Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 9
I heard of the difference of sexes, and the birth and growth of children, how the father doted on the smiles of the infant, and the lively sallies of the older child, how all the life and cares of the mother were wrapped up in the precious charge, how the mind of youth expanded and gained knowledge, of brother, sister, and all the various relationships which bind one human being to another in mutual bonds.
Oí hablar de la diferencia de los sexos, y del nacimiento y crecimiento de los niños, de cómo el padre se extasiaba ante las sonrisas del bebé y las vivaces ocurrencias del niño mayor, de cómo toda la vida y los desvelos de la madre estaban envueltos en esa preciosa responsabilidad, de cómo la mente de la juventud se expandía y adquiría conocimiento, de hermanos, hermanas y todas las diversas relaciones que unen a un ser humano con otro en lazos mutuos.
"But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing.
«Pero ¿dónde estaban mis amigos y familiares? Ningún padre había velado mis días de infancia, ninguna madre me había bendecido con sonrisas y caricias; o si lo habían hecho, toda mi vida pasada era ahora una mancha, un vacío ciego en el que no distinguía nada.
From my earliest remembrance I had been as I then was in height and proportion.
Desde mis recuerdos más tempranos había sido tal como era entonces en estatura y proporciones.
I had never yet seen a being resembling me or who claimed any intercourse with me.
Jamás había visto aún a un ser que se me pareciera o que reclamara trato alguno conmigo.
What was I? The question again recurred, to be answered only with groans.
¿Qué era yo? La pregunta volvía a surgir, para ser respondida únicamente con gemidos.
"I will soon explain to what these feelings tended, but allow me now to return to the cottagers, whose story excited in me such various feelings of indignation, delight, and wonder, but which all terminated in additional love and reverence for my protectors (for so I loved, in an innocent, half-painful self-deceit, to call them).
«Pronto explicaré a qué tendían estos sentimientos, pero permítame ahora volver a los lugareños, cuya historia despertó en mí tan variados sentimientos de indignación, deleite y asombro, pero que todos culminaron en un amor y una reverencia aún mayores hacia mis protectores (pues así me complacía llamarlos, en un inocente y a medias doloroso autoengaño).
Vocabulary
- Oí
- First person singular preterite of oír, meaning I heard
- hablar
- To speak or to talk
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- la
- Definite article, feminine singular, meaning the
- diferencia
- Difference or distinction between two things
- los
- Definite article, masculine plural, meaning the
- sexos
- Plural of sexo, meaning sexes or genders
- y
- Conjunction meaning and
- del
- Contraction of de and el, meaning of the
- nacimiento
- Birth or the moment of being born
- crecimiento
- Growth or the process of growing
- niños
- Children or young boys, plural of niño
- cómo
- How, used in questions or exclamations
- el
- Definite article, masculine singular, meaning the
- padre
- Father or male parent
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- extasiaba
- Was enraptured or filled with ecstasy
- ante
- Preposition meaning before or in the face of
- las
- Definite article, feminine plural, meaning the
- sonrisas
- Smiles, plural of sonrisa
- bebé
- Baby or infant
- vivaces
- Lively, vivacious, or spirited, plural adjective
- ocurrencias
- Witty remarks or clever ideas that come to mind
- niño
- Child or young boy
- mayor
- Older, greater, or eldest
- toda
- All or entire, feminine singular form
- vida
- Life or lifetime
- desvelos
- Sleepless nights or anxious worries and concerns
- madre
- Mother or female parent
- estaban
- They were, third person plural imperfect of estar
- envueltos
- Wrapped or enveloped in something
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- esa
- That, feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- preciosa
- Precious, beautiful, or highly valued
- responsabilidad
- Responsibility or duty one is accountable for
- mente
- Mind or the faculty of thinking
- juventud
- Youth or the period of being young
- expandía
- Was expanding or growing broader, imperfect tense
- adquiría
- Was acquiring or gaining, imperfect tense
- conocimiento
- Knowledge or understanding of something
- hermanos
- Brothers or siblings, plural of hermano
- hermanas
- Sisters, plural feminine of hermana
- todas
- All, feminine plural form of todo
- diversas
- Various or diverse, feminine plural adjective
- relaciones
- Relationships or connections between people
- que
- That, which, or who, relative pronoun or conjunction
- unen
- Unite or join, third person plural present tense
- a
- Preposition meaning to or at
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning a or an
- ser
- To be, or a being or creature
- humano
- Human or relating to people
- con
- Preposition meaning with
- otro
- Other or another, masculine singular
- lazos
- Bonds, ties, or links connecting people
- mutuos
- Mutual or reciprocal, masculine plural adjective
- Pero
- But, conjunction indicating contrast or opposition
- dónde
- Where, interrogative adverb asking about location
- mis
- My, first person plural possessive adjective
- amigos
- Friends, plural of amigo
- familiares
- Family members or relatives
- Ningún
- No or none, masculine singular negative adjective
- había
- Had, third person singular imperfect of haber
- velado
- Watched over or kept vigil, past participle
- días
- Days, plural of día
- infancia
- Infancy or early childhood
- ninguna
- None or no one, feminine singular negative pronoun
- me
- Me, first person singular object pronoun
- bendecido
- Blessed or favored, past participle of bendecir
- caricias
- Caresses or tender touches, plural of caricia
- o
- Or, conjunction presenting an alternative
- si
- If, conditional conjunction
- lo
- It or him, masculine singular direct object pronoun
- habían
- They had, third person plural pluperfect auxiliary
- hecho
- Done or made, past participle of hacer
- mi
- My, first person singular possessive adjective
- pasada
- Past or gone by, feminine singular adjective or noun
- era
- Was, third person singular imperfect of ser
- ahora
- Now or at this moment
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning a or an
- mancha
- Stain, spot, or blemish on a surface
- vacío
- Empty, void, or a feeling of emptiness
- ciego
- Blind or unable to see
- no
- No or not, negation word
- distinguía
- Could distinguish or differentiate, imperfect tense
- nada
- Nothing or not anything
- Desde
- Since or from, preposition indicating starting point
- recuerdos
- Memories or recollections of past events
- más
- More or most, comparative adverb
- tempranos
- Early or earliest, masculine plural adjective
- sido
- Been, past participle of ser
- tal
- Such, so, or just as
- como
- As, like, or how, comparison conjunction
- entonces
- Then or at that time
- estatura
- Height or stature of a person
- proporciones
- Proportions or dimensions of a body or object
- Jamás
- Never or not ever, emphatic negative adverb
- visto
- Seen, past participle of ver
- aún
- Still, yet, or even, adverb
- pareciera
- Seemed or appeared, imperfect subjunctive of parecer
- reclamara
- Claimed or demanded, imperfect subjunctive of reclamar
- trato
- Treatment or dealings with someone
- alguno
- Some or any, masculine singular indefinite pronoun
- conmigo
- With me, first person singular prepositional pronoun
- Qué
- What, interrogative pronoun or exclamation
- yo
- I, first person singular subject pronoun
- La
- Definite article, feminine singular, meaning the
- pregunta
- Question or inquiry
- volvía
- Returned or came back, imperfect tense of volver
- surgir
- To arise or emerge suddenly
- para
- For, in order to, or by, preposition
- respondida
- Answered or responded to, feminine past participle
- únicamente
- Only or solely, adverb meaning exclusively
- gemidos
- Moans or groans, plural of gemido
- Pronto
- Soon or quickly
- explicaré
- I will explain, first person future of explicar
- qué
- What, interrogative pronoun in indirect questions
- tendían
- Tended toward or inclined to, imperfect tense
- estos
- These, masculine plural demonstrative adjective
- sentimientos
- Feelings or emotions, plural of sentimiento
- pero
- But, conjunction showing contrast
- permítame
- Allow me or let me, formal imperative with pronoun
- volver
- To return or go back to something
- lugareños
- Villagers or locals from a specific place
- cuya
- Whose, feminine singular relative possessive pronoun
- historia
- History or story of events
- despertó
- Awakened or stirred, third person preterite of despertar
- mí
- Me, first person singular stressed object pronoun
- tan
- So or such, adverb of degree
- variados
- Varied or diverse, masculine plural adjective
- indignación
- Indignation or strong moral anger
- deleite
- Delight or great pleasure
- asombro
- Astonishment or amazement
- todos
- All or everyone, masculine plural pronoun
- culminaron
- Culminated or reached a peak, third person preterite
- amor
- Love or deep affection
- reverencia
- Reverence or deep respect and admiration
- mayores
- Elders or older people, plural of mayor
- hacia
- Toward or in the direction of
- protectores
- Protectors or guardians, plural of protector
- pues
- Well, since, or because, discourse connector
- así
- Thus, so, or in this way
- complacía
- Pleased or took pleasure in, imperfect tense
- llamarlos
- To call them, infinitive with direct object pronoun
- inocente
- Innocent or naive, lacking guilt or knowledge
- medias
- Half or partial, feminine plural adjective
- doloroso
- Painful or causing pain or sorrow
- autoengaño
- Self-deception or fooling oneself
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