On Modern Matrimony
El final de la carta de Washington Irving, Letters
of Jonathan Oldstyle, señala la crítica hacia el matrimonio moderno. No hay amor, respeto, zalamerías, que sí se
encontraban en los matrimonios antiguos…
En vocabulario encontramos arrack
y ponemos una foto de una empleada
doméstica planchando una mañanita con una plancha General Electric.
Y para aquellos que quieren practicar inglés pusimos un video con una niña que aconseja a sus padres. ¡Imperdible!
Paragraphs
The business was opened with the most formal
solemnity, but was not long in agitation. The Oldstyles were moderate — their
articles of capitulation few: the 'Squire was gallant, and acceded to them all.
In short, the blushing Barbara was delivered up to his embraces with due
ceremony. Then, Mr. Editor — then were the happy times: such oceans of arrack — such mountains of plumcake — such feasting and
congratulating — such fiddling and dancing: —ah me! Who can think of those
days, and not sigh when he sees the degeneracy of the present: no eating of
cake nor throwing of stockings — not a single skin filled with wine on the
joyful occasion— or a single pocket edified by it but the parson's.
It is with the greatest pain I see those customs
dying away, which served to awaken the hospitality and friendship of my ancient
comrades — that strewed with flowers the path to the altar, and shed a ray of
sunshine on the commencement of the matrimonial union.
The deportment of my aunt Barbara and her husband was
as decorous after marriage as before; her conduct was always regulated by his —
her sentiments ever accorded with his opinions; she was always eager to tie on
his neckcloth of a morning — to tuck a napkin under his chin at meal times — to
wrap him up warm of a winter's day, and to spruce him up as smart as possible
of a Sunday. The 'Squire was the most attentive and polite husband in the
world; would hand his wife in and out of church with the greatest ceremony —
drink her health at dinner with particular emphasis, and ask her advice on
every subject — though I must confess he invariably adopted his own: —nothing
was heard from both sides, but dears, sweet loves, doves, &c…
Jonathan Oldstyle.
Empleada planchando una mañanita con una plancha GE, 1908
Vocabulario
Arrack,
o arak, es una bebida alcohólica destilada típicamente producida en el sur de
Asia, hecha de la savia fermentada de flores de coco, caña de azúcar, grano o
fruta, dependiendo del país de origen. El resultante destilado puede ser mezclado,
envejecido en barriles de madera o repetidamente destilado y filtrado,
dependiendo los objetivos del gusto y color del fabricante.
The term arak is usually used
for liquor distilled from grapes and flavored with anise. Arrack is decided by philologers to be of
Indian origin.
Para saber
The
Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. (1802) es una
colección de nueve cartas escritas por Washington
Irving bajo el seudónimo de Jonathan
Oldstyle. La primera carta apareció en 1802, en la edición del New York Morning Chronicle, un diario
inclinado a la política y editado por el hermano de Irving. Las cartas fueron reproducidas a intervalos irregulares
hasta 1803. Las cartas se burlan del matrimonio, las formas, las vestimentas y
la cultura de principios del siglo 19 en la ciudad de Nueva York.
De la web
Little Girl Gives Great Marriage
Advice, a little girl talks to her mom trying to calm her
down. She wants “her parents to be friends”. Thanks to Daily Picks and Flicks for the video.
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