Sense and Sensibility — Chapter 2 in Spanish
By Jane Austen
La señora de John Dashwood se instaló como dueña y señora de Norland, y su suegra y cuñadas descendieron a la categoría de visitantes. Mrs. John Dashwood now installed herself mistress of Norland; and her mother and sisters-in-law were degraded to the condition of visitors. En tanto tales, sin embargo, las trataba con tranquila urbanidad, y su marido con tanta bondad como le era posible sentir hacia cualquiera más allá de sí mismo, su esposa e hijo. As such, however, they were treated by her with quiet civility; and by her husband with as much kindness as he could feel towards any body beyond himself, his wife, and their child. Realmente los instó, con cierta sinceridad, a que consideraran Norland como su hogar; y como ningún plan parecía tan conveniente a la señora Dashwood como permanecer allí hasta poder procurarse una casa en las cercanías, su invitación fue aceptada. He really pressed them, with some earnestness, to consider Norland as their home; and, as no plan appeared so eligible to Mrs. Dashwood as remaining there till she could accommodate herself with a house in the neighbourhood, his invitation was accepted.
Quedarse en un lugar donde todo le recordaba antiguos deleites, era exactamente lo que sentaba a su mente. A continuance in a place where every thing reminded her of former delight, was exactly what suited her mind. En los buenos tiempos, nadie tenía un temperamento más alegre que el de ella o poseía en mayor grado esa optimista expectativa de felicidad que es la felicidad misma. In seasons of cheerfulness, no temper could be more cheerful than hers, or possess, in a greater degree, that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself. Pero también en la pena se dejaba llevar por la fantasía, y se hacía tan inaccesible al consuelo como en el placer estaba más allá de toda moderación. But in sorrow she must be equally carried away by her fancy, and as far beyond consolation as in pleasure she was beyond alloy.
La señora de John Dashwood no aprobaba en absoluto lo que su esposo se proponía hacer por sus hermanas. Mrs. John Dashwood did not at all approve of what her husband intended to do for his sisters. Disminuir en tres mil libras la fortuna de su querido muchachito significaría empobrecerlo de la manera más atroz. To take three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy, would be impoverishing him to the most dreadful degree. Le imploró pensarlo mejor. She begged him to think again on the subject. ¿Cómo podría responder ante sí mismo por despojar a su hijo, y a su único hijo además, de una suma tan grande? How could he answer it to himself to rob his child, and his only child too, of so large a sum? ¿Y qué derecho podían tener las señoritas Dashwood, que eran sólo sus medias hermanas -lo que para ella significaba que no eran realmente parientes-, a exigir de su generosidad una cantidad tan grande? And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount. Era bien sabido que no se podía esperar ninguna clase de afecto entre los hijos de distintos matrimonios de un hombre; y, ¿por qué habían de arruinarse, él y su pobrecito Harry, regalándoles a sus medias hermanas todo su dinero? It was very well known, that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters?
-Fue la última petición de mi padre -respondió su esposo-, que yo ayudara a su viuda y a sus hijas. “It was my father’s last request to me,” replied her husband, “that I should assist his widow and daughters.”