Dracula — Page 8
Finally she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.
Finalmente se arrodilló y me imploró que no me fuera; al menos que esperara uno o dos días antes de partir.
It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable.
Todo era muy ridículo pero no me sentía cómodo.
However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.
Sin embargo, había asuntos que atender, y no podía permitir que nada interfiriera con ellos.
I therefore tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go.
Por ello intenté levantarla, y dije, con toda la seriedad que pude, que se lo agradecía, pero que mi deber era imperativo y que debía marcharme.
She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.
Ella entonces se levantó y se secó los ojos, y tomando un crucifijo de su cuello me lo ofreció.
I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind.
No sabía qué hacer, pues, como anglicano, me habían enseñado a considerar tales cosas como en cierta medida idólatras, y sin embargo parecía tan descortés rechazar a una anciana con tan buenas intenciones y en semejante estado de ánimo.
She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.
Supongo que vio la duda en mi rostro, pues me puso el rosario alrededor del cuello y dijo: «Por el amor de tu madre», y salió de la habitación.
I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck.
Estoy escribiendo esta parte del diario mientras espero el carruaje, que, por supuesto, lleva retraso; y el crucifijo sigue colgado de mi cuello.
Whether it is the old lady's fear, or the many ghostly traditions of this place, or the crucifix itself, I do not know, but I am not feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual.
No sé si es el miedo de la anciana, o las numerosas tradiciones fantasmales de este lugar, o el crucifijo en sí, pero no me siento ni mucho menos tan tranquilo como de costumbre.
Vocabulary
- Finalmente
- Finally; used to indicate something happening at last
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or impersonal verbs
- arrodilló
- Knelt down; past tense of arrodillarse
- imploró
- Implored, begged earnestly; past tense of implorar
- fuera
- Were to go; imperfect subjunctive of ir
- menos
- At least; indicates a minimum condition or amount
- esperara
- Would wait; imperfect subjunctive of esperar
- antes
- Before; indicates something preceding in time
- partir
- To depart, leave; infinitive of partir
- ridículo
- Ridiculous; absurd or deserving of mockery
- sentía
- Felt; imperfect past tense of sentir
- cómodo
- Comfortable; at ease physically or emotionally
- Sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- embargo
- Sin embargo: however, nevertheless; common transitional phrase
- había
- There was/were; imperfect of haber as auxiliary
- asuntos
- Matters, affairs; plural noun for business matters
- atender
- To attend to, handle; take care of matters
- permitir
- To permit, allow; let something happen
- interfiriera
- Would interfere; imperfect subjunctive of interferir
- ello
- For that reason; neuter pronoun referring to situation
- intenté
- I tried; preterite first-person of intentar
- levantarla
- To lift her up; infinitive with attached pronoun
- dije
- I said; preterite first-person singular of decir
- seriedad
- Seriousness; quality of being grave or earnest
- pude
- I could; preterite first-person singular of poder
- agradecía
- Was grateful for; imperfect of agradecer
- deber
- Duty, obligation; noun meaning responsibility
- imperativo
- Imperative, obligatory; something that must be done
- debía
- Had to, must; imperfect of deber indicating obligation
- marcharme
- To leave, go away; reflexive infinitive of marchar
- entonces
- Then, at that point; temporal adverb
- levantó
- Rose, stood up; preterite of levantar
- secó
- Dried; preterite of secar, wiped dry
- ojos
- Eyes; plural noun referring to visual organs
- tomando
- Taking; present participle of tomar
- crucifijo
- Crucifix; cross with figure of Christ on it
- cuello
- Neck; body part connecting head to torso
- ofreció
- Offered; preterite of ofrecer, presented something
- sabía
- Knew; imperfect past tense of saber
- pues
- Well, since, because; causal or filler conjunction
- anglicano
- Anglican; member of the Church of England
- enseñado
- Taught; past participle of enseñar
- considerar
- To consider, regard; think about something carefully
- tales
- Such, those; plural adjective referring to mentioned things
- cierta
- A certain, some degree of; feminine of cierto
- medida
- Measure, extent; en cierta medida means to some degree
- idólatras
- Idolatrous; relating to idol worship, blasphemous
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating lack
- parecía
- Seemed; imperfect of parecer, appeared to be
- tan
- So, such; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- descortés
- Rude, discourteous; lacking in politeness
- rechazar
- To reject, refuse; turn down something offered
- anciana
- Elderly woman; old lady
- intenciones
- Intentions; plural noun for purposes or aims
- semejante
- Such a, similar; adjective meaning of that kind
- estado
- State, condition; noun indicating current situation
- ánimo
- Spirit, mood; state of mind or emotion
- Supongo
- I suppose, I guess; first-person of suponer
- vio
- Saw; preterite third-person singular of ver
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty about something
- rostro
- Face, countenance; formal word for a person's face
- puso
- Put, placed; preterite of poner
- rosario
- Rosary; string of beads used for Catholic prayer
- alrededor
- Around; preposition indicating surrounding position
- dijo
- Said; preterite third-person singular of decir
- amor
- Love; deep affection for someone
- salió
- Left, went out; preterite of salir
- habitación
- Room; enclosed space in a building
- escribiendo
- Writing; present participle of escribir
- parte
- Part, section; portion of a whole
- diario
- Diary, journal; daily record of events
- mientras
- While, whilst; temporal conjunction indicating simultaneous action
- espero
- I wait, I hope; present of esperar
- carruaje
- Carriage; horse-drawn vehicle for passengers
- supuesto
- Por supuesto: of course; naturally, as expected
- lleva
- Is running; carries, takes; present of llevar
- retraso
- Delay; lateness, running behind schedule
- sigue
- Still hangs, continues; present of seguir
- colgado
- Hanging; past participle of colgar, suspended
- sé
- I know; first-person present singular of saber
- miedo
- Fear; feeling of being afraid or frightened
- numerosas
- Numerous, many; feminine plural of numeroso
- tradiciones
- Traditions; customs passed down through generations
- fantasmales
- Ghostly, spectral; relating to ghosts or phantoms
- lugar
- Place, location; a specific spot or area
- siento
- I feel; first-person present of sentir
- ni
- Nor, not even; negative conjunction
- tranquilo
- Calm, tranquil; peaceful, not anxious
- costumbre
- Custom, habit; usual practice or tradition
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