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Wuthering Heights — Page 1

English → Spanish CHAPTER II Level 8/10

Yesterday afternoon set in misty and cold.

La tarde de ayer se presentó neblinosa y fría.

I had half a mind to spend it by my study fire, instead of wading through heath and mud to Wuthering Heights.

Tuve la tentación de pasarla junto al fuego de mi estudio, en lugar de abrirme camino entre brezos y barro hasta Cumbres Borrascosas.

On coming up from dinner, however, (N.B.—I dine between twelve and one o'clock; the housekeeper, a matronly lady, taken as a fixture along with the house, could not, or would not, comprehend my request that I might be served at five)—on mounting the stairs with this lazy intention, and stepping into the room, I saw a servant-girl on her knees surrounded by brushes and coal-scuttles, and raising an infernal dust as she extinguished the flames with heaps of cinders.

Sin embargo, al subir después de cenar, (N.B.: como entre las doce y la una; el ama de llaves, una señora de aspecto respetable que venía con la casa como parte del mobiliario, no podía o no quería entender mi petición de que me sirvieran a las cinco)—al subir las escaleras con esta perezosa intención y entrar en la habitación, vi a una criada de rodillas rodeada de escobas y cubos de carbón, levantando un polvo infernal mientras apagaba las llamas con montones de ceniza.

This spectacle drove me back immediately; I took my hat, and, after a four-miles' walk, arrived at Heathcliff's garden-gate just in time to escape the first feathery flakes of a snow shower.

Este espectáculo me hizo retroceder de inmediato; tomé mi sombrero y, tras caminar cuatro millas, llegué a la verja del jardín de Heathcliff justo a tiempo para escapar de los primeros y suaves copos de un chubasco de nieve.

On that bleak hill top the earth was hard with a black frost, and the air made me shiver through every limb.

En lo alto de aquella lúgubre colina, la tierra estaba endurecida por una helada negra, y el aire me hacía estremecer de pies a cabeza.

Being unable to remove the chain, I jumped over, and, running up the flagged causeway bordered with straggling gooseberry-bushes, knocked vainly for admittance, till my knuckles tingled and the dogs howled.

Al no poder quitar la cadena, salté por encima y, corriendo por el camino empedrado bordeado de groselleros dispersos, llamé en vano pidiendo que me abrieran, hasta que los nudillos me ardieron y los perros aullaron.

Vocabulary

tarde
Afternoon; or late as an adverb
ayer
Yesterday; the day before today
presentó
Presented itself; appeared or showed up
neblinosa
Misty or foggy; covered in light fog
fría
Cold; having a low temperature
Tuve
I had; past tense of tener
tentación
Temptation; strong urge to do something
pasarla
To spend it; pass time in a place
junto
Next to; together with something nearby
fuego
Fire; flames used for heat or light
estudio
Study room; a private room for working
lugar
Place; location or spot
abrirme
To open for myself; make one's own way
camino
Path or road; route taken to travel
entre
Between or among; positioned amid things
brezos
Heather plants; low shrubs on moorland
barro
Mud; wet, sticky earth on the ground
hasta
Until or up to; indicating a limit or destination
Cumbres
Heights or peaks; tops of hills or mountains
Borrascosas
Stormy or tempestuous; relating to rough weather
Sin
Without; lacking something
embargo
Used in 'sin embargo' meaning nevertheless or however
subir
To go up; climb or ascend
después
After; later in time or sequence
cenar
To have dinner; eat the evening meal
como
Like or as; used for comparison or approximation
doce
Twelve; the number 12
ama
Housekeeper or mistress of a household
llaves
Keys; metal instruments for opening locks
señora
Woman or lady; polite address for a woman
aspecto
Appearance or aspect; how someone looks
respetable
Respectable; worthy of respect and esteem
venía
Came; was coming, imperfect tense of venir
casa
House; a building where people live
parte
Part; a portion or section of something
mobiliario
Furniture; movable items furnishing a room
podía
Could; was able to, imperfect of poder
quería
Wanted; wished for, imperfect tense of querer
entender
To understand; to comprehend meaning
petición
Request or petition; a formal ask
sirvieran
That they serve; subjunctive of servir
cinco
Five; the number 5
escaleras
Stairs; steps used to go between floors
perezosa
Lazy; unwilling to work or make effort
intención
Intention; a plan or purpose in mind
entrar
To enter; to go into a place
habitación
Room; an enclosed space inside a building
vi
I saw; preterite first-person of ver
criada
Maid or servant; a female domestic worker
rodillas
Knees; joints in the middle of the leg
rodeada
Surrounded; encircled by objects or people
escobas
Brooms; tools used for sweeping floors
cubos
Buckets; containers used to carry liquids
carbón
Coal or charcoal; a fuel used for burning
levantando
Raising or stirring up; lifting something
polvo
Dust; fine particles floating in the air
infernal
Infernal; hellish, extremely bad or intense
mientras
While; at the same time as something else
apagaba
Was extinguishing; putting out flames or light
llamas
Flames; burning tongues of fire
montones
Piles or heaps; large gathered amounts
ceniza
Ash; powdery residue left after burning
espectáculo
Spectacle or sight; a striking visual scene
hizo
Made or caused; preterite third-person of hacer
retroceder
To step back; move backward or retreat
inmediato
Immediate; happening or done right away
tomé
I took; preterite first-person of tomar
sombrero
Hat; a head covering worn outdoors
tras
After or behind; following in time or space
caminar
To walk; to travel on foot
cuatro
Four; the number 4
millas
Miles; units of distance measurement
llegué
I arrived; preterite first-person of llegar
verja
Iron gate or fence; a metal barrier
jardín
Garden; an outdoor area with plants
justo
Just or exactly; precisely at a moment
tiempo
Time or weather; duration or atmospheric conditions
escapar
To escape; to get away from something
primeros
First; earliest in a series or sequence
suaves
Soft or gentle; smooth and light in feel
copos
Flakes; small flat pieces, as of snow
chubasco
Squall or shower; a sudden burst of rain or snow
nieve
Snow; frozen precipitation falling from clouds
alto
High; elevated in position or height
aquella
That; demonstrative adjective for distant feminine noun
lúgubre
Gloomy or dismal; dark and depressing in tone
colina
Hill; a raised area of land, smaller than a mountain
tierra
Earth or ground; soil or land surface
estaba
Was; imperfect tense of estar indicating state
endurecida
Hardened; made rigid or firm by cold
helada
Frost; freezing temperature that hardens ground
negra
Black; the darkest color
aire
Air; the atmosphere surrounding the earth
hacía
Made or caused; imperfect tense of hacer
estremecer
To shiver or shudder; tremble from cold or fear
pies
Feet; lower extremities of the body
cabeza
Head; the uppermost part of the body
Al
Contraction meaning 'upon' or 'when' before infinitive
poder
To be able to; expressing capacity or ability
quitar
To remove or take off; unfasten something
cadena
Chain; a series of linked metal rings
salté
I jumped; preterite first-person of saltar
encima
On top; above or over something
corriendo
Running; moving quickly on foot
empedrado
Cobblestone path; a road paved with stones
bordeado
Bordered or lined; edged by something alongside
groselleros
Gooseberry or currant bushes; thorny garden shrubs
dispersos
Scattered; spread out without order
llamé
I called; preterite first-person of llamar
vano
Vain; in 'en vano' meaning without success
pidiendo
Asking or requesting; gerund of pedir
abrieran
That they open; imperfect subjunctive of abrir
nudillos
Knuckles; bony joints on the fingers
ardieron
Burned; preterite of arder, to sting or burn
perros
Dogs; common domestic four-legged animals
aullaron
Howled; preterite of aullar, dogs crying out
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