White nights, and other stories — Page 5

English → Spanish Full Text Level 7/10

I even bethought me to send for Matrona, and was giving her some fatherly admonitions in regard to the spider's web and sluttishness in general; but she simply stared at me in amazement and went away without saying a word, so that the spider's web is comfortably hanging in its place to this day.

Incluso pensé en mandar llamar a Matrona, y le estaba dando algunas amonestaciones paternas con respecto a la telaraña y a la suciedad en general; pero ella simplemente me miró con asombro y se fue sin decir una palabra, de modo que la telaraña sigue colgando tranquilamente en su lugar hasta el día de hoy.

I only at last this morning realized what was wrong.

Solo esta mañana, por fin, me di cuenta de lo que estaba mal.

Aie! Why, they are giving me the slip and making off to their summer villas!

¡Ay! ¡Vaya, me están dando esquinazo y escapándose a sus villas de verano!

Forgive the triviality of the expression, but I am in no mood for fine language ...

Perdonen la trivialidad de la expresión, pero no estoy de humor para el lenguaje refinado...

for everything that had been in Petersburg had gone or was going away for the holidays;

pues todo lo que había estado en Petersburgo se había ido o estaba marchándose de vacaciones;

for every respectable gentleman of dignified appearance who took a cab was at once transformed, in my eyes, into a respectable head of a household who after his daily duties were over, was making his way to the bosom of his family, to the summer villa;

pues todo respetable caballero de apariencia digna que tomaba un carruaje se transformaba de inmediato, a mis ojos, en un respetable cabeza de familia que, terminadas sus obligaciones diarias, se dirigía al seno de su familia, a la villa de verano;

for all the passers-by had now quite a peculiar air which seemed to say to every one they met: "We are only here for the moment, gentlemen, and in another two hours we shall be going off to the summer villa."

pues todos los transeúntes tenían ahora un aire bastante peculiar que parecía decirle a todo el que encontraban: «Solo estamos aquí por el momento, señores, y en otras dos horas nos marcharemos a la villa de verano».

Vocabulary

Incluso: Even; used to emphasize something unexpected or additional.
pensé: I thought; first-person singular preterite of pensar.
en: In, on, at; common preposition of location or time.
mandar: To send or to order someone to do something.
llamar: To call or summon someone by name or signal.
a: To, at; preposition indicating direction or indirect object.
Matrona: Matron; a dignified older woman, often a housekeeper.
y: And; basic coordinating conjunction connecting elements.
le: Him, her, you; indirect object pronoun in Spanish.
estaba: Was; imperfect tense of estar, indicating ongoing state.
dando: Giving; present participle of dar, used in progressive tenses.
algunas: Some; feminine plural indefinite adjective or pronoun.
amonestaciones: Reprimands; formal warnings or admonishments given to someone.
paternas: Paternal; relating to or characteristic of a father.
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
respecto: Regard, respect; used in phrase with respect to.
la: The; feminine singular definite article in Spanish.
telaraña: Spiderweb; a web spun by a spider, often indicating neglect.
suciedad: Dirtiness, filth; the state of being unclean or messy.
general: General; affecting or involving everything in a broad way.
pero: But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast or exception.
ella: She; third-person singular feminine subject pronoun.
simplemente: Simply; in a plain or straightforward manner, nothing more.
me: Me; first-person singular reflexive or object pronoun.
miró: Looked at; third-person singular preterite of mirar.
asombro: Astonishment; a feeling of great surprise or wonder.
se: Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive or pronominal verbs.
fue: Went or was; preterite of ir or ser, context-dependent.
sin: Without; preposition indicating absence or lack of something.
decir: To say or tell; common infinitive verb of speech.
una: A, one; feminine singular indefinite article in Spanish.
palabra: Word; a unit of language conveying meaning in speech.
de: Of, from; very common preposition showing possession or origin.
modo: Way, manner; method or fashion in which something occurs.
que: That, which, who; common conjunction or relative pronoun.
sigue: Continues, follows; third-person singular present of seguir.
colgando: Hanging; present participle of colgar, dangling in place.
tranquilamente: Calmly, quietly; in a peaceful and undisturbed manner.
su: His, her, its, your, their; possessive adjective in Spanish.
lugar: Place, spot; a specific location or position in space.
hasta: Until, up to; preposition indicating a limit in time or space.
el: The; masculine singular definite article in Spanish.
día: Day; a 24-hour period or the daylight portion thereof.
hoy: Today; referring to the current day in time.
Solo: Only, just, alone; limiting or emphasizing a single element.
esta: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
mañana: Morning or tomorrow; time-related noun or adverb in Spanish.
por: For, by, through; versatile preposition of cause or duration.
fin: End; conclusion of something, as in por fin meaning finally.
di: I gave; first-person singular preterite of dar.
cuenta: Account, bill; also used in darse cuenta meaning to realize.
lo: It, him; neuter or masculine direct object pronoun.
mal: Bad, badly; indicating something poor, wrong, or unfortunate.
Ay: Oh, ouch; interjection expressing pain, surprise, or distress.
Vaya: Wow, well; interjection expressing surprise, irony, or emphasis.
están: Are; third-person plural present tense of estar.
esquinazo: Slip away; dar esquinazo means to give someone the slip.
escapándose: Escaping, getting away; reflexive present participle of escapar.
sus: Their, his, her, your; plural possessive adjective in Spanish.
villas: Villas, country houses; pleasant residences used for vacation.
verano: Summer; the warmest season of the year.
Perdonen: Forgive, pardon; plural imperative of perdonar, asking excuse.
trivialidad: Triviality; a minor or insignificant expression or remark.
expresión: Expression; a word, phrase, or way of conveying meaning.
no: No, not; basic negation word in Spanish language.
estoy: I am; first-person singular present tense of estar.
humor: Mood, humor; mental state or disposition at a given moment.
para: For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose or destination.
lenguaje: Language, speech; the system of communication used by people.
refinado: Refined; polished, elegant, or sophisticated in style or manner.
pues: Well, so, then; discourse filler or causal conjunction.
todo: All, everything; indicating completeness or totality of something.
había: There had been, had; imperfect of haber as auxiliary or existential.
estado: Been, state; past participle of estar or noun meaning state.
ido: Gone; past participle of ir, indicating completed departure.
o: Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
marchándose: Leaving, going away; reflexive present participle of marchar.
vacaciones: Vacation, holidays; a period of rest away from work.
respetable: Respectable; deserving of respect due to character or appearance.
caballero: Gentleman; a polite or honorable man of good standing.
apariencia: Appearance; the outward look or impression one gives others.
digna: Dignified, worthy; having or showing self-respect and seriousness.
tomaba: Was taking; imperfect tense of tomar indicating habitual action.
un: A, an; masculine singular indefinite article in Spanish.
carruaje: Carriage; a horse-drawn vehicle used for passenger transport.
transformaba: Was transforming; imperfect of transformar, indicating ongoing change.
inmediato: Immediate; happening or existing without delay or interval.
mis: My; first-person plural possessive adjective in Spanish.
ojos: Eyes; the organs of sight on a person's face.
cabeza: Head; the upper part of the human body above neck.
familia: Family; a group of related people living or connected together.
terminadas: Finished, completed; feminine plural past participle of terminar.
obligaciones: Obligations, duties; responsibilities one is required to fulfill.
diarias: Daily; occurring or done every day without exception.
dirigía: Was heading, directing; imperfect of dirigir indicating movement toward.
al: To the; contraction of a and el in Spanish.
seno: Bosom, heart; the inner or central part of something.
villa: Villa, country house; a pleasant residence outside the city.
todos: All, everyone; masculine plural form of todo, indicating totality.
los: The; masculine plural definite article in Spanish.
transeúntes: Passersby; people walking through or past a particular place.
tenían: Had; third-person plural imperfect tense of tener.
ahora: Now; at the present time or moment.
aire: Air, manner; atmosphere or distinctive quality around someone.
bastante: Quite, enough; indicating a considerable degree of something.
peculiar: Peculiar, strange; unusual or distinctive in a notable way.
parecía: Seemed, appeared; imperfect of parecer indicating ongoing impression.
decirle: To tell him/her; infinitive dar plus indirect object pronoun.
encontraban: Were meeting, finding; imperfect tense of encontrar reflexive form.
estamos: We are; first-person plural present tense of estar.
aquí: Here; indicating this place or current location.
momento: Moment; a brief or specific point in time.
señores: Gentlemen, sirs; plural of señor, polite address for men.
otras: Other, another; feminine plural form indicating different ones.
dos: Two; the cardinal number following one in Spanish.
horas: Hours; units of time equal to sixty minutes each.
nos: Us, ourselves; first-person plural object or reflexive pronoun.
marcharemos: We will leave; first-person plural future tense of marchar.

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