White nights, and other stories — Page 14
I make up regular romances in my dreams.
Yo construyo verdaderos romances en mis sueños.
Ah, you don't know me!
¡Ah, usted no me conoce!
It's true, of course, I have met two or three women, but what sort of women were they?
Es verdad, claro está, que he conocido a dos o tres mujeres, pero ¿qué clase de mujeres eran?
They were all landladies, that....
Todas eran patronas, eso....
But I shall make you laugh if I tell you that I have several times thought of speaking, just simply speaking, to some aristocratic lady in the street, when she is alone, I need hardly say; speaking to her, of course, timidly, respectfully, passionately; telling her that I am perishing in solitude, begging her not to send me away; saying that I have no chance of making the acquaintance of any woman; impressing upon her that it is a positive duty for a woman not to repulse so timid a prayer from such a luckless man as me.
Pero le haré reír si le digo que varias veces he pensado en dirigirme, simplemente hablar, a alguna dama aristocrática en la calle, cuando estuviera sola, huelga decirlo; hablarle, claro, tímidamente, respetuosamente, apasionadamente; decirle que me estoy consumiendo en soledad, suplicarle que no me rechace; decirle que no tengo posibilidad alguna de conocer a ninguna mujer; hacerle comprender que es un deber ineludible para una mujer no rechazar una súplica tan tímida de un hombre tan desafortunado como yo.
That, in fact, all I ask is, that she should say two or three sisterly words with sympathy, should not repulse me at first sight; should take me on trust and listen to what I say; should laugh at me if she likes, encourage me, say two words to me, only two words, even though we never meet again afterwards!...
Que, en realidad, todo lo que pido es que me diga dos o tres palabras fraternales con simpatía, que no me rechace a primera vista; que me dé su confianza y escuche lo que digo; que se ría de mí si quiere, que me anime, que me diga dos palabras, solo dos palabras, ¡aunque no volvamos a vernos nunca más!...
But you are laughing; however, that is why I am telling you...."
Pero usted se está riendo; sin embargo, por eso se lo estoy contando...."
"Don't be vexed; I am only laughing at your being your own enemy, and if you had tried you would have succeeded, perhaps, even though it had been in the street; the simpler the better....
"No se moleste; solo me río de que usted es su propio enemigo, y si lo hubiera intentado habría tenido éxito, quizás, aunque hubiera sido en la calle; cuanto más sencillo, mejor....
Vocabulary
- Yo
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- construyo
- I build or construct something
- verdaderos
- True, genuine, or real (masculine plural)
- romances
- Romantic relationships or love affairs
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- mis
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
- sueños
- Dreams, either while sleeping or aspirations
- Ah
- Exclamation expressing surprise or realization
- usted
- Formal second person singular pronoun 'you'
- no
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'
- me
- First person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- conoce
- Knows or is acquainted with someone
- Es
- Third person singular of 'ser', meaning 'is'
- verdad
- Truth or reality; something factually correct
- claro
- Clear, obvious; also used to mean 'of course'
- está
- Third person singular of 'estar', meaning 'is'
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- he
- First person singular auxiliary verb 'have'
- conocido
- Known or met someone; past participle of conocer
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or personal 'a'
- dos
- The number two
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or'
- tres
- The number three
- mujeres
- Women; plural of mujer
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', indicating contrast
- qué
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'which'
- clase
- Class, type, or kind of something
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'
- eran
- They were; imperfect tense of 'ser'
- Todas
- All (feminine plural); every one of them
- patronas
- Landladies or female employers; women in charge
- eso
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (neutral)
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', indicating contrast
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her/you'
- haré
- I will make or do; future tense of hacer
- reír
- To laugh; infinitive verb
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing conditions
- digo
- I say or tell; first person present of decir
- varias
- Several or various (feminine plural)
- veces
- Times or occasions; plural of vez
- pensado
- Thought about; past participle of pensar
- dirigirme
- To address or go toward someone (reflexive)
- simplemente
- Simply, just, or merely
- hablar
- To speak or talk; basic infinitive verb
- alguna
- Some or any (feminine singular)
- dama
- Lady; a woman of refinement or high status
- aristocrática
- Aristocratic; belonging to the upper social class
- la
- Definite article 'the' (feminine singular)
- calle
- Street or road in a city or town
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
- estuviera
- Were (subjunctive imperfect of estar); hypothetical state
- sola
- Alone, by oneself (feminine singular)
- huelga
- It goes without saying; also means 'strike'
- decirlo
- To say it; infinitive with direct object pronoun
- hablarle
- To speak to her/him; infinitive with indirect pronoun
- tímidamente
- Timidly, shyly, in a hesitant manner
- respetuosamente
- Respectfully, in a courteous and considerate way
- apasionadamente
- Passionately, with great emotion or intensity
- decirle
- To tell or say to her/him; infinitive with pronoun
- estoy
- I am; first person singular present of estar
- consumiendo
- Consuming or being consumed; present participle
- soledad
- Loneliness or solitude; state of being alone
- suplicarle
- To beg or implore her/him; infinitive with pronoun
- rechace
- Reject or refuse; subjunctive of rechazar
- tengo
- I have; first person present of tener
- posibilidad
- Possibility or chance of something happening
- conocer
- To know or meet someone; to be acquainted
- ninguna
- None, no, or not any (feminine singular)
- mujer
- Woman or wife
- hacerle
- To make or do for her/him; infinitive with pronoun
- comprender
- To understand or comprehend something or someone
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine)
- deber
- Duty, obligation; also auxiliary verb 'must'
- ineludible
- Unavoidable or inescapable obligation or duty
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to'
- una
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
- rechazar
- To reject, refuse, or turn down someone
- súplica
- A plea, supplication, or earnest request
- tan
- So or such; used for comparisons or emphasis
- tímida
- Timid or shy (feminine singular adjective)
- hombre
- Man; adult male human being
- desafortunado
- Unfortunate or unlucky person or situation
- como
- Like, as, or how; used in comparisons
- yo
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- Que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that'
- realidad
- Reality; what actually exists or is true
- todo
- All, everything, or every (masculine singular)
- lo
- Neutral direct object pronoun meaning 'it'
- pido
- I ask for or request; first person of pedir
- diga
- Say or tell (subjunctive of decir); command form
- palabras
- Words; units of spoken or written language
- fraternales
- Brotherly, fraternal; showing warmth and solidarity
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- simpatía
- Sympathy, warmth, or friendly feeling toward others
- primera
- First (feminine singular ordinal adjective)
- vista
- Sight or view; also past participle of ver
- dé
- Give (subjunctive of dar); used in commands
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'your'
- confianza
- Trust or confidence in someone or something
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- escuche
- Listen (subjunctive or command form of escuchar)
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with third person verbs
- ría
- Laugh (subjunctive of reír); may also mean inlet
- mí
- Me; stressed first person pronoun after preposition
- quiere
- Wants or loves; third person present of querer
- anime
- Encourage or cheer up (subjunctive of animar)
- solo
- Alone or only; by oneself (masculine singular)
- aunque
- Although or even if; concessive conjunction
- volvamos
- Let us return or we return (subjunctive of volver)
- vernos
- To see each other; infinitive with reflexive pronoun
- nunca
- Never; at no time
- más
- More or most; also used in 'no más' (no more)
- riendo
- Laughing; present participle of reír
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo' meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', 'through', or 'because of'
- contando
- Counting or telling; present participle of contar
- No
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'
- moleste
- Bother or disturb (subjunctive of molestar)
- río
- River; also first person present of reír (I laugh)
- propio
- Own or proper; belonging to oneself
- enemigo
- Enemy or foe; one who opposes you
- hubiera
- Had (imperfect subjunctive of haber); hypothetical past
- intentado
- Tried or attempted; past participle of intentar
- habría
- Would have; conditional of haber
- tenido
- Had; past participle of tener
- éxito
- Success; a favorable or desired outcome
- quizás
- Perhaps or maybe; expressing possibility or uncertainty
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser
- cuanto
- How much or as much as; quantity relative pronoun
- sencillo
- Simple, easy, or straightforward; uncomplicated
- mejor
- Better or best; comparative of bueno
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