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EnglishCEFR Level · B1Public Domain & Translation Note

The Call of the Wild Bilingual EPUB & Word List

Jack London’s Klondike adventure is fast-paced and concise, making it an engaging read for CEFR B1–B2 learners looking to master strong English verbs and outdoor descriptions. Preview chapters 1 and 2 below.

Original language
English · Jack London
First published
1903
CEFR Level
B1
Public Domain & Translation Note
Full original EPUB on Project Gutenberg

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Download the two-chapter bilingual preview EPUB or the core vocabulary list for Anki right away, or open the LangBox EPUB reader to read and save words across the full book.

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Chapter 1 & 2 Bilingual Preview

Double-click any word in the excerpt to hear its pronunciation and see its dictionary meaning.

I · Into the PrimitiveI · Hacia lo primitivo

Original · English

Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego.

Parallel translation

Buck no leía los periódicos; de haberlo hecho, habría sabido que se avecinaban problemas, no solo para él, sino para todos los perros de la costa, de músculos fuertes y pelo largo y abrigado, desde el estrecho de Puget hasta San Diego.

Original · English

Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost.

Parallel translation

Como unos hombres, buscando a tientas en la oscuridad del Ártico, habían hallado un metal amarillo, y como las compañías navieras y de transporte daban gran publicidad al hallazgo, miles de hombres se precipitaban hacia las tierras del Norte. Necesitaban perros pesados, de músculos fuertes para trabajar duro y pelaje espeso que los protegiera de las heladas.

II · The Law of Club and FangII · La ley del garrote y el colmillo

Original · English

Buck’s first day on the Dyea beach was like a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise. He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial.

Parallel translation

El primer día de Buck en la playa de Dyea fue como una pesadilla. Cada hora estuvo llena de sobresaltos y sorpresas. Lo habían arrancado de golpe del corazón de la civilización para arrojarlo al corazón de lo primordial.

Original · English

No lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be bored. Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment’s safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril.

Parallel translation

Ya no era aquella vida perezosa y soleada en la que no había nada que hacer salvo holgazanear y aburrirse. Aquí no había paz, ni descanso, ni un instante de seguridad. Todo era confusión y acción, y a cada momento la vida y la integridad corrían peligro.

Core Vocabulary from Chapters 1 & 2

Key words and phrases in context from the opening chapters, ready to review or import into Anki.

Word & PronunciationMeaning in ContextSentence in Book
brew/bruː/v.to develop or gather gradually, especially something unpleasant like trouble or a stormBuck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing.
grope/ɡrəʊp/v.to search blindly or uncertainly in the darkBecause men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal.
toil/tɔɪl/v.to work very hard and long with heavy physical effortThe dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil.
primordial/praɪˈmɔːdiəl/adj.ancient, wild, and existing from the very beginning of timeHe had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial.
loaf/ləʊf/v.to spend time lazily doing nothingNo lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be bored.
peril/ˈperəl/n.serious and immediate dangerAll was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril.