Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 2
I entered it and approached the tomb which marked their graves.
Entré en él y me acerqué a la tumba que señalaba sus sepulturas.
Everything was silent except the leaves of the trees, which were gently agitated by the wind; the night was nearly dark, and the scene would have been solemn and affecting even to an uninterested observer.
Todo estaba silencioso excepto las hojas de los árboles, que eran suavemente agitadas por el viento; la noche era casi oscura, y la escena habría sido solemne y conmovedora incluso para un observador indiferente.
The spirits of the departed seemed to flit around and to cast a shadow, which was felt but not seen, around the head of the mourner.
Los espíritus de los difuntos parecían revolotear alrededor y proyectar una sombra, que se sentía pero no se veía, en torno a la cabeza del doliente.
The deep grief which this scene had at first excited quickly gave way to rage and despair.
El profundo dolor que esta escena había suscitado al principio cedió rápidamente ante la rabia y la desesperación.
They were dead, and I lived; their murderer also lived, and to destroy him I must drag out my weary existence.
Ellos estaban muertos, y yo vivía; su asesino también vivía, y para destruirlo debía prolongar mi agotada existencia.
I knelt on the grass and kissed the earth and with quivering lips exclaimed, "By the sacred earth on which I kneel, by the shades that wander near me, by the deep and eternal grief that I feel, I swear; and by thee, O Night, and the spirits that preside over thee, to pursue the dæmon who caused this misery, until he or I shall perish in mortal conflict.
Me arrodillé sobre la hierba y besé la tierra y con labios temblorosos exclamé: «Por la sagrada tierra sobre la que me arrodillo, por las sombras que vagan cerca de mí, por el profundo y eterno dolor que siento, lo juro; y por ti, oh Noche, y por los espíritus que te presiden, perseguiré al demonio que causó esta desgracia, hasta que él o yo perezcamos en mortal conflicto.
For this purpose I will preserve my life; to execute this dear revenge will I again behold the sun and tread the green herbage of earth, which otherwise should vanish from my eyes for ever.
Con este propósito preservaré mi vida; para llevar a cabo esta querida venganza volveré a contemplar el sol y a pisar la verde hierba de la tierra, que de otro modo desaparecería de mis ojos para siempre.
And I call on you, spirits of the dead, and on you, wandering ministers of vengeance, to aid and conduct me in my work.
Y os invoco a vosotros, espíritus de los muertos, y a vosotros, errantes ministros de la venganza, para que me ayudéis y me guiéis en mi obra.
Vocabulary
- Entré
- I entered a place or space
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- él
- Third-person singular pronoun meaning he
- y
- Conjunction meaning and
- me
- Reflexive or object pronoun meaning me or myself
- acerqué
- I approached or drew near to something
- a
- Preposition meaning to or at
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning the
- tumba
- A grave or tomb where someone is buried
- que
- Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning that or which
- señalaba
- Was indicating or pointing to something
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or their
- sepulturas
- Burial places or graves where people are interred
- Todo
- Everything or all; indicating completeness
- estaba
- Was; past imperfect form of estar
- silencioso
- Silent or quiet; free from noise
- excepto
- Except or excluding something specific
- las
- Feminine plural definite article meaning the
- hojas
- Leaves of a tree or pages of a book
- de
- Preposition meaning of or from
- los
- Masculine plural definite article meaning the
- árboles
- Trees; tall woody plants with branches and leaves
- eran
- Were; past imperfect third-person plural of ser
- suavemente
- Gently or softly; in a smooth manner
- agitadas
- Shaken or stirred; moved about restlessly
- por
- Preposition meaning by, through, or for
- el
- Masculine singular definite article meaning the
- viento
- Wind; moving air in the atmosphere
- noche
- Night; the period of darkness after sunset
- era
- Was; past imperfect third-person singular of ser
- casi
- Almost or nearly; close to but not quite
- oscura
- Dark or dim; lacking light
- escena
- A scene or setting in a particular moment
- habría
- Would have; conditional form of haber
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser
- solemne
- Solemn or grave; serious and dignified in manner
- conmovedora
- Moving or touching; emotionally stirring
- incluso
- Even or including; used to emphasize addition
- para
- Preposition meaning for or in order to
- un
- Indefinite article meaning a or an
- observador
- An observer; one who watches and notices things
- indiferente
- Indifferent; showing no interest or concern
- Los
- Masculine plural definite article meaning the
- espíritus
- Spirits or souls; supernatural non-physical beings
- difuntos
- The deceased; people who have died
- parecían
- Seemed or appeared; past imperfect of parecer
- revolotear
- To flutter or hover around in the air
- alrededor
- Around or surrounding a place or object
- proyectar
- To project or cast something onto a surface
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning a or an
- sombra
- A shadow or shade cast by blocking light
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive verbs
- sentía
- Was felt or sensed; past imperfect of sentir
- pero
- But; conjunction showing contrast or opposition
- no
- No or not; negation word
- veía
- Was seen or saw; past imperfect of ver
- torno
- Around or in the vicinity; en torno means around
- cabeza
- Head; the upper part of the human body
- del
- Contraction of de and el meaning of the
- doliente
- A mourner; one who grieves or suffers sorrow
- El
- Masculine singular definite article meaning the
- profundo
- Deep or profound; intense and far-reaching
- dolor
- Pain or grief; physical or emotional suffering
- esta
- Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning this
- había
- Had; past perfect auxiliary form of haber
- suscitado
- Aroused or provoked; caused a reaction in someone
- al
- Contraction of a and el meaning to the
- principio
- Beginning or principle; the start of something
- cedió
- Yielded or gave way to something stronger
- rápidamente
- Quickly or rapidly; in a fast manner
- ante
- Before or in front of; facing something
- rabia
- Rage or fury; intense uncontrolled anger
- desesperación
- Desperation or despair; hopeless extreme distress
- Ellos
- They; third-person plural subject pronoun
- estaban
- Were; past imperfect third-person plural of estar
- muertos
- Dead; no longer alive
- yo
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- vivía
- Was living or lived; past imperfect of vivir
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or their
- asesino
- A murderer or assassin; one who kills deliberately
- también
- Also or too; in addition to something else
- destruirlo
- To destroy him or it; infinitive with object pronoun
- debía
- Had to or owed; past imperfect of deber
- prolongar
- To prolong or extend the duration of something
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning my
- agotada
- Exhausted or depleted; completely worn out
- existencia
- Existence; the state or fact of living
- Me
- Reflexive or object pronoun meaning me or myself
- arrodillé
- I knelt down on my knees
- sobre
- On or over; above or on top of something
- hierba
- Grass or herb; low green plant covering ground
- besé
- I kissed; past tense of besar
- tierra
- Earth or ground; soil or land
- con
- Preposition meaning with
- labios
- Lips; the two fleshy parts around the mouth
- temblorosos
- Trembling or shaking; quivering with emotion
- exclamé
- I exclaimed; spoke out suddenly with strong emotion
- Por
- Preposition meaning by, for, or through
- sagrada
- Sacred or holy; regarded with religious reverence
- arrodillo
- I kneel; first-person singular present of arrodillarse
- sombras
- Shadows or shades; dark figures or ghosts
- vagan
- Wander or roam; move without fixed destination
- cerca
- Near or close; in proximity to something
- mí
- Me; first-person singular pronoun after preposition
- eterno
- Eternal or everlasting; lasting forever without end
- siento
- I feel or I sense; first-person singular of sentir
- lo
- It or him; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- juro
- I swear or vow; first-person singular of jurar
- ti
- You; second-person singular pronoun after preposition
- Noche
- Night; personified darkness after sunset
- te
- You; second-person singular object pronoun
- presiden
- Preside over or govern; hold authority over something
- perseguiré
- I will pursue or chase relentlessly
- demonio
- A demon or devil; evil supernatural creature
- causó
- Caused or brought about; past tense of causar
- desgracia
- Misfortune or disgrace; a terrible unfortunate event
- hasta
- Until or up to; indicates a limit or endpoint
- o
- Or; conjunction indicating an alternative
- perezcamos
- We perish; first-person plural subjunctive of perecer
- mortal
- Mortal or deadly; relating to death or mortality
- conflicto
- Conflict or struggle; serious disagreement or fight
- Con
- Preposition meaning with
- este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this
- propósito
- Purpose or intention; a goal one aims to achieve
- preservaré
- I will preserve or maintain; future of preservar
- vida
- Life; the state of being alive
- llevar
- To carry out or take; to bring or accomplish
- cabo
- End or cape; llevar a cabo means to carry out
- querida
- Dear or beloved; cherished deeply
- venganza
- Vengeance or revenge; retaliation for a wrong
- volveré
- I will return or come back; future of volver
- contemplar
- To contemplate or gaze upon; observe thoughtfully
- sol
- Sun; the star at the center of our solar system
- pisar
- To step on or tread upon something underfoot
- verde
- Green; the color of grass and leaves
- otro
- Other or another; a different one
- modo
- Way or manner; a particular method of doing something
- desaparecería
- Would disappear; conditional of desaparecer
- mis
- My; first-person plural possessive adjective
- ojos
- Eyes; organs of sight on the face
- siempre
- Always or forever; at all times
- Y
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
- os
- You all; second-person plural object pronoun in Spain
- invoco
- I invoke or call upon; appeal to a higher power
- vosotros
- You all; second-person plural subject pronoun in Spain
- errantes
- Wandering or roaming; moving without fixed destination
- ministros
- Ministers or servants; agents serving a higher power
- ayudéis
- That you all help; second-person plural subjunctive
- guiéis
- That you all guide; second-person plural subjunctive
- obra
- Work or deed; a task or artistic creation
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