Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 20
A scene has just passed of such uncommon interest that, although it is highly probable that these papers may never reach you, yet I cannot forbear recording it.
Acaba de ocurrir una escena de un interés tan extraordinario que, aunque es muy probable que estos papeles nunca lleguen a tus manos, no puedo evitar registrarla.
We are still surrounded by mountains of ice, still in imminent danger of being crushed in their conflict.
Seguimos rodeados de montañas de hielo, aún en peligro inminente de ser aplastados en su conflicto.
The cold is excessive, and many of my unfortunate comrades have already found a grave amidst this scene of desolation.
El frío es excesivo, y muchos de mis desafortunados camaradas ya han encontrado una tumba en medio de esta escena de desolación.
Frankenstein has daily declined in health; a feverish fire still glimmers in his eyes, but he is exhausted, and when suddenly roused to any exertion, he speedily sinks again into apparent lifelessness.
La salud de Frankenstein ha decaído día a día; un fuego febril aún brilla en sus ojos, pero está agotado, y cuando de repente se le exige algún esfuerzo, cae rápidamente de nuevo en una aparente inanimación.
I mentioned in my last letter the fears I entertained of a mutiny.
Mencioné en mi última carta los temores que albergaba sobre un motín.
This morning, as I sat watching the wan countenance of my friend—his eyes half closed and his limbs hanging listlessly—I was roused by half a dozen of the sailors, who demanded admission into the cabin.
Esta mañana, mientras contemplaba el pálido semblante de mi amigo —sus ojos entrecerrados y sus miembros colgando lánguidamente—, me sobresaltó media docena de marineros, que exigieron ser admitidos en el camarote.
They entered, and their leader addressed me.
Entraron, y su líder se dirigió a mí.
He told me that he and his companions had been chosen by the other sailors to come in deputation to me to make me a requisition which, in justice, I could not refuse.
Me dijo que él y sus compañeros habían sido elegidos por los demás marineros para venir en delegación ante mí y hacerme una petición que, en justicia, no podría negarme.
We were immured in ice and should probably never escape, but they feared that if, as was possible, the ice should dissipate and a free passage be opened, I should be rash enough to continue my voyage and lead them into fresh dangers, after they might happily have surmounted this.
Estábamos encerrados en el hielo y probablemente nunca escaparíamos, pero temían que si, como era posible, el hielo se disipara y se abriera un paso libre, yo fuera lo suficientemente imprudente como para continuar mi viaje y conducirlos a nuevos peligros, después de haber superado felizmente este.
Vocabulary
- Acaba
- Third person singular present of acabar, meaning 'just finished'
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- ocurrir
- To occur, to happen, to take place
- una
- Indefinite article, feminine singular, meaning 'a'
- escena
- A scene, a moment or visual event
- un
- Indefinite article, masculine singular, meaning 'a'
- interés
- Interest, curiosity, or importance in something
- tan
- So, as; used to intensify adjectives or adverbs
- extraordinario
- Extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual in nature
- que
- That, which; conjunction or relative pronoun
- aunque
- Although, even though; introduces a concessive clause
- es
- Third person singular present of ser, meaning 'is'
- muy
- Very; adverb used to intensify adjectives or adverbs
- probable
- Probable, likely; having a good chance of occurring
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- papeles
- Papers, documents, or written pages
- nunca
- Never; at no time, not ever
- lleguen
- Subjunctive form of llegar, meaning 'reach' or 'arrive'
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
- tus
- Your; possessive adjective, second person plural informal
- manos
- Hands; the plural of mano
- no
- No, not; negation particle
- puedo
- I can; first person singular present of poder
- evitar
- To avoid, to prevent something from happening
- registrarla
- To record or document it; infinitive with object pronoun
- Seguimos
- We continue, we keep on; first person plural of seguir
- rodeados
- Surrounded, encircled; past participle of rodear
- montañas
- Mountains; large natural elevations of earth
- hielo
- Ice; frozen water
- aún
- Still, yet; indicates continuation of a state
- en
- In, on, at; common Spanish preposition of location
- peligro
- Danger, peril, risk of harm
- inminente
- Imminent, about to happen very soon
- ser
- To be; fundamental Spanish verb of identity or essence
- aplastados
- Crushed, flattened; past participle of aplastar
- su
- His, her, its, their; third person possessive adjective
- conflicto
- Conflict, struggle, or clash between opposing forces
- El
- The; masculine singular definite article
- frío
- Cold; low temperature or the sensation of coldness
- excesivo
- Excessive, extreme, going beyond normal limits
- y
- And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses
- muchos
- Many; large number of people or things
- mis
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- desafortunados
- Unfortunate, unlucky; those experiencing bad fortune
- camaradas
- Comrades, companions sharing a common experience
- ya
- Already, now; indicates something has occurred
- han
- Have; auxiliary verb, third person plural of haber
- encontrado
- Found, encountered; past participle of encontrar
- tumba
- Grave, tomb; a burial place for the dead
- medio
- Middle, midst, or half; in the middle of
- esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- desolación
- Desolation, bleakness, a state of utter emptiness
- La
- The; feminine singular definite article
- salud
- Health; the physical or mental condition of a person
- ha
- Has; third person singular auxiliary verb of haber
- decaído
- Declined, deteriorated; past participle of decaer
- día
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
- fuego
- Fire; flames or an intense burning sensation
- febril
- Feverish, relating to or resembling a fever
- brilla
- Shines, gleams; third person singular of brillar
- ojos
- Eyes; the organs of sight
- pero
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- está
- Is; third person singular present of estar
- agotado
- Exhausted, drained; completely without energy
- cuando
- When; conjunction or adverb indicating time
- repente
- Suddenly; used in 'de repente' meaning 'all of a sudden'
- se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or passive verbs
- le
- Him, her, you; indirect object pronoun
- exige
- Demands, requires; third person singular of exigir
- algún
- Some, any; indefinite adjective before masculine noun
- esfuerzo
- Effort, exertion applied to accomplish a task
- cae
- Falls; third person singular present of caer
- rápidamente
- Rapidly, quickly; adverb indicating fast speed
- nuevo
- New; used in 'de nuevo' meaning 'again'
- aparente
- Apparent, seeming; that which appears to be true
- inanimación
- Lifelessness, state of appearing without life or motion
- Mencioné
- I mentioned; first person singular preterite of mencionar
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- última
- Last, most recent; feminine form of último
- carta
- Letter; a written message sent to someone
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- temores
- Fears, worries; plural of temor
- albergaba
- Harbored, held inside; imperfect of albergar
- sobre
- About, on, over; preposition of topic or position
- motín
- Mutiny, riot, uprising among crew or group
- Esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- mañana
- Morning or tomorrow; time reference word
- mientras
- While, meanwhile; indicates simultaneous actions
- contemplaba
- Was contemplating, gazing at; imperfect of contemplar
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- pálido
- Pale, pallid; lacking normal color in the face
- semblante
- Countenance, facial expression or appearance
- amigo
- Friend; a person one has a close bond with
- entrecerrados
- Half-closed, partially shut; refers to eyes or doors
- miembros
- Limbs, members; parts of the body or a group
- colgando
- Hanging, dangling; present participle of colgar
- lánguidamente
- Languidly, weakly; in a faint or listless manner
- me
- Me; first person singular reflexive or object pronoun
- sobresaltó
- Startled, surprised suddenly; preterite of sobresaltar
- media
- Half; used with nouns to indicate half a quantity
- docena
- Dozen; a group of twelve
- marineros
- Sailors, seamen; people who work on ships
- exigieron
- Demanded, required; preterite plural of exigir
- admitidos
- Admitted, allowed in; past participle of admitir
- camarote
- Cabin, berth on a ship
- Entraron
- They entered; third person plural preterite of entrar
- líder
- Leader; the person in charge of a group
- dirigió
- Directed, addressed; preterite singular of dirigir
- mí
- Me; stressed first person singular pronoun after preposition
- Me
- Me; first person singular object or reflexive pronoun
- dijo
- Said, told; third person singular preterite of decir
- él
- He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun
- compañeros
- Companions, colleagues, fellow members of a group
- habían
- Had; third person plural pluperfect auxiliary of haber
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser used in compound tenses
- elegidos
- Chosen, elected; past participle of elegir
- por
- By, for, through; versatile Spanish preposition
- demás
- Others, the rest; referring to the remaining people
- para
- For, in order to; preposition of purpose or destination
- venir
- To come; to move toward the speaker
- delegación
- Delegation; a group representing others officially
- ante
- Before, in front of; preposition of position or presence
- hacerme
- To make me, to do to me; infinitive with object pronoun
- petición
- Petition, request, formal appeal for something
- justicia
- Justice, fairness; the principle of rightful treatment
- podría
- Could, would be able; conditional of poder
- negarme
- To refuse me or to deny myself; reflexive infinitive
- Estábamos
- We were; first person plural imperfect of estar
- encerrados
- Locked in, trapped; past participle of encerrar
- probablemente
- Probably, likely; adverb indicating likelihood
- escaparíamos
- We would escape; first person plural conditional of escapar
- temían
- They feared; third person plural imperfect of temer
- si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothesis
- como
- As, like, how; conjunction or adverb of comparison
- era
- Was; third person singular imperfect of ser
- posible
- Possible; capable of happening or being done
- disipara
- Dissipated, cleared; subjunctive of disipar
- abriera
- Opened; past subjunctive of abrir
- paso
- Step, passage, way through an obstacle
- libre
- Free, unobstructed; without restriction or constraint
- yo
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- fuera
- Were; past subjunctive of ser or ir
- lo
- It, him; masculine singular direct object pronoun
- suficientemente
- Sufficiently, enough; adverb indicating adequate degree
- imprudente
- Imprudent, reckless; lacking caution or good judgment
- continuar
- To continue, to keep going forward
- viaje
- Journey, trip, voyage to a destination
- conducirlos
- To lead them; infinitive of conducir with object pronoun
- nuevos
- New; masculine plural adjective meaning fresh or different
- peligros
- Dangers, perils; plural of peligro
- después
- After, afterwards; temporal adverb or preposition
- haber
- To have; auxiliary infinitive used in compound tenses
- superado
- Overcome, surpassed; past participle of superar
- felizmente
- Happily, fortunately; adverb indicating lucky outcome
- este
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
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