Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 22
And now, behold, with the first imagination of danger, or, if you will, the first mighty and terrific trial of your courage, you shrink away and are content to be handed down as men who had not strength enough to endure cold and peril; and so, poor souls, they were chilly and returned to their warm firesides.
Y ahora, ved, ante el primer atisbo de peligro, o, si lo preferís, ante la primera prueba formidable y terrible de vuestro valor, os achicáis y os contentáis con pasar a la historia como hombres que no tuvieron fuerzas suficientes para soportar el frío y el peligro; y así, pobres almas, sintieron frío y regresaron a sus cálidos hogares.
Why, that requires not this preparation; ye need not have come thus far and dragged your captain to the shame of a defeat merely to prove yourselves cowards.
Vaya, eso no requiere semejante preparación; no era necesario llegar tan lejos y arrastrar a vuestro capitán a la vergüenza de una derrota tan solo para demostraros cobardes.
Oh! Be men, or be more than men.
¡Oh! Sed hombres, o sed más que hombres.
Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock.
Manteneos firmes en vuestros propósitos y sólidos como una roca.
This ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand you if you say that it shall not.
Este hielo no está hecho de la misma materia que vuestros corazones; es mutable y no puede resistiros si vosotros decís que no lo hará.
Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows.
No volváis con vuestras familias con el estigma de la deshonra marcado en la frente.
Return as heroes who have fought and conquered and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe."
Regresad como héroes que han combatido y vencido y que no saben lo que es dar la espalda al enemigo."
He spoke this with a voice so modulated to the different feelings expressed in his speech, with an eye so full of lofty design and heroism, that can you wonder that these men were moved?
Habló con una voz tan modulada según los distintos sentimientos expresados en su discurso, con una mirada tan llena de elevados propósitos y heroísmo, que ¿podéis acaso sorprenderos de que aquellos hombres se sintieran conmovidos?
They looked at one another and were unable to reply.
Se miraron unos a otros y fueron incapaces de responder.
Vocabulary
- ahora
- Adverb meaning 'now', referring to the present moment.
- ved
- Imperative form of 'ver'; 'see' or 'look', commanding observation.
- ante
- Preposition meaning 'before' or 'in the face of'.
- primer
- Adjective meaning 'first', used before masculine singular nouns.
- atisbo
- A glimpse or faint sign of something.
- peligro
- Noun meaning 'danger' or 'peril'.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing a conditional clause.
- preferís
- Second person plural present of 'preferir'; you all prefer.
- primera
- Adjective meaning 'first', used with feminine singular nouns.
- prueba
- Noun meaning 'test', 'trial', or 'proof'.
- formidable
- Adjective meaning 'formidable', inspiring fear or great respect.
- terrible
- Adjective meaning 'terrible' or 'dreadful'.
- vuestro
- Possessive adjective meaning 'your' (plural, masculine).
- valor
- Noun meaning 'courage', 'bravery', or 'value'.
- os
- Reflexive or indirect object pronoun for second person plural.
- achicáis
- You shrink back or become intimidated; lose courage.
- contentáis
- You content yourselves or settle for something lesser.
- pasar
- Verb meaning 'to pass' or 'to go down' in history.
- historia
- Noun meaning 'history' or 'story'.
- hombres
- Noun meaning 'men', the plural of 'hombre'.
- tuvieron
- Third person plural preterite of 'tener'; they had.
- fuerzas
- Noun meaning 'strength' or 'forces', plural of 'fuerza'.
- suficientes
- Adjective meaning 'sufficient' or 'enough'.
- soportar
- Verb meaning 'to endure', 'to bear', or 'to withstand'.
- frío
- Adjective or noun meaning 'cold'.
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- pobres
- Adjective meaning 'poor' or 'pitiful', plural of 'pobre'.
- almas
- Noun meaning 'souls', plural of 'alma'.
- sintieron
- Third person plural preterite of 'sentir'; they felt.
- regresaron
- Third person plural preterite of 'regresar'; they returned.
- cálidos
- Adjective meaning 'warm', plural masculine form.
- hogares
- Noun meaning 'homes' or 'hearths', plural of 'hogar'.
- Vaya
- Exclamation expressing surprise or irony; 'well' or 'really'.
- eso
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (neutral).
- requiere
- Third person singular present of 'requerir'; it requires.
- semejante
- Adjective meaning 'such', 'similar', or 'of that kind'.
- preparación
- Noun meaning 'preparation' or 'readiness'.
- necesario
- Adjective meaning 'necessary' or 'required'.
- llegar
- Verb meaning 'to arrive' or 'to reach'.
- tan
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'as', used in comparisons.
- lejos
- Adverb meaning 'far' or 'far away'.
- arrastrar
- Verb meaning 'to drag', 'to pull along', or 'to bring'.
- capitán
- Noun meaning 'captain', a leader or commander.
- vergüenza
- Noun meaning 'shame', 'embarrassment', or 'disgrace'.
- derrota
- Noun meaning 'defeat' or 'loss in battle or contest'.
- solo
- Adverb meaning 'only' or adjective meaning 'alone'.
- demostraros
- To demonstrate or prove to you all; infinitive with pronoun.
- cobardes
- Noun or adjective meaning 'cowards' or 'cowardly'.
- Sed
- Imperative plural of 'ser'; 'be' (command to a group).
- más
- Adverb meaning 'more', used in comparisons.
- Manteneos
- Reflexive imperative meaning 'keep yourselves' or 'remain steadfast'.
- firmes
- Adjective meaning 'firm', 'steady', or 'resolute'.
- vuestros
- Possessive adjective meaning 'your' (plural, masculine plural).
- propósitos
- Noun meaning 'purposes', 'intentions', or 'resolutions'.
- sólidos
- Adjective meaning 'solid', 'firm', or 'strong', plural masculine.
- roca
- Noun meaning 'rock' or 'stone'.
- Este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (masculine singular).
- hielo
- Noun meaning 'ice'.
- hecho
- Past participle of 'hacer'; made or done.
- misma
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'very', feminine singular form.
- materia
- Noun meaning 'matter', 'material', or 'substance'.
- corazones
- Noun meaning 'hearts', plural of 'corazón'.
- mutable
- Adjective meaning 'mutable', changeable or unstable.
- puede
- Third person singular present of 'poder'; it can.
- resistiros
- To resist you; infinitive of 'resistir' with plural pronoun.
- vosotros
- Second person plural pronoun meaning 'you all' (Spain).
- decís
- Second person plural present of 'decir'; you all say.
- hará
- Third person singular future of 'hacer'; it will do.
- volváis
- Subjunctive present of 'volver'; that you all return.
- vuestras
- Possessive adjective meaning 'your' (plural, feminine plural).
- familias
- Noun meaning 'families', plural of 'familia'.
- estigma
- Noun meaning 'stigma', a mark of disgrace or dishonor.
- deshonra
- Noun meaning 'dishonor' or 'disgrace'.
- marcado
- Past participle of 'marcar'; marked or branded.
- frente
- Noun meaning 'forehead' or 'front'; also 'facing'.
- Regresad
- Imperative plural of 'regresar'; return! (command to group).
- héroes
- Noun meaning 'heroes', plural of 'héroe'.
- combatido
- Past participle of 'combatir'; fought or battled.
- vencido
- Past participle of 'vencer'; conquered or overcome.
- saben
- Third person plural present of 'saber'; they know.
- dar
- Verb meaning 'to give' or 'to turn'.
- espalda
- Noun meaning 'back' (of the body); turning one's back.
- enemigo
- Noun meaning 'enemy' or 'foe'.
- Habló
- Third person singular preterite of 'hablar'; he/she spoke.
- voz
- Noun meaning 'voice'.
- modulada
- Adjective meaning 'modulated', varied in tone or pitch.
- según
- Preposition meaning 'according to' or 'depending on'.
- distintos
- Adjective meaning 'distinct', 'different', or 'various'.
- sentimientos
- Noun meaning 'feelings' or 'emotions', plural of 'sentimiento'.
- expresados
- Past participle of 'expresar'; expressed or conveyed.
- discurso
- Noun meaning 'speech' or 'discourse'.
- mirada
- Noun meaning 'gaze', 'look', or 'glance'.
- llena
- Adjective meaning 'full' (feminine singular).
- elevados
- Adjective meaning 'elevated', 'lofty', or 'noble'.
- heroísmo
- Noun meaning 'heroism' or 'bravery'.
- podéis
- Second person plural present of 'poder'; you all can.
- acaso
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps', 'by chance', or 'could it be'.
- sorprenderos
- To surprise you all; infinitive of 'sorprender' with pronoun.
- aquellos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (masculine plural).
- sintieran
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'sentir'; that they felt.
- conmovidos
- Adjective meaning 'moved', 'touched', or 'stirred emotionally'.
- miraron
- Third person plural preterite of 'mirar'; they looked.
- unos
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'some' or 'one another'.
- otros
- Pronoun meaning 'others' or 'the others'.
- fueron
- Third person plural preterite of 'ser' or 'ir'; they were/went.
- incapaces
- Adjective meaning 'incapable' or 'unable', plural form.
- responder
- Verb meaning 'to respond' or 'to answer'.
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