Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 1
London was our present point of rest; we determined to remain several months in this wonderful and celebrated city.
Londres era nuestro punto de descanso actual; decidimos permanecer varios meses en esta maravillosa y célebre ciudad.
Clerval desired the intercourse of the men of genius and talent who flourished at this time, but this was with me a secondary object; I was principally occupied with the means of obtaining the information necessary for the completion of my promise and quickly availed myself of the letters of introduction that I had brought with me, addressed to the most distinguished natural philosophers.
Clerval deseaba el trato con los hombres de genio y talento que florecían en aquella época, pero esto era para mí un objetivo secundario; me ocupaba principalmente de los medios para obtener la información necesaria para el cumplimiento de mi promesa y rápidamente me valí de las cartas de presentación que había traído conmigo, dirigidas a los más distinguidos filósofos naturales.
If this journey had taken place during my days of study and happiness, it would have afforded me inexpressible pleasure.
Si este viaje hubiera tenido lugar durante mis días de estudio y felicidad, me habría proporcionado un placer indescriptible.
But a blight had come over my existence, and I only visited these people for the sake of the information they might give me on the subject in which my interest was so terribly profound.
Pero una plaga se había apoderado de mi existencia, y solo visitaba a estas personas por la información que pudieran darme sobre el asunto en el que mi interés era tan terriblemente profundo.
Company was irksome to me; when alone, I could fill my mind with the sights of heaven and earth; the voice of Henry soothed me, and I could thus cheat myself into a transitory peace.
La compañía me resultaba tediosa; cuando estaba solo, podía llenar mi mente con las visiones del cielo y la tierra; la voz de Henry me calmaba, y así podía engañarme a mí mismo con una paz transitoria.
But busy, uninteresting, joyous faces brought back despair to my heart.
Pero los rostros ocupados, anodinos y alegres devolvían la desesperación a mi corazón.
I saw an insurmountable barrier placed between me and my fellow men; this barrier was sealed with the blood of William and Justine, and to reflect on the events connected with those names filled my soul with anguish.
Veía una barrera infranqueable colocada entre mis semejantes y yo; esta barrera estaba sellada con la sangre de William y Justine, y reflexionar sobre los acontecimientos relacionados con esos nombres llenaba mi alma de angustia.
But in Clerval I saw the image of my former self; he was inquisitive and anxious to gain experience and instruction.
Pero en Clerval veía la imagen de mi antiguo yo; era curioso y ansioso por adquirir experiencia e instrucción.
Vocabulary
- Londres
- Capital city of England and the United Kingdom
- era
- Was; past tense of 'ser' (to be)
- nuestro
- Our; first-person plural possessive adjective
- punto
- Point, spot, or period mark
- descanso
- Rest, break, pause from activity
- actual
- Current, present-day (false cognate with 'actual')
- decidimos
- We decided; first-person plural preterite of decidir
- permanecer
- To remain, stay, continue in a place
- varios
- Several, various, a number of
- meses
- Months; plural of mes
- esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- maravillosa
- Wonderful, marvelous, astonishing, magnificent
- célebre
- Famous, renowned, celebrated, well-known
- ciudad
- City, large urban settlement
- deseaba
- Wanted, desired, wished for something
- trato
- Interaction, dealings, contact with others
- hombres
- Men; plural of hombre
- genio
- Genius, exceptional intellectual talent or ability
- talento
- Talent, natural ability or skill
- florecían
- Were flourishing, thriving, blossoming at the time
- aquella
- That (over there); feminine demonstrative adjective
- época
- Era, period, age, time in history
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- esto
- This; neuter demonstrative pronoun
- para
- For, in order to; purpose preposition
- mí
- Me; first-person singular pronoun after preposition
- objetivo
- Objective, goal, aim, purpose
- secundario
- Secondary, lesser in importance or priority
- ocupaba
- Occupied, kept busy; imperfect of ocupar
- principalmente
- Mainly, primarily, above all else
- medios
- Means, ways, methods to achieve something
- obtener
- To obtain, get, acquire something
- información
- Information, data, knowledge about something
- necesaria
- Necessary, required, essential, needed
- cumplimiento
- Fulfillment, compliance, carrying out of obligation
- mi
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- promesa
- Promise, commitment made to someone
- rápidamente
- Quickly, rapidly, in a fast manner
- valí
- I made use of, availed myself of
- cartas
- Letters; written correspondence sent to someone
- presentación
- Introduction, presentation, letter of introduction
- había
- Had; imperfect of haber used as auxiliary
- traído
- Brought; past participle of traer
- conmigo
- With me; contraction of con and mí
- dirigidas
- Addressed, directed toward someone or somewhere
- más
- More, most; comparative and superlative adverb
- distinguidos
- Distinguished, eminent, respected, notable people
- filósofos
- Philosophers; thinkers who study fundamental questions
- naturales
- Natural; here referring to natural philosophers (scientists)
- Si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing hypothetical clause
- este
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- viaje
- Trip, journey, travel from one place to another
- hubiera
- Had (subjunctive); past subjunctive of haber
- tenido
- Had; past participle of tener
- lugar
- Place, location; also used in tener lugar (to take place)
- durante
- During, throughout a period of time
- mis
- My; first-person plural possessive adjective
- días
- Days; plural of día
- estudio
- Study, learning, academic pursuit
- felicidad
- Happiness, joy, contentment, well-being
- habría
- Would have; conditional of haber
- proporcionado
- Provided, afforded, supplied; past participle of proporcionar
- placer
- Pleasure, delight, enjoyment
- indescriptible
- Indescribable, impossible to put into words
- plaga
- Plague, blight, affliction, curse
- apoderado
- Taken hold of, seized control; past participle of apoderarse
- existencia
- Existence, life, being alive
- solo
- Only, alone, solely, just
- visitaba
- Visited; imperfect tense of visitar
- estas
- These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- personas
- People, persons, individuals
- por
- For, by, through; multifunctional preposition
- pudieran
- Could, might be able to; past subjunctive of poder
- darme
- To give me; infinitive dar with indirect object pronoun
- sobre
- About, on, over; preposition of topic or position
- asunto
- Matter, subject, affair, issue at hand
- interés
- Interest, concern, importance, relevance
- tan
- So, such, as; adverb of degree
- terriblemente
- Terribly, dreadfully, in a frightening manner
- profundo
- Deep, profound, intense
- compañía
- Company, companionship, being with others
- resultaba
- Turned out to be, resulted in; imperfect of resultar
- tediosa
- Tedious, boring, tiresome, dull
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction or adverb
- estaba
- Was; imperfect tense of estar
- podía
- Could, was able to; imperfect of poder
- llenar
- To fill, fill up completely
- mente
- Mind, intellect, mental faculty
- visiones
- Visions, mental images, apparitions
- cielo
- Sky, heaven, firmament above
- tierra
- Earth, ground, land, soil
- voz
- Voice, spoken sound of a person
- calmaba
- Calmed, soothed; imperfect tense of calmar
- así
- Like this, thus, in this way
- engañarme
- To deceive myself; infinitive with reflexive pronoun
- mismo
- Same, myself; used for emphasis or reflexivity
- paz
- Peace, calm, tranquility
- transitoria
- Transitory, temporary, fleeting, passing
- rostros
- Faces, countenances; plural of rostro
- ocupados
- Busy, occupied, engaged in activity
- anodinos
- Bland, dull, unremarkable, inoffensive
- alegres
- Cheerful, happy, joyful, merry
- devolvían
- Returned, gave back; imperfect of devolver
- desesperación
- Despair, hopelessness, utter loss of hope
- corazón
- Heart; center of emotion and feeling
- Veía
- Saw, could see; imperfect tense of ver
- barrera
- Barrier, obstacle, wall separating things
- infranqueable
- Insurmountable, impassable, impossible to cross
- colocada
- Placed, positioned, set; past participle of colocar
- entre
- Between, among; preposition of relative position
- semejantes
- Fellow human beings, peers, those like oneself
- sellada
- Sealed, stamped, closed permanently
- sangre
- Blood; the fluid circulating in the body
- reflexionar
- To reflect, think deeply about something
- acontecimientos
- Events, happenings, occurrences of significance
- relacionados
- Related, connected, associated with something
- esos
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
- nombres
- Names; plural of nombre
- llenaba
- Filled; imperfect tense of llenar
- alma
- Soul, spirit, innermost self
- angustia
- Anguish, distress, deep emotional suffering
- veía
- Saw; imperfect tense of ver
- imagen
- Image, picture, mental representation
- antiguo
- Old, ancient, former, of past times
- curioso
- Curious, inquisitive, eager to know things
- ansioso
- Anxious, eager, keen, desperately wanting something
- adquirir
- To acquire, gain, obtain knowledge or things
- experiencia
- Experience, practical knowledge gained through living
- e
- And; variant of 'y' used before i- or hi-
- instrucción
- Instruction, education, teaching, learning
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →