Heart of Darkness — Page 8
Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him—all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men.
Aterrizar en un pantano, marchar por los bosques, y en algún puesto del interior sentir la salvajería, la absoluta salvajería, que se había cerrado en torno a él—toda esa misteriosa vida de la naturaleza salvaje que se agita en el bosque, en las selvas, en los corazones de los hombres salvajes.
There's no initiation either into such mysteries.
Tampoco hay iniciación alguna en tales misterios.
He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable.
Tiene que vivir en medio de lo incomprensible, que es también detestable.
And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him.
Y tiene también una fascinación que comienza a obrar sobre él.
The fascination of the abomination—you know, imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate."
La fascinación de la abominación—ya saben, imaginen los crecientes remordimientos, el anhelo de escapar, el asco impotente, la rendición, el odio."
He paused.
Hizo una pausa.
"Mind," he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards, so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower—"Mind, none of us would feel exactly like this.
«Atención», comenzó de nuevo, levantando un brazo desde el codo, con la palma de la mano hacia afuera, de modo que, con las piernas cruzadas ante él, tenía la pose de un Buda predicando con ropa europea y sin una flor de loto—«Atención, ninguno de nosotros sentiría exactamente esto.
What saves us is efficiency—the devotion to efficiency.
Lo que nos salva es la eficiencia—la devoción a la eficiencia.
But these chaps were not much account, really.
Pero estos tipos no valían gran cosa, en realidad.
They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.
No eran colonos; su administración era simplemente una extorsión, y nada más, sospecho.
They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force—nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.
Eran conquistadores, y para eso solo se necesita la fuerza bruta—nada de lo que presumir, cuando se tiene, ya que la fuerza de uno no es más que un accidente que surge de la debilidad de los demás.
They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got.
Se apropiaron de todo lo que pudieron conseguir por el simple hecho de conseguirlo.
Vocabulary
- Aterrizar
- To land an aircraft on ground or water.
- en
- In, on, at; preposition indicating location or time.
- un
- A, an; indefinite article used with masculine nouns.
- pantano
- Swamp, marsh, or wetland area with water and vegetation.
- marchar
- To march, walk, or travel from one place to another.
- por
- By, for, through; preposition showing agent, purpose, or direction.
- los
- The; definite article used with plural masculine nouns.
- bosques
- Forests; areas densely covered with trees and vegetation.
- algún
- Some, any; indefinite adjective form before masculine singular nouns.
- puesto
- Post, position, or place; past participle of poner.
- del
- Of the; contraction of preposition de and article el.
- interior
- Interior, inside; the inner part or internal region.
- sentir
- To feel, sense, or experience emotions or physical sensations.
- la
- The; definite article used with singular feminine nouns.
- absoluta
- Absolute; complete, total, or unrestricted without any exceptions.
- que
- That, which, who; relative pronoun connecting clauses.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; used with reflexive verbs for oneself.
- había
- Had; past tense of haber indicating completed past action.
- cerrado
- Closed; shut or sealed; past participle of cerrar.
- él
- He, him; third person singular masculine personal pronoun.
- toda
- All, whole, entire; feminine form of adjective todo.
- esa
- That; feminine demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
- misteriosa
- Mysterious; full of mystery or unclear in nature.
- vida
- Life; state of being alive or the living existence.
- de
- Of, from; preposition indicating possession, origin, or composition.
- naturaleza
- Nature; the physical world and its phenomena.
- salvaje
- Savage, wild; untamed or uncivilized in nature.
- agita
- Agitates, stirs; third person singular present of agitar.
- el
- The; definite article used with singular masculine nouns.
- bosque
- Forest; large area covered with trees and vegetation.
- las
- The; definite article used with plural feminine nouns.
- selvas
- Jungles; dense tropical forests with abundant vegetation.
- corazones
- Hearts; organs pumping blood or seat of emotions.
- hombres
- Men; adult male human beings or mankind in general.
- salvajes
- Savages, wild; plural of salvaje or uncivilized people.
- Tampoco
- Neither, nor; indicating absence or negation in addition.
- hay
- There is, there are; present tense of haber.
- iniciación
- Initiation; formal introduction into a society or practice.
- alguna
- Some, any; feminine form of indefinite adjective alguno.
- tales
- Such, such things; plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
- misterios
- Mysteries; things not understood or kept secret.
- Tiene
- Has; third person singular present of tener.
- vivir
- To live; to be alive or to dwell in place.
- medio
- Midst, middle; the central or intermediate part of something.
- lo
- It, that which; neuter direct object pronoun or article.
- incomprensible
- Incomprehensible; impossible to understand or comprehend.
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser.
- también
- Also, too; in addition or likewise.
- detestable
- Detestable; deserving to be hated or disliked.
- tiene
- Has; third person singular present tense of tener.
- una
- A, an; feminine form of indefinite article.
- fascinación
- Fascination; strong interest or attraction to something.
- comienza
- Begins, starts; third person singular present of comenzar.
- obrar
- To work, act, or operate; to behave or function.
- sobre
- On, over, about; preposition indicating position or topic.
- La
- The; definite article used with singular feminine nouns.
- abominación
- Abomination; something greatly disliked or morally repugnant.
- ya
- Already, now; indicates completed action or present time.
- saben
- Know; third person plural present of saber.
- imaginen
- Imagine; third person plural present subjunctive of imaginar.
- crecientes
- Growing, increasing; present participle or plural adjective.
- remordimientos
- Remorse; pangs of conscience or guilt about past actions.
- anhelo
- Yearning, longing; intense desire or craving for something.
- escapar
- To escape, flee; to get away from confinement.
- asco
- Disgust, loathing; extreme distaste or revulsion feeling.
- impotente
- Impotent, helpless; lacking power or ability to act.
- rendición
- Surrender, submission; act of giving up or yielding.
- odio
- Hate, hatred; intense dislike or animosity toward something.
- Hizo
- Made, did; third person singular past of hacer.
- pausa
- Pause, break; temporary stop or cessation of activity.
- Atención
- Attention; notice taken of someone or something.
- comenzó
- Began, started; third person singular past of comenzar.
- nuevo
- New, again; not existing before or recently made.
- levantando
- Raising, lifting; present participle of levantar.
- brazo
- Arm; limb extending from shoulder to hand.
- desde
- From, since; preposition indicating starting point in space.
- codo
- Elbow; joint between upper arm and forearm.
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or instrumentality.
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