Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 1
"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?
"¡Maldito, maldito creador! ¿Por qué viví? ¿Por qué, en ese instante, no extingué la chispa de existencia que tú habías otorgado tan caprichosamente?
I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge.
No lo sé; la desesperación aún no se había apoderado de mí; mis sentimientos eran de rabia y venganza.
I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.
Con placer habría destruido la cabaña y a sus habitantes y me habría saciado con sus gritos y su miseria.
"When night came I quitted my retreat and wandered in the wood; and now, no longer restrained by the fear of discovery, I gave vent to my anguish in fearful howlings.
"Cuando llegó la noche abandoné mi refugio y deambulé por el bosque; y ahora, sin estar ya contenido por el miedo a ser descubierto, di rienda suelta a mi angustia en espantosos aullidos.
I was like a wild beast that had broken the toils, destroying the objects that obstructed me and ranging through the wood with a stag-like swiftness.
Era como una bestia salvaje que había roto las redes, destruyendo los objetos que me obstruían y recorriendo el bosque con la velocidad de un ciervo.
Oh! What a miserable night I passed!
¡Oh! ¡Qué noche tan miserable pasé!
The cold stars shone in mockery, and the bare trees waved their branches above me; now and then the sweet voice of a bird burst forth amidst the universal stillness.
Las frías estrellas brillaban en burla, y los árboles desnudos agitaban sus ramas sobre mí; de vez en cuando la dulce voz de un pájaro irrumpía en medio del silencio universal.
All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment; I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me, and finding myself unsympathised with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin.
Todos, salvo yo, estaban en reposo o en gozo; yo, como el archidiablo, llevaba un infierno dentro de mí, y al encontrarme sin compasión de nadie, deseaba arrancar los árboles, sembrar el caos y la destrucción a mi alrededor, y luego haberme sentado a disfrutar de la ruina.
"But this was a luxury of sensation that could not endure; I became fatigued with excess of bodily exertion and sank on the damp grass in the sick impotence of despair.
"Pero esto era un lujo de sensación que no podía perdurar; me fatigué por el exceso de esfuerzo corporal y me hundí sobre la hierba húmeda en la enfermiza impotencia de la desesperación.
Vocabulary
- Maldito
- Cursed or damned; used as a strong insult.
- maldito
- Cursed or damned; used as a strong insult.
- creador
- Creator; one who brings something into existence.
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through.'
- qué
- Interrogative word meaning 'what' or 'why.'
- viví
- First person past tense of vivir; I lived.
- ese
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' nearby object.
- instante
- A moment or instant; a very brief period of time.
- extingué
- Past tense of extinguir; I extinguished or put out.
- chispa
- A spark; a small flash of fire or energy.
- existencia
- Existence; the state of being alive or real.
- habías
- Second person singular pluperfect of haber; you had.
- otorgado
- Past participle of otorgar; granted or bestowed upon someone.
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as' in comparisons.
- caprichosamente
- Capriciously; done on a whim without reason.
- sé
- First person singular of saber; I know.
- desesperación
- Desperation or despair; a feeling of complete hopelessness.
- aún
- Adverb meaning 'still' or 'yet' in a sentence.
- había
- Third person singular imperfect of haber; there was/had.
- apoderado
- Past participle of apoderarse; taken hold of or seized.
- sentimientos
- Feelings or emotions experienced by a person.
- eran
- Third person plural imperfect of ser; they were.
- rabia
- Rage or fury; an intense feeling of violent anger.
- venganza
- Vengeance or revenge; retaliation for a perceived wrong.
- placer
- Pleasure; a feeling of happiness or satisfaction.
- habría
- First person singular conditional of haber; I would have.
- destruido
- Past participle of destruir; destroyed or demolished completely.
- cabaña
- A cabin or hut; a small simple dwelling structure.
- habitantes
- Inhabitants; people who live in a particular place.
- saciado
- Past participle of saciar; satiated or fully satisfied.
- gritos
- Screams or shouts; loud cries expressing strong emotion.
- miseria
- Misery; extreme unhappiness or suffering of a person.
- Cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' introducing a time clause.
- llegó
- Third person singular preterite of llegar; he/she arrived.
- noche
- Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise.
- abandoné
- First person singular preterite of abandonar; I abandoned.
- refugio
- A refuge or shelter; a place offering protection or safety.
- deambulé
- First person singular preterite of deambular; I wandered aimlessly.
- por
- Preposition meaning 'through,' 'for,' 'by,' or 'along.'
- bosque
- A forest or woods; a large area of trees.
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now' referring to the present moment.
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without' indicating the absence of something.
- estar
- Infinitive of estar; to be (state or condition).
- ya
- Adverb meaning 'already,' 'now,' or 'no longer.'
- contenido
- Contained or restrained; held back from acting freely.
- miedo
- Fear; an unpleasant emotion caused by perceived danger.
- ser
- Infinitive of ser; to be (inherent or permanent quality).
- descubierto
- Past participle of descubrir; discovered or found out.
- di
- First person singular preterite of dar; I gave.
- rienda
- A rein; also used in 'dar rienda suelta' meaning free rein.
- suelta
- Loose or free; used in expression 'rienda suelta.'
- angustia
- Anguish or distress; intense emotional pain or suffering.
- espantosos
- Frightening or horrifying; causing fear or terror.
- aullidos
- Howls; loud, mournful cries of an animal or person.
- Era
- Third person singular imperfect of ser; he/she/it was.
- bestia
- A beast; a wild, savage, or brutish animal.
- salvaje
- Wild or savage; untamed, uncivilized, or ferocious.
- roto
- Past participle of romper; broken or torn apart.
- redes
- Nets or networks; mesh structures used for trapping.
- destruyendo
- Present participle of destruir; destroying or demolishing things.
- objetos
- Objects; physical things that can be seen and touched.
- obstruían
- Third person plural imperfect of obstruir; they obstructed or blocked.
- recorriendo
- Present participle of recorrer; traveling through or covering a distance.
- velocidad
- Speed or velocity; the rate at which something moves.
- ciervo
- A deer or stag; a large hoofed wild animal.
- Qué
- Exclamatory word meaning 'what' or 'how' in exclamations.
- miserable
- Miserable; extremely unhappy, wretched, or pitiable.
- pasé
- First person singular preterite of pasar; I spent time.
- frías
- Feminine plural of frío; cold, describing temperature or manner.
- estrellas
- Stars; luminous celestial bodies visible in the night sky.
- brillaban
- Third person plural imperfect of brillar; they were shining.
- burla
- Mockery or ridicule; making fun of someone or something.
- árboles
- Trees; large perennial plants with trunks and branches.
- desnudos
- Bare or naked; stripped of leaves or covering.
- agitaban
- Third person plural imperfect of agitar; they were shaking.
- ramas
- Branches; the limbs extending from a tree trunk.
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'over,' 'above,' or 'about.'
- vez
- Time or turn; used in expressions like 'de vez en cuando.'
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' introducing a time clause.
- dulce
- Sweet; pleasant to the taste or to the senses.
- voz
- Voice; the sound produced by a person or animal speaking.
- pájaro
- A bird; a feathered animal capable of flight.
- irrumpía
- Third person singular imperfect of irrumpir; was bursting in.
- medio
- Middle or midst; the central part of something.
- silencio
- Silence; the complete absence of sound or noise.
- universal
- Universal; relating to or affecting everyone or everything.
- Todos
- Everyone or all; referring to every person or thing.
- salvo
- Except or save; used to indicate an exclusion.
- estaban
- Third person plural imperfect of estar; they were.
- reposo
- Rest or repose; a state of calm relaxation.
- gozo
- Joy or delight; a feeling of great happiness.
- archidiablo
- Archdevil; a supreme or chief devil or demon.
- llevaba
- Third person singular imperfect of llevar; he/she was carrying.
- infierno
- Hell; the place of punishment for the wicked after death.
- dentro
- Adverb meaning 'inside' or 'within' a space.
- encontrarme
- Reflexive infinitive of encontrar; to find myself or meet.
- compasión
- Compassion; sympathy and concern for others' suffering.
- nadie
- Nobody or no one; not a single person.
- deseaba
- Third person singular imperfect of desear; he/she desired or wished.
- arrancar
- To uproot, tear out, or snatch away forcefully.
- sembrar
- To sow or plant seeds; to spread or scatter.
- caos
- Chaos; a state of complete disorder and confusion.
- destrucción
- Destruction; the act of causing irreparable damage or ruin.
- alrededor
- Around or surrounding; in the area nearby something.
- luego
- Adverb meaning 'then,' 'later,' or 'afterwards.'
- haberme
- Infinitive of haber with reflexive pronoun; having myself done.
- sentado
- Past participle of sentarse; seated or having sat down.
- disfrutar
- To enjoy; to take pleasure from something.
- ruina
- Ruin; the remains of something destroyed or deteriorated.
- era
- Third person singular imperfect of ser; it was.
- lujo
- Luxury; something expensive or indulgent beyond necessity.
- sensación
- Sensation or feeling; a physical or emotional experience.
- podía
- Third person singular imperfect of poder; he/she/it could.
- perdurar
- To endure or last; to continue existing over a long time.
- fatigué
- First person singular preterite of fatigar; I exhausted myself.
- exceso
- Excess; an amount beyond what is normal or necessary.
- esfuerzo
- Effort; energy or exertion applied to accomplish something.
- corporal
- Bodily or physical; relating to the body.
- hundí
- First person singular preterite of hundir; I sank or plunged.
- hierba
- Grass or herb; low-growing green plants covering the ground.
- húmeda
- Damp or moist; slightly wet with water or moisture.
- enfermiza
- Sickly or unhealthy; prone to illness or disease.
- impotencia
- Powerlessness or impotence; inability to take effective action.
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