Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 2
We possessed a house in Geneva, and a _campagne_ on Belrive, the eastern shore of the lake, at the distance of rather more than a league from the city.
Poseíamos una casa en Ginebra, y una _campagne_ en Belrive, la orilla oriental del lago, a una distancia de algo más de una legua de la ciudad.
We resided principally in the latter, and the lives of my parents were passed in considerable seclusion.
Residíamos principalmente en esta última, y la vida de mis padres transcurría en considerable reclusión.
It was my temper to avoid a crowd and to attach myself fervently to a few.
Era mi carácter evitar las multitudes y vincularme fervientemente a unos pocos.
I was indifferent, therefore, to my school-fellows in general; but I united myself in the bonds of the closest friendship to one among them.
Era, por tanto, indiferente a mis compañeros de escuela en general; pero me uní con los lazos de la amistad más estrecha a uno de entre ellos.
Henry Clerval was the son of a merchant of Geneva.
Henry Clerval era el hijo de un comerciante de Ginebra.
He was a boy of singular talent and fancy.
Era un muchacho de singular talento e imaginación.
He loved enterprise, hardship, and even danger for its own sake.
Amaba la aventura, las penalidades e incluso el peligro por sí mismo.
He was deeply read in books of chivalry and romance.
Era un lector empedernido de libros de caballería y romance.
He composed heroic songs and began to write many a tale of enchantment and knightly adventure.
Componía canciones heroicas y comenzaba a escribir muchos relatos de encantamiento y aventuras caballerescas.
He tried to make us act plays and to enter into masquerades, in which the characters were drawn from the heroes of Roncesvalles, of the Round Table of King Arthur, and the chivalrous train who shed their blood to redeem the holy sepulchre from the hands of the infidels.
Intentaba hacernos representar obras de teatro y participar en mascaradas, en las que los personajes estaban tomados de los héroes de Roncesvalles, de la Mesa Redonda del Rey Arturo, y del caballeroso séquito que derramó su sangre para redimir el santo sepulcro de las manos de los infieles.
No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself.
Ningún ser humano podría haber tenido una infancia más feliz que la mía.
My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence.
Mis padres estaban imbuidos del más genuino espíritu de bondad e indulgencia.
We felt that they were not the tyrants to rule our lot according to their caprice, but the agents and creators of all the many delights which we enjoyed.
Sentíamos que no eran los tiranos que gobernaban nuestra suerte según su capricho, sino los artífices y creadores de todos los numerosos placeres que disfrutábamos.
Vocabulary
- Poseíamos
- We possessed or owned something at a past time
- una
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
- casa
- A house or home where people live
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
- orilla
- The shore, bank, or edge of a body of water
- oriental
- Relating to the east or eastern side of something
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el,' meaning 'of the'
- lago
- A lake, a large inland body of water
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'by'
- distancia
- The amount of space between two points or places
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- algo
- Something or somewhat; an indefinite amount or thing
- más
- More; used for comparisons or adding quantity
- legua
- A league, an old unit of distance measurement
- ciudad
- A city or large urban settlement
- Residíamos
- We resided or lived in a particular place
- principalmente
- Mainly, principally, or for the most part
- esta
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine)
- última
- Last or final in a sequence or series
- vida
- Life; the existence or way of living
- mis
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
- padres
- Parents; one's father and mother together
- transcurría
- Time passed or elapsed in a particular manner
- considerable
- Large or significant in degree, amount, or extent
- reclusión
- Seclusion or isolation from others and society
- Era
- Past tense of 'ser,' meaning 'was' or 'were'
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (singular)
- carácter
- Character; a person's nature or personality traits
- evitar
- To avoid or prevent something from happening
- las
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine plural)
- multitudes
- Large crowds or groups of many people
- vincularme
- To bind or connect myself to someone or something
- fervientemente
- Fervently, passionately, or with great intensity
- unos
- Indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'a few' (masculine)
- pocos
- Few; a small number of people or things
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' 'through,' or 'because of'
- tanto
- So much or so many; to such a degree
- indiferente
- Indifferent; showing no interest or concern toward something
- compañeros
- Companions, classmates, or fellow members of a group
- escuela
- A school where students go to learn
- general
- General; relating to the whole or most cases
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but,' introducing a contrast
- me
- Reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
- uní
- I united or joined with someone or something
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with,' indicating accompaniment
- los
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine plural)
- lazos
- Bonds, ties, or links connecting people together
- amistad
- Friendship; a close and caring relationship between people
- estrecha
- Close, tight, or narrow; intimate in relationships
- uno
- One; the number one or a single person
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'among,' 'between,' or 'within'
- ellos
- Personal pronoun meaning 'they' or 'them' (masculine)
- era
- Past tense of 'ser,' meaning 'he/she/it was'
- el
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
- hijo
- Son; a male child in relation to his parents
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine)
- comerciante
- A merchant or trader who buys and sells goods
- muchacho
- A boy or young man
- singular
- Remarkable, extraordinary, or unique in some way
- talento
- Talent; a natural ability or skill
- e
- Conjunction 'and' used before words starting with 'i' or 'hi'
- imaginación
- Imagination; the ability to form mental images or ideas
- Amaba
- He/she loved or used to love something or someone
- aventura
- An adventure; an exciting or risky experience
- penalidades
- Hardships, sufferings, or difficult trials endured
- incluso
- Even; including something beyond what is expected
- peligro
- Danger; a situation involving risk or harm
- sí
- Yes; or reflexive pronoun 'himself,' 'herself,' 'itself'
- mismo
- Same; or used for emphasis meaning 'himself' or 'itself'
- lector
- A reader; someone who reads books or texts
- empedernido
- Inveterate or hardened; deeply committed to a habit
- libros
- Books; written or printed works for reading
- caballería
- Chivalry or cavalry; knightly tradition and conduct
- romance
- A romance or romantic narrative, often adventurous
- Componía
- He/she composed or wrote songs or literary pieces
- canciones
- Songs; musical compositions with lyrics
- heroicas
- Heroic; relating to or befitting a hero
- comenzaba
- He/she used to begin or start something
- escribir
- To write; to compose text or literary works
- muchos
- Many; a large number of people or things
- relatos
- Stories, tales, or short narrative accounts
- encantamiento
- Enchantment or spell; magical charm or bewitchment
- aventuras
- Adventures; exciting or daring experiences
- caballerescas
- Chivalric or knightly; relating to medieval knighthood
- Intentaba
- He/she tried or attempted to do something
- hacernos
- To make us or have us do something together
- representar
- To perform, represent, or act out something
- obras
- Works; literary, artistic, or theatrical productions
- teatro
- Theater; dramatic performances or the theater building
- participar
- To participate or take part in an activity
- mascaradas
- Masquerades; costume parties or disguised performances
- que
- Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'
- personajes
- Characters or figures in a story or performance
- estaban
- They were; past tense of 'estar' for a group
- tomados
- Taken or drawn from a particular source
- héroes
- Heroes; brave or admired figures in stories or life
- Mesa
- Table; as in Round Table of King Arthur's knights
- Redonda
- Round; circular in shape, as in Round Table
- Rey
- King; the male monarch of a kingdom
- caballeroso
- Chivalrous or gallant; having noble knightly qualities
- séquito
- A retinue or entourage accompanying an important person
- derramó
- He/she shed or spilled blood or liquid
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' 'its,' or 'their'
- sangre
- Blood; the red fluid circulating in the body
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'toward'
- redimir
- To redeem or liberate from sin, captivity, or burden
- santo
- Holy or sacred; also used as a title for saints
- sepulcro
- A sepulcher or tomb; a burial place for the dead
- manos
- Hands; the body parts at the end of the arms
- infieles
- Infidels or unbelievers; those of a different faith
- Ningún
- No or not any; used to negate a noun
- ser
- To be; a fundamental Spanish verb for identity
- humano
- Human; relating to people or human beings
- podría
- Could or would be able to; conditional of 'poder'
- haber
- To have; auxiliary verb used in perfect tenses
- tenido
- Past participle of 'tener,' meaning 'had'
- infancia
- Childhood or infancy; the early years of life
- feliz
- Happy or joyful; experiencing or expressing happiness
- mía
- Mine; possessive pronoun (feminine) indicating ownership
- Mis
- My; possessive adjective (plural) indicating ownership
- imbuidos
- Imbued or deeply filled with a quality or feeling
- genuino
- Genuine or authentic; real and not fake
- espíritu
- Spirit; the inner essence, soul, or character
- bondad
- Goodness or kindness; the quality of being good
- indulgencia
- Indulgence; leniency or tolerance toward others' wishes
- Sentíamos
- We felt or sensed something emotionally or physically
- no
- No or not; used to express negation
- eran
- They were; past imperfect tense of 'ser'
- tiranos
- Tyrants; cruel and oppressive rulers or authority figures
- gobernaban
- They governed or ruled over people or a place
- nuestra
- Our; possessive adjective (feminine singular)
- suerte
- Luck or fate; one's fortune or destiny
- según
- According to or depending on a condition
- capricho
- A whim or caprice; a sudden impulsive desire
- sino
- But rather; used to contrast a negative with a positive
- artífices
- Artisans or architects; creators who craft something skillfully
- creadores
- Creators; those who make or bring something into existence
- todos
- All or everyone; the entirety of a group
- numerosos
- Numerous or many; a large number of things
- placeres
- Pleasures; enjoyable experiences or sources of delight
- disfrutábamos
- We used to enjoy or take pleasure in something
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