Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 24
"I thank you," he replied, "for your sympathy, but it is useless; my fate is nearly fulfilled.
"Le agradezco," respondió él, "su simpatía, pero es inútil; mi destino está casi cumplido.
I wait but for one event, and then I shall repose in peace.
Solo espero un acontecimiento más, y entonces descansaré en paz.
I understand your feeling," continued he, perceiving that I wished to interrupt him;
Comprendo su sentimiento," continuó él, al percibir que yo deseaba interrumpirle;
"but you are mistaken, my friend, if thus you will allow me to name you;
"pero usted está equivocado, amigo mío, si así me permite llamarle;
nothing can alter my destiny; listen to my history, and you will perceive how irrevocably it is determined."
nada puede alterar mi destino; escuche mi historia, y comprenderá cuán irrevocablemente está determinado."
He then told me that he would commence his narrative the next day when I should be at leisure.
Luego me dijo que comenzaría su relato al día siguiente, cuando yo estuviera desocupado.
This promise drew from me the warmest thanks.
Esta promesa me arrancó los más sinceros agradecimientos.
I have resolved every night, when I am not imperatively occupied by my duties, to record, as nearly as possible in his own words, what he has related during the day.
He resuelto que cada noche, cuando no esté imperiosamente ocupado por mis deberes, consignaré, con la mayor fidelidad posible a sus propias palabras, lo que él haya relatado durante el día.
If I should be engaged, I will at least make notes.
Si estuviera ocupado, al menos tomaré notas.
This manuscript will doubtless afford you the greatest pleasure;
Este manuscrito sin duda le proporcionará el mayor placer;
but to me, who know him, and who hear it from his own lips—with what interest and sympathy shall I read it in some future day!
pero para mí, que le conozco, y que lo escucho de sus propios labios, ¡con qué interés y simpatía lo leeré algún día!
Even now, as I commence my task, his full-toned voice swells in my ears;
Incluso ahora, al comenzar mi tarea, su voz plena resuena en mis oídos;
his lustrous eyes dwell on me with all their melancholy sweetness;
sus ojos luminosos se posan en mí con toda su melancólica dulzura;
I see his thin hand raised in animation, while the lineaments of his face are irradiated by the soul within.
veo su delgada mano alzada con animación, mientras los rasgos de su rostro son iluminados por el alma que late en su interior.
Strange and harrowing must be his story, frightful the storm which embraced the gallant vessel on its course and wrecked it—thus!
¡Extraña y desgarradora debe ser su historia, espantosa la tormenta que envolvió al valiente navío en su travesía y lo destrozó, así!
Vocabulary
- Le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her/you'
- agradezco
- I thank or am grateful for something
- respondió
- He/she responded or answered someone
- él
- Subject pronoun meaning 'he'
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his, her, your, their'
- simpatía
- Sympathy, kindness, or warm feeling toward someone
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'
- es
- Third person singular of 'ser,' meaning 'is'
- inútil
- Useless, pointless, or serving no purpose
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my'
- destino
- Destiny, fate, or one's predetermined life path
- está
- Third person singular of 'estar,' meaning 'is'
- casi
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- cumplido
- Fulfilled, completed, or carried out fully
- Solo
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just'
- espero
- I hope or I wait for something
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
- acontecimiento
- An event, occurrence, or notable happening
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'additional'
- entonces
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'at that time'
- descansaré
- I will rest or find peace in the future
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- paz
- Peace, tranquility, or freedom from conflict
- Comprendo
- I understand or comprehend something said
- sentimiento
- A feeling, emotion, or inner sentiment
- continuó
- He/she continued speaking or doing something
- al
- Contraction of 'a' and 'el,' meaning 'to the'
- percibir
- To perceive, notice, or sense something
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' 'who'
- yo
- First person subject pronoun meaning 'I'
- deseaba
- I/he/she wanted or wished for something (imperfect)
- interrumpirle
- To interrupt him; infinitive with object pronoun attached
- usted
- Formal second person singular pronoun meaning 'you'
- equivocado
- Mistaken, wrong, or in error about something
- amigo
- Friend, a person one has affection for
- mío
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'mine' or 'my'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' in conditional sentences
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way'
- me
- First person object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
- permite
- He/she/you allows or permits something
- llamarle
- To call him; infinitive with attached object pronoun
- nada
- Nothing; used to negate or express absence
- puede
- He/she/it can or is able to do something
- alterar
- To alter, change, or disturb something
- escuche
- Listen! Formal imperative form of 'escuchar'
- historia
- A story, history, or narrative account
- comprenderá
- You/he/she will understand something in the future
- cuán
- How (exclamatory adverb) indicating degree or extent
- determinado
- Determined, decided, or firmly resolved
- Luego
- Then, later, or afterward in time
- dijo
- He/she said; past tense of 'decir'
- comenzaría
- He/she would begin; conditional of 'comenzar'
- relato
- A story, tale, or narrative account
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
- siguiente
- Following, next, or the one coming after
- cuando
- When; a conjunction expressing time
- estuviera
- He/she were; past subjunctive of 'estar'
- desocupado
- Free, unoccupied, or not busy with tasks
- Esta
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine)
- promesa
- A promise or commitment made to someone
- arrancó
- He/she pulled out, extracted, or drew forth
- los
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'them'
- sinceros
- Sincere, genuine, or heartfelt (masculine plural)
- agradecimientos
- Thanks, expressions of gratitude or appreciation
- He
- I have; auxiliary verb in present perfect tense
- resuelto
- Resolved, decided; past participle of 'resolver'
- cada
- Each or every; used before singular nouns
- noche
- Night; the dark period after sunset
- no
- No or not; basic negation word
- esté
- He/she/I be; present subjunctive of 'estar'
- ocupado
- Busy, occupied, or engaged in an activity
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'for,' or 'through'
- mis
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
- deberes
- Duties, obligations, or responsibilities
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the'
- mayor
- Greater, larger, or eldest; comparative of 'grande'
- fidelidad
- Fidelity, faithfulness, or accuracy of reproduction
- posible
- Possible; capable of happening or existing
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'by'
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his, her, your, their' (plural)
- propias
- Own; belonging to oneself (feminine plural)
- palabras
- Words; units of spoken or written language
- lo
- Neuter or masculine object pronoun meaning 'it, him'
- haya
- He/she/I have; present subjunctive of 'haber'
- relatado
- Narrated or told; past participle of 'relatar'
- durante
- During; throughout a period of time
- el
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
- Si
- If; conditional conjunction used in sentences
- menos
- Less; fewer; used to express reduced quantity
- tomaré
- I will take; future tense of 'tomar'
- notas
- Notes; brief written records of information
- Este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (masculine)
- manuscrito
- A manuscript; handwritten or typed document
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty about something
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her/you'
- proporcionará
- He/she/it will provide or furnish something
- placer
- Pleasure; a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to'
- mí
- Prepositional pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
- conozco
- I know (a person or place); present of 'conocer'
- escucho
- I listen to or hear something; present of 'escuchar'
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- propios
- Own; belonging to oneself (masculine plural)
- labios
- Lips; the two fleshy parts of the mouth
- qué
- What or how; used in exclamations or questions
- interés
- Interest; curiosity or attention toward something
- leeré
- I will read; future tense of 'leer'
- algún
- Some, any; indefinite adjective before masculine nouns
- Incluso
- Even, including; used to emphasize addition
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment in time
- comenzar
- To begin or start something
- tarea
- Task, assignment, or piece of work
- voz
- Voice; the sound produced when speaking
- plena
- Full, complete, or at its fullest extent
- resuena
- Resonates or echoes; it rings in the ears
- oídos
- Ears (inner); sense of hearing
- ojos
- Eyes; the organs used for seeing
- luminosos
- Luminous, bright, or full of light
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- posan
- They rest or settle upon something gently
- toda
- All, whole, or every (feminine singular)
- melancólica
- Melancholic; marked by sadness and pensiveness
- dulzura
- Sweetness, gentleness, or tenderness
- veo
- I see; first person present of 'ver'
- delgada
- Thin, slender (feminine); describing a slim form
- mano
- Hand; the body part at the end of the arm
- alzada
- Raised, lifted up (feminine past participle)
- animación
- Animation, liveliness, or energetic expression
- mientras
- While, whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous action
- rasgos
- Features, traits, or characteristics of a face
- rostro
- Face; the front of a person's head
- son
- They are; third person plural of 'ser'
- iluminados
- Illuminated, lit up, or brightened
- alma
- Soul; the spiritual or inner essence of a person
- late
- It beats; heart beats or pulses
- interior
- Interior, inner, or inside part of something
- Extraña
- Strange, odd, or unusual (feminine adjective)
- desgarradora
- Heartbreaking, harrowing, or deeply distressing
- debe
- He/she/it must or should; expresses obligation
- ser
- To be; the infinitive of the copula verb
- espantosa
- Frightful, horrifying, or terrifying (feminine)
- tormenta
- Storm; violent weather with wind and rain
- envolvió
- It enveloped, wrapped, or surrounded completely
- valiente
- Brave, courageous, or bold
- navío
- A ship, vessel, or large sailing craft
- travesía
- A voyage, crossing, or journey across water
- destrozó
- He/she/it destroyed, wrecked, or shattered completely
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