Томас Майн Рид - Лучшие романы Томаса Майна Рида / The Best of Thomas Mayne Reid

jacalés – a hut with walls covered with clay

faro, monté – the names of card games

hacienda – an estate and an estate house in Texas, Mexico and South America ( Spanish )

the Guadalupe mountains – the mountains in western Texas and New Mexico

the Llano Estacado – a region in the USA on the border of Texas and New Mexico

Ethiopia – the country in eastern Africa (1,063,652 square km)

the Mexican war – the war between Mexico and the United States in 1846–1848; after the victory, the USA acquired over 1,300,000 square km of Mexican territory

Scott’s campaign – a military campaign in the course of Mexican war

monté-table – here: a table used for gambling ( French )

Colt – Samuel Colt (1814–1868), American firearms manufacturer who perfected and patented a revolver

corps-d’armé e– army corps ( French )

Morisco– Moorish ( Spanish )

Andalusia – a historic region in the south of Spain (87,590 square km); the capital is Seville; Andalusian culture was greatly influenced by many centuries of Moorish rule

Teutonic tongue– a Germanic language; Germanic languages belong to the Indo-European family

peons – workmen hired by the day, who worked in the fields

vaquero– a shepherd ( Spanish )

Azteca – the historical land of the Aztec in the northwest of Mexico; in the 15 th–16 thcenturies the Aztec ruled a large empire; their origin is uncertain; after the Spanish conquest the Aztec empire came to an end

Anahuac – the part of Aztec Mexico (4,000 square km) where Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was located

Phidias – the Greek sculptor of the 5 thcentury BC who created the impressive images of the Greek gods; he supervised the construction of Parthenon and initiated a building program in Athens

Praxiteles – the greatest of the Greek sculptors of the 4 thcentury BC; gentle charm and grace of his works greatly influenced the development of Greek sculpture

éclaircissement– explanation ( French )

muslin – a thin cotton fabric; it was first made in Mosul, Iraq

Geehosofat – Jehoshaphat, king of Judah in the 9 thcentury BC, who tried to centralize the country with the help of religious and legal reforms

cocina– kitchen ( Spanish )

chez soi-même– here: alone in her room ( French )

Xeres – sherry, the wine of Spanish origin; the name comes from Jerez, the province in Andalusia

Madeira – Portuguese fortified wine from the island of Madeira

hidalgo – a hereditary member of the gentry in Spain ( Spanish )

Coahuila – a state in northern Mexico

éclat– magnificence ( French )

belle– a beauty

majoress – wife of a major

douceur– here: gift ( French )

Hibernian– Irish

caballeriza– stable ( Spanish )

aurora – a morning star, the symbol of dawn; the Roman goddess of dawn

valet de tout – a manservant who looks after his master’s clothes, weapon, etc.

paraphernalia – numerous objects used for a certain activity or event

impedimenta– provisions, stores

Lucullus – Lucius Licinius Lucullus (117–56 BC), a Roman general; he is remembered for his extravagant and luxurious life and great feasts

manada– a herd (Spanish)

vidette– an observer ( Spanish )

Hola!– Hello! ( Spanish )

machete – a large heavy knife used both as a tool and weapon ( Spanish )

tapis vert – a green carpet ( French )

caracara – a large bird of a falcon group ( Spanish )

yegua pinta – here: a spotted mare ( Spanish )

en paz– at peace ( Spanish )

braverie– bravery ( French )

sang froid– composure, coolness ( French )

Hartford – the capital of Connecticut, located in the north-central part of the state, a major industrial and commercial centre, founded in 1635

corral – a trap for catching wild animals, or an enclosure for cattle and horses

embonpoint– plumpness, stoutness ( French )

the Emerald Isle – Ireland ( poet .)

stampede – a sudden rash of frightened animals or people

palthogue – here: an amusing speech

mésalliance – unequal marriage

presidio– a fortress ( Spanish )

General Zachariah Taylor(1786–1850) – the American general who took part in the Mexican War of 1846–1848; later he became the US president

Lethean – related to Lethe – in Greek mythology, the river in Hades that gives forgetfulness of the past