White nights, and other stories — Page 3
That is how it is that we almost bow to each other, especially when we are both in good humour.
Así es como casi nos saludamos con una reverencia el uno al otro, especialmente cuando ambos estamos de buen humor.
The other day, when we had not seen each other for two days and met on the third, we were actually touching our hats, but, realizing in time, dropped our hands and passed each other with a look of interest.
El otro día, cuando no nos habíamos visto durante dos días y nos encontramos al tercero, llegamos incluso a tocarnos los sombreros, pero, dándonos cuenta a tiempo, bajamos las manos y nos cruzamos con una mirada de interés.
I know the houses too.
También conozco las casas.
As I walk along they seem to run forward in the streets to look out at me from every window, and almost to say: "Good-morning! How do you do? I am quite well, thank God, and I am to have a new storey in May," or, "How are you? I am being redecorated to-morrow;" or, "I was almost burnt down and had such a fright," and so on.
Mientras camino, parecen adelantarse en las calles para mirarme desde cada ventana, y casi decirme: «¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo está usted? Estoy muy bien, gracias a Dios, y voy a tener un nuevo piso en mayo», o bien: «¿Cómo está? Mañana me van a redecorar»; o: «Casi me incendian y me llevé un susto tremendo», y así sucesivamente.
I have my favourites among them, some are dear friends; one of them intends to be treated by the architect this summer.
Tengo mis favoritas entre ellas, algunas son queridas amigas; una de ellas tiene previsto ser atendida por el arquitecto este verano.
I shall go every day on purpose to see that the operation is not a failure.
Iré todos los días expresamente para asegurarme de que la operación no sea un fracaso.
God forbid!
¡Dios no lo quiera!
But I shall never forget an incident with a very pretty little house of a light pink colour.
Pero nunca olvidaré un incidente con una casita muy bonita de color rosa claro.
It was such a charming little brick house, it looked so hospitably at me, and so proudly at its ungainly neighbours, that my heart rejoiced whenever I happened to pass it.
Era una casita de ladrillo tan encantadora, me miraba con tanta hospitalidad y miraba con tanto orgullo a sus desgarbados vecinos, que mi corazón se alegraba cada vez que pasaba por delante.
Suddenly last week I walked along the street, and when I looked at my friend I heard a plaintive, "They are painting me yellow!"
De repente, la semana pasada caminaba por la calle y, cuando miré a mi amiga, escuché un lastimero: «¡Me están pintando de amarillo!»
The villains! The barbarians!
¡Villanos! ¡Bárbaros!
Vocabulary
- Así
- In this way; used to describe manner or method
- es
- Third person singular of 'ser'; means 'is'
- como
- As or like; used for comparisons
- casi
- Almost; nearly but not quite
- nos
- Reflexive/object pronoun meaning 'us' or 'ourselves'
- saludamos
- We greet each other; first person plural of saludar
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- reverencia
- A bow or gesture of respect toward someone
- otro
- Other or another; referring to a different person
- especialmente
- Especially; to a greater degree than usual
- cuando
- When; conjunction indicating time of an action
- ambos
- Both; referring to two people or things together
- estamos
- We are; first person plural of 'estar'
- buen
- Good; masculine short form of 'bueno'
- humor
- Mood or humor; one's emotional state
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
- habíamos
- We had; first person plural pluperfect of 'haber'
- visto
- Seen; past participle of 'ver'
- durante
- During; preposition indicating a time span
- días
- Days; plural of 'día'
- encontramos
- We met or found; first person plural of encontrar
- tercero
- Third; ordinal number following second
- llegamos
- We arrived or reached; first person plural of llegar
- incluso
- Even; used to emphasize an unexpected addition
- tocarnos
- To touch each other; reflexive infinitive of tocar
- sombreros
- Hats; head coverings worn by people
- pero
- But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- dándonos
- Giving ourselves; gerund of dar with reflexive pronoun
- cuenta
- Account or realization; used in 'darse cuenta' meaning to realize
- tiempo
- Time or weather; common noun with dual meaning
- bajamos
- We lowered; first person plural of bajar
- manos
- Hands; plural of 'mano'
- cruzamos
- We crossed; first person plural of cruzar
- mirada
- Gaze or look; the act of looking at someone
- interés
- Interest; attention or concern toward something
- También
- Also or too; indicates addition to a statement
- conozco
- I know; first person singular of conocer
- casas
- Houses; plural of 'casa'
- Mientras
- While; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions
- camino
- I walk or road; verb or noun depending on context
- parecen
- They seem or appear; third person plural of parecer
- adelantarse
- To move forward or step ahead of others
- calles
- Streets; plural of 'calle'
- para
- For or in order to; indicates purpose or destination
- mirarme
- To look at me; infinitive of mirar with pronoun
- desde
- From or since; preposition of origin or time
- cada
- Each or every; distributive adjective
- ventana
- Window; an opening in a wall for light
- decirme
- To tell me; infinitive of decir with pronoun
- Buenos
- Good; masculine plural adjective, as in 'Buenos días'
- Cómo
- How; interrogative word asking about manner
- está
- Is; third person singular of 'estar'
- usted
- You; formal second person singular pronoun
- Estoy
- I am; first person singular of 'estar'
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- bien
- Well or good; common adverb of manner
- gracias
- Thank you; expression of gratitude
- Dios
- God; the divine being in religious context
- voy
- I go; first person singular of 'ir'
- tener
- To have; infinitive of common irregular verb
- nuevo
- New; adjective describing something recently made
- piso
- Floor or apartment; a level in a building
- mayo
- May; the fifth month of the year
- Mañana
- Tomorrow or morning; referring to the next day
- van
- They go; third person plural of 'ir'
- redecorar
- To redecorate; to change a space's interior design
- Casi
- Almost; nearly but not completely
- incendian
- They set on fire; third person plural of incendiar
- llevé
- I got or I had; preterite of llevar in reflexive sense
- susto
- Fright or scare; a sudden feeling of fear
- tremendo
- Tremendous or enormous; very great in degree
- así
- Thus or in this way; referring to manner
- sucesivamente
- Successively; one after another in sequence
- Tengo
- I have; first person singular of 'tener'
- favoritas
- Favorites; feminine plural of favorito
- entre
- Between or among; preposition of position or relation
- ellas
- They or them; feminine third person plural pronoun
- algunas
- Some; feminine plural indefinite pronoun or adjective
- son
- They are; third person plural of 'ser'
- queridas
- Dear or beloved; feminine plural of querido
- amigas
- Female friends; feminine plural of amigo
- tiene
- Has or have; third person singular of 'tener'
- previsto
- Planned or foreseen; past participle of prever
- ser
- To be; infinitive of the essential Spanish verb
- atendida
- Attended to or cared for; past participle of atender
- por
- By or for; preposition with many uses in Spanish
- arquitecto
- Architect; a professional who designs buildings
- este
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- verano
- Summer; the warmest season of the year
- Iré
- I will go; future tense first person of ir
- todos
- All or everyone; masculine plural of todo
- expresamente
- Expressly or specifically; done for a particular purpose
- asegurarme
- To make sure; reflexive infinitive of asegurar
- operación
- Operation; a planned procedure or action
- sea
- Be; present subjunctive third person of ser
- fracaso
- Failure; lack of success in achieving a goal
- quiera
- Want; present subjunctive of querer
- Pero
- But; conjunction indicating contrast
- nunca
- Never; adverb of negation regarding time
- olvidaré
- I will forget; future tense of olvidar
- incidente
- Incident; an event or occurrence worth noting
- casita
- Little house; diminutive form of 'casa'
- bonita
- Pretty or lovely; feminine adjective of bonito
- color
- Color; the visual property of objects reflecting light
- rosa
- Pink or rose; a light red color
- claro
- Light or clear; referring to shade or brightness
- Era
- Was; imperfect tense third person singular of ser
- ladrillo
- Brick; a rectangular block used in construction
- tan
- So or such; adverb intensifying comparisons
- encantadora
- Charming or delightful; feminine adjective of encantador
- miraba
- Was looking; imperfect tense of mirar
- tanta
- So much; feminine form of tanto
- hospitalidad
- Hospitality; the friendly welcoming of guests
- tanto
- So much; adverb or adjective of quantity
- orgullo
- Pride; a feeling of satisfaction in oneself
- desgarbados
- Ungainly or awkward; lacking grace in appearance
- vecinos
- Neighbors; people who live nearby
- corazón
- Heart; the organ or symbol of emotion
- alegraba
- Was gladdened; imperfect tense of alegrarse
- vez
- Time or occasion; as in 'each time'
- pasaba
- Was passing; imperfect tense of pasar
- delante
- In front; adverb indicating forward position
- repente
- Sudden; used in 'de repente' meaning suddenly
- semana
- Week; a period of seven days
- pasada
- Last or past; as in 'la semana pasada'
- caminaba
- Was walking; imperfect tense of caminar
- calle
- Street; a public road in a town or city
- miré
- I looked; preterite tense of mirar
- amiga
- Female friend; feminine singular of amigo
- escuché
- I heard or listened; preterite of escuchar
- lastimero
- Pitiful or plaintive; evoking sorrow or pity
- están
- They are; third person plural of 'estar'
- pintando
- Painting; present participle of pintar
- amarillo
- Yellow; a bright primary color
- Villanos
- Villains; wicked or evil people
- Bárbaros
- Barbarians; uncivilized or cruel people
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