Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 5
The fare was, indeed, coarse, such as the peasants of the country ate, but I will not doubt that it was set there by the spirits that I had invoked to aid me.
La comida era, en efecto, tosca, como la que comían los campesinos del país, pero no dudaré de que fue puesta allí por los espíritus que había invocado para ayudarme.
Often, when all was dry, the heavens cloudless, and I was parched by thirst, a slight cloud would bedim the sky, shed the few drops that revived me, and vanish.
A menudo, cuando todo estaba seco, el cielo despejado, y yo estaba abrasado por la sed, una ligera nube oscurecía el firmamento, derramaba las pocas gotas que me revivían, y desaparecía.
I followed, when I could, the courses of the rivers; but the dæmon generally avoided these, as it was here that the population of the country chiefly collected.
Seguí, cuando pude, el curso de los ríos; pero el demonio generalmente los evitaba, pues era allí donde la población del país se concentraba principalmente.
In other places human beings were seldom seen, and I generally subsisted on the wild animals that crossed my path.
En otros lugares raramente se veía a seres humanos, y yo generalmente subsistía con los animales salvajes que cruzaban mi camino.
I had money with me and gained the friendship of the villagers by distributing it; or I brought with me some food that I had killed, which, after taking a small part, I always presented to those who had provided me with fire and utensils for cooking.
Llevaba dinero conmigo y me ganaba la amistad de los aldeanos distribuyéndolo; o traía conmigo algo de comida que había cazado, que, después de tomar una pequeña parte, siempre presentaba a quienes me habían proporcionado fuego y utensilios para cocinar.
My life, as it passed thus, was indeed hateful to me, and it was during sleep alone that I could taste joy.
Mi vida, tal como transcurría, me era verdaderamente odiosa, y solo durante el sueño podía yo saborear la alegría.
O blessed sleep!
¡Oh, bendito sueño!
Often, when most miserable, I sank to repose, and my dreams lulled me even to rapture.
A menudo, cuando era más desdichado, me hundía en el reposo, y mis sueños me adormecían hasta el éxtasis.
The spirits that guarded me had provided these moments, or rather hours, of happiness that I might retain strength to fulfil my pilgrimage.
Los espíritus que me custodiaban habían procurado esos momentos, o más bien horas, de felicidad para que yo pudiera conservar las fuerzas y cumplir mi peregrinación.
Deprived of this respite, I should have sunk under my hardships.
Privado de este respiro, habría sucumbido bajo mis penalidades.
Vocabulary
- comida
- Food or meal consumed during the day
- era
- Past tense of 'ser'; was, used for descriptions
- efecto
- Effect; 'en efecto' means 'indeed' or 'in fact'
- tosca
- Rough, coarse, or crude in quality
- comían
- They ate; imperfect tense of 'comer'
- campesinos
- Peasants or rural farmers living in the countryside
- país
- Country or nation where people reside
- dudaré
- I will doubt; future tense of 'dudar'
- fue
- Was or went; preterite tense of 'ser/ir'
- puesta
- Placed or set; past participle of 'poner'
- allí
- Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a place
- espíritus
- Spirits or supernatural beings invoked for help
- había
- There was/had; imperfect of 'haber'
- invocado
- Invoked or summoned; past participle of 'invocar'
- ayudarme
- To help me; infinitive with reflexive pronoun attached
- menudo
- 'A menudo' means 'often' or 'frequently'
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing time clauses
- todo
- Everything or all; used for totality
- estaba
- Was; imperfect tense of 'estar' for states
- seco
- Dry; describing lack of moisture or water
- cielo
- Sky or heaven; the space above the earth
- despejado
- Clear or cloudless; describing a clear sky
- abrasado
- Burned or scorched; consumed by intense heat
- sed
- Thirst; the feeling of needing to drink
- ligera
- Light or slight; describing something of little weight
- nube
- Cloud; a mass of water vapor in the sky
- oscurecía
- Darkened or obscured; imperfect of 'oscurecer'
- firmamento
- Firmament or sky; the expanse of the heavens
- derramaba
- Spilled or shed; imperfect tense of 'derramar'
- pocas
- Few; indicating a small number of things
- gotas
- Drops; small amounts of liquid falling down
- revivían
- Revived me; imperfect of 'revivir', to revive
- desaparecía
- Disappeared; imperfect tense of 'desaparecer'
- Seguí
- I followed or continued; preterite of 'seguir'
- pude
- I was able; preterite tense of 'poder'
- curso
- Course or path, as of a river flowing
- ríos
- Rivers; large bodies of flowing fresh water
- demonio
- Demon or devil; an evil supernatural entity
- generalmente
- Generally or usually; in most cases or situations
- evitaba
- Avoided; imperfect tense of 'evitar'
- pues
- Because or since; a causal or explanatory conjunction
- donde
- Where; relative adverb indicating location or place
- población
- Population or town; group of people in an area
- concentraba
- Was concentrated; imperfect of 'concentrar'
- principalmente
- Mainly or principally; above all other things
- otros
- Others or other; referring to different people or things
- lugares
- Places or locations; areas where something occurs
- raramente
- Rarely; seldom happening or occurring infrequently
- veía
- Saw; imperfect tense of 'ver'
- seres
- Beings or creatures; entities that exist
- humanos
- Humans; relating to or belonging to people
- subsistía
- Survived or subsisted; imperfect of 'subsistir'
- animales
- Animals; living creatures other than human beings
- salvajes
- Wild or savage; untamed animals or people
- cruzaban
- Crossed; imperfect tense of 'cruzar'
- camino
- Road or path; a route taken to travel
- Llevaba
- Carried or had; imperfect tense of 'llevar'
- dinero
- Money; currency used to buy goods or services
- conmigo
- With me; preposition 'con' combined with 'mí'
- ganaba
- Earned or won; imperfect tense of 'ganar'
- amistad
- Friendship; a close and friendly relationship between people
- aldeanos
- Villagers; people who live in a small village
- distribuyéndolo
- Distributing it; gerund of 'distribuir' with pronoun
- traía
- Brought; imperfect tense of 'traer'
- algo
- Something; an unspecified object or thing
- cazado
- Hunted; past participle of 'cazar'
- después
- After or afterwards; indicating something that follows
- tomar
- To take or consume; infinitive of 'tomar'
- pequeña
- Small or little; describing something of minor size
- parte
- Part or portion; a section of a larger whole
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- presentaba
- Presented or offered; imperfect tense of 'presentar'
- quienes
- Who; relative pronoun referring to people
- habían
- Had; third person plural of 'haber' in pluperfect
- proporcionado
- Provided or supplied; past participle of 'proporcionar'
- fuego
- Fire; the burning of a combustible material
- utensilios
- Utensils; tools or implements used for cooking
- cocinar
- To cook; to prepare food using heat
- vida
- Life; the existence of a living person
- tal
- Such; used to describe something in that manner
- transcurría
- Passed or elapsed; imperfect of 'transcurrir'
- verdaderamente
- Truly or really; in a genuine or truthful manner
- odiosa
- Hateful or odious; causing strong feelings of dislike
- solo
- Only or alone; by oneself without others
- durante
- During; throughout the duration of a period
- sueño
- Sleep or dream; state of rest and dreaming
- podía
- Could; imperfect tense of 'poder'
- saborear
- To savor or taste; to enjoy something fully
- alegría
- Joy or happiness; a feeling of great pleasure
- bendito
- Blessed or blessed one; regarded with divine favor
- más
- More; indicating a greater degree or quantity
- desdichado
- Unfortunate or wretched; deeply unhappy person
- hundía
- Sank or plunged; imperfect tense of 'hundir'
- reposo
- Rest or repose; a state of relaxation and calm
- sueños
- Dreams; images and thoughts experienced during sleep
- adormecían
- Lulled to sleep; imperfect of 'adormecer'
- hasta
- Until or even; indicating a limit or extent
- éxtasis
- Ecstasy; an overwhelming feeling of intense happiness
- custodiaban
- Guarded or watched over; imperfect of 'custodiar'
- procurado
- Sought or ensured; past participle of 'procurar'
- esos
- Those; demonstrative adjective for nearby objects
- momentos
- Moments; brief periods of time that pass quickly
- bien
- Well or good; indicating a positive or healthy state
- horas
- Hours; units of time equal to sixty minutes
- felicidad
- Happiness; a state of joy and contentment
- pudiera
- Could or might; imperfect subjunctive of 'poder'
- conservar
- To conserve or preserve; to keep something intact
- fuerzas
- Strength or forces; physical or mental energy
- cumplir
- To fulfill or complete; to carry out a task
- peregrinación
- Pilgrimage or journey; a long trip to a destination
- Privado
- Deprived or private; lacking access to something needed
- este
- This; demonstrative adjective pointing to nearby object
- respiro
- Respite or breath; a brief pause from difficulty
- habría
- Would have; conditional of 'haber'
- sucumbido
- Succumbed; past participle of 'sucumbir'
- bajo
- Under or beneath; below something in position or degree
- penalidades
- Hardships or trials; difficult and painful experiences
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