The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 4
While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep—for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments.
Mientras Tom comía su cena y robaba azúcar cuando se le presentaba la oportunidad, la tía Polly le hacía preguntas llenas de astucia y muy profundas, pues quería tenderle una trampa para arrancarle revelaciones comprometedoras.
Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning.
Como tantas otras almas ingenuas, su vanidad preferida era creer que estaba dotada de un talento para la diplomacia oscura y misteriosa, y le encantaba contemplar sus artimañas más transparentes como maravillas de baja astucia.
Said she:
Dijo ella:
"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?"
—Tom, hacía bastante calor en la escuela, ¿verdad?
"Yes'm."
—Sí, señora.
"Powerful warm, warn't it?"
—Mucho calor, ¿verdad?
"Yes'm."
—Sí, señora.
"Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?"
—¿No te entraron ganas de ir a nadar, Tom?
A bit of a scare shot through Tom—a touch of uncomfortable suspicion.
Un ligero susto atravesó a Tom, una punzada de incómoda sospecha.
He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing.
Escudriñó el rostro de la tía Polly, pero este no le reveló nada.
So he said:
Así que dijo:
"No'm—well, not very much."
—No, señora… bueno, no mucho.
The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:
La anciana extendió la mano y palpó la camisa de Tom, y dijo:
"But you ain't too warm now, though."
—Pero ahora no tienes demasiado calor, eso sí.
And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind.
Y le halagó pensar que había descubierto que la camisa estaba seca sin que nadie supiera que eso era lo que tenía en mente.
But in spite of her, Tom knew where the wind lay, now.
Pero a su pesar, Tom ya sabía de dónde soplaba el viento.
So he forestalled what might be the next move:
Así que se anticipó a lo que podría ser el siguiente movimiento:
"Some of us pumped on our heads—mine's damp yet. See?"
—Algunos nos echamos agua de la bomba en la cabeza; la mía todavía está húmeda. ¿Ve?
Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick.
La tía Polly se irritó al pensar que había pasado por alto ese pequeño indicio circunstancial y que se le había escapado la jugada.
Vocabulary
- Mientras
- While; during the time that something occurs
- comía
- He/she was eating; past imperfect tense of comer
- su
- His, her, your, their; possessive adjective
- cena
- Dinner; evening meal
- robaba
- He/she was stealing; past imperfect tense of robar
- azúcar
- Sugar; sweet granulated substance
- cuando
- When; at what time or circumstances
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or himself/herself
- le
- Indirect object pronoun; to him/her/you
- presentaba
- Presented; offered or appeared before someone
- la
- The; definite article feminine singular
- oportunidad
- Opportunity; favorable time or circumstance
- tía
- Aunt; sister of parent
- hacía
- Made, did; past imperfect tense of hacer
- preguntas
- Questions; inquiries or interrogations
- llenas
- Full; complete or filled with something
- de
- Of; preposition indicating possession or composition
- astucia
- Cunning; clever deception or craftiness
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs
- profundas
- Deep; profound or extending far below surface
- pues
- Well, since, then; conjunction expressing cause or sequence
- quería
- Wanted; desired or wished past imperfect tense
- una
- A, an; indefinite article feminine singular
- trampa
- Trap; device or trick to catch someone
- para
- For, in order to; preposition expressing purpose
- revelaciones
- Revelations; disclosures of hidden or secret information
- comprometedoras
- Compromising; damaging to reputation or standing
- Como
- Like, as; expressing comparison or similarity
- tantas
- So many; plural of tanta indicating quantity
- otras
- Other; different or additional feminine plural
- almas
- Souls; spiritual or emotional essence of beings
- ingenuas
- Naive; innocent or unsuspecting feminine plural
- vanidad
- Vanity; excessive pride in appearance or abilities
- preferida
- Preferred; favored or liked best feminine
- era
- Was; past tense of ser
- creer
- To believe; to think something is true
- que
- That; relative pronoun introducing subordinate clauses
- estaba
- Was; past imperfect tense of estar
- dotada
- Endowed; naturally given abilities or talents
- un
- A, an; indefinite article masculine singular
- talento
- Talent; natural aptitude or skill
- diplomacia
- Diplomacy; skill in managing international relations
- oscura
- Dark; mysterious or obscure feminine
- misteriosa
- Mysterious; unclear or full of mystery
- encantaba
- Enchanted; delighted or charmed past imperfect
- contemplar
- To contemplate; to look at thoughtfully
- sus
- His, her, their; possessive plural of su
- artimañas
- Tricks; cunning stratagems or clever deceptions
- más
- More; greater in quantity or degree
- transparentes
- Transparent; obvious or easily seen through
- como
- Like, as; preposition expressing comparison
- maravillas
- Marvels; wonderful or amazing things
- baja
- Low; beneath normal level or height
- Dijo
- Said; spoke or uttered words
- ella
- She; feminine third person singular pronoun
- bastante
- Enough; sufficient or rather quite
- calor
- Heat; warmth or high temperature
- en
- In, on; preposition indicating location
- escuela
- School; educational institution for learning
- verdad
- Truth; fact that is accurate or real
- Sí
- Yes; affirmative response to question
- señora
- Ma'am, Mrs; polite form addressing woman
- Mucho
- Much; great in quantity or degree
- No
- No; negative response to question
- te
- You; indirect or direct object pronoun
- entraron
- Entered; came into past tense
- ganas
- Desire; wish or urge to do something
- ir
- To go; move from one place elsewhere
- nadar
- To swim; move through water with body
- Un
- A, an; indefinite article masculine
- ligero
- Light; not heavy or mild
- susto
- Fright; sudden fear or alarm
- atravesó
- Crossed; passed through or over
- punzada
- Sharp pain; sudden stabbing sensation
- incómoda
- Uncomfortable; causing discomfort or unease
- sospecha
- Suspicion; doubt or mistrust about something
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