Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 4
She was the living spirit of love to soften and attract; I might have become sullen in my study, rough through the ardour of my nature, but that she was there to subdue me to a semblance of her own gentleness.
Ella era el espíritu vivo del amor para suavizar y atraer; yo podría haberme vuelto hosco en mis estudios, áspero por el ardor de mi naturaleza, de no haber estado ella allí para reducirme a una semejanza de su propia dulzura.
And Clerval—could aught ill entrench on the noble spirit of Clerval?
¿Y Clerval? ¿Podría algo malo atrincherarse en el noble espíritu de Clerval?
Yet he might not have been so perfectly humane, so thoughtful in his generosity, so full of kindness and tenderness amidst his passion for adventurous exploit, had she not unfolded to him the real loveliness of beneficence and made the doing good the end and aim of his soaring ambition.
Sin embargo, quizás él no habría sido tan perfectamente humano, tan considerado en su generosidad, tan lleno de bondad y ternura en medio de su pasión por las hazañas aventureras, si ella no le hubiera revelado la verdadera hermosura de la beneficencia y no hubiera hecho del bien el fin y el objeto de su elevada ambición.
I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self.
Siento un placer exquisito al detenerme en los recuerdos de la infancia, antes de que la desgracia hubiera enturbiado mi mente y transformado sus brillantes visiones de una amplia utilidad en sombrías y estrechas reflexiones sobre mí mismo.
Besides, in drawing the picture of my early days, I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my after tale of misery, for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion which afterwards ruled my destiny I find it arise, like a mountain river, from ignoble and almost forgotten sources; but, swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys.
Además, al trazar el cuadro de mis primeros años, registro también aquellos sucesos que condujeron, por pasos imperceptibles, a mi posterior historia de miseria, pues cuando trato de explicarme el nacimiento de aquella pasión que después rigió mi destino, la encuentro surgir, como un río de montaña, de fuentes innobles y casi olvidadas; pero, creciendo a medida que avanzaba, se convirtió en el torrente que, en su curso, ha arrastrado todas mis esperanzas y alegrías.
Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I desire, therefore, in this narration, to state those facts which led to my predilection for that science.
La filosofía natural es el genio que ha regulado mi destino; deseo, por tanto, en esta narración, exponer aquellos hechos que me llevaron a mi predilección por esa ciencia.
Vocabulary
- era
- Past tense of 'ser'; meaning 'was' or 'were'
- espíritu
- Spirit or soul of a person or being
- vivo
- Alive, living, or lively in character
- amor
- Love, strong affection toward someone or something
- suavizar
- To soften, smooth, or make gentler
- atraer
- To attract, draw in, or appeal to someone
- podría
- Conditional form of 'poder'; meaning 'could' or 'might'
- haberme
- Auxiliary 'haber' with reflexive pronoun 'me' attached
- vuelto
- Past participle of 'volver'; meaning 'become' or 'returned'
- hosco
- Sullen, gloomy, or unfriendly in manner
- estudios
- Studies or academic pursuits undertaken by someone
- áspero
- Rough, harsh, or abrasive in texture or manner
- ardor
- Intense passion, zeal, or burning enthusiasm
- naturaleza
- Nature, natural character, or innate disposition of something
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' in compound tenses
- estado
- Past participle of 'estar'; meaning 'been'
- allí
- Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a distant location
- reducirme
- To reduce or bring oneself down to a state
- semejanza
- Resemblance, likeness, or similarity between two things
- propia
- Own, one's very own, belonging to oneself
- dulzura
- Sweetness, gentleness, or kindness of character
- Podría
- Conditional 'could'; used to express possibility or conjecture
- algo
- Something or somewhat; indefinite pronoun or adverb
- malo
- Bad, evil, or wicked in quality or character
- atrincherarse
- To entrench oneself, fortify a position stubbornly
- noble
- Noble, honorable, or of high moral character
- Sin
- Preposition meaning 'without', indicating absence of something
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo', meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- quizás
- Perhaps, maybe; expresses uncertainty or possibility
- habría
- Conditional of 'haber'; meaning 'would have'
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser'; meaning 'been'
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as', used in comparisons
- perfectamente
- Perfectly, in a completely flawless or ideal manner
- humano
- Human, relating to people or human nature
- considerado
- Considerate, thoughtful, or regarded with attention
- generosidad
- Generosity, willingness to give freely to others
- lleno
- Full, filled up, or complete in amount
- bondad
- Goodness, kindness, or benevolence toward others
- ternura
- Tenderness, warmth, or gentle affection toward someone
- medio
- Middle, means, or medium; also meaning 'half'
- pasión
- Passion, intense emotion or enthusiasm for something
- hazañas
- Feats, heroic deeds, or remarkable accomplishments
- aventureras
- Adventurous, daring, or relating to bold adventures
- hubiera
- Past subjunctive of 'haber'; meaning 'had' in conditionals
- revelado
- Revealed, disclosed, or made known to someone
- verdadera
- True, real, genuine, or authentic in nature
- hermosura
- Beauty, loveliness, or attractive quality of something
- beneficencia
- Beneficence, doing good or charitable acts toward others
- hecho
- Fact, deed, or past participle of 'hacer' meaning 'done'
- bien
- Good, well; refers to goodness or doing something correctly
- fin
- End, goal, or purpose of an action or thing
- objeto
- Object, purpose, or goal of an action or thought
- elevada
- Elevated, lofty, or high in degree or aspiration
- ambición
- Ambition, strong desire to achieve something great
- Siento
- I feel or I sense; first person present of 'sentir'
- placer
- Pleasure, enjoyment, or agreeable sensation or experience
- exquisito
- Exquisite, extremely beautiful, delicate, or refined
- detenerme
- To stop or dwell on something; reflexive form of 'detener'
- recuerdos
- Memories, recollections, or souvenirs from the past
- infancia
- Infancy or childhood, the early years of life
- antes
- Before, previously, or earlier in time
- desgracia
- Misfortune, disgrace, or unfortunate circumstance
- enturbiado
- Clouded, muddied, or made turbid and unclear
- mente
- Mind, the seat of thought, memory, and consciousness
- transformado
- Transformed, changed, or altered significantly in nature
- brillantes
- Brilliant, bright, shining, or intellectually outstanding
- visiones
- Visions, mental images, dreams, or imaginative ideas
- amplia
- Broad, wide, or extensive in scope or range
- utilidad
- Utility, usefulness, or practical benefit of something
- sombrías
- Dark, gloomy, somber, or shadowy in character
- estrechas
- Narrow, limited, or confined in scope or width
- reflexiones
- Reflections, thoughts, or meditations on a subject
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'about', 'over', or 'on top of'
- mismo
- Same, or '-self'; used for emphasis or reflexive reference
- Además
- Furthermore, besides, or in addition to what was said
- trazar
- To trace, sketch, or outline a plan or image
- cuadro
- Picture, painting, scene, or descriptive tableau
- primeros
- First, earliest; masculine plural of 'primero'
- años
- Years, units of time equal to twelve months
- registro
- Record, register, or account of events or information
- también
- Also, too, as well; adds to what was previously stated
- aquellos
- Those (distant); demonstrative pronoun or adjective, masculine plural
- sucesos
- Events, occurrences, or happenings that took place
- condujeron
- Led, guided, or directed; preterite of 'conducir'
- pasos
- Steps, paces, or stages of a process or journey
- imperceptibles
- Imperceptible, unnoticeable, barely detectable by senses
- posterior
- Later, subsequent, or following in time or order
- historia
- History or story; an account of past events
- miseria
- Misery, wretchedness, or extreme suffering and poverty
- pues
- Well, then, since; conjunction or filler expressing reasoning
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction introducing a time clause
- trato
- I try or I deal with; also means treatment or agreement
- explicarme
- To explain to myself or make something clear to oneself
- nacimiento
- Birth, origin, or beginning of something
- aquella
- That (feminine, distant); demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- después
- After, afterward, or later in time
- rigió
- Governed, ruled, or guided; preterite of 'regir'
- destino
- Destiny, fate, or destination of a person or thing
- encuentro
- I find or encounter; also a meeting or encounter
- surgir
- To arise, emerge, or spring up suddenly
- como
- Like, as, or how; used in comparisons or descriptions
- río
- River, a large natural stream of flowing water
- montaña
- Mountain, a large natural elevation of the earth
- fuentes
- Sources, springs, or fountains; origins of something
- innobles
- Ignoble, base, lacking nobility or moral dignity
- casi
- Almost, nearly; close to but not quite something
- olvidadas
- Forgotten, neglected; feminine plural past participle of 'olvidar'
- creciendo
- Growing, increasing; gerund of 'crecer'
- medida
- Measure or extent; used in 'a medida que' meaning 'as'
- avanzaba
- Was advancing, progressing; imperfect of 'avanzar'
- convirtió
- Became, turned into; preterite of 'convertirse'
- torrente
- Torrent, rushing stream, or overwhelming flow
- curso
- Course, flow, or progression of a river or events
- arrastrado
- Dragged, swept away; past participle of 'arrastrar'
- todas
- All, every; feminine plural form of 'todo'
- esperanzas
- Hopes, wishes, or optimistic expectations for the future
- alegrías
- Joys, happinesses, or feelings of great pleasure
- filosofía
- Philosophy, the study of fundamental questions about existence
- natural
- Natural, relating to nature or the physical world
- genio
- Genius, innate talent, or exceptional mental ability
- regulado
- Regulated, controlled, or governed by rules or principles
- deseo
- Desire, wish, or strong longing for something
- tanto
- So much, as much; used in comparisons or quantities
- narración
- Narration, account, or story told about past events
- exponer
- To expose, present, or set forth information clearly
- hechos
- Facts, deeds, or events that have actually occurred
- llevaron
- Led, took, or carried; preterite third plural of 'llevar'
- predilección
- Predilection, strong preference or liking for something
- esa
- That (feminine); demonstrative adjective for nearby thing
- ciencia
- Science, systematic knowledge of the natural world
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