White nights, and other stories — Page 11
The girl flew straight as an arrow,
La chica voló derecha como una flecha,
with the timid haste one sees in all girls who do not want any one to volunteer to accompany them home at night, and no doubt the staggering gentleman would not have pursued her, if my good luck had not prompted him.
con la tímida prisa que se ve en todas las chicas que no quieren que nadie se ofrezca a acompañarlas a casa por la noche, y sin duda el tambaleante caballero no la habría perseguido, si mi buena suerte no le hubiera incitado a ello.
Suddenly, without a word to any one, the gentleman set off and flew full speed in pursuit of my unknown lady.
De repente, sin decir una palabra a nadie, el caballero se puso en marcha y salió disparado a toda velocidad en persecución de mi desconocida dama.
She was racing like the wind, but the staggering gentleman was overtaking--overtook her.
Ella corría como el viento, pero el tambaleante caballero la estaba alcanzando... la alcanzó.
The girl uttered a shriek, and ... I bless my luck for the excellent knotted stick, which happened on that occasion to be in my right hand.
La chica lanzó un grito, y... bendigo mi suerte por el excelente bastón nudoso, que en aquella ocasión se encontraba en mi mano derecha.
In a flash I was on the other side of the street; in a flash the obtrusive gentleman had taken in the position, had grasped the irresistible argument, fallen back without a word, and only when we were very far away protested against my action in rather vigorous language.
En un instante estaba al otro lado de la calle; en un instante el impertinente caballero había comprendido la situación, había captado el irresistible argumento, retrocedido sin decir una palabra, y solo cuando nos encontrábamos muy lejos protestó contra mi actuación en un lenguaje bastante enérgico.
But his words hardly reached us.
Pero sus palabras apenas nos llegaron.
"Give me your arm," I said to the girl.
«Dame tu brazo», le dije a la chica.
"And he won't dare to annoy us further."
«Y no se atreverá a molestarnos más.»
She took my arm without a word, still trembling with excitement and terror.
Ella tomó mi brazo sin decir una palabra, temblando aún de emoción y terror.
Oh, obtrusive gentleman! How I blessed you at that moment!
¡Oh, impertinente caballero! ¡Cuánto te bendije en aquel momento!
I stole a glance at her, she was very charming and dark--I had guessed right.
Le lancé una mirada furtiva; era muy encantadora y morena... había adivinado bien.
On her black eyelashes there still glistened a tear--from her recent terror or her former grief--I don't know.
En sus negras pestañas aún brillaba una lágrima, fruto de su reciente terror o de su antigua pena, no lo sé.
Vocabulary
- chica
- A young girl or young woman
- voló
- She flew or moved very quickly away
- derecha
- Right direction or right side
- como
- Like or as, used for comparisons
- flecha
- An arrow, a pointed projectile or symbol
- tímida
- Shy or timid, lacking confidence
- prisa
- Hurry or haste, moving quickly
- ve
- Is seen or observed; third person singular
- todas
- All, referring to all feminine nouns
- chicas
- Girls or young women, plural form
- quieren
- They want or wish for something
- nadie
- Nobody or no one, negative pronoun
- ofrezca
- Subjunctive form of ofrecer, meaning 'offer'
- acompañarlas
- To accompany them, escort feminine persons
- casa
- House or home, a place of residence
- noche
- Night, the dark period after sunset
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- duda
- Doubt or uncertainty about something
- tambaleante
- Staggering or wobbling unsteadily while moving
- caballero
- Gentleman or knight, a courteous man
- habría
- Conditional form of haber, meaning 'would have'
- perseguido
- Chased or pursued someone relentlessly
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if', introduces conditions
- buena
- Good, feminine adjective expressing positive quality
- suerte
- Luck or fortune, chance outcome
- hubiera
- Past subjunctive of haber, meaning 'had'
- incitado
- Incited or urged someone toward action
- ello
- Neuter pronoun referring to 'it' or 'that'
- repente
- Sudden moment; used in 'de repente' suddenly
- decir
- To say or to tell something verbally
- palabra
- A word or spoken unit of language
- puso
- He/she put or set something in motion
- marcha
- Movement or march; departure into motion
- salió
- He/she left or went out quickly
- disparado
- Shot or launched at great speed suddenly
- toda
- All or entire, feminine singular form
- velocidad
- Speed or velocity of movement
- persecución
- Pursuit or chase of someone fleeing
- desconocida
- Unknown or unfamiliar, referring to a woman
- dama
- Lady or noblewoman, a refined woman
- corría
- She was running continuously at speed
- viento
- Wind; also used metaphorically for speed
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introduces contrast
- estaba
- Was; past imperfect of estar
- alcanzando
- Catching up to or reaching someone ahead
- alcanzó
- Caught up to or reached someone finally
- lanzó
- He/she launched or threw something forcefully
- grito
- A shout or scream, loud vocal sound
- bendigo
- I bless; first person singular of bendecir
- excelente
- Excellent, of very high quality or standard
- bastón
- A walking stick or cane for support
- nudoso
- Knotty or gnarled, having many knots
- aquella
- That, feminine demonstrative adjective indicating distance
- ocasión
- Occasion or opportunity, a specific moment
- encontraba
- Was found or located somewhere at time
- mano
- Hand, the body part at arm's end
- instante
- Instant or moment, a very brief time
- otro
- Other or another, masculine singular form
- lado
- Side, the area beside something or someone
- calle
- Street or road in an urban setting
- impertinente
- Impertinent or impudent, rude and disrespectful
- había
- Had; past perfect auxiliary form of haber
- comprendido
- Understood or grasped a situation fully
- situación
- Situation or circumstance, the current state of affairs
- captado
- Captured or grasped an idea or message
- irresistible
- Irresistible, impossible to resist or oppose
- argumento
- Argument or reasoning used to persuade others
- retrocedido
- Stepped back or retreated from a position
- solo
- Only or alone, without others present
- cuando
- When, a conjunction indicating time
- encontrábamos
- We were located or found ourselves somewhere
- muy
- Very, intensifying adverb modifying adjectives
- lejos
- Far away, at a great distance
- protestó
- He/she protested or objected strongly verbally
- contra
- Against, preposition expressing opposition
- actuación
- Action or conduct, behavior in a situation
- lenguaje
- Language or manner of speaking and expression
- bastante
- Quite or fairly, indicating a sufficient degree
- enérgico
- Energetic or forceful, vigorous in expression
- Pero
- But, conjunction used to introduce contrast
- palabras
- Words, plural of palabra, spoken expressions
- apenas
- Barely or hardly, only just occurring
- llegaron
- They arrived or reached a destination
- Dame
- Give me; imperative of dar with pronoun
- brazo
- Arm, the upper limb of the body
- dije
- I said; first person preterite of decir
- atreverá
- Will dare; future tense of atreverse
- molestarnos
- To bother or disturb us, cause annoyance
- más
- More or anymore, comparative adverb
- tomó
- She took or grabbed something offered
- temblando
- Trembling or shaking from fear or emotion
- aún
- Still or yet, indicating continuation of state
- emoción
- Emotion or feeling, strong inner sensation
- terror
- Terror or extreme fear, intense dread
- Cuánto
- How much, exclamatory expression of degree
- bendije
- I blessed; first person preterite of bendecir
- aquel
- That, masculine demonstrative adjective indicating distance
- momento
- Moment, a brief point in time
- lancé
- I threw or cast; preterite of lanzar
- mirada
- A look or glance directed at someone
- furtiva
- Furtive or stealthy, secretive in manner
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser
- encantadora
- Charming or delightful, very attractive woman
- morena
- Dark-haired or dark-skinned, brunette woman
- adivinado
- Guessed or divined correctly something unknown
- bien
- Well or good, adverb expressing quality
- negras
- Black, feminine plural adjective of color
- pestañas
- Eyelashes, the hairs along the eyelid
- brillaba
- Was shining or glistening with light
- lágrima
- A tear, a drop of water from eyes
- fruto
- Fruit or result, outcome of something
- reciente
- Recent, having happened not long ago
- antigua
- Old or ancient, existing for a long time
- pena
- Sorrow or grief, a feeling of sadness
- sé
- I know; first person singular of saber
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