Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 17
From my infancy I was imbued with high hopes and a lofty ambition; but how am I sunk!
Desde mi infancia estuve imbuido de grandes esperanzas y una noble ambición; ¡pero en qué estado de hundimiento me encuentro!
Oh! My friend, if you had known me as I once was, you would not recognise me in this state of degradation.
¡Oh! Amigo mío, si me hubieras conocido tal como fui en otro tiempo, no me reconocerías en este estado de degradación.
Despondency rarely visited my heart; a high destiny seemed to bear me on, until I fell, never, never again to rise."
El desánimo rara vez visitaba mi corazón; un elevado destino parecía impulsarme hacia adelante, hasta que caí, para no volver a levantarme jamás, jamás."
Must I then lose this admirable being?
¿Debo entonces perder a este ser admirable?
I have longed for a friend; I have sought one who would sympathise with and love me.
He anhelado tener un amigo; he buscado a alguien que simpatizara conmigo y me amara.
Behold, on these desert seas I have found such a one, but I fear I have gained him only to know his value and lose him.
He aquí que en estos mares desiertos he encontrado a tal persona, pero me temo que lo he hallado solo para conocer su valor y perderlo.
I would reconcile him to life, but he repulses the idea.
Quisiera reconciliarle con la vida, pero él rechaza la idea.
"I thank you, Walton," he said, "for your kind intentions towards so miserable a wretch;
«Le agradezco, Walton», dijo, «sus bondadosas intenciones hacia un ser tan miserable;
but when you speak of new ties and fresh affections, think you that any can replace those who are gone?
pero cuando habla de nuevos vínculos y afectos renovados, ¿cree usted que alguno puede reemplazar a quienes se han ido?
Can any man be to me as Clerval was, or any woman another Elizabeth?
¿Puede algún hombre ser para mí lo que Clerval fue, o alguna mujer ser otra Elizabeth?
Even where the affections are not strongly moved by any superior excellence, the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.
Incluso cuando los afectos no son fuertemente movidos por ninguna excelencia superior, los compañeros de nuestra infancia siempre poseen un cierto poder sobre nuestras mentes que apenas ningún amigo posterior puede obtener.
They know our infantine dispositions, which, however they may be afterwards modified, are never eradicated;
Conocen nuestras disposiciones infantiles, que, por mucho que puedan ser modificadas posteriormente, nunca son erradicadas;
and they can judge of our actions with more certain conclusions as to the integrity of our motives.
y pueden juzgar nuestras acciones con conclusiones más certeras en cuanto a la integridad de nuestros motivos.
Vocabulary
- Desde
- From a starting point in time or space
- mi
- Possessive pronoun meaning belonging to me
- infancia
- Early childhood period of a person's life
- estuve
- First person singular preterite of estar, was
- imbuido
- Filled or imbued deeply with something
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- grandes
- Plural adjective meaning great or large
- esperanzas
- Plural noun meaning hopes or aspirations
- y
- Conjunction meaning and, connecting words or clauses
- una
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (feminine)
- noble
- Adjective meaning noble, honorable, or distinguished
- ambición
- Strong desire to achieve or succeed in life
- pero
- Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrast
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- qué
- Interrogative or exclamatory word meaning what
- estado
- Noun meaning state or condition of something
- hundimiento
- Sinking or collapse into ruin and despair
- me
- Reflexive or object pronoun meaning me or myself
- encuentro
- First person present of encontrar, I find myself
- Amigo
- Noun meaning friend, a close companion
- mío
- Possessive pronoun meaning mine or my own
- si
- Conjunction meaning if, introducing a conditional clause
- hubieras
- Past subjunctive of haber, meaning you had
- conocido
- Past participle of conocer, meaning known or met
- tal
- Adjective or pronoun meaning such or such a
- como
- Conjunction or preposition meaning as or like
- fui
- First person preterite of ser or ir, I was
- otro
- Adjective meaning another or other time
- tiempo
- Noun meaning time, weather, or period
- no
- Negation word meaning no or not
- reconocerías
- Conditional of reconocer, you would recognize
- este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this (masculine)
- degradación
- State of decline, deterioration, or moral ruin
- El
- Definite article meaning the (masculine singular)
- desánimo
- Discouragement, loss of motivation or spirit
- rara
- Adjective meaning rare, unusual, or seldom
- vez
- Noun meaning time or occasion, used in phrases
- visitaba
- Imperfect of visitar, used to visit habitually
- corazón
- Noun meaning heart, emotionally or physically
- un
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (masculine)
- elevado
- Adjective meaning elevated, high, or lofty
- destino
- Noun meaning destiny, fate, or destination
- parecía
- Imperfect of parecer, it seemed or appeared
- impulsarme
- Infinitive with pronoun, to drive or propel me forward
- hacia
- Preposition meaning toward or in the direction of
- adelante
- Adverb meaning forward or ahead
- hasta
- Preposition meaning until, up to, or as far as
- que
- Conjunction meaning that or until, linking clauses
- caí
- First person preterite of caer, I fell down
- para
- Preposition meaning for, in order to, or toward
- volver
- Infinitive meaning to return or do something again
- a
- Preposition meaning to, at, or toward
- levantarme
- Infinitive with pronoun, to rise or get up
- jamás
- Adverb meaning never, ever, not at any time
- Debo
- First person present of deber, I must or should
- entonces
- Adverb meaning then or therefore, showing consequence
- perder
- Infinitive meaning to lose something or someone
- ser
- Infinitive meaning to be, indicating essence or identity
- admirable
- Adjective meaning admirable, worthy of admiration
- He
- First person present perfect auxiliary, I have
- anhelado
- Past participle of anhelar, longed or yearned for
- tener
- Infinitive meaning to have or possess something
- amigo
- Noun meaning friend, a trusted companion
- he
- First person auxiliary verb meaning I have
- buscado
- Past participle of buscar, searched or looked for
- alguien
- Indefinite pronoun meaning someone or somebody
- simpatizara
- Past subjunctive of simpatizar, to sympathize with
- conmigo
- Prepositional pronoun meaning with me
- amara
- Past subjunctive of amar, to love someone
- aquí
- Adverb meaning here, in this place
- estos
- Plural demonstrative adjective meaning these (masculine)
- mares
- Plural of mar, meaning seas or oceans
- desiertos
- Adjective meaning deserted, empty, or uninhabited places
- encontrado
- Past participle of encontrar, found or encountered
- persona
- Noun meaning person, an individual human being
- temo
- First person present of temer, I fear or dread
- lo
- Direct object pronoun meaning it or him
- hallado
- Past participle of hallar, found or discovered
- solo
- Adjective or adverb meaning alone or only
- conocer
- Infinitive meaning to know or meet a person
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, its, or your
- valor
- Noun meaning value, worth, or courage
- perderlo
- Infinitive with pronoun, to lose him or it
- Quisiera
- Past subjunctive of querer, I would like or wish
- reconciliarle
- Infinitive with pronoun, to reconcile him with something
- con
- Preposition meaning with, in company or association
- la
- Definite article meaning the (feminine singular)
- vida
- Noun meaning life, existence, or way of living
- él
- Personal pronoun meaning he or him
- rechaza
- Third person present of rechazar, rejects or refuses
- idea
- Noun meaning idea, thought, or concept
- Le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning to him, her, or you
- agradezco
- First person present of agradecer, I thank you
- dijo
- Third person preterite of decir, he or she said
- sus
- Plural possessive adjective meaning his, her, or their
- bondadosas
- Plural feminine adjective meaning kind or benevolent
- intenciones
- Plural noun meaning intentions or purposes
- tan
- Adverb meaning so or as, used in comparisons
- miserable
- Adjective meaning miserable, wretched, or deeply unhappy
- cuando
- Conjunction or adverb meaning when or whenever
- habla
- Third person present of hablar, he or she speaks
- nuevos
- Plural adjective meaning new or fresh
- vínculos
- Plural noun meaning bonds, ties, or connections
- afectos
- Plural noun meaning affections or emotional attachments
- renovados
- Plural past participle of renovar, renewed or restored
- cree
- Third person present of creer, he or she believes
- usted
- Formal second person pronoun meaning you
- alguno
- Indefinite pronoun meaning some or any one
- puede
- Third person present of poder, he or she can
- reemplazar
- Infinitive meaning to replace or substitute something
- quienes
- Relative pronoun meaning who or those who
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used in various verb constructions
- han
- Third person plural auxiliary of haber, they have
- ido
- Past participle of ir, gone or departed
- Puede
- Third person present of poder, can or is able
- algún
- Indefinite adjective meaning any or some (masculine)
- hombre
- Noun meaning man or human being
- mí
- Prepositional pronoun meaning me, used after prepositions
- fue
- Third person preterite of ser or ir, was or went
- o
- Conjunction meaning or, presenting an alternative
- alguna
- Indefinite adjective meaning some or any (feminine)
- mujer
- Noun meaning woman or wife
- otra
- Feminine adjective meaning another or other
- Incluso
- Adverb meaning even or including, adding emphasis
- los
- Plural definite article meaning the (masculine)
- son
- Third person plural present of ser, they are
- fuertemente
- Adverb meaning strongly or powerfully
- movidos
- Plural past participle of mover, moved or motivated
- por
- Preposition meaning by, for, or through
- ninguna
- Negative adjective meaning no or none (feminine)
- excelencia
- Noun meaning excellence or outstanding quality
- superior
- Adjective meaning superior, higher, or greater in quality
- compañeros
- Plural noun meaning companions, peers, or partners
- nuestra
- Possessive adjective meaning our (feminine singular)
- siempre
- Adverb meaning always or at all times
- poseen
- Third person plural present of poseer, they possess
- cierto
- Adjective meaning certain, a particular, or definite
- poder
- Noun or infinitive meaning power or to be able
- sobre
- Preposition meaning over, on top of, or about
- nuestras
- Possessive adjective meaning our (feminine plural)
- mentes
- Plural noun meaning minds or intellects
- apenas
- Adverb meaning barely, scarcely, or hardly
- ningún
- Negative adjective meaning no or none (masculine)
- posterior
- Adjective meaning later, subsequent, or posterior
- obtener
- Infinitive meaning to obtain, get, or acquire
- Conocen
- Third person plural present of conocer, they know
- disposiciones
- Plural noun meaning dispositions, tendencies, or inclinations
- infantiles
- Plural adjective meaning childlike, infantile, or from childhood
- mucho
- Adverb or adjective meaning much or a lot
- puedan
- Third person plural present subjunctive of poder, can
- modificadas
- Plural past participle of modificar, modified or altered
- posteriormente
- Adverb meaning later, afterward, or subsequently
- nunca
- Adverb meaning never, at no time
- erradicadas
- Plural past participle of erradicar, eradicated or eliminated
- pueden
- Third person plural present of poder, they can
- juzgar
- Infinitive meaning to judge or evaluate someone
- acciones
- Plural noun meaning actions, deeds, or acts
- conclusiones
- Plural noun meaning conclusions or final judgments
- más
- Adverb or adjective meaning more or most
- certeras
- Plural feminine adjective meaning accurate or precise
- cuanto
- Relative adjective meaning as much as or how much
- integridad
- Noun meaning integrity, honesty, or moral uprightness
- nuestros
- Possessive adjective meaning our (masculine plural)
- motivos
- Plural noun meaning motives, reasons, or motivations
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →