White nights, and other stories — Page 12
But there was already a gleam of a smile on her lips.
Pero ya había un destello de sonrisa en sus labios.
She too stole a glance at me, faintly blushed and looked down.
Ella también me lanzó una mirada furtiva, se sonrojó levemente y bajó los ojos.
"There, you see; why did you drive me away?
"¿Lo ve usted? ¿Por qué me alejó?
If I had been here, nothing would have happened...."
Si yo hubiera estado aquí, nada habría pasado..."
"But I did not know you; I thought that you too...."
"Pero es que no le conocía; pensé que usted también..."
"Why, do you know me now?"
"¿Y ahora me conoce usted?"
"A little! Here, for instance, why are you trembling?"
"¡Un poco! Por ejemplo, ¿por qué tiembla usted?"
"Oh, you are right at the first guess!"
"¡Oh, ha acertado a la primera!"
I answered, delighted that my girl had intelligence; that is never out of place in company with beauty.
respondí, encantado de que mi chica tuviera inteligencia; eso nunca está de más cuando va acompañada de belleza.
"Yes, from the first glance you have guessed the sort of man you have to do with.
"Sí, desde el primer momento ha adivinado usted con qué clase de hombre tiene que vérselas.
Precisely; I am shy with women, I am agitated, I don't deny it, as much so as you were a minute ago when that gentleman alarmed you.
Exactamente; soy tímido con las mujeres, me agito, no lo niego, tanto como lo estaba usted hace un momento cuando aquel caballero la asustó.
I am in some alarm now.
Ahora estoy algo inquieto.
It's like a dream, and I never guessed even in my sleep that I should ever talk with any woman."
Es como un sueño, y jamás imaginé ni durmiendo que llegaría a hablar alguna vez con ninguna mujer."
"What? Really?..."
"¿Cómo? ¿De verdad?..."
"Yes; if my arm trembles, it is because it has never been held by a pretty little hand like yours.
"Sí; si me tiembla el brazo, es porque nunca lo había tomado una manita tan bonita como la suya.
I am a complete stranger to women; that is, I have never been used to them.
Soy un completo extraño para las mujeres; es decir, nunca me he acostumbrado a su trato.
You see, I am alone.... I don't even know how to talk to them.
¿Ve usted?, estoy solo... Ni siquiera sé cómo hablar con ellas.
Here, I don't know now whether I have not said something silly to you!
Ahora mismo no sé si no le habré dicho alguna tontería.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', used to contrast ideas.
- ya
- Adverb meaning 'already' or 'now'.
- había
- Past perfect form of 'haber', meaning 'there was/had'.
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- destello
- A flash, gleam, or spark of light.
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
- sonrisa
- A smile on someone's face.
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'.
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'their'.
- labios
- The lips of a person's mouth.
- Ella
- Third-person singular pronoun meaning 'she'.
- también
- Adverb meaning 'also' or 'too'.
- me
- First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'.
- lanzó
- Past tense of 'lanzar', meaning 'threw' or 'cast'.
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- mirada
- A look or glance directed at someone.
- furtiva
- Describes something stealthy, sneaky, or furtive.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs.
- sonrojó
- Past tense of 'sonrojarse', meaning 'blushed'.
- levemente
- Adverb meaning 'slightly' or 'lightly'.
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- bajó
- Past tense of 'bajar', meaning 'lowered' or 'went down'.
- los
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural).
- ojos
- The eyes of a person or animal.
- Lo
- Neuter object pronoun meaning 'it'.
- ve
- Present tense of 'ver', meaning 'sees' or 'do you see'.
- usted
- Formal second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you'.
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'because of'.
- qué
- Interrogative word meaning 'why' or 'what'.
- alejó
- Past tense of 'alejarse', meaning 'moved away'.
- Si
- Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing a condition.
- yo
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
- hubiera
- Past subjunctive of 'haber', used in hypothetical clauses.
- estado
- Past participle of 'estar', meaning 'been'.
- aquí
- Adverb meaning 'here', indicating this place.
- nada
- Pronoun/adverb meaning 'nothing' or 'not at all'.
- habría
- Conditional form of 'haber', meaning 'would have'.
- pasado
- Past participle of 'pasar', meaning 'happened' or 'passed'.
- es
- Third-person singular present of 'ser', meaning 'is'.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'.
- no
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'.
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or 'you'.
- conocía
- Imperfect of 'conocer', meaning 'knew' or 'was acquainted with'.
- pensé
- First-person past tense of 'pensar', meaning 'I thought'.
- Y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now', referring to the present moment.
- conoce
- Present tense of 'conocer', meaning 'knows' or 'meets'.
- Un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- poco
- Adverb/adjective meaning 'a little' or 'a bit'.
- ejemplo
- A representative case or example to illustrate something.
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'.
- tiembla
- Present tense of 'temblar', meaning 'trembles' or 'shakes'.
- ha
- Third-person singular of 'haber', used in perfect tenses.
- acertado
- Past participle of 'acertar', meaning 'guessed correctly'.
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'.
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
- primera
- Feminine ordinal adjective meaning 'first'.
- respondí
- First-person past tense of 'responder', meaning 'I replied'.
- encantado
- Adjective meaning 'delighted' or 'pleased to meet you'.
- mi
- First-person possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
- chica
- A girl or young woman.
- tuviera
- Past subjunctive of 'tener', meaning 'had' in hypothetical sense.
- inteligencia
- The quality of being intelligent or quick-minded.
- eso
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (neutral).
- nunca
- Adverb meaning 'never'.
- está
- Third-person singular present of 'estar', meaning 'is'.
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most'.
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing time clauses.
- va
- Third-person singular present of 'ir', meaning 'goes'.
- acompañada
- Past participle/adjective meaning 'accompanied' (feminine).
- belleza
- The quality of being beautiful; beauty.
- Sí
- Affirmative word meaning 'yes'.
- desde
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from'.
- el
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular).
- primer
- Masculine ordinal adjective meaning 'first'.
- momento
- A brief period of time; a moment.
- adivinado
- Past participle of 'adivinar', meaning 'guessed' or 'divined'.
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'.
- clase
- Class, elegance, or a group/category of things.
- hombre
- A man or adult male person.
- tiene
- Third-person singular of 'tener', meaning 'has'.
- vérselas
- Reflexive phrase meaning 'to deal with' or 'to face'.
- Exactamente
- Adverb meaning 'exactly' or 'precisely'.
- soy
- First-person singular of 'ser', meaning 'I am'.
- tímido
- Adjective describing a shy or timid person.
- las
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine plural).
- mujeres
- Women; plural of 'mujer'.
- agito
- First-person present of 'agitar', meaning 'I shake' or 'I stir'.
- niego
- First-person present of 'negar', meaning 'I deny'.
- tanto
- Adverb/adjective meaning 'so much' or 'as much'.
- como
- Conjunction meaning 'as' or 'like', used for comparisons.
- estaba
- Imperfect of 'estar', meaning 'was' (state or condition).
- hace
- Present of 'hacer'; also used to express time ago.
- aquel
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (distant, masculine).
- caballero
- A gentleman or well-mannered man.
- asustó
- Past tense of 'asustar', meaning 'frightened' or 'scared'.
- Ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now', at the current moment.
- estoy
- First-person singular present of 'estar', meaning 'I am'.
- algo
- Pronoun/adverb meaning 'something' or 'somewhat'.
- inquieto
- Adjective meaning 'uneasy', 'restless', or 'anxious'.
- Es
- Third-person singular of 'ser', meaning 'it is'.
- sueño
- A dream or the state of being sleepy.
- jamás
- Adverb meaning 'never' (emphatic form).
- imaginé
- First-person past of 'imaginar', meaning 'I imagined'.
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'not even'.
- durmiendo
- Gerund of 'dormir', meaning 'sleeping'.
- llegaría
- Conditional of 'llegar', meaning 'would arrive' or 'would get to'.
- hablar
- Infinitive meaning 'to speak' or 'to talk'.
- alguna
- Feminine indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any'.
- vez
- A time or instance; used in expressions like 'once'.
- ninguna
- Negative adjective meaning 'no' or 'none' (feminine).
- mujer
- A woman or adult female person.
- Cómo
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'how'.
- De
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
- verdad
- Truth; also used to express 'really' or 'truly'.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing conditional clauses.
- brazo
- The arm of a human body.
- porque
- Conjunction meaning 'because', giving a reason.
- tomado
- Past participle of 'tomar', meaning 'taken' or 'held'.
- manita
- Diminutive of 'mano', meaning 'little hand'.
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such', used before adjectives.
- bonita
- Adjective meaning 'pretty' or 'lovely' (feminine).
- suya
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'hers', 'his', or 'yours' (feminine).
- Soy
- First-person singular of 'ser', meaning 'I am'.
- completo
- Adjective meaning 'complete', 'total', or 'full'.
- extraño
- Adjective meaning 'strange' or noun meaning 'stranger'.
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'by'.
- decir
- Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
- he
- First-person singular of 'haber', used in perfect tenses.
- acostumbrado
- Past participle of 'acostumbrar', meaning 'accustomed to'.
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'your', or 'their'.
- trato
- Treatment, manner, or way of dealing with someone.
- Ve
- Imperative/present of 'ver' or 'ir', meaning 'see' or 'go'.
- solo
- Adjective/adverb meaning 'alone' or 'only'.
- Ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'not even'.
- siquiera
- Adverb meaning 'even', often used with 'ni' (not even).
- sé
- First-person singular of 'saber', meaning 'I know'.
- cómo
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'how'.
- ellas
- Third-person plural feminine pronoun meaning 'they'.
- mismo
- Adjective/pronoun meaning 'same', 'himself', or 'itself'.
- habré
- First-person future of 'haber', meaning 'I will have'.
- dicho
- Past participle of 'decir', meaning 'said'.
- tontería
- A silly or foolish remark; nonsense.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →