The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 9
The bottoms and tops of bedposts are employed in the same way."
Los fondos y las cimas de los postes de las camas se emplean de la misma manera."
"But could not the cavity be detected by sounding?" I asked.
"¿Pero no podría detectarse la cavidad mediante sondeo?" pregunté.
"By no means, if, when the article is deposited, a sufficient wadding of cotton be placed around it.
"De ninguna manera, si, cuando el artículo es depositado, se coloca a su alrededor un relleno suficiente de algodón.
Besides, in our case, we were obliged to proceed without noise."
Además, en nuestro caso, estábamos obligados a proceder sin hacer ruido."
"But you could not have removed—you could not have taken to pieces all articles of furniture in which it would have been possible to make a deposit in the manner you mention.
"Pero no podría haber retirado—no podría haber desmontado todos los artículos de mobiliario en los que hubiera sido posible realizar un depósito de la manera que usted menciona.
A letter may be compressed into a thin spiral roll, not differing much in shape or bulk from a large knitting-needle, and in this form it might be inserted into the rung of a chair, for example.
Una carta puede comprimirse en un delgado rollo en espiral, que no difiere mucho en forma o tamaño de una aguja de tejer grande, y en esta forma podría insertarse en el travesaño de una silla, por ejemplo.
You did not take to pieces all the chairs?"
¿No desmontó usted todas las sillas?"
"Certainly not; but we did better—we examined the rungs of every chair in the hotel, and, indeed the jointings of every description of furniture, by the aid of a most powerful microscope.
"Ciertamente no; pero hicimos algo mejor—examinamos los travesaños de cada silla del hotel y, en efecto, las uniones de todo tipo de mobiliario, con la ayuda de un microscopio de gran potencia.
Had there been any traces of recent disturbance we should not have failed to detect it instantly.
Si hubiera habido algún rastro de alteración reciente, no habríamos dejado de detectarlo al instante.
A single grain of gimlet-dust, for example, would have been as obvious as an apple.
Un solo grano de polvo de barrena, por ejemplo, habría sido tan evidente como una manzana.
Any disorder in the glueing—any unusual gaping in the joints—would have sufficed to insure detection."
Cualquier irregularidad en el encolado—cualquier abertura inusual en las juntas—habría bastado para asegurar la detección."
"I presume you looked to the mirrors, between the boards and the plates, and you probed the beds and the bed-clothes, as well as the curtains and carpets.
"Supongo que examinó los espejos, entre los tableros y las placas, y que sondeó las camas y la ropa de cama, así como las cortinas y las alfombras.
Vocabulary
- Los
- The (masculine plural article)
- fondos
- Bottoms, depths, or funds; lower parts
- las
- The (feminine plural article)
- cimas
- Peaks, summits, or tops of mountains
- de
- Of, from, or belonging to
- postes
- Posts, poles, or vertical supports
- camas
- Beds or sleeping furniture pieces
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or itself
- emplean
- Are used or employed for something
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- misma
- Same or identical (feminine form)
- manera
- Manner, way, or method of doing
- Pero
- But or however (conjunction)
- no
- No or not (negation)
- podría
- Could or might (conditional form)
- detectarse
- To be detected or discovered
- cavidad
- Cavity, hollow space, or hole
- mediante
- By means of or through something
- sondeo
- Sounding, probing, or survey method
- pregunté
- I asked (first person singular past)
- De
- Of, from, or belonging to
- ninguna
- None or not any (feminine)
- si
- If or whether (conditional)
- cuando
- When or at what time
- el
- The (masculine singular article)
- artículo
- Article or item (object or grammar)
- es
- Is (third person singular present)
- depositado
- Deposited or placed down carefully
- coloca
- Places, puts, or positions something
- su
- His, her, its, or your (possessive)
- alrededor
- Around or surrounding on all sides
- un
- A or an (masculine singular)
- relleno
- Filling, stuffing, or padding material
- suficiente
- Sufficient, enough, or adequate amount
- algodón
- Cotton fiber or cotton material
- Además
- Furthermore, moreover, or in addition
- en
- In, on, or at a location
- nuestro
- Our or belonging to us
- caso
- Case, instance, or particular situation
- estábamos
- We were (imperfect first person plural)
- obligados
- Obliged, compelled, or forced to act
- proceder
- To proceed or go forward with
- sin
- Without or lacking something entirely
- hacer
- To make, do, or perform action
- ruido
- Noise, sound, or loud disturbance
- haber
- To have (auxiliary verb)
- retirado
- Withdrawn, removed, or taken away
- desmontado
- Disassembled or taken apart completely
- todos
- All or every (masculine plural)
- mobiliario
- Furniture or furnishings for rooms
- que
- That, which, or who (relative)
- hubiera
- Had or would have (subjunctive)
- sido
- Been (past participle of ser)
- posible
- Possible or capable of happening
- realizar
- To accomplish, achieve, or carry out
- depósito
- Deposit, storage, or container place
- usted
- You (formal singular form)
- menciona
- Mentions or makes reference to
- Una
- A or an (feminine singular)
- carta
- Letter or card for correspondence
- puede
- Can or is able to do
- comprimirse
- To compress, press, or squeeze tight
- delgado
- Thin, slender, or narrow in width
- rollo
- Roll, coil, or rolled object
- espiral
- Spiral or coiled circular pattern
- difiere
- Differs or is different from
- mucho
- Much, a lot, or very
- forma
- Form, shape, or way of being
- tamaño
- Size or dimensions of something
- una
- A or an (feminine singular)
- aguja
- Needle for sewing or knitting
- tejer
- To knit or weave fabric
- grande
- Large, big, or great in size
- esta
- This or this one (feminine)
- insertarse
- To insert or place into something
- travesaño
- Cross-bar or horizontal support beam
- silla
- Chair or seat for sitting
- por
- For, by, through, or per
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