Won from the Waves — Page 2
Over the door of one might be seen the figure-head of some unfortunate vessel.
Sobre la puerta de una de ellas podía verse el mascarón de proa de algún desafortunado navío.
An arbour, not rustic but nautical, was composed of the carved work of a Dutch galliot; indeed, the owners of few had failed to secure some portion of the numerous hapless vessels which from time to time had been driven on their treacherous coast.
Un cenador, no rústico sino náutico, estaba compuesto por las tallas de un galeote holandés; en efecto, pocos propietarios habían dejado de hacerse con alguna parte de los numerosos desgraciados navíos que de vez en cuando habían encallado en su traicionera costa.
On the level ground between the cliff and the river stood two or three other cottages.
En el terreno llano entre el acantilado y el río se alzaban dos o tres casitas más.
One, the largest of them, appeared to be built almost entirely of wreck wood, from the uneven appearance presented by the walls and roof, the architect having apparently adapted such pieces of timber as came to hand without employing the saw to bring them into more fitting shape; the chimney, however, and the lower portions of the walls, were constructed of hewn stone, taken probably from some ancient edifice long demolished.
Una de ellas, la más grande, parecía estar construida casi en su totalidad con madera de naufragio, a juzgar por el aspecto irregular que presentaban las paredes y el tejado, habiendo adaptado aparentemente el constructor los trozos de madera que tenía a mano sin emplear la sierra para darles una forma más adecuada; la chimenea, sin embargo, y las partes inferiores de las paredes estaban construidas con piedra tallada, tomada probablemente de algún antiguo edificio demolido hace tiempo.
Though the exterior of the cottage, with its boat and fish sheds, looked somewhat rough, it had altogether a substantial and not uncomfortable appearance.
Aunque el exterior de la casita, con sus cobertizos para botes y pescado, tenía un aspecto algo tosco, en conjunto ofrecía una apariencia sólida y no del todo incómoda.
The most conspicuous object in the landscape was a windmill standing a little way to the southward on the top of the cliff.
El objeto más llamativo del paisaje era un molino de viento situado un poco hacia el sur en lo alto del acantilado.
Its sails were moving slowly round, but their tattered condition showed that but a small amount of grist was ground within.
Sus aspas giraban lentamente, pero su estado andrajoso revelaba que apenas se molía grano en su interior.
Such was the aspect of the little village of Hurlston and its surroundings towards the end of the last century.
Tal era el aspecto de la pequeña aldea de Hurlston y sus alrededores hacia finales del siglo pasado.
Vocabulary
- Sobre
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'over', or 'about'
- la
- Definite article 'the' for feminine singular nouns
- puerta
- Door or gate of a building
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'
- una
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for feminine nouns
- ellas
- Third-person plural feminine pronoun meaning 'they'
- podía
- Past imperfect form of 'poder', meaning 'could'
- verse
- Reflexive infinitive meaning 'to be seen'
- el
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- mascarón
- Large decorative carved face or figurehead
- proa
- The bow or front section of a ship
- algún
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' before masculine nouns
- desafortunado
- Adjective meaning unlucky or unfortunate
- navío
- A large sailing warship or vessel
- Un
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for masculine nouns
- cenador
- A garden arbor or summerhouse for relaxing
- no
- Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'
- rústico
- Adjective describing something rustic or rural
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' or 'but instead'
- náutico
- Adjective relating to navigation or nautical matters
- estaba
- Past imperfect of 'estar', meaning 'was' or 'were'
- compuesto
- Past participle of 'componer', meaning composed or made up
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by', 'for', or 'through'
- las
- Definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns
- tallas
- Carvings or sculptures made from wood or stone
- galeote
- A galley slave forced to row a ship
- holandés
- Adjective or noun meaning Dutch or a Dutch person
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- efecto
- Effect or result; used in 'en efecto' meaning indeed
- pocos
- Adjective meaning 'few' or 'not many'
- propietarios
- Owners or proprietors of property or land
- habían
- Third-person plural past perfect auxiliary 'had'
- dejado
- Past participle of 'dejar', meaning 'left' or 'allowed'
- hacerse
- Reflexive verb meaning 'to become' or 'to get'
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- alguna
- Feminine form of 'algún', meaning 'some' or 'any'
- parte
- A part, portion, or section of something
- los
- Definite article 'the' for masculine plural nouns
- numerosos
- Adjective meaning numerous or a great many
- desgraciados
- Unfortunate or wretched people; plural adjective or noun
- navíos
- Plural of navío; large sailing ships or vessels
- que
- Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'
- vez
- Time or occasion; used in expressions like 'a veces'
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
- encallado
- Past participle meaning run aground or shipwrecked
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its', or 'their'
- traicionera
- Treacherous or deceitful; feminine adjective
- costa
- Coast or shoreline along the sea
- En
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- terreno
- Land, terrain, or ground area
- llano
- Flat or level ground; a plain
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- acantilado
- A steep cliff, especially along a coastline
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- río
- A river or large flowing body of water
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or passive verbs
- alzaban
- Past imperfect of 'alzar', meaning rose or stood up
- dos
- The number two
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or'
- tres
- The number three
- casitas
- Small houses or cottages; diminutive of 'casas'
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most'
- Una
- Indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for feminine nouns
- grande
- Adjective meaning large or great in size
- parecía
- Past imperfect of 'parecer', meaning seemed or appeared
- estar
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to be' for states or locations
- construida
- Past participle of 'construir', meaning built or constructed
- casi
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- totalidad
- Totality or the whole entirety of something
- madera
- Wood or timber used as a building material
- naufragio
- A shipwreck or the wreckage of a wrecked ship
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'by'
- juzgar
- Infinitive meaning 'to judge' or 'to assess'
- aspecto
- Appearance, aspect, or look of something
- irregular
- Adjective meaning irregular, uneven, or inconsistent
- presentaban
- Past imperfect of 'presentar', meaning presented or showed
- paredes
- Walls of a room or building
- tejado
- Roof or rooftop of a building
- habiendo
- Gerund of 'haber', meaning 'having' in compound forms
- adaptado
- Past participle of 'adaptar', meaning adapted or adjusted
- aparentemente
- Adverb meaning apparently or seemingly
- constructor
- A builder or constructor of structures
- trozos
- Pieces or chunks of material
- tenía
- Past imperfect of 'tener', meaning 'had' or 'had available'
- mano
- Hand; also used in expressions like 'a mano'
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- emplear
- Infinitive meaning 'to use' or 'to employ'
- sierra
- A saw tool; also a mountain range
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'by'
- darles
- To give them; combination of 'dar' and 'les'
- forma
- Shape, form, or manner of something
- adecuada
- Feminine adjective meaning adequate, suitable, or proper
- chimenea
- A chimney or fireplace in a building
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo', meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- partes
- Parts or sections of a whole
- inferiores
- Plural adjective meaning lower or inferior in position
- construidas
- Feminine plural past participle of 'construir', meaning built
- piedra
- Stone or rock used as a building material
- tallada
- Carved or sculpted; feminine past participle of 'tallar'
- tomada
- Taken or sourced; feminine past participle of 'tomar'
- probablemente
- Adverb meaning probably or most likely
- antiguo
- Adjective meaning old, ancient, or former
- edificio
- A building or large structure
- demolido
- Past participle meaning demolished or torn down
- hace
- Present tense of 'hacer'; used in time expressions like 'ago'
- tiempo
- Time or weather; used in many common expressions
- Aunque
- Conjunction meaning 'although', 'even though', or 'even if'
- exterior
- The outside or exterior part of a structure
- casita
- A small house or cottage; diminutive of 'casa'
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'their', or 'its'
- cobertizos
- Sheds or outbuildings used for storage
- botes
- Small boats or dinghies
- pescado
- Fish, especially as caught or as food
- algo
- Something or somewhat; used as pronoun or adverb
- tosco
- Adjective meaning rough, crude, or coarse
- conjunto
- A whole set or ensemble; overall appearance
- ofrecía
- Past imperfect of 'ofrecer', meaning offered or presented
- apariencia
- Appearance or outward look of something
- sólida
- Feminine adjective meaning solid, sturdy, or firm
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el', meaning 'of the'
- todo
- Everything or all; also used in 'del todo' meaning completely
- incómoda
- Feminine adjective meaning uncomfortable or inconvenient
- El
- Definite article 'the' for masculine singular nouns
- objeto
- An object or thing; also an aim or purpose
- llamativo
- Striking, eye-catching, or attention-grabbing in appearance
- paisaje
- Landscape or scenery of a particular area
- era
- Past imperfect of 'ser', meaning 'was' or 'were'
- molino
- A mill, such as a windmill or watermill
- viento
- Wind; also used in 'molino de viento' meaning windmill
- situado
- Past participle of 'situar', meaning situated or located
- poco
- A little or a bit; small amount or slightly
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- sur
- South; one of the four cardinal directions
- lo
- Neuter pronoun or masculine direct object pronoun 'it'
- alto
- High or tall; used in 'lo alto' meaning the top
- Sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'its', 'his', 'her', or 'their'
- aspas
- Blades or sails of a windmill
- giraban
- Past imperfect of 'girar', meaning turned or rotated
- lentamente
- Adverb meaning slowly or at a slow pace
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'
- estado
- State or condition; past participle of 'estar'
- andrajoso
- Ragged, tattered, or in a state of disrepair
- revelaba
- Past imperfect of 'revelar', meaning revealed or showed
- apenas
- Adverb meaning hardly, barely, or scarcely
- molía
- Past imperfect of 'moler', meaning ground or milled grain
- grano
- Grain, as in cereal crops ground into flour
- interior
- The interior or inside of a building or space
- Tal
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'such' or 'such a'
- pequeña
- Feminine adjective meaning small or little in size
- aldea
- A small village or hamlet
- alrededores
- Surroundings or outskirts of a place or town
- finales
- End or final part; plural of 'final'
- siglo
- A century or period of one hundred years
- pasado
- Past; also past participle of 'pasar', meaning passed
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