← Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus

Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 14

English → Spanish Preface Level 7/10

About two o'clock the mist cleared away, and we beheld, stretched out in every direction, vast and irregular plains of ice, which seemed to have no end.

Alrededor de las dos, la niebla se disipó, y contemplamos, extendidas en todas direcciones, vastas e irregulares llanuras de hielo, que parecían no tener fin.

Some of my comrades groaned, and my own mind began to grow watchful with anxious thoughts, when a strange sight suddenly attracted our attention and diverted our solicitude from our own situation.

Algunos de mis compañeros gimieron, y mi propia mente comenzó a llenarse de pensamientos angustiosos, cuando una extraña visión atrajo de repente nuestra atención y desvió nuestra preocupación de nuestra propia situación.

We perceived a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the north, at the distance of half a mile; a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge and guided the dogs.

Percibimos un carruaje bajo, fijado sobre un trineo y tirado por perros, que pasaba hacia el norte, a una distancia de media milla; un ser que tenía la forma de un hombre, pero aparentemente de estatura gigantesca, estaba sentado en el trineo y guiaba a los perros.

We watched the rapid progress of the traveller with our telescopes until he was lost among the distant inequalities of the ice.

Observamos el rápido avance del viajero con nuestros telescopios hasta que se perdió entre las lejanas irregularidades del hielo.

This appearance excited our unqualified wonder.

Esta aparición despertó en nosotros una admiración absoluta.

We were, as we believed, many hundred miles from any land; but this apparition seemed to denote that it was not, in reality, so distant as we had supposed.

Estábamos, según creíamos, a muchos cientos de millas de cualquier tierra; pero esta aparición parecía indicar que no estaba, en realidad, tan lejos como habíamos supuesto.

Shut in, however, by ice, it was impossible to follow his track, which we had observed with the greatest attention.

Encerrados, sin embargo, por el hielo, era imposible seguir su rastro, que habíamos observado con la mayor atención.

About two hours after this occurrence we heard the ground sea, and before night the ice broke and freed our ship.

Unas dos horas después de este suceso oímos el mar de fondo, y antes de que llegara la noche el hielo se rompió y liberó nuestro barco.

We, however, lay to until the morning, fearing to encounter in the dark those large loose masses which float about after the breaking up of the ice.

Sin embargo, nos mantuvimos a la capa hasta la mañana, temiendo encontrarnos en la oscuridad con esas grandes masas sueltas que flotan después de la ruptura del hielo.

I profited of this time to rest for a few hours.

Aproveché este tiempo para descansar unas pocas horas.

Vocabulary

Alrededor
Around, approximately, in the vicinity of something
niebla
Fog, mist; thick atmospheric water vapor
disipó
Dissipated, dispersed, cleared away completely
contemplamos
We contemplated, gazed at something attentively
extendidas
Extended, spread out across a wide area
direcciones
Directions; the ways one can face or travel
vastas
Vast, immense, extremely large in extent
irregulares
Irregular, uneven, lacking a consistent pattern
llanuras
Plains, flatlands; wide stretches of level ground
hielo
Ice; frozen water
parecían
They seemed, appeared to be a certain way
fin
End, finish; the conclusion of something
Algunos
Some, a few; indefinite plural pronoun or adjective
compañeros
Companions, fellow members of a group
gimieron
They groaned, moaned in pain or distress
propia
Own; belonging specifically to oneself
mente
Mind; the seat of thought and consciousness
comenzó
Began, started doing something
llenarse
To fill up, become full of something
pensamientos
Thoughts, ideas passing through the mind
angustiosos
Anguishing, distressing, causing deep anxiety
extraña
Strange, unusual, foreign, odd
visión
Vision, sight; something seen or a mental image
atrajo
Attracted, drew toward; past tense of atraer
repente
Sudden; used in 'de repente' meaning suddenly
atención
Attention; the act of focusing one's mind
desvió
Diverted, turned away, redirected attention or path
preocupación
Worry, concern, anxiety about something
situación
Situation, circumstance, current state of affairs
Percibimos
We perceived, noticed, became aware of something
carruaje
Carriage; a horse-drawn or animal-drawn vehicle
bajo
Low, short, beneath; also preposition meaning under
fijado
Fixed, fastened, attached firmly in place
trineo
Sled, sleigh; vehicle that glides over ice or snow
tirado
Pulled, dragged; past participle of tirar
perros
Dogs; common domestic animals
pasaba
Was passing by, moving past a point
hacia
Toward, in the direction of something
norte
North; one of the four cardinal directions
distancia
Distance; the space between two points
media
Half, medium; feminine form of medio
milla
Mile; unit of distance approximately 1.6 kilometers
forma
Form, shape, appearance of something
aparentemente
Apparently, seemingly, on the surface
estatura
Stature, height of a person's body
gigantesca
Gigantic, enormous, of very great size
sentado
Seated, sitting down in a position
guiaba
Was guiding, steering, directing movement
Observamos
We observed, watched carefully with attention
rápido
Rapid, fast, quick in movement or action
avance
Advance, forward progress, movement ahead
viajero
Traveler, wayfarer, someone on a journey
telescopios
Telescopes; optical instruments for viewing distant objects
hasta
Until, as far as, up to a point
perdió
Lost, disappeared; past tense of perder
entre
Between, among; preposition indicating position
lejanas
Distant, far-off, remote in location
irregularidades
Irregularities, uneven features of a surface
aparición
Apparition, appearance, mysterious sudden sighting
despertó
Awakened, stirred, aroused a feeling or person
admiración
Admiration, wonder, feeling of awe
absoluta
Absolute, total, complete without reservation
según
According to, depending on a source or condition
creíamos
We believed, thought to be true at the time
cientos
Hundreds; plural of ciento, large quantities
millas
Miles; plural unit of distance measurement
cualquier
Any, whichever; indefinite adjective before nouns
tierra
Land, earth, ground; solid surface or soil
parecía
Seemed, appeared to be; imperfect of parecer
indicar
To indicate, show, suggest something
realidad
Reality, truth; the actual state of things
lejos
Far, distant; far away in space
supuesto
Supposed, assumed; past participle of suponer
Encerrados
Enclosed, trapped, shut in a confined space
embargo
Embargo; used in 'sin embargo' meaning however
imposible
Impossible, not able to be done
seguir
To follow, continue, keep doing something
rastro
Trail, track, trace left behind by someone
observado
Observed, watched; past participle of observar
mayor
Greater, larger, older; comparative adjective
después
After, afterward, later in time
suceso
Event, occurrence, happening, incident
oímos
We heard; past tense of oír
mar
Sea, ocean; large body of salt water
fondo
Bottom, background, depth of something
antes
Before, previously, earlier in time
llegara
Would arrive, reached; subjunctive of llegar
rompió
Broke, shattered; past tense of romper
liberó
Freed, liberated, released from confinement
barco
Ship, boat; a vessel that travels on water
mantuvimos
We stayed, remained, kept ourselves in place
capa
Layer, sheet, coat; a covering stratum
temiendo
Fearing, dreading; present participle of temer
encontrarnos
To find ourselves, encounter; reflexive infinitive
oscuridad
Darkness, obscurity; absence of light
masas
Masses, large bodies or chunks of material
sueltas
Loose, free, untethered, not fixed in place
flotan
Float, drift on a liquid surface
ruptura
Rupture, break, splitting apart of something
Aproveché
I took advantage of, made use of an opportunity
descansar
To rest, relax, take a break from activity
pocas
Few, not many; feminine plural form of poco
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