hopelessness and urgency.
Vaya: Go; subjunctive or exclamatory form of ir.
detrás: Behind; adverb indicating position at the rear.
de: Of or from; very common Spanish preposition.
ti: You; prepositional object pronoun for informal second person.
anciana: Elderly woman; an old female person.
dio: Gave; third-person singular preterite of dar.
la: The or her; feminine definite article or pronoun.
vuelta: Turn; a rotation or return movement.
golpe: Hit or blow; a forceful strike against something.
y: And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses.
apartó: Moved aside; preterite of apartar, to separate.
sus: His, her, or their; plural possessive adjective.
faldas: Skirts; plural of falda, a women's garment.
del: Of the; contraction of de and el.
El: The; masculine singular definite article.
muchacho: Boy or young man; a male youth.
huyó: Fled; third-person singular preterite of huir.
al: To the; contraction of a and el.
instante: Instant; a very brief moment in time.
trepó: Climbed; third-person singular preterite of trepar.
por: Through, by, or for; versatile Spanish preposition.
alta: High or tall; feminine adjective describing height.
valla: Fence; a barrier made of posts or boards.
tablas: Planks or boards; flat pieces of wood.
desapareció: Disappeared; preterite of desaparecer, to vanish.
otro: Other or another; adjective indicating a different one.
lado: Side; one of two or more surfaces or directions.
Su: His, her, or their; singular possessive adjective.
quedó: Remained or stayed; preterite of quedar.
sorprendida: Surprised; feminine past participle of sorprender.
un: A or an; masculine singular indefinite article.
momento: Moment; a short period of time.
luego: Then or later; adverb indicating sequence or time.
soltó: Released or let out; preterite of soltar.
una: A or an; feminine singular indefinite article.
suave: Soft or gentle; adjective describing smooth texture or manner.
carcajada: Loud laugh or burst of laughter; hearty guffaw.
Maldito: Damned or cursed; adjective expressing strong disapproval.
chico: Boy or kid; informal word for a young male.
aprendo: I learn; first-person singular present of aprender.
nunca: Never; adverb indicating something does not occur.
Acaso: Perhaps or maybe; adverb expressing doubt or possibility.
me: Me; first-person singular reflexive or object pronoun.
ha: Has; third-person singular present of haber.
jugado: Played; past participle of jugar, to play.
ya: Already or now; adverb indicating prior completion.
suficientes: Enough; plural adjective indicating sufficient quantity.
trucos: Tricks; plural of truco, a clever deceptive act.
como: Like or as; conjunction or adverb of comparison.
ese: That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
para: For or in order to; preposition of purpose.
esté: Be; third-person singular present subjunctive of estar.
pendiente: Pending or watchful; alert and paying attention.
él: He; third-person masculine singular subject pronoun.
estas: These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective.
alturas: Heights; plural of altura, also meaning this stage.
Pero: But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast.
los: The; masculine plural definite article.
viejos: Old people; plural adjective or noun meaning elderly.
tontos: Fools or silly people; plural of tonto.
son: Are; third-person plural present tense of ser.
más: More; comparative adverb or adjective.
todos: All or everyone; masculine plural indefinite pronoun.
A: To; preposition used before indirect objects or infinitives.
perro: Dog; common domestic animal kept as a pet.
viejo: Old; adjective describing something or someone aged.
hay: There is or there are; impersonal form of haber.
quien: Who; relative or indefinite pronoun referring to a person.
le: Him, her, or you; indirect object pronoun.
enseñe: Teach; present subjunctive of enseñar, to teach.
nuevos: New; masculine plural adjective meaning novel or fresh.
dice: Says; third-person singular present of decir.
refrán: Proverb or saying; traditional expression conveying wisdom.
Dios: God; the supreme being in monotheistic religions.
mío: Mine; first-person singular possessive pronoun.
hace: Does or makes; also used to express time ago.
igual: Equal or the same; adjective or adverb of sameness.
dos: Two; the cardinal number between one and three.
días: Days; plural of día, a unit of time.
seguidos: Consecutive or in a row; plural adjective of seguido.
cómo: How; interrogative adverb asking about manner or way.
va: Goes; third-person singular present of ir.
saber: To know; infinitive expressing knowledge of facts.
uno: One; numeral or indefinite pronoun meaning a person.
viene: Comes; third-person singular present of venir.
encima: On top or above; adverb indicating superior position.
Parece: Seems or appears; third-person singular of parecer.
exactamente: Exactly; adverb indicating precision or complete accuracy.
cuánto: How much; interrogative adjective or adverb of quantity.
tiempo: Time or weather; noun with dual common meanings.
puede: Can or may; third-person singular present of poder.
atormentarme: To torment me; infinitive of atormentar with pronoun.
antes: Before; adverb indicating prior time or sequence.
acabe: Run out or end; present subjunctive of acabar.
paciencia: Patience; the ability to wait calmly without frustration.
sabe: Knows; third-person singular present of saber.
logra: Manages to or achieves; third-person singular of lograr.
distraerme: To distract me; infinitive of distraer with pronoun.
o: Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative.
hacerme: To make me; infinitive of hacer with object pronoun.
reír: To laugh; infinitive expressing the act of laughing.
todo: Everything or all; masculine singular indefinite pronoun.
acabó: Ended or finished; third-person singular preterite of acabar.
puedo: I can; first-person singular present of poder.
darle: To give him or her; infinitive with indirect pronoun.
ni: Nor or not even; negative conjunction in Spanish.
estoy: I am; first-person singular present of estar.
cumpliendo: Fulfilling or complying; gerund of cumplir.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
mi: My; first-person singular possessive adjective.
deber: Duty or obligation; also the infinitive to owe.
pura: Pure or plain; feminine adjective indicating absolute truth.
verdad: Truth; a fact or reality that is accurate.
Señor: Lord or Mister; title of respect or divine address.
perdone: Forgive; formal imperative or subjunctive of perdonar.
Quien: Who; relative pronoun referring to a person.
bien: Well; adverb indicating a good manner or state.
quiere: Loves or wants; third-person singular present of querer.
hará: Will make or do; third-person singular future of hacer.
llorar: To cry; infinitive expressing the act of weeping.
Buen: Good; masculine adjective shortened before a noun.
Libro: Book; a written or printed work bound together.

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