Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 9
After having made a few preparatory experiments, he concluded with a panegyric upon modern chemistry, the terms of which I shall never forget:
Después de haber realizado algunos experimentos preparatorios, concluyó con un panegírico sobre la química moderna, cuyos términos jamás olvidaré:
"The ancient teachers of this science," said he, "promised impossibilities and performed nothing.
«Los antiguos maestros de esta ciencia», dijo él, «prometían imposibilidades y no realizaban nada.
The modern masters promise very little; they know that metals cannot be transmuted and that the elixir of life is a chimera but these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, have indeed performed miracles.
Los maestros modernos prometen muy poco; saben que los metales no pueden transmutarse y que el elixir de la vida es una quimera; pero estos filósofos, cuyas manos parecen hechas únicamente para revolverse en el barro, y cuyos ojos parecen hechos para escudriñar el microscopio o el crisol, han realizado verdaderos milagros.
They penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places.
Penetran en los rincones más recónditos de la naturaleza y muestran cómo obra ella en sus escondrijos.
They ascend into the heavens; they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe.
Se elevan hasta los cielos; han descubierto cómo circula la sangre y la naturaleza del aire que respiramos.
They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows."
Han adquirido poderes nuevos y casi ilimitados; pueden dominar los truenos del cielo, imitar el terremoto e incluso burlarse del mundo invisible con sus propias sombras.»
Such were the professor's words—rather let me say such the words of the fate—enounced to destroy me.
Tales fueron las palabras del profesor —mejor dicho, las palabras del destino— pronunciadas para destruirme.
As he went on I felt as if my soul were grappling with a palpable enemy; one by one the various keys were touched which formed the mechanism of my being; chord after chord was sounded, and soon my mind was filled with one thought, one conception, one purpose.
A medida que continuaba, sentí como si mi alma luchara contra un enemigo palpable; una a una fueron pulsadas las diversas teclas que formaban el mecanismo de mi ser; acorde tras acorde resonó, y pronto mi mente se llenó de un solo pensamiento, una sola concepción, un solo propósito.
Vocabulary
- Después
- After, later in time or sequence
- de
- Of, from; common preposition with many uses
- haber
- Auxiliary verb: to have (done something)
- realizado
- Carried out, performed, accomplished a task
- algunos
- Some, a few; indefinite plural adjective
- experimentos
- Experiments; scientific tests or trials conducted
- preparatorios
- Preparatory, preliminary; done in advance
- concluyó
- He/she concluded, ended, or finished something
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- un
- A, an; masculine indefinite article
- sobre
- About, on, above; versatile Spanish preposition
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- química
- Chemistry; the science of substances and reactions
- moderna
- Modern, contemporary; relating to current times
- cuyos
- Whose; relative pronoun showing possession, masculine plural
- términos
- Terms, words, expressions used in a context
- jamás
- Never, ever; strong negative adverb of time
- olvidaré
- I will forget; future tense of olvidar
- Los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- antiguos
- Ancient, old; referring to people of past eras
- maestros
- Masters, teachers; experts in a field or craft
- esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- ciencia
- Science; systematic study of the natural world
- dijo
- He/she said; past tense of decir
- él
- He; third person masculine singular pronoun
- prometían
- They promised; imperfect tense of prometer
- y
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- no
- No, not; basic negation word
- realizaban
- They carried out, accomplished; imperfect of realizar
- nada
- Nothing; indefinite pronoun of negation
- modernos
- Modern ones; people of contemporary or recent times
- prometen
- They promise; present tense of prometer
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- poco
- Little, not much; small quantity or degree
- saben
- They know; present tense of saber
- que
- That, which; conjunction or relative pronoun
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- metales
- Metals; solid chemical elements like gold, iron
- pueden
- They can; present tense of poder
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- vida
- Life; the state of being alive
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
- filósofos
- Philosophers; thinkers who study fundamental questions
- cuyas
- Whose; relative pronoun showing possession, feminine plural
- manos
- Hands; the body parts at the end of arms
- parecen
- They seem, appear; present tense of parecer
- hechas
- Made, created; feminine plural past participle of hacer
- únicamente
- Only, solely; exclusively and nothing else
- para
- For, in order to; preposition of purpose or destination
- en
- In, on, at; basic preposition of location
- barro
- Mud, clay; soft wet earth or ceramic material
- ojos
- Eyes; the organs of sight in the face
- hechos
- Made; masculine plural past participle of hacer
- microscopio
- Microscope; instrument for viewing very small objects
- o
- Or; coordinating conjunction presenting alternatives
- han
- They have; present perfect auxiliary from haber
- verdaderos
- True, real, genuine; not false or imaginary
- milagros
- Miracles; extraordinary events attributed to divine power
- Penetran
- They penetrate, go deep into something
- rincones
- Corners, nooks; hidden or tucked-away places
- más
- More, most; comparative adverb or adjective
- naturaleza
- Nature; the natural world and its phenomena
- muestran
- They show, reveal, demonstrate something clearly
- cómo
- How; interrogative or relative adverb of manner
- obra
- Works, operates; she/he acts or functions
- ella
- She; third person feminine singular pronoun
- sus
- His, her, its, their; possessive adjective
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive or passive verbs
- elevan
- They rise, elevate, lift up to higher levels
- hasta
- Until, up to, as far as; limiting preposition
- cielos
- Skies, heavens; the expanse above the earth
- descubierto
- Discovered, uncovered; past participle of descubrir
- circula
- Circulates, flows; moves through a system continuously
- sangre
- Blood; the red fluid circulating in the body
- del
- Of the; contraction of de + el
- aire
- Air; the invisible gas mixture surrounding the earth
- respiramos
- We breathe; present tense of respirar
- Han
- They have; present perfect auxiliary from haber
- adquirido
- Acquired, gained; past participle of adquirir
- poderes
- Powers, abilities; capacities to do or control things
- nuevos
- New; recently obtained or not previously existing
- casi
- Almost, nearly; very close to but not quite
- ilimitados
- Unlimited, boundless; having no restrictions or limits
- dominar
- To dominate, master, control something or someone
- truenos
- Thunderclaps; loud sounds produced during storms
- cielo
- Sky, heaven; the space above the earth
- imitar
- To imitate, copy, reproduce something else's behavior
- terremoto
- Earthquake; a sudden violent shaking of the ground
- e
- And; variant of y used before i- or hi-
- incluso
- Even, including; emphasizing an extreme or surprising case
- burlarse
- To mock, make fun of, ridicule someone or something
- mundo
- World; the earth and all living things on it
- invisible
- Invisible; unable to be seen by the eye
- propias
- Own; belonging to oneself, feminine plural form
- sombras
- Shadows, shades; dark areas caused by blocked light
- Tales
- Such; demonstrative adjective meaning of that kind
- fueron
- Were, went; preterite of ser or ir
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- palabras
- Words; units of language used to communicate
- profesor
- Professor, teacher; an educator especially in universities
- mejor
- Better, best; comparative or superlative of bueno
- dicho
- Said, stated; past participle of decir
- destino
- Destiny, fate; the future predetermined for someone
- pronunciadas
- Uttered, pronounced; spoken aloud, feminine plural participle
- destruirme
- To destroy me; infinitive with first person object pronoun
- A
- To, at; preposition of direction, location, or time
- medida
- Measure; used in 'a medida que' meaning as, while
- continuaba
- He/she continued; imperfect tense of continuar
- sentí
- I felt; preterite first person of sentir
- como
- Like, as; conjunction or adverb of comparison
- si
- If, as if; conditional conjunction
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- alma
- Soul; the spiritual or immaterial part of a person
- luchara
- Would struggle, fought; imperfect subjunctive of luchar
- contra
- Against; preposition indicating opposition or conflict
- enemigo
- Enemy; a person or force that opposes you
- a
- To, at; preposition of direction or purpose
- diversas
- Various, diverse; several different kinds or types
- teclas
- Keys; the buttons on a keyboard or instrument
- formaban
- They formed, constituted; imperfect of formar
- mecanismo
- Mechanism; a system of parts working together
- ser
- To be; fundamental Spanish verb of identity
- tras
- After, behind; preposition of sequence or position
- pronto
- Soon, quickly; without much delay in time
- mente
- Mind; the faculty of thinking and consciousness
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive verbs
- llenó
- Filled up; preterite of llenar
- solo
- Only, alone; single without others present
- pensamiento
- Thought; an idea formed in the mind
- sola
- Alone, only one; feminine singular of solo
- propósito
- Purpose, goal; an intention one aims to achieve
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