The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 5
Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child.
En consecuencia, él decidió condenarla a muerte: pero habiéndose descubierto, justo antes de su ejecución, que tenía un infante al pecho; y no habiéndose persuadido a ninguna mujer para que desempeñara el papel de nodriza, fue perdonada a causa del niño.
The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two.
Los hombres, sin embargo, no guardan la misma fidelidad a sus esposas que la que esperan de ellas; pues se permiten la pluralidad, aunque raramente más de dos.
Their mode of marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves).
Su modo de contraer matrimonio es el siguiente: ambas partes suelen ser prometidas de jóvenes por sus padres, (aunque he conocido casos en que los hombres se comprometen por sí mismos).
On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her.
En esta ocasión se prepara un banquete, y la novia y el novio se ponen de pie en medio de todos sus amigos, reunidos para tal fin, mientras él declara que ella ha de ser considerada en adelante como su esposa, y que ninguna otra persona ha de dirigirle sus atenciones.
This is also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly.
Esto es también proclamado de inmediato en los alrededores, tras lo cual la novia se retira de la reunión.
Vocabulary
- consecuencia
- Consequence or result of an action or event
- decidió
- Past tense of decidir; he/she decided something
- condenarla
- To condemn her; sentence her to punishment
- muerte
- Death; the end of life
- habiéndose
- Having been; reflexive gerund form of haber
- descubierto
- Past participle of descubrir; discovered or revealed
- justo
- Just, fair, or exactly at a moment in time
- ejecución
- Execution; carrying out a death sentence
- infante
- Infant; a very young baby or small child
- pecho
- Chest or breast; body part used for nursing
- persuadido
- Persuaded; convinced someone to do something
- ninguna
- No, none; negating a feminine noun entirely
- desempeñara
- Subjunctive of desempeñar; to perform or carry out a role
- papel
- Role or paper; function someone plays in situation
- nodriza
- Wet nurse; woman who breastfeeds another's child
- perdonada
- Forgiven or pardoned; released from punishment
- causa
- Cause or reason; that which produces an effect
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- guardan
- They keep or maintain; third-person plural of guardar
- misma
- Same; identical or the very one mentioned before
- fidelidad
- Fidelity or faithfulness; loyalty to a partner
- esposas
- Wives; plural of esposa, a married female partner
- esperan
- They expect or wait; third-person plural of esperar
- pues
- Well, since, or then; causal or filler conjunction
- permiten
- They permit or allow; third-person plural of permitir
- pluralidad
- Plurality; state of having more than one spouse
- aunque
- Although or even though; introduces concessive clauses
- raramente
- Rarely; not often, seldom happening
- modo
- Mode or way; manner of doing something
- contraer
- To contract or enter into; used with matrimonio meaning marry
- matrimonio
- Marriage; the legal union of two people
- siguiente
- Following or next; what comes after in sequence
- ambas
- Both; referring to two feminine persons or things
- partes
- Parties or parts; groups involved in an agreement
- suelen
- They usually do; habitual action, third-person plural of soler
- prometidas
- Betrothed or promised; engaged to be married
- jóvenes
- Young people or youth; plural of joven
- conocido
- Known or met; past participle of conocer
- casos
- Cases or instances; specific examples of something
- comprometen
- They commit or betroth; third-person plural of comprometerse
- sí
- Themselves; reflexive pronoun or affirmative 'yes'
- mismos
- Themselves; emphatic reflexive masculine plural pronoun
- ocasión
- Occasion; a particular time or event
- prepara
- Prepares; third-person singular present of preparar
- banquete
- Banquet; a large ceremonial feast or celebration meal
- novia
- Bride or girlfriend; a female romantic partner
- novio
- Groom or boyfriend; a male romantic partner
- ponen
- They place or put; third-person plural of poner
- pie
- Foot; the lower extremity of the leg
- medio
- Middle or half; the center of a space or group
- reunidos
- Gathered or assembled; brought together in one place
- tal
- Such; of that kind or degree
- fin
- End or purpose; goal or conclusion of something
- mientras
- While or meanwhile; during the same time as
- declara
- Declares; states officially or publicly, third-person singular
- considerada
- Considered; regarded as, past participle of considerar
- adelante
- Forward or henceforth; from this point onward
- esposa
- Wife; a married female partner
- dirigirle
- To direct or address to her; give attention to someone
- atenciones
- Attentions or courtesies; acts of romantic interest
- Esto
- This; neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby
- proclamado
- Proclaimed; announced publicly and officially
- inmediato
- Immediate; happening right away or very nearby
- alrededores
- Surroundings or nearby areas; the vicinity around a place
- tras
- After or behind; following in time or space
- cual
- Which; relative pronoun referring to a previously mentioned thing
- retira
- Withdraws or leaves; third-person singular of retirarse
- reunión
- Meeting or gathering; an assembly of people together
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