Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 7
Even as she spoke I drew near to her, as if in terror, lest at that very moment the destroyer had been near to rob me of her.
Incluso mientras ella hablaba me acerqué a ella, como si sintiera terror de que en ese preciso momento el destructor hubiera estado cerca para arrebatármela.
Thus not the tenderness of friendship, nor the beauty of earth, nor of heaven, could redeem my soul from woe; the very accents of love were ineffectual.
Así pues, ni la ternura de la amistad, ni la belleza de la tierra, ni la del cielo, podían redimir mi alma del dolor; incluso los acentos del amor resultaban ineficaces.
I was encompassed by a cloud which no beneficial influence could penetrate.
Estaba envuelto por una nube que ninguna influencia benéfica podía penetrar.
The wounded deer dragging its fainting limbs to some untrodden brake, there to gaze upon the arrow which had pierced it, and to die, was but a type of me.
El ciervo herido que arrastraba sus exhaustos miembros hacia algún matorral sin pisar, para contemplar allí la flecha que lo había atravesado y morir, no era sino un reflejo de mí mismo.
Sometimes I could cope with the sullen despair that overwhelmed me, but sometimes the whirlwind passions of my soul drove me to seek, by bodily exercise and by change of place, some relief from my intolerable sensations.
A veces podía hacer frente a la sombría desesperación que me abrumaba, pero otras veces las turbulentas pasiones de mi alma me impulsaban a buscar, mediante el ejercicio físico y el cambio de lugar, algún alivio a mis intolerables sensaciones.
It was during an access of this kind that I suddenly left my home, and bending my steps towards the near Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my ephemeral, because human, sorrows.
Fue durante uno de estos accesos que abandoné repentinamente mi hogar y, dirigiendo mis pasos hacia los cercanos valles alpinos, busqué en la magnificencia y la eternidad de tales parajes olvidarme de mí mismo y de mis efímeras, por ser humanas, tristezas.
My wanderings were directed towards the valley of Chamounix.
Mis andanzas se dirigieron hacia el valle de Chamounix.
I had visited it frequently during my boyhood.
Lo había visitado con frecuencia durante mi infancia.
Six years had passed since then: _I_ was a wreck, but nought had changed in those savage and enduring scenes.
Habían pasado seis años desde entonces: _yo_ era un naufragio, pero nada había cambiado en aquellos salvajes y perennes paisajes.
I performed the first part of my journey on horseback.
Realicé la primera parte de mi viaje a caballo.
I afterwards hired a mule, as the more sure-footed and least liable to receive injury on these rugged roads.
Después alquilé una mula, por ser el animal de paso más seguro y el menos propenso a sufrir daños en estos caminos escarpados.
Vocabulary
- Incluso
- Even; used to emphasize inclusion of something unexpected
- mientras
- While; during the time that something happens
- ella
- She; third-person singular feminine pronoun
- hablaba
- She/he was speaking; imperfect tense of hablar
- me
- Me; first-person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- acerqué
- I approached; preterite of acercarse, to move closer
- como
- As, like; used for comparison or manner
- si
- If; conditional conjunction used in hypothetical clauses
- sintiera
- I/he felt; imperfect subjunctive of sentir
- terror
- Terror; extreme fear or dread
- ese
- That; demonstrative adjective for nearby objects
- preciso
- Precise, exact; describing something specific or necessary
- momento
- Moment; a brief, specific point in time
- destructor
- Destroyer; one who destroys or causes ruin
- hubiera
- Had; past subjunctive of haber, auxiliary verb
- estado
- Been; past participle of estar, to be
- cerca
- Near, close; indicating proximity in space or time
- para
- For, in order to; preposition of purpose or destination
- arrebatármela
- To snatch her away from me forcefully
- Así
- Thus, so; in this way or manner
- pues
- Well, then; conjunction indicating consequence or continuation
- ni
- Neither, nor; negative conjunction connecting elements
- ternura
- Tenderness; gentle affection or warmth toward someone
- amistad
- Friendship; a close, affectionate relationship between people
- belleza
- Beauty; the quality of being attractive or pleasing
- tierra
- Earth, land; the ground or a territory
- cielo
- Sky, heaven; the expanse above or paradise
- podían
- They could; imperfect of poder, to be able
- redimir
- To redeem; to save or free from suffering or sin
- alma
- Soul; the spiritual or emotional essence of a person
- dolor
- Pain, grief; physical or emotional suffering
- incluso
- Even; emphasizing the inclusion of something surprising
- acentos
- Accents, tones; vocal expressions conveying emotion
- amor
- Love; deep affection or romantic feeling
- resultaban
- They turned out to be; imperfect of resultar
- ineficaces
- Ineffective; not producing the desired result or effect
- Estaba
- I/he was; imperfect tense of estar, to be
- envuelto
- Wrapped, enveloped; surrounded or enclosed completely
- nube
- Cloud; a mass of vapor floating in the sky
- ninguna
- No, none; negative adjective or pronoun, feminine form
- influencia
- Influence; power to affect or shape outcomes
- benéfica
- Beneficial; producing good or helpful effects
- podía
- Could; imperfect of poder, to be able
- penetrar
- To penetrate; to pass through or enter something
- ciervo
- Deer, stag; a large antlered forest animal
- herido
- Wounded; injured by a weapon or blow
- arrastraba
- Dragged; imperfect of arrastrar, to drag along
- exhaustos
- Exhausted; completely drained of strength or energy
- miembros
- Limbs, members; body parts or group members
- hacia
- Toward; preposition indicating direction or movement
- algún
- Some; indefinite adjective indicating an unspecified thing
- matorral
- Thicket, scrubland; dense bushes or shrubs
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
- pisar
- To step on; to place one's foot on something
- contemplar
- To contemplate; to look at or think about carefully
- allí
- There; adverb indicating a place away from speaker
- flecha
- Arrow; a pointed projectile shot from a bow
- había
- Had; imperfect of haber, auxiliary verb
- atravesado
- Pierced, crossed; past participle of atravesar
- morir
- To die; to cease living
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser, to be
- sino
- But rather; conjunction correcting a negative statement
- reflejo
- Reflection; an image mirrored back or a reflex
- mismo
- Myself, same; emphasizing identity or similarity
- veces
- Times; occurrences, as in sometimes or at times
- hacer
- To do, to make; common action verb
- frente
- Front, face; to face or confront something directly
- sombría
- Gloomy, somber; dark and depressing in mood
- desesperación
- Despair; complete loss of hope or relief
- abrumaba
- Overwhelmed; imperfect of abrumar, to overwhelm
- pero
- But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- otras
- Others; referring to different or additional things
- turbulentas
- Turbulent; chaotic, agitated, or violently disturbed
- pasiones
- Passions; intense emotions or strong desires
- impulsaban
- Drove, urged; imperfect of impulsar, to impel
- buscar
- To search for; to look for something
- mediante
- By means of; through the use of something
- ejercicio
- Exercise; physical activity for health or relief
- físico
- Physical; relating to the body or material world
- cambio
- Change; an alteration or shift in condition
- lugar
- Place; a specific location or area
- alivio
- Relief; reduction or removal of pain or distress
- intolerables
- Intolerable; impossible to endure or bear
- sensaciones
- Sensations; feelings or impressions experienced physically
- Fue
- Was, went; preterite of ser or ir
- durante
- During; throughout the course of a time period
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
- accesos
- Fits, attacks; sudden episodes of strong emotion
- abandoné
- I abandoned; preterite of abandonar, to leave
- repentinamente
- Suddenly; happening without warning or expectation
- hogar
- Home; one's dwelling place or family residence
- dirigiendo
- Directing, heading; present participle of dirigir
- pasos
- Steps; footsteps or strides taken while walking
- cercanos
- Nearby, close; situated a short distance away
- valles
- Valleys; low areas between hills or mountains
- alpinos
- Alpine; relating to high mountain regions or Alps
- busqué
- I searched for; preterite of buscar
- magnificencia
- Magnificence; impressive grandeur or splendor
- eternidad
- Eternity; endless or infinite time
- tales
- Such; of that kind or nature
- parajes
- Places, spots; remote or specific locations
- olvidarme
- To forget myself; reflexive infinitive of olvidar
- efímeras
- Ephemeral; short-lived or transient in nature
- ser
- To be; also noun meaning a human or living being
- humanas
- Human; relating to people or human nature
- tristezas
- Sorrows, sadnesses; feelings of grief or melancholy
- andanzas
- Wanderings, adventures; journeys or roamings about
- dirigieron
- They headed toward; preterite of dirigirse
- valle
- Valley; a low-lying area between mountains
- visitado
- Visited; past participle of visitar, to visit
- frecuencia
- Frequency; how often something occurs
- infancia
- Childhood, infancy; the early years of life
- Habían
- They had; pluperfect auxiliary form of haber
- pasado
- Passed; past participle of pasar, also means past
- seis
- Six; the cardinal number 6
- años
- Years; units of time equal to twelve months
- desde
- Since, from; preposition indicating starting point in time
- entonces
- Then; at that time or in that case
- naufragio
- Shipwreck; ruin or disaster, literal or figurative
- nada
- Nothing; not anything at all
- cambiado
- Changed; past participle of cambiar, to change
- aquellos
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective for distant things
- salvajes
- Wild, savage; untamed natural or primitive in character
- perennes
- Perennial; lasting throughout the year or indefinitely
- paisajes
- Landscapes; scenic views of natural surroundings
- Realicé
- I made, carried out; preterite of realizar
- primera
- First; feminine ordinal number, indicating order
- parte
- Part; a portion or section of a whole
- viaje
- Journey, trip; travel from one place to another
- caballo
- Horse; a large domesticated animal used for riding
- Después
- Afterward, then; indicating what comes next in time
- alquilé
- I rented; preterite of alquilar, to rent or hire
- mula
- Mule; a hybrid animal between a horse and donkey
- animal
- Animal; a living creature, often non-human
- paso
- Step, pace; a movement of the foot or animal's gait
- más
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- seguro
- Safe, secure; free from danger or risk
- menos
- Less; comparative adverb indicating smaller degree
- propenso
- Prone, likely; inclined or susceptible to something
- sufrir
- To suffer; to experience pain or hardship
- daños
- Damages, harm; injuries or losses caused by something
- caminos
- Paths, roads; routes or ways used for travel
- escarpados
- Steep, rugged; sharply inclined or difficult terrain
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