White nights, and other stories — Page 9
But the moment passes, and next day you meet, maybe, the same pensive and preoccupied look as before, the same pale face, the same meek and timid movements, and even signs of remorse, traces of a mortal anguish and regret for the fleeting distraction....
Pero el momento pasa, y al día siguiente te encuentras, quizás, con la misma mirada pensativa y preocupada que antes, el mismo rostro pálido, los mismos movimientos mansos y tímidos, e incluso señales de remordimiento, huellas de una angustia mortal y pesar por la fugaz distracción....
And you grieve that the momentary beauty has faded so soon never to return, that it flashed upon you so treacherously, so vainly, grieve because you had not even time to love her....
Y te apena que la belleza momentánea se haya desvanecido tan pronto para no volver jamás, que haya brillado ante ti de manera tan traicionera, tan vana, te apena no haber tenido siquiera tiempo de amarla....
And yet my night was better than my day! This was how it happened.
Y sin embargo, mi noche fue mejor que mi día. Así fue como ocurrió.
I came back to the town very late, and it had struck ten as I was going towards my lodgings.
Regresé a la ciudad muy tarde, y el reloj marcaba las diez cuando me dirigía hacia mi alojamiento.
My way lay along the canal embankment, where at that hour you never meet a soul.
Mi camino transcurría a lo largo del terraplén del canal, donde a esa hora nunca se encuentra un alma.
It is true that I live in a very remote part of the town.
Es cierto que vivo en una parte muy apartada de la ciudad.
I walked along singing, for when I am happy I am always humming to myself like every happy man who has no friend or acquaintance with whom to share his joy.
Caminaba cantando, pues cuando estoy feliz siempre voy tarareando para mí mismo, como todo hombre dichoso que no tiene amigo ni conocido con quien compartir su alegría.
Suddenly I had a most unexpected adventure.
De repente tuve una aventura de lo más inesperada.
Leaning on the canal railing stood a woman with her elbows on the rail, she was apparently looking with great attention at the muddy water of the canal.
Apoyada en la barandilla del canal había una mujer con los codos sobre la barandilla, y aparentemente miraba con gran atención el turbio agua del canal.
She was wearing a very charming yellow hat and a jaunty little black mantle.
Llevaba puesto un encantador sombrero amarillo y una pequeña y airosa capa negra.
"She's a girl, and I am sure she is dark," I thought.
«Es una chica, y estoy seguro de que es morena», pensé.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- However; but; yet
- el
- The (masculine singular article)
- momento
- Moment; instant; point in time
- pasa
- Passes; happens; occurs (third person present)
- al
- To the; at the (contraction of a+el)
- día
- Day; daytime period
- siguiente
- Following; next; subsequent
- te
- You (indirect or direct object pronoun)
- encuentras
- You find; you meet (second person present)
- quizás
- Perhaps; maybe; possibly
- con
- With; together with
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- misma
- Same; identical (feminine form)
- mirada
- Gaze; look; glance
- pensativa
- Thoughtful; pensive; meditative (feminine)
- preocupada
- Worried; concerned; anxious (feminine)
- que
- That; which; who; what
- antes
- Before; previously; earlier
- mismo
- Same; identical; very (masculine)
- rostro
- Face; countenance; visage
- pálido
- Pale; pallid; lacking color
- los
- The (masculine plural article)
- mismos
- Same; identical (masculine plural)
- movimientos
- Movements; motions; actions
- tímidos
- Timid; shy; fearful (plural)
- incluso
- Even; including; moreover
- señales
- Signs; signals; indications
- de
- Of; from; about; by
- remordimiento
- Remorse; guilt; regret
- huellas
- Traces; footprints; marks; signs
- una
- A; an (feminine singular article)
- angustia
- Anguish; distress; anxiety; suffering
- mortal
- Mortal; deadly; severe; fatal
- pesar
- Sorrow; regret; grief; to weigh
- por
- For; by; through; per; during
- fugaz
- Fleeting; transient; brief; passing
- distracción
- Distraction; inattention; absent-mindedness
- belleza
- Beauty; loveliness; attractiveness
- se
- Himself; herself; itself; oneself
- haya
- Have (subjunctive); beech tree
- tan
- So; as; such; too
- pronto
- Soon; quickly; ready; promptly
- para
- For; to; in order to; by
- no
- No; not; none
- volver
- To return; to go back; to turn
- jamás
- Never; not ever; at no time
- ante
- Before; in front of; faced with
- ti
- You (after preposition, informal)
- manera
- Way; manner; method; fashion
- haber
- To have; to possess (auxiliary verb)
- tenido
- Had; held; possessed (past participle)
- siquiera
- Even; at least; barely; scarcely
- tiempo
- Time; weather; season; period
- amarla
- To love her; to love it (feminine)
- sin
- Without; lacking; minus
- embargo
- Embargo; seizure; however (sin embargo)
- mi
- My; me (after preposition)
- noche
- Night; evening; darkness
- fue
- Was; went (third person preterite)
- mejor
- Better; best; superior; improved
- Así
- So; thus; in this way; like this
- como
- Like; as; how; since
- ocurrió
- Occurred; happened; took place
- Regresé
- I returned; I came back; I went back
- ciudad
- City; town; urban area
- muy
- Very; quite; extremely; much
- tarde
- Late; afternoon; evening; tardy
- reloj
- Clock; watch; timepiece
- marcaba
- Marked; indicated; showed (imperfect)
- las
- The (feminine plural article)
- diez
- Ten; the number 10
- cuando
- When; while; during; as
- me
- Me; to me; myself
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