White nights, and other stories — Page 2
For though I had been living almost eight years in Petersburg I had hardly an acquaintance.
Pues aunque había vivido casi ocho años en Petersburgo, apenas tenía un solo conocido.
But what did I want with acquaintances?
Pero ¿qué quería yo con conocidos?
I was acquainted with all Petersburg as it was; that was why I felt as though they were all deserting me when all Petersburg packed up and went to its summer villa.
Conocía todo Petersburgo tal como era; por eso sentía como si todos me abandonaran cuando todo Petersburgo hacía las maletas y se marchaba a su villa de verano.
I felt afraid of being left alone, and for three whole days I wandered about the town in profound dejection, not knowing what to do with myself.
Sentía miedo de quedarme solo, y durante tres días enteros vagué por la ciudad en profundo abatimiento, sin saber qué hacer conmigo mismo.
Whether I walked in the Nevsky, went to the Gardens or sauntered on the embankment, there was not one face of those I had been accustomed to meet at the same time and place all the year.
Ya fuera que paseara por el Nevski, fuera a los Jardines o deambulara por el malecón, no había ni una sola cara de aquellas a las que había estado acostumbrado a encontrar a la misma hora y en el mismo lugar durante todo el año.
They, of course, do not know me, but I know them.
Ellos, por supuesto, no me conocen, pero yo los conozco a ellos.
I know them intimately, I have almost made a study of their faces, and am delighted when they are gay, and downcast when they are under a cloud.
Los conozco íntimamente, casi he hecho un estudio de sus rostros, y me alegro cuando están contentos, y me entristezco cuando están nublados.
I have almost struck up a friendship with one old man whom I meet every blessed day, at the same hour in Fontanka.
Casi he entablado amistad con un anciano al que encuentro todos los benditos días, a la misma hora en el Fontanka.
Such a grave, pensive countenance; he is always whispering to himself and brandishing his left arm, while in his right hand he holds a long gnarled stick with a gold knob.
Qué semblante tan grave y pensativo; siempre está susurrando para sí mismo y agitando el brazo izquierdo, mientras que en la mano derecha sostiene un largo bastón nudoso con un pomo de oro.
He even notices me and takes a warm interest in me.
Incluso me nota y se interesa calurosamente por mí.
If I happen not to be at a certain time in the same spot in Fontanka, I am certain he feels disappointed.
Si acaso no me encuentro a cierta hora en el mismo lugar del Fontanka, estoy seguro de que él se siente decepcionado.
Vocabulary
- Pues
- Well, then; used as a filler or connector
- aunque
- Although, even though; introduces a concession
- había
- There had been; past perfect auxiliary form of haber
- vivido
- Lived; past participle of vivir
- casi
- Almost, nearly; indicates approximation
- ocho
- Eight; the number 8
- años
- Years; plural of año
- en
- In, on, at; basic preposition of location
- apenas
- Barely, hardly; indicates something almost did not happen
- tenía
- Had; imperfect tense of tener
- un
- A, an; masculine indefinite article
- solo
- Single, alone; only one of something
- conocido
- Acquaintance; someone one knows casually
- Pero
- But; conjunction showing contrast or contradiction
- qué
- What; interrogative pronoun
- quería
- Wanted; imperfect tense of querer
- yo
- I; first-person singular pronoun
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment
- conocidos
- Acquaintances; people one knows casually
- Conocía
- Knew, was familiar with; imperfect of conocer
- todo
- Everything, all; refers to the totality
- tal
- Such, as; used in comparisons or references
- como
- As, like; used in comparisons
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser
- por
- For, by, through; multipurpose preposition
- eso
- That; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- sentía
- Felt; imperfect tense of sentir
- si
- If; conditional conjunction
- todos
- Everyone, all; plural of todo
- me
- Me, myself; first-person reflexive/object pronoun
- abandonaran
- Would abandon; past subjunctive of abandonar
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction
- hacía
- Was making, doing; imperfect of hacer
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- maletas
- Suitcases; bags used for travel
- se
- Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
- marchaba
- Was leaving, departing; imperfect of marcharse
- a
- To, at; preposition of direction or location
- su
- His, her, their; possessive adjective
- villa
- Country estate, villa; a residence outside the city
- de
- Of, from; preposition of possession or origin
- verano
- Summer; the warm season of the year
- Sentía
- Felt; imperfect tense of sentir
- miedo
- Fear; feeling of dread or fright
- quedarme
- To stay, remain; infinitive of quedarse with pronoun
- durante
- During, for; preposition indicating a time span
- tres
- Three; the number 3
- días
- Days; plural of día
- enteros
- Entire, whole; complete without exception
- vagué
- I wandered; preterite of vagar
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- ciudad
- City; a large urban settlement
- profundo
- Deep, profound; of great depth or intensity
- abatimiento
- Dejection, despondency; state of low spirits
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence
- saber
- To know; to have knowledge or information
- hacer
- To do, make; basic verb of action
- conmigo
- With me; prepositional pronoun, first person
- mismo
- Same, myself; used for emphasis or identity
- Ya
- Already, now; temporal adverb
- fuera
- Were, outside; subjunctive of ser/estar or adverb
- que
- That, which; subordinating conjunction or pronoun
- paseara
- Would walk, stroll; past subjunctive of pasear
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- Jardines
- Gardens; plural of jardín, cultivated green spaces
- o
- Or; disjunctive conjunction
- deambulara
- Would wander; past subjunctive of deambular
- malecón
- Embankment, seawall; a waterfront promenade or walkway
- no
- No, not; basic negation word
- ni
- Nor, not even; negative conjunction
- una
- A, one; feminine indefinite article
- cara
- Face; the front part of the head
- aquellas
- Those; feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- estado
- Been; past participle of estar
- acostumbrado
- Accustomed, used to; past participle of acostumbrar
- encontrar
- To find, encounter; to come across someone
- misma
- Same; feminine form of mismo for emphasis
- hora
- Hour, time; a unit of time or specific moment
- lugar
- Place; a specific location or spot
- año
- Year; a period of twelve months
- Ellos
- They; third-person plural masculine pronoun
- supuesto
- Supposed, of course; past participle of suponer
- conocen
- They know; present tense of conocer
- pero
- But; conjunction showing contrast
- conozco
- I know; first-person present of conocer
- ellos
- Them, they; third-person plural pronoun
- Los
- Them; masculine plural object pronoun
- íntimamente
- Intimately, deeply; in a close or thorough manner
- he
- I have; present perfect auxiliary of haber
- hecho
- Done, made; past participle of hacer
- estudio
- Study; careful observation or examination of something
- sus
- Their, his, her; plural possessive adjective
- rostros
- Faces; plural of rostro, a formal word for face
- alegro
- I am glad; first-person present of alegrarse
- están
- They are; third-person plural present of estar
- contentos
- Happy, content; pleased or satisfied
- entristezco
- I become sad; first-person present of entristecerse
- nublados
- Cloudy, gloomy; overcast or troubled in mood
- Casi
- Almost, nearly; indicates near completion
- entablado
- Struck up, established; past participle of entablar
- amistad
- Friendship; a close and warm relationship
- anciano
- Elderly man; an old man
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- encuentro
- Encounter, meeting; a chance or planned meeting
- benditos
- Blessed; used affectionately or expressively
- Qué
- What; exclamatory or interrogative pronoun
- semblante
- Countenance, expression; the look on someone's face
- tan
- So, such; intensifier used in comparisons
- grave
- Serious, solemn; indicating gravity or seriousness
- pensativo
- Pensive, thoughtful; deep in thought
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- susurrando
- Whispering, murmuring; speaking very softly
- para
- For, in order to; preposition of purpose or direction
- sí
- Yes; affirmation, or reflexive pronoun meaning himself
- agitando
- Waving, shaking; moving something energetically
- brazo
- Arm; the upper limb of the human body
- izquierdo
- Left; the side opposite to the right
- mientras
- While, meanwhile; simultaneous action conjunction
- mano
- Hand; the part at the end of the arm
- derecha
- Right; the side opposite to the left
- sostiene
- Holds, supports; third-person present of sostener
- largo
- Long; of great length or extended size
- bastón
- Cane, walking stick; a stick used for support
- nudoso
- Knotty, gnarled; having many knots or bumps
- pomo
- Pommel, knob; a rounded handle or ornamental knob
- oro
- Gold; a precious yellow metal
- Incluso
- Even, including; emphasizes inclusion or surprise
- nota
- Notices; third-person present of notar
- interesa
- Interests; third-person present of interesar
- calurosamente
- Warmly, enthusiastically; in a warm or cordial manner
- mí
- Me; stressed first-person prepositional pronoun
- Si
- If; conditional conjunction
- acaso
- Perhaps, by chance; expresses possibility or doubt
- cierta
- Certain, sure; feminine form of cierto
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el
- estoy
- I am; first-person present of estar
- seguro
- Sure, certain; confident or free from doubt
- él
- He; third-person masculine singular pronoun
- siente
- Feels; third-person present of sentir
- decepcionado
- Disappointed; feeling let down or disillusioned
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