Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 12
I found that the wind was northeast and must have driven me far from the coast from which I had embarked.
Descubrí que el viento soplaba del noreste y debía haberme arrastrado lejos de la costa desde la que había zarpado.
I endeavoured to change my course but quickly found that if I again made the attempt the boat would be instantly filled with water.
Intenté cambiar mi rumbo, pero pronto comprendí que si lo intentaba de nuevo la barca se llenaría de agua al instante.
Thus situated, my only resource was to drive before the wind.
En tal situación, mi único recurso era dejarme llevar por el viento.
I confess that I felt a few sensations of terror.
Confieso que sentí algunas sensaciones de terror.
I had no compass with me and was so slenderly acquainted with the geography of this part of the world that the sun was of little benefit to me.
No llevaba brújula conmigo y conocía tan poco la geografía de esta parte del mundo que el sol me resultaba de escasa utilidad.
I might be driven into the wide Atlantic and feel all the tortures of starvation or be swallowed up in the immeasurable waters that roared and buffeted around me.
Podría ser arrastrado hasta el vasto Atlántico y sufrir todas las torturas del hambre o ser engullido por las inconmensurables aguas que rugían y me azotaban por doquier.
I had already been out many hours and felt the torment of a burning thirst, a prelude to my other sufferings.
Llevaba ya muchas horas en el mar y sentía el tormento de una sed ardiente, preludio de mis demás padecimientos.
I looked on the heavens, which were covered by clouds that flew before the wind, only to be replaced by others; I looked upon the sea; it was to be my grave.
Miré al cielo, cubierto por nubes que el viento empujaba solo para ser reemplazadas por otras; miré el mar; habría de ser mi tumba.
"Fiend," I exclaimed, "your task is already fulfilled!"
«¡Demonio!», exclamé, «¡tu obra está ya consumada!»
I thought of Elizabeth, of my father, and of Clerval—all left behind, on whom the monster might satisfy his sanguinary and merciless passions.
Pensé en Elizabeth, en mi padre y en Clerval, todos ellos abandonados a su suerte, sobre quienes el monstruo podría saciar sus sanguinarias y despiadadas pasiones.
This idea plunged me into a reverie so despairing and frightful that even now, when the scene is on the point of closing before me for ever, I shudder to reflect on it.
Esta idea me sumió en un ensimismamiento tan desesperado y aterrador que incluso ahora, cuando el telón está a punto de caer ante mí para siempre, me estremezco al evocarlo.
Vocabulary
- Descubrí
- I discovered or found out something new
- que
- conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'
- el
- definite article 'the' for masculine nouns
- viento
- wind, moving air outdoors
- soplaba
- was blowing, said of wind
- del
- contraction of 'de el', meaning 'of the'
- noreste
- northeast, a compass direction
- y
- conjunction meaning 'and'
- debía
- must have, was obligated or supposed to
- haberme
- to have me or to have myself
- arrastrado
- dragged or swept along by a force
- lejos
- far away, at a great distance
- de
- preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'
- la
- definite article 'the' for feminine nouns
- costa
- coast, shoreline where land meets sea
- desde
- preposition meaning 'since' or 'from'
- había
- had, past auxiliary verb form of haber
- zarpado
- set sail, departed from port by boat
- Intenté
- I tried or attempted to do something
- cambiar
- to change or alter something
- mi
- possessive pronoun meaning 'my'
- rumbo
- heading or course of direction for travel
- pero
- conjunction meaning 'but'
- pronto
- soon, quickly, or shortly afterward
- comprendí
- I understood or realized something
- si
- conjunction meaning 'if' in conditional clauses
- lo
- direct object pronoun meaning 'it' or 'him'
- intentaba
- was trying or attempting repeatedly
- nuevo
- new or again; de nuevo means 'again'
- barca
- small boat used for water travel
- se
- reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- llenaría
- would fill up, become full of something
- agua
- water, the liquid essential for life
- al
- contraction of 'a el', meaning 'to the'
- instante
- instant, a very brief moment in time
- En
- preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- tal
- such, of that kind or degree
- situación
- situation, a set of circumstances one faces
- único
- only or unique, the sole option available
- recurso
- resource or recourse, available means or option
- era
- was, past tense of 'ser' (to be)
- dejarme
- to let myself or allow myself to go
- llevar
- to carry, take, or be carried along
- por
- preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'for'
- Confieso
- I confess or admit something honestly
- sentí
- I felt an emotion or physical sensation
- algunas
- some, a few of a feminine plural noun
- sensaciones
- sensations, feelings perceived physically or emotionally
- terror
- terror, extreme fear or dread
- No
- no or not, expressing negation
- llevaba
- was carrying or had with me
- brújula
- compass, tool for finding direction
- conmigo
- with me, accompanying the speaker
- conocía
- knew or was familiar with something
- tan
- so or as, used in comparisons
- poco
- little, a small amount of something
- geografía
- geography, study of land and regions
- esta
- this, demonstrative adjective for feminine nouns
- parte
- part or region of a larger area
- mundo
- world, the entire earth or a region
- sol
- sun, the star at center of solar system
- me
- me, first person singular object pronoun
- resultaba
- turned out to be, proved to be something
- escasa
- scarce or limited, of little availability
- utilidad
- usefulness, the quality of being useful
- Podría
- could or might, conditional form of poder
- ser
- to be, fundamental Spanish verb of existence
- hasta
- until, up to, or even; preposition of limit
- vasto
- vast, extremely large or expansive in size
- sufrir
- to suffer or endure pain and hardship
- todas
- all, every one of a feminine plural group
- las
- definite article 'the' for feminine plural nouns
- torturas
- tortures, acts of inflicting severe pain
- hambre
- hunger, the discomfort of needing food
- o
- conjunction meaning 'or', offering an alternative
- engullido
- swallowed up or devoured completely
- aguas
- waters, bodies or expanses of water
- rugían
- roared, made a loud thundering sound
- azotaban
- lashed or whipped violently against something
- Llevaba
- I had been, carrying or spending time
- ya
- already or now, indicating prior completion
- muchas
- many, a large number of feminine nouns
- horas
- hours, units of time equal to 60 minutes
- en
- preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at'
- mar
- sea, large body of saltwater
- sentía
- was feeling or experiencing an ongoing sensation
- tormento
- torment, intense physical or mental suffering
- una
- indefinite article 'a' or 'an' for feminine nouns
- sed
- thirst, the need or desire to drink
- ardiente
- burning or ardent, intensely hot or passionate
- preludio
- prelude, an introduction foreshadowing what follows
- mis
- my, possessive adjective for plural nouns
- demás
- other, the rest of a group or things
- padecimientos
- sufferings or ailments endured over time
- Miré
- I looked at or gazed toward something
- cielo
- sky or heaven, the expanse above the earth
- cubierto
- covered or overcast, hidden beneath something
- nubes
- clouds, formations of water vapor in sky
- empujaba
- was pushing or driving something forward
- solo
- only or alone, without others present
- para
- preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to'
- reemplazadas
- replaced, substituted by something else
- otras
- others, different or additional feminine nouns
- habría
- would have, conditional form of haber
- tumba
- tomb or grave, a burial place
- Demonio
- demon or devil, an evil supernatural being
- exclamé
- I exclaimed, cried out with strong emotion
- tu
- your, second person singular possessive adjective
- obra
- work or deed, something created or done
- está
- is, third person singular present of estar
- consumada
- accomplished or completed, brought to full conclusion
- Pensé
- I thought about or considered something carefully
- padre
- father, a male parent
- todos
- all or everyone, every member of a group
- ellos
- they, third person plural masculine pronoun
- abandonados
- abandoned, left behind without care or protection
- a
- preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'toward'
- su
- his, her, their, or your possessive adjective
- suerte
- fate, luck, or fortune one experiences
- sobre
- about, over, or on top of something
- quienes
- who, relative pronoun for people
- monstruo
- monster, a frightening or horrifying creature
- podría
- could or might, conditional form of poder
- saciar
- to satiate or satisfy a desire fully
- sus
- his, her, their possessive adjective plural form
- despiadadas
- merciless, showing no pity or compassion
- pasiones
- passions, strong intense feelings or desires
- Esta
- this, demonstrative adjective for feminine singular
- idea
- idea or thought, a concept formed mentally
- sumió
- plunged or sank into a state
- un
- indefinite article 'a' for masculine singular nouns
- desesperado
- desperate, feeling or showing utter hopelessness
- aterrador
- terrifying, causing great fear or dread
- incluso
- even, including something unexpected or extreme
- ahora
- now, at the present moment in time
- cuando
- when, at the time that something happens
- telón
- curtain, the large stage curtain in theater
- punto
- point or moment; a punto de means 'about to'
- caer
- to fall or drop downward
- ante
- before or in front of something or someone
- mí
- me, first person singular pronoun after preposition
- siempre
- always, at all times without exception
- estremezco
- I shudder or tremble with fear or emotion
- evocarlo
- to evoke or recall it, bring it to mind
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