Won from the Waves — Page 1
ON THE PIER.
EN EL MUELLE.
It was a gloomy evening.
Era una tarde sombría.
A small group of fishermen were standing--at the end of a rough wooden pier projecting out into the water and forming the southern side of the mouth of a small river.
Un pequeño grupo de pescadores estaba de pie en el extremo de un tosco muelle de madera que se adentraba en el agua y formaba el lado sur de la desembocadura de un pequeño río.
A thick mist, which drove in across the German Ocean, obscured the sky, and prevented any object being seen beyond a few hundred fathoms from the shore, on which the dark leaden-coloured waves broke lazily in with that sullen-sounding roar which often betokens the approach of a heavy gale.
Una espesa niebla, que avanzaba a través del Mar del Norte, oscureció el cielo e impidió ver cualquier objeto más allá de unos pocos cientos de brazas desde la orilla, sobre la cual las oscuras olas de color plomizo rompían perezosamente con ese rugido hosco que a menudo presagia la llegada de un fuerte temporal.
On the north side of the river was a wide extent of sandy ground, where the vegetation consisted of stunted furze-bushes and salt-loving plants with leaves of a dull pale green, growing among patches of coarse grass, the roots of which assisted to keep the sand from being blown away by the fierce wintry gales which blew across it.
En el lado norte del río había una amplia extensión de terreno arenoso, donde la vegetación consistía en arbustos de tojo raquíticos y plantas halófilas con hojas de un verde pálido y apagado, que crecían entre manchas de hierba tosca, cuyas raíces ayudaban a evitar que la arena fuera arrastrada por los feroces vendavales invernales que soplaban a través de ella.
On the right hand of the fishermen as they looked seaward, and beyond an intervening level space, rose a line of high cliffs of light clay and sand extending far to the southward, with a narrow beach at their base.
A la derecha de los pescadores mientras miraban hacia el mar, y más allá de un espacio llano intermedio, se alzaba una línea de altos acantilados de arcilla clara y arena que se extendían lejos hacia el sur, con una estrecha playa a su pie.
Parallel with the river was a green bank, on the sides of which were perched several cottages, the materials composing them showing that they were the abodes of the hardy men who gained their livelihood on the salt deep.
Paralela al río había una orilla verde, en cuyos lados se asentaban varias cabañas, cuyos materiales de construcción revelaban que eran las moradas de los hombres resistentes que se ganaban la vida en el profundo mar salado.
The palings which surrounded them, the sheds and outhouses, and even the ornaments with which they were decorated, were evidently portions of wrecks.
Las estacas que las rodeaban, los cobertizos y las dependencias, e incluso los adornos con que estaban decoradas, eran evidentemente fragmentos de naufragios.
Vocabulary
- EN
- Preposition indicating location, time, or manner.
- EL
- Definite article; the (masculine singular).
- MUELLE
- A dock or wharf structure extending into water.
- Era
- Third person singular past tense of ser (was).
- una
- Indefinite article; a or an (feminine singular).
- tarde
- Afternoon; also means late in temporal context.
- sombría
- Dark, gloomy, or shadowy in appearance or mood.
- Un
- Indefinite article; a or an (masculine singular).
- pequeño
- Small in size or extent; little or tiny.
- grupo
- A collection or gathering of people or things.
- de
- Preposition indicating possession, origin, or composition.
- pescadores
- People who catch fish; fishermen or fishing workers.
- estaba
- Third person singular past imperfect of estar (was).
- pie
- Foot; also means standing position in phrases.
- extremo
- The farthest or outermost point or edge.
- tosco
- Rough, crude, or lacking refinement in quality.
- madera
- Wood or wooden material used for construction.
- adentraba
- Third person singular imperfect of adentrarse (advanced into).
- agua
- Water, the transparent liquid essential for life.
- formaba
- Third person singular imperfect of formar (formed).
- lado
- Side; the left or right surface of something.
- sur
- The cardinal direction opposite to north.
- desembocadura
- The mouth of a river where it meets the sea.
- río
- A large natural stream of water flowing to sea.
- espesa
- Dense or thick in consistency or texture.
- niebla
- Fog or mist; water vapor near ground level.
- avanzaba
- Third person singular imperfect of avanzar (advanced).
- través
- Across; through the extent or width of something.
- Mar
- The sea; large body of salt water.
- Norte
- The cardinal direction; the top of map.
- oscureció
- Third person singular preterite of oscurecer (darkened).
- cielo
- Sky; the expanse above the earth.
- impidió
- Third person singular preterite of impedir (prevented).
- ver
- To perceive with the eyes; to look or observe.
- cualquier
- Any; whichever one of several possibilities.
- objeto
- A thing or item; a material physical thing.
- allá
- Over there; at or to that distant place.
- pocos
- Few in number or quantity; not many.
- cientos
- Hundreds; the number one hundred repeated.
- brazas
- Fathoms; units of depth measurement for water.
- desde
- From; preposition indicating starting point or origin.
- orilla
- Shore or bank; the edge of water body.
- sobre
- On, above, or concerning; preposition of position.
- cual
- Which; relative pronoun connecting two clauses.
- oscuras
- Dark or lacking light; gloomy or black.
- olas
- Waves; undulations on water surface from wind.
- color
- Hue or shade; visual perception of light.
- plomizo
- Lead-colored or dull gray in appearance.
- rompían
- Third person plural imperfect of romper (broke).
- perezosamente
- In a sluggish or slow manner; lazily.
- rugido
- A roar or loud growling sound.
- hosco
- Morose, sullen, or dark in appearance mood.
- menudo
- Often; frequently; also means small or minor.
- presagia
- Third person singular of presagiar (forebodes).
- llegada
- Arrival; the act of coming to a place.
- fuerte
- Strong in power, intensity, or physical strength.
- temporal
- A storm or tempest; violent atmospheric disturbance.
- amplia
- Wide or spacious; covering considerable area extent.
- extensión
- Extent or area; the degree of spreading.
- terreno
- Land or terrain; a piece of ground.
- arenoso
- Sandy; containing or composed of sand.
- vegetación
- Plant life; flora or growing plants collectively.
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