Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 14
As I turned the promontory I perceived a small neat town and a good harbour, which I entered, my heart bounding with joy at my unexpected escape.
Al doblar el promontorio divisé una pequeña y pulcra ciudad y un buen puerto, en el que entré con el corazón desbordante de alegría por mi inesperada huida.
As I was occupied in fixing the boat and arranging the sails, several people crowded towards the spot.
Mientras me ocupaba en amarrar el bote y arreglar las velas, varias personas se agolparon hacia el lugar.
They seemed much surprised at my appearance, but instead of offering me any assistance, whispered together with gestures that at any other time might have produced in me a slight sensation of alarm.
Parecían muy sorprendidos por mi aspecto, pero en lugar de ofrecerme ayuda, cuchicheaban entre sí con gestos que en cualquier otro momento podrían haberme producido una ligera sensación de alarma.
As it was, I merely remarked that they spoke English, and I therefore addressed them in that language.
Tal como estaban las cosas, me limité a observar que hablaban inglés, y por ello me dirigí a ellos en ese idioma.
"My good friends," said I, "will you be so kind as to tell me the name of this town and inform me where I am?"
«Mis buenos amigos», dije, «¿serían tan amables de decirme el nombre de esta ciudad e indicarme dónde me encuentro?»
"You will know that soon enough," replied a man with a hoarse voice.
«Lo sabrá bien pronto», respondió un hombre con voz ronca.
"Maybe you are come to a place that will not prove much to your taste, but you will not be consulted as to your quarters, I promise you."
«Quizás haya llegado a un lugar que no será muy de su agrado, pero no se le consultará sobre su alojamiento, se lo prometo.»
I was exceedingly surprised on receiving so rude an answer from a stranger, and I was also disconcerted on perceiving the frowning and angry countenances of his companions.
Me sorprendí sobremanera al recibir una respuesta tan grosera de un desconocido, y también me desconcerté al percibir los semblantes ceñudos y airados de sus compañeros.
"Why do you answer me so roughly?" I replied.
«¿Por qué me responde con tanta brusquedad?», repliqué.
"Surely it is not the custom of Englishmen to receive strangers so inhospitably."
«Seguramente no es costumbre de los ingleses recibir a los forasteros de manera tan inhospitalaria.»
"I do not know," said the man, "what the custom of the English may be, but it is the custom of the Irish to hate villains.
«No sé», dijo el hombre, «cuál pueda ser la costumbre de los ingleses, pero es costumbre de los irlandeses odiar a los villanos.
Vocabulary
- doblar
- To turn, fold, or double something
- promontorio
- A high point of land jutting into water
- divisé
- Past tense of divisar; I spotted or sighted
- pulcra
- Neat, tidy, or clean in appearance
- puerto
- A harbor or port for ships
- desbordante
- Overflowing or brimming with emotion or substance
- alegría
- Joy, happiness, or gladness
- inesperada
- Unexpected or unforeseen, feminine adjective
- huida
- An escape, flight, or act of fleeing
- Mientras
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'as long as'
- ocupaba
- Imperfect of ocuparse; was busy doing something
- amarrar
- To tie up or moor a boat securely
- bote
- A small boat or dinghy
- arreglar
- To fix, arrange, or tidy something up
- velas
- Sails of a boat or candles
- agolparon
- Crowded or rushed together toward something
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- Parecían
- Imperfect of parecer; they seemed or appeared
- sorprendidos
- Surprised or astonished, masculine plural adjective
- aspecto
- Appearance, aspect, or look of someone
- ofrecerme
- To offer me something, infinitive with pronoun
- cuchicheaban
- Imperfect of cuchichear; they were whispering together
- gestos
- Gestures or facial expressions made by someone
- cualquier
- Any or whatever, indefinite adjective
- podrían
- Conditional of poder; they could or would be able
- producido
- Past participle of producir; caused or produced
- ligera
- Light, slight, or mild, feminine adjective
- sensación
- A feeling, sensation, or impression experienced
- alarma
- Alarm, fright, or sense of danger
- Tal
- Such, so, or as in 'tal como'
- limité
- Past tense of limitarse; I limited myself to
- observar
- To observe, watch, or notice carefully
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it' referring to a concept
- dirigí
- Past tense of dirigirse; I addressed or directed myself
- idioma
- A language spoken by a group of people
- serían
- Conditional of ser; they would be
- amables
- Kind or friendly, plural adjective
- e
- Conjunction 'and' used before words starting with i
- indicarme
- To indicate or show me something
- sabrá
- Future tense of saber; you will know or find out
- pronto
- Soon or quickly, adverb of time
- respondió
- Past tense of responder; he or she responded
- voz
- A voice or vocal sound produced by someone
- ronca
- Hoarse or rough-sounding, feminine adjective
- Quizás
- Perhaps or maybe, adverb of uncertainty
- haya
- Present subjunctive of haber; there may be
- agrado
- Pleasure, liking, or approval of something
- consultará
- Future tense of consultar; will consult or inquire
- alojamiento
- Lodging, accommodation, or a place to stay
- prometo
- Present tense of prometer; I promise something
- sorprendí
- Past tense of sorprenderse; I was surprised
- sobremanera
- Exceedingly or to an extraordinary degree
- recibir
- To receive or get something from someone
- respuesta
- An answer or response to a question
- grosera
- Rude, coarse, or impolite, feminine adjective
- desconocido
- An unknown person or stranger
- desconcerté
- Past tense of desconcertarse; I was disconcerted
- percibir
- To perceive, notice, or sense something
- semblantes
- Facial expressions or countenances of people
- ceñudos
- Frowning or scowling, with a stern expression
- airados
- Angry or furious, masculine plural adjective
- compañeros
- Companions, partners, or fellow members of a group
- responde
- Present tense of responder; he or she responds
- tanta
- So much or such great, feminine adjective
- brusquedad
- Brusqueness, abruptness, or harshness in manner
- repliqué
- Past tense of replicar; I replied or retorted
- Seguramente
- Surely, certainly, or probably, adverb
- costumbre
- A custom, habit, or tradition practiced regularly
- forasteros
- Strangers or outsiders from another place
- manera
- A way, manner, or method of doing something
- inhospitalaria
- Inhospitable or unwelcoming to guests or strangers
- cuál
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'what'
- pueda
- Present subjunctive of poder; may be able to
- odiar
- To hate or detest someone or something strongly
- villanos
- Villains, scoundrels, or wicked people
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