Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 5
The sea, or rather the vast river of ice, wound among its dependent mountains, whose aerial summits hung over its recesses.
El mar, o más bien el vasto río de hielo, serpenteaba entre sus montañas circundantes, cuyos cumbres aéreas se cernían sobre sus hondonadas.
Their icy and glittering peaks shone in the sunlight over the clouds.
Sus cimas heladas y relucientes brillaban a la luz del sol por encima de las nubes.
My heart, which was before sorrowful, now swelled with something like joy; I exclaimed, "Wandering spirits, if indeed ye wander, and do not rest in your narrow beds, allow me this faint happiness, or take me, as your companion, away from the joys of life."
Mi corazón, que antes estaba lleno de tristeza, se inflamó ahora con algo parecido a la alegría; exclamé: «Espíritus errantes, si en verdad vagáis y no reposáis en vuestros estrechos lechos, concededme esta tenue felicidad, o llevadme, como compañero vuestro, lejos de los goces de la vida».
As I said this I suddenly beheld the figure of a man, at some distance, advancing towards me with superhuman speed.
Mientras decía esto, divisé de repente la figura de un hombre, a cierta distancia, que avanzaba hacia mí con una velocidad sobrehumana.
He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked with caution; his stature, also, as he approached, seemed to exceed that of man.
Saltaba por encima de las grietas del hielo, entre las cuales yo había caminado con cautela; su estatura, además, a medida que se acercaba, parecía superar la del hombre.
I was troubled; a mist came over my eyes, and I felt a faintness seize me, but I was quickly restored by the cold gale of the mountains.
Me turbé; una neblina cubrió mis ojos y sentí que el desmayo se apoderaba de mí, pero pronto me repuse gracias al frío viento de las montañas.
I perceived, as the shape came nearer (sight tremendous and abhorred!) that it was the wretch whom I had created.
Percibí, a medida que la figura se acercaba (¡visión tremenda y aborrecible!), que era el desgraciado al que yo había creado.
I trembled with rage and horror, resolving to wait his approach and then close with him in mortal combat.
Temblé de rabia y horror, decidido a esperar su llegada y luego trabar con él un combate mortal.
He approached; his countenance bespoke bitter anguish, combined with disdain and malignity, while its unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too horrible for human eyes.
Se acercó; su semblante denotaba una amarga angustia, combinada con desdén y malignidad, mientras que su fealdad sobrenatural lo hacía casi demasiado horrible para los ojos humanos.
But I scarcely observed this; rage and hatred had at first deprived me of utterance, and I recovered only to overwhelm him with words expressive of furious detestation and contempt.
Pero apenas reparé en ello; la rabia y el odio me habían privado al principio de la palabra, y recobré el habla únicamente para abrumarlo con palabras expresivas de furiosa detestación y desprecio.
Vocabulary
- mar
- Large body of saltwater; the sea or ocean.
- más
- Means 'more' or 'but,' indicating addition or contrast.
- bien
- Means 'well' or 'good'; used in many expressions.
- vasto
- Adjective meaning vast, immense, or very large.
- río
- A natural flowing watercourse; a river.
- hielo
- Frozen water; ice.
- serpenteaba
- Moved in a winding, snake-like path; meandered.
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among.'
- montañas
- Large natural elevations of land; mountains.
- circundantes
- Adjective meaning surrounding or encircling something nearby.
- cuyos
- Relative possessive pronoun meaning 'whose' (masculine plural).
- cumbres
- The highest points of mountains; summits or peaks.
- aéreas
- Adjective meaning aerial, lofty, or high in the air.
- cernían
- Loomed or hovered threateningly over something below.
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'over,' 'above,' or 'on top of.'
- hondonadas
- Low-lying depressions or hollows in the landscape.
- cimas
- The topmost points of mountains or hills; peaks.
- heladas
- Adjective meaning frozen, icy, or extremely cold.
- relucientes
- Adjective meaning gleaming, shining, or sparkling brightly.
- brillaban
- Past tense of brillar; they shone or glittered.
- luz
- Electromagnetic radiation visible to the eye; light.
- sol
- The star at the center of our solar system; sun.
- encima
- Adverb/preposition meaning above, on top, or overhead.
- nubes
- Masses of condensed water vapor floating in the sky.
- corazón
- The organ that pumps blood; also meaning heart emotionally.
- antes
- Adverb meaning 'before' or 'previously' in time.
- lleno
- Adjective meaning full, filled, or complete with something.
- tristeza
- Emotional state of sadness, sorrow, or melancholy.
- inflamó
- Ignited or inflamed with intense passion or emotion.
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment.'
- algo
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'something' or 'somewhat.'
- parecido
- Adjective or past participle meaning similar or resembling something.
- alegría
- Feeling of great happiness, joy, or cheerfulness.
- exclamé
- First-person past tense of exclamar; I exclaimed or cried out.
- Espíritus
- Supernatural or incorporeal beings; spirits or souls.
- errantes
- Adjective meaning wandering, roaming, or drifting without direction.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if,' introducing a conditional clause.
- verdad
- Noun meaning truth, reality, or something genuinely true.
- vagáis
- Second-person plural of vagar; you (all) wander or roam.
- reposáis
- Second-person plural of reposar; you (all) rest or repose.
- vuestros
- Second-person plural possessive adjective meaning 'your' (plural).
- estrechos
- Adjective meaning narrow, tight, or confined in space.
- lechos
- Beds or resting places, often referring to graves or riverbeds.
- concededme
- Imperative form of conceder; grant or bestow something to me.
- tenue
- Adjective meaning faint, slight, or delicate in quality.
- felicidad
- State of being happy; happiness or well-being.
- llevadme
- Imperative of llevar; take or carry me somewhere.
- compañero
- A companion, partner, or fellow traveler in an activity.
- vuestro
- Second-person plural possessive adjective meaning 'your' (singular).
- lejos
- Adverb meaning far away or at a great distance.
- goces
- Pleasures, joys, or delights experienced by a person.
- vida
- The condition of living; life or one's existence.
- Mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'as long as.'
- divisé
- First-person past tense of divisar; I spotted or made out.
- repente
- Used in 'de repente,' meaning suddenly or all at once.
- figura
- The shape or outline of a person or object; figure.
- hombre
- An adult male human being; a man.
- cierta
- Feminine adjective meaning a certain, specific, or sure thing.
- distancia
- The amount of space between two points; distance.
- avanzaba
- Imperfect of avanzar; was advancing or moving forward steadily.
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of.'
- velocidad
- The rate of motion or speed of a moving object.
- sobrehumana
- Adjective meaning beyond human capability; superhuman or extraordinary.
- Saltaba
- Imperfect of saltar; was jumping or leaping over obstacles.
- grietas
- Cracks, crevices, or fissures in a surface or structure.
- cuales
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom' (plural).
- caminado
- Past participle of caminar; walked or traveled on foot.
- cautela
- Careful caution or wariness in action or judgment.
- estatura
- The natural height of a person standing upright.
- además
- Adverb meaning furthermore, moreover, or in addition.
- medida
- As used here: 'a medida que' means 'as' or 'as soon as.'
- acercaba
- Imperfect of acercarse; was approaching or drawing near.
- parecía
- Imperfect of parecer; seemed or appeared to be something.
- superar
- To surpass, exceed, or go beyond a limit or measure.
- turbé
- First-person preterite of turbar; I became disturbed or unsettled.
- neblina
- Light mist or haze that reduces visibility; fog.
- cubrió
- Preterite of cubrir; covered or enveloped something completely.
- ojos
- The organs of sight; eyes.
- sentí
- First-person preterite of sentir; I felt or perceived something.
- desmayo
- A sudden loss of consciousness; fainting or a faint.
- apoderaba
- Imperfect of apoderarse; was taking hold of or seizing.
- pronto
- Adverb meaning soon, quickly, or promptly in time.
- repuse
- First-person preterite of reponerse; I recovered or pulled myself together.
- gracias
- Expression of gratitude; thanks; 'gracias a' means thanks to.
- frío
- Adjective or noun meaning cold or low in temperature.
- viento
- Movement of air; wind.
- Percibí
- First-person preterite of percibir; I perceived or became aware.
- visión
- Something seen or perceived, especially a striking sight.
- tremenda
- Adjective meaning tremendous, dreadful, or causing great fear.
- aborrecible
- Adjective meaning hateful, detestable, or worthy of strong aversion.
- desgraciado
- Wretched, unfortunate, or miserable person; wretch.
- creado
- Past participle of crear; created or brought into existence.
- Temblé
- First-person preterite of temblar; I trembled or shook with fear.
- rabia
- Intense anger or fury; rage.
- horror
- Intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
- decidido
- Past participle of decidir; determined or resolved to do something.
- esperar
- To wait for or to hope for something to occur.
- llegada
- The act of arriving; arrival at a destination or place.
- luego
- Adverb meaning 'then,' 'later,' or 'afterwards.'
- trabar
- To join, engage in, or enter into a struggle or conflict.
- combate
- A fight, battle, or armed conflict between opponents.
- mortal
- Adjective meaning deadly, fatal, or causing death.
- acercó
- Preterite of acercarse; approached or came near to something.
- semblante
- The expression or appearance of a person's face; countenance.
- denotaba
- Imperfect of denotar; denoted or indicated a quality or state.
- amarga
- Adjective meaning bitter, harsh, or causing great pain.
- angustia
- Deep emotional suffering, anguish, or acute distress.
- combinada
- Past participle of combinar; combined or blended with something else.
- desdén
- A feeling of contempt or scornful disregard for others.
- malignidad
- Intense evil, malice, or desire to harm others.
- mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'whereas' in contrasting ideas.
- fealdad
- The quality of being ugly or physically unpleasant in appearance.
- sobrenatural
- Adjective meaning beyond natural explanation; supernatural or paranormal.
- casi
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly,' but not completely.
- demasiado
- Adverb or adjective meaning too much or excessively so.
- horrible
- Adjective meaning causing horror or extreme unpleasantness.
- humanos
- Relating to human beings; people or human creatures.
- apenas
- Adverb meaning 'hardly,' 'scarcely,' or 'as soon as.'
- reparé
- First-person preterite of reparar; I noticed or paid attention.
- ello
- Neuter third-person pronoun meaning 'it' (referring to an idea).
- odio
- Intense dislike or hatred directed toward someone or something.
- privado
- Past participle of privar; deprived or stripped of something.
- principio
- The beginning or start of something; also a principle or rule.
- palabra
- A unit of language expressing a meaning; a word or speech.
- recobré
- First-person preterite of recobrar; I recovered or regained something lost.
- habla
- Speech, the ability to speak, or language use.
- únicamente
- Adverb meaning only, solely, or exclusively.
- abrumarlo
- To overwhelm or crush him with something burdensome or intense.
- palabras
- Plural of palabra; words or spoken expressions.
- expresivas
- Adjective meaning expressive, conveying strong feelings or meanings.
- furiosa
- Adjective meaning furious, enraged, or intensely angry.
- detestación
- Strong hatred or intense loathing of a person or thing.
- desprecio
- A feeling of contempt or disdain toward someone considered inferior.
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