ALENCAR

O Guarani 2.37 · 2.37

D. Lauriana, his wife

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Sua mulher, D. Lauriana, dama paulista, imbuida de todos os prejuizos de fidalguia e de todas as abusões religiosas daquelle tempo; no mais, um bom coração, um pouco egoista, mas não tanto que não fosse capaz de um acto de dedicação.

His wife, D. Lauriana, a lady of São Paulo, steeped in all the prejudices of rank and all the religious superstitions of that age; for the rest, a good heart, a little selfish, but not so much that she was incapable of an act of devotion.

Word by word

SuaSOO-aHismulhermoo-LYERwife,D.Lauriana,damaDA-maladypaulistapow-LEESH-taof São Paulo,imbuidaeem-boo-EE-dasteepeddedeintodosTO-dooshallosooshtheprejuizospre-zhoo-EE-zooshprejudicesdedeoffidalguiafee-dal-GEE-arankeeeanddedeoftodasTO-dashallasashtheabusõesa-boo-ZOINSHsuperstitionsreligiosashe-lee-zhee-O-zashreligiousdaquelleda-KE-leeof thattempoTEM-pootime;nonoofor themaismaishrest,umoonabombowngoodcoraçãoko-ra-SOWNheart,umoonapoucoPOH-koolittleegoistae-go-EESH-taselfish,masmashbutnãonownnottantoTAN-tooso muchquekethatnãonownnotfosseFO-sishe werecapazka-PASHcapablededeofumoonanactoA-tooactdedeofdedicaçãode-dee-ka-SOWNdevotion.

The setting

First his wife, D. Lauriana, a lady of São Paulo, steeped in all the pride of rank and religious superstition of the age; otherwise a good heart, a little selfish, but not so much as to be incapable of a devoted act.

A note on this passage

Alencar's first portrait is briskly double-edged: proud, superstitious, faintly selfish — yet capable of self-sacrifice when it counts. He measures her with a novelist's fairness, planting in one clause the very capacity for devotion the plot will later ask her to prove.

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