Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 11
They had left to us, as an easier task, to give new names and arrange in connected classifications the facts which they in a great degree had been the instruments of bringing to light.
Nos habían dejado, como tarea más fácil, la de dar nuevos nombres y organizar en clasificaciones conectadas los hechos que ellos, en gran medida, habían sido los instrumentos de sacar a la luz.
The labours of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind."
Los trabajos de los hombres de genio, por muy erróneamente dirigidos que estén, casi nunca dejan de redundar en última instancia en el sólido beneficio de la humanidad."
I listened to his statement, which was delivered without any presumption or affectation, and then added that his lecture had removed my prejudices against modern chemists;
Escuché su exposición, que fue pronunciada sin ninguna presunción ni afectación, y luego añadí que su conferencia había eliminado mis prejuicios contra los químicos modernos;
I expressed myself in measured terms, with the modesty and deference due from a youth to his instructor, without letting escape (inexperience in life would have made me ashamed) any of the enthusiasm which stimulated my intended labours.
Me expresé en términos mesurados, con la modestia y la deferencia que un joven debe a su instructor, sin dejar escapar (la inexperiencia en la vida me habría avergonzado) ninguno del entusiasmo que estimulaba mis labores proyectadas.
I requested his advice concerning the books I ought to procure.
Le pedí su consejo sobre los libros que debía conseguir.
"I am happy," said M. Waldman, "to have gained a disciple; and if your application equals your ability, I have no doubt of your success.
"Estoy feliz," dijo el señor Waldman, "de haber ganado un discípulo; y si su dedicación iguala su capacidad, no tengo ninguna duda de su éxito.
Chemistry is that branch of natural philosophy in which the greatest improvements have been and may be made; it is on that account that I have made it my peculiar study; but at the same time, I have not neglected the other branches of science.
La química es esa rama de la filosofía natural en la que se han realizado y pueden realizarse las mayores mejoras; es por esa razón que la he hecho mi estudio particular; pero al mismo tiempo, no he descuidado las otras ramas de la ciencia.
A man would make but a very sorry chemist if he attended to that department of human knowledge alone.
Un hombre sería un químico muy mediocre si se dedicara únicamente a ese departamento del conocimiento humano.
Vocabulary
- Nos
- Us; first person plural object pronoun
- habían
- They had; third person plural past perfect auxiliary
- dejado
- Left or assigned; past participle of dejar
- como
- As or like; used for comparison or introduction
- tarea
- Task or homework assigned to someone
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- fácil
- Easy; not difficult or requiring little effort
- dar
- To give; basic verb of transferring something
- nuevos
- New; masculine plural adjective meaning recently introduced
- nombres
- Names; words used to identify people or things
- organizar
- To organize; to arrange things in systematic order
- clasificaciones
- Classifications; systematic groupings of items by category
- conectadas
- Connected; feminine plural adjective meaning linked together
- hechos
- Facts; established truths or verified pieces of information
- ellos
- They; third person masculine plural subject pronoun
- gran
- Great; shortened adjective indicating large importance or size
- medida
- Measure or extent; degree to which something applies
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser used in perfect tenses
- instrumentos
- Instruments or tools used to accomplish a purpose
- sacar
- To take out or bring forth something hidden
- luz
- Light; illumination or metaphorically bringing something to attention
- trabajos
- Works or labors; efforts or pieces of work produced
- hombres
- Men; adult male human beings
- genio
- Genius; person of exceptional intellectual or creative ability
- muy
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs
- erróneamente
- Erroneously; in a mistaken or incorrect manner
- dirigidos
- Directed or guided; past participle of dirigir
- estén
- Be; third person plural present subjunctive of estar
- casi
- Almost; adverb indicating nearness to a condition
- nunca
- Never; adverb indicating something does not occur
- dejan
- They allow or let; third person plural of dejar
- redundar
- To result in or redound; to contribute to something
- última
- Last or final; feminine adjective indicating final position
- instancia
- Instance or instance; en última instancia means ultimately
- sólido
- Solid; firm, reliable, or substantial in nature
- beneficio
- Benefit or advantage gained from something
- humanidad
- Humanity; all human beings collectively as a group
- Escuché
- I listened; first person singular preterite of escuchar
- su
- His, her, or their; third person possessive adjective
- exposición
- Exposition or presentation; detailed explanation of a topic
- fue
- Was or went; preterite of ser or ir
- pronunciada
- Delivered or pronounced; feminine past participle of pronunciar
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- ninguna
- No or none; feminine adjective indicating total absence
- presunción
- Presumption or arrogance; excessive self-confidence or vanity
- ni
- Nor or neither; negative correlative conjunction
- afectación
- Affectation; unnatural or pretentious behavior in manner
- luego
- Then or afterward; adverb indicating subsequent action
- añadí
- I added; first person singular preterite of añadir
- conferencia
- Lecture or conference; formal presentation to an audience
- había
- Had; third person singular past perfect auxiliary haber
- eliminado
- Eliminated or removed; past participle of eliminar
- mis
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- prejuicios
- Prejudices; preconceived negative opinions without reason
- contra
- Against; preposition indicating opposition or confrontation
- químicos
- Chemists; scientists who study chemistry professionally
- modernos
- Modern; relating to present or recent times
- expresé
- I expressed; first person singular preterite of expresar
- términos
- Terms; words or expressions used in specific context
- mesurados
- Measured or restrained; moderate and carefully controlled terms
- modestia
- Modesty; quality of not boasting about one's abilities
- deferencia
- Deference; respectful submission to another's judgment
- joven
- Young person; someone of youth or adolescent age
- debe
- Should or owes; third person singular of deber
- instructor
- Instructor; person who teaches or trains others
- dejar
- To let or allow; to permit something to happen
- escapar
- To escape or slip out; to get away unintentionally
- inexperiencia
- Inexperience; lack of knowledge from practice or exposure
- vida
- Life; the existence and experience of living
- habría
- Would have; first or third person conditional of haber
- avergonzado
- Embarrassed or ashamed; past participle of avergonzar
- ninguno
- None or no one; masculine pronoun indicating total absence
- entusiasmo
- Enthusiasm; intense eagerness or excitement about something
- estimulaba
- Stimulated or encouraged; imperfect tense of estimular
- labores
- Labors or tasks; work efforts undertaken with purpose
- proyectadas
- Projected or planned; feminine plural past participle of proyectar
- Le
- Him or her; third person singular indirect object pronoun
- pedí
- I asked for; first person singular preterite of pedir
- consejo
- Advice or counsel; guidance offered to help someone
- sobre
- About or on; preposition indicating topic or surface
- libros
- Books; written or printed works for reading
- debía
- Should or ought to; imperfect of deber expressing obligation
- conseguir
- To obtain or get; to acquire something desired
- Estoy
- I am; first person singular present of estar
- feliz
- Happy; feeling or expressing joy and contentment
- dijo
- Said or told; third person singular preterite of decir
- señor
- Mister or sir; respectful title for an adult man
- haber
- To have; auxiliary verb used in compound tenses
- ganado
- Won or gained; past participle of ganar
- discípulo
- Disciple or student; follower who learns from a teacher
- si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothetical clause
- dedicación
- Dedication; commitment and devotion to a pursuit
- iguala
- Equals or matches; third person singular present of igualar
- capacidad
- Capacity or ability; skill or potential to perform
- tengo
- I have; first person singular present of tener
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty about the truth of something
- éxito
- Success; favorable outcome of an effort or endeavor
- química
- Chemistry; science studying composition and properties of matter
- esa
- That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- rama
- Branch; a division or subdivision of a field
- filosofía
- Philosophy; study of fundamental questions about existence
- natural
- Natural; relating to nature or the physical world
- han
- Have; third person plural present of haber
- realizado
- Accomplished or achieved; past participle of realizar
- pueden
- Can or are able to; third person plural of poder
- realizarse
- To be achieved or carried out; reflexive form of realizar
- mayores
- Greatest or largest; plural comparative form of grande
- mejoras
- Improvements; positive changes that enhance quality
- razón
- Reason; logical basis or cause for something
- he
- I have; first person singular present of haber
- hecho
- Made or done; past participle of hacer
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- estudio
- Study; focused learning or investigation of a subject
- particular
- Particular or special; specific as opposed to general
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast
- mismo
- Same; adjective indicating identity or similarity
- tiempo
- Time or weather; al mismo tiempo means at the same time
- descuidado
- Neglected; past participle meaning left without proper attention
- otras
- Other; feminine plural adjective meaning different or additional
- ramas
- Branches; divisions or subdivisions of knowledge or fields
- ciencia
- Science; systematic study of the natural world
- hombre
- Man; adult male person
- sería
- Would be; third person singular conditional of ser
- mediocre
- Mediocre; of only average or below average quality
- dedicara
- Were to dedicate; past subjunctive of dedicar
- únicamente
- Solely or only; adverb meaning exclusively and nothing else
- ese
- That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- departamento
- Department; a division or section of a broader field
- conocimiento
- Knowledge; information and understanding acquired through experience
- humano
- Human; relating to or characteristic of human beings
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