Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 6
It was morning, I remember, when I thus awoke to understanding; I had forgotten the particulars of what had happened and only felt as if some great misfortune had suddenly overwhelmed me; but when I looked around and saw the barred windows and the squalidness of the room in which I was, all flashed across my memory and I groaned bitterly.
Era por la mañana, recuerdo, cuando así desperté a la consciencia; había olvidado los detalles de lo que había ocurrido y solo sentía como si alguna gran desgracia me hubiera sobrecogido de repente; pero cuando miré a mi alrededor y vi las ventanas enrejadas y la sordidez de la habitación en la que me encontraba, todo cruzó mi memoria como un relámpago y gemí amargamente.
This sound disturbed an old woman who was sleeping in a chair beside me.
Este sonido perturbó a una anciana que dormía en una silla a mi lado.
She was a hired nurse, the wife of one of the turnkeys, and her countenance expressed all those bad qualities which often characterise that class.
Era una enfermera contratada, la esposa de uno de los carceleros, y su semblante expresaba todas aquellas malas cualidades que a menudo caracterizan a esa clase.
The lines of her face were hard and rude, like that of persons accustomed to see without sympathising in sights of misery.
Las líneas de su rostro eran duras y toscas, como las de personas acostumbradas a contemplar sin compasión escenas de miseria.
Her tone expressed her entire indifference; she addressed me in English, and the voice struck me as one that I had heard during my sufferings.
Su tono expresaba su total indiferencia; se dirigió a mí en inglés, y la voz me pareció una que había escuchado durante mis sufrimientos.
"Are you better now, sir?" said she.
«¿Se encuentra usted mejor ahora, señor?», dijo ella.
I replied in the same language, with a feeble voice, "I believe I am; but if it be all true, if indeed I did not dream, I am sorry that I am still alive to feel this misery and horror."
Respondí en el mismo idioma, con una voz débil: «Creo que sí; pero si todo es verdad, si en efecto no soñé, lamento seguir vivo para sentir esta miseria y este horror».
"For that matter," replied the old woman, "if you mean about the gentleman you murdered, I believe that it were better for you if you were dead, for I fancy it will go hard with you!
«En cuanto a eso», respondió la anciana, «si se refiere usted al caballero que asesinó, creo que sería mejor para usted estar muerto, pues me imagino que las cosas se pondrán muy difíciles para usted.
Vocabulary
- Era
- Third person singular imperfect of 'ser' (was/were).
- por
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'for,' or 'through.'
- mañana
- Morning; also means 'tomorrow' as an adverb.
- recuerdo
- I remember; also a noun meaning 'memory' or 'souvenir.'
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when.'
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way.'
- desperté
- First person singular preterite of 'despertar': I woke up.
- consciencia
- Consciousness; awareness of one's own existence or surroundings.
- había
- Third person singular imperfect of 'haber': there was/had.
- olvidado
- Past participle of 'olvidar': forgotten.
- detalles
- Plural noun meaning 'details' or 'particulars.'
- ocurrido
- Past participle of 'ocurrir': happened or occurred.
- solo
- Adjective/adverb meaning 'alone,' 'only,' or 'just.'
- sentía
- First/third person imperfect of 'sentir': felt or was feeling.
- como
- Conjunction/adverb meaning 'as,' 'like,' or 'how.'
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if'; also 'whether' in indirect questions.
- alguna
- Feminine indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any.'
- gran
- Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large,' used before nouns.
- desgracia
- Noun meaning 'misfortune,' 'disgrace,' or 'tragedy.'
- hubiera
- Past subjunctive of 'haber': 'had' (hypothetical or conditional).
- sobrecogido
- Past participle of 'sobrecoger': seized, overwhelmed, or struck.
- repente
- Used in 'de repente': suddenly, all at once.
- miré
- First person singular preterite of 'mirar': I looked.
- alrededor
- Adverb meaning 'around'; used in 'mirar a su alrededor.'
- vi
- First person singular preterite of 'ver': I saw.
- ventanas
- Plural noun meaning 'windows.'
- enrejadas
- Adjective meaning 'barred' or 'grated,' as with iron bars.
- sordidez
- Noun meaning 'squalor,' 'filth,' or 'sordidness.'
- habitación
- Noun meaning 'room,' especially a bedroom or lodging.
- encontraba
- Imperfect of 'encontrar': was found or was located.
- todo
- Adjective/pronoun meaning 'all,' 'everything,' or 'every.'
- cruzó
- Third person singular preterite of 'cruzar': crossed.
- memoria
- Noun meaning 'memory' or 'recollection.'
- relámpago
- Noun meaning 'lightning bolt' or 'flash.'
- gemí
- First person singular preterite of 'gemir': I groaned or moaned.
- amargamente
- Adverb meaning 'bitterly,' with great sadness or anguish.
- Este
- Demonstrative adjective/pronoun meaning 'this' (masculine).
- sonido
- Noun meaning 'sound' or 'noise.'
- perturbó
- Third person singular preterite of 'perturbar': disturbed or upset.
- anciana
- Noun/adjective meaning 'elderly woman' or 'old woman.'
- dormía
- Third person singular imperfect of 'dormir': was sleeping.
- silla
- Noun meaning 'chair.'
- lado
- Noun meaning 'side' or 'beside.'
- enfermera
- Noun meaning 'nurse' (female).
- contratada
- Past participle of 'contratar': hired or contracted (feminine).
- esposa
- Noun meaning 'wife'; plural 'esposas' can mean handcuffs.
- carceleros
- Plural noun meaning 'jailers' or 'prison guards.'
- semblante
- Noun meaning 'face,' 'countenance,' or 'expression.'
- expresaba
- Imperfect of 'expresar': expressed or showed (third person).
- aquellas
- Feminine plural demonstrative: 'those' (distant reference).
- malas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'bad' or 'evil.'
- cualidades
- Plural noun meaning 'qualities,' 'traits,' or 'characteristics.'
- menudo
- Used in 'a menudo': often, frequently.
- caracterizan
- Third person plural present of 'caracterizar': characterize or define.
- clase
- Noun meaning 'class,' 'type,' or 'kind.'
- líneas
- Plural noun meaning 'lines,' as in lines on a face.
- rostro
- Noun meaning 'face' or 'countenance.'
- eran
- Third person plural imperfect of 'ser': were.
- duras
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'hard,' 'harsh,' or 'tough.'
- toscas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'coarse,' 'rough,' or 'crude.'
- personas
- Plural noun meaning 'persons' or 'people.'
- acostumbradas
- Adjective meaning 'accustomed' or 'used to' (feminine plural).
- contemplar
- Verb meaning 'to contemplate,' 'observe,' or 'witness.'
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without.'
- compasión
- Noun meaning 'compassion,' 'pity,' or 'mercy.'
- escenas
- Plural noun meaning 'scenes' or 'situations.'
- miseria
- Noun meaning 'misery,' 'poverty,' or 'wretchedness.'
- tono
- Noun meaning 'tone,' as in tone of voice or manner.
- total
- Adjective meaning 'total,' 'complete,' or 'absolute.'
- indiferencia
- Noun meaning 'indifference' or 'lack of concern.'
- dirigió
- Third person preterite of 'dirigir': addressed or directed.
- inglés
- Adjective/noun meaning 'English' (language or person).
- voz
- Noun meaning 'voice.'
- pareció
- Third person preterite of 'parecer': seemed or appeared.
- escuchado
- Past participle of 'escuchar': heard or listened to.
- durante
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'throughout.'
- sufrimientos
- Plural noun meaning 'sufferings' or 'ordeals.'
- encuentra
- Third person singular present of 'encontrar': finds or feels.
- usted
- Formal second person singular pronoun: 'you' (polite).
- mejor
- Adjective/adverb meaning 'better' or 'best.'
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment.'
- señor
- Noun meaning 'sir,' 'mister,' or 'gentleman.'
- dijo
- Third person singular preterite of 'decir': said or told.
- Respondí
- First person singular preterite of 'responder': I replied.
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'himself/itself' for emphasis.
- idioma
- Noun meaning 'language' or 'tongue.'
- débil
- Adjective meaning 'weak,' 'faint,' or 'feeble.'
- Creo
- First person singular present of 'creer': I believe or I think.
- sí
- Adverb meaning 'yes'; with accent distinguishes from 'si' (if).
- verdad
- Noun meaning 'truth'; also used as 'right?' in questions.
- efecto
- Noun meaning 'effect'; used in 'en efecto': indeed, in fact.
- soñé
- First person singular preterite of 'soñar': I dreamed.
- lamento
- I regret or lament; noun also means 'lament' or 'moan.'
- seguir
- Verb meaning 'to continue,' 'to follow,' or 'to keep on.'
- vivo
- Adjective meaning 'alive'; also first person of 'vivir': I live.
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'by' (time).
- sentir
- Infinitive meaning 'to feel' or 'to sense.'
- horror
- Noun meaning 'horror,' 'dread,' or 'terror.'
- cuanto
- Used in 'en cuanto a': regarding, as for, concerning.
- eso
- Neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that.'
- respondió
- Third person singular preterite of 'responder': replied or answered.
- refiere
- Third person singular present of 'referir': refers or concerns.
- caballero
- Noun meaning 'gentleman,' 'knight,' or 'sir.'
- asesinó
- Third person singular preterite of 'asesinar': murdered or killed.
- creo
- First person singular present of 'creer': I believe or think.
- sería
- Third person singular conditional of 'ser': would be.
- estar
- Infinitive meaning 'to be' (state, condition, or location).
- muerto
- Adjective/noun meaning 'dead' or 'deceased.'
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'well,' 'since,' 'because,' or 'then.'
- imagino
- First person singular present of 'imaginar': I imagine or suppose.
- cosas
- Plural noun meaning 'things' or 'matters.'
- pondrán
- Third person plural future of 'poner': will put or will become.
- muy
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'quite.'
- difíciles
- Plural adjective meaning 'difficult,' 'hard,' or 'tough.'
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