War and Peace — Page 2
He had just entered, wearing an embroidered court uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had stars on his breast and a serene expression on his flat face.
Acababa de entrar, vestido con un uniforme de corte bordado, calzón corto y zapatos, y llevaba condecoraciones en el pecho y una expresión serena en su rostro liso.
He spoke in that refined French in which our grandfathers not only spoke but thought, and with the gentle, patronizing intonation natural to a man of importance who had grown old in society and at court.
Hablaba en ese refinado francés en el que nuestros abuelos no solo hablaban sino que pensaban, y con la entonación suave y condescendiente propia de un hombre importante que había envejecido en sociedad y en la corte.
He went up to Anna Pávlovna, kissed her hand, presenting to her his bald, scented, and shining head, and complacently seated himself on the sofa.
Se acercó a Anna Pávlovna, le besó la mano, presentándole su cabeza calva, perfumada y reluciente, y se sentó con satisfacción en el sofá.
"First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend's mind at rest," said he without altering his tone, beneath the politeness and affected sympathy of which indifference and even irony could be discerned.
«Ante todo, querida amiga, dígame cómo se encuentra. Tranquilice a su amigo», dijo él sin alterar su tono, bajo cuya cortesía y simpatía afectada podían percibirse la indiferencia e incluso la ironía.
"Can one be well while suffering morally? Can one be calm in times like these if one has any feeling?" said Anna Pávlovna. "You are staying the whole evening, I hope?"
«¿Puede uno estar bien mientras sufre moralmente? ¿Puede uno estar tranquilo en tiempos como estos si tiene algún sentimiento?», dijo Anna Pávlovna. «Espero que se quede toda la velada, ¿verdad?»
"And the fete at the English ambassador's? Today is Wednesday. I must put in an appearance there," said the prince. "My daughter is coming for me to take me there."
«¿Y la fiesta en casa del embajador inglés? Hoy es miércoles. Debo hacer acto de presencia allí», dijo el príncipe. «Mi hija viene a buscarme para llevarme.»
"I thought today's fete had been canceled. I confess all these festivities and fireworks are becoming wearisome."
«Creía que la fiesta de hoy había sido cancelada. He de confesar que todas estas celebraciones y fuegos artificiales están volviéndose tediosos.»
"If they had known that you wished it, the entertainment would have been put off," said the prince, who, like a wound-up clock, by force of habit said things he did not even wish to be believed.
«Si hubieran sabido que usted lo deseaba, el festejo habría sido aplazado», dijo el príncipe, quien, como un reloj dado cuerda, por fuerza de la costumbre decía cosas en las que ni siquiera deseaba que se creyera.
"Don't tease!
«¡No me tome el pelo!
Vocabulary
- Acababa
- Past imperfect of acabar; was just finishing
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- entrar
- To enter or go into a place
- vestido
- Dressed or wearing particular clothing
- con
- Preposition meaning with or accompanied by
- un
- Indefinite article meaning a or an
- uniforme
- A standardized set of clothing or outfit
- corte
- Court or style of cut in clothing
- bordado
- Embroidered with decorative needlework patterns
- calzón
- Breeches or short trousers worn historically
- corto
- Short in length or height
- y
- Conjunction meaning and
- zapatos
- Shoes worn on the feet
- llevaba
- Was wearing or carrying something
- condecoraciones
- Medals or decorations awarded for distinction
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- el
- Definite article meaning the (masculine)
- pecho
- Chest or breast of the human body
- una
- Indefinite article meaning a or an (feminine)
- expresión
- Expression or look shown on one's face
- serena
- Calm, serene, or tranquil in manner
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or your
- rostro
- Face or countenance of a person
- liso
- Smooth or flat without wrinkles or texture
- Hablaba
- Was speaking or used to speak a language
- ese
- Demonstrative adjective meaning that
- refinado
- Refined, polished, or cultivated in manner
- francés
- French language or something related to France
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning that or which
- nuestros
- Possessive adjective meaning our (plural masculine)
- abuelos
- Grandparents or grandfathers
- no
- Negation word meaning no or not
- solo
- Only or alone, not accompanied
- hablaban
- They used to speak or were speaking
- sino
- Conjunction meaning but rather or instead
- pensaban
- They used to think or were thinking
- la
- Definite article meaning the (feminine)
- entonación
- Intonation or tone of voice while speaking
- suave
- Soft, gentle, or smooth in quality
- condescendiente
- Condescending or patronizing toward others
- propia
- Own or characteristic of a particular person
- hombre
- Man or adult male person
- importante
- Important, significant, or of great relevance
- había
- There was or had (auxiliary past)
- envejecido
- Aged or grown old over time
- sociedad
- Society or social community of people
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- acercó
- Approached or came close to someone
- a
- Preposition meaning to or toward
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning to him/her
- besó
- Kissed someone as a greeting or affection
- mano
- Hand, the body part at the end of the arm
- presentándole
- Presenting or offering something to someone
- cabeza
- Head, the upper part of the human body
- calva
- Bald, lacking hair on the head
- perfumada
- Perfumed or scented with fragrance
- reluciente
- Shining, gleaming, or sparkling brightly
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- sentó
- Sat down on a seat or surface
- satisfacción
- Satisfaction or feeling of contentment
- sofá
- Sofa or couch for sitting or reclining
- Ante
- Preposition meaning before or in front of
- todo
- Everything or all of something
- querida
- Dear or beloved, affectionate form of address
- amiga
- Female friend or close acquaintance
- dígame
- Tell me, imperative form of decir
- cómo
- How, used in questions or exclamations
- encuentra
- Finds or feels in a state of health
- Tranquilice
- Calm down, imperative to reassure oneself
- amigo
- Friend or close male acquaintance
- dijo
- Said or told, past tense of decir
- él
- Subject pronoun meaning he
- sin
- Preposition meaning without
- alterar
- To alter, change, or disturb something
- tono
- Tone or manner of speaking
- bajo
- Low, soft, or beneath in position
- cuya
- Whose, a relative possessive pronoun
- cortesía
- Courtesy or polite and respectful behavior
- simpatía
- Sympathy, warmth, or friendly feeling toward others
- afectada
- Affected or artificial, not genuine in manner
- podían
- Could or were able to do something
- percibirse
- To be perceived or noticed by someone
- indiferencia
- Indifference or lack of interest or concern
- e
- Conjunction meaning and (before i or hi)
- incluso
- Even or including, used to add emphasis
- ironía
- Irony or sarcasm in speech or situation
- Puede
- Can or is able to, third-person present
- uno
- One, used as an impersonal pronoun
- estar
- To be, indicating state or condition
- bien
- Well or fine in health or condition
- mientras
- While or as long as something happens
- sufre
- Suffers or endures pain or hardship
- moralmente
- Morally or in an emotional or ethical sense
- tranquilo
- Calm, tranquil, or at peace
- tiempos
- Times or periods in history
- como
- Like, as, or how, used for comparison
- estos
- These, demonstrative pronoun masculine plural
- si
- If, conditional conjunction in sentences
- tiene
- Has or possesses something
- algún
- Some or any, indefinite adjective
- sentimiento
- Feeling or emotion experienced internally
- Espero
- I hope or I wait for something
- quede
- Stays or remains in a place
- toda
- All or entire, feminine form of todo
- velada
- Evening gathering or social event at night
- verdad
- Truth or used to seek confirmation
- fiesta
- Party or festive celebration or holiday
- casa
- House or home where someone lives
- del
- Contraction of de and el meaning of the
- embajador
- Ambassador or diplomatic representative of a country
- inglés
- English, relating to England or its language
- Hoy
- Today, the current day
- es
- Is, third-person singular of ser
- miércoles
- Wednesday, the fourth day of the week
- Debo
- I must or I owe, first-person of deber
- hacer
- To do or make something
- acto
- Act or formal appearance at an event
- presencia
- Presence or physical attendance at a place
- allí
- There, in that place
- príncipe
- Prince or male member of royalty
- Mi
- Possessive adjective meaning my
- hija
- Daughter or female child
- viene
- Comes or is coming toward a place
- buscarme
- To look for or pick me up
- para
- For, in order to, preposition of purpose
- llevarme
- To take me or carry me somewhere
- Creía
- Believed or thought something was true
- hoy
- Today, the present day
- sido
- Been, past participle of ser
- cancelada
- Cancelled or called off, not taking place
- He
- I have, auxiliary verb in perfect tense
- confesar
- To confess or admit something honestly
- todas
- All, every one of a feminine plural group
- estas
- These, feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- celebraciones
- Celebrations or festive events and gatherings
- fuegos
- Fires or lights, as in fuegos artificiales
- artificiales
- Artificial or man-made, not natural
- están
- Are, third-person plural of estar
- volviéndose
- Becoming or turning into something gradually
- tediosos
- Tedious or boring and tiresome
- Si
- If, used to introduce a conditional clause
- hubieran
- Had (subjunctive), third-person plural past subjunctive
- sabido
- Known, past participle of saber
- usted
- You, formal singular second-person pronoun
- lo
- It or him, direct object pronoun
- deseaba
- Desired or wished for something
- festejo
- Festivity or celebration or party event
- habría
- Would have, conditional of haber
- aplazado
- Postponed or delayed to a later time
- quien
- Who, relative pronoun referring to a person
- reloj
- Clock or watch that measures time
- dado
- Given, past participle of dar
- cuerda
- To wind up a clock; string or rope
- por
- For, by, or through, a preposition
- fuerza
- Force, strength, or habit-driven compulsion
- costumbre
- Custom or habit practiced regularly
- decía
- Was saying or used to say things
- cosas
- Things or objects or matters
- las
- Definite article or pronoun, feminine plural the
- ni
- Nor or not even, negative conjunction
- siquiera
- Even, used with negation to emphasize
- creyera
- Believed, past subjunctive of creer
- No
- No or not, used for negation
- me
- Me, first-person singular object pronoun
- tome
- Take, subjunctive form of tomar
- pelo
- Hair; tomar el pelo means to tease someone
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