← The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 8

English → Spanish THE PURLOINED LETTER Level 8/10

, "but then he's a poet, which I take to be only one remove from a fool."

, "pero es que es poeta, lo cual considero que está a solo un paso de ser un tonto."

"True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from his meerschaum, "although I have been guilty of certain doggrel myself."

"Cierto", dijo Dupin, tras una larga y pensativa calada de su pipa de espuma de mar, "aunque yo mismo he sido culpable de ciertos ripios."

"Suppose you detail," said I, "the particulars of your search."

"Suponga que detalla", dije yo, "los pormenores de su búsqueda."

"Why the fact is, we took our time, and we searched _everywhere_.

"La verdad es que nos tomamos nuestro tiempo, y registramos _en todas partes_.

I have had long experience in these affairs.

Tengo larga experiencia en estos asuntos.

I took the entire building, room by room; devoting the nights of a whole week to each.

Recorrí todo el edificio, habitación por habitación; dedicando las noches de toda una semana a cada una.

We examined, first, the furniture of each apartment.

Examinamos, primero, el mobiliario de cada aposento.

We opened every possible drawer; and I presume you know that, to a properly trained police agent, such a thing as a secret drawer is impossible.

Abrimos todos los cajones posibles; y supongo que sabe usted que, para un agente de policía debidamente entrenado, algo así como un cajón secreto es imposible.

Any man is a dolt who permits a 'secret' drawer to escape him in a search of this kind.

Todo hombre es un necio que permite que un cajón 'secreto' se le escape en una búsqueda de este tipo.

The thing is so plain.

La cosa es tan evidente.

There is a certain amount of bulk—of space—to be accounted for in every cabinet.

Hay una cierta cantidad de volumen —de espacio— que debe explicarse en cada gabinete.

Then we have accurate rules.

Luego tenemos reglas precisas.

The fiftieth part of a line could not escape us.

La quincuagésima parte de una línea no podría escapársenos.

After the cabinets we took the chairs.

Después de los gabinetes pasamos a las sillas.

The cushions we probed with the fine long needles you have seen me employ.

Los cojines los sondeamos con las largas y finas agujas que me ha visto usar.

From the tables we removed the tops."

De las mesas retiramos los tableros."

"Why so?"

"¿Por qué?"

"Sometimes the top of a table, or other similarly arranged piece of furniture, is removed by the person wishing to conceal an article; then the leg is excavated, the article deposited within the cavity, and the top replaced.

"A veces la persona que desea ocultar un objeto retira el tablero de una mesa u otra pieza de mobiliario dispuesta de manera similar; luego se excava la pata, se deposita el objeto dentro de la cavidad y se vuelve a colocar el tablero.

Vocabulary

pero
but; however; yet
es
is; are (present tense of ser)
que
that; which; what; who
poeta
a person who writes poetry or verse
lo
it; the (neuter article or pronoun)
cual
which; what; that which; whoever
considero
I consider; I regard; I think
está
is; are (present tense of estar)
solo
alone; only; sole; single
un
a; an; one (masculine singular article)
paso
step; pace; passage; move
de
of; from; about; by; for
ser
to be; to exist; to occur
tonto
foolish; silly; stupid; a fool
Cierto
certain; sure; true; correct; indeed
dijo
he/she said; you said (preterite)
tras
after; behind; following; subsequent to
una
a; an; one (feminine singular article)
larga
long; lengthy; extensive; prolonged
pensativa
thoughtful; pensive; meditative; reflective
su
his; her; its; your (possessive adjective)
pipa
pipe; tobacco pipe; seed; barrel
espuma
foam; froth; lather; bubbles
mar
sea; ocean; large body of saltwater
aunque
although; even though; though; albeit
yo
I; me; myself (first person singular pronoun)
mismo
same; self; very; identical; own
he
I have (present perfect auxiliary verb)
sido
been (past participle of ser)
culpable
guilty; blameworthy; responsible; culpable
ciertos
certain; some; sure; true; correct
Suponga
suppose; assume; imagine; suppose that
detalla
details; specifies; itemizes; describes in detail
dije
I said; I told (preterite of decir)
los
the; them (masculine plural article/pronoun)
pormenores
details; particulars; minutiae; specifics
búsqueda
search; hunt; quest; looking for something
La
the (feminine singular article)
verdad
truth; fact; reality; veracity
nos
us; ourselves; to us (first person plural)
tomamos
we took; we drank (preterite of tomar)
nuestro
our; ours; our own (possessive adjective)
tiempo
time; weather; season; tense; age
registramos
we searched; we registered; we examined
en
in; on; at; within; inside
todas
all; every; each (feminine plural)
partes
parts; pieces; places; areas; regions
Tengo
I have; I possess; I hold
experiencia
experience; practice; expertise; skill
estos
these; these ones (masculine plural demonstrative)
asuntos
matters; affairs; issues; subjects; cases
Recorrí
I traveled; I searched; I covered
todo
all; everything; whole; entire; every
edificio
building; structure; edifice; construction
habitación
room; dwelling; bedroom; living space
por
by; for; through; along; during
dedicando
dedicating; devoting; spending; giving attention
las
the (feminine plural article)
noches
nights; evenings (plural of noche)
semana
week; seven-day period; weekly
cada
each; every; per; one by one
Examinamos
we examined; we inspected; we checked
primero
first; before anything else; firstly
mobiliario
furniture; household furnishings; moveable property
aposento
room; chamber; bedroom; sleeping quarters
Abrimos
we opened; we unlocked; we disclosed
cajones
drawers; boxes; crates; compartments
posibles
possible; feasible; capable; likely; potential
supongo
I suppose; I assume; I presume
sabe
knows; understands (third person singular present)
usted
you; formal you (polite singular pronoun)
agente
agent; representative; officer; official
policía
police; police officer; law enforcement
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