Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 7
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I trembled excessively; I could not endure to think of, and far less to allude to, the occurrences of the preceding night.
Temblaba sin cesar; no podía soportar pensar en los sucesos de la noche anterior, y mucho menos aludirlos.
I walked with a quick pace, and we soon arrived at my college.
Caminé a paso ligero y pronto llegamos a mi colegio.
I then reflected, and the thought made me shiver, that the creature whom I had left in my apartment might still be there, alive and walking about.
Reflexioné entonces, y el pensamiento me hizo estremecerme, de que la criatura que había dejado en mi habitación podría seguir allí, viva y deambulando.
I dreaded to behold this monster, but I feared still more that Henry should see him.
Temía contemplar a ese monstruo, pero temía aún más que Henry pudiera verle.
Entreating him, therefore, to remain a few minutes at the bottom of the stairs, I darted up towards my own room.
Rogándole, por tanto, que esperara unos minutos al pie de la escalera, me lancé hacia mi propio cuarto.
My hand was already on the lock of the door before I recollected myself.
Mi mano ya estaba sobre el pestillo de la puerta antes de que recobrase la compostura.
I then paused, and a cold shivering came over me.
Me detuve entonces, y un frío estremecimiento se apoderó de mí.
I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand in waiting for them on the other side; but nothing appeared.
Abrí la puerta de golpe, como acostumbran hacer los niños cuando esperan encontrar un espectro aguardándoles al otro lado; pero no apareció nada.
I stepped fearfully in: the apartment was empty, and my bedroom was also freed from its hideous guest.
Entré con cautela: la habitación estaba vacía, y mi dormitorio también se hallaba libre de su horrendo huésped.
I could hardly believe that so great a good fortune could have befallen me, but when I became assured that my enemy had indeed fled, I clapped my hands for joy and ran down to Clerval.
Apenas podía creer que tan gran fortuna me hubiera sonreído, pero cuando me cercioré de que mi enemigo había huido en verdad, palmoteé de alegría y bajé corriendo hasta Clerval.
We ascended into my room, and the servant presently brought breakfast; but I was unable to contain myself.
Subimos a mi cuarto, y el sirviente trajo pronto el desayuno; pero yo era incapaz de contenerme.
It was not joy only that possessed me; I felt my flesh tingle with excess of sensitiveness, and my pulse beat rapidly.
No era solo la alegría lo que me embargaba; sentía un hormigueo en la carne a causa del exceso de sensibilidad, y mi pulso latía con rapidez.
Vocabulary
- Temblaba
- He/she was trembling or shaking uncontrollably
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- cesar
- To cease, stop, or discontinue an action
- no
- No; negation word used to deny something
- podía
- He/she was able to, could do something
- soportar
- To bear, endure, or tolerate something difficult
- pensar
- To think, reflect, or consider something mentally
- en
- In, on, at; common Spanish preposition
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- sucesos
- Events, happenings, or occurrences that took place
- de
- Of, from; very common Spanish preposition
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- noche
- Night; the period of darkness after sunset
- anterior
- Previous, prior, or preceding in time or order
- y
- And; basic coordinating conjunction in Spanish
- mucho
- Much, a lot; indicating large degree or quantity
- menos
- Less; indicating smaller degree or quantity
- aludirlos
- To allude to or mention them indirectly
- Caminé
- I walked; past tense of caminar
- a
- To, at; very common Spanish preposition
- paso
- Step, pace; rhythm or speed of walking
- ligero
- Light, quick, swift; describing fast or nimble movement
- pronto
- Soon, quickly; indicating something happening rapidly
- llegamos
- We arrived, we reached a destination
- mi
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- colegio
- School, college; educational institution for students
- Reflexioné
- I reflected, pondered, or thought deeply about something
- entonces
- Then, at that moment; indicating sequence in time
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- pensamiento
- Thought, idea; a mental reflection or consideration
- me
- Me, myself; first-person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- hizo
- Made, caused; third-person past tense of hacer
- estremecerme
- To make me shudder or tremble with fear
- que
- That, which; common conjunction or relative pronoun
- criatura
- Creature, being; a living entity, often frightening
- había
- Had; auxiliary verb for past perfect tense
- dejado
- Left, abandoned; past participle of dejar
- habitación
- Room, bedroom; an enclosed space in a building
- podría
- Could, might; conditional form of poder
- seguir
- To continue, follow, or keep doing something
- allí
- There; indicating a place away from the speaker
- viva
- Alive; adjective describing a living being
- deambulando
- Wandering, roaming aimlessly from place to place
- Temía
- He/she feared, dreaded something with great apprehension
- contemplar
- To contemplate, gaze at, or observe carefully
- ese
- That; demonstrative adjective for nearby objects
- monstruo
- Monster; a frightening or grotesque creature
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- aún
- Still, yet, even; adverb emphasizing degree or continuation
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- pudiera
- Could, might; past subjunctive of poder
- verle
- To see him; infinitive with attached object pronoun
- Rogándole
- Begging or pleading with him/her earnestly
- por
- For, by, through; versatile Spanish preposition
- tanto
- So much, therefore; indicating consequence or degree
- esperara
- To wait; past subjunctive form of esperar
- unos
- Some, a few; indefinite plural article
- minutos
- Minutes; units of time equal to sixty seconds
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- pie
- Foot; bottom part of the body or structure
- escalera
- Staircase, stairs; structure for climbing between floors
- lancé
- I rushed, threw myself; past tense of lanzar
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction of movement
- propio
- Own, one's own; emphasizing personal possession
- cuarto
- Room, quarter; enclosed space or living quarters
- Mi
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- mano
- Hand; body part used for grasping and touching
- ya
- Already, now; adverb indicating prior or current action
- estaba
- Was; imperfect past tense of estar
- sobre
- On, over, about; preposition indicating position or topic
- pestillo
- Latch, bolt; small mechanism for fastening a door
- puerta
- Door; movable barrier used to enter or exit rooms
- antes
- Before, previously; indicating earlier time or order
- recobrase
- To recover, regain composure or consciousness
- compostura
- Composure, self-control; calm and dignified bearing
- Me
- Me, myself; reflexive or object pronoun
- detuve
- I stopped, halted; past tense of detenerse
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- frío
- Cold; low temperature sensation or feeling
- estremecimiento
- Shudder, tremor; sudden involuntary shaking from fear
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive or impersonal verbs
- apoderó
- Took hold of, seized; overcame completely
- mí
- Me; first-person singular pronoun after prepositions
- Abrí
- I opened; first-person past tense of abrir
- golpe
- Blow, bang; a sudden forceful hit or impact
- como
- As, like, how; comparison or manner conjunction
- acostumbran
- Are accustomed to, habitually do something regularly
- hacer
- To do, to make; very common Spanish verb
- niños
- Children, kids; young human beings
- cuando
- When; conjunction indicating time or condition
- esperan
- They expect, wait for; third-person plural of esperar
- encontrar
- To find, encounter, or come across something
- espectro
- Specter, ghost; a frightening supernatural apparition
- aguardándoles
- Waiting for them; awaiting their arrival eagerly
- otro
- Other, another; indicating a different or additional one
- lado
- Side; one of the surfaces or edges of something
- apareció
- Appeared, showed up; past tense of aparecer
- nada
- Nothing; indicating complete absence of something
- Entré
- I entered, went in; past tense of entrar
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner
- cautela
- Caution, wariness; careful and guarded behavior
- vacía
- Empty, vacant; containing nothing inside
- dormitorio
- Bedroom, dormitory; room used primarily for sleeping
- también
- Also, too; indicating addition or agreement
- hallaba
- Was found, was situated; imperfect of hallarse
- libre
- Free, clear; unoccupied or without restriction
- su
- His, her, its, their; third-person possessive adjective
- horrendo
- Horrifying, dreadful; extremely frightening or repulsive
- huésped
- Guest, lodger; a person staying in someone's home
- Apenas
- Hardly, scarcely; indicating something barely occurred
- creer
- To believe, think; to accept something as true
- tan
- So, such; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- gran
- Great, big; shortened form of grande before nouns
- fortuna
- Fortune, luck; good fate or favorable circumstance
- hubiera
- Had; past subjunctive of haber used in conditionals
- sonreído
- Smiled; past participle of sonreír
- cercioré
- I made sure, verified; past tense of cerciorarse
- enemigo
- Enemy, foe; someone hostile or opposed to another
- huido
- Fled, escaped; past participle of huir
- verdad
- Truth, reality; that which is true or factual
- palmoteé
- I clapped, slapped hands together in celebration
- alegría
- Joy, happiness; a feeling of great pleasure
- bajé
- I went down, descended; past tense of bajar
- corriendo
- Running; present participle indicating hurried movement
- hasta
- Until, up to; preposition indicating limit or destination
- Subimos
- We went up, climbed; past tense of subir
- sirviente
- Servant, attendant; person employed to serve others
- trajo
- Brought; third-person past tense of traer
- desayuno
- Breakfast; the first meal of the day
- yo
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- era
- Was; imperfect past tense of ser
- incapaz
- Incapable, unable; lacking ability to do something
- contenerme
- To contain or restrain myself, hold back emotions
- No
- No, not; negation word in Spanish
- solo
- Only, alone; indicating singularity or isolation
- lo
- It, him; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- embargaba
- Overwhelmed, seized; imperfect tense of embargar
- sentía
- Felt, sensed; imperfect past tense of sentir
- hormigueo
- Tingling, pins and needles sensation in the body
- carne
- Flesh, meat; the soft tissue of a body
- causa
- Cause, reason; that which produces an effect
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el
- exceso
- Excess, surplus; amount beyond what is normal
- sensibilidad
- Sensitivity, sensibility; heightened capacity to feel
- pulso
- Pulse; rhythmic heartbeat felt through the arteries
- latía
- Was beating; imperfect past tense of latir
- rapidez
- Speed, rapidity; quickness in movement or action
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