Thirty-Nine Steps: Vocabulary & Character Profiles
Classified in English
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Key Vocabulary
- anchored
- anclado
- bear
- soportar
- bet
- apuesta
- bribed
- sobornado
- broke free
- me solté
- bushes
- arbustos
- butler
- mayordomo
- cliffs
- acantilados
- climbed out of
- salí por
- crawled
- gateé
- crimes
- delitos
- damp
- húmedo
- dealing with
- tratando con
- dirt
- tierra, barro
- disguised as
- disfrazado de
- disturbed
- molestado
- electric torches
- linternas
- eyelids
- párpados
- faked
- fingido
- fence
- valla
- find out
- averiguar
- for me to be taking charge
- que yo me encargara
- fuses
- mechas
- get involved
- implicar
- got loose
- se soltó
- grab
- agarrar
- had missed
- se les pasó mirar
- handcart
- carretilla
- handcuffs
- esposas
- headquarters
- cuartel central
- hired
- alquilamos
- homeless
- vagabundo
- I was out of sight
- me perdí de vista
- innkeeper
- posadero
- lever
- palanca
- lied
- mentí
- might spread
- podría extenderse
- moorland
- páramo
- morgue
- depósito de cadáveres
- nail
- clavo
- ought to fit you
- debería quedarle bien
- out of breath
- sin aliento
- plaid
- paño o manta escocesa
- plot
- complot
- preventing
- evitar, impedir
- released
- liberó
- roadman
- peón
- rolled
- avanzado
- rubbed
- me unté
- running out of
- quedándome sin
- searched
- registrado
- sets
- tramos
- shepherd’s
- de un pastor
- speech
- discurso
- staring
- con la mirada fija
- started the engine
- arranqué el motor
- steering wheel
- volante
- stone mill
- molino de piedra
- stream
- riachuelo
- struck
- dio
- swollen
- inflamado
- take the chance
- arriesgarme
- tapped
- se daba golpecitos con
- tide
- marea
- tricked
- engañados
- walking stick
- bastón
- whistled
- silbaba
- will deliver
- entregará
- won’t argue
- no discutiremos
Character Profiles
Richard Hannay
He is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He finds his life in London boring because nothing exciting happens. Then, one day he meets a visitor named Scudder, and his life changes. He begins to travel around the UK after finding Scudder dead. He tries to prevent an assassination using clues from Scudder’s notebook. Hannay is an intelligent and polite person.
Scudder
He is an American man who tells Hannay his story about spies and a plot to murder the Greek Prime Minister. This event could cause a World War. Scudder hides in Hannay’s house for some time, but one day, when Hannay returns home, he finds Scudder dead. Richard tries to discover clues using Scudder’s notebook to identify the spies and prevent the assassination.
The 3 Spies
They are the antagonists in the story and do not have names. The novel provides little information about them, only indicating that one is tall, another is fat, and their boss is an old man. They seem to be German.
Sir Walter
He is Hannay's friend who believes Hannay's story. He assists Hannay in finding and catching the spies.
Turnbull
He works repairing roads. Hannay encounters him one day and does his work for him because Turnbull had attended a wedding the previous day and hadn't rested. This also helps Hannay distract his pursuers.