Heart of Darkness — Page 10

English → Spanish Full Text Level 9/10

"I don't want to bother you much with what happened to me personally,"

«No quiero importunarles mucho con lo que me ocurrió personalmente»,

he began, showing in this remark the weakness of many tellers of tales

comenzó, mostrando en esta observación la debilidad de muchos narradores de historias

who seem so often unaware of what their audience would like best to hear;

que parecen tan a menudo ignorar lo que su audiencia desearía escuchar;

"yet to understand the effect of it on me you ought to know how I got out there, what I saw, how I went up that river to the place where I first met the poor chap.

«sin embargo, para comprender el efecto que tuvo en mí, deberían saber cómo llegué hasta allí, lo que vi, cómo remonte ese río hasta el lugar donde conocí por primera vez al pobre hombre.

It was the farthest point of navigation and the culminating point of my experience.

Era el punto más lejano de navegación y el punto culminante de mi experiencia.

It seemed somehow to throw a kind of light on everything about me—and into my thoughts.

Parecía de algún modo arrojar cierta luz sobre todo lo que me rodeaba, y sobre mis pensamientos.

It was sombre enough, too—and pitiful—not extraordinary in any way—not very clear either.

Era bastante sombrío, también, y lastimoso, nada extraordinario en modo alguno, tampoco muy claro.

No, not very clear.

No, no muy claro.

And yet it seemed to throw a kind of light.

Y sin embargo parecía arrojar cierta clase de luz.

"I had then, as you remember, just returned to London after a lot of Indian Ocean, Pacific, China Seas—a regular dose of the East—six years or so, and I was loafing about, hindering you fellows in your work and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you.

«Había regresado entonces, como recordarán, a Londres después de mucho Océano Índico, Pacífico, mares de China, una buena dosis de Oriente, seis años más o menos, y andaba holgazaneando, estorbándoles en su trabajo e invadiendo sus hogares, como si hubiera recibido una misión divina para civilizarles.

It was very fine for a time, but after a bit I did get tired of resting.

Estuvo muy bien por un tiempo, pero después de un poco me cansé de descansar.

Then I began to look for a ship—I should think the hardest work on earth.

Entonces empecé a buscar un barco, que debería ser el trabajo más arduo del mundo.

But the ships wouldn't even look at me.

Pero los barcos ni siquiera me miraban.

And I got tired of that game, too.

Y también me cansé de ese juego.

"Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps.

«Ahora bien, cuando era pequeño sentía pasión por los mapas.

Vocabulary

No: Negation word meaning 'no' or 'not'
quiero: I want; first person singular of querer
importunarles: To bother or trouble them persistently
mucho: Much, a lot, very much
con: Preposition meaning 'with'
lo: Neutral article or pronoun meaning 'it' or 'the'
que: Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
me: Reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
ocurrió: It happened or occurred to someone
personalmente: Personally, in a personal or direct manner
comenzó: He/she/it began or started something
mostrando: Showing, revealing, or displaying something
en: Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
esta: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine)
observación: An observation, remark, or comment made
la: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'
debilidad: Weakness, flaw, or lack of strength
de: Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
muchos: Many, a large number of (masculine plural)
narradores: Narrators, storytellers, people who tell stories
historias: Stories, tales, or accounts of events
parecen: They seem or appear to be something
tan: So, as, such (used in comparisons)
a: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'by'
menudo: Often; small or frequent (a menudo = often)
ignorar: To ignore, disregard, or be unaware of
su: Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'their'
audiencia: Audience, listeners, or those receiving a message
desearía: Would like or would desire something
escuchar: To listen to or hear something
sin: Preposition meaning 'without'
embargo: Sin embargo means 'however' or 'nevertheless'
para: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'to,' or 'in order to'
comprender: To understand or comprehend something fully
el: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
efecto: Effect, result, or impact of something
tuvo: He/she/it had; past tense of tener
mí: Stressed pronoun meaning 'me' after prepositions
deberían: They should or ought to do something
saber: To know a fact or how to do something
cómo: How; used in questions or indirect questions
llegué: I arrived or I reached a place
hasta: Until, up to, as far as a point
allí: There, in or at that place
vi: I saw; first person past tense of ver
remonte: To go upriver or travel upstream
ese: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (masculine)
río: River, a large flowing body of water
lugar: Place, location, or spot
donde: Where, the place in which something occurs
conocí: I met or I came to know someone
por: Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'
primera: First (feminine); occurring before all others
vez: Time, instance, or occasion of something
al: Contraction of 'a' and 'el,' meaning 'to the'
pobre: Poor, unfortunate, or pitiful person or thing
hombre: Man, adult male human being
Era: It was; imperfect past tense of ser
punto: Point, spot, or moment in time or space
más: More, most; used in comparisons
lejano: Distant, far away, or remote
navegación: Navigation, sailing, or the act of traveling by water
y: Conjunction meaning 'and'
culminante: Culminating, highest, or most decisive point
mi: Possessive adjective meaning 'my'
experiencia: Experience, personal knowledge gained through living
Parecía: It seemed or appeared to be something
algún: Some, any (masculine singular before nouns)
modo: Way, manner, or mode of doing something
arrojar: To throw, cast, or shed light on something
cierta: Certain, a particular, or a definite (feminine)
luz: Light, illumination, or clarity on a subject
sobre: About, on, or over something
todo: Everything, all, or the whole of something
rodeaba: Surrounded or encircled something or someone
mis: My (plural); possessive adjective for multiple nouns
pensamientos: Thoughts, ideas, or reflections in one's mind
bastante: Quite, fairly, enough, or rather
sombrío: Gloomy, dark, or somber in tone or character
también: Also, too, as well
lastimoso: Pitiful, sorry, or deserving of pity
nada: Nothing, not anything at all
extraordinario: Extraordinary, remarkable, or out of the ordinary
alguno: Some, any, or a certain one
tampoco: Neither, nor, not either
muy: Very, extremely (intensifier before adjectives/adverbs)
no: No, not; negation word in Spanish
Y: Conjunction meaning 'and'
parecía: It seemed or appeared (imperfect past tense)
clase: Class, type, kind, or sort of something
Había: There was/were; imperfect of haber
regresado: Returned, gone back to a previous place
entonces: Then, at that time, or therefore
como: Like, as, or how (conjunction/preposition)
recordarán: They will remember or recall something
después: After, afterwards, or later
Océano: Ocean, a vast body of saltwater
mares: Seas, large bodies of saltwater
una: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (feminine)
buena: Good (feminine adjective); of positive quality
dosis: Dose or amount of something consumed or experienced
Oriente: The East, the Orient, or eastern regions
seis: The number six
años: Years, units of time equal to twelve months
o: Conjunction meaning 'or'
menos: Less, fewer, or minus
andaba: Was going around, wandering, or roaming about
holgazaneando: Loafing, idling, or lazily wasting time
estorbándoles: Hindering or getting in the way of them
trabajo: Work, job, or labor
e: Conjunction meaning 'and' (used before i/hi sounds)
invadiendo: Invading, intruding upon, or barging into
sus: Their or your (formal); plural possessive adjective
hogares: Homes, households, or domestic dwellings
si: If; conditional conjunction introducing a clause
hubiera: Had (subjunctive past); hypothetical past of haber
recibido: Received; past participle of recibir
misión: Mission, task, or assigned purpose or duty
divina: Divine, of or relating to God or heaven
civilizarles: To civilize them; bring civilization to them
Estuvo: It/he/she was (preterite of estar, temporary state)
bien: Well, good, fine; in a satisfactory manner
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (masculine)
tiempo: Time, weather, or period of duration
pero: But, however; conjunction showing contrast
poco: A little, a bit, or a small amount
cansé: I got tired or grew weary of something
descansar: To rest or take a break from activity
Entonces: Then, at that point, or consequently
empecé: I began or started doing something
buscar: To look for or search for something
barco: Ship, boat, or vessel for water travel
debería: Should, ought to (conditional of deber)
ser: To be (permanent qualities, identity, or nature)
arduo: Arduous, difficult, or hard to accomplish
del: Contraction of 'de' and 'el,' meaning 'of the'
mundo: World, the earth, or all of humanity
Pero: But, however; contrasting conjunction
los: Definite article 'the' (masculine plural)
barcos: Ships, boats, or vessels (plural of barco)
ni: Neither, nor; negative conjunction
siquiera: Even, at least (used in negative expressions)
miraban: They were looking at or watching something
juego: Game, play, or set (as in playing a game)
Ahora: Now, at this moment in time
cuando: When; conjunction referring to a time or moment
era: Was (imperfect of ser); describing past states
pequeño: Small, little, young, or of small size
sentía: Felt or experienced an emotion or sensation
pasión: Passion, strong enthusiasm or love for something
mapas: Maps, graphical representations of geographic areas

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