War and Peace — Page 5
Anna Pávlovna in dismay detained him with the words: "Do you know the Abbé Morio? He is a most interesting man."
Anna Pávlovna, consternada, lo retuvo con las palabras: «¿Conoce usted al abate Morio? Es un hombre de lo más interesante».
"Yes, I have heard of his scheme for perpetual peace, and it is very interesting but hardly feasible."
«Sí, he oído hablar de su proyecto de paz perpetua, y es muy interesante, aunque difícilmente realizable».
"You think so?" rejoined Anna Pávlovna in order to say something and get away to attend to her duties as hostess.
«¿Eso cree usted?», respondió Anna Pávlovna con el propósito de decir algo y poder alejarse para atender sus obligaciones como anfitriona.
But Pierre now committed a reverse act of impoliteness.
Pero Pierre cometió entonces una descortesía de signo contrario.
First he had left a lady before she had finished speaking to him, and now he continued to speak to another who wished to get away.
Primero había abandonado a una dama antes de que ella terminara de hablarle, y ahora continuaba hablando con otra que deseaba marcharse.
With his head bent, and his big feet spread apart, he began explaining his reasons for thinking the abbé's plan chimerical.
Con la cabeza inclinada y sus grandes pies separados, comenzó a explicar sus razones para considerar quimérico el plan del abate.
"We will talk of it later," said Anna Pávlovna with a smile.
«Hablaremos de ello más adelante», dijo Anna Pávlovna con una sonrisa.
And having got rid of this young man who did not know how to behave, she resumed her duties as hostess and continued to listen and watch, ready to help at any point where the conversation might happen to flag.
Y habiéndose librado de aquel joven que no sabía comportarse, retomó sus obligaciones como anfitriona y continuó escuchando y observando, dispuesta a intervenir en cualquier punto donde la conversación amenazara con decaer.
Vocabulary
- consternada
- Dismayed or deeply upset by something unexpected
- lo
- Direct object pronoun meaning him, it, or that
- retuvo
- He/she held back or detained someone or something
- con
- Preposition meaning with
- las
- Definite article, feminine plural, meaning the
- palabras
- Words; units of spoken or written language
- Conoce
- To know or be acquainted with someone or something
- usted
- Formal second-person singular pronoun meaning you
- al
- Contraction of a and el, meaning to the
- abate
- An abbot or clergyman, especially a Catholic priest
- Es
- Third-person singular of ser, meaning he/she/it is
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning a or an
- hombre
- A man; an adult male person
- de
- Preposition meaning of or from
- más
- More; used for comparison or emphasis
- interesante
- Interesting; capturing attention or curiosity
- Sí
- Yes; an affirmative response
- he
- First-person singular auxiliary verb, I have
- oído
- Past participle of oír; heard
- hablar
- To speak or to talk
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, its, or your
- proyecto
- A project or plan designed to achieve a goal
- paz
- Peace; the absence of war or conflict
- perpetua
- Perpetual; lasting or continuing forever without end
- y
- Conjunction meaning and
- es
- Third-person singular of ser, meaning is
- muy
- Very; used to intensify adjectives or adverbs
- aunque
- Although or even though; introduces a concession
- difícilmente
- With difficulty; hardly or scarcely achievable
- realizable
- Achievable or feasible; capable of being carried out
- Eso
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to something
- cree
- He/she believes or thinks something to be true
- respondió
- He/she responded or answered someone
- el
- Definite article, masculine singular, meaning the
- propósito
- Purpose or intention; a goal one aims to achieve
- decir
- To say or to tell
- algo
- Something; an unspecified thing or amount
- poder
- To be able to; can; expresses ability or permission
- alejarse
- To move away or distance oneself from someone
- para
- Preposition meaning for, in order to, or toward
- atender
- To attend to or take care of someone or something
- sus
- Possessive adjective, plural, meaning his, her, or their
- obligaciones
- Obligations or duties one is required to fulfill
- como
- As or like; used for comparison or role
- anfitriona
- A hostess; a woman who entertains guests
- Pero
- But; conjunction introducing a contrasting idea
- cometió
- He/she committed or made an error or offense
- entonces
- Then; at that time or as a consequence
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning a or an
- descortesía
- Rudeness or discourtesy; lack of polite behavior
- signo
- A sign or symbol indicating something
- contrario
- Contrary or opposite; the reverse of something
- Primero
- First; indicating the first in a sequence or order
- había
- Past form of haber; had, used in perfect tenses
- abandonado
- Abandoned or left behind; past participle of abandonar
- a
- Preposition meaning to or at
- dama
- A lady; a woman of refinement or high social standing
- antes
- Before; earlier in time or order
- que
- That or than; relative pronoun or conjunction
- ella
- She; third-person singular feminine subject pronoun
- terminara
- That she would finish; past subjunctive of terminar
- hablarle
- To speak to him/her; infinitive with indirect pronoun
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment
- continuaba
- He/she was continuing; imperfect of continuar
- hablando
- Speaking or talking; gerund of hablar
- otra
- Another or other; referring to a different one
- deseaba
- He/she desired or wished for something
- marcharse
- To leave or go away; reflexive verb
- Con
- Preposition meaning with
- la
- Definite article, feminine singular, meaning the
- cabeza
- Head; the uppermost part of the human body
- inclinada
- Tilted or bowed; leaning in a direction
- grandes
- Large or big; plural adjective describing size
- pies
- Feet; the lower extremities used for walking
- separados
- Separated or apart; placed at a distance
- comenzó
- He/she began or started doing something
- explicar
- To explain or clarify something to someone
- razones
- Reasons; causes or justifications for something
- considerar
- To consider or regard something in a certain way
- quimérico
- Chimerical; fanciful or wildly unrealistic
- plan
- A plan or scheme for achieving a goal
- del
- Contraction of de and el, meaning of the
- Hablaremos
- We will speak or talk; future tense of hablar
- ello
- It; neuter third-person pronoun referring to a concept
- adelante
- Ahead or later; further on in time or space
- dijo
- He/she said; past tense of decir
- sonrisa
- A smile; a facial expression showing pleasure
- Y
- Conjunction meaning and
- habiéndose
- Having freed oneself; reflexive perfect participle
- librado
- Freed or rid of; past participle of librar
- aquel
- That; demonstrative adjective pointing to something distant
- joven
- Young; a young person or youth
- no
- No or not; negation word
- sabía
- He/she knew how to; imperfect of saber
- comportarse
- To behave oneself; reflexive verb for conduct
- retomó
- He/she resumed or took back something
- continuó
- He/she continued; preterite of continuar
- escuchando
- Listening; gerund of escuchar
- observando
- Observing or watching; gerund of observar
- dispuesta
- Ready or prepared; willing to do something
- intervenir
- To intervene or step in during a situation
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- cualquier
- Any; used before a noun to mean whichever
- punto
- Point or moment; a specific place or instance
- donde
- Where; relative adverb indicating location
- conversación
- Conversation; an exchange of words between people
- amenazara
- That it might threaten; past subjunctive of amenazar
- decaer
- To decline or flag; to lose energy or interest
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