War and Peace — Page 8
"They say old maids have a mania for matchmaking, and though I don't feel that weakness in myself as yet, I know a little person who is very unhappy with her father.
"Dicen que las solteronas tienen manía por hacer de casamenteras, y aunque yo no siento esa debilidad en mí todavía, conozco a una personita que es muy desdichada con su padre.
She is a relation of yours, Princess Mary Bolkónskaya."
Ella es pariente suya, la princesa María Bolkónskaya."
Prince Vasíli did not reply, though, with the quickness of memory and perception befitting a man of the world, he indicated by a movement of the head that he was considering this information.
El príncipe Vasíli no respondió, aunque, con la rapidez de memoria y percepción propia de un hombre de mundo, indicó con un movimiento de cabeza que estaba considerando esta información.
"Do you know," he said at last, evidently unable to check the sad current of his thoughts, "that Anatole is costing me forty thousand rubles a year?
"¿Sabe usted", dijo por fin, evidentemente incapaz de frenar la triste corriente de sus pensamientos, "que Anatole me está costando cuarenta mil rublos al año?
And," he went on after a pause, "what will it be in five years, if he goes on like this?"
Y", continuó tras una pausa, "¿qué será en cinco años, si sigue así?"
Presently he added: "That's what we fathers have to put up with.... Is this princess of yours rich?"
Luego añadió: "Eso es lo que nosotros los padres tenemos que aguantar... ¿Es rica esa princesa suya?"
"Her father is very rich and stingy.
"Su padre es muy rico y tacaño.
He lives in the country.
Vive en el campo.
He is the well-known Prince Bolkónski who had to retire from the army under the late Emperor, and was nicknamed 'the King of Prussia.'
Es el conocido príncipe Bolkónski que tuvo que retirarse del ejército bajo el difunto Emperador, y al que apodaban 'el Rey de Prusia'.
He is very clever but eccentric, and a bore.
Es muy inteligente pero excéntrico, y un pesado.
The poor girl is very unhappy.
La pobre muchacha es muy desdichada.
She has a brother; I think you know him, he married Lise Meinen lately.
Tiene un hermano; creo que usted lo conoce, se casó con Lise Meinen hace poco.
He is an aide-de-camp of Kutúzov's and will be here tonight."
Es ayudante de campo de Kutúzov y estará aquí esta noche."
"Listen, dear Annette," said the prince, suddenly taking Anna Pávlovna's hand and for some reason drawing it downwards.
"Escuche, querida Annette", dijo el príncipe, tomando de repente la mano de Anna Pávlovna y por alguna razón tirando de ella hacia abajo.
Vocabulary
- Dicen
- They say; third person plural of decir
- que
- That; conjunction connecting clauses
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- solteronas
- Old maids; unmarried women past typical marrying age
- tienen
- They have; third person plural of tener
- manía
- Obsession or fixation; strong irrational habit
- por
- For, by, through; common preposition with multiple uses
- hacer
- To do or make; essential infinitive verb
- de
- Of, from; fundamental Spanish preposition
- casamenteras
- Matchmakers; women who arrange marriages for others
- aunque
- Although, even though; concessive conjunction
- yo
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- no
- No, not; basic negation word
- siento
- I feel; first person singular of sentir
- esa
- That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- debilidad
- Weakness; tendency or soft spot for something
- en
- In, on, at; common locative preposition
- mí
- Me; first person singular prepositional pronoun
- todavía
- Still, yet; indicates continuation of a state
- conozco
- I know; first person singular of conocer
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- personita
- Little person; affectionate diminutive of persona
- es
- Is; third person singular of ser
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- desdichada
- Unhappy, wretched; deeply unfortunate or miserable person
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or relation
- su
- His, her, their, your; possessive adjective
- padre
- Father; male parent
- Ella
- She; third person feminine subject pronoun
- pariente
- Relative; person related by family or blood
- suya
- His, hers, yours; feminine possessive pronoun
- príncipe
- Prince; male member of royal or noble family
- respondió
- He responded; third person singular preterite of responder
- rapidez
- Speed, quickness; swiftness in action or thought
- memoria
- Memory; ability to recall past information
- percepción
- Perception; awareness or understanding of one's situation
- propia
- Own; belonging specifically to oneself
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- hombre
- Man; adult male person
- mundo
- World; also used in hombre de mundo meaning worldly man
- indicó
- He indicated; pointed out with gesture or words
- movimiento
- Movement; motion of the body or an object
- cabeza
- Head; upper body part containing the brain
- estaba
- Was; third person singular imperfect of estar
- considerando
- Considering; thinking over or weighing information
- esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- información
- Information; facts or data about a subject
- Sabe
- You know; third person singular of saber
- usted
- You; formal second person singular pronoun
- dijo
- He said; third person singular preterite of decir
- fin
- End; conclusion or purpose of something
- evidentemente
- Evidently; clearly or obviously true
- incapaz
- Incapable; unable to do something
- frenar
- To stop or brake; to hold back something
- triste
- Sad; feeling or expressing sorrow
- corriente
- Current, flow; stream of thoughts or water
- sus
- His, her, their; plural possessive adjective
- pensamientos
- Thoughts; ideas or reflections in the mind
- me
- Me; first person singular object pronoun
- está
- Is; third person singular present of estar
- costando
- Costing; present participle of costar
- cuarenta
- Forty; the number 40
- mil
- Thousand; the number 1000
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- año
- Year; period of twelve months
- continuó
- He continued; went on speaking or acting
- tras
- After, behind; preposition of sequence or position
- pausa
- Pause; brief stop or hesitation in speech
- qué
- What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun
- será
- Will be; third person singular future of ser
- cinco
- Five; the number 5
- años
- Years; plural of año
- si
- If; conditional conjunction
- sigue
- Continues; third person singular of seguir
- así
- Like this, so; in this manner
- Luego
- Then, later; indicating subsequent action or time
- añadió
- He added; said something further after speaking
- Eso
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to idea
- nosotros
- We; first person plural subject pronoun
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- padres
- Parents or fathers; male parents or both parents
- tenemos
- We have; first person plural of tener
- aguantar
- To endure, put up with; tolerate something difficult
- rica
- Rich; having great wealth or resources
- rico
- Rich; wealthy or affluent
- tacaño
- Stingy, miser; person unwilling to spend money
- Vive
- Lives; third person singular present of vivir
- campo
- Countryside, field; rural area outside the city
- conocido
- Known; past participle of conocer, well-known person
- tuvo
- He had; third person singular preterite of tener
- retirarse
- To retire, withdraw; leave a position or place
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el
- ejército
- Army; organized military land force
- bajo
- Under, during; preposition indicating subordination or time
- difunto
- Deceased, late; referring to someone who has died
- Emperador
- Emperor; ruler of an empire
- apodaban
- They nicknamed; imperfect tense of apodar
- Rey
- King; male monarch of a kingdom
- inteligente
- Intelligent; having great mental capacity or cleverness
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- excéntrico
- Eccentric; behaving in unusual or unconventional ways
- pesado
- Heavy, tiresome; burdensome or annoying person
- pobre
- Poor; lacking wealth or inspiring pity
- muchacha
- Girl, young woman; female youth
- Tiene
- Has; third person singular present of tener
- hermano
- Brother; male sibling
- creo
- I believe, I think; first person singular of creer
- conoce
- Knows, meets; third person singular of conocer
- se
- Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
- casó
- Married; third person singular preterite of casarse
- hace
- Ago, makes; used to express time elapsed
- poco
- Little, a short time; small amount or brief period
- ayudante
- Assistant, aide; person who helps or assists another
- estará
- Will be; third person singular future of estar
- aquí
- Here; in this place
- noche
- Night; period of darkness after sunset
- Escuche
- Listen; formal imperative of escuchar
- querida
- Dear, beloved; affectionate term of address
- tomando
- Taking; present participle of tomar
- repente
- Suddenly; used in de repente meaning all at once
- mano
- Hand; body part at the end of the arm
- alguna
- Some, any; feminine singular indefinite adjective
- razón
- Reason; cause or justification for an action
- tirando
- Pulling; present participle of tirar
- ella
- Her, she; third person feminine pronoun
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction of movement
- abajo
- Down, below; indicating downward direction or position
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