Heart of Darkness — Page 7

English → Spanish Full Text Level 9/10

Imagine him here—the very end of the world, a sea the colour of lead, a sky the colour of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina—and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like.

Imagínatelo aquí—en el mismísimo fin del mundo, un mar del color del plomo, un cielo del color del humo, una especie de barco tan rígido como una concertina—y subiendo por este río con provisiones, u órdenes, o lo que quieras.

Sand-banks, marshes, forests, savages,—precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink.

Bancos de arena, pantanos, bosques, salvajes,—poquísimo que comer apto para un hombre civilizado, nada más que agua del Támesis para beber.

No Falernian wine here, no going ashore.

Aquí no había vino falerno, ni posibilidad de desembarcar.

Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay—cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death—death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush.

Aquí y allá un campamento militar perdido en un páramo, como una aguja en un pajar—frío, niebla, tempestades, enfermedad, exilio y muerte—la muerte acechando en el aire, en el agua, en la maleza.

They must have been dying like flies here.

Debían de estar muriendo como moscas aquí.

Oh, yes—he did it.

Oh, sí—lo hizo.

Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps.

Lo hizo muy bien, además, sin duda, y sin pensar demasiado en ello tampoco, salvo para jactarse después de lo que había pasado en su época, quizás.

They were men enough to face the darkness.

Eran hombres suficientemente valerosos para enfrentarse a la oscuridad.

And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by and by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate.

Y quizás se animaba manteniendo la vista puesta en la posibilidad de un ascenso a la flota de Rávena con el tiempo, si tenía buenos amigos en Roma y sobrevivía al terrible clima.

Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga—perhaps too much dice, you know—coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes.

O piensa en un joven ciudadano respetable con toga—quizás demasiados dados, ya sabes—que llegaba aquí en el séquito de algún prefecto, o recaudador de impuestos, o incluso comerciante, para mejorar su fortuna.

Vocabulary

Imagínatelo: Imagine it; a command to picture something in mind
aquí: Here; in this place or location
en: In, on, at; common Spanish preposition of location
el: The; masculine singular definite article in Spanish
mismísimo: The very same; emphatic intensifier of 'mismo'
fin: End, finish; the conclusion or furthest point of something
del: Of the; contraction of 'de' and 'el'
mundo: World; the earth or all of existence
un: A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
mar: Sea; a large body of saltwater
color: Color; the visual quality or hue of something
plomo: Lead; a heavy gray metal, also meaning dull gray
cielo: Sky or heaven; the atmosphere above the earth
humo: Smoke; gas and particles produced by burning
una: A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
especie: Species or kind; a type or sort of something
de: Of, from; very common Spanish preposition
barco: Ship, boat; a vessel used for water transport
tan: So, as; used for comparisons or intensification
rígido: Rigid, stiff; inflexible or lacking in movement
como: Like, as, how; used for comparison or manner
y: And; basic coordinating conjunction linking elements
subiendo: Going up, climbing; ascending a river or slope
por: Through, by, for; versatile Spanish preposition
este: This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
río: River; a large natural flowing body of water
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
provisiones: Provisions, supplies; food and goods for a journey
u: Or; variant of 'o' used before words starting with 'o'
órdenes: Orders, commands; instructions given by authority
o: Or; disjunctive conjunction presenting alternatives
lo: It, the; neuter definite article or direct object pronoun
que: That, what, which; very common conjunction or pronoun
quieras: You want (subjunctive); expressing whatever one wishes
Bancos: Banks or benches; shallow areas of sand in water
arena: Sand; fine granular material found on beaches and deserts
pantanos: Swamps, marshes; wet boggy areas of land
bosques: Forests, woods; large areas densely covered with trees
salvajes: Wild, savage; untamed or uncivilized people or places
poquísimo: Very little; superlative form of 'poco', almost nothing
comer: To eat; the act of consuming food
apto: Suitable, fit; appropriate or adequate for a purpose
para: For, to; preposition indicating purpose or destination
hombre: Man; an adult male human being
civilizado: Civilized; having an advanced or cultured way of life
nada: Nothing; not anything, absence of all things
más: More, but; indicating addition or contrast
agua: Water; the clear liquid essential for life
beber: To drink; the act of consuming a liquid
Aquí: Here; in this place or current location
no: No, not; basic negation word in Spanish
había: There was/were; imperfect form of 'haber'
vino: Wine; alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes
ni: Nor, neither; negative conjunction linking two elements
posibilidad: Possibility; the chance or likelihood of something occurring
desembarcar: To disembark, land; to get off a ship or vessel
allá: Over there; indicating a distant or vague location
campamento: Camp; a temporary settlement or military encampment
militar: Military; relating to armed forces or soldiers
perdido: Lost; unable to find one's way, misplaced or abandoned
páramo: Moor, wasteland; a bleak, cold, and barren landscape
aguja: Needle; a thin pointed instrument for sewing or finding direction
pajar: Haystack; a large pile or storage area of hay
frío: Cold; low temperature, or the sensation of coldness
niebla: Fog, mist; thick cloud of water droplets near ground
tempestades: Storms, tempests; violent weather with wind and rain
enfermedad: Illness, disease; a condition causing poor health
exilio: Exile; forced removal or banishment from one's homeland
muerte: Death; the end of life or biological functions
la: The; feminine singular definite article in Spanish
acechando: Lurking, stalking; watching and waiting to attack secretly
aire: Air; the invisible gas mixture that surrounds the earth
maleza: Undergrowth, weeds; dense tangled wild vegetation
Debían: They must have been; expressing obligation or probability
estar: To be; indicates state, condition, or temporary situation
muriendo: Dying; in the process of losing life
moscas: Flies; small winged insects, often bothersome pests
Oh: Oh; exclamation expressing surprise, recognition, or emotion
sí: Yes; affirmative response or confirmation
hizo: He/she/it did or made; past tense of 'hacer'
Lo: It; neuter direct object pronoun or article
muy: Very; adverb intensifying adjectives and adverbs
bien: Well, good; indicating quality, correctness, or approval
además: Besides, moreover; adding additional information or emphasis
sin: Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
duda: Doubt; uncertainty or lack of conviction about something
pensar: To think; the act of forming thoughts or ideas
demasiado: Too much, too many; exceeding a desirable amount
ello: It; neuter pronoun referring to something non-personal
tampoco: Neither, not either; negative addition to a statement
salvo: Except, save for; excluding from a general statement
jactarse: To boast, brag; to speak with excessive pride about oneself
después: After, later; indicating a subsequent time or order
pasado: Past; referring to a previous time or period
su: His, her, its, their, your; possessive adjective in Spanish
época: Era, epoch, time; a particular period in history
quizás: Perhaps, maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility
Eran: They were; imperfect past tense of 'ser'
hombres: Men; plural of 'hombre', adult male human beings
suficientemente: Sufficiently, enough; to an adequate degree or extent
valerosos: Brave, courageous; showing great valor and boldness
enfrentarse: To face, confront; to deal with a challenge directly
a: To, at; basic Spanish preposition with many uses
oscuridad: Darkness; absence of light or figurative ignorance
Y: And; coordinating conjunction connecting words or clauses
se: Reflexive pronoun; indicates action directed at oneself
animaba: Encouraged, cheered; imperfect tense of 'animar'
manteniendo: Keeping, maintaining; holding something in a steady state
vista: View, sight; the ability to see or a visual perspective
puesta: Set, placed; past participle of 'poner', positioned on something
ascenso: Ascent, promotion; the act of rising or moving upward
flota: Fleet; a group of ships or vehicles traveling together
tiempo: Time, weather; duration or atmospheric conditions
si: If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothetical clause
tenía: Had; imperfect past tense of 'tener'
buenos: Good; masculine plural adjective meaning positive or favorable
amigos: Friends; people one has mutual affection and trust with
sobrevivía: Survived; imperfect tense of 'sobrevivir', to live on
al: To the; contraction of preposition 'a' and article 'el'
terrible: Terrible, dreadful; causing fear, distress, or very bad
clima: Climate; the typical weather conditions of a region
O: Or; disjunctive conjunction offering an alternative choice
piensa: Think; imperative or present tense of 'pensar'
joven: Young; a person or thing of relatively few years
ciudadano: Citizen; a legal member of a state or country
respetable: Respectable; deserving of admiration and high regard
demasiados: Too many; excessive number of something
dados: Dice; small cubes used in games of chance
ya: Already, now; indicating something has occurred or emphasis
sabes: You know; second person singular present of 'saber'
llegaba: Was arriving; imperfect tense of 'llegar', to arrive
séquito: Entourage, retinue; a group of attendants accompanying someone important
algún: Some, any; indefinite adjective before masculine singular nouns
recaudador: Tax collector; a person who collects taxes or fees
impuestos: Taxes; mandatory financial charges imposed by a government
incluso: Even, including; indicating something surprising is also included
comerciante: Merchant, trader; a person who buys and sells goods
mejorar: To improve, better; to make something or someone's state better
fortuna: Fortune, luck; wealth or favorable destiny or fate

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