THE BOARDED WINDOW

 

 

It was written by Ambrose Bierce. 

In 1830, only a few miles away from what is now the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio.

A man lived alone in a house of logs. His little log house had a single door. Directly opposite was a window. The window was boarded up.The man's name was said to be Murlock. He was fifty years old. One day Murlock was found in his cabin, dead. I know only that the body was buried near the cabin, next to the burial place of his wife.

There is an earlier part to this story supplied by my grandfather. When Murlock built his cabin he was young, strong. He had married a young woman, in all ways worthy of his honest love and loyalty. One day Murlock returned from hunting in a deep part of the forest. He found his wife sick with fever.  So Murlock tried to take care of his wife. But at the end of the third day she died. He was surprised that he did not cry — surprised and a little ashamed.

"Tomorrow," he said out loud, "I shall have to make the coffin.

He fixed the hair. At that moment a long, screaming sound came in through the open window. But the man did not move. His senses were all alert. Suddenly the table shook under his arms.  At the same time he heard a soft and light step.

Then something most frightful happened. It seemed as if a heavy body was thrown against the table with a force. It was so violent a crash that the whole house shook. Extreme fear had caused him to lose control of his senses.

Murlock ran quickly to the wall. He seized his loaded rifle and fired. The flash from the rifle lit the room. He saw a huge fierce panther dragging the dead woman toward the window. The wild animal's teeth were fixed on her throat! The clothing was ruined. The long hair was in disorder. And a pool of blood flowed from the horribly torn throat.

BURIAL 

Burial

US /ber.i.əl/

Noun. Entierro

Original sentence:

1.      When he was sure she was dead, Murlock had sense enough to remember that the dead must be prepared for burial.

 Our sentences:

2.      He's at the burial of his sister.

3.      I don't know what to wear to go to the burial.

 

 

BURIED 

Buried

US /berēd/

V. Enterrear

Adj. Enterrado; Sepultado.

pl. Burials  pa. t. Buried   pa. pple. Buried      pr. pple. Burying

Original sentences:

1.      I know only that the body was buried near the cabin, next to the burial place of his wife. 

      Our sentences:

2.      My car is buried under a mountain of snow.

3.      I was buried under a pile of stuff on your bed.

CARELESS 

Careless

US /ˈker.ləs/

Adj. Descuidada; Poco cuidadosa; Negligente; Imprudente.

Original sentences:

1.      The arms and legs lay in a careless way.

 Our sentences:

2.      She´s very careless with her belongings.

3.      His essay was a careless piece of work and full of mistakes.

 

 

COFFIN 

Coffin

US /kɑː.fɪn/

V. Tomar el ataúd.

Noun. Ataúd; Féretro; Cajon.

Original sentence:

1.    "Tomorrow," he said out loud, "I shall have to make the coffin and dig the grave; and then I shall miss her, when she is no longer in sight.

Our sentences:

2.      He wanted a mahogany coffin for burial.

3.      In the books Dracula slept in a coffin.

 

 

DEEP

Deep

US /diːp/

Adj. Profundo; Hondo; Intenso; Grave.

Adv. Profundamente

Noun. El fondo.

Original sentence:

1.      Murlock had no experience in deep sadness.

Our sentences:

2.      Take a deep breath I'm going to get help.

3.      Deep down, there's no one more competitive than Lucia.

 

 

DISAPPEARING

Disappearing

US /di·suh·pee·ruhng/

V. Desaparecer; Hacer desaparecer; Desvanecerse; Ocultarse.

Pl. Disappears  Pa. t. Disappeared   Pa. pple. Disappeared     Pr. pple. Disappearing

Original sentence:

1.      He stood over the body of his wife in the disappearing light.

 Our sentences:

2.      Maria wasn’t the disappearing type in the middle of class.

3.      He frowns, his uncertainty disappearing.

  

DROOPING

Drooping

US /ˈdruː.pɪŋ/

Adj. Caido; Marchito; Gacho.

Original sentence:

1.      He was tall and thin with drooping shoulders—like someone with many problems.

 Our sentences:

2.      My drooping eyes looked at ground.

3.      She sighed, her head drooping.

 

ENDLESS

Endless

US  /end.ləs/

Adj. Interminable; Sin fin.

Original sentence:

1.      Ohio, lay a huge and almost endless forest.

Our sentences:

2.      These projects are endless.

3.     Her energy also seemed endless.

 

 

FRIGHTFUL

Frightful

US /ˈfraɪt.fəl/

Adj. Espantoso; Horrible; Horrendo.

Original sentence:

1.      Then something most frightful happened.

 Our sentences:

2.      I was struck by the frightful change in her face.

3.      Her boots are frightful, but her hat was beautiful.

FRIGHTENED

Frightened

US /ˈfraɪ.tənd/

Adj. Aterrado; Espantado; Asustado.

Original sentence:

1.      Where the animal had left it when frightened away by the light and sound of the rifle.

 Our sentences:

2.      He is frightened of a bee.

3.     He was shocked and frightened.

 

 

FURTHER

Further

US /ˈfɝː.ðɚ/

V. Promover; Fomentar; Adelantar.

Adj.  Adicional; Nuevo; Complementario.

Adv. Además; Más lejos; Más allá.

Pl. Furthers   Pa. t. Furthered   Pa. pple. Furthered     Pr. pple. Furthering

Original sentence:

1.      Many of them had already left the area for settlements further to the west.

 Our sentences:

2.      We can then further extend the living room.

3.      I got off the bus further than usual.

 

 

SETTLEMENTS

Settlements

US /set̬.əl.mənt/

Noun. Asentamientos.

Original sentence:

1.      The area had a few settlements established by people of the frontier.

 Our sentences:

2.      He studies the settlements and the identification of those.

3.      I can't even count the number of towns and settlements I have been to.

 

 

STRAINED

Strained 

US  /streɪnd/

Adj. Tenso; Forzado; Torcido; Afectado.

Original sentence:

1.      He strained his eyes to see -- he knew not what.

 Our sentences:

2.      They strained to hear his lowered voice.

3.      She strained to get up, but was knocked.

 

SURROUNDED

Surrounded

US /sr·own·duhd/

Adj. Rodeado, Sitiado.

Original sentence:

1.      He lived alone in a house of logs surrounded on all sides by the great forest.

 Our sentences:

2.      I was surrounded by liars.

3.      The family surrounded her bed.

 

TIGHTLY

Tightly

US /ˈtaɪt.li/

Adv. Hermeticamente; Estrechamente; Apretadamente.

Original sentence:

1.      The hands were tightly closed.

 Our sentences:

2.      He clenched his fists tightly.

3.      She wears tightly clothing.

 

UNEARTHLY

Unearthly

US /ʌnˈɝːθ.li/

Adj. Sobrenatural; Inverosimil.

Original sentence:

1.      He heard that unearthly cry upon his failing sense, again and nearer than before.  

 Our sentences:

2.      The smell was unbearable, I can't describe it, but the rot was unearthly.

3.      He's cut off as a howl rips through the air, long and unearthly.

 

UNKIND

Unkind

US /ʌnˈkaɪnd/

Adj. Cruel; Poco amable; Duro; Despiadado.

Original sentences:

1.      Surely it is unkind not to cry for the dead.

 Our sentences:

2.      The looks were not unkind, but not pleasant either.

3.      The years have sometimes been unkind.

 

WRINKLED

Wrinkled

US /ˈrɪŋ.kəld/

Adj. Arrugado; Rugoso.

Original sentences.

1.      His face was wrinkled.

 Our sentences:

2.       He held a wrinkled paper bag.

3.       Rita wrinkled her nose at the nickname.

 

WRISTS

Wrists

US /rɪst/

Noun. Muñecas.

Original sentences:

1.      The ribbon he had used to tie the wrists was broken.

 Our sentences

2.      He felt something tight around his wrists.

3.       I wouldn’t want to exhaust my poor wrists.

 

WORTHY

Worthy

US /ˈwɝː.ði/

Adj. Valioso; Digno.

Original sentence:

1.      He had married a young woman, in all ways worthy of his honest love and loyalty.

 Our sentences:

2.      I hope that she is worthy of you.

3.      His family are worthy of him.