Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 3
The time at length arrives when grief is rather an indulgence than a necessity; and the smile that plays upon the lips, although it may be deemed a sacrilege, is not banished.
Llega por fin el momento en que el dolor es más bien un lujo que una necesidad; y la sonrisa que juega en los labios, aunque pueda considerarse un sacrilegio, no es desterrada.
My mother was dead, but we had still duties which we ought to perform; we must continue our course with the rest and learn to think ourselves fortunate whilst one remains whom the spoiler has not seized.
Mi madre había muerto, pero aún teníamos deberes que debíamos cumplir; debíamos continuar nuestro camino junto a los demás y aprender a considerarnos afortunados mientras quedara uno a quien el destructor no hubiera arrebatado.
My departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.
Mi partida hacia Ingolstadt, que había sido aplazada por estos acontecimientos, quedó ahora nuevamente decidida.
I obtained from my father a respite of some weeks.
Obtuve de mi padre un aplazamiento de algunas semanas.
It appeared to me sacrilege so soon to leave the repose, akin to death, of the house of mourning and to rush into the thick of life.
Me parecía un sacrilegio abandonar tan pronto el reposo, semejante a la muerte, de la casa en duelo para lanzarme de lleno a la agitación de la vida.
I was new to sorrow, but it did not the less alarm me.
Era nuevo en el dolor, pero no por ello me alarmaba menos.
I was unwilling to quit the sight of those that remained to me, and above all, I desired to see my sweet Elizabeth in some degree consoled.
No deseaba perder de vista a quienes me quedaban, y sobre todo, anhelaba ver a mi dulce Elizabeth consolada en alguna medida.
She indeed veiled her grief and strove to act the comforter to us all.
Ella en verdad velaba su dolor y se esforzaba por actuar como consoladora de todos nosotros.
She looked steadily on life and assumed its duties with courage and zeal.
Miraba la vida con firmeza y asumía sus obligaciones con valentía y entusiasmo.
She devoted herself to those whom she had been taught to call her uncle and cousins.
Se dedicó a aquellos a quienes le habían enseñado a llamar su tío y sus primos.
Never was she so enchanting as at this time, when she recalled the sunshine of her smiles and spent them upon us.
Nunca fue tan encantadora como en ese momento, cuando recuperó el resplandor de sus sonrisas y las prodigó sobre nosotros.
She forgot even her own regret in her endeavours to make us forget.
Olvidó incluso su propio pesar en sus esfuerzos por hacernos olvidar.
The day of my departure at length arrived.
Por fin llegó el día de mi partida.
Vocabulary
- Llega
- Third person singular present of 'llegar'; arrives
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by', 'for', or 'through'
- fin
- End or conclusion of something
- momento
- A specific point or period in time
- dolor
- Pain or grief, physical or emotional suffering
- más
- More; used in comparisons or additions
- bien
- Well; good; used as adverb or noun
- lujo
- Luxury; something expensive or non-essential
- necesidad
- Necessity; something required or essential
- sonrisa
- A smile; expression of happiness on one's face
- juega
- Third person singular present of 'jugar'; plays
- labios
- Lips; the fleshy parts surrounding the mouth
- aunque
- Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
- pueda
- Subjunctive form of 'poder'; may be able to
- considerarse
- Reflexive verb; to consider oneself or be considered
- sacrilegio
- Sacrilege; disrespectful act toward something sacred
- desterrada
- Banished or exiled from a place or condition
- madre
- Mother; female parent
- había
- Past auxiliary 'había'; had, used in pluperfect tense
- muerto
- Past participle of 'morir'; dead or died
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but'; introduces contrast
- aún
- Still; yet; indicating continuation of a state
- teníamos
- First person plural imperfect of 'tener'; we had
- deberes
- Duties or obligations one must fulfill
- debíamos
- First person plural imperfect of 'deber'; we had to
- cumplir
- To fulfill or carry out duties or promises
- continuar
- To continue; to keep going forward
- nuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our'
- camino
- Road, path, or journey ahead
- junto
- Together; next to; alongside someone or something
- demás
- The rest or the others in a group
- aprender
- To learn; to acquire knowledge or skills
- considerarnos
- Reflexive infinitive; to consider ourselves something
- afortunados
- Fortunate or lucky people; blessed individuals
- mientras
- While or as long as; temporal conjunction
- quedara
- Subjunctive of 'quedar'; remained or stayed
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whom'
- destructor
- Destroyer; one who destroys or causes ruin
- hubiera
- Past subjunctive of 'haber'; would have or had
- arrebatado
- Snatched away or taken forcibly from someone
- partida
- Departure; the act of leaving a place
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser'; been
- aplazada
- Postponed or delayed to a later time
- estos
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' for masculine nouns
- acontecimientos
- Events or occurrences of significance
- quedó
- Third person singular preterite of 'quedar'; remained
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment
- nuevamente
- Again; once more; anew
- decidida
- Decided or determined; settled upon firmly
- Obtuve
- First person singular preterite of 'obtener'; I obtained
- padre
- Father; male parent
- aplazamiento
- Postponement; a delay of something scheduled
- algunas
- Some; a few; feminine plural indefinite adjective
- semanas
- Weeks; periods of seven days
- parecía
- Imperfect of 'parecer'; it seemed or appeared
- abandonar
- To abandon or leave behind a place or person
- tan
- So or such; used in comparisons or emphasis
- pronto
- Soon; quickly; in a short amount of time
- reposo
- Rest; repose; a state of calm or stillness
- semejante
- Similar or such; of the same kind or nature
- muerte
- Death; the end of life
- casa
- House or home; a place of residence
- duelo
- Mourning or grief; period of bereavement after death
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'by'
- lanzarme
- Reflexive infinitive; to throw or plunge myself into
- lleno
- Full; filled with something completely
- agitación
- Agitation; restless excitement or disturbance
- vida
- Life; the state of being alive
- Era
- Third person singular imperfect of 'ser'; it was
- nuevo
- New; something that has not existed before
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it' referring to a concept
- alarmaba
- Imperfect of 'alarmar'; was alarming or worrying
- menos
- Less; fewer; used in comparisons
- deseaba
- Imperfect of 'desear'; desired or wished for something
- perder
- To lose something or someone
- vista
- Sight or view; the sense of seeing
- quienes
- Plural relative pronoun meaning 'those who' or 'whom'
- quedaban
- Imperfect of 'quedar'; were remaining or staying behind
- sobre
- On, over, or about; preposition with multiple uses
- todo
- All or everything; entire amount or totality
- anhelaba
- Imperfect of 'anhelar'; longed or yearned for something
- ver
- To see; to perceive with one's eyes
- dulce
- Sweet; gentle; pleasant in nature or manner
- consolada
- Comforted; having received consolation after sorrow
- alguna
- Some or any; feminine singular indefinite adjective
- medida
- Measure or degree; extent to which something applies
- verdad
- Truth; reality; that which is true
- velaba
- Imperfect of 'velar'; was watching over or keeping vigil
- esforzaba
- Imperfect of 'esforzarse'; was making an effort
- actuar
- To act or behave in a particular way
- como
- As, like, or how; used in comparisons
- consoladora
- Comforter; one who consoles or provides comfort
- todos
- All or everyone; masculine plural form of 'todo'
- nosotros
- First person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'
- Miraba
- Imperfect of 'mirar'; was looking or gazing steadily
- firmeza
- Firmness; steadiness; resolve in facing difficulty
- asumía
- Imperfect of 'asumir'; was assuming or taking on
- obligaciones
- Obligations or duties one is required to fulfill
- valentía
- Bravery or courage; boldness in facing challenges
- entusiasmo
- Enthusiasm; eager interest or energy toward something
- dedicó
- Preterite of 'dedicar'; devoted or dedicated herself
- aquellos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' for masculine plural
- habían
- Third person plural pluperfect auxiliary; they had
- enseñado
- Past participle of 'enseñar'; taught or shown
- llamar
- To call or name someone something
- tío
- Uncle; brother of one's parent
- primos
- Cousins; children of one's aunt or uncle
- Nunca
- Never; at no time; negating temporal occurrence
- fue
- Preterite of 'ser' or 'ir'; was or went
- encantadora
- Charming or delightful; having an enchanting quality
- ese
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' for masculine nouns
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens
- recuperó
- Preterite of 'recuperar'; recovered or regained something
- resplandor
- Radiance or glow; a bright shining light or brightness
- sonrisas
- Smiles; plural of 'sonrisa'; expressions of happiness
- prodigó
- Preterite of 'prodigar'; lavished or bestowed generously
- Olvidó
- Preterite of 'olvidar'; forgot or put aside completely
- incluso
- Even or including; used to emphasize addition
- propio
- Own; one's own; belonging to oneself
- pesar
- Sorrow or grief; sadness weighing on the heart
- esfuerzos
- Efforts; attempts made with energy and determination
- hacernos
- Infinitive with pronoun; to make us or cause us
- olvidar
- To forget; to lose memory of something
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'by', 'for', or 'finally' in phrases
- llegó
- Preterite of 'llegar'; arrived or came at last
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
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