← The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments

The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 9

English → Spanish Preface Level 7/10

Since the downfall of the Arab Empire of Baghdád, Cairo has been the chief of Arabian cities: its Memlook Sulṭáns, introduced into Egypt in their youth, naturally adopted, to a great degree, the manners of its native inhabitants, which the 'Osmánlee Turks in later days have but little altered.

Desde la caída del Imperio Árabe de Bagdad, El Cairo ha sido la principal de las ciudades árabes: sus sultanes mamelucas, introducidos en Egipto en su juventud, adoptaron naturalmente, en gran medida, las costumbres de sus habitantes nativos, que los turcos otomanos en épocas posteriores han alterado muy poco.

Cairo is the city in which Arabian manners now exist in the most refined state; and such I believe to have been the case when the present work was composed."

El Cairo es la ciudad en la que las costumbres árabes existen ahora en su estado más refinado; y tal creo que era el caso cuando se compuso la presente obra."

Mr. Lane's first two visits to Egypt were made when, for the last time, Arab manners and customs as they existed in the age of the Arabian Nights could be studied; and his translation was written very shortly after his second return to England.

Las dos primeras visitas del señor Lane a Egipto tuvieron lugar cuando, por última vez, podían estudiarse las costumbres y usos árabes tal como existían en la época de las Mil y Una Noches; y su traducción fue escrita muy poco después de su segundo regreso a Inglaterra.

Though some of the tales may be Indian or Persian in origin, in their present state they exhibit a picture of the manners, modes of thought, and language, of the court and times of the Memlook Sulṭáns of Egypt, which nearly resembled in these points those of the Khaleefehs of Baghdád, or the great Arab Empire.

Aunque algunos de los cuentos pueden ser de origen indio o persa, en su estado actual ofrecen un retrato de las costumbres, modos de pensar y lenguaje de la corte y la época de los sultanes mamelucas de Egipto, que se asemejaban en gran medida en estos aspectos a los de los califas de Bagdad, o el gran Imperio Árabe.

De Sacy and Von Hammer, the two celebrated orientalists who differed widely in opinion as to the origin of the book, agreed that the tales in which the Khaleefeh Hároon Er-Rasheed is introduced (the best, with few exceptions, in the collection) are Egyptian in character.

De Sacy y Von Hammer, los dos célebres orientalistas que diferían ampliamente de opinión en cuanto al origen del libro, coincidieron en que los cuentos en los que aparece el califa Harún al-Rashid (los mejores, con pocas excepciones, de la colección) son de carácter egipcio.

But since the "Modern Egyptians" were described by Mr.

Pero desde que el señor describió a los «Egipcios modernos»

Vocabulary

Desde
From or since a particular point in time
caída
Fall, collapse, or decline of something
Imperio
Empire, a large dominion ruled by one authority
Árabe
Arabic, relating to Arab people or language
sido
Been, past participle of ser (to be)
principal
Main, most important or leading in rank
ciudades
Cities, large urban populated areas
árabes
Arabs or Arabic, relating to Arab culture
sultanes
Sultans, rulers of Muslim kingdoms or empires
introducidos
Introduced, brought into a place from outside
juventud
Youth, the early period of one's life
adoptaron
Adopted, took on customs or practices from others
naturalmente
Naturally, in a natural or expected manner
gran
Great or large, used before singular nouns
medida
Measure or degree, extent of something
costumbres
Customs, traditional habits or social practices
habitantes
Inhabitants, people who live in a place
nativos
Natives, people originally born in a place
épocas
Epochs or eras, periods of historical time
posteriores
Later, subsequent periods or things coming after
alterado
Altered, changed or modified from original state
poco
Little, a small amount or degree
ciudad
City, a large urban settlement or municipality
existen
Exist, to be present or have actual being
ahora
Now, at the current or present moment
estado
State or condition something is currently in
más
More or most, comparative or superlative intensifier
refinado
Refined, cultured, or polished in manner
tal
Such, so, or such a thing
creo
I believe or think, first person singular
caso
Case, instance, or situation being considered
cuando
When, at the time that something occurred
compuso
Composed, wrote or put together a work
presente
Present, current or existing at this time
obra
Work, a literary, artistic, or creative piece
dos
Two, the number 2
primeras
First, feminine plural ordinal indicating initial order
visitas
Visits, trips made to see a person or place
señor
Mr. or sir, a title of respect for men
tuvieron
Had, third person plural preterite of tener
lugar
Place, a specific location or spot
última
Last, final in a series or sequence
vez
Time, an occurrence or instance of something
podían
Could, imperfect past tense of poder (to be able)
estudiarse
Be studied, reflexive infinitive to examine carefully
usos
Uses or customs, habitual practices of a society
como
As, like, or how; comparison conjunction
existían
Existed, imperfect past of existir (to exist)
época
Era or epoch, a distinct historical time period
Mil
Thousand, the number 1000
Noches
Nights, plural of noche (night)
traducción
Translation, a text converted into another language
escrita
Written, past participle of escribir (to write)
después
After or afterward, following in time or order
segundo
Second, ordinal number following the first
regreso
Return, the act of coming back to a place
Aunque
Although or even though, concessive conjunction
algunos
Some, an unspecified number of things or people
cuentos
Stories or tales, short fictional narratives
pueden
Can or may, third person plural of poder
ser
To be, essential Spanish verb of identity
origen
Origin, the source or beginning of something
indio
Indian, relating to India or indigenous peoples
persa
Persian, relating to Persia or its culture
actual
Current or present, existing at this time
ofrecen
Offer or provide, third person plural of ofrecer
retrato
Portrait or depiction of a person or scene
modos
Modes or manners, ways of behaving or doing
pensar
To think, to form or consider thoughts
lenguaje
Language, the system of communication used
corte
Court, the royal household or its social setting
asemejaban
Resembled, imperfect past of asemejar (to resemble)
aspectos
Aspects, particular features or elements of something
célebres
Famous or celebrated, well-known to many people
diferían
Differed, imperfect past of diferir (to differ)
ampliamente
Widely or broadly, to a large extent
opinión
Opinion, a personal view or judgment held
cuanto
How much or as much as; en cuanto: regarding
libro
Book, a written or printed literary work
coincidieron
Agreed or coincided, preterite of coincidir
aparece
Appears, third person singular of aparecer
mejores
Better or best, comparative or superlative of bueno
pocas
Few, a small number of feminine plural nouns
excepciones
Exceptions, cases excluded from a general rule
colección
Collection, a group of items gathered together
carácter
Character or nature, the defining qualities of something
egipcio
Egyptian, relating to Egypt or its people
Pero
But, coordinating conjunction showing contrast
desde
Since or from, indicating a starting point in time
describió
Described, preterite of describir (to describe)
Egipcios
Egyptians, people from or relating to Egypt
modernos
Modern, relating to current or contemporary times
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