Atlantis: The Antedeluvian World — Page 6

English → Spanish CHAPTER II. Level 7/10

On one occasion, when he was drawing them on to speak of antiquity, he began to tell about the most ancient things in our part of the world--about Phoroneus, who is called 'the first,' and about Niobe; and, after the Deluge, to tell of the lives of Deucalion and Pyrrha; and he traced the genealogy of their descendants, and attempted to reckon how many years old were the events of which he was speaking, and to give the dates.

En una ocasión, cuando los estaba animando a hablar de la antigüedad, comenzó a hablar de las cosas más antiguas de nuestra parte del mundo: sobre Foroneo, que es llamado 'el primero', y sobre Níobe; y, después del Diluvio, a hablar de las vidas de Deucalión y Pirra; y trazó la genealogía de sus descendientes, e intentó calcular cuántos años de antigüedad tenían los eventos de los que hablaba, y dar las fechas.

Thereupon, one of the priests, who was of very great age; said, 'O Solon, Solon, you Hellenes are but children, and there is never an old man who is an Hellene.'

Entonces, uno de los sacerdotes, que era de muy avanzada edad, dijo: 'Oh Solón, Solón, vosotros los helenos no sois más que niños, y nunca hay un anciano que sea heleno.'

Solon, bearing this, said, 'What do you mean?'

Solón, al oír esto, dijo: '¿Qué queréis decir?'

'I mean to say,' he replied, 'that in mind you are all young; there is no old opinion handed down among you by ancient tradition, nor any science which is hoary with age.

'Quiero decir,' respondió, 'que en vuestra mente sois todos jóvenes; no hay ninguna opinión antigua transmitida entre vosotros por la tradición ancestral, ni ninguna ciencia que sea venerable por su antigüedad.

And I will tell you the reason of this: there have been, and there will be again, many destructions of mankind arising out of many causes.

Y os diré la razón de esto: ha habido, y habrá de nuevo, muchas destrucciones de la humanidad que surgen de muchas causas.

There is a story which even you have preserved, that once upon a time Phaëthon, the son of Helios, having yoked the steeds in his father's chariot, because he was not able to drive them in the path of his father, burnt up all that was upon the earth, and was himself destroyed by a thunderbolt.

Hay una historia que incluso vosotros habéis conservado, que hubo una vez Faetón, el hijo de Helios, habiendo uncido los corceles al carro de su padre, como no era capaz de conducirlos por el camino de su padre, quemó todo lo que había sobre la tierra, y él mismo fue destruido por un rayo.

Vocabulary

ocasión: A particular time or instance when something happens.
animando: Encouraging or urging someone to do something.
antigüedad: The ancient past; historical period of antiquity.
comenzó: He/she began or started doing something.
antiguas: Old or ancient, referring to things from long ago.
llamado: Called or named; past participle of 'llamar'.
Diluvio: A great flood; refers to a mythological or biblical deluge.
trazó: He/she traced or outlined something, such as a genealogy.
genealogía: A lineage or family tree tracing ancestral descent.
descendientes: Descendants; those who come from a common ancestor.
intentó: He/she tried or attempted to do something.
calcular: To calculate or compute a numerical quantity.
eventos: Events; occurrences or happenings at a particular time.
fechas: Dates; specific days or times of events.
sacerdotes: Priests; religious leaders who perform sacred rites.
avanzada: Advanced; progressed far, often used to describe age.
edad: Age; the length of time someone has lived.
vosotros: Second person plural pronoun 'you all', used in Spain.
helenos: Greeks; the people of ancient Greece and their descendants.
sois: You all are; second person plural present of 'ser'.
anciano: An elderly man; someone of very old age.
sea: Present subjunctive of 'ser', meaning 'be' or 'is'.
heleno: Greek; relating to ancient Greece or its people.
oír: To hear; to perceive sounds with one's ears.
Queréis: Do you all want; second person plural of 'querer'.
respondió: He/she responded or answered; preterite of 'responder'.
vuestra: Your (plural, feminine); possessive adjective used in Spain.
mente: Mind; the faculty of thought, reason, and memory.
jóvenes: Young people; those who are not yet old.
ninguna: No or none; negative adjective for feminine singular nouns.
opinión: An opinion or view held about a particular subject.
antigua: Ancient or old; belonging to a very early period.
transmitida: Transmitted or passed down; conveyed from one to another.
tradición: Tradition; a custom or belief passed through generations.
ancestral: Relating to ancestors; inherited from ancient forebears.
ni: Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither' in negations.
ciencia: Science or knowledge; a systematic study of the world.
venerable: Worthy of great respect due to age or wisdom.
os: Second person plural object pronoun meaning 'you' or 'yourselves'.
diré: I will tell or say; future tense first person of 'decir'.
razón: Reason or cause; the explanation behind something.
habido: Been or existed; past participle of 'haber'.
habrá: There will be; future tense impersonal form of 'haber'.
destrucciones: Destructions; acts of causing great damage or ruin.
humanidad: Humanity or humankind; all human beings collectively.
surgen: They arise or emerge; third person plural of 'surgir'.
causas: Causes; reasons or sources that produce an effect.
incluso: Even; adverb used to emphasize inclusion or surprise.
habéis: You all have; second person plural present of 'haber'.
conservado: Preserved or kept; past participle of 'conservar'.
hubo: There was; preterite impersonal form of 'haber'.
vez: Time or occasion; as in 'una vez' meaning 'once'.
habiendo: Having; gerund of 'haber' used in compound constructions.
uncido: Yoked or harnessed; past participle of 'uncir'.
corceles: Steeds; swift, noble horses used in mythological contexts.
carro: Chariot or cart; a wheeled vehicle pulled by horses.
capaz: Capable or able; having the skill to do something.
conducirlos: To drive or guide them; infinitive with object pronoun.
camino: Road, path, or way; a route from one place to another.
quemó: He/she burned something; preterite of 'quemar'.
mismo: Himself or same; used for emphasis or identity.
destruido: Destroyed; ruined completely, past participle of 'destruir'.
rayo: Lightning bolt or thunderbolt; a flash of electric discharge.

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