Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 1
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils.
Fue en una lúgubre noche de noviembre cuando contemplé la culminación de mis esfuerzos.
With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.
Con una ansiedad que casi llegaba a la agonía, reuní a mi alrededor los instrumentos de la vida, para poder infundir una chispa de existencia en el ser inerte que yacía a mis pies.
It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.
Era ya la una de la madrugada; la lluvia golpeaba tristemente los cristales, y mi vela estaba casi consumida, cuando, a la tenue luz de la llama casi extinguida, vi abrirse el apagado ojo amarillo de la criatura; respiró con dificultad, y un movimiento convulsivo agitó sus miembros.
How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?
¿Cómo puedo describir mis emociones ante esta catástrofe, o cómo retratar al desgraciado a quien con tan infinitas fatigas y cuidados había intentado dar forma?
His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful.
Sus miembros guardaban proporción, y yo había elegido sus rasgos por su belleza.
Beautiful! Great God!
¡Hermoso! ¡Gran Dios!
His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.
Su amarillenta piel apenas cubría el entramado de músculos y arterias que había debajo; su cabello era de un negro lustroso y abundante; sus dientes de una blancura nacarada; pero estas perfecciones no hacían sino formar un contraste más horrible con sus ojos acuosos, que parecían casi del mismo color que las cuencas blanquecinas en las que estaban alojados, su tez arrugada y sus labios negros y rectos.
The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature.
Los distintos avatares de la vida no son tan mudables como los sentimientos de la naturaleza humana.
I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.
Había trabajado arduamente durante casi dos años, con el único propósito de infundir vida a un cuerpo inanimado.
For this I had deprived myself of rest and health.
Por ello me había privado de descanso y salud.
Vocabulary
- Fue
- Third person singular preterite of 'ser/ir' (was/went).
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at.
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning 'a/an'.
- lúgubre
- Gloomy, dark, or mournful in character or appearance.
- noche
- The period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about.
- noviembre
- The eleventh month of the year.
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
- contemplé
- First person singular preterite of 'contemplar'; I contemplated.
- la
- Definite article, feminine singular, meaning 'the'.
- culminación
- The highest point or final achievement of something.
- mis
- Possessive adjective, plural, meaning 'my'.
- esfuerzos
- Plural noun meaning efforts or exertions toward a goal.
- Con
- Preposition meaning 'with'.
- ansiedad
- A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease; anxiety.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'.
- casi
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'.
- llegaba
- Imperfect tense of 'llegar'; was reaching or arriving at.
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'.
- agonía
- Extreme mental or physical suffering; agony.
- reuní
- First person singular preterite of 'reunir'; I gathered or assembled.
- mi
- Possessive adjective singular meaning 'my'.
- alrededor
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'around' or 'surrounding'.
- los
- Definite article, masculine plural, meaning 'the'.
- instrumentos
- Tools or devices used to perform a specific task.
- vida
- The state of being alive; life.
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'by'.
- poder
- To be able to; can or may.
- infundir
- To instill or infuse a quality or feeling into something.
- chispa
- A small fiery particle; a spark.
- existencia
- The state or fact of existing; existence.
- el
- Definite article, masculine singular, meaning 'the'.
- ser
- To be; also used as a noun meaning 'being' or 'creature'.
- inerte
- Lacking the ability to move or act; inert or lifeless.
- yacía
- Imperfect tense of 'yacer'; was lying down or resting.
- pies
- Plural of 'pie'; feet, the lower extremities of the body.
- Era
- Imperfect tense of 'ser'; it was (describing past state).
- ya
- Adverb meaning 'already', 'now', or 'by then'.
- madrugada
- The early hours before dawn; the small hours of night.
- lluvia
- Water falling from clouds; rain.
- golpeaba
- Imperfect tense of 'golpear'; was hitting or beating against.
- tristemente
- In a sad or sorrowful manner; sadly.
- cristales
- Glass panes, especially of windows; crystal or glass pieces.
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- vela
- A stick of wax with a wick used for light; candle.
- estaba
- Imperfect tense of 'estar'; was (temporary state or condition).
- consumida
- Past participle of 'consumir'; used up or burned out entirely.
- tenue
- Faint, dim, or delicate; barely perceptible to the senses.
- luz
- Electromagnetic radiation visible to the eye; light.
- llama
- The visible burning part of a fire; a flame.
- extinguida
- Past participle of 'extinguir'; put out or no longer burning.
- vi
- First person singular preterite of 'ver'; I saw.
- abrirse
- Reflexive infinitive of 'abrir'; to open (itself) or come open.
- apagado
- Dull, dim, or switched off; lacking brightness or life.
- ojo
- The organ of sight; an eye.
- amarillo
- Of the colour between green and orange in the spectrum; yellow.
- criatura
- A living being or creature, often implying something created.
- respiró
- Third person singular preterite of 'respirar'; it breathed.
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'.
- dificultad
- A condition making something hard to accomplish; difficulty.
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- movimiento
- The act or process of moving; movement or motion.
- convulsivo
- Relating to or resembling a convulsion; jerky and uncontrolled.
- agitó
- Third person singular preterite of 'agitar'; shook or stirred.
- sus
- Possessive adjective, plural, meaning 'his', 'her', 'its', or 'their'.
- miembros
- Limbs of the body; also members of a group.
- Cómo
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'how'.
- puedo
- First person singular present of 'poder'; I can or am able.
- describir
- To give a verbal account of something; to describe.
- emociones
- Plural of 'emoción'; feelings or emotional responses.
- ante
- Preposition meaning 'before', 'in front of', or 'faced with'.
- esta
- Demonstrative adjective, feminine singular, meaning 'this'.
- catástrofe
- A sudden disaster or terrible event with great damage.
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or', presenting an alternative option.
- retratar
- To portray or depict someone in words or an image.
- al
- Contraction of 'a + el'; meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
- desgraciado
- An unfortunate or wretched person; miserable or unlucky being.
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whom'.
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such', indicating degree or intensity.
- infinitas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning endless or boundless in extent.
- fatigas
- Plural of 'fatiga'; extreme tiredness or exhausting efforts.
- cuidados
- Plural of 'cuidado'; careful attention or acts of caring.
- había
- Imperfect of 'haber'; had (auxiliary verb for past perfect).
- intentado
- Past participle of 'intentar'; tried or attempted to do something.
- dar
- To give or to provide something to someone.
- forma
- The visible shape or arrangement of something; form or shape.
- Sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', 'its', or 'their'.
- guardaban
- Imperfect of 'guardar'; they kept or maintained a relationship.
- proporción
- A harmonious relationship in size or degree; proportion.
- yo
- First person singular subject pronoun; 'I'.
- elegido
- Past participle of 'elegir'; chosen or selected from options.
- rasgos
- Facial features or distinguishing characteristics of a person.
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', 'through', or 'because of'.
- su
- Possessive adjective singular meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- belleza
- The quality of being attractive or pleasing to the senses; beauty.
- Hermoso
- Adjective meaning beautiful, handsome, or lovely in appearance.
- Gran
- Adjective meaning great or grand, used before a noun.
- Dios
- The supreme divine being; God.
- amarillenta
- Adjective meaning yellowish or having a pale yellow tone.
- piel
- The outer covering of a living body; skin.
- apenas
- Adverb meaning 'barely', 'scarcely', or 'hardly'.
- cubría
- Imperfect of 'cubrir'; was covering or concealing something.
- entramado
- A framework or network of interlaced structures underneath.
- músculos
- Plural of 'músculo'; tissues that contract to produce movement.
- arterias
- Plural of 'arteria'; blood vessels carrying blood from the heart.
- debajo
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'below' or 'underneath'.
- cabello
- Hair growing from a person's head; hair.
- era
- Imperfect tense of 'ser'; it was (past state or description).
- negro
- Adjective meaning black in colour.
- lustroso
- Having a shiny or glossy appearance; lustrous.
- abundante
- Present in large quantities; plentiful or copious.
- dientes
- Plural of 'diente'; hard structures in the mouth used for chewing.
- blancura
- The quality or state of being white; whiteness.
- nacarada
- Having the iridescent quality of mother-of-pearl; pearlescent.
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast or exception.
- estas
- Demonstrative adjective, feminine plural, meaning 'these'.
- perfecciones
- Plural of 'perfección'; qualities of being perfect or flawless.
- no
- Adverb of negation meaning 'no' or 'not'.
- hacían
- Imperfect of 'hacer'; they made or caused something to happen.
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' or 'but instead'.
- formar
- To shape, create, or constitute something from parts.
- contraste
- A marked difference between two things placed together.
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most', indicating a higher degree.
- horrible
- Causing horror or disgust; extremely unpleasant or shocking.
- ojos
- Plural of 'ojo'; the organs of sight; eyes.
- acuosos
- Having the quality of water; watery or fluid in appearance.
- parecían
- Imperfect of 'parecer'; they seemed or appeared to be.
- del
- Contraction of 'de + el'; meaning 'of the' or 'from the'.
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'same' or used for emphasis meaning 'itself'.
- color
- The property produced by light of different wavelengths; colour.
- las
- Definite article, feminine plural, meaning 'the'.
- cuencas
- The bony sockets in the skull that contain the eyes.
- blanquecinas
- Adjective meaning whitish or off-white in colour.
- alojados
- Past participle of 'alojar'; lodged, housed, or set within something.
- tez
- The complexion or skin tone of a person's face.
- arrugada
- Adjective meaning wrinkled or creased in texture or appearance.
- labios
- Plural of 'labio'; the fleshy parts forming the edges of the mouth.
- negros
- Masculine plural adjective meaning black in colour.
- rectos
- Masculine plural adjective meaning straight or upright.
- Los
- Definite article, masculine plural, meaning 'the'.
- distintos
- Adjective meaning different, distinct, or various in kind.
- avatares
- Vicissitudes or successive changes and phases of life.
- son
- Third person plural present of 'ser'; they are.
- mudables
- Adjective meaning changeable or subject to frequent change.
- como
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'how'.
- sentimientos
- Plural of 'sentimiento'; emotions or inner feelings experienced.
- naturaleza
- The inherent character of something; also the natural world.
- humana
- Feminine adjective meaning relating to or characteristic of humans.
- Había
- Imperfect of 'haber'; there had been or had (auxiliary).
- trabajado
- Past participle of 'trabajar'; worked or laboured at a task.
- arduamente
- Adverb meaning in a hard, laborious, or strenuous manner.
- durante
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period of time.
- dos
- The cardinal number two.
- años
- Plural of 'año'; periods of twelve months; years.
- único
- Adjective meaning only, sole, or unique; the single one.
- propósito
- The reason for which something is done; aim or purpose.
- cuerpo
- The physical structure of a living person or animal; body.
- inanimado
- Not alive or lacking signs of life; inanimate.
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'because of', or 'due to'.
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it' or 'that' referring to an idea.
- me
- First person singular object pronoun; me or myself.
- privado
- Past participle of 'privar'; deprived of something necessary.
- descanso
- A period of rest or relief from activity; rest or break.
- salud
- The state of being free from illness or injury; health.
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