Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 3
This girl had always been the favourite of her father, but through a strange perversity, her mother could not endure her, and after the death of M. Moritz, treated her very ill.
Esta muchacha había sido siempre la favorita de su padre, pero por una extraña perversidad, su madre no podía soportarla, y tras la muerte del Sr. Moritz, la trató muy mal.
My aunt observed this, and when Justine was twelve years of age, prevailed on her mother to allow her to live at our house.
Mi tía observó esto, y cuando Justine tenía doce años de edad, convenció a su madre para que le permitiera vivir en nuestra casa.
The republican institutions of our country have produced simpler and happier manners than those which prevail in the great monarchies that surround it.
Las instituciones republicanas de nuestro país han producido costumbres más sencillas y felices que aquellas que prevalecen en las grandes monarquías que lo rodean.
Hence there is less distinction between the several classes of its inhabitants; and the lower orders, being neither so poor nor so despised, their manners are more refined and moral.
De ahí que haya menos distinción entre las diversas clases de sus habitantes; y las clases bajas, al no ser tan pobres ni tan despreciadas, tienen costumbres más refinadas y morales.
A servant in Geneva does not mean the same thing as a servant in France and England.
Un sirviente en Ginebra no significa lo mismo que un sirviente en Francia e Inglaterra.
Justine, thus received in our family, learned the duties of a servant, a condition which, in our fortunate country, does not include the idea of ignorance and a sacrifice of the dignity of a human being.
Justine, así recibida en nuestra familia, aprendió las obligaciones de una sirvienta, una condición que, en nuestro afortunado país, no incluye la idea de ignorancia ni el sacrificio de la dignidad de un ser humano.
"Justine, you may remember, was a great favourite of yours; and I recollect you once remarked that if you were in an ill humour, one glance from Justine could dissipate it, for the same reason that Ariosto gives concerning the beauty of Angelica—she looked so frank-hearted and happy.
"Justine, puede que recuerdes, era una de tus grandes favoritas; y recuerdo que una vez comentaste que si estabas de mal humor, una sola mirada de Justine podía disiparlo, por la misma razón que Ariosto da acerca de la belleza de Angélica: tenía un aspecto tan sincero y feliz.
My aunt conceived a great attachment for her, by which she was induced to give her an education superior to that which she had at first intended.
Mi tía le tomó un gran cariño, lo que la llevó a darle una educación superior a la que había tenido prevista en un principio.
Vocabulary
- muchacha
- A girl or young woman.
- había
- Past perfect auxiliary verb 'had' (third person singular).
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser,' meaning 'been.'
- siempre
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever.'
- favorita
- Feminine adjective or noun meaning 'favorite.'
- padre
- Noun meaning 'father.'
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but,' indicating contrast.
- por
- Preposition meaning 'because of,' 'for,' or 'through.'
- extraña
- Adjective meaning 'strange,' 'odd,' or 'foreign.'
- perversidad
- Noun meaning 'perversity' or 'wickedness.'
- madre
- Noun meaning 'mother.'
- podía
- Imperfect form of 'poder,' meaning 'could' or 'was able to.'
- soportarla
- To endure or tolerate her; bear her presence.
- tras
- Preposition meaning 'after' or 'behind.'
- muerte
- Noun meaning 'death.'
- Sr
- Abbreviation for 'Señor,' meaning 'Mr.'
- trató
- Preterite of 'tratar,' meaning 'treated' or 'dealt with.'
- mal
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'badly' or 'bad.'
- tía
- Noun meaning 'aunt.'
- observó
- Preterite of 'observar,' meaning 'observed' or 'noticed.'
- esto
- Neutral demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this.'
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when.'
- tenía
- Imperfect of 'tener,' meaning 'had' or 'was.'
- doce
- Number meaning 'twelve.'
- años
- Noun meaning 'years.'
- edad
- Noun meaning 'age.'
- convenció
- Preterite of 'convencer,' meaning 'convinced' or 'persuaded.'
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'by.'
- permitiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'permitir,' meaning 'to allow.'
- vivir
- Infinitive meaning 'to live.'
- casa
- Noun meaning 'house' or 'home.'
- instituciones
- Noun meaning 'institutions' or 'established organizations.'
- republicanas
- Adjective meaning 'republican' (feminine plural).
- país
- Noun meaning 'country' or 'nation.'
- producido
- Past participle of 'producir,' meaning 'produced.'
- costumbres
- Noun meaning 'customs,' 'habits,' or 'traditions.'
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'most.'
- sencillas
- Adjective meaning 'simple,' 'plain,' or 'humble' (feminine plural).
- felices
- Adjective meaning 'happy' (plural form of 'feliz').
- aquellas
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (feminine plural).
- prevalecen
- Third person plural of 'prevalecer,' meaning 'prevail' or 'dominate.'
- grandes
- Adjective meaning 'great,' 'large,' or 'grand.'
- monarquías
- Noun meaning 'monarchies' or 'kingdoms.'
- rodean
- Third person plural of 'rodear,' meaning 'surround' or 'encircle.'
- ahí
- Adverb meaning 'there' or 'hence.'
- haya
- Present subjunctive of 'haber,' meaning 'there is/are' or 'has.'
- menos
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'less' or 'fewer.'
- distinción
- Noun meaning 'distinction,' 'difference,' or 'class.'
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among.'
- diversas
- Adjective meaning 'various,' 'diverse' (feminine plural).
- clases
- Noun meaning 'classes,' 'groups,' or 'categories.'
- habitantes
- Noun meaning 'inhabitants' or 'residents.'
- bajas
- Adjective meaning 'low' or 'lower' (feminine plural).
- ser
- Infinitive meaning 'to be' (permanent states).
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as,' used in comparisons.
- pobres
- Adjective or noun meaning 'poor' or 'the poor.'
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'neither,' 'nor,' or 'not even.'
- despreciadas
- Past participle of 'despreciar,' meaning 'looked down upon.'
- refinadas
- Adjective meaning 'refined,' 'polished,' or 'sophisticated.'
- morales
- Noun or adjective meaning 'morals' or 'moral' (plural).
- sirviente
- Noun meaning 'servant' or 'domestic worker.'
- significa
- Third person singular of 'significar,' meaning 'means' or 'signifies.'
- mismo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'same' or 'itself.'
- e
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' used before words starting with 'i.'
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way.'
- recibida
- Past participle of 'recibir,' meaning 'received' or 'welcomed.'
- familia
- Noun meaning 'family.'
- aprendió
- Preterite of 'aprender,' meaning 'learned' or 'she learned.'
- obligaciones
- Noun meaning 'obligations,' 'duties,' or 'responsibilities.'
- sirvienta
- Noun meaning 'maid' or 'female servant.'
- condición
- Noun meaning 'condition,' 'status,' or 'situation.'
- afortunado
- Adjective meaning 'fortunate,' 'lucky,' or 'blessed.'
- incluye
- Third person singular of 'incluir,' meaning 'includes.'
- idea
- Noun meaning 'idea,' 'notion,' or 'concept.'
- ignorancia
- Noun meaning 'ignorance' or 'lack of knowledge.'
- sacrificio
- Noun meaning 'sacrifice' or 'giving up something valued.'
- dignidad
- Noun meaning 'dignity' or 'sense of self-worth.'
- humano
- Adjective or noun meaning 'human.'
- puede
- Third person singular of 'poder,' meaning 'can' or 'is able.'
- recuerdes
- Present subjunctive of 'recordar,' meaning 'that you remember.'
- era
- Imperfect of 'ser,' meaning 'was' or 'used to be.'
- favoritas
- Adjective or noun meaning 'favorites' (feminine plural).
- recuerdo
- Noun meaning 'memory,' 'souvenir,' or verb 'I remember.'
- vez
- Noun meaning 'time,' 'occasion,' or 'instance.'
- comentaste
- Preterite of 'comentar,' meaning 'you commented' or 'remarked.'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether.'
- estabas
- Imperfect of 'estar,' meaning 'you were' (state or condition).
- humor
- Noun meaning 'mood,' 'humor,' or 'disposition.'
- sola
- Adjective meaning 'alone,' 'only,' or 'by oneself' (feminine).
- mirada
- Noun meaning 'look,' 'gaze,' or 'glance.'
- disiparlo
- Infinitive plus pronoun meaning 'to dispel it' or 'disperse it.'
- misma
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'same' or 'herself' (feminine).
- razón
- Noun meaning 'reason,' 'rationale,' or 'right.'
- da
- Third person singular of 'dar,' meaning 'gives.'
- acerca
- Preposition meaning 'about,' 'concerning,' or 'regarding.'
- belleza
- Noun meaning 'beauty.'
- aspecto
- Noun meaning 'aspect,' 'appearance,' or 'look.'
- sincero
- Adjective meaning 'sincere,' 'genuine,' or 'honest.'
- feliz
- Adjective meaning 'happy' or 'joyful.'
- tomó
- Preterite of 'tomar,' meaning 'took' or 'she took.'
- gran
- Adjective meaning 'great' or 'big' (before a noun).
- cariño
- Noun meaning 'affection,' 'fondness,' or 'love.'
- llevó
- Preterite of 'llevar,' meaning 'led,' 'took,' or 'carried.'
- darle
- Infinitive plus pronoun meaning 'to give her/him.'
- educación
- Noun meaning 'education' or 'upbringing.'
- superior
- Adjective meaning 'superior,' 'higher,' or 'advanced.'
- tenido
- Past participle of 'tener,' meaning 'had.'
- prevista
- Past participle of 'prever,' meaning 'foreseen' or 'planned.'
- principio
- Noun meaning 'beginning,' 'principle,' or 'start.'
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