Treasure Island — Page 11
It was a bitter cold winter, with long, hard frosts and heavy gales; and it was plain from the first that my poor father was little likely to see the spring.
Era un invierno amargamente frío, con heladas largas y duras y fuertes vendavales; y desde el principio estaba claro que mi pobre padre tenía pocas probabilidades de ver la primavera.
He sank daily, and my mother and I had all the inn upon our hands, and were kept busy enough without paying much regard to our unpleasant guest.
Se debilitaba día a día, y mi madre y yo teníamos toda la posada a nuestro cargo, y estábamos suficientemente ocupados sin prestar mucha atención a nuestro desagradable huésped.
It was one January morning, very early--a pinching, frosty morning--the cove all grey with hoar-frost, the ripple lapping softly on the stones, the sun still low and only touching the hilltops and shining far to seaward.
Era una mañana de enero, muy temprano —una mañana glacial y mordiente—, la ensenada toda gris de escarcha, el oleaje lamiendo suavemente las piedras, el sol todavía bajo y apenas tocando las cimas de las colinas y brillando a lo lejos hacia el mar.
The captain had risen earlier than usual and set out down the beach, his cutlass swinging under the broad skirts of the old blue coat, his brass telescope under his arm, his hat tilted back upon his head.
El capitán se había levantado más temprano que de costumbre y había salido hacia la playa, con el sable balanceándose bajo los amplios faldones del viejo abrigo azul, el catalejo de latón bajo el brazo y el sombrero inclinado hacia atrás sobre la cabeza.
I remember his breath hanging like smoke in his wake as he strode off, and the last sound I heard of him as he turned the big rock was a loud snort of indignation, as though his mind was still running upon Dr. Livesey.
Recuerdo su aliento flotando como humo a su paso mientras se alejaba a grandes zancadas, y el último sonido que escuché de él al doblar la gran roca fue un fuerte resoplido de indignación, como si su mente siguiera dando vueltas al doctor Livesey.
Well, mother was upstairs with father and I was laying the breakfast-table against the captain's return when the parlour door opened and a man stepped in on whom I had never set my eyes before.
Pues bien, mi madre estaba arriba con mi padre y yo estaba poniendo la mesa del desayuno antes del regreso del capitán cuando la puerta del salón se abrió y entró un hombre al que nunca había visto antes.
He was a pale, tallowy creature, wanting two fingers of the left hand, and though he wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a fighter.
Era una criatura pálida y sebosa, a quien le faltaban dos dedos de la mano izquierda, y aunque llevaba un sable, no tenía mucho aspecto de combatiente.
Vocabulary
- Era
- Past tense of 'ser'; it was, he/she was
- un
- Indefinite article; a, an (masculine)
- invierno
- The cold season of the year; winter
- amargamente
- In a bitter or harsh manner; bitterly
- frío
- Low in temperature; cold
- con
- Preposition indicating accompaniment or means; with
- heladas
- Freezing conditions; frosts
- largas
- Extended in duration or length; long
- y
- Conjunction linking words or phrases; and
- duras
- Difficult or harsh in nature; hard, severe
- fuertes
- Of great intensity or strength; strong
- vendavales
- Strong, powerful wind storms; gales
- desde
- Preposition indicating starting point; from, since
- el
- Definite article for masculine nouns; the
- principio
- The start or beginning of something
- estaba
- Past imperfect of 'estar'; was (temporary state)
- claro
- Evident, obvious, or easy to understand; clear
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun; that, which
- mi
- First-person singular possessive pronoun; my
- pobre
- Lacking resources or deserving pity; poor
- padre
- Male parent; father
- tenía
- Past imperfect of 'tener'; had, used to have
- pocas
- Small in number; few (feminine plural)
- probabilidades
- Likelihoods or chances of something occurring; probabilities
- de
- Preposition indicating origin, possession, or material; of, from
- ver
- To perceive with the eyes; to see
- la
- Definite article for feminine nouns; the
- primavera
- The season following winter; spring
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun used with verbs; himself, herself, itself
- debilitaba
- Past imperfect of 'debilitar'; was growing weaker
- día
- A 24-hour period; day
- a
- Preposition indicating direction or recipient; to, at
- madre
- Female parent; mother
- yo
- First-person singular subject pronoun; I
- teníamos
- Past imperfect of 'tener', first-person plural; we had
- toda
- The entirety of something; all, whole (feminine)
- posada
- A lodging place for travelers; inn
- nuestro
- First-person plural possessive; our
- cargo
- Responsibility or burden placed upon someone; charge
- estábamos
- Past imperfect of 'estar', first-person plural; we were
- suficientemente
- To an adequate or satisfactory degree; sufficiently
- ocupados
- Engaged in activity; busy (masculine plural)
- sin
- Preposition indicating absence or lack; without
- prestar
- To give or lend attention or something; to pay, to lend
- mucha
- A large amount of; much, a lot of
- atención
- The act of focusing one's mind; attention
- desagradable
- Causing displeasure or discomfort; unpleasant
- huésped
- A person staying as a guest; guest, lodger
- una
- Indefinite article for feminine nouns; a, an
- mañana
- The early part of the day; morning
- enero
- The first month of the year; January
- muy
- To a high degree; very
- temprano
- At an early hour or time; early
- glacial
- Extremely cold, like ice; glacial, icy
- mordiente
- Sharp and biting in sensation; biting, piercing
- ensenada
- A small sheltered bay or inlet; cove
- gris
- Of the color between black and white; gray
- escarcha
- Ice crystals formed on cold surfaces; frost
- oleaje
- A series of waves on the water; surf, waves
- lamiendo
- Present participle of 'lamer'; licking gently
- suavemente
- In a gentle or soft manner; softly, gently
- las
- Definite article for feminine plural nouns; the
- piedras
- Hard mineral matter found in nature; stones, rocks
- sol
- The star at the center of our solar system; sun
- todavía
- Up to a particular time; still, yet
- bajo
- At a low position or level; low
- apenas
- By only a small margin; barely, hardly
- tocando
- Present participle of 'tocar'; touching, reaching
- cimas
- The highest points of hills or mountains; peaks, tops
- colinas
- Elevated landforms smaller than mountains; hills
- brillando
- Present participle of 'brillar'; shining, gleaming
- lo
- Neuter pronoun or masculine direct object pronoun; it, him
- lejos
- At a great distance; far, far away
- hacia
- Preposition indicating direction; toward, towards
- mar
- A large body of salt water; sea
- El
- Definite article for masculine nouns; the
- capitán
- The commander of a ship or group; captain
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with verbs; himself, herself
- había
- Past imperfect of 'haber'; had (auxiliary verb)
- levantado
- Past participle of 'levantar'; gotten up, risen
- más
- To a greater degree or extent; more
- costumbre
- A habitual or usual practice; habit, custom
- salido
- Past participle of 'salir'; gone out, exited
- playa
- A sandy or pebbly shore by the sea; beach
- sable
- A curved sword used historically; saber
- balanceándose
- Present participle of 'balancearse'; swaying, swinging
- los
- Definite article for masculine plural nouns; the
- amplios
- Wide and spacious in extent; broad, wide
- faldones
- Lower hanging parts of a coat or garment; coat-tails, skirts
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el'; of the
- viejo
- Advanced in age; old
- abrigo
- An outer garment worn for warmth; coat, overcoat
- azul
- Of the color of a clear sky; blue
- catalejo
- An optical instrument for viewing distant objects; telescope, spyglass
- latón
- A yellow alloy of copper and zinc; brass
- brazo
- The upper limb of the human body; arm
- sombrero
- A head covering worn for protection or style; hat
- inclinado
- Positioned at an angle; tilted, leaning
- atrás
- In or toward the rear; back, behind
- sobre
- Preposition indicating position above or on top; on, over, about
- cabeza
- The upper part of the human body; head
- Recuerdo
- First-person present of 'recordar'; I remember
- su
- Third-person possessive pronoun; his, her, its, their
- aliento
- Air expelled from the lungs during breathing; breath
- flotando
- Present participle of 'flotar'; floating, drifting
- como
- In the manner of; like, as
- humo
- Visible vapor produced by combustion; smoke
- paso
- A movement of the foot; step, pace
- mientras
- During the time that something else occurs; while, as
- alejaba
- Past imperfect of 'alejarse'; was moving away
- grandes
- Of considerable size or importance; large, great
- zancadas
- Long, sweeping steps taken while walking; strides
- último
- Coming after all others; last, final
- sonido
- Vibrations perceived by the ear; sound
- escuché
- First-person past preterite of 'escuchar'; I heard, I listened
- él
- Third-person singular masculine subject pronoun; he
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el'; to the, upon
- doblar
- To turn around a corner or bend; to turn, to fold
- gran
- Of notable size or importance; great, large
- roca
- A large solid mineral formation; rock
- fue
- Third-person singular past preterite of 'ser' or 'ir'; was, went
- fuerte
- Loud, intense, or powerful; loud, strong
- resoplido
- A loud snort or heavy breath expressing emotion; snort, huff
- indignación
- Strong anger at unfair or offensive treatment; indignation
- si
- Conjunction introducing a conditional clause; if
- mente
- The faculty of thinking and reasoning; mind
- siguiera
- Past subjunctive of 'seguir'; were still following, kept on
- dando
- Present participle of 'dar'; giving, turning
- vueltas
- Circular movements or turns; turns, rounds
- doctor
- A person with a medical or academic doctorate; doctor
- Pues
- Discourse marker indicating continuation or explanation; well, so
- bien
- In a satisfactory or pleasing manner; well, good
- arriba
- In or toward a higher place; above, upstairs
- poniendo
- Present participle of 'poner'; putting, setting
- mesa
- A piece of furniture with a flat top; table
- desayuno
- The first meal eaten in the morning; breakfast
- antes
- At an earlier time or in advance; before
- regreso
- The act of coming back; return
- cuando
- At the time that something happens; when
- puerta
- A movable barrier for entering a room; door
- salón
- A large room used for gathering; living room, hall
- abrió
- Third-person past preterite of 'abrir'; opened
- entró
- Third-person past preterite of 'entrar'; entered, came in
- hombre
- An adult male human being; man
- nunca
- At no time in the past or future; never
- visto
- Past participle of 'ver'; seen
- criatura
- A living being, often implying strangeness; creature, being
- pálida
- Having little color in the skin; pale
- sebosa
- Having an oily or greasy quality; greasy, tallow-like
- quien
- Relative pronoun referring to a person; who
- le
- Indirect object pronoun, third-person singular; him, her, you
- faltaban
- Past imperfect of 'faltar'; were missing, were lacking
- dos
- The number after one; two
- dedos
- The digits of the hand or foot; fingers, toes
- mano
- The end part of a human arm; hand
- izquierda
- The side opposite to the right; left
- aunque
- Conjunction introducing a concession; although, even though
- llevaba
- Past imperfect of 'llevar'; was wearing, was carrying
- no
- Used to express negation or denial; no, not
- mucho
- A large quantity or degree; much, a lot
- aspecto
- The overall appearance or look of someone; appearance, aspect
- combatiente
- A person who engages in fighting or combat; fighter, combatant
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