The Great Gatsby — Page 11
She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall.
Estaba tendida cuan larga era en su extremo del diván, completamente inmóvil, y con la barbilla levantada un poco, como si estuviera equilibrando algo sobre ella que tenía bastantes probabilidades de caerse.
If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it—indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in.
Si me vio con el rabillo del ojo no dio ninguna señal de ello; de hecho, casi me sorprendí a mí mismo musitando una disculpa por haberla molestado al entrar.
The other girl, Daisy, made an attempt to rise—she leaned slightly forward with a conscientious expression—then she laughed, an absurd, charming little laugh, and I laughed too and came forward into the room.
La otra chica, Daisy, hizo un intento de levantarse —se inclinó ligeramente hacia adelante con una expresión de buena voluntad— luego se rió, una risita absurda y encantadora, y yo también me reí y avancé hacia el interior de la habitación.
"I'm p-paralysed with happiness."
«Estoy p-paralizada de felicidad.»
She laughed again, as if she said something very witty, and held my hand for a moment, looking up into my face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see.
Se rió de nuevo, como si hubiera dicho algo muy ingenioso, y me sostuvo la mano por un momento, mirándome a la cara, prometiendo que no había nadie en el mundo a quien deseara ver tanto.
That was a way she had.
Esa era una manera que ella tenía.
She hinted in a murmur that the surname of the balancing girl was Baker.
Insinuó en un murmullo que el apellido de la chica del equilibrio era Baker.
(I've heard it said that Daisy's murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.)
(He oído decir que el murmullo de Daisy era solo para hacer que la gente se inclinara hacia ella; una crítica irrelevante que no lo hacía menos encantador.)
At any rate, Miss Baker's lips fluttered, she nodded at me almost imperceptibly, and then quickly tipped her head back again—the object she was balancing had obviously tottered a little and given her something of a fright.
En cualquier caso, los labios de la señorita Baker se agitaron, me hizo un gesto con la cabeza casi imperceptiblemente, y luego inclinó rápidamente la cabeza hacia atrás de nuevo —el objeto que estaba equilibrando había oscilado un poco y le había dado un pequeño susto.
Again a sort of apology arose to my lips.
De nuevo una especie de disculpa acudió a mis labios.
Almost any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me.
Casi cualquier muestra de completa autosuficiencia me arranca un tributo de asombro.
Vocabulary
- Estaba
- Past tense of 'estar'; was (temporary state)
- tendida
- Lying down, stretched out flat
- larga
- Long, lengthy (feminine adjective)
- era
- Past tense of 'ser'; was (permanent state)
- en
- In, on, at (common preposition)
- su
- His, her, its, their (possessive adjective)
- extremo
- Extreme end, far end of something
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el'; of the
- diván
- A long low couch or sofa
- completamente
- Completely, entirely, totally without exception
- inmóvil
- Motionless, not moving at all
- y
- And (basic coordinating conjunction)
- con
- With (common preposition)
- la
- The (feminine definite article)
- barbilla
- Chin, the lower part of the face
- levantada
- Raised, lifted upward (feminine past participle)
- un
- A, an (masculine indefinite article)
- poco
- A little, a small amount
- como
- Like, as, how (versatile comparison word)
- si
- If (conditional conjunction)
- estuviera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'estar'; were (hypothetical)
- equilibrando
- Balancing, keeping something in equilibrium
- algo
- Something, anything (indefinite pronoun)
- sobre
- On, over, above (preposition)
- ella
- She, her (third-person feminine pronoun)
- que
- That, which, who (common connector word)
- tenía
- Had, used to have (imperfect tense)
- bastantes
- Quite a few, enough, sufficient in number
- probabilidades
- Probabilities, chances, likelihoods of happening
- de
- Of, from (very common preposition)
- caerse
- To fall down, to drop, to tumble
- Si
- If (conditional conjunction to introduce clauses)
- me
- Me (first-person singular object pronoun)
- vio
- Saw (third-person preterite of 'ver')
- el
- The (masculine definite article)
- rabillo
- Corner (of the eye); tiny tail or tip
- ojo
- Eye (noun)
- no
- No, not (negation word)
- dio
- Gave (third-person preterite of 'dar')
- ninguna
- None, not any (feminine negative adjective)
- señal
- Sign, signal, indication of something
- ello
- It (neuter pronoun referring to an idea)
- hecho
- Fact, deed; also past participle of 'hacer'
- casi
- Almost, nearly (adverb of approximation)
- sorprendí
- Surprised (first-person preterite of 'sorprender')
- a
- To, at (common preposition)
- mí
- Me (stressed first-person singular pronoun)
- mismo
- Myself, same (reflexive or emphatic adjective)
- musitando
- Murmuring, whispering very softly to oneself
- una
- A, an (feminine indefinite article)
- disculpa
- Apology, excuse offered for an inconvenience
- por
- For, by, because of (preposition)
- molestado
- Bothered, disturbed, inconvenienced someone
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el'; to the
- entrar
- To enter, to come or go inside
- La
- The (feminine definite article)
- otra
- Other, another (feminine adjective)
- chica
- Girl, young woman (informal noun)
- hizo
- Did, made (third-person preterite of 'hacer')
- intento
- Attempt, try at doing something
- levantarse
- To get up, to rise from a position
- se
- Reflexive pronoun (himself, herself, itself)
- inclinó
- Leaned, tilted, bent slightly forward
- ligeramente
- Slightly, lightly, in a minor degree
- hacia
- Toward, in the direction of (preposition)
- adelante
- Forward, ahead (adverb of direction)
- expresión
- Expression, look on one's face
- buena
- Good (feminine adjective)
- voluntad
- Will, goodwill, intention or desire
- luego
- Then, later, afterward (temporal adverb)
- rió
- Laughed (third-person preterite of 'reír')
- risita
- Little laugh, giggle, small chuckle
- absurda
- Absurd, ridiculous, nonsensical (feminine adjective)
- encantadora
- Charming, delightful, enchanting (feminine adjective)
- yo
- I (first-person singular subject pronoun)
- también
- Also, too, as well (adverb)
- reí
- Laughed (first-person preterite of 'reír')
- avancé
- Advanced, moved forward (first-person preterite)
- interior
- Interior, inside part of a space
- habitación
- Room, bedroom, enclosed living space
- Estoy
- I am (present tense of 'estar')
- p-paralizada
- P-paralyzed (stuttered), unable to move
- felicidad
- Happiness, joy, state of being happy
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun (himself, herself, itself)
- nuevo
- New; again (as in 'de nuevo': again)
- hubiera
- Had (past subjunctive of 'haber'; hypothetical)
- dicho
- Said, told (past participle of 'decir')
- muy
- Very (adverb of intensity)
- ingenioso
- Clever, witty, ingenious in thought or speech
- sostuvo
- Held, sustained (third-person preterite of 'sostener')
- mano
- Hand (body part noun)
- momento
- Moment, brief period of time
- mirándome
- Looking at me, gazing at me
- cara
- Face (noun); also expensive (adjective)
- prometiendo
- Promising, suggesting something desirable to come
- había
- There was/were; had (imperfect of 'haber')
- nadie
- Nobody, no one (negative indefinite pronoun)
- mundo
- World, everyone (noun)
- quien
- Who, whom (relative pronoun)
- deseara
- Desired, wished (imperfect subjunctive of 'desear')
- ver
- To see (infinitive verb)
- tanto
- So much, so many (quantity adverb/adjective)
- Esa
- That (feminine demonstrative adjective/pronoun)
- manera
- Way, manner, method of doing something
- Insinuó
- Hinted, insinuated, suggested indirectly
- murmullo
- Murmur, soft whisper or low sound
- apellido
- Last name, surname, family name
- equilibrio
- Balance, equilibrium, stable state
- He
- I have (present perfect auxiliary verb)
- oído
- Heard (past participle of 'oír'); also ear
- decir
- To say, to tell (infinitive verb)
- solo
- Only, alone, just (adverb/adjective)
- para
- For, in order to (preposition/conjunction)
- hacer
- To do, to make (infinitive verb)
- gente
- People, folks, group of persons
- inclinara
- Lean, tilt (imperfect subjunctive of 'inclinar')
- crítica
- Criticism, critique, evaluative comment
- irrelevante
- Irrelevant, not pertinent or important
- lo
- It, him (masculine object pronoun)
- hacía
- Made, did (imperfect tense of 'hacer')
- menos
- Less, fewer (comparative adverb)
- En
- In, on, at (preposition)
- cualquier
- Any, whichever (indefinite adjective)
- caso
- Case, situation, instance or event
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- labios
- Lips (plural noun)
- señorita
- Miss, young unmarried woman (polite title)
- agitaron
- Shook, waved, fluttered (third-person plural preterite)
- gesto
- Gesture, facial or hand expression
- cabeza
- Head (body part noun)
- imperceptiblemente
- Imperceptibly, in a barely noticeable way
- rápidamente
- Quickly, rapidly, in a fast manner
- atrás
- Back, behind, backward (adverb of place)
- objeto
- Object, thing, item being referred to
- estaba
- Was (imperfect of 'estar'; temporary state)
- oscilado
- Swayed, oscillated, moved back and forth
- le
- To him/her/it (indirect object pronoun)
- dado
- Given (past participle of 'dar')
- pequeño
- Small, little, tiny (adjective)
- susto
- Fright, scare, sudden shock or alarm
- De
- Of, from (preposition)
- especie
- Kind, sort, species or type
- acudió
- Came, rushed, went to (third-person preterite)
- mis
- My (first-person plural possessive adjective)
- Casi
- Almost, nearly (adverb)
- muestra
- Sample, display, show, sign of something
- completa
- Complete, full, total (feminine adjective)
- autosuficiencia
- Self-sufficiency, ability to sustain oneself independently
- arranca
- Tears away, extracts, provokes (present tense)
- tributo
- Tribute, homage, acknowledgment of admiration
- asombro
- Astonishment, amazement, great surprise
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