Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 15
It was necessary that I should return without delay to Geneva, there to watch over the lives of those I so fondly loved and to lie in wait for the murderer, that if any chance led me to the place of his concealment, or if he dared again to blast me by his presence, I might, with unfailing aim, put an end to the existence of the monstrous image which I had endued with the mockery of a soul still more monstrous.
Era necesario que regresara sin demora a Ginebra, para velar por las vidas de quienes tanto amaba y para acechar al asesino, de modo que si el azar me condujera al lugar de su escondite, o si él se atreviera de nuevo a destruirme con su presencia, yo pudiera, con puntería certera, poner fin a la existencia de la monstruosa imagen a la que había dotado de la burla de un alma aún más monstruosa.
My father still desired to delay our departure, fearful that I could not sustain the fatigues of a journey, for I was a shattered wreck—the shadow of a human being.
Mi padre aún deseaba retrasar nuestra partida, temeroso de que yo no pudiera soportar las fatigas de un viaje, pues no era más que un ser destrozado, la sombra de un ser humano.
My strength was gone.
Mis fuerzas se habían ido.
I was a mere skeleton, and fever night and day preyed upon my wasted frame.
No era más que un esqueleto, y la fiebre noche y día se cebaba en mi consumido cuerpo.
Still, as I urged our leaving Ireland with such inquietude and impatience, my father thought it best to yield.
Sin embargo, como yo instaba a que partiéramos de Irlanda con tanta inquietud e impaciencia, mi padre consideró que lo mejor era ceder.
We took our passage on board a vessel bound for Havre-de-Grace and sailed with a fair wind from the Irish shores.
Tomamos pasaje a bordo de un barco con destino a Havre-de-Grace y zarpamos con viento favorable desde las costas irlandesas.
It was midnight.
Era medianoche.
I lay on the deck looking at the stars and listening to the dashing of the waves.
Estaba tendido en la cubierta mirando las estrellas y escuchando el batir de las olas.
I hailed the darkness that shut Ireland from my sight, and my pulse beat with a feverish joy when I reflected that I should soon see Geneva.
Celebré la oscuridad que ocultaba Irlanda a mi vista, y mi pulso latió con una alegría febril cuando reflexioné en que pronto vería Ginebra.
Vocabulary
- Era
- Past tense of 'ser'; it was, he/she was
- necesario
- Necessary, required, essential
- que
- That, which; conjunction linking clauses
- regresara
- Past subjunctive of regresar; that he return
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence
- demora
- Delay, postponement, tardiness
- a
- To, at; common Spanish preposition
- para
- For, in order to; purpose preposition
- velar
- To watch over, guard, keep vigil
- por
- For, by, through; multifunctional preposition
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- vidas
- Lives; plural of vida (life)
- de
- Of, from; very common Spanish preposition
- quienes
- Who, whom; relative pronoun for people
- tanto
- So much, so many; indicates great degree
- amaba
- Loved; imperfect past tense of amar
- y
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- acechar
- To lurk, stalk, lie in wait for
- al
- To the; contraction of a + el
- asesino
- Murderer, assassin, killer
- modo
- Way, manner, mode; means of doing something
- si
- If; conditional conjunction
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- azar
- Chance, fate, random luck
- me
- Me; first person singular object pronoun
- condujera
- Past subjunctive of conducir; would lead me
- lugar
- Place, location, spot
- su
- His, her, its, your, their; possessive adjective
- escondite
- Hiding place, hideout, refuge
- o
- Or; disjunctive coordinating conjunction
- él
- He; third person masculine subject pronoun
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; himself, herself, themselves
- atreviera
- Past subjunctive of atreverse; dared to do
- nuevo
- New; also used in 'de nuevo' meaning again
- destruirme
- To destroy me; infinitive with object pronoun
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment
- presencia
- Presence, attendance, being present
- yo
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- pudiera
- Past subjunctive of poder; could, might be able
- puntería
- Aim, marksmanship, accuracy in shooting
- certera
- Accurate, precise, sure; feminine adjective
- poner
- To put, place, set; common irregular verb
- fin
- End, conclusion, finish
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- existencia
- Existence, life, being alive
- monstruosa
- Monstrous, horrifying, grotesque; feminine adjective
- imagen
- Image, picture, likeness, form
- había
- Had; past perfect auxiliary form of haber
- dotado
- Endowed, gifted, provided with qualities
- burla
- Mockery, scorn, cruel joke, taunt
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- alma
- Soul, spirit, inner essence of a person
- aún
- Still, yet, even; adverb of continuation
- más
- More, most; comparative adverb
- Mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- padre
- Father, dad; male parent
- deseaba
- Desired, wanted, wished; imperfect of desear
- retrasar
- To delay, postpone, put off departure
- nuestra
- Our; first person plural feminine possessive
- partida
- Departure, leaving; also a game or match
- temeroso
- Fearful, afraid, timid, apprehensive
- no
- No, not; basic negation word
- soportar
- To bear, endure, tolerate, withstand
- fatigas
- Fatigues, hardships, exhaustions, weariness
- viaje
- Trip, journey, travel
- pues
- Because, since, then; causal conjunction
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser (to be)
- ser
- To be; fundamental Spanish linking verb
- destrozado
- Destroyed, shattered, broken, devastated
- sombra
- Shadow, shade, ghost-like figure
- humano
- Human; relating to a person or humanity
- Mis
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- fuerzas
- Strengths, forces, energies; plural of fuerza
- habían
- Had; third person plural pluperfect of haber
- ido
- Gone; past participle of ir (to go)
- No
- No, not; negation word
- esqueleto
- Skeleton; the bone structure of a body
- fiebre
- Fever, high temperature during illness
- noche
- Night, nighttime
- día
- Day, daytime
- cebaba
- Fed upon, preyed upon; imperfect of cebarse
- en
- In, on, at; common location preposition
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive pronoun
- consumido
- Consumed, wasted away, emaciated
- cuerpo
- Body, physical form of a person
- Sin
- Without; preposition indicating lack
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo' meaning nevertheless, however
- como
- As, like, since; conjunction or adverb
- instaba
- Urged, insisted, pressed; imperfect of instar
- partiéramos
- Past subjunctive; that we depart, leave
- tanta
- So much, such great; feminine form of tanto
- inquietud
- Restlessness, anxiety, unease, worry
- e
- And; variant of 'y' before i- or hi- sounds
- impaciencia
- Impatience, restlessness, eagerness
- consideró
- Considered, thought it best; preterite of considerar
- lo
- It, the; neuter pronoun or masculine object
- mejor
- Better, best; comparative of bueno
- ceder
- To yield, give in, concede, surrender
- Tomamos
- We took; preterite of tomar (to take)
- pasaje
- Passage, ticket, fare for travel
- bordo
- On board; used in 'a bordo' aboard a vessel
- barco
- Ship, boat, vessel for water travel
- destino
- Destination, destiny, fate
- zarpamos
- We set sail; preterite of zarpar
- viento
- Wind; moving air, especially favorable for sailing
- favorable
- Favorable, advantageous, beneficial
- desde
- From, since; preposition of origin or time
- costas
- Coasts, shores, coastlines
- medianoche
- Midnight; the middle of the night
- Estaba
- Was; imperfect of estar (to be, temporary state)
- tendido
- Lying stretched out, spread out flat
- cubierta
- Deck of a ship; also cover or lid
- mirando
- Looking at, watching, gazing; gerund of mirar
- estrellas
- Stars; celestial bodies visible at night
- escuchando
- Listening to, hearing; gerund of escuchar
- batir
- To beat, crash, strike; sound of waves hitting
- olas
- Waves; moving swells of water on the sea
- Celebré
- I celebrated, was glad about; preterite of celebrar
- oscuridad
- Darkness, obscurity, absence of light
- ocultaba
- Was hiding, concealing; imperfect of ocultar
- vista
- Sight, vision, view; eyesight
- pulso
- Pulse, heartbeat felt in the wrist
- latió
- Beat, pulsed; preterite of latir (heart beating)
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- alegría
- Joy, happiness, gladness
- febril
- Feverish, frenzied, intensely excited
- cuando
- When; temporal conjunction
- reflexioné
- Reflected, thought over; preterite of reflexionar
- pronto
- Soon, quickly, promptly
- vería
- Would see; conditional tense of ver
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