The Expedition of Humphry Clinker — Page 1
As I have nothing more at heart than to convince you I am incapable of forgetting, or neglecting the friendship I made at college, now begin that correspondence by letters, which you and I agreed, at parting, to cultivate.
Como no tengo nada más cerca del corazón que convencerte de que soy incapaz de olvidar o descuidar la amistad que forjé en la universidad, comienzo ahora esa correspondencia epistolar que tú y yo acordamos, al despedirnos, mantener.
I begin it sooner than I intended, that you may have it in your power to refute any idle reports which may be circulated to my prejudice at Oxford, touching a foolish quarrel, in which I have been involved on account of my sister, who had been some time settled here in a boarding-school.
La comienzo antes de lo que tenía previsto, para que tengas la posibilidad de refutar cualquier rumor infundado que pueda circular en mi perjuicio en Oxford, referente a una necia disputa en la que me he visto envuelto a causa de mi hermana, quien llevaba algún tiempo instalada aquí en un internado.
When I came hither with my uncle and aunt (who are our guardians) to fetch her away, I found her a fine tall girl, of seventeen, with an agreeable person; but remarkably simple, and quite ignorant of the world.
Cuando vine aquí con mi tío y mi tía (que son nuestros tutores) a recogerla, la encontré hecha una muchacha alta y bien parecida, de diecisiete años, con una presencia agradable; pero notablemente ingenua y del todo ignorante del mundo.
This disposition, and want of experience, had exposed her to the addresses of a person--I know not what to call him, who had seen her at a play; and, with a confidence and dexterity peculiar to himself, found means to be recommended to her acquaintance.
Este carácter y su falta de experiencia la habían expuesto a los requerimientos de un individuo —no sé cómo llamarle— que la había visto en una función de teatro; y que, con una desfachatez y una habilidad que le son propias, encontró la manera de ser presentado a ella.
It was by the greatest accident I intercepted one of his letters; as it was my duty to stifle this correspondence in its birth, I made it my business to find him out, and tell him very freely my sentiments of the matter.
Fue por pura casualidad que intercepté una de sus cartas; como era mi deber sofocar esta correspondencia en su inicio, me tomé la molestia de encontrarle y decirle con toda franqueza lo que pensaba del asunto.
The spark did not like the stile I used, and behaved with abundance of mettle.
Al petimetre no le agradó el tono que empleé, y respondió con gran arrogancia.
Vocabulary
- como
- as; like; how
- no
- not; no
- tengo
- I have (present indicative of tener)
- nada
- nothing; anything (in negative context)
- más
- more; most
- cerca
- near; close; nearby
- del
- of the; from the (contraction de + el)
- corazón
- heart; center of emotions
- que
- that; which; what; than
- convencerte
- to convince you (infinitive with pronoun)
- de
- of; from; about; by
- soy
- I am (present indicative of ser)
- incapaz
- incapable; unable; incompetent
- olvidar
- to forget; to neglect; to leave behind
- descuidar
- to neglect; to overlook; to fail to care for
- la
- the (feminine singular); her; it
- amistad
- friendship; friendly relationship
- en
- in; on; at; during
- universidad
- university; higher education institution
- comienzo
- beginning; start; onset
- ahora
- now; at present; currently
- esa
- that (feminine singular demonstrative)
- correspondencia
- correspondence; letters; mail exchange
- tú
- you (informal singular pronoun)
- yo
- I; me (first person singular pronoun)
- acordamos
- we agreed; we reached agreement (preterite)
- al
- to the; at the (contraction a + el)
- despedirnos
- to say goodbye to each other; to bid farewell
- mantener
- to maintain; to keep; to support; to sustain
- La
- the (feminine singular); her; it
- antes
- before; previously; earlier; sooner
- lo
- it; the; him (masculine singular object pronoun)
- tenía
- I had; I used to have (imperfect of tener)
- para
- for; to; in order to; by
- tengas
- you have (present subjunctive of tener)
- posibilidad
- possibility; chance; opportunity; ability
- cualquier
- any; whatever; whichever; any at all
- rumor
- rumor; hearsay; gossip; unconfirmed report
- pueda
- may; might; could (present subjunctive of poder)
- circular
- to circulate; to move around; to spread
- mi
- my; me (first person singular possessive/object)
- perjuicio
- harm; damage; prejudice; detriment; injury
- una
- a; an (feminine singular indefinite article)
- disputa
- dispute; argument; quarrel; controversy
- me
- me; myself (first person singular pronoun)
- he
- I have; I am (present perfect auxiliary)
- visto
- seen; viewed (past participle of ver)
- causa
- cause; reason; matter; lawsuit; case
- hermana
- sister; female relative; companion; fellow member
- quien
- who; whom; whoever; which person
- llevaba
- carried; wore; had been (imperfect of llevar)
- algún
- some; any (shortened form before masculine noun)
- tiempo
- time; period; weather; moment; tense
- aquí
- here; in this place; at this point
- un
- a; an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- Cuando
- when; at the time that; during which
- vine
- I came; I arrived (preterite of venir)
- con
- with; accompanied by; in the company of
- tío
- uncle; paternal relative; guy; fellow
- tía
- aunt; maternal relative; woman; lady
- son
- are; they are (present indicative of ser)
- nuestros
- our; ours (masculine plural possessive)
- tutores
- tutors; guardians; protectors; caretakers
- recogerla
- to pick her up; to collect her (infinitive)
- encontré
- I found; I discovered (preterite of encontrar)
- hecha
- made; done; became (feminine past participle)
- muchacha
- girl; young woman; female; lass
- alta
- tall; high; loud; superior (feminine)
- bien
- well; good; right; properly; quite
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