The Tale of Tom Kitten — Page 2
Tabitha unwisely turned them out into the garden, to be out of the way while she made hot buttered toast.
Tabitha imprudentemente los echó al jardín, para que no estorbaran mientras ella hacía tostadas con mantequilla caliente.
"Now keep your frocks clean, children! You must walk on your hind legs.
«¡Ahora mantengan sus vestidos limpios, niños! Deben caminar sobre sus patas traseras.
Keep away from the dirty ash-pit, and from Sally Henny Penny, and from the pig-stye and the Puddle-Ducks."
Manténganse alejados del sucio cenicero, y de Sally Henny Penny, y de la pocilga y de los Patos Charqueros.»
Moppet and Mittens walked down the garden path unsteadily.
Moppet y Mittens caminaron por el sendero del jardín de manera inestable.
Presently they trod upon their pinafores and fell on their noses.
Enseguida pisaron sus delantales y cayeron de narices.
When they stood up there were several green smears!
¡Cuando se levantaron había varias manchas verdes!
"Let us climb up the rockery, and sit on the garden wall," said Moppet.
«Subamos al jardín de rocas y sentémonos en el muro del jardín», dijo Moppet.
They turned their pinafores back to front, and went up with a skip and a jump; Moppet's white tucker fell down into the road.
Dieron vuelta a sus delantales de atrás hacia adelante, y subieron dando brincos y saltos; el pechero blanco de Moppet cayó a la carretera.
Tom Kitten was quite unable to jump when walking upon his hind legs in trousers.
Tom Kitten era completamente incapaz de saltar cuando caminaba sobre sus patas traseras con pantalones.
He came up the rockery by degrees, breaking the ferns, and shedding buttons right and left.
Subió por el jardín de rocas poco a poco, rompiendo los helechos y perdiendo botones a diestra y siniestra.
He was all in pieces when he reached the top of the wall.
Estaba todo desecho cuando llegó a lo alto del muro.
Moppet and Mittens tried to pull him together; his hat fell off, and the rest of his buttons burst.
Moppet y Mittens intentaron recomponerlo; su sombrero se cayó y el resto de sus botones reventaron.
While they were in difficulties, there was a pit pat paddle pat! and the three Puddle-Ducks came along the hard high road, marching one behind the other and doing the goose step--pit pat paddle pat! pit pat waddle pat!
Mientras estaban en apuros, ¡se oyó un pas pas chapoteo pas! y los tres Patos Charqueros avanzaron por el duro camino real, marchando uno detrás del otro y haciendo el paso de ganso: ¡pas pas chapoteo pas! ¡pas pas tambaleo pas!
They stopped and stood in a row, and stared up at the kittens.
Se detuvieron y se pusieron en fila, y miraron fijamente a los gatitos.
They had very small eyes and looked surprised.
Tenían ojos muy pequeños y parecían sorprendidos.
Vocabulary
- imprudentemente
- Acting without care or caution; rashly, recklessly.
- los
- Plural masculine definite article meaning 'the'.
- echó
- Past tense of 'echar'; threw or sent out someone.
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el', meaning 'to the'.
- jardín
- An outdoor space where plants and flowers grow.
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'to'.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'.
- no
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'.
- estorbaran
- Subjunctive of 'estorbar'; to be in the way, obstruct.
- mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'as long as'.
- ella
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
- hacía
- Imperfect of 'hacer'; was making or doing something.
- tostadas
- Slices of bread that have been toasted until crisp.
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment.
- mantequilla
- A dairy spread made from churned cream; butter.
- caliente
- Adjective describing something at a high temperature; hot.
- Ahora
- Adverb indicating the present moment; now.
- mantengan
- Imperative subjunctive of 'mantener'; keep or maintain something.
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'their' or 'your' (formal).
- vestidos
- Garments worn on the body; dresses or clothes.
- limpios
- Adjective describing something free from dirt; clean.
- niños
- Young children or kids, typically of either gender.
- Deben
- Third-person plural of 'deber'; must or should do something.
- caminar
- Infinitive verb meaning to walk or move on foot.
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'over', or 'about'.
- patas
- Legs or paws of an animal; animal limbs.
- traseras
- Adjective meaning rear or back; located at the back.
- Manténganse
- Imperative of 'mantenerse'; keep yourselves or stay away.
- alejados
- Past participle of 'alejar'; kept at a distance, away.
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el', meaning 'of the'.
- sucio
- Adjective meaning dirty, filthy, or not clean.
- cenicero
- A container used for collecting ash, an ashtray.
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
- la
- Singular feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
- pocilga
- An enclosure where pigs are kept; a pigsty.
- Patos
- Waterfowl birds that swim; ducks.
- Charqueros
- Those who inhabit puddles; puddle ducks (nickname).
- caminaron
- Preterite of 'caminar'; they walked from one place.
- por
- Preposition meaning 'through', 'along', or 'by'.
- el
- Singular masculine definite article meaning 'the'.
- sendero
- A narrow path or trail used for walking outdoors.
- manera
- A way or method of doing something; manner.
- inestable
- Adjective describing something unsteady or not stable.
- Enseguida
- Adverb meaning immediately, right away, or at once.
- pisaron
- Preterite of 'pisar'; they stepped on or trod upon.
- delantales
- Protective garments worn over clothing while working; aprons.
- cayeron
- Preterite of 'caer'; they fell down to the ground.
- narices
- Plural of 'nariz'; the noses of people or animals.
- Cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a time clause.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or reciprocal verbs.
- levantaron
- Preterite of 'levantarse'; they got up from the ground.
- había
- Imperfect of 'haber'; there was or there were.
- varias
- Feminine plural adjective meaning several or various things.
- manchas
- Spots or stains left on a surface or fabric.
- verdes
- Plural adjective describing the color green on surfaces.
- Subamos
- First-person plural subjunctive of 'subir'; let's climb up.
- rocas
- Large hard masses of stone found in nature; rocks.
- sentémonos
- Reflexive imperative of 'sentarse'; let's sit ourselves down.
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at' a location.
- muro
- A solid vertical structure made of stone or brick; wall.
- dijo
- Preterite of 'decir'; he, she, or it said something.
- Dieron
- Preterite of 'dar'; they gave or turned around something.
- vuelta
- A turn or rotation; going around in a circle.
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or indicating direction.
- atrás
- Adverb indicating direction toward the back; backward.
- hacia
- Preposition indicating movement in a direction; toward.
- adelante
- Adverb meaning forward or ahead in direction of movement.
- subieron
- Preterite of 'subir'; they went up or climbed upward.
- dando
- Gerund of 'dar'; giving, making, or producing an action.
- brincos
- Small quick jumps or leaps made by a person or animal.
- saltos
- Jumps or leaps; sudden upward movements of the body.
- pechero
- A bib or chest covering worn to protect clothing.
- blanco
- Adjective describing the color white; of white color.
- carretera
- A road or highway used for vehicle or foot travel.
- era
- Imperfect of 'ser'; was, describing a past characteristic.
- completamente
- Adverb meaning totally or entirely; in a complete manner.
- incapaz
- Adjective meaning unable or incapable of doing something.
- saltar
- Infinitive verb meaning to jump or leap over something.
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', used to introduce a time clause.
- caminaba
- Imperfect of 'caminar'; was walking along at that time.
- pantalones
- Garments worn on the lower body covering both legs; pants.
- Subió
- Preterite of 'subir'; he or she climbed or went up.
- poco
- Adjective or adverb meaning a little or a small amount.
- rompiendo
- Gerund of 'romper'; breaking or tearing something apart continuously.
- helechos
- Flowerless plants with feathery fronds growing in nature; ferns.
- perdiendo
- Gerund of 'perder'; losing or misplacing something along the way.
- botones
- Small fasteners sewn onto clothing to close openings; buttons.
- diestra
- The right side or right hand; skillful or dexterous side.
- siniestra
- The left side; also meaning sinister or threatening in tone.
- Estaba
- Imperfect of 'estar'; was in a particular state or condition.
- todo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning all, everything, or completely.
- desecho
- Something discarded or in ruins; wrecked or in disarray.
- llegó
- Preterite of 'llegar'; he, she, or it arrived at destination.
- lo
- Neuter article or pronoun meaning 'it' or 'the' (abstract).
- alto
- Adjective meaning tall or high; elevated in position.
- intentaron
- Preterite of 'intentar'; they tried or attempted to do something.
- recomponerlo
- To put him back together again; reassemble or fix.
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its', or 'their'.
- sombrero
- A hat worn on the head as clothing or accessories.
- resto
- The remaining part of something; what is left over.
- reventaron
- Preterite of 'reventar'; they burst or split apart suddenly.
- Mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while', used to indicate simultaneous actions.
- estaban
- Imperfect of 'estar'; they were in a particular situation.
- apuros
- Difficulties, troubles, or tight situations causing stress or worry.
- oyó
- Preterite of 'oír'; he, she, or it heard a sound.
- un
- Indefinite singular masculine article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- chapoteo
- A splashing sound made when something hits water forcefully.
- tres
- The number three; a cardinal number in Spanish.
- avanzaron
- Preterite of 'avanzar'; they moved forward or progressed ahead.
- duro
- Adjective meaning hard, tough, or rigid; not soft or easy.
- camino
- A path, road, or way used to travel from place to place.
- real
- Adjective meaning royal or real; of or related to royalty.
- marchando
- Gerund of 'marchar'; marching forward in a steady rhythmic way.
- uno
- The number one; also used as an indefinite pronoun meaning 'one'.
- detrás
- Adverb or preposition meaning behind or at the back of.
- otro
- Adjective or pronoun meaning another or other; a different one.
- haciendo
- Gerund of 'hacer'; doing or making something at a given moment.
- paso
- A step or pace; also a passage or way through something.
- ganso
- A large waterbird related to ducks; a goose.
- tambaleo
- A wobbling, swaying, or staggering movement while walking unsteadily.
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs or passive constructions.
- detuvieron
- Preterite of 'detenerse'; they stopped or came to a halt.
- pusieron
- Preterite of 'poner'; they put, placed, or arranged themselves.
- fila
- A line or row of people or things arranged in order.
- miraron
- Preterite of 'mirar'; they looked at or gazed at something.
- fijamente
- Adverb meaning fixedly or steadily; staring without looking away.
- gatitos
- Diminutive of 'gatos'; small young cats; little kittens.
- Tenían
- Imperfect of 'tener'; they had or possessed something previously.
- ojos
- The organs used for seeing; eyes of a person or animal.
- muy
- Adverb meaning very, used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
- pequeños
- Plural adjective meaning small or little in size or amount.
- parecían
- Imperfect of 'parecer'; they seemed or appeared to be something.
- sorprendidos
- Past participle of 'sorprender'; surprised or astonished by something.
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