The Umbrella Man by Roald Dahl 2/2

(...) 2/2

There you are, she was telling me. You're wrong. He wants me to have it.

She fished (introdujo –su mano-) into her purse and took out a pound note.

She held it out to the little man (se la pasó). He took it and handed her the umbrella. He pocketed the pound (meter en el bolsillo), raised his hat, gave a quick bow from the waist (hizo una rápida reverencia doblando la cintura), and said. "Thank you, madam, thank you. " Then he was gone.

"Come under here and keep dry, darling," my mother said. "Aren't we lucky. I've never had a silk umbrella before. I couldn't afford it." "Why were you so horrid (horrible, antipático) to him in the beginning?" I asked.

"I wanted to satisfy myself he wasn't a trickster (estafador)," she said. " And I did. He was a gentleman. I'm very pleased I was able to help him." "Yes, mummy," I said.

 "A real gentleman," she went on. "Wealthy, too, otherwise he wouldn't have had a silk umbrella. I shouldn't be surprised if he isn't a titled person (poseedor de un título). Sir Harry Goldsworthy or something like that." "Yes, mummy." "This will be a good lesson to you," she went on.

"Never rush things (no precipites las cosas). Always take your time when you are summing someone up (recapitulando, aquí sacando conclusions sobre alguien). Then you'll never make mistakes." "There he goes," I said. "Look." "Where?" "Over there. He's crossing the street. Goodness, mummy, what a hurry he's in." We watched the little man as he dodged (esquivar) nimbly (con destreza) in and out of the traffic. When he reached the other side of the street, he turned left, walking very fast.

"He doesn't look very tired to me, does he to you, mummy?" My mother didn't answer.

"He doesn't look as though he's trying to get a taxi, either," I said.

My mother was standing very still and stiff (tranquila en silencio y derecha, rigida), staring across the street at the little man. We could see him clearly. He was in a terrific hurry. He was bustling along the pavement (animado, alegre por la acera), sidestepping (esquivando) the other pedestrians and swinging his arms (balanceando sus manos) like a soldier on the march.

"He's up to something," my mother said, stony-faced (con expression pétrea).

"But what?" "I don't know," my mother snapped (con voz de enfado, regañar en otros contextos). "But I’m going to find out. Come with me." She took my arm and we crossed the street together. Then we turned left.

"Can you see him?" my mother asked.

"Yes. There he is. He's turning right down the next street." We came to the corner and turned right. The little man was about twenty yards ahead of us. He was scuttling (corriendo)along like a rabbit and we had to walk fast to keep up with him (seguirle el ritmo). The rain was pelting down harder (llovía a cántaros más que antes) than ever now and I could see it dripping (calado hasta los huesos) from the brim of his hat (ala de su sombrero) onto his shoulders. But we were snug and dry (cómodas y protegidas) under our lovely big silk umbrella.

"What is he up to?" my mother said.

"What if he turns round and sees us?" I asked.

"I don't care if he does, " my mother said. "He lied to us. He said he was too tired to walk any further and he's practically running us off our feet! Se escapa, le perdemos de vistra He's a barefaced liar (mentiroso descarado)! He's a crook (sinvergüenza)!" "you mean he's not a titled gentleman?" I asked.

"Be quiet, " she said.

At the next crossing, the little man turned right again.

Then he turned left.

Then right.

"I’m not giving up now," my mother said.

"He's disappeared!" I cried. "Where's he gone?" "He went in that door!" my mother said. "I saw him!

Into that house! Great heavens, it's a pub!"

It was a pub. In big letters right across the front it said THE RED LION.

"You're not going in, are you, mummy?" , "No," she said. "We'll watch from outside." There was a big plate-glass window (luna cilindrada) along the front of the pub, and although it was a bit steamy (empañada) on the inside, we could see through it very well if we went close.

We stood huddled together (apiñadas, también acurrucarse, amontonarse) outside the pub window.

I was clutching (agarrando) my mother's arm. The big raindrops were making aloud noise on our umbrella. "There he is," I said. "Over there." The room we were looking into was full of people and cigarette smoke, and our little man was in the middle of it all. He was now without his hat or coat, and he was edging his way through the crowd (se abrió paso poco a poco entre la multitud) toward the bar. When he reached it, he placed both hands on the bar itself and spoke to the barman. I saw his lips moving as he gave his order. The barman turned away from him for a few seconds and came back with a smallish (más bien pequeño, chico) tumbler (vaso) filled to the brim (borde, aquí a rebosar) with light brown liquid.

The little man placed a pound note on the counter.

"That's my pound!" my mother hissed (siseó, también silvar). "By golly (caramba)  he's got a nerve (me saca de quicio)!" "What's in the glass?" I asked.

"Whiskey," my mother said. "Neat whiskey." The barman didn't give him any change from the pound.

"That must be a treble (triple) whiskey," my mother said.

"What's a treble?" I asked.

"Three times the normal measure," she answered.

The little man picked up the glass and put it to his lips. He tilted it gently (lo inclinó, “volcó” suavemente, despacio). Then he tilted it higher. . . and higher. . . and higher. . . and very soon all the whiskey had disappeared down his throat in one long pour.

"That was a jolly expensive drink (una bebida la mar de cara)," I said.

"It's ridiculous!" my mother said. "Fancy paying a pound for something you swallow in one go!" "It cost him more than a pound, " I said. "It cost him a twenty pound silk umbrella." "So it did," my mother said. "He must be mad." The little man was standing by the bar with the empty glass in his hand. He was smiling now, and a sort of golden glow of pleasure (sensación de placer) was spreading over his round pink face (se propagaba por su cara). I saw his tongue come out to lick the white moustache, as though searching for the last drop of that precious whiskey.

Slowly, he turned away from the bar and edged back through the crowd to where his hat and coat were hanging. He put on his hat. He put on his coat. Then, in a manner so superbly cool and casual that you hardly noticed anything at all, he lifted from the coatrack (guardaropa) one of the many wet umbrellas hanging there, and off he went.

"Did you see that!" my mother shrieked (gritó). "Did you see what he did!" "Ssshh!" I whispered. "He's coming out!" We lowered the umbrella to hide our faces and peeped out from under it (asomarnos por debajo).

Out he came. But he never looked in our direction.

He opened his new umbrella over his head and scurried off down (salió, anduvo apresuradamente por) the road the way he had come.

"So that's his little game!" my mother said.

"Neat, " I said. "Super." We followed him back to the main street where we had first met him, and we watched him as he proceeded (como actuaba), with no trouble at all, to exchange his new umbrella for another pound note. This time it was with a tall thin fellow who didn't even have a coat or hat. And as soon as the transaction was completed, our little man trotted off down the street (echó a correr) and was lost in the crowd. But this time he went in the opposite direction.

"You see how clever he is!" my mother said. "He never goes to the same pub twice!" "He could go on doing this all night, " I said.

"Yes," my mother said. "Of course. But I'll bet he prays like mad for rainy days (reza con todas sus fuerzas para que llueva)."