White nights, and other stories — Page 8
All the passers-by gave me such friendly looks that they seemed almost greeting me, they all seemed so pleased at something.
Todos los transeúntes me lanzaban miradas tan amistosas que parecían casi saludarme, todos parecían tan complacidos por algo.
They were all smoking cigars, every one of them.
Todos fumaban cigarros, cada uno de ellos.
And I felt pleased as I never had before.
Y me sentí complacido como nunca antes lo había estado.
It was as though I had suddenly found myself in Italy--so strong was the effect of nature upon a half-sick townsman like me, almost stifling between city walls.
Era como si de repente me hubiera encontrado en Italia, tan fuerte era el efecto de la naturaleza sobre un ciudadano medio enfermo como yo, casi sofocándose entre los muros de la ciudad.
There is something inexpressibly touching in nature round Petersburg, when at the approach of spring she puts forth all her might, all the powers bestowed on her by Heaven, when she breaks into leaf, decks herself out and spangles herself with flowers....
Hay algo indeciblemente conmovedor en la naturaleza que rodea a Petersburgo, cuando al acercarse la primavera despliega toda su fuerza, todos los poderes que el Cielo le ha otorgado, cuando echa hojas, se engalana y se adorna con flores...
Somehow I cannot help being reminded of a frail, consumptive girl, at whom one sometimes looks with compassion, sometimes with sympathetic love, whom sometimes one simply does not notice; though suddenly in one instant she becomes, as though by chance, inexplicably lovely and exquisite, and, impressed and intoxicated, one cannot help asking oneself what power made those sad, pensive eyes flash with such fire?
De algún modo no puedo evitar que me recuerde a una joven frágil y tísica, a quien a veces se mira con compasión, a veces con amor compasivo, a quien a veces simplemente no se nota; aunque de repente en un instante se vuelve, como por casualidad, inexplicablemente encantadora y exquisita, y, impresionado e intoxicado, uno no puede evitar preguntarse qué poder hizo que esos ojos tristes y pensativos brillaran con tal fuego.
What summoned the blood to those pale, wan cheeks?
¿Qué convocó la sangre a esas mejillas pálidas y lívidas?
What bathed with passion those soft features?
¿Qué bañó de pasión esos suaves rasgos?
What set that bosom heaving?
¿Qué hizo que ese pecho se agitara?
What so suddenly called strength, life and beauty into the poor girl's face, making it gleam with such a smile, kindle with such bright, sparkling laughter?
¿Qué convocó tan de repente la fuerza, la vida y la belleza al rostro de la pobre joven, haciéndolo brillar con tal sonrisa, encenderse con una risa tan viva y chispeante?
You look round, you seek for some one, you conjecture....
Miras a tu alrededor, buscas a alguien, conjeturas...
Vocabulary
- Todos
- Everyone, all people in a group
- los
- Definite plural masculine article: the
- transeúntes
- Passersby, people walking through a place
- me
- First-person singular object pronoun: me
- lanzaban
- They were throwing or casting something
- miradas
- Glances or looks directed at someone
- tan
- So, as; used to intensify adjectives
- amistosas
- Friendly, warm, and welcoming in manner
- que
- That, which; common conjunction or pronoun
- parecían
- They seemed or appeared to be something
- casi
- Almost, nearly but not quite
- saludarme
- To greet me, say hello to me
- todos
- All, everyone; universal inclusive pronoun
- complacidos
- Pleased, satisfied, content with something
- por
- For, by, because of; common preposition
- algo
- Something, an unspecified thing or matter
- fumaban
- They were smoking tobacco or cigars
- cigarros
- Cigars or cigarettes smoked for pleasure
- cada
- Each, every individual one of them
- uno
- One; refers to a single individual person
- de
- Of, from; very common Spanish preposition
- ellos
- They, them; third-person plural pronoun
- sentí
- I felt an emotion or physical sensation
- complacido
- Pleased, gratified, satisfied with a situation
- como
- Like, as; used for comparison or manner
- nunca
- Never, not at any time previously
- antes
- Before, previously, earlier in time
- lo
- It, him; neuter or masculine object pronoun
- había
- Had; auxiliary verb for past perfect tense
- estado
- Been; past participle of estar, to be
- Era
- It was; imperfect tense of ser
- si
- If, as if; conditional conjunction
- repente
- Sudden; used in de repente meaning suddenly
- hubiera
- Had; past subjunctive of haber
- encontrado
- Found, encountered; past participle of encontrar
- en
- In, at, on; very common Spanish preposition
- fuerte
- Strong, powerful, intense in effect
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser, to be
- el
- The; definite singular masculine article
- efecto
- Effect, result, impact of something
- la
- The; definite singular feminine article
- naturaleza
- Nature, the natural world and environment
- sobre
- On, over, about; common Spanish preposition
- un
- A, an; indefinite singular masculine article
- ciudadano
- Citizen, urban dweller, member of a city
- medio
- Half, middle, or somewhat; modifier of degree
- enfermo
- Sick, ill, unwell in health
- yo
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- sofocándose
- Suffocating, choking, being stifled
- entre
- Between, among; spatial or relational preposition
- muros
- Walls, thick stone or brick barriers
- ciudad
- City, large urban populated area
- Hay
- There is, there are; existential verb form
- indeciblemente
- Indescribably, beyond what words can express
- conmovedor
- Moving, touching, emotionally stirring
- rodea
- Surrounds, encircles something or someone
- a
- To, at; very common Spanish preposition
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction or adverb
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- acercarse
- To approach, draw near to something
- primavera
- Spring, the season following winter
- despliega
- Unfolds, spreads out, displays fully
- toda
- All, entire, whole of something
- su
- His, her, its, their; possessive adjective
- fuerza
- Strength, force, power, energy
- poderes
- Powers, abilities, forces, capacities
- Cielo
- Sky, heaven; the expanse above earth
- le
- To him, to her; indirect object pronoun
- ha
- Has; auxiliary verb for present perfect tense
- otorgado
- Granted, bestowed, given as a gift
- echa
- Puts out, sprouts, throws; verb echar
- hojas
- Leaves of a tree or plant
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; itself, herself, himself
- engalana
- Adorns itself, dresses up beautifully
- y
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- adorna
- Decorates, adorns, embellishes with beauty
- con
- With; indicates accompaniment or instrument
- flores
- Flowers, blossoms of plants
- De
- Of, from; common Spanish preposition
- algún
- Some, any; indefinite masculine adjective
- modo
- Way, manner, mode of doing something
- no
- No, not; basic negation word
- puedo
- I can, I am able to do something
- evitar
- To avoid, prevent, keep from happening
- recuerde
- Remember; present subjunctive of recordar
- una
- A, an; indefinite singular feminine article
- joven
- Young person, youth; adjective meaning young
- frágil
- Fragile, delicate, easily broken or harmed
- tísica
- Consumptive, suffering from tuberculosis
- quien
- Who, whom; relative pronoun for persons
- veces
- Times, occasions; plural of vez
- mira
- Looks at, gazes; third person of mirar
- compasión
- Compassion, deep sympathy for suffering
- amor
- Love, deep affection for someone
- compasivo
- Compassionate, showing empathy and sympathy
- simplemente
- Simply, just, in a plain manner
- nota
- Notes, notices, observes something
- aunque
- Although, even though; concessive conjunction
- instante
- Instant, moment, very brief period of time
- vuelve
- Returns, turns back; third person of volver
- casualidad
- Coincidence, chance, accidental occurrence
- inexplicablemente
- Inexplicably, without any logical explanation
- encantadora
- Charming, delightful, enchanting in appearance
- exquisita
- Exquisite, extremely beautiful and refined
- impresionado
- Impressed, struck strongly by something
- e
- And; variant of y before i or hi
- intoxicado
- Intoxicated, overwhelmed by powerful sensation
- puede
- Can, may; third person singular of poder
- preguntarse
- To wonder, ask oneself a question
- qué
- What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun
- poder
- Power, ability; also infinitive to be able
- hizo
- Made, did; preterite of hacer
- esos
- Those; plural masculine demonstrative adjective
- ojos
- Eyes; organs of sight
- tristes
- Sad, sorrowful, full of melancholy
- pensativos
- Thoughtful, pensive, lost in deep thought
- brillaran
- Would shine, sparkle; past subjunctive of brillar
- tal
- Such, so great; used for comparison
- fuego
- Fire, flame; intense heat or passion
- Qué
- What; interrogative pronoun starting a question
- convocó
- Summoned, called forth, brought together
- sangre
- Blood; the red fluid in living bodies
- esas
- Those; plural feminine demonstrative adjective
- mejillas
- Cheeks, the soft sides of the face
- pálidas
- Pale, lacking color, wan in appearance
- lívidas
- Livid, ashen, extremely pale in complexion
- bañó
- Bathed, washed over, covered completely
- pasión
- Passion, intense emotion or strong feeling
- suaves
- Soft, gentle, smooth to the touch
- rasgos
- Features, traits, facial characteristics
- ese
- That; singular masculine demonstrative adjective
- pecho
- Chest, breast; front of the torso
- agitara
- Would stir, agitate; past subjunctive of agitar
- vida
- Life, existence, vitality
- belleza
- Beauty, the quality of being beautiful
- rostro
- Face, countenance, facial appearance
- pobre
- Poor, unfortunate, pitiful; evoking sympathy
- haciéndolo
- Making it, causing it to do something
- brillar
- To shine, gleam, sparkle with light
- sonrisa
- Smile, the facial expression of happiness
- encenderse
- To light up, ignite, become bright
- risa
- Laughter, the sound or act of laughing
- viva
- Lively, vivid, bright and full of energy
- chispeante
- Sparkling, witty, vivacious and full of life
- Miras
- You look, you gaze; second person of mirar
- tu
- Your; second-person singular possessive adjective
- alrededor
- Around, surrounding area nearby
- buscas
- You search, you look for something
- alguien
- Someone, anybody; indefinite pronoun for persons
- conjeturas
- Conjectures, guesses, speculations about something
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