The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 10
In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory.
En un instante ambos chicos rodaban y se revolcaban en la tierra, agarrados el uno al otro como gatos; y durante el espacio de un minuto se jalaron y desgarraron mutuamente el cabello y la ropa, se golpearon y arañaron las narices, y se cubrieron de polvo y gloria.
Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists.
Poco después la confusión tomó forma, y entre la niebla de la batalla apareció Tom, sentado a horcajadas sobre el chico nuevo, golpeándolo con los puños.
"Holler 'nuff!" said he.
—¡Pide clemencia! —dijo él.
The boy only struggled to free himself.
El chico solo forcejeaba para liberarse.
He was crying—mainly from rage.
Estaba llorando, principalmente de rabia.
"Holler 'nuff!"—and the pounding went on.
—¡Pide clemencia! —y los golpes continuaron.
At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said:
Por fin el desconocido dejó escapar un ahogado —¡Me rindo! y Tom lo dejó levantarse y dijo:
"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time."
—Ahora ya lo sabes. Más vale que tengas cuidado con quién te metes la próxima vez.
The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out."
El chico nuevo se alejó sacudiéndose el polvo de la ropa, sollozando, sorbiendo por la nariz, y mirando atrás de vez en cuando, sacudiendo la cabeza y amenazando con lo que le haría a Tom la «próxima vez que lo pillara».
To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope.
A lo que Tom respondió con burlas y se marchó muy ufano, y en cuanto dio la espalda el chico nuevo agarró una piedra, la lanzó y le dio entre los hombros, y luego puso pies en polvorosa y corrió como un antílope.
Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived.
Tom persiguió al traidor hasta su casa, y así averiguó dónde vivía.
He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined.
Luego se apostó en la verja durante un rato, desafiando al enemigo a salir, pero el enemigo solo le hacía muecas desde la ventana y se negó a hacerlo.
Vocabulary
- instante
- A very brief moment or instant in time
- ambos
- Both; referring to two people or things together
- chicos
- Boys or kids; informal term for young people
- rodaban
- They rolled, as on the ground together
- revolcaban
- They rolled around or tumbled on the ground
- tierra
- Earth, ground, or soil beneath one's feet
- agarrados
- Grabbed or clutching onto each other tightly
- gatos
- Cats; common domestic feline animals
- durante
- During; throughout a period of time
- espacio
- Space or span, here referring to a period of time
- minuto
- A minute; sixty seconds of time
- jalaron
- They pulled or yanked forcefully at something
- desgarraron
- They tore or ripped apart with force
- mutuamente
- Mutually; in a way affecting each other equally
- cabello
- Hair, especially on a person's head
- ropa
- Clothing or garments worn on the body
- golpearon
- They hit or struck each other with force
- arañaron
- They scratched each other with nails or claws
- narices
- Noses; the plural of nariz on the face
- cubrieron
- They covered something, here with dust entirely
- polvo
- Dust or powder found on the ground
- gloria
- Glory; great honor or splendor achieved
- Poco
- Little; a small amount of something
- después
- After or afterwards; later in time
- confusión
- Confusion; a state of disorder or unclear understanding
- tomó
- Took on or assumed a particular form or shape
- forma
- Form or shape; the visible structure of something
- entre
- Between or among multiple people or things
- niebla
- Fog or mist obscuring visibility in the air
- batalla
- Battle; a fight or combat between opposing sides
- apareció
- Appeared; became visible or came into view suddenly
- sentado
- Seated or sitting in a particular position
- horcajadas
- Astride; sitting with legs on each side
- chico
- Boy; a young male person
- nuevo
- New; recently arrived or not known before
- golpeándolo
- Hitting or striking him repeatedly with fists
- puños
- Fists; clenched hands used for striking someone
- Pide
- Ask for or request; imperative form of pedir
- clemencia
- Mercy or leniency shown toward a defeated opponent
- dijo
- Said; past tense of decir, to say
- solo
- Only or alone; by oneself without others helping
- forcejeaba
- Was struggling or wrestling to free himself forcefully
- liberarse
- To free oneself or get loose from a hold
- llorando
- Crying; shedding tears due to emotion or pain
- principalmente
- Mainly or primarily; above all other reasons
- rabia
- Rage or fury; intense angry emotion
- golpes
- Blows or hits; physical strikes against a person
- continuaron
- They continued or kept on doing something
- fin
- End; finally, used in 'por fin' meaning at last
- desconocido
- Unknown stranger; a person not previously known
- dejó
- Let or allowed; past tense of dejar
- escapar
- To escape or get away from a situation
- ahogado
- Choked or muffled; suppressed sound like a sob
- rindo
- I surrender; first person present of rendirse
- levantarse
- To get up or stand up from the ground
- Ahora
- Now; at the present moment in time
- ya
- Already or now; indicating something has occurred
- sabes
- You know; second person singular of saber
- Más
- More; comparative indicating greater degree or quantity
- vale
- Worth or okay; used in 'más vale' meaning better
- tengas
- That you have; subjunctive of tener
- cuidado
- Caution or care; be careful about something
- metes
- You get into or involve yourself in something
- próxima
- Next; the following occurrence of something in time
- vez
- Time or occasion; as in 'next time'
- alejó
- Walked away or moved away from someone
- sacudiéndose
- Shaking himself off; brushing dust from oneself
- sollozando
- Sobbing; crying with convulsive gasps of breath
- sorbiendo
- Sniffling; drawing air through the nose while crying
- nariz
- Nose; the facial organ used for smelling
- mirando
- Looking or watching; present participle of mirar
- atrás
- Behind or back; indicating a direction backward
- cuando
- When; conjunction indicating time of an action
- sacudiendo
- Shaking; moving something or someone back and forth
- cabeza
- Head; the upper part of the human body
- amenazando
- Threatening; warning of harm or unpleasant consequences
- haría
- Would do; conditional tense of hacer
- pillara
- If he caught; past subjunctive of pillar, to catch
- respondió
- Responded or replied; answered someone's words or actions
- burlas
- Mockery or taunts; jeering remarks made at someone
- marchó
- Marched or left; walked away with purpose
- ufano
- Proud or smug; displaying self-satisfaction arrogantly
- cuanto
- As soon as; the moment that something happened
- dio
- Gave or turned; past tense of dar
- espalda
- Back; the rear part of the human body
- agarró
- Grabbed or seized; took hold of something quickly
- piedra
- Stone or rock; a hard natural solid object
- lanzó
- Threw or launched; hurled something through the air
- hombros
- Shoulders; the parts of the body below the neck
- luego
- Then or later; indicating what happened next
- puso
- Put or set; past tense of poner
- pies
- Feet; the lower extremities used for walking
- polvorosa
- Dusty; in 'poner pies en polvorosa' means to flee
- corrió
- Ran; moved quickly on foot, past tense
- antílope
- Antelope; a fast-running hoofed animal
- persiguió
- Chased or pursued; followed someone trying to catch them
- traidor
- Traitor; someone who betrays another person
- hasta
- Until or up to; indicating a limit or destination
- casa
- House or home; a place where someone lives
- así
- Thus or in this way; indicating how something happened
- averiguó
- Found out or discovered; learned where someone lived
- dónde
- Where; interrogative or relative adverb of place
- vivía
- Lived; imperfect tense of vivir indicating residence
- Luego
- Then or afterwards; indicating the next action taken
- apostó
- Stationed himself or stood guard; waited in position
- verja
- Gate or iron fence surrounding a house or property
- rato
- A while; a short period of time
- desafiando
- Challenging or daring someone to come out and fight
- enemigo
- Enemy; an adversary or hostile person
- salir
- To go out or exit from inside a place
- hacía
- Made or did; imperfect tense of hacer
- muecas
- Grimaces or funny faces made to mock someone
- desde
- From or since; indicating a starting point
- ventana
- Window; an opening in a wall for light and air
- negó
- Refused or denied; said no to doing something
- hacerlo
- To do it; infinitive with attached object pronoun
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