Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 10
A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquillity.
Un ser humano perfecto debería preservar siempre una mente tranquila y apacible y nunca permitir que la pasión o un deseo pasajero perturben su tranquilidad.
I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule.
No creo que la búsqueda del conocimiento sea una excepción a esta regla.
If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind.
Si el estudio al que te dedicas tiene tendencia a debilitar tus afectos y a destruir tu gusto por esos placeres simples en los que ninguna mezcla impura puede intervenir, entonces ese estudio es ciertamente ilícito, es decir, no apropiado para la mente humana.
If this rule were always observed; if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquillity of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved, Cæsar would have spared his country, America would have been discovered more gradually, and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed.
Si esta regla se observara siempre; si ningún hombre permitiera que ninguna ocupación interfiriera con la tranquilidad de sus afectos domésticos, Grecia no habría sido esclavizada, César habría perdonado a su país, América habría sido descubierta de manera más gradual, y los imperios de México y Perú no habrían sido destruidos.
But I forget that I am moralizing in the most interesting part of my tale, and your looks remind me to proceed.
Pero olvido que estoy moralizando en la parte más interesante de mi relato, y vuestra expresión me recuerda que debo continuar.
My father made no reproach in his letters and only took notice of my silence by inquiring into my occupations more particularly than before.
Mi padre no hizo ningún reproche en sus cartas y solo prestó atención a mi silencio preguntando por mis ocupaciones con más detalle que antes.
Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded me supreme delight—so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation.
El invierno, la primavera y el verano transcurrieron durante mis trabajos; pero no presté atención a las flores ni a las hojas que se desplegaban —espectáculos que antes siempre me proporcionaban un deleite supremo— tan absorto estaba en mi ocupación.
The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close, and now every day showed me more plainly how well I had succeeded.
Las hojas de ese año se habían marchitado antes de que mi trabajo se acercara a su fin, y ahora cada día me mostraba con mayor claridad cuán bien había tenido éxito.
Vocabulary
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb of existence or identity
- humano
- Human; relating to people or mankind
- perfecto
- Perfect; without flaws or errors
- debería
- Should; expresses obligation or recommendation
- preservar
- To preserve; to keep or maintain something intact
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- mente
- Mind; the thinking and reasoning faculty
- tranquila
- Calm; peaceful and free from disturbance
- apacible
- Gentle; serene and pleasantly calm in manner
- nunca
- Never; at no time or under no circumstances
- permitir
- To permit; to allow something to happen
- pasión
- Passion; intense emotion or strong feeling
- deseo
- Desire; a strong wish or longing for something
- pasajero
- Fleeting; temporary or passing quickly
- perturben
- Disturb; to upset or disrupt tranquility
- tranquilidad
- Tranquility; state of calm and peace
- creo
- I believe; first person present of creer
- búsqueda
- Search; the act of seeking or looking for something
- conocimiento
- Knowledge; understanding gained through experience or learning
- sea
- Be; subjunctive form of ser
- excepción
- Exception; something excluded from a general rule
- regla
- Rule; a principle or guideline to follow
- estudio
- Study; the activity of learning or researching
- dedicas
- You dedicate; to devote time or effort to something
- tendencia
- Tendency; inclination toward a particular behavior
- debilitar
- To weaken; to reduce strength or intensity
- afectos
- Affections; emotional attachments or feelings toward others
- destruir
- To destroy; to ruin or eliminate completely
- gusto
- Taste; enjoyment or appreciation of something
- placeres
- Pleasures; enjoyable or satisfying experiences
- simples
- Simple; uncomplicated or modest in nature
- ninguna
- None; not any, feminine form of negation
- mezcla
- Mixture; a combination of different elements
- impura
- Impure; not clean or mixed with unwanted elements
- intervenir
- To intervene; to become involved or interfere
- entonces
- Then; at that time or as a consequence
- ciertamente
- Certainly; without doubt, used for emphasis
- ilícito
- Illicit; not permitted or against rules
- decir
- To say; to express in words
- apropiado
- Appropriate; suitable or fitting for a situation
- humana
- Human; feminine form relating to people
- observara
- Were observed; past subjunctive of observar
- ningún
- No; not any, masculine singular adjective
- hombre
- Man; an adult male or human being
- permitiera
- Allowed; past subjunctive of permitir
- ocupación
- Occupation; work or activity one is engaged in
- interfiriera
- Interfered; past subjunctive of interferir
- domésticos
- Domestic; relating to home or household affairs
- Grecia
- Greece; southern European country known for ancient civilization
- habría
- Would have; conditional of haber
- esclavizada
- Enslaved; reduced to the condition of slavery
- César
- Caesar; title or name referring to Roman ruler
- perdonado
- Pardoned; forgiven or spared from punishment
- país
- Country; a nation with its own government
- América
- America; the American continent or Americas
- descubierta
- Discovered; found or revealed for the first time
- manera
- Manner; the way in which something happens
- gradual
- Gradual; happening slowly over a period of time
- imperios
- Empires; large territories under single authority
- México
- Mexico; country in North America
- Perú
- Peru; country on the western coast of South America
- habrían
- Would have; conditional plural of haber
- destruidos
- Destroyed; completely ruined or demolished
- olvido
- Forgetfulness; state of having forgotten something
- moralizando
- Moralizing; lecturing others about right behavior
- parte
- Part; a portion or section of something larger
- interesante
- Interesting; attracting attention or curiosity
- relato
- Account; a spoken or written narrative or story
- vuestra
- Your; possessive adjective plural formal Spanish form
- expresión
- Expression; a look conveying feeling or meaning
- recuerda
- Reminds; third person singular of recordar
- debo
- I must; first person singular of deber
- continuar
- To continue; to carry on without stopping
- padre
- Father; male parent
- hizo
- Made or did; past tense of hacer
- reproche
- Reproach; an expression of disapproval or blame
- cartas
- Letters; written messages sent to someone
- solo
- Only; alone or exclusively
- prestó
- Paid or lent; past tense of prestar
- atención
- Attention; careful notice given to something
- silencio
- Silence; absence of sound or noise
- preguntando
- Asking; present participle of preguntar
- ocupaciones
- Occupations; activities or tasks one is engaged in
- detalle
- Detail; a small specific piece of information
- antes
- Before; at an earlier time or previously
- invierno
- Winter; the coldest season of the year
- primavera
- Spring; the season when plants begin to bloom
- verano
- Summer; the warmest season of the year
- transcurrieron
- Passed; elapsed, said of time going by
- durante
- During; throughout the duration of something
- trabajos
- Works or tasks; labors undertaken with effort
- presté
- I paid; first person past tense of prestar
- flores
- Flowers; blossoming plants or blooms
- ni
- Nor; negative conjunction connecting alternatives
- hojas
- Leaves; flat green parts of a plant
- desplegaban
- Unfolded; they spread out or displayed themselves
- espectáculos
- Spectacles; impressive or remarkable visual scenes
- proporcionaban
- Provided; they gave or supplied something
- deleite
- Delight; great pleasure or joy
- supremo
- Supreme; highest in degree or importance
- tan
- So; to such a degree or extent
- absorto
- Absorbed; deeply engrossed in thought or activity
- año
- Year; a period of twelve months
- marchitado
- Withered; dried up or faded as plants do
- trabajo
- Work; effort or labor applied to a task
- acercara
- Approached; past subjunctive of acercarse
- fin
- End; the final point or conclusion of something
- ahora
- Now; at the present moment
- cada
- Each; every individual one of a group
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period
- mostraba
- Showed; past imperfect of mostrar
- mayor
- Greater; larger or more significant in degree
- claridad
- Clarity; clearness of thought or expression
- cuán
- How; exclamatory adverb expressing degree
- bien
- Well; in a good or satisfactory manner
- éxito
- Success; a favorable result or achievement
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